Professional Notes Archives

Harris Featured in Program Exploring the Monroe Doctrine

July 1, 2026 by Guest Author

University of Mary Washington Museums Executive Director Scott Harris

Retired Museums Executive Director Scott Harris

Recently retired Museums Executive Director Scott Harris was featured by Loudoun Now in an article titled “Aldie Mill Historic Park Hosts ‘President Monroe.’”

The article highlights Harris’s participation in the Monroe at the Mill series at Aldie Mill Historic Park, where he portrayed Joseph Gales Jr., co-publisher of the National Intelligencer, in a historical conversation with President James Monroe. The program explored Monroe’s views on the foreign policy declaration now known as the Monroe Doctrine, nearly three years after he presented it to Congress. Read more in Loudoun Now.

Farnsworth Delivers Online Lecture on the Trump Presidency

July 1, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor Emeritus of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Professor Emeritus of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth recently delivered an online lecture, “Domestic and International Policy Challenges During the Second Trump Presidency,” to students at the Universidad Anáhuac in Puebla, Mexico.

Media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Maryland’s 5th Congressional District race features one of the country’s most crowded fields (WUSA9)
“In many ways it comes down to two or three candidates who have generated some level of recognition from endorsement, from support from financial backers or from something that they did like being a hero of January 6,” said Stephen Farnsworth.

Voters should expect party politics in this nonpartisan school board race (The Baltimore Banner)
“School board elections in Montgomery County and nationally are increasingly taking on partisan coloration, even if party labels are not used,” University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said.

Legislators, advocates on Virginia’s new data center tax and regulation scheme: ‘A good first step’ (WVTF)

While it seems no one left Richmond Monday happy, University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said any deal is better than no deal for the Democratic trifecta currently leading the Commonwealth.

Spanberger defends wave of vetoes as frustrated Democrats push back (Mountain Media, LLC)

Farnsworth said Spanberger appears to be caught between different audiences. “The governor’s current battle is really to persuade Virginians to support her over the Democratic majority of the Senate,” he said.

Maryland’s 5th District race sees candidates clashing over outside spending claims (WUSA; Yahoo News)

Dr. Stephen Farnsworth is a Political Science Professor at the University of Mary Washington. He says voters decide how they feel about it. “What is happening in this race happens in a lot of congressional races around the country. People who are connected will bring a lot of money to the table. Voters may find that acceptable. It’s legal. Voters may not find it acceptable. It’s up to them to decide,” said Dr. Farnsworth.

Rao Joins National Panel on the Human Side of AI in the Workplace

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor of Communication and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao

Professor of Communication Anand Rao, who is also Director of the Center for AI and the Liberal Arts (CAILA), was alongside a national lineup of artificial intelligence (AI) and leadership experts on June 4 for “The Human Edge: Flourishing in an AI-Driven Workplace,” a panel hosted by George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.

Rao brought a liberal-arts perspective to a conversation otherwise weighted toward industry and defense. The midday webinar was based on the premise that while AI is reshaping how people work, leadership and human judgment determine whether that experience strengthens connection, trust and purpose.

The panel spanned the private sector, national defense and the academy and included co-panelists Steve Gladis, CEO of Steve Gladis Leadership Partners; Loretta Li-Sevilla, vice president and global head of Future of Work and AI ISV Ecosystem at Hewlett Packard; Julia Ochinero, founder of Ochinero GTM; and Jane Pinelis, chief scientist for special operations at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer at George Mason, moderated.

Rao’s contribution reflected the mission of CAILA, which he founded to bring humanistic inquiry to bear on how AI is taught, governed and used. His scholarship advances what he calls “AI pluralism,” the argument that diverse models, perspectives, and human voices yield more trustworthy outcomes than any single system acting alone. Drawing on a background in competitive academic debate, he has developed pedagogical frameworks that treat argumentation and human judgment as essential complements to automated analysis rather than casualties of it.

“The question is not whether AI will change our work, but whether we will stay in the habit of judgment,” Rao said. “The tools can do the analysis. People still have to decide what is worth doing, and why.”

Schiffrin Quoted in Article on Parental Burnout

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor of Psychological Science Holly Schiffrin

Professor of Psychological Science Holly Schiffrin was quoted by the Italian online newspaper Open for an article titled “School closures are parents’ nightmares: what is “parental burnout”, how it manifests itself and how to fight it.”

For the piece, Schiffrin said, “The growing pressure to be constantly present and involved parents not only translates into greater stress and less psychological well-being for them, but also does not seem to necessarily produce proportionate benefits for children.” Read the article from Open.

Frankel Featured by the Fredericksburg Free Press

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel

Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel and his students were featured in an article by the Fredericksburg Free Press titled “UMW team tests the waters — literally — with weekly coliform monitoring along Rappahannock.”

