March 30, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Harris Co-Moderates Panel on Monroe Doctrine

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University of Mary Washington Museums Executive Director Scott Harris

University of Mary Washington Museums Executive Director Scott Harris

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the James Monroe Museum and James Monroe’s Highland collaborated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to present a panel discussion, Spheres of Influence: Two Hundred Years of the Monroe Doctrine. The event took place at NARA’s McGowan Theatre and was streamed on YouTube. Executive Director of Mary Washington Museums Scott Harris co-moderated the program with Dr. Sara Bon-Harper, Highland’s executive director. Of all the exhibits and public programs pertaining to the bicentennial of Monroe’s presidency offered by the James Monroe Museum since 2016, this discussion of the Monroe Doctrine addressed what is arguably the most significant and enduring legacy of his administration.

Among the four panelists were Dr. Daniel Preston, founding editor (retired) of the Papers of James Monroe and Dr. Melissa Martinez, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Dan and Melissa contributed admirably to what all agree was a thoughtful and wide-ranging examination of the Monroe Doctrine’s place not only in history, but also in contemporary international relations.

James Monroe Museum’s public programs coordinator, Lindsey Crawford worked with participants and the NARA staff to facilitate the event. The JMM assistant director and curator, Jarod Kearney, led a group of the museum’s guides who attended in person. Approximately 150 people were present in the McGowan Theater, with another 750 viewing online.  The archived recording has had nearly 500 views in just the last three days—a number sure to grow over time.

Farnsworth Coauthors Disinformation Book

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Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, is coauthor of a new book, Producing News in a Time of Disinformation: Information Evaluation Strategies for Journalists and News Consumers, which has been published by the U.S. International Research and Exchanges Board. The book is Professor Farnsworth’s ninth, and it is designed to help citizens, journalists, and journalism students identify and respond to disinformation. The book will be available online for free in English and in Russian in the coming weeks.

In addition, recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:

State Representation Tilts Toward Diversity With Historic Numbers (Royal Examiner)
“The legislature that takes office in January will look a lot more like Virginia than previous legislatures,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington.
https://royalexaminer.com/state-representation-tilts-toward-diversity-with-historic-numbers/

2023 Legislative Breakfast (Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce)
Dr. Farnsworth, a professor of Political Science and International Affairs, at the University of Mary Washington guided the conversation.
https://www.fredericksburgchamber.org/news/

The Kennedys: a commitment to public service with great sacrifices (El Espectador of Columbia)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of Political Science at the University of Mary Washington, spoke with El Espectador about the legacy of the Kennedy family in politics, two lives cut short in some of the greatest “what could have been” futures for the United States.
https://www.elespectador.com/mundo/america/los-kennedy-un-compromiso-con-el-servicio-publico-con-grandes-sacrificios/

Is Robert F. Kennedy Jr the force that will revitalize the family clan in politics? (El Espectador of Columbia)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington who has written nine books on media and presidency, explains that the influence of the Kennedys is strong in the current political terrain. “I believe that Joe Biden, in many ways, was one of those young people who were energized by the idealism of the Kennedy years. He became senator shortly after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated and when there was a more liberal vision about what the Democrat Party could be than there was a decade or two later.”
Voters didn’t have a say in nearly 75% of local Central Virginia races this year — because there weren’t enough candidates (Charlottesville Tomorrow)
“I don’t think anyone grows up dreaming of being screamed at until one in the morning by angry crowds at town meetings or school board sessions,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “But increasingly, that’s the price of admission.”
The next step in Virginia’s abortion rights battle: a constitutional amendment (NBC News)
“One of the realities that we sometimes see in politics these days is that popular ideas don’t necessarily reach a consensus across party lines,” said Stephen Farnsworth, political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “So going to the voters might be a way to resolve, once and for all, some of these issues.”
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/the-next-step-in-virginias-abortion-rights-battle-a-constitutional-amendment/3477902/
Virginia GOP sought middle ground on abortion and still lost the legislature (The Akron Legal News)
(THE CONVERSATION) The election results in Virginia offer Republicans across the country one key lesson before the 2024 presidential election: Revise the GOP position on the critical issue of abortion.
https://www.akronlegalnews.com/editorial/34267

