November 29, 2024

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Larus Presents Paper on Taiwan as a Potential Flashpoint

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Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs and Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic China Global China Hub and Indo-Pacific Strategic Initiative, presented her scholarly paper, “The Game for Taiwan: US-China Relations From a Game Theory Perspective, with co-author Agata Ziętek, Professor Larus’s former Fulbright host and current Director of the Doctoral School of Social Sciences at Marie Curie-Skłodowska University in Poland, at the 2024 American Association for Chinese Studies Conference at the University of Las Vegas, October 5, 2024.

Farnsworth Makes Heaps of Headlines Ahead of Elections

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Professor of Political Science and Center for Leadership and Media Studies Director Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Center for Leadership and Media Studies Director Stephen Farnsworth

As the presidential election approaches in November and other political races pick up, Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth is making ripples of headlines in local, regional and national outlets. The most recent media mentions come from a debate between candidates Eugene Vindman (D) and Derrick Anderson (R) for a seat in Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District. Farnsworth moderated the debate, held Oct. 2 in the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium, with Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Department Chair Rosalyn Cooperman serving as one of three questioners. The debate was presented by UMW’s Student Government Association.

The following articles capture coverage of the debate, as well as other recent media mentions for Farnsworth:

Crowd Unruly as Anderson, Vindman Clash in UMW Debate
UMW Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth moderated the debate, and he thanked the candidates at the end for not only participating in the event, but also for simply being willing to run for office. Farnsworth, who also serves as director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, was joined by fellow UMW Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman, who chairs the department; WFVA Radio News Director Ted Schubel; and Jake Womer, The Free Lance-Star’s managing editor, in asking questions of the candidates.
Fredericksburg Free Press
The Free Lance-Star
The Washington Post
VPM
FXBG Advance
WVTF
AP News
CSPAN
ABC 17 News
My Northwest
Fox 28 Spokane
UK News
Newsday
8 News Now
US News
Las Vegas Sun
The Seattle Times
The Sun Chronicle
Inside Nova

Trump rises in Virginia poll as election nears, still lags Harris
Concluded days before the vice presidential debate and released shortly after a University of Mary Washington poll with Trump trailing Harris by just one point, the latest VCU Commonwealth Poll showed Trump performing better than in its previous poll.
Inside Nova
The Center Square
Tim Kaine and Hung Cao clash in lone Virginia Senate debate
A University of Mary Washington poll last month found Kaine with a smaller, six-point edge.

Spanberger and Earle-Sears tied in first 2025 gubernatorial poll
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the Commonwealth.”
Richmond Free Press
Prince William Times
Fauquier Times
The Bull Elephant

STATE NEWS Spanberger and Earle-Sears Tied in First 2025 Gubernatorial Poll
“Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth.”
Royal Examiner
Augusta Free Press
Loudoun Times
The Northern Virginia Daily
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Real Radio
Virginia poll shows tied gubernatorial race, nearly tied presidential race
“The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the university and the center’s director.
The Center Square
Trump, Youngkin urge early voting during tele-rally
“Both campaigns are really talking about the election in apocalyptic terms, and this is really motivating voters,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Early voting absolutely works for campaigns; you don’t have to worry about getting voters to the polls on Election Day. If the ballot is locked in at election time, it gets a lot easier, and election officials can focus on voters who haven’t made it to the polls,” Farnsworth said.
A poll on Spanberger v. Sears and Spanberger v. Miyares
“Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth.”
Gov nominee Mark Robinson 
“Republicanism is really great for debate but it is not helpful for swing voters who decide an election in America, said Stephen Farnsworth. Read more.
Trump, Youngkin urge early voting during tele-rally 
“Both campaigns are really talking about the election in apocalyptic terms, and this is really motivating voters,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington.
Virginia Mercury
Americans Living Abroad Could Swing Key States 
Dr. Stephen J. Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, said the data shows how much “every vote counts.” “When presidential elections come down to several thousand votes in a handful of key swing states, every vote really does count,” he told Newsweek. “While Americans abroad are not a huge voting bloc, these narrow-margin elections of recent years mean that they could be a decisive voting group in a few closely contested states.” Read more.
UMW Center for Leadership and Media Studies Survey Zooms in on Presidential Election in Virginia
Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) are locked in a tight presidential contest in Virginia, according to a new statewide survey from the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington.
Virginia kicks off early voting Friday with presidential stakes high: Here’s what to know
Vice President Kamala Harris has a bit of an advantage, using several election offices that were started up last year by the Biden-Harris ticket. Back then, a University of Mary Washington survey found that 40% of those asked wanted to see the Democrats in control of Virginia’s House of Delegates and Senate, while 37% favored Republican control. But a year since that survey so much has changed with the landscape of this election.
Republican dodges questions over abortion rights in key Virginia race 
“Republicans around the country have been talking less about abortion, in part because Republicans have faced a significant voter backlash in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to reverse Roe v. Wade,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “It’s in the nature of politics not to get too far from your constituents if you can, and to avoid talking about issues that hurt your side.”
Virginia race for Spanberger’s open seat in Congress is heating up
“Because this is the closest congressional race in Virginia and one of the marquee national congressional races, neither side wants to leave anything unsaid,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Read more.
America’s allies and enemies pick Harris as world weighs in on U.S. election
“America is by far the world’s most powerful nation, and so many nations want to shape the outcome of presidential elections to their liking. There’s nothing new about that, but recent elections have seen far more brazen and aggressive efforts by international leaders to try to influence the outcome,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.
Washington Times

