February 9, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Harris Discusses ‘Bringing Eliza Home’ on WFVA Town Talk

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Kathryn Willis and UMW Museums Director Scott Harris

Kathryn Willis and UMW Museums Director Scott Harris

UMW Museums Director Scott Harris joined News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk to discuss “Bringing Eliza Home,” the remarkable story of the repatriation of Eliza Monroe Hay, daughter of President James Monroe. Harris spoke with local historian Kathryn Willis about the years-long effort to recover Hay’s remains from Paris and return them to Virginia. On October 23, Eliza will be reinterred alongside her family at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, marking a powerful conclusion to this historic mission. Listen to the episode.

Blevins Presents at Corridors: Blue Ridge Writing & Rhetoric Conference

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Associate Professor of English Brenta Blevins

Associate Professor of English Brenta Blevins

Associate Professor of English Brenta Blevins recently presented at the Corridors: Blue Ridge Writing & Rhetoric Conference at Radford University. The presentation, titled “Whose Words Are These? Voice in the Age of Generative AI,” explored how generative AI is reshaping the way we understand authorship and expression in academic writing. Blevins’ talk examined the relationship between AI and the concept of written academic voice, highlighting how the technology may create new expectations around voice. The presentation concluded with practical instructional strategies for supporting writers’ unique voices amid AI’s growing influence.

Spencer Weighs in on Monument Plans in Daily Kos

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Professor of Historic Preservation Michael Spencer

Professor of Historic Preservation Michael Spencer

Professor of Historic Preservation Michael Spencer was quoted in Daily Kos in an article titled “Move over, France: Trump wants his own Arc de Triomphe.” The piece explores reports that the  President is considering a large-scale commemorative structure in Washington, D.C., raising questions about preservation and planning.

Spencer noted the tension between preservation principles and political ambitions: “We’re oftentimes viewed as getting in the way of progress, and I would say in this particular instance, you’ve got a lot of strong personalities and they’re under no obligation to really follow best practices as preservation puts forth.” Read the full article from Daily Kos.

Dhar Featured in Free Lance-Star for Expanding UMW’s Financial Literacy Outreach

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Associate Professor of Economics Amrita Dhar

Associate Professor of Economics Amrita Dhar

Associate Professor of Economics Amrita Dhar was featured in The Free Lance-Star in an article titled “UMW brings financial lessons to schools.” The story highlights Dhar’s leadership as director of the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Economic Education, which is expanding its reach across the Fredericksburg region.

Dhar collaborates with superintendents, principals and teachers in more than 10 localities, connecting them with professional development programs, classroom resources and statewide initiatives that promote real-world economic and financial literacy. At the 2025 Financial Foundations Conference, she presented “From Barter to Bitcoin,” guiding educators through the evolution of currency and offering strategies to teach topics like cryptocurrency in K–12 classrooms. Read the article from The Free Lance-Star.

Farnsworth Lectures on Health Care Policy

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Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth recently presented a keynote online lecture, “Shaping Tomorrow Today: Politics and Health Care Policy in Virginia in 2025,” at the Annual Conference of the Virginia Nurses Association. Richmond.

Media mentions for Farnsworth include:

They Were Rising Democratic Stars. Then Came the Leaks. (Newsweek)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told Newsweek that the fallout will likely have long-term consequences. “I expect that some Democrats will leave the AG line blank, which reduces the chances that Jones will win,” he said. “Even if he does win this time, Virginia Democrats are unlikely to forget his reckless behavior.” Read the article.

DC News Now pre-debate special (DC News Now)
“I can imagine that the Republicans will want to talk about this at every opportunity. This in many ways is the best issue that Republicans have had in months in this campaign,” said Stephen Farnsworth in response to a question about the impact of the text messaging scandal involving candidate Jay Jones. Read the article.

Government shutdown, text message scandal could reshape Virginia’s gubernatorial race (NPR)
“When you add up all those people who have directly or indirectly some downstream effect of federal employment, it is a very, very damaging environment for Republicans.” Read the article.

RECAP: Virginia governor nominees face-off in only debate before election day (WJLA)
Following the 7 p.m. debate, 7News’ Scott Thuman sat down with Dr. Stephen J. Farnsworth, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington, to analyze the controlled yet chaotic event. Read the article.

