A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Professor of Theatre and Chair of Theatre and Dance Gregg Stull
Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance Gregg Stull’s Great Lives lecture on playwright Lillian Hellman recently aired on C-SPAN. Watch here.
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:
How the Hangover from Trump’s Presidency Is Shaping Democratic Primaries (Mother Jones)
Virginia Primary Turnout Dips, But Still Among Highest in Recent History (NPR)
Schapiro: A Republican campaign in search of a theme (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
What happened during Democrat Jennifer Carroll Foy’s run for Virginia governor? (Potomac Local)
The U.S. is Back….Or is It? (CTV News Channel)
McAuliffe’s sweep beat expectations that were already sky-high (Virginia Mercury; Virginia Patch)
No matter who wins, the Va. lieutenant governor’s race will make history (WTOP)
Ransomware and Russia (CTV News Channel)
Biden-Putin Summit Wraps Up in Geneva (CTV News Channel)
Analysis: Biden, Putin meet face-to-face in Geneva (CP24)
Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science Elizabeth Freund Larus.
Elizabeth Freund Larus, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, participated in the Intelligence Squared debate “Taiwan is Indefensible” on May 20, 2021. Dr. Larus argued against the resolution, claiming that it is vital for U.S. credibility and standing to uphold its commitment to Taiwan. If the United States fails in its commitment, U.S. allies and friends in the Asia-Pacific might be compelled to bandwagon with China or expand their own militaries, further destabilizing the region.
Listen to the debate at https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/taiwan-indefensible-0
Dr. Larus also recently appeared on KOPB-FM Radio.
UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson
College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson’s latest column in The Free Lance-Star discusses letting go when a decision in your organization doesn’t go your way. Read “LET GO OF THE BONE.”
We’ve all been there, on one side of the situation or the other.
A decision was that you didn’t agree with. Maybe you thought it wasn’t best for the organization, but it’s more likely that it was not in your personal best interest.
Or perhaps you were the person who had to make the tough call. You gathered the available information to inform the decision and, after mulling the options, made the choice.
Now the announcement has been made. The people impacted are not thrilled. And the second- guessing and arguments begin. Read more.
College of Education Associate Dean for Clinical Experiences and Partnerships Kristina Peck
UMW’s College of Education Director for Clinical Practice and Partnerships Kristina Peck was recently awarded a 2020-2021 Virginia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (VACTE) Student Impact Award. In her application for VACTE Initial Licensure Scholarship, Glynnis Farleigh ’20 wrote:
“While Mrs. Kristina Peck has only served as the College of Education’s Director of Clinical Experiences for a portion of my time at UMW, I believe that she fully deserves to be honored for her dedication to the students, staff, and faculty of UMW’s COE. Mrs. Peck has been my instructor for both of my Masters seminars during my fifth year. Here, she has demonstrated intense organization, high standards, and high expectations for myself and my peers as preservice teachers. As a former math teacher and Google Educator Instructor, Mrs. Peck held small-group training sessions for myself and a select group of peers so that we could become Google Educators ourselves. Mrs. Peck has never failed to answer the number of challenging and complex administrative questions that we as students may have and is always supportive to students.
Mrs. Peck demonstrates high standards when modeling the mechanics of teaching – an aspect that is often less discussed as it is less often the subject of intense research, but an aspect that is critical to the smooth, daily functioning of a classroom. This type of daily dedication is critical to the smooth running of a classroom. Mrs. Peck consistently models excellent classroom management, administration, and organization in a way that I hope to mimic in my own classroom and accepts nothing less than the highest standard of performance from us as UMW students. I feel proud to be a graduate of UMW’s Masters of Education program due to Mrs. Peck’s example and support. While I will be beginning my first year as a teacher in my own classroom this August, I will be inspired by Mrs. Peck’s commitment to organization and high standards for years to come.”
VACTE Scholarship Committee Chair Ellen Drogin Rodgers wrote: “It is clear, based on Glynnis’s recommendation that [Peck is] an extraordinary teacher and mentor who has influenced teacher candidates, and in turn, the communities they will serve.”
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jason Davidson was interviewed by several international media outlets on his “Costs of War” report, commissioned by Brown and Boston universities, which focuses on contributions of America’s allies in Afghanistan.
“Americans do not fully understand, do not acknowledge, the sacrifices that allies made in Afghanistan,” Davidson recently told The Guardian.
