January 15, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Lorentzen Appeared on Holiday Edition of ‘With Good Reason’

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Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen

Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen

Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen appeared on Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason radio program in December discussing how holiday stories shape our experiences – from early classics like A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker and The Gift of the Magi to new traditions like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The With Good Reason radio program brings the research and insights of Virginia’s top educators to audiences across the nation. Along with Lorentzen, this episode featured Diane Griffiths (Christopher Newport University), Sarah Hillenbrand Varela and Erik Varela (Longwood University), Sian White (James Madison University), and Laura Kimball (Radford University) to peek under the surface of some of the most enduring Christmas tales. Hear the episode.

Paino Appears on Fredericksburg Free Press “Biz Beat Banter”

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UMW President Troy D. Paino

UMW President Troy D. Paino

President Troy D. Paino discussed a range of topics during Biz Beat Banter (episode 4) with Bill Freeling of the Fredericksburg Free Press. The 45-minute conversation covered such topics as what drew President Paino from a career in law to one in higher education, what attracted him to Fredericksburg and UMW, what goals he has for the University, and what it’s like to be a University president. Listen to the episode.

Bonds Discusses Data Centers on “Coffee Shop Talk” Podcast

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Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds

Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds discusses data centers in Virginia on the podcast Coffee Shop Talk at Eileen’s Bakery & Cafe in downtown Fredericksburg. Bonds appeared on the show with Joey LoMonaco of the Fredericksburg Free Press talking about what LoMonaco calls “the buzzword of the current moment, and the coming decade, if we’re being real – data centers.” Listen to the podcast.

Crawley Pens New “History on the Hill” Column for The Free Lance-Star

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Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley penned a new “History on the Hill” column for The Free Lance-Star entitled “Making Haste Slowly: Racial Integration at Mary Washington.” In the column he discusses racial integration at the University in the 1960’s and beyond. Read the article.

Majid Comments on Driver’s License Points for WalletHub

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Associate Professor of Business Kashef Majid

Associate Professor of Business Kashef Majid

Associate Professor of Business Kashef Majid was featured by WalletHub in an “Ask the Experts” piece entitled “Points on Driver’s License.” In the article Majid was asked about what advice he would have for people who are worried about the number of points on their driver’s license, saying “Points can impact your insurance premiums, but different insurers weigh the points differently. This is why you can shop around to see what the impact of the points will be and choose the insurer who places the least amount of weight on points. If switching insurers is not an option, raising your deductible can sometimes offset higher costs.” Read the article.

Crawley Pens Article on UMW Traditions for The Free Lance-Star

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Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley

Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley penned an article for The Free Lance-Star entitled “History on the Hill: Junior Ring Week: from romantic to rowdy.” In the article he discusses how student life at the University of Mary Washington was enlivened from its earliest days by a number of annual events that evolved into traditions. Read the article. 

 

Cooperman Quoted by AP in Article on Virginia Women in Congress

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Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman was quoted by the Associated Press in an article entitled “Two Virginia women who came to Congress on a mission prepare to leave at a critical moment.” The article stated,”Wexton, previously a state senator and prosecutor, developed a reputation for taking care of her district, said Rosalyn Cooperman, a professor at the University of Mary Washington. Cooperman said she vied for funding opportunities and committee assignments that helped bring tens of millions of dollars in federal investments to northern Virginia.” Read the article.

Other media mentions for Cooperman on this same topic include:

Farnsworth Quoted by Richmond Times-Dispatch on Spanberger

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Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies, was quoted by the Richmond Times-Dispatch in an article titled “After six years in Congress, Spanberger looks for new role in Richmond.” Farnsworth is quoted as saying, “Congresswoman Spanberger has always been very effective at connecting with the district. Her vision of a more centrist Democratic identity connected well with the old 7th District and the newly drawn one.” Read the article.

In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

What the candidates in Loudoun’s special elections are saying about the economy, education (WAMU)
But while some political watchers and voters may be tempted to look at the Loudoun contests for clues about November’s presidential election results or reading the tea leaves ahead of next year’s legislative and gubernatorial contests, University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth cautions against doing so. “We’re talking about an individual sliver of Virginia, and an unrepresentative sliver at that,” he told WAMU.
https://wamu.org/story/24/12/17/what-the-candidates-in-loudouns-special-elections-are-saying-about-the-economy-education/

An early look at the 2025 off-year races (National Journal)
“A lot is going to depend on how those early months of Trump’s presidency go. The key issue for a lot of Virginians, particularly in these outer-ring suburban counties, is going to be whether the ‘Project 2025’ idea of dramatically shrinking the size of the federal government creates personal. challenges for those voters,” Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, told National Journal. “It isn’t just a matter of people who are working for a government agency,” Farnsworth added. “It’s also the people who sell them houses or refrigerators.”2025 Off-Year Races

Schapiro: Va.’s fearlessly fact-challenged governor (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“Youngkin has been good at taking advantage of this moment that provides political reward and fewer negative consequences for a less-than-true narrative,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor at the University of Mary Washington and author of the 2018 book, “Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump.”
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/schapiro-youngkin-is-fearlessly-fact-challenged/article_c8f19d24-b96a-11ef-b95d-ff1db7e15868.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Winsome Sears Would be a Great Candidate for Virginia Governor in 2025 (Life News)
An early survey from the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies found Sears and Spanberger tied at 39%-39%.
https://www.lifenews.com/2024/12/12/winsome-sears-would-be-a-great-pro-life-republican-candidate-for-virginia-governor-in-2025/

Trump’s Cabinet (CHCH)
“Well, there are a lot of scandals involving this defense secretary. When you think about controlling the nuclear launch post, you probably don’t want to give it to somebody if they are credibly accused of having a problem with alcohol. DeSantis, a former member of Congress, would be an effective choice for the position,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HbQCbaDoK1bURPy7FQcIlvmtASv8Oe2U/view

Virginia: 1st District drew more voters than congressional battlegrounds (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“The higher voter turnout in the 1st District than the 7th demonstrates that a huge pile of money doesn’t always buy you high turnout,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, which currently is located in the 7th district but was in the 1st before the 2021 redistricting.

Larus Featured by Global News Taiwan

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus was featured by Global News Taiwan in a video entitled “Trump’s ‘tariffs’ are dancing wildly, countries vow to retaliate.” Larus was featured for commentary on Trump’s defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth’s Senate confirmation troubles. View video here.

 

Lorentzen to Appear on ‘With Good Reason’ Radio Program, Dec. 20

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Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen

Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen

Professor of English Eric G. Lorentzen will appear on Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason radio program Friday, Dec. 20 to discuss how holiday stories shape our experiences – from early classics like A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, and The Gift of the Magi to new traditions like How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The With Good Reason radio program brings the research and insights of Virginia’s top educators to audiences across the nation.

Along with Lorentzen, this episode will feature Diane Griffiths (Christopher Newport University), Sarah Hillenbrand Varela and Erik Varela (Longwood University), Sian White (James Madison University), and Laura Kimball (Radford University) to peek under the surface of some of the most enduring Christmas tales. Hear the episode.