Cooperman Comments on Possible Harris Cabinet in ‘Newsweek’

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Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Department Chair Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs and Department Chair Rosalyn Cooperman

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, and Department Chair, Rosalyn Cooperman contributed to an article titled “What a Kamala Harris Cabinet Could Look Like” that ran in Newsweek.  “As Cabinet positions are executive appointments that must be confirmed by the Senate, nominees will also have to be confirmable,” she said in the article. “The calculus of who is confirmable will change slightly depending on whether Democrats maintain party majority of the Senate or if Harris administration nominees will be considered by a Republican-majority Senate.” Read more.

McDonald Offers Solution on How to Get Gen Z to the Polls

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Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

“Young people need something else. They need to feel like they’re expressing their opinion about something that matters,” shared Jared McDonald, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. “Specifically, you know, ‘If you want my vote, you have to show me that you can kind of identify with me.’ That’s a huge driver.’” Read more.

Moon to Present at ‘Exploring Civil Rights’ Forum in Alexandria

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Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon

Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon will deliver the keynote address, “Housing Activism in Mid-Twentieth Century Alexandria,” a critical examination of local housing activism efforts that shaped the city’s landscape, during the Alexandria Forum on Oct. 18. This day-long symposium focuses on the interpretation of civil rights history and its relevance today. Taking place at the Virginia Theological Seminary’s Lettie Pate Whitehead Room (3737 Seminary Road in Historic Alexandria), this year’s event will explore how to better engage audiences in truth-telling and racial reconciliation. Read more.

Al-Tikriti Offers Lecture on Imperial Legacies and Ethnic Cleansing

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Professor of Middle Eastern History Nabil Al-Tikriti

On 23 September 2024, Professor of Middle East History Dr. Nabil Al-Tikriti provided a lecture entitled “Imperial Legacies, Ethnic Cleansing, and Today’s Balkans and Caucasus,” to the Global Learning Center, affiliated with Wichita State University, and taking place on their campus.

The lecture description:
“What drives sectarian politics from the Balkans to the Caucasus? What has caused such widespread ongoing ethnic and religious disputes, debates, and conflicts? In this talk, Prof. Nabil Al-Tikriti will analyze how yesterday’s imperial dissolutions led to today’s sectarian conflict.”

In the course of this lecture, Prof. Al-Tikriti summarized theses about national homogeneity in the 19th-21st centuries by Eric Weitz and Yuri Slezkine, and the construction of the modern international law regime following European Great Power interventions in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century by Davide Rodogno, before analyzing the role that ethnic mapping has played in international diplomacy geared towards encouraging, implementing, and consolidating ethnic cleansing on multiple fronts — all for the elusive goal of nation-state homogeneity.

Prof. Al-Tikriti thanks UMW Visitors Virginia “Ginny” Gentles, Tim Pohanka, and Terris E. Todd for their particularly staunch support of UMW faculty research, creativity, and educational pursuits. This was an invited lecture.

Liss Joins Conversation on Best Cities for Women to Live

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Professor of Psychological Science and Department Chair Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science and Department Chair Miriam Liss

Professor of Psychological Science and Department Chair Miriam Liss was quoted in an article titled “Atlanta in top 50 best cities for women, but Augusta is among worst” that ran in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The article included a quote from Liss originally published by WalletHub: “Where to live is a very personal decision, and the choice will vary for each woman based on a wide range of factors (e.g., job, family, affordability).” Read more.

Rao a Panelist at AI Conference in Amsterdam

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

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

Anand Rao attended the AI & Big Data Expo in Amsterdam, NL, on October 1-2, 2024. He was the moderator and panelist for a session titled “Barriers to Navigate: People, Processes and Technology.” Researchers and industry leaders joined him on the panel for the day 1 track, “Unleashing the Power of Data for All.” The expo was part of TechEx Europe, which is expected to draw over 7,000 participants.

Fallon Publishes Paper on Origin of Central Cushitic Ejectives

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Associate Professor of Linguistics Paul D. Fallon

Associate Professor of Linguistics Paul D. Fallon

Associate Professor of Linguistics Paul D. Fallon recently published a paper in the 2024 Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America entitled, “Where do Central Cushitic ejectives come from?” The paper examines words with ejectives, a type of sound made by raising the larynx, in a small family of four languages spoken in Eritrea and Ethiopia. One leading expert, David Appleyard, claimed that almost all words in these languages with ejectives were loanwords resulting from contact with EthioSemitic languages such as Ge‘ez, Tigrinya, and Amharic. While this is true of Xamtanga, Fallon found that only 37% of ejectives in Blin were from borrowings, and in Xamtanga, only 25%. Fallon suggests that the remainder of words in the lexicon were of Central Cushitic origin and therefore it is likely that ejectives should be included in a historical-comparative reconstruction of Proto-Central Cushitic.