A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Associate Professor of Education Janine Davis
Associate Professor of Education Janine Davis and a group of students presented at the National Council of Teachers ofEnglish (NCTE) Conference in Boston. The presentation was titled “The Future is Now:Exploring 21st-Century Teaching Ideas with the Next Generation of English Teachers”.
Jason Robinson, Professor of Digital Art and Filmmaking
Assistant Professor of Digital and Kinetic Imaging, Jason Robinson is a co-founder of Light House Studio and organizer of the group’s third annual Odds & Ends Film Festival to take place in Charlottesville’s Vinegar Hill Theatre. The event was covered by The Daily Progress in Charlottesville, VA in an article entitled “Odds & Ends Film Festival attracts Hollywood filmmakers to Charlottesville this weekend.” Read the article.
Professor of Education Kyle Schultz
Professor of Education Kyle Schultz was recently a featured speaker at the Virginia Council of Math Specialists and presented “Decoding Disciplinary Thinking.”
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 recently presented a guest online lecture, “The Second Trump Presidency: Policy Implications of His First Weeks Back in Office,” to Maria Curie Skłodowska University, in Lublin, Poland. Dr. Farnsworth served as a 2024 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar in Poland.
In addition, other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
‘First step’ complete for Va. abortion rights advocates as amendment passes in General Assembly (WTOP)
“The process is a slow one,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “What you’ve seen so far is the first step.” https://wtop.com/virginia/2025/02/first-step-complete-for-va-abortion-rights-advocates-as-amendment-passes-in-general-assembly/
Associate Professor of Linguistics Paul D. Fallon
Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Mary Washington Paul Fallon was mentioned by The Free Lance-Star in an article entitled “Fredericksburg Regional Spelling Bee set for Saturday.” In the article, it says “On Saturday, Paul Fallon, associate professor of linguistics at the University of Mary Washington and the bee’s pronouncer, will lob a few of the easier words at the contestants in the early rounds. Then, he’ll move to more difficult options.” Read the article.
Ethan Sweeny, Sue Henderson and Steve Hanna (L-R) appear on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk.
UMW Geography Professor Steve Hanna, UMW Intern Ethan Sweeny, and Sue Henderson with Discover Stafford appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk to preview the opening of the Stafford African American Trail: 31 stories at 23 sites. You can explore history at home or by driving at discoverstafford.org. Listen to the episode.
Assistant Professor of Education Melissa Wells
Assistant Professor of Education Melissa Wells presented at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference in Boston. Her presentations were titled “Panels Full of Heart, Hope, andHumanity: The Power of Graphic Novels to Foster Critical Literacy and CriticalReading, Teaching with the 2024 Charlotte Huck and Orbis Pictus Award Books” and”Teaching with Heart, Hope, and Humanity: The Intersection of Students, Families,Children’s Literature, and Community Cultural Wealth”.
In addition, Wells presented at the Literacy Research Association’s Annual Conference. Her presentations included Creative Empowerment: Early-Career Teachers’ Use of Arts Integration, Community Cultural Wealth: Agency through Asset-Based Approaches in Early Childhood Settings, and Graphic Novels: “Non-Entities” with Potential for StudentEmpowerment and Agency.
Professor of Middle East History Nabil Al-Tikriti
Professor of Middle East History Nabil Al-Tikriti’s article entitled “Prince with Daddy Issues Seeks Sisterly Support: Two Ego Documents Penned by Şehzade Korkud (d. 1513),” was recently published by The Journal of Ottoman Studies / Osmanlı Araştırmaları [Issue LXIV (Winter 2024), pp. 71-98]. This journal issue was a double-blind, peer-reviewed scholarly publication which originated with the 2022 “Ottoman Ego Documents/Ben-Anlatıları” Symposium that Al-Tikriti attended (with UMW faculty travel support) in Istanbul, Turkey.
The article’s abstract: “Following a brief analysis of self-narrative writing among Ottoman royals towards the turn of the sixteenth century, this article argues for consideration of “collective biography” as a methodological approach before presenting two “ego-documents” by one of those royals. Şehzade Korkud (d. 1513), who left behind several small samples of self-narrative, also wrote two clear examples of ego-documents, a treatise to his father Bayezid II (d. 1512) defending his decision to go on the ḥajj, and a fearful letter to his sister Sofu Fatma (fl. 1512) seeking political guidance in the midst of a politically tense succession struggle. The treatise, Wasīlat al-aḥbāb, is summarized and analyzed here, while the letter is transliterated and translated in full.” Read the article.
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus
Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus, who is nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Center and Indo-Pacific Security Initiative discussed citizenship for WION. In an piece entitled “US Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump’s Executive Order Ending Birthright Citizenship” she said “I indicated to WION News that Trump’s Executive Order limiting birthright citizenship is an attempt to push the issue of citizenship for the children of illegal migrants up to the Supreme Court for reinterpretation to its original intent.” View the piece.
Other media mentions for Larus include:
Vice President of Strategy, Chief of Staff to the President Jeffrey W. McClurken
The AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance in Higher Education last week held the closing symposium of its sixth Cohort, celebrating the graduation of nineteen fellows from colleges and universities around the country, including Dr. Jeffrey W. McClurken, Vice President of Strategy, Chief of Staff to the President at the University of Mary Washington.
The AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance was founded in 2019 to prepare aspiring presidents to successfully attain and serve in the top leadership position. To date, 138 leaders have completed the program, and 24 have become presidents or chancellors.
“More and more, we recognize that choosing to pursue the office of the president is a calling,” said AGB Search Managing Principal & CEO and institute co-founder Dr. Rod McDavis. “The AGB Institute offers the opportunity to create a different style of presidential leadership to pursue that calling, and we congratulate the Class of 2024-2025 for all of their hard work and dedication during the program.”
The AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance is a rigorous six-month program composed of two symposia, four online workshops and a shadowing experience with a sitting president. The institute features more than 30 higher education expert presenters including current and former presidents, trustees, search consultants and other sector professionals.
The American Council on Education’s 2023 American College President Study shows that the average tenure of college presidents is decreasing. Colleges and universities are faced with a dearth of qualified leaders to meet the demands of the higher education sector. The institute aims to provide support to higher education leaders by fortifying participants with mentorship and peer networks as participants undergo their leadership journey together.
“The office of the president is very different than it was a decade ago, and a fundamental recognition is that the leadership tools of the past are not the same that will work in the future,” said Jason Lane, co-director of the institute. “Now more than ever, our higher education leaders need support and training to be able to make difficult decisions and strategically guide their institutions through times of transformation.”
To learn more about the institute, visit www.leadandgovern.com.