The first Black speaker of the House of Delegates takes pride in his rural roots (Cardinal News)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that Scott’s background and willingness to connect with Republican legislators from Southwest is unusual for a Democrat, but it could benefit both sides. “Given the fact that the Southwest Virginia delegation is almost entirely Republican, the political influence of the region is greatest when there is a Republican majority. And because Democrats tend to do poorly in the region, a number of Democrats might not be interested in focusing on the region’s concerns,” Farnsworth said.
https://cardinalnews.org/2023/11/17/virginia-next-speaker-of-the-house-forges-an-unlikely-friendship-with-a-southwest-legislator/

Negative ads overwhelm Virginia voters (The Fulcrum)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, commented that this ad campaign strategy has been amplified by former President Donald Trump.
A look at the General Assembly’s new leadership for 2024 (WVTF)
“Sometimes once you have been speaker, you either choose not to be minority leader or the party chooses for you,” Farnsworth says. “Former Speaker Gilbert’s decision to continue to remain in leadership suggests an optimism about Republican prospects in the next election cycle.”
KENNEY: Abortion Didn’t Decide Virginia, But Virginia Needs to Decide on Abortion (FXGB Advance)
“When you have people say they’re 100% pro-life and then support a 15-week ban, that makes people wonder what you really want … with Youngkin and the Republicans, people were skeptical about what they really wanted,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
Don Scott to become Virginia’s first Black House speaker as Hampton Roads’ legislators take center stage (Gazette Extra; The Virginian-Pilot)
That’s good news for Hampton Roads, said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington.
Spanberger, Stoney prepare for showdown in governor’s race (Richmond Times-Dispatch; Axios)
“Congresswoman Spanberger won a difficult district a year ago and is likely seen more like a winner right now than Stoney,” said Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg.
Kilgore to challenge Gilbert for House Republican leader (Cardinal News)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said that it is common after a party loses a majority for there to be a conversation about leadership change.
Republicans Fail to Learn Lessons on Abortion (Daily Kos)
September 2023 survey by the University of Mary Washington and Research America, showed that Democrats were more motivated to vote based on abortion, than Republicans, with 70% of Democrats citing it a very important issue, compared to just 35% of Republicans.
What Tuesday’s Democratic win means for Virginia politics (The Center Square)
But if Republicans look to achieve gains in the commonwealth in the near future, they will have to change their tactics some, according to University of Mary Washington Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Stephen Farnsworth.

What Tuesday’s Democratic Win Means for Virginia Politics (The Center Square)
But if Republicans look to achieve gains in the commonwealth in the near future, they will have to change their tactics some, according to University of Mary Washington Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Stephen Farnsworth.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/virginia/article_71f48bfa-7fdf-11ee-bee1-bf3e981f6ba1.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20bottom%20line%20of%20Tuesday’s,reversal%20of%20Roe%20v.%20Wade.

Virginia Democrats lost in several key swing districts. So how did they win the General Assembly? (NBC 4 Washington)
“You’re not likely to see a lot of candidates in the national arena trying to imitate Glenn Youngkin,” said University of Mary Washington Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth. “This is not a strategy that demonstrated an effectiveness in this election cycle.”
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/virginia-democrats-lost-in-several-key-swing-districts-so-how-did-they-win-the-general-assembly/3466873/

As national political omens go, Republicans sought middle ground on abortion in Virginia − and still lost the state legislature (The Conversation; Times Union; Caledonian Record)
Polls, including a September 2023 statewide survey by the University of Mary Washington and Research America Inc., demonstrated that Democrats were far more likely to vote based on the abortion question than Republicans were.
https://theconversation.com/as-national-political-omens-go-republicans-sought-middle-ground-on-abortion-in-virginia-and-still-lost-the-state-legislature-216884
https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/as-national-political-omens-go-republicans-18480016.php
https://www.caledonianrecord.com/opinion/conversation/as-national-political-omens-go-republicans-sought-middle-ground-on-abortion-in-virginia-and-still/article_9247035e-9364-5e4c-818e-e7d2c031a92d.html

Virginia Democrats take over House, maintain control of Senate following election (WJLA)
“The Democrats were able to get a majority, but you’ll note that many of the seats that they won, they didn’t win them by much,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of Political Science at the University of Mary Washington. “Democrats didn’t win by much, and Republicans didn’t lose by much, so this sets the stage once again for Virginia to be a purple state into 2024 and 2025.”
https://wjla.com/news/local/virginia-democrats-take-over-house-of-delegates-maintain-control-of-state-senate-majority-2023-november-election-results-republicans-voting-community-va-governor-glenn-youngkin-local-state-government#

