March 18, 2024

Seventh Annual Mary Wash Day Brings #TogetherUMW, April 4

The seventh annual Mary Wash Day will be held April 4 with the theme of #TogetherUMW. The 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement supports UMW students and faculty, as well as academic, arts, athletics, leadership, service, career and cultural programs.

The seventh annual Mary Wash Day will be held April 4 with the theme of #TogetherUMW. The 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement supports UMW students and faculty, as well as academic, arts, athletics, leadership, service, career and cultural programs.

UMW graduates Matt and Sarah Balenger Good ’19 land on the exact same word to describe their experience at the University of Mary Washington, where they met, fell in love and earned degrees in political science and psychology, respectively.

“It was more impactful than I could have ever imagined,” said Sarah, who was on UMW’s Honor Council all four years, becoming its president as a senior, and currently works in autism services. Matt, who followed the same track in the Student Government Association and is now employed in public safety, agrees. “I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without Mary Washington.”

On Mary Wash Day, the couple is sponsoring a challenge to inspire graduates from the last decade to make their first-ever gift to their alma mater on Thursday, April 4, a day celebrating all contributions to the University. “We want to ensure that students today have the experiences we had and that young alumni get involved at Mary Washington,” Sarah said.

Eagles everywhere are encouraged to show off their Mary Wash pride during the 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement, now in its seventh year, enjoying fun and festivities while making a difference in the lives of students for generations to come.

With a theme of #TogetherUMW, the event unites the entire Mary Washington community in support of students and faculty, as well as academic, arts, athletics, leadership, service, career and cultural programs. Donors will have the chance to give to more than 80 different areas across the University. Read more.

UMW Tests Emergency Notification System for March 7 Statewide Tornado Drill

UMW will test its alert system during Severe Weather Awareness Week.

UMW will test its alert system during Severe Weather Awareness Week.

The University of Mary Washington will activate UMW Alerts and test its emergency notification system as part of the Virginia Statewide Tornado Drill on Thursday, March 7, at 9:45 a.m. The test may include text messages, emails, desktop alerts, phone calls and sirens or messages from the area warning system on campus. This spring semester test coincides with spring break and will reach devices on and off campus.

Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled in UMW Alerts with contact information registered with the University, including UMW email address and cell phone number. The University adds new community members weekly and resets the system with all current community members on the first day of classes for the fall semester. Community members can update their information at any time by visiting the Emergency Alerts website.

The March 7 exercise is part of Severe Weather Awareness Week, which is designed to refresh, remind and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to plan and prepare for them. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management partners with the National Weather Service to promote Severe Weather Awareness Week. Each day of the week covers a different topic, including preparedness tips and ways to stay safe during severe weather. More information is available from the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov/akq/SevereWeatherAwareness.

Students Code Robots at High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren

The third annual High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren took place March 1 and 2 at UMW's Dahlgren Campus.

The third annual High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren took place March 1 and 2 at UMW’s Dahlgren Campus.

High school students from public and private schools from Stafford to the Northern Neck area will fill the halls of the University of Mary Washington’s (UMW) Dahlgren Campus with robots this week.

More than 100 students will compete in the third annual High School Innovation Challenge @ Dahlgren Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2, for a cash prize, trophy, robotics kits for their school and bragging rights.

“The thing I’m looking forward to the most is getting to watch the lightbulb moments on the students’ faces, where they get a sudden idea for how to solve one of the challenges or when the program that they’ve been tweaking for an hour or so finally works on the practice mat. I love watching their faces and eyes light up when they go ‘Guys, I’ve got it!’” said Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) K-12 STEM Coordinator Tyler Truslow.

University of Mary Washington, the Fredericksburg Regional Military Affairs Council, The MITRE Corporation and King George Economic Development Authority join NSWCDD in hosting the challenge. Read more.

See photos from the competition published by Fredericksburg Free Press.

Look for more coverage of the event coming soon on the UMW News site.

UMW Athletics Announces Soccer Fundraising Initiative

Efforts are underway to name UMW's championship soccer field for Roy Gordon, founding coach of the men's soccer team.

Efforts are underway to name UMW’s championship soccer field for Roy Gordon, founding coach of the men’s soccer team.

The University of Mary Washington’s championship soccer field has long been associated with Roy Gordon, founding coach of the men’s soccer team. Now efforts are underway to name the field in his honor, while funding future improvements for the competition field and soccer stadium as a whole.

