Mary Washington announced that it will offer a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program, beginning enrollment in 2026-27.

The University of Mary Washington will add a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, with enrollment beginning in 2026-27.

The new program gained approval from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) at its October 2025 meeting and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in November. It builds from Mary Washington’s established RN-to-BSN completion program, offering healthcare professionals a next step in their education and careers. This new graduate program will prepare nurses for leadership roles in clinical practice, education and healthcare systems.

MSN students can choose the nursing education track to be ready for faculty roles at colleges and universities or in clinical facilities through curriculum development, assessment and education technology or select the family nurse practitioner track to focus on advanced nursing practice and primary care.

Each track includes 18 credit hours of core coursework, with 12-18 additional hours in the track area, as well as 5-9 credit hours for clinical practicums and a one-credit hour capstone course. It requires two years of full-time study or three years for part-time study, with online coursework and in-person practicums.

“This program aims to address vacancies in primary care and healthcare higher education in our region and across the Commonwealth, equipping nurses with advanced competencies and expertise for leadership, specialized practice and improved patient outcomes,” said Director of Nursing Janet Atarthi-Dugan. Read more about the UMW MSN degree program.

UMW students Tonia Attie ’26 and Merna Mousa ’25 were named Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Contact for 2025-26 (Attie, pictured left) and 2024-25 (Mousa, pictured right) for their civic and community engagement.

Throughout their time on campus, University of Mary Washington students Tonia Attie ’26 and Merna Mousa ’25 were engaged citizens that gave back to their community and worked to advance an equitable and just democracy. For their efforts to help classmates access voting, get involved and have a say in the democratic process, they were named Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Contact.

Attie received the current honor for 2025-26, while Mousa held it previously for 2024-25, representing UMW among national cohorts of student leaders selected by Campus Compact, a coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to civic and community engagement. Both students made it their mission while at Mary Washington to empower their peers, strengthen democratic participation and serve their communities in meaningful ways.

“These students represent the very best of what it means to be civically engaged,” said Sarah Dewees, director of UMW’s Center for Community Engagement. “They bring thoughtfulness and determination to public problem-solving and are committed to learning more about the democratic process.” Read more about the Newman Civic Fellows.

A herd of goats is working to clear a hard-to-trim hillside along the Sunken Road border of UMW’s Fredericksburg Campus. Photo by Lee Adams ’27.

The University of Mary Washington has partnered with The Good Steward Farm to enlist a herd of goats to clear overgrown areas in the woods along the Sunken Road boundary of the Fredericksburg Campus. About a dozen goats are working to assist with the removal of invasive plant species and ready the grounds for winter, so that native plants can grow in the spring.

The goats are skilled at reaching hard-to-landscape areas such as hillsides, offering an environmentally friendly landscape management practice that reduces the need for herbicide and gas-powered equipment.

“Goats eat invasive plants like English ivy, poison ivy and brush, leaving behind healthier soil for native plants and our urban forest. It’s a fun, eco-friendly alternative to land management,” said UMW Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester-Morby. “‘Goatscaping’ – a real term – is a sustainable approach that allows us to clear overgrowth and invasive species in a large, difficult area without chemicals or crew labor. This allows our UMW landscape crew to focus on other autumn grounds tasks while providing a nice, healthy buffet for the goats. Plus, they are really cute.” Read more about UMW welcoming goats to its Fredericksburg campus.

Mary Washington earned a spot on The Princeton Review’s 2026 Guide to Green Colleges for dedication to environmental responsibility in academic offerings, campus policies and community engagement.

The University of Mary Washington’s commitment to sustainability earned national recognition once again as it was named to The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges. The annual guide highlights institutions that demonstrate exceptional dedication to environmental responsibility through academic offerings, campus policies and community engagement.

Included among 388 schools featured in the 2026 edition released last month, UMW earned a Green Rating of 86 out of 99, based on survey data assessing sustainability practices, institutional priorities and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts on campus.

“Among the hundreds of schools we surveyed for this project, the University of Mary Washington, which offers excellent academics, is also a stand-out for its record of environmentally responsible practices,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. “We are delighted to recommend UMW to college applicants who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a ‘green’ one.” Read more about UMW’s green thumbs-up from The Princeton Review.

Olivia-Lena De Veaux ’26, an international affairs and Spanish major who engaged in two study abroad experiences and an internship abroad at UMW. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

Olivia-Lena De Veaux, a senior international affairs and Spanish major at the University of Mary Washington, has embraced study abroad in college, spending a semester in Mexico and going on a faculty-led trip to Guatemala over spring break.

“It’s been exhilarating to expand my horizons in ways I couldn’t have imagined four years ago,” said De Veaux, who earned the Gail Madden Shedlick ’78 Scholarship, which helped fund her summer internship working at a hotel in Prague. “It was my first experience navigating professional life in a foreign culture. I learned to translate my academic studies into real-world action – skills I’ll carry forward into my career.”

De Veaux was one of several students who spoke at the Celebration of Giving, sharing how donor-funded scholarships and awards that support internships, study abroad and undergraduate research have prepared them for Life After Mary Washington. With a theme of UMW pride and school spirit, the Nov. 13 event welcomed more than 200 guests to thank donors who contributed to the University’s success and celebrate its historic fundraising year and impressive college rankings.