The piece describes how UMW students collect river water to measure dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and salinity. The sample they collected on a recent Wednesday in May, will be taken to campus and analyzed in a lab. Frankel and his students are looking for harmful bacteria, similar to what was discharged into the Potomac River just a few months ago. Read the article in the Fredericksburg Free Press.

Lindberg and Yakabouski Share Admissions Advice on WFVA’s Town Talk

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Sarah Lindberg and Melissa Yakabouski at WFVA News Talk 1230

Director of First Year Admission Sarah Lindberg and Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk this month

Director of First Year Admission Sarah Lindberg and Dean of Admission and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk this month to discuss how summer offers a valuable opportunity for students to get ahead in the college search process.

Lindberg and Yakabouski said high school sophomores, juniors and seniors can make the most of the break by touring campuses, exploring potential majors and narrowing their college choices. They also encourage students to start working on application essays by reviewing prompts and drafting a personal statement before the busy school year begins. At UMW, Enhanced Summer Visits provide an in-depth look at campus life, academics and admissions. Listen to the episode.

Konieczny Publishes His 58th Research Article

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor of Mathematics Janusz Konieczny

Professor of Mathematics Janusz Konieczny has co-authored a research article, “The Inverse Monoid of Partial Inner Automorphisms of a Semigroup,” published in the Journal of Algebra, one of the world’s leading mathematics journals for research in algebra.

Over the course of his career, Konieczny has published 58 research articles in 31 mathematics journals, totaling more than 1,000 pages of research.

Cooperman Quoted by Fredericksburg Free Press

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman, who is also chair of the Department of Political Science & International Affairs, was quoted in a column by the Fredericksburg Free Press. In the piece, titled “Thank you to the professor who has been taking my calls for almost 30 years,” Cooperman shed light on Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth as a colleague. She wrote in an email that much of what she knows about Virginia politics she learned from the man who now carries the title of “professor emeritus.”

“As a former journalist (though I don’t think Steve would have made that distinction, as he believed that once a journalist, always a journalist), Steve had a keen understanding of political issues and events — who made decisions and the impact of those decisions on the public,” Cooperman wrote. “And, he could explain those issues, events and decision-makers in an accessible and unbiased way that made clear why they were important. He also has a fantastic sense of humor and can’t resist finding humor in the often-absurd scenarios in political life.” Read the article in the Fredericksburg Free Press.

Kahn Featured in Article by City of Basketball Love

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Men’s Basketball Head Coach Marcus Kahn

Men’s Basketball Head Coach Marcus Kahn was featured in an article titled “Marcus Kahn credits his six-year stay at Cabrini for capturing a national championship,” by City of Basketball Love, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused around the coverage of high school and college basketball in and around Philadelphia.

The piece describes how about an hour after he climbed down from the pinnacle of NCAA Division III men’s basketball, holding loft the championship netting as national champions for the University of Mary Washington, Eagles’ coach Marcus Kahn did the perfunctory chore of checking his exploding cell phone. It brought him back to his old days, when he coached at now-defunct Cabrini University for six years. Read the article from City of Basketball Love.

Farnsworth Featured in Column by Fredericksburg Free Press

June 18, 2026 by Guest Author

Professor Emeritus of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Professor Emeritus of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth was featured by the Fredericksburg Free Press in a column titled, “Thank you to the professor who has been taking my calls for almost 30 years.”

Columnist Jonathan Hunley begins the article by writing, “No more faculty meetings, and no more papers to grade. But we’ll still get to hear his thoughts on politics on TV and radio, and read his comments on this website. That’s my two-sentence upbeat conclusion about the retirement of Stephen J. Farnsworth from the University of Mary Washington after three decades in higher education.” Read the column in the Fredericksburg Free Press.

Other media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Early voting begins this week for congressional primaries (Richmond Times-Dispatch; Roanoke Times; The Virginian-Pilot)
“It’s good news for incumbents that the lines went back to where they were because it puts challengers off balance,” said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.

Spanberger defends wave of vetoes as frustrated Democrats push back (Virginia Mercury)
“Virginia Democrats are continuing to struggle with a question of identity,” Steven Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said. “How conservative or how moderate do you have to be to win a statewide election is a question that has bedeviled Virginia lawmakers since the days of (former Governor) Chuck Robb.”

Political scientists: Va. budget impasse really about power, direction of Democratic Party (World News; Richmond Times-Dispatch; Roanoke Times)
Resolving budget issues is normally relatively straightforward, said Stephen Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political scientist. “You could just split the difference and then resume the fight in Year 2 or Year 3,” he said. “How is there not a compromise here?”

Democratic governors chafe as calls grow louder to reject data centers (E&E News by Politico)
Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, noted the project pipeline is expanding. The pressure to be “less pro-data center, particularly for a Democratic politician, is only going to grow,” he said.

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