Virginia Mackintosh, assistant professor of psychology, had an op-ed
“Beyond Growing Pains” published in the June 12 edition of  The Free Lance Star.

Janet Cropp, assistant dean of Advising Services,  has been invited to join a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) advisory committee  that  will assess opportunities and explore models for promoting baccalaureate degree attainment among Virginia’s working age adult population.   SCHEV has commissioned this study through the Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development.  Cropp’s invitation was issued by Carmen Johansen, senior associate for  Academic Affairs and Planning for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.  Cropp, who has done significant work advising BPS students,  also is president of the  Association of Virginia Individualized Studies Administrators (AVISA).

UMW’s Faculty Brass Quintet will present “Give My Regards to Broadway!” on Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m. in Fredericksburg’s Market Square as part of a new concert series. The Faculty Brass Quintet features world-class brass UMW faculty members, including founder and trombonist Kevin Bartram, who also directs the award-winning UMW Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to Bartram, members of the quintet include Jim Ford and David Mersiovsky on the trumpet, Jeremy Cucco on the French horn and Gary Carper on the tuba. Ford and Carper are adjunct instructors of music at UMW. Read the news release.

Richard H. Warner, UMW professor of history emeritus, passed away this past weekend in New York City.

UPDATE from Tim Brown: Based upon the large number of emails Doc’s family has gotten and the many people who want to attend a gathering in his honor, WE WILL NOW MEET AT THE BATTLEFIELD ON SATURDAY JUNE 25TH at 6PM! All are welcome to come by 1616 COLLEGE AVE at 4pm. After a ceremony at the field the group will go to Home Team Grill for a dinner and stories. ALL of the other details in the note following the obituary item still apply!

“Doc” Warner, as he was affectionately called by the Mother’s Rugby players, joined the faculty at Mary Washington in 1968, after teaching in the U.S. Armed Forces Institute in Germany, the Franklin School in New York City, and at New York University.

Prior to his retirement in 2004, he taught a wide range of topics within the areas of early modern and modern Europe. According to a Free Lance Star article, “his courses on the history of Russia and France, the French and Russian Revolutions, and European Cultural and Intellectual history, anchored the (UMW History) department’s European offerings for many years.

In a retirement tribute it was noted that in addition to his academic accomplishments, “Professor Warner leaves another legacy, and that is the men’s rugby team. He was said to be tireless in recruiting players, reviewing admissions applications, and looking for potential players as he strolled the corridors of Monroe Hall. He was a constant academic mentor extending his passion for the sport and for his players beyond the playing field. It is said that through stringent application of his time management system, “Doc Warner’s Rules for Success,” he helped many players find academic success.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Dartmouth College, and his master of arts and doctorate in history from New York University.

With a special interest in Russian history, he participated in USSR-USA Cultural Exchanges in 1966-67 and in 1992, and worked on a fellowship at the Russian Research Center at Harvard University. In his later years much of his research focused on international maritime history.

Doctor Warner is survived by his wife Judith. Arrangement details will be added to this note when they become available.

UPDATE from Tim Brown:

I have received over 100 emails about Doc and the vast majority of them were requesting details regarding his service or funeral – he chose not to have a funeral after his last heart attack.  He really did not want to attract attention.  What he did want was for a bunch of his players, friends and associates to get together and have fun.  This was confirmed to me when his wife Judith called me early Tue morning with this news. 

If you do not hear anything just keep checking Facebook for confirmation.  I will make a wide-open event titled “Doc Warner – the Father of Mother’s, Memorial Service.”  This is going to be informal and you are encouraged to wear a rugby shirt to the field.  We will have the house open at 1616 College Ave with pictures before and after the event and all of you are encouraged to stop by.  I am sure a good number of us will walk down to Home Team Grill after. 

If you need hotel accommodations please let me know – we have an alum that works for Hilton in the area.  A good number of you are welcome to stay with me. I know the Tuesday will be tough for you (how much time did he give up for all of us?) but Doc has relatives coming from NY and Hawaii and this is the date that worked for them and his wife Judith is approaching 80 and needs their help to get here.  All current players are encouraged to attend as well, and I know all alums that knew doc will attend.  It would be nice to show his son and grandkids what he meant to all of us – stay tuned to Facebook for details (or check the main page of the website at www.mothersrugby.com ) and we hope to see you here. 

