Surrounded by pink – a pink clothes hamper piled high with stuffed animals, a full-length mirror inside a pink frame, two pink rugs rolled up tight – Ana Saravia spoke into her phone. The conversation, held outside her new Randolph Hall room, was with her mom, who was just down Campus Walk helping her other daughter, Lexi, move into Virginia Hall.

“Every time I was here, I felt like I was wrapped in a warm hug,” said Ana, whose pop of color was mirrored in the hot-pink T-shirts worn by volunteers who helped families with the heavy lifting yesterday during the University of Mary Washington’s Move-In Day.

The Saravia sisters, from Henrico County, Virginia, are among the nearly 1,100 new students UMW welcomes this year, the 600 or so who registered for on-campus housing and the majority who come from the Commonwealth. First-years and new transfers hail from 30 more states, including California, Montana, Texas and Tennessee, and from overseas, as far away as the Philippines, India and Australia.

SUVs, pick-ups and compact cars lined Mary Washington’s normally traffic-free areas, with friends and families helping haul copious college-life commodities into Randolph and other first-year residence halls, Ball, Virginia and Willard. Upperclassmen, including Move-In Day volunteers, plus peer mentors dressed in purple and resident assistants donning green, answered questions and provided support. So did UMW President Troy Paino and wife Kelly, who drop into rooms each year to welcome new arrivals and their families. Read more about UMW Move-In Day.

University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino welcomed faculty and staff to a new academic year during the University’s annual back-to-school assembly.

During the hourlong gathering, held in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium, he thanked employees for their work and shared updates from across campus. From technology and campus improvements to fundraising and academic initiatives, Paino reflected on UMW’s recent progress and looked ahead to the work that will shape the 2026-27 academic year.

“I know how much you care about this place, how much you care about the students,” Paino said, acknowledging employees’ work on behalf of UMW and its students. “I know the work that you do each day to help us move forward.”

With a new Strategic Action Plan approved by the Board of Visitors last spring, the focus now turns to implementation. The plan centers on four priorities: enhancing and adapting UMW’s liberal arts mission, energizing campus life and school pride, modernizing campus while preserving its historic beauty, and meeting the future workforce needs of the region and the Commonwealth. Read more about UMW’s Fall Assembly.

The University of Mary Washington is expanding access to mental health support for students through TimelyCare’s CrisisNow service, providing immediate, around-the-clock access to trained mental health professionals during moments of crisis. This additional service adds a direct phone line through UMW’s Talley Center for Counseling Services, available anytime, including outside of traditional business hours.

“We want students to know that support doesn’t end when offices close for the day,” said UMW Talley Center Director Chad Sims. “CrisisNow strengthens our ability to care for students by providing access to professionals who can help them navigate moments of crisis and connect them with ongoing resources and support.”

UMW students also have access to TimelyCare services online or via an app, with 24/7 TalkNow access, scheduled counseling sessions, health coaching and self-care content. Through the TimelyCare partnership, which began in 2023, UMW offers students 12 scheduled virtual counseling sessions per year, regardless of insurance coverage.

The addition of CrisisNow provides direct phone access to trained mental health professionals without requiring students to log in to an app or complete advance registration. The service is designed specifically for higher education and works in coordination with established University protocols and existing support systems. Read more about UMW’s expanded mental health resources for students.

The University of Mary Washington has awarded two Washington Scholarships to Virginia students and three Alvey Scholarships to Maryland students, recognizing student leaders who have excelled through their high school years, with dedicated service to their communities. As recipients of UMW’s premier undergraduate scholarships, these scholars will receive full financial support while pursuing their undergraduate degrees in Fredericksburg, Virginia, at one of the nation’s top public liberal arts and sciences universities.

These prestigious scholarships – the Washington Scholarship for in-state students and the Alvey Scholarship for out-of-state students – cover the tuition, fees, housing and dining for up to four years at UMW.

Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants from across Virginia and beyond, the scholars bring interests ranging from business and public policy to education, healthcare, science and the arts. They will join a community of student leaders committed to making an impact on campus, in Fredericksburg and throughout the Commonwealth.

Meet the 2026 Washington and Alvey Scholars at UMW:
– Natalie Dehne, from Glenwood, Maryland, graduated from Glenelg High School.
– Lily Fischer, from Rockville, Maryland, graduated from Montgomery Blair High School.
– Elise Hill, from Midlothian, Virginia, graduated from The Monacan High School Center for the Humanities.
– Maggie Lang, from Warrenton, Virginia, graduated from Fauquier High School and Mountain Vista Governor’s School.
– Eden Tardy, from Gaithersburg, Maryland, graduated from Quince Orchard High School.

Learn more about the 2026 Washington and Alvey Scholars.

A new academic year brings a new season of theatre and visual arts at UMW, with performances, exhibitions, receptions and artist talks offering plenty of opportunities to experience the arts on campus this fall.

