April 4, 2020

Devlin Discusses Segregation in National Parks on ‘With Good Reason’

March 19, 2020 by
Assistant Professor of History Erin Devlin

Assistant Professor of History Erin Devlin

Assistant Professor of History and American Studies Erin Devlin will be featured on an episode of ‘With Good Reason’ radio on WVTF Radio IQ beginning on Saturday, March 21. Devlin is working with Shenandoah National Park and four others throughout Virginia to examine the painful past and legacy of segregation in the parks and wilderness spaces and initiate more inclusive practices. Contracted by the National Park Services, she’s currently leading a unique study that will provide a more comprehensive picture of segregation in the parks through archival research and oral histories of those who experienced it. Once finished, the project will be used to develop more installations and resources – such as the one Devlin and her students recently completed at the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park – that tell the stories of African American visitors to our national parks.

With Good Reason airs Sundays at 2 p.m. on Fredericksburg’s Radio IQ 88.3 Digital and at various times throughout the week on stations across Virginia and the United States. Check the website for show times.

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Stommel Comments on Grading During Coronavirus

March 19, 2020 by
Jesse Stommel, Senior Lecturer of Digital Learning

Jesse Stommel, Senior Lecturer of Digital Learning

Jesse Stommel, senior lecturer of Digital Studies, commented on an EdSurge.com article, “To Grade or Not to Grade? During Coronavirus, That is the Question.”

Crises tend to insert new words into our lexicon. For educators in the era of coronavirus, one such term is “continuity.” It’s become both a strategy and a rallying cry as classrooms darken and instruction shifts online.

Except—striving for continuity may be a bit delusional right now. Or it may be an effort that betrays misplaced priorities. That’s the view of Jesse Stommel, a digital learning fellow and senior lecturer at the University of Mary Washington.

“I don’t want there to be ‘continuity.’ I want my students to deal with their lives,” he says. “I don’t have any expectations of continuity in my course. I let go of that the instant this started to happen.”

Like Stommel, some faculty and administrators are wondering whether the pandemic demands they shed traditional practices, at least temporarily, rather than sustain them at all costs. One custom they’re reconsidering? Grading. Read more.

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Richardson Column in The Free Lance-Star

March 19, 2020 by
UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson

UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson

College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s weekly column in The Free Lance-Star discusses the importance of following your dreams. Read BELIEVE AND PERSEVERE.

 

Many years ago, I had a colleague whose husband was part of the coaching staff of a women’s Division I basketball team. He was good at his job, but had a dream of coaching individuals.

A few years later, he took a leap of faith—with the support of his wife—and followed his dream. Today he works with high school, college and NBA players. Getting there, however, was a challenge. He experienced doubts, fears, frustrations, struggles, and financial shortcomings. The only things that were consistent through the nine years between when he began his business and today were his faith and his passion to make players better, no matter their level of play.

His story affected me on many levels. It doesn’t matter where you are and what you are doing in life, you must believe in yourself to get where you want to be. As an educator, I often see young people who do not believe in themselves. Because they do not, they have no direction. They are waiting for life to happen. Read more.

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Farnsworth Comments on Virginia Budget on WAMU

March 18, 2020 by
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, has been quoted in the following story on WAMU, “Virginia Lawmakers Pass $135b Budget, Despite Calls to Delay Amid Health Scare.”

“Budgets are always vulnerable to timing,” said political scientist Stephen Farnsworth at the University of Mary Washington. Still, he added, “you are looking at an environment that the Democratic majority is trying to increase funding for issues that Democrats campaigned on last year.” Read more.

 

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Broome’s Online Learning Collective Mentioned on NPR

March 13, 2020 by
College of Education Associate Professor John Broome. Photo by Norm Shafer.

College of Education Associate Professor John Broome. Photo by Norm Shafer.

College of Education Professor John Broome’s Online Learning Collective, a Facebook group launched last week that now boasts over 16,000 members, was mentioned in an NPR story about the challenge of transitioning in-person courses to online. The article also features former UMW Digital Studies instructor Sean Michael Morris.

“Everyone’s freaked out,” says Sean Michael Morris. He’s in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado, Denver and the director of Digital Pedagogy Lab, an organization focused on digital learning, technology and social justice. He’s one of the curators of Teaching Online With Care, a crowdsourced document collecting ideas about this transition. There’s also a Facebook group with 15,000 members started by John Broome at the University of Mary Washington, called “Online Learning Collective.” Read more.

