April 6, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Rettinger Interviewed by Inside Higher Education

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Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Academic Integrity Programs David Rettinger

Professor of Psychological Services David Rettinger was published in an article entitled “Combating Student Cheating: Key Podcast Reprise” in Inside Higher Education. Rettinger is director of academic integrity programs at UMW, and Kate McConnell is assistant vice president for research and assessment and director of the Value Institute at the Association of American Colleges and Universities. Read more.

Chichester Talks Gardening With The Free Lance-Star

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Director of Landscaping and Grounds Holly Chichester had an article entitled “Gardeners Gear Up for Veggie-Planting Season” in The Free Lance Star. Backyard gardeners have a better chance for success if they build raised garden beds, where they can more easily control the quality of the soil within the garden and the amount of nutrients that go into it. Read more.

Al-Tikriti Discusses Ukraine Crisis for Wichita Audience

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Professor of Middle Eastern History Nabil Al-Tikriti

Professor of Middle Eastern History Nabil Al-Tikriti

On 27 March 2022, Middle East History Professor Nabil Al-Tikriti discussed the historical and politcal background to the Ukraine crisis for the Global Learning Council (GLC) at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Wichita, Kansas, via Zoom, and together with Prof. John Dreifort of Wichita State University. In the course of his presentation, Prof. Al-Tikriti walked the audience of roughly 40 GLC members through the various historical arguments in evidence thus far in the conflict betweeen Russia and Ukraine, and the evidence supporting various claims put forth. Al-Tikriti has observed elections in Ukraine in 2004 (Nikopol), 2014 (Lviv), and 2019 (Berdyansk), and has thus traveled throughout much of Ukraine and observed Ukrainian politics.

Anyone interested in screening the presentation, as well as the Q&A from the audience, can view the event recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFkYhOABkGM.

Agrawal Pens Article on Women, Early-Career Scientist Impacted by Pandemic

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Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Swati Agrawal

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Swati Agrawal

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Swati Agrawal penned an article for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology entitled “Lonely Science: Women and early-career scientists in academia were among those hardest hit by COVID-19 disruptions.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pascale Guiton lost some of her valuable parasite strains because she was unable to get into her lab to replenish the liquid nitrogen.

Instead of submitting publications before her fourth-year review, a month and a half into her pretenure sabbatical, Krystle McLaughlin was at home taking care of her two small children.

After being told she had been denied a promotion because of low research productivity, Nazzy Pakpour chose to leave her faculty position and seek employment in the private sector.

In August 2019, Megan Filbin won a grant to take her undergraduates to a large medical school to use research instruments not available at her institution. But all the labs were closed to visitors in summer 2020, and complications with limited lab capacity and vaccination requirements stymied the plan in 2021.

As a department chair, Karen Allen had to ramp down the labs of 26 faculty members and then, after reviewing safety evaluations and plans for each one, ramp them all back up.

Sonia Flores and colleagues in her department and division provided meals and vouchers to help pay for dependent care to faculty who were on the front lines fighting COVID-19.

Marlene Belfort said about 2020, “Science became a lonely activity.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the professional and personal lives of scientists, some groups were affected more than others. Most were unable to conduct research. Science education, especially skills training, was disrupted. Those who took on childcare, homeschooling or elder care found their lives and work completely upended. Read more.

Richards Leads Book Discussion at Tennessee Williams Festival

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Professor of English Gary Richards

Professor of English Gary Richards

Gary Richards, Professor of English and Chair of the Department of English and Linguistics, led the Books and Beignets forty-person discussion at the Tennessee Williams and New Orleans Literary Festival on Saturday, March 26, 2022, in New Orleans. To mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of A Streetcar Named Desire, the group analyzed that play, focusing particularly on its form.

Farnsworth Comments in the News

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Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Professor of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, recently commented on the following news stories:

Virginia’s gas tax and the effort to reach a balanced budget (WVTF)

A General Assembly rejection of a cabinet pick isn’t without precedent (WVTF)

State lawmakers must work out a $3 billion difference between House and Senate budgets (WVTF)

Partisanship marked a 2022 session without any major accomplishments (WVTF)

Biden to meet with NATO leaders in Europe (CTV News)

Zelensky addresses U.S. Congress (CTV News)

‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law (CTV News)

Aminrazavi quoted in FLS on Jefferson Descendent Speaking at UMW

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Race and Religion flyerProfessor of Philosophy and Religion Mehdi Aminrazavi was quoted in a Free Lance-Star article entitled, “Jefferson descendent to speak at UMW” that ran in advance of Shannon LaNier’s keynote address on Tuesday to open UMW’s Race and Religion Conference, sponsored by the Khatib Program in Religion and Dialogue. A Houston-area news anchor and social media influencer, LaNier is the sixth great-grandson of the third U.S. president, descended through Sally Hemings, one of the founding father’s enslaved workers.

Mehdi Aminrazavi, director of the Khatib Program and professor of philosophy and religion at UMW, said he is excited to have LaNier speak at the event.

“I like what he had to say,” Aminrazavi said. “(There’s a) perception of our founding fathers and the reality of the (lives) they lived and I thought it would be good for our students to learn different understandings and narratives of Thomas Jefferson.”

Read more.

Chichester Interviewed for FLS story on Spring Gardening

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UMW Director of Landscaping and Grounds Holly Chichester was interviewed for a story in The Free Lance-Star entitled “Gardeners gear up for veggie-planting season.”

Holly Chichester, director of landscaping and grounds at the University of Mary Washington, said backyard gardeners have a better chance for success if they build raised garden beds, where they can more easily control the quality of the soil within the garden and the amount of nutrients that go into it.

“Great soil makes great plants, so it definitely starts from the ground up,” Chichester said.

She said a blend of compost or manure can be mixed with gardening soil, but said there may be a need to add lime, alkaline, slow-released fertilizer or acidifiers after a soil sample is taken and its results are analyzed by experts.

“If (the garden) has been successful in the past and suddenly it’s not, or if it’s been waning over the last couple of years, a soil sample is going to tell you everything you need to know,” Chichester said. Read more.

Barrenechea Publishes Enclopedia Entry on Literature of the Americas

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Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea

Professor of English Antonio Barrenechea

Antonio Barrenechea, Professor of English, recently published “Literature of the Americas” in The Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Fiction, 1980-2020. Ed. Leslie Larkin, Stephen Burn, and Patrick O’Donnell. London and New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2022: 835-44.

Frankel Receives Prestigious First Award Wildlife Grant by Morris Animal Foundation

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Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel

Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel

Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Tyler Frankel has been awarded a $92,037 First Award Wildlife Grant by the Morris Animal Foundation. Designed to assist early career scientists in establishing a successful research program, the funds from this award will support an intensive two-year project examining the impacts of Virginia coal ash repositories on freshwater wetlands using cutting-edge toxicology and environmental DNA (eDNA) methods. Included in the grant are Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ben Kisila and Associate Professor of Chemistry Leanna Giancarlo, who will serve as faculty mentors.