“It’s something that not only doesn’t get attention from those who are critics of the allies. It doesn’t even get the attention that it deserves from those who are generally cheerleaders for allies, like the current administration. I would like to see more American policymaker acknowledgment and discussion with the public of the costs that America’s allies have incurred in these wars.”
Dr. Davidson also penned an op-ed in The Hill entitled, “Biden needs to talk about the costs of our wars to America’s allies.” Read more.
British troops were twice as likely to be killed in Afghanistan as US forces (London Daily)
Key NATO allies twice as likely to die in Afghanistan as US forces: report (Ecns.cn)
The British Costs of the War in Afghanistan (New Eastern Outlook)
Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies Anand Rao
The legacy of Mahatma Gandhi goes well beyond the Indian Freedom Struggle. He has influenced countless movements and struggles for freedom and democracy around the world, decolonization struggles, including the civil rights movement within the United States.
The Metta Center for Nonviolence interviewed P. Anand Rao (Professor of Communication, Chair of the Department of Communication and Digital Studies) to discuss Gandhi’s influence on Dr. James Farmer and the American Civil Rights Movement. The interview is part of the Metta Center’s podcast, “Nonviolence Radio,” and the interview was conducted by UMW alum Stephanie Van Hook. The interview can be found at: https://mettacenter.org/ppr/gandhis-influence-on-dr-james-farmer/
Professors David Rettinger (back row, left) and Dan Hirshberg (back row, right) with students on a study abroad trip to Nepal.
Professor of Psychological Science David Rettinger and Associate Professor of Religion Dan Hirshberg were interviewed for an article in The Free Lance-Star on Nepal’s COVID outbreak and local COVID relief efforts to help Fredericksburg’s Sister City of Kathmandu. Rettinger and Hirshberg have organized several study abroad trips to Nepal for UMW students.
“Their outbreak is even worse than India’s, if you can believe it, but it’s not getting as much attention,” said David Rettinger about Nepal, which is experiencing upwards of 8,600 new cases a day as almost half of all people tested for the virus have it. “The news is getting worse and worse with each passing day, and Nepal’s health care system is not prepared for this pandemic.”
Rettinger is a professor at the University of Mary Washington and the public relations chairman of the Sister-City Program that pairs Fredericksburg with partners in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. He’s spreading the word about the local effort to raise money, through an online fundraiser, to purchase vital medical supplies such as oxygen concentrators and nasal tubes that deliver the much-needed air supply to patients. Read more.
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Pamela Grothe
Assistant Director of Earth and Environmental Science Pamela Grothe discussed research on the lack of green spaces in redlined communities in Virginia on “With Good Reason,” which aired Saturday, May 22 through Friday, May 28. With Good Reason airs Sundays at 2 p.m. on Fredericksburg’s Radio IQ 88.3 Digital and at various times throughout the week on stations across Virginia and the United States. Check the website for show times.
Planned Destruction: It’s difficult to imagine that the highway was someone’s home. But it was. LaToya S. Gray (Virginia Commonwealth University) says a once thriving Richmond neighborhood known as the Harlem of the South fell victim to intentionally destructive city planners. And: You don’t have to look far to connect racial inequities to environmental issues. Jeremy Hoffman (The Science Museum of Virginia) says that many formerly redlined neighborhoods experience up to 16 degree hotter days in the summer than green lined neighborhoods within walking distance. Aside from jumping in a pool, trees are our best bet to cool summer heat.. Pamela Grothe (University of Mary Washington) says we have to be intentional about putting trees in the right places.
Professor and Chair of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus
Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Larus was interviewed about the fate of Taiwan for a segment on Intelligence Squared.
The fate of Taiwan is uncertain. As a revanchist China builds up forces near the island, the Biden administration is warning Beijing against an invasion, bolstering its defense with the sale of military hardware. While the United States does not officially recognize Taiwan’s government, it remains its strongest international backer. Beijing, meanwhile, sees Taiwan as lost territory, which needs to be “reunified” with the mainland. Recently, Beijing sent 25 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, the largest ever incursion into the region by the People’s Liberation Army. And some argue that the scale of China’s military presence has already surpassed anything the U.S. or Taiwan militaries could stop. It is indefensible, both militarily and from a political capital perspective; the notion of risking American soldiers in this geostrategic flashpoint unthinkable. Others say American credibility is actually on the line, that the U.S. could indeed win if it had to, and that its political posturing should reflect that. So, here’s our question: Is Taiwan indefensible? Watch here.
Dr. Larus also appeared on the podcast hosted by Harris Bricken, an international law firm, discussing the United States’ relationship with China. Listen here.