Ernie Ackermann, professor of computer science, was a featured guest on Voice of Russia Radio on Wednesday, September 14. In the interview, Ackermann discusses the rise of and increased action against cyber criminals and politically motivated hackers.
Two UMW Faculty Members Contribute to Online Volume
Jim Groom, instructional technology specialist, and Jeff McClurken, associate professor of history and American studies, contributed chapters to “Hacking the Academy, The Edited Volume.” The volume, published online through an open-access license, will be available in print next year.
Groom co-wrote the chapter, “Voices: Learning Management Systems.”
McClurken co-wrote the chapter, “Digital Literacy and the Undergraduate Curriculum.”
For more information about the project, visit http://www.digitalculture.org/hacking-the-academy/.
Jason Davidson Offers Opinion on D.C. Radio Program
Jason Davidson, associate professor of political science, was a featured guest on Voice of Russia radio on September 7. In the interview, Davidson discusses the legacy of 9/11 and the changes in security since the attack.
UMW Professor Receives Prestigious Fulbright Grant
University of Mary Washington faculty member Mukesh Srivastava has been selected to receive a Fulbright Specialist grant for 2011-12. Srivastava, associate dean of the College of Business and associate professor of management information systems, will spend the month of October in Tunisia to develop a graduate program in management and information technology for the Tunis Business School at Tunis University. He is the first faculty member of the College of Business to receive a Fulbright award.
As a recipient of the Fulbright Specialist grant, Srivastava will work with Tunis Business School faculty to refine and implement a new master’s program in information technology. His work at Tunis University will strengthen connections between Tunisia and the United States, allowing for future collaborations including student exchanges, abroad programs and visiting faculty.
Jim Groom Speaks at Elon University and Publishes Article
Jim Groom, instructional technology specialist, presented the closing plenary at Elon University’s 8th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference on August 18, 2011. His presentation “Independent Domains – Thresholds to Teaching and Learning on the Open Web” featured the innovative work being done by faculty and students at UMW in regards to teaching and learning technologies. Following is an excerpt of the positive reception of the session from Elon University’s Teaching and Learning Center blog as well as the slides and audio from his presentation.
In the closing plenary, Jim Groom, in a lively display of humor and insight, posited that independent domains and open web tools provide students, faculty, and people outside the university from all walks of life and around the world opportunities to express, exhibit, and be discovered online with the encumbrance of institutional rules and regulations. He described how MWU [sic] applied simple blog technology (WordPress MU) to create a living nexus of business, information, and highly creative self-expression. The platform also enabled unprecedented participation in open courses by people from around the world.
Groom also published a piece on the problems of learning management systems in the crowdsourced book published by the University of Michigan Library titled Hacking the Academy.
This volume was assembled and edited by Dan Cohen and Tom Scheinfeldt of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University from the best of over 300 submissions received during a spirited week when the two editors actively solicited ideas for how the academy could be beneficially reformed using digital media and technology. For more on the unusual way this book was put together, please start with Cohen and Scheinfeldt’s preface.
Beate Jensen Featured on PBS Station
Beate Jensen, site preservation manager at Gari Melchers Home and Studio, was featured on the television show,”Virginia Home Grown,” on Richmond PBS station WCVE.
She took on-air questions on August 30 after the airing of footage that was taped recently at Belmont, focusing on the native grasslands restoration project implemented a few years ago in the front and back meadows at Belmont.
Beate Jensen Featured on PBS Station
Beate Jensen, site preservation manager at Gari Melchers Home and Studio, was featured on the television show,”Virginia Home Grown,” on Richmond PBS station WCVE.
She took on-air questions on August 30 after the airing of footage that was taped recently at Belmont, focusing on the native grasslands restoration project implemented a few years ago in the front and back meadows at Belmont.
Political Science Alumna a Winner in National Essay Contest
University of Mary Washington alumna Anne Morris ’11 has been named one of the winners in the national essay competition sponsored by Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.
Morris is the ninth Mary Washington political science or international affairs major since 1995 to be a winner in the Pi Sigma Alpha contest, more than any other higher education institution. She was named a runner-up for her essay “Persuasion and the Bully Pulpit: Expanded Evidence on Strategies of Presidential Leadership.”
President Hurley Interview on WFVA Sunday
Tune in at 8 a.m. on Sunday, September 4 for President Rick Hurley’s interview on WFVA
‘s Business Link (1230 AM). He will discuss his upcoming inauguration, the Anderson Center, Eagle Village and challenges facing higher education.
President Hurley Interview on WFVA Sunday
Tune in at 8 a.m. on Sunday, September 4 for President Rick Hurley’s interview on WFVA
‘s Business Link (1230 AM). He will discuss his upcoming inauguration, the Anderson Center, Eagle Village and challenges facing higher education.