Please forward this message as you see fit.  

Tim Brown

Director of Rugby, Mother’s RFC

804-874-3335

tb05@comcast.net

Jason W. Davidson, Associate Professor, Political Science and International Affairs, attended the 58th Annual National Security Forum (NSF) at the Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama by personal invitation from the Secretary of the Air Force. The purpose of NSF is to expose influential citizens to senior U.S. and international officers and civilian equivalents in order to engage each other’s ideas and perspectives on Air Force, national and international security issues.

 During the week of May 16-20, approximately 120 civilian leaders in business, education and government from all over the U.S. met with senior military leaders to explore current and future national security issues facing the nation. The NSF provides the opportunity for an open and candid exchange of ideas among these guests, senior military and civilian leaders, and our Air War College students. Jason attended lectures, met in seminars for in-depth discussions and participated in several social events.

Prof. Nabil Al-Tikriti (History) offered a lecture entitled “All My Children: Succession Politics Under Bayezid II” at the American Research Institute in Turkey (ARIT) in Istanbul on 30 May 2011.  This talk was given in conjunction with the NEH/ARIT grant which Prof. Al-Tikriti held this spring.

Cate Brewer, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, has been selected to attend the Teacher Development Workshop at The Actors Center in NYC in June.

UMW’s Small Business Development Center will offer consulting and training sessions in King George County. The 90-minute consultations address finance, accounting, marketing and demographic analysis.

Offered in partnership with the King George Department of Economic Development, the sessions are free to the public. Appointments must be scheduled in advance and are conducted at the King George Office of Economic Development at 10459 Courthouse Drive.

The venture also includes King George County as a partner in the UMW SBDC regional Business Constellation Program, whose mission is to make business services more accessible by offering services at multiple offices throughout the region.

The UMW SBDC provides assistance to the small business community in 17 Virginia counties and cities through management training, research and consulting.

In 2010, the center received full reaccreditation by the Association of Small Business Development Centers, the national accrediting body for SBDCs under contract with the U.S. Small Business Administration. In addition, Brian J. Baker, executive director of the SBDC, was awarded the Virginia Small Business Development Centers State Star Award in recognition of his contributions to the state program and his commitment to small business.

For more information, contact the SBDC office at (540) 286-8060.

UMW has been selected as host of the 2011 Governor’s Foreign Language Academy in German by the Virginia Department of Education.

This summer, 45 Virginia high school students who have excelled in language study will reside on UMW’s Fredericksburg campus from June 25-July 17. The program provides students with a three-week foreign language immersion intensive environment.

Marcel Rotter, associate professor of German, said the university’s dedication to foreign language studies makes Mary Washington a fitting site of the program. Rotter, who developed the grant proposal for the German academy, will be the program coordinator.

“UMW has a strong commitment to liberal arts education, including foreign language education,” said Rotter. “We have a language requirement that provides all graduates at least an intermediate knowledge of one foreign language. The recent restructuring of the Office of International Academic Services is additional evidence.”

During the academy, use of the English language is forbidden. Participants agree to strictly speak German for the duration of the program.

Adjunct instructor Mark Scharf’s play Empires Fall has been produced by the Run of the Mill Theatre, Baltimore, Md. A monologue from his play, The Whispers of Saints will appear in the 2011 Volume 3, Young Women’s Monologues from Contemporary Plays, both published by Meriwether Publishing, Ltd., and his plays Keeping Faith, Lizards Brains and Get Stuffed, published by Original Works Publishing, are now available on Kindle on Amazon.com. Mark will appear on two Playwriting Workshop panels at the University of Baltimore at the UB Student Center for the Performing Arts on June 25th, 2011: The Craft of Playwriting and Marketing Your Plays. Also, The Baltimore City Historical Society has added copies of Mark’s plays Blue Mermaid, The Whispers of Saints, Scorpions, The Mean Reds and Last Night at the Owl Bar to their archives.