UMW Galleries begins its fall season Sept. 10 with two exhibitions and an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Fall Exhibitions include:

• 2026 Mid-Atlantic New Painting Biennial — Sept. 10–Oct. 18, Ridderhof Martin Gallery. One of UMW Galleries’ longest-standing traditions, the juried exhibition brings together regional artists and surveys current directions in painting, from abstraction to figuration. A juror talk with Alexis Assam of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will be held Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. in the Digital Auditorium.
• Practice What You Teach: UMW Faculty and Staff — Sept. 10–Oct. 18, duPont Gallery. The exhibition showcases recent work across diverse media by Department of Art faculty and staff. A Faculty Gallery Talk will be held Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. in duPont Gallery.
• USA 250: A Print Exchange — Nov. 10–Dec. 7, Ridderhof Martin Gallery. Artists from across the country explore identity and the question, “What does it mean to be American in 2026?” through a variety of printmaking approaches, accompanied by recent student artwork, writing and research. An Artists’ Round Table will be held Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. in Monroe Hall 116.
• Annual Student Art Exhibition — Nov. 10–Dec. 7, duPont Gallery. The annual favorite celebrates exceptional student work from across disciplines and includes the Melchers Gray Purchase Award, through which a selected work enters the University’s permanent collection.

Opening receptions for the November exhibitions will be held Nov. 10 from 5 to 7 p.m. Explore the full UMW Galleries exhibition schedule for more information about exhibitions, talks and special events throughout the 2026–27 academic year.

UMW Theatre opens its 2026–27 season in September with The 39 Steps, a fast-paced adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock film and John Buchan novel. The fall continues in November with the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. Dates include:

• The 39 Steps — Sept. 17–27, with a Pay-What-You-Can Preview Sept. 16 and AfterWords Sept. 20
• Dear Evan Hansen — Nov. 5–22, with a Pay-What-You-Can Preview Nov. 4, AfterWords Nov. 8 and a Sensory-Friendly performance Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.

Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Revisit the full 2026–27 UMW Theatre season in EagleEye for additional details.

With artificial intelligence on the horizon in higher education, the liberal arts are situated to be long-term leaders in the conversation, as became evident at the University of Mary Washington during its first “Reimagining the Liberal Arts in the Age of AI” conference in July.

That was the goal for organizers, Associate Professor of Education Victoria Russell, who directs UMW’s Center for Teaching, and Professor of History and American Studies Krystyn Moon, who directs UMW’s Humanities Center. Together, they built the conference from a 2024 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). That grant supported collaborative curricular design by humanities faculty at five public liberal arts institutions.

As a result of that work, schools had the opportunity to create open-access AI teaching resources, such as syllabus modules, readings, activities and assignments for all COPLAC institutions to utilize. The conference expanded the conversation and learning circles.

“This has been an effort to get the liberal arts to shine,” Russell said. “A lot of the hard work is happening in classrooms, with faculty responding to employers’ needs and helping students navigate the next steps.” Read more about UMW’s “Reimagining the Liberal Arts in the Age of AI” Conference.

The application for admission to the University of Mary Washington for Fall 2027 opens August 1 and is available via the UMW website or Common App. This year, UMW has joined the Common App Direct Admissions program, a national initiative to provide eligible students with an early indication of acceptance to one of Virginia’s top public liberal arts and sciences universities.

“The college search process should be affirming, not overwhelming, and we want to recognize students who would thrive at Mary Washington,” UMW Dean of Admissions and Associate Vice President Melissa Yakabouski said. “Direct admission takes some of the stress out of the process and accelerates access for students.”

The initiative is part of a growing national effort to reduce barriers to higher education, provide students with greater confidence during the college search process, and expand access to institutions that match their academic interests and goals.

Students who receive a direct admission offer from UMW will have the opportunity to learn more about over 100 majors, minors and areas of study, a distinctive liberal arts and sciences experience, and the close-knit campus community, situated in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They will also receive more information about scholarships and financial aid and be the first to hear about what’s available to them, including the newly launched Piscopo Rodgers Science Fellows program and the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, as well as the honors program, pre-health programs and early admissions pathways to medical school.

Read more about the application for admission to UMW.

Aiden Anderson poked a needle into a pink silicone tray, weaving black thread through an assortment of pre-cut lacerations. The practice exercise in suturing wounds at Mary Washington Healthcare could come in handy someday for Aiden, a sophomore at the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW’s Stafford Campus.

He was among about 70 aspiring medical professionals, artists, engineers and more who took part in last week’s Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), a six-day experience for rising 10th- through 12th-graders. Participants live in residence halls, take courses filled with hands-on learning and participate in extracurricular activities like the Wednesday-morning fieldtrip introducing students to hospital practices.

Part of a course taught by UMW Professor of Biology Deb O’Dell, the offering was among more than 20, covering everything from pop culture and culinary chemistry to environmental engineering and cybersecurity.

“The program continues to be a great introduction to college life,” said Associate Professor of Communication Elizabeth Johnson-Young, who coordinates SEP with Department of Biological Sciences Senior Lecturer Michael Stebar and College of Education Assistant Professor Danielle Ott. “Campers participate in a wide variety of courses, enrichment sessions, and field trips, and it’s exciting to see them engage and learn what a liberal arts education feels like at UMW.”

Read more about UMW’s 2026 Summer Enrichment Program.