Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupta Gupta was quoted in a article titled “What’s behind India and Pakistan’s conflict over Kashmir, and why it’s so serious” for MSN. An excerpt from the article reads, “The origin of the recent hostilities between Pakistan and India largely dates back to 1947, when they gained their independence from British rule, according to Surupa Gupta, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.” Read the article.
Farnsworth Discusses Federal Job Cuts for USAA News

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth discussed federal job cuts and more with USAA News in an article titled “Va. GOP congressman’s scrutiny on federal cuts, job losses needs company from other Republicans.” In the article Farnsworth said, “People are getting really worried about how that affects them.” Read the article.
I asked Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, what might explain your willingness to speak out so forcefully now. As continued cutbacks are materializing, Farnsworth said, “People are getting really worried about how that affects them.” Your op-ed, he added, “speaks to the effectiveness of public opinion in shaping” the policies of lawmakers.https://virginiamercury.com/2025/05/16/va-gop-congressmans-scrutiny-on-federal-cuts-job-losses-needs-company-from-other-republicans/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/va-gop-congressman-scrutiny-federal-092023344.html?guccounter=1
Political analyst Stephen Farnsworth believes the dispute could “end up in the courts, like just about everything these days.”
https://www.henricocitizen.com/virginia-house-clerk-rejects-three-of-gov-glenn-youngkins-vetoes/
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/05/15/virginia-house-clerk-rejects-three-of-gov-glenn-youngkins-vetoes/
The historic sweep could also pay off strategically, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.“This is a big development from the perspective of turnout,” Farnsworth said. “Even in districts where you’re not going to win, you’re going to help pump up the vote for your party, and that can help statewide candidates.”
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/05/07/democrats-reach-historic-goal-full-slate-in-virginia-house-races/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-reach-historic-goal-full-203050151.html?guccounter=1
Smith to Speak at Fredericksburg Memorial Day Observance
Professor of Historic Preservation Andréa Livi Smith will serve as the featured speaker at the 159th Memorial Day Observance at Fredericksburg’s Confederate Cemetery, hosted by the Ladies’ Memorial Association. The annual event will take place at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 26 at 1100 Washington Ave. In a recent article published by The Free Lance-Star, Smith described the luminaria tradition as “truly a sublime expression of remembrance.” Read the article.
Bonds Authors Article on Data Center Sustainability for Chesapeake Bay Journal
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds authored an article titled “For data center sustainability in Virginia, state regulation is a must” for the Chesapeake Bay Journal. An excerpt from the article says, “Spreading out from Northern Virginia, data centers are being proposed in communities across the Chesapeake Bay region. They promise big bursts of local revenue, but they also consume huge amounts of energy and can sometimes negatively impact neighborhoods and natural areas. When data centers come knocking, what should local environmentalists do?” Read the article.
Ball Appears on WFVA’s TownTalk to Discuss Small Businesses
Director of Small Business Development Center Susan Ball appeared on NewsTalk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk to discuss small businesses. She is a free resource for anyone in the Fredericksburg area with a small business idea or a small business, no matter what stage it’s in. Listen to the episode.
Reynolds Appears on ‘PS: I Love U(MW)’ Series

Jon Reynolds is the director of marketing and audience services for UMW’s Department of Theatre. But two days a year, he steps into the role of Mary Washington’s commencement reader.
P.S. I Love U(MW) shines a light on the voice most linked with graduation day. Jon Reynolds ’07, Director of Marketing and Audience Services for the Department of Theatre and Dance, is the person who proudly reads each graduate’s name as they cross the stage. “The bonus for me at Commencement,” Jon shared, “is I get to see my students walk across the stage—and I get to be the last thing they see before they get their diploma.” See the episode.
Give Jon a wave (or a thank you!) after you hear his familiar voice at Commencement Watch more episodes from PS: I love U(MW) on the @marywash Instagram.
Larus Publishes Book Chapter on Taiwan Strait Tensions

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Senior Fellow at Pacific Forum Elizabeth Freund Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Adjunct Senior Fellow at Pacific Forum Elizabeth Freund Larus published her book chapter, “Taiwan: One of the Most Dangerous Places in the World” in Contemporary Security Problems (Lublin: UMCS Press, 2024).
The May 1, 2021 cover of the Economist magazine declared that Taiwan is “the most dangerous place on Earth.” Similarly, the WEF’s annual Global Risk reports since 2022 have labeled Taiwan as a dangerous hot spot because of its proximity to the PRC. The chapter, co-authored with Polish scholar and Professor Larus’ Fulbright host Agata Ziętek, analyzes the potential for cross-Strait conflict by examining the conditions contributing to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Professor Larus regularly travels to Taiwan. Despite the chapter title, she finds Taiwan to be a dynamic democracy and economy, and a remarkably safe place to travel and live.
Anderson Earns All-State Women’s Coach of the Year by VaSID
The University of Mary Washington swimming and diving program earned Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) honors, including Head Swim Coach Justin Anderson who earned All-State Women’s Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Eagles to a second place finish in the NJAC Championships and six swimmers that qualified for the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.
Lehman Publishes Book with De Gruyter
Professor of Mathematics Larry Lehman has published a new book, Quadratic Ideal Numbers: A Computational Method for Binary Quadratic Forms with De Gruyter, a German publishing house. This book studies quadratic ideal numbers, introduced as a notational device in Lehman’s previous book, Quadratic Number Theory, as objects in their own right, with applications to quadratic forms and other topics in elementary and algebraic number theory.
Hansen-Glucklich Publishes Book with UMass Press
Associate Professor Jennifer Hansen-Glucklich in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures has published a new book entitled German Memorials, Motifs, and Meanings: A Cultural History in Bronze, Wood, and Stone with University of Massachusetts Press (2025).
The book offers a unique cultural history of German memorialization by focusing not on a single, isolated era, but rather on enduring memorial motifs—enchanted stones, magical trees, raised fists, stone circles, and similar evocative symbols derived from myth, folklore, Christianity, national iconography, and post-Holocaust imagery. It thus takes a long-duration perspective to explore abiding themes such as death, rebirth, and redemption; violence and reconciliation; and sacrifice, identity, and community. Along with a consideration of the historical and social circumstances of each memorial and its motifs, the book seeks to answer the questions of why and how these cultural markers survive the passage of time and how they endure amidst cultural, social, and political upheavals that include the rise and fall of empires, catastrophes of war and occupation, and genesis of new national identities.
A Waple Professorship (2023-2025) generously supported the publication of this book by providing funds for travel.