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Chiang Published Article in CVPDEs in Europe

March 12, 2020 by

Professor of Mathematics Yuan-Jen Chiang

Yuan-Jen Chiang, Professor of Mathematics, coauthored a research article “Exponentially Subelliptic Harmonic Maps from the Heisenberg Group into a Sphere” in the Calculus of Variations and Partial Differential Equations by Springer in Europe. This is a joint work with Professor Sorin Dragomir with his Ph.D. student in Italy.

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Davidson Presents Lecture, Paper at Boston University

March 11, 2020 by

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson recently delivered a public lecture titled “Allies’ Contributions to America’s Wars: Free Rides or Shared Burdens?” at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University on March 5. Following his presentation, Dr. Davidson also spoke with New York Times reporters compiling a special section on the “Costs of War Since 9/11.”

The next day, he presented a paper titled “America’s Allies and the Cost of War since 9/11” to a small, invited author workshop on “20 Years of War,” also at the Pardee Center. The paper benefited from undergraduate research performed by senior International Affairs major Rachel McVicker.
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Farnsworth Delivers Lectures on ‘Late Night with Trump’

March 11, 2020 by
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently delivered three invited lectures entitled, “Political Humor and the Donald Trump Presidency,” which were drawn from his new co-authored book, Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency. The talks were delivered at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT, St. Michael’s College in Colchester, VT and the Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC. Dr. Farnsworth was also interviewed regarding this co-authored book by Transition Virginia, a leading Virginia podcast. Listen here.

Dr. Farnsworth has also been quoted in several regional and national news stories:

Democratic trifecta sparks a revolution for LGBTQ Virginians (NBC News.com)

“Late Night with Trump” and Scorched Earth Humor

Democrats Promised To Change Virginia. Here Are Six Areas Where They Made Moves (WAMU)

Year of Fear, Chapter Five: Are Democrats an Endangered Species in Caroline County? Maybe Not. (CJR.org)

Biden Victories Calm the Waters as Sanders’ Ship Founders (The Well News)

Late-Night Comedy Is No Laughing Matter (Public Affairs Council)

Speaker probes political humor in age of Trump (Saint Michael’s College)

 

 

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Richardson Column in The Free Lance-Star

March 10, 2020 by
UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson

UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson

College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s weekly column in The Free Lance-Star discusses people who aren’t approachable in the workplace. Read DO YOU HAVE A ‘NO’ FACE OR A ‘YES’ FACE?

 

I recently heard an impactful story. Perhaps it might touch you.

Thomas Jefferson was traveling by horseback with a group of colleagues. As they approached a river, they met others at the river who were on foot. The river had overflowed its banks and the current was swift. To cross the river was going to be a bit dangerous.

A lone foot traveler approached President Jefferson and asked if he would take him across. The president agreed immediately and the man climbed behind him on the horse. They safely crossed the treacherous river.

Afterwards, another person asked the lone traveler, “Why did you ask the president of the United States to take you across the river?” The man, with a shocked look on his face, admitted he had no idea that he had asked the president of the United States. “All I knew,” he said, “is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘no’ and on some of them was the answer ‘yes.’ His was a ‘yes’ face.”

Do you have a “no” face or a “yes” face?

Think about your workplace. Are there people you interact with who are no-face people? I’m guessing there are more than a few. They tell you, with their facial expressions, not to approach them. And if you must approach them, you know if you have to ask them to do something, the answer will be no. Read more.

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Wells Presents Duo Piano Recital, March 13

March 3, 2020 by
Assistant Professor of Music Robert Wells

Assistant Professor of Music Robert Wells

UMW music professor Dr. Robert Wells will be joining his former piano professor, Dr. Derek Parsons (Furman University), to present a two-piano recital at UMW. The concert will be on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 PM in Dodd Auditorium, and admission will be free. Parsons will be performing Anglo-Canadian composer Healey Willan’s piano concerto, accompanied by Wells on a second piano, after which Wells will perform American composer Amy Beach’s piano concerto, accompanied by Parsons. This concert will kick off a music-filled weekend for the UMW Music Department, with the UMW Chamber Music Festival occurring on Saturday and Sunday at Belmont.

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