What to make of the Virginia election results so far? (WTOP)
Stephen Farnsworth, joined WTOP’s Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller and anchors Dimitri Sotis and Nick Iannelli on Tuesday to share what he makes of the results of the Virginia election results so far.
https://wtop.com/local-politics-elections-news/2023/11/qa-what-to-make-of-the-virginia-election-results-so-far/

Blue prevailed in Virginia’s elections. Now its red governor seeks compromise. (The Washington Post)
The issue cut against the polarization that otherwise grips Virginia voters, said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Beyond abortion, there wasn’t a lot that Democrats or Republicans could do to convince somebody on the other side to switch teams for the election,” Farnsworth said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/09/virginia-elections-youngkin-democrats-compromise/

Virginia’s big political lessons for Youngkin – and for the nation (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
“When you have people say they’re 100% pro-life and then support a 15-week ban, that makes people wonder what you really want … with Youngkin and the Republicans, people were skeptical about what they really wanted,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
https://richmond.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/virginias-big-political-lessons-for-youngkin—and-for-the-nation/article_41d2b42e-7e77-11ee-99b3-8b29554cee04.html

After Glenn Youngkin ‘bet big’ in Va. and lost, he faces uncertain future: Experts (ABC News; News Explorer)
“Republicans had hoped that the 15-week ban that Gov. Youngkin proposed would be a way to sort of blunt the damage that the Roe v. Wade reversal is causing for Republicans around the country,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/after-glenn-youngkin-bet-big-virginia-elections-lost/story?id=104720160
https://newsexplorer.net/after-glenn-youngkin-bet-big-in-va-and-lost-he-faces-uncertain-future-experts-s6797944.html

In Virginia, Redistricting Matters (WVTF)
“The public objections were particularly vehement,” said University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth, who lives near the Spotsylvania school district and saw some of the politicking firsthand. In his eyes, Youngkin’s early success with the “parents matter” movement hit a ceiling and what remained was disgruntled parents who supported their teachers over political claims of indoctrination.
https://www.wvtf.org/news/2023-11-09/in-virginia-redistricting-matters

Ivanka Trump Testifies in Civil Fraud Trial (CTV News)
“Well, this is one of the last witnesses expected to be called,” said Stephen Farnsworth. “This is the third child of Donald Trump who will be testifying. Ivanka Trump is not facing charges in this case but she is in a position to be offering information about what happened as the individual documents were being put together.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2803345

Frankel, Giancarlo, Kisilia, Students Publish in ‘Environmental Pollution’

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A study titled “Assessing the presence, concentration, and impacts of trace element contamination in a Chesapeake Bay tributary adjacent to a coal ash landfill (Possum Point, VA)” by Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel, Associate Professor of Chemistry Leanna Giancarlo and Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ben Kisilia, along with UMW students, was published in the journal Environmental Pollution. Read the article.

The study also was publicized by Potomac Riverkeeper Network. Read more.

Dhar Accompanies Students to Lead Conference in Dallas

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Dr.Dhar, Peter Lermo, and Jarad Ponce at the Dallas bank

Dr.Dhar, Peter Lermo, and Jarad Ponce at the Dallas bank

This October Associate Professor of Economics Amrita Dhar, and students Jarad Ponce and Peter Lermo, traveled to Dallas, Texas. They attended the 17th Annual Economic Scholars Program Conference for Undergraduate Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Economics major Jarad Ponce presented “The Sidewalk Effect: A study on the demand for homes in Fredericksburg, VA.” He looked at the relationship between two Fredericksburg neighborhoods and the effect that having uniform sidewalks had on the housing prices. He found at the .1% Significance level that sidewalks had a positive 8% effect on the housing prices. “My experience at the conference pleasantly developed a great sense of accomplishment and belonging amongst my peers.” – Jarad Ponce

Economics major Peter Lermo presented “Income and Opioid Overdoses.” Lermo used panel data from 2014-2020 and conducted two regression models. The first model is where state had fixed effects and the second model is where state and year had fixed effects. The first model found that income had a positive effect on overdoses to where for every 1% increase in income, overdoses increased by .7396 per 100,000 people. In the second model income also had a positive effect and for every 1% increase in income, overdoses would increase by .1351 per 100,000 people. Lermo came up with the topic because of the rapid increase in synthetic opioid overdoses that have occurred over the past decade.