The evening opened with the UMW Pep Band filling the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom with rousing renditions of fan favorites like the Mary Washington fight song, “Soar, Eagle Nation, Soar.” Guests then heard from a lineup of speakers, beginning with Katie Turcotte, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement and executive director of the UMW Foundation.

Turcotte thanked supporters for contributing $37.8 million in gifts and pledges and helping UMW’s endowment surpass $100 million. She also highlighted several milestones, including Mary Wash Day exceeding $1 million in donations for the first time, and the Fund for Mary Washington receiving more than $1 million in unrestricted support. Donors funded 824 scholarships totaling $2.3 million for 553 students this year.

“Transformational impact isn’t about the size of the gift – it’s about purpose,” Turcotte said. “Every contribution, every volunteer hour, every act of support helps move this University forward.” Read more about the Celebration of Giving.

From left: Mock Interview Competition finalists Elaina Dongieux ’27, Maggie Alt ’28 and Zoë Mueller ’26. Alt won the competition, held every other year for UMW’s Student Alumni Ambassadors to help them hone career-launching strategies and techniques. Photo by K Pearlman Photography

University of Mary Washington sophomore Maggie Alt’s strong response to a question about her greatest weakness impressed judges during last month’s Mock Interview Competition.

“I told them I need time and a few conversations with people before I can fully open up and make connections with them,” said Alt, a historic preservation major, who added that UMW’s Student Alumni Ambassador (SAA) program has helped her acclimate to others more quickly.

The confidence-boosting moment – the judges applauded her thoughtfulness – helped Alt clinch the competition, held every other year to equip SAAs with career-launching strategies and techniques. Organized by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, it’s one of numerous initiatives that help connect students with alumni whose advice and expertise can prepare them for Life After Mary Washington.

Alt was one of 20 students who vied for a fictional position planning programming for Mary Washington graduates. Yet, she received a real reward – an overnight stay at a regional alumni event and a recommendation from Katie Turcotte, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement and executive director of the UMW Foundation.

“I was thrilled, knowing I went up against such strong competition,” said Alt, who hopes to work in urban planning and geographic information systems (GIS). “I now know the mindset I need to bring to an interview and how to prepare for success.” Read more about the mock interview competition.

UMW junior Mohammad Ali Hassan explains his work investigating the effects of immunogenic chemotherapy on triple-negative breast cancer during the sixth annual Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia Conference. Hosted by the University of Mary Washington on Saturday, Nov.1, the daylong event welcomed student researchers from across the Commonwealth. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

For University of Mary Washington junior Mohammad Ali Hassan, Saturday’s presentation was personal. Standing in front of a poster representing his work in the lab, the biology major spoke of his family’s experience with two different types of aggressive cancer.

Hassan’s research employs mice to test the effects of immunogenic chemotherapy on triple-negative breast cancer, a similarly illusive and fast-growing disease. “I was grateful for the opportunity to study something I’m interested in and develop my skills in a laboratory,” he said of his recent stint in UMW’s newly named Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 Summer Science Institute and the work he’s completed with fellow Mary Washington students.

Guided by Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Laura Sipe, Hassan’s project was one of more than 80 displayed and discussed during the sixth annual Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) Conference. Marking its début appearance at the University of Mary Washington, the event turned the Hurley Convergence Center into a repository of scholarly exploration, with posters on view in the downstairs Digital Auditorium and oral presentations taking place on the upper floors. More than 100 students came from schools – large and small, public and private – across the Commonwealth to share their work, including about a dozen from UMW.

“Mary Washington was thrilled to host the NURVa annual conference this year,” said Director of Undergraduate Research Elizabeth Lewis. “Not only do students get to showcase their hard work, they also have a chance to interact with peers from other institutions in the state. I was really proud of their great work and the hospitality of our faculty and students.” Read more.

Mary Washington students cast their ballots on Election Day and hosted a full slate of activities to help classmates become informed, empowered participants in the democratic system. Photo by Sam Cahill.

With “I voted” stickers proudly displayed, University of Mary Washington students spent Election Day making their voices heard. Throughout the crisp fall day, the red Fredericksburg trolley shuttled between UMW’s campus and the city’s Dorothy Hart Community Center filled with students ready to cast their ballots and take part in a campus tradition of civic engagement.

The trolley rides were part of a full slate of Election Day activities coordinated through Mary Washington’s Center for Community Engagement (CCE) by UMW Votes. The nonpartisan program, which earned Mary Washington a “Voter Friendly Campus” designation for 2025-26, helps students become informed, empowered participants in the democratic system.

“Our goal is to make voting accessible, exciting and educational,” said CCE Director Sarah Dewees. “We want every student to know their vote, and their voice, matters.”

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., volunteers staffed tables outside George Washington Hall, offering nonpartisan sample ballots and voting information, plus free stickers, buttons, doughnuts and coffee to anyone stopping by. The transportation was provided by Trolley Tours of Fredericksburg and funded this year by Every Vote Counts, a national nonpartisan, student-led organization dedicated to increasing voter access.

First-year psychology major Zenith Nolan was among the many who caught a ride. “It’s fun to be involved in the community,” she said. “And voting really does make a difference.” Read more.