Shutdown Blame Game Seeps Into New Jersey, Virginia Elections (Bloomberg Government)
“The federal shutdown in Washington is a key part of campaign messaging for Democratic candidates across Virginia,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va. Read the article.

Trump’s plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas (CHCH News)
“Well, it doesn’t seem like Hamas will say yes to 100% of a deal that they did not have a part in negotiating,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Read the article.

Can Abigail Spanberger Make Politics Boring Again? (Washingtonian)
As Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, puts it: “If there are problems with performance on the other side, then competence can be your brand.” Read the article.

Trump Joins Calls for Jay Jones to Exit Va. Race (Newsmax)
“There’s simply no way to sugarcoat the candidate’s remarks,” University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth told the Post. “They were horrible. And the voters will determine whether they were unforgivable.” Farnsworth pointed out that “the two other Democrats on the statewide ticket have both condemned these remarks, as they should.” Read the article.

Trump calls for Jay Jones to step down over text message controversy (WUSA 9)
“If you think about how the world has changed, things that would have been disqualifying 30 years ago may not be disqualifying today,” said Dr. Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “The Democrats obviously want to talk about something else, and Republicans want to talk about nothing else. We’ll see who wins that framing battle moving forward.” Read the article.

Education helped fuel Youngkin’s win. How will it affect this year’s election? (The Washington Post)
Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington, said running on transgender issues is appealing to conservatives because Democrats have little room for defense without isolating more moderate voters since polling shows public opinion agrees with Republicans’ position. “One of the key strategies is to find issues where your side is united and the other side is divided,” Farnsworth said. Read the article.

‘No reason not to be all in’: is Saturday Night Live ready to meet a major political moment? (The Guardian)
“This would be one of the biggest, most important cold openings in the 50-year history of the show,” says Stephen Farnsworth, a co-author of Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency. “But in the past, when Saturday Night Live has faced a major challenge, like they did in the wake of 9/11, they’ve risen to the occasion.” Read the article.

Trump calls for Jay Jones to exit Virginia AG race over ‘bullets to the head’ texts (NBC Washington)
“We’re talking about votes already cast in Virginia. It seems to me that even if there was an idea that the Democratic Party should change courses, it’s way past mid-stream in this situation. Voting has been going on for a couple of weeks already in Virginia,” political analyst Stephen Farnsworth said. Read the article.

Trump joins other Republicans in calling for Jay Jones to exit Virginia race (The Washington Post)
“There’s simply no way to sugarcoat the candidate’s remarks. They were horrible. And the voters will determine whether they were unforgivable,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said Sunday. He noted that “the two other Democrats on the statewide ticket have both condemned these remarks, as they should.” Read the article.

Cole, Steinway offer contrasting stances, styles at UMW debate (Fredericksburg Free Press; FXBG Advance)
Democratic Del. Joshua Cole, who is running for re-election in the district that covers Fredericksburg and parts of Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, faced his GOP opponent, Sean Steinway, inside the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium. Thursday’s debate was hosted by Mary Washington’s Student Government Association and moderated by UMW Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth, who also serves as director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. It was co-sponsored by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of the Fredericksburg Area. Farnsworth joined fellow UMW Professor of Political Science Rosalyn Cooperman, who chairs the department, and WFVA Radio News Director Ted Schubel in asking questions of the candidates. Read the article.

Cole and Steinway Face Off in Fredericksburg Debate — Here’s Where They Split on the Issues (Potomac Local)
The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce co-hosted the event, along with the UMW Student Government Association and the League of Women Voters, and was moderated by UMW professors Stephen Farnsworth and Rosalyn Cooperman, as well as WFVA Radio News Director Ted Schubel. Read the article.

Preview: Virginia Gubernatorial Debate (DC News Now)
“This has been a very difficult cycle for elections campaigning for Republicans in Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth. Read the article.

New gubernatorial ads focus on transgender and reproductive rights (WAVY; MSN)
“This is a time when you’re really trying to ramp up the energy among potential voters,” Professor Stephen Farnsworth, Director of the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, told 8News. Read the article.