Gordon served the University of Mary Washington and its intercollegiate athletics program, especially the men’s soccer program, with distinction, dedication, and loyalty for 34 years. His men’s soccer teams captured 386 total wins, won eight Capital Athletic Conference titles, and advanced to nine NCAA tournaments. Since the Eagles made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1985, their cumulative record under Gordon’s leadership was 329-133-33, for an outstanding .698 percent.

One of the most respected college soccer coaches in the nation, Gordon repeatedly earned regional and national awards. He was named the Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year eight times, selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Regional Coach of the Year on five occasions, and named Virginia State College Division Coach of the Year an impressive four times. Gordon became one of only eight head coaches in Division III history to surpass 400 career wins, in 2007. Gordon received the NSCAA’s prestigious Honor Award in 2009, and was named to the NSCAA Hall of Fame in 2023.

Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant Applications Open Through March 29

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement is excited to announce the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants. Through this pilot program, donor-funded grants of $500 to $5,000 will be awarded to support projects and initiatives that advance programs, lead to professional/academic growth, and/or exemplify the University’s ASPIRE values.

Applications may be submitted through March 29 by faculty, staff, and students representing a university-recognized club or organization through the form alumni.umw.edu/ImpactGrants, where you will also find funding criteria and answers to frequently-asked questions.

Please reach out to Executive Director of Development Beth Hunsinger ’01 with questions: ehunsing@umw.edu or 540-654-2068.

 

City, UMW Announce Addition of Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail to U.S. Civil Rights Trail

The City of Fredericksburg and the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, Feb. 8, announced that the Fredericksburg Civil Rights Trail has been added to the national collection of landmarks that make up the U.S. Civil Rights Trail.

The U.S. trail, which spans 15 states, includes churches, schools, museums and other locations that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. Fredericksburg’s Civil Rights Trail, “Freedom, A Work in Progress,” is the only one of the four sites inducted this year to the U.S. trail that is not a single entity, adding 21 stops to the national narrative.

Community members – many of whom had gathered at the trail’s official launch a year ago – attended an announcement event, held at Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), the first stop on the three-mile journey that winds through parts of historic downtown and the UMW campus. Prominent Black citizens and pastors of the church, including the Rev. B.H. Hester and the Rev. Lawrence Davies, played critical roles in the struggle for civil rights and social justice. Read more.

Late Alum’s Comic Book Creations on Display for Thursday’s Great Lives Lecture

One of Duke Stableford’s embroidered creations inspired by Stan Lee’s comic book covers. Stableford, a 1981 alum who passed away in January, created 30 needlepoints of Marvel Comics covers that will be on display in George Washington Hall before the Great Lives lecture on Stan Lee on Thursday. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

One of Duke Stableford’s embroidered creations inspired by Stan Lee’s comic book covers. Stableford, a 1981 alum who passed away in January, created 30 needlepoints of Marvel Comics covers that will be on display in George Washington Hall before the Great Lives lecture on Stan Lee on Thursday. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

When Stan Lee drew Spider-Man, he gave his signature superhero the ability to shoot webs from a device attached to his wrist.

Influenced by Lee’s work, Mary Washington alumnus Duke Stableford ’81 used cloth, a needle, and colored thread to create his own interpretations of the celebrated writer and artist’s classic comic book covers.

An exhibit featuring 30 needlepoint pieces by Stableford, who passed away in January, will be on view in George Washington Hall on Thursday, Feb. 22, when the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series presents Stan Lee: Spider-Man and Marvel Comics in the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium on the Fredericksburg campus at 7:30 p.m. Presented by cultural historian Bob Batchelor, the lecture will be free and open to the public and is sponsored by Yuh Prosthodontics. Read more.

Lessons in Science: Mary Washington Alumnae Advance STEM Careers

A young woman leaves New York to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at a small Virginia women’s college in the 1950s. After graduate school, she becomes a revered electron microscopist – but not without the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. Consequently, she spends her life helping female students at her alma mater advance their own careers and pursue their scientific passions.

It sounds like Lessons in Chemistry, the popular Apple+ miniseries based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus, chronicling the life of a female chemist challenging the status quo in the mid-20th century.

Yet, it’s the true story of Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59. She and other Mary Washington alumnae – such as Anne Hope Scott ’59, Jerri Barden Perkins ’61 and Marilyn Shull Black ’69 – made scientific breakthroughs while breaking through the glass ceiling. Read more.

