April 18, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

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.

McDonald Talks Swing State Investment With ‘Newsweek’

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Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald

Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald was quoted in a Newsweek article titled “Will Donald Trump’s Swing State Spending Gamble Pay Off?” In the article, McDonald is quoted as saying, “First, there’s a lot of uncertainty about which state will be the tipping point. Polling errors can be off in some states more than others, leading political professionals to invest in the wrong states. So, underinvesting in these swing states could be an error, especially if that lack of spending hinders get-out-the-vote efforts.” Read more.

Moon Continues Talks on Racial Covenants in Fairfax County

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Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon

Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon gave a talk titled “A History of Fairfax County’s Racial Covenants in Property Deeds” that was covered by the Alexandria Gazette in an article titled “The Legacy of Race-based Covenants.” Some real estate developers and others selling property in Northern Virginia from 1900 through the 1960s used race-based, restrictive covenants to maintain segregation, and Virginia’s state and local governments were enablers at times, Moon, told a packed room of 120 on August 27 at the Sherwood Regional Library. Read more.

Moon’s talk was also cited in an article titled “Fairfax County to review property deeds, remove discriminatory language,” which ran in Fairfax County’s FFX Now. Moon disclosed her latest findings, identifying an additional 8,000 land parcels with racial restrictions, particularly in the Mount Vernon and Falls Church areas. In total, the research project has found over 22,000 parcels with restrictive covenants in Fairfax County, including some owned by the county government. Read more.

Caffrey Discusses Connecting Through Music on With Good Reason

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Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey

Last year, Senior Associate Registrar Kevin Caffrey developed and began teaching a first-year seminar entitled “You Have To Listen To This: Connecting Through Music” that studies the history of music consumption over the past 75 years, examines why we gravitate towards the music that we love, and considers the reasons why it’s important to share the music we love with others. He recently appeared on With Good Reason radio to discuss the course, how sharing the music we love can help foster empathetic listening skills, what he has learned thus far from teaching it, and, of course, share some tunes with the audience. Listen to the episode.

Jenkins Serves as Moderator on Career Solutions Panel

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Director of Rappahannock Work and Learn Collaborative, Antoinette Carter Jenkins

Antoinette Jenkins, director of the Rappahannock Work and Learn Collaborative, served as moderator at the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce’s Workforce Now forum, asking panelists questions on how business and education leaders can strengthen partnerships and develop and retain a future workforce. Read more on the Fredericksburg Free Press.

 

 

Farnsworth Lectures on U.S. Federalism in U.S. State Department Program

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

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently presented a lecture, “Federalism and Separation of Powers in the United States,” to a group of international journalists participating in the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program in Washington. The journalists, from 18 different nations, are participating in a three-week program focusing on learning about the U.S. political system.

In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

Early in-person voting starts Friday in Virginia. Here’s what to know. (Virginia Dogwood)
It also helps campaigns understand which voters they still need to motivate to get to the polls, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “Taking care of this task ahead of time makes sure you do get to participate, regardless of what happens to mess with one’s plans on election day,” Farnsworth said. “If you vote early, party activists can concentrate on those people who have not yet voted as they don’t have to make sure you turn up on Election Day.”
https://vadogwood.com/voterhub-2024/early-in-person-voting-starts-friday-in-virginia-heres-what-to-know/
Amid internal GOP feud in the 5th District, Democrat Gloria Witt sees her chance (Raw Story; Virginia Mercury; Yahoo.com)
“A write-in campaign benefiting a defeated GOP primary candidate is certainly part of a best-case scenario for a Democratic candidate in District 5,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
Virginia analysts say Harris helped herself more than Trump in debate (Richmond Times-Dispatch; The Daily Progress)
“Vice President Harris was particularly effective at defining herself and keeping Trump on the defensive,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, wrote in an email. “Harris did more to help herself in this debate than Trump did to help himself. That may matter to a few genuinely undecided voters, but in these deeply divided times the vast majority of Americans already had their favorites in this contest — and those preferences won’t change much,” he added.
Debate between Trump and Harris will not change campaign trajectory, immigration was key in their messages: experts (Voice of America)
“The issue of immigration is a key one in this race, but neither campaign wants to be very specific about how they want to address these issues,” Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.

Debate Puts Donald Trump’s Abortion Problem in the Spotlight (Newsweek)
Stephen Farnsworth, a Political Scientist from the University of Mary Washington, told Newsweek Trump is “in a no-win situation on abortion.” “That is why he doesn’t have a good response to the obvious question on his views regarding one of America’s most enduring policy debates,” Farnsworth said, “If he vows to sign a national abortion ban he angers those swing voters, and if he says he won’t, he angers the pro-life voters who might already have their doubts about Trump’s commitment, given his back-and-forth statements on the question.”
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-abortion-ban-debate-abortion-problem-1952109

Candidates Square Off in Philadelphia Tomorrow (CTV News)
“Well, it is clear that the key question for the Harris campaign is basically a question of definition, said Stephen Farnsworth.
Virginia analysts see high stakes seen in Trump-Harris debate (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
But any word in the debate about federal employees could have a big impact on Republican claims that Virginia is in play, University of Mary Washington political scientist Stephen Farnsworth said in an email. “Trump may need to address more specifically concerns that a Trump election would mean the wholesale firing of federal employees,” Farnsworth said.
Once-hesitant Black voters now veering toward the Kamala Harris camp (Black News & Views)
But Democrats shouldn’t read too much into survey numbers, because Nov. 5 remains months away, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. “Polls are snapshots of where things stand at a given moment,” Farnsworth said in an email. “A lot can change between now and November.”
VA election post Labor Day (WMAL)
“It looks like Virginia is not a high priority for either of the campaigns,” said Stephen Farnsworth.
Schapiro: Oracle of Charlottesville sees ’em, calls ’em (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“Over the last generation, Virginia has become an unusually interesting place politically,” said Steve Farnsworth, an analyst at the University of Mary Washington since 1996. “The change in the political environment here has created lots of opportunity for scholarly work. … Scholars are drawn to what is changing. And for a long time, Virginia wasn’t changing.”
Will Donald Trump’s Swing State Spending Gamble Pay Off? (Newsweek)
Similarly, Political Science Professor Stephen Farnsworth said Trump is “wise to concentrate” on these three states. He told Newsweek: “Polls show these three are among the closest states, and they are also places where Democratic candidates often struggle. Surveys suggest that some of the other swing states, such as Wisconsin, may be drifting away from Trump, and so the former president’s best path to 270 Electoral Votes as of now seems to be based in the East.”
A new Virginia governor candidate answers one question, but raises another (WTOP)
“This answers one of two questions that people in Virginia Republican circles wanted to know,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political-science professor with the University of Mary Washington. “The other question is whether Miyares is going to seek the Republican nomination as well or consider other options.”
Saving face: The real reasons behind Mark Zuckerberg’s physical and political evolution (Washington Examiner)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at Mary Washington University, told the Washington Examiner he agrees. “His latest apologetic comments are part of trying to curry favor with Republicans in case Trump and congressional Republicans win the upcoming election,” Farnsworth said. “Angry Republicans can be very bad for business, particularly if Trump wins and tries to punish Meta next year.

Whalen Appointed to Board of Directors for Electronic Literature Organization

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Associate Professor in the Department of English, Linguistics and Communication

Zach Whalen has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Electronic Literature Organization, an international organization dedicated to the investigation of literature produced for digital media. This large community of scholars and practitioners working with “born digital” literature hosts an annual convention, maintains a network of scholarly archives and databases, and has published four anthologies of electronic literature. Read more.