Parsons Elected a Regional Coordinator for JASNA

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Head of Special Collections & University Archives Emerita Carolyn S. Parsons

Head of Special Collections & University Archives Emerita Carolyn Parsons was recently elected Regional Coordinator for the Jane Austen Society of North America’s (JASNA) Central Virginia region. This year marks the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth and the organization is providing free membership to all interested students through December. The JASMA annual conference, Jane Austen at 250, will be held in Baltimore this year with Parsons moderating a session titled, “The Quixotic Writer: Jane Austen’s Role in Northhanger Abbey.”

Chichester-Morby Appears on ‘PS: I Love U(MW)’ Series

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Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby

Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby

Holly Chichester-Morby loves her job, and it shows. As UMW’s Director of Landscape and Grounds, she’s happiest working outdoors, getting her hands dirty, and caring for the campus she calls home. The annual Tree Festival is one of her favorite events, celebrating UMW’s designation as a Tree Campus and the community’s shared love of the outdoors.

See what makes Holly’s work so special in this episode of the ‘PS: I Love U(MW)‘ social media series. See all the PS: I Love U(MW) episodes on @marywash Instagram.

Larus Comments on China’s Rare Earth Export Restrictions for RTI News

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Professor Emerita of  Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of  Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus

Professor Emerita of Political Science and International Affairs Elisabeth Larus was quoted in RTI News on China’s decision to restrict exports of rare earths and minerals. Larus said the move was aimed at pressuring the U.S. President ahead of a tariff deadline, but instead reignited a cycle of escalating trade threats. “Xi may have overplayed his hand,” she noted, adding that the restrictions could backfire by accelerating U.S. efforts to develop alternative sources and reduce reliance on China. Read the article from RTI News.

Other media mentions for Larus include:

China Gathers Allies to Shape Global Security Vision (Deutsche Welle)
Larus commented in Deutsche Welle on this year’s Xiangshan Forum, China’s annual international security gathering. Larus indicated that the U.S. decision to send a lower-level Pentagon official to the gathering does not indicate a lack of interest on the part of the U.S. administration, but the choice of the U.S. representative indicates that the real discussions are happening through back channels and not in front of the cameras. Larus also commented that China’s leader Xi Jinping would use the forum as an opportunity to promote his peace narrative on issues ranging from the Ukraine war to the South China Sea and Taiwan despite Beijing’s support for Russia and China’s increasing aggression in the Asia-Pacific. Read more.

Barry Publishes Book, Interviewed on Podcast ‘New Books in Late Antiquity’

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The cover of Barry's monograph 'Gender Violence in Late Antiquity: Male Fantasies and the Christian Imagination' with the University of California Press.

The cover of Barry’s recently published monograph with the University of California Press

Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry

Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry

Associate Professor of Religious Studies Jennifer Barry published her second scholarly monograph, Gender Violence in Late Antiquity: Male Fantasies and the Christian Imagination, with the University of California Press.

Barry’s new book examines how early Christian writers used narratives of gendered harm—especially domestic violence—to shape theology, consolidate authority, and imagine social order.

Later this month, she will give an invited book talk at the University of Pittsburgh highlighting this material and exploring how depictions of violence within the household became central to Christian thought.

Barry was also recently featured on the New Books in Late Antiquity podcast, presented by Ancient Jew Review, to discuss her monograph.

In the interview, Barry explores how early Christian writers used narratives of gendered harm—especially domestic abuse, martyrdom, and sexualized violence—to shape theology, consolidate authority, and imagine social order. She also reflects on how feminist horror theory, trauma studies, and womanist scholarship offer new perspectives on these texts and their enduring impact on the study of gender and power.

Barry joined host Michael Motia (UMass Boston) for the conversation, which is now available online.

Richards to Lead Discussion on Author Kate Chopin at Louisiana Book Festival

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Professor of English Gary Richards

Professor of English Gary Richards

Professor of English Gary Richards will lead a program featuring the work of acclaimed Louisiana author Kate Chopin at its annual One Book, One Festival discussion on Nov. 1.

An article by KTBS titled “Louisiana Book Festival to feature short stories of Kate Chopin,” previewed the Festival, explaining how participants in the program read a selected work in advance and then join a discussion led by Richards. This year, the focus will be on three of Chopin’s short stories.
Richards, an expert in Southern literature, has facilitated 12 previous sessions since the program began in 2008. Read more.