UMW and Germanna Lab Schools Take Important Step Forward

RICHMOND – Continuing Virginia’s role as the nation’s top leader in lab school development, the Virginia Department of Education is accelerating the momentum for educational innovation in the commonwealth with contracts for Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy (FEA) and University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation (ATI) now completed and signed by all parties.  Both lab schools received approval from the Virginia Board of Education in November 2023 and remain on track to open later this year at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.

“We are committed to giving Virginia’s students innovative options that spark their interests and expand their opportunities post-graduation,” said President of the Virginia Board of Education Grace Creasey. “These partnerships with the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College are mission-focused and designed to meet the unique needs of their students and local communities.  We’re looking forward to both programs opening this fall.”

“The University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation will provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences where computer and data science are applied across content areas, providing a unique model for high school education in the region,” said Rebecca Towery, Executive Director of the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW. “We are excited about this next step towards opening the doors for the first cohort of 9th graders during the 2024-2025 school year.” Read more.

Women’s Swim Wins NJAC Swimming/Diving Championship

UMW Women's Swim Team Wins NJAC Championships

UMW’s women’s swim team wins inaugural New Jersey Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championship

The Mary Washington women’s swim team are the champions of the inaugural New Jersey Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championship meet — and have now claimed 33 total conference championships throughout its team history!

The Eagles posted a total of 1,204 total team points from Thursday-to-Sunday to claim the championship title.

UMW beat second place Salisbury, who finished second and scored 1,032 total team points.

On Sunday, Mary Washington claimed two event victories. The first, won by Bridget Zagrobelny in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:17.42), while Kinsey Brooks finished second with a final time of 2:20.03 — both swimmers qualified for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships “B Cut” with their finishes.

The second event was won Bri Wilson (200-yard butterfly), finishing with a final time of 2:06.37, while Rose McMullen finished sixth with a final time of 2:11.09. Meanwhile, Phoebe Root claimed second place in the 200-yard backstroke with a final time of 2:04.71.

Selby Heyman finished fourth in the 100-yard freestyle with a final time of 53.08.

In a time trial, the Eagles’ 400-yard medley relay qualified for the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships “B Cut” with a final time of 3:49.13. Root, Brooks, Wilson and Heyman are all part of the relay.

Here’s a recap of what happened during the NJAC Swimming and Diving Championships from Thursday-Saturday:

THURSDAY

The Mary Washington women’s swim team captured a pair of podium finishes on Thursday night on Day 1 of the New Jersey Athletic Conference swimming and diving championships in College Park, Md.

Phoebe RootKinsey BrooksBri Wilson and Margie Jones all teamed up for the Eagles’ first win in the 200-yard medley relay in the second event (1:44.75).

In the 800-yard freestyle relay, Ann KarrRose McMullenMarina Klein, and Bridget Zagrobelny took home third place with a final time of 7:50.25.

FRIDAY

The Mary Washington women’s swim team showed out in Day 2 of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships in College Park, Md. on Friday evening.

The Eagles swept the podium in the 200-yard IM as Kinsey Brooks took home the gold (2:03.87), finishing ahead of her two teammates, Bridget Zagrobelny (2:07.70) and Delaney Humphrey (2:08.03), who finished second and third, respectively.

In the final event of the night, UMW took home first place in the 400-yard medley relay as Phoebe Root (back), Brooks (breast), Bri Wilson (fly) and Margie Jones (free) all teamed up to finish five seconds ahead of the competition (3:50.16).

Rose McMullen (5:14.63; fifth), Ashley Dyler (5:16.17; seventh), Marina Klein (5:22.88; eighth), Kaylie Curran (5:15.47; 12th), April Groce (5:16.07; 15th), and Ann Karr (5:18.18; 20th) all competed in the 500-yard freestyle.

SATURDAY

The Mary Washington women’s swim team took part in Day 3 of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships and currently sit in the lead in the NJAC’s women’s swimming and diving championships heading into Sunday’s final day.

In the 100-yard breaststroke, Kinsey Brooks and Bridget Zagrobelny qualified in the NCAA Division III “B Cut,” meaning they have the chance to be invited to the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships next month. Brooks finished first with a final time of 1:03.47, while Zagrobelny finished in a close second place (1:03.99).

The Eagles also won the 200-yard freestyle relay as Brooks, Zagrobelny, Bri Wilson and Margie Jones finished with a final time of (1:37.33).

Other notes:

  • Ann Karr finished 10th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:57.65).
  • Wilson finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly (57.53).
  • Delaney Humphrey finished fifth in the 400-yard IM (4:38.88)

This article was written by Assistant Director of Sports Information Chris Hirons.