Foss Presents Paper on Oscar Wilde

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A bookshelf of Wilde-related paraphernalia

A bookshelf of Wilde-related paraphernalia

Professor of English Chris Foss presented a paper entitled “ ‘The secret of life is suffering’: Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis as Hard Times Survival Guide” on Sun. Oct. 8th at The Victorians Institute’s Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. In the paper Foss argued that (as an analysis of De Profundis, his tour de force letter written in Reading Gaol so powerfully relates) Wilde’s prison experience ultimately serves to bring his former life as a prince of pleasure “into harmony with the wounded, broken, and great heart of the world.” In spite of (or, rather, more accurately, because of) the bodily debilitation and psychological distress he endures while incarcerated, such hard times increase his appreciation for the beauty and value of those lives dominated by difficulty, convincing Wilde to champion as his own chosen confraternity in the few years remaining to him persons variously marginalized and/or pilloried by society.

Al-Tikriti Discusses Gaza Crisis with NAACP Youth & College Division

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Professor of Middle East History Nabil Al-Tikriti

Professor of Middle East History Nabil Al-Tikriti

On 6 November 2023, Dr. Nabil Al-Tikriti, Professor of Middle East History, was honored to join Marya Hannun of the Middle East Report (MERIP) and the University of Exeter in discussing both the general history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the specific ongoing crisis in Gaza, together with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Youth and College Division. This lengthy conference call was joined by roughly 50-60 NAACP collegiate leaders as well as several senior NAACP leaders.

Orozco Chairs Peninsular Literature Panel at SAMLA 95

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Lecturer of Spanish Patricia Orozco

Lecturer of Spanish Patricia Orozco

On Nov. 11, 2023, Patricia Orozco, Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages and Literatures, chaired the multi-session panel Spanish II Peninsular Literature: from 1700 to the Present at the 95 South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference, this year titled (In)Security: The Future and Language Studies, celebrated in Atlanta, Georgia. On this occasion, the panel consisted of three sessions. This was an elected position for which Dr. Orozco was chosen among scholars from the South Atlantic area.

Mackintosh Wins Seat on Fredericksburg City Council

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Professor of History Will Mackintosh

Professor of History Will Mackintosh

Professor of History Will Mackintosh was mentioned in an article titled “In Fredericksburg, Mackintosh, Holmes win Seats on City Council; McFadden, Bailey Earn School Board Seats,” which ran in The Free Lance-Star. “Fredericksburg voters Tuesday said hello to two soon-to-be new City Council members and goodbye to a longtime incumbent. Will Mackintosh, 45, and Jannan Holmes, 56, were elected to the two open at-large seats on the council,” the article stated. “Mackintosh, the chairman of the city’s Economic Development Authority and a professional historian, had 4,275 votes as of Wednesday’s unofficial tally.” Read more.

Lee, Dhar Present at Southern Economic Association Conference

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Dr. Don Lee and Dr. Amrita Dhar presenting their paper together at the 93rd annual SEA Conference.

Dr. Don Lee and Dr. Amrita Dhar presenting their paper together at the 93rd annual SEA Conference.

The Southern Economic Association had their 93rd annual conference this year in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Southern Economic Association is a global professional organization that wants to help further the education of scholars and the public. The three-day conference allows for a multitude of topics to be explained and discussed. UMW’s Economics program was showcased by Associate Professors of Economics Donghyun Lee and Amrita Dhar. 

Lee and Dhar presented “Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions, Cultural Distance and Growth: Industry-level Analysis.” While there has been significant research done to explore the cultural distance as a determinant of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), studies on the effect of FDI on growth and the role of cultural distance at the sector level are scant in the literature. In this paper, Lee and Dhar empirically examine the role of cultural distance on the effect of FDI on growth using values system data from the World Values Survey (WVS) and worldwide mergers and acquisitions (M&A) data at industry level from 1986-2012. They examine the effect of FDI on growth at sector-level and the role cultural distance plays in different sectors. 

Dr. Amrita Dhar also presented “Central Bank Communications and International Capital Flows,” co-authored with Dr. Zach McGurk. The focus of the paper is using a novel approach of text mining techniques to estimate central bank sentiment, and its subsequent impact on international capital flows.