December 30, 2025

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Homecoming Recap and Sammy D. Eagle’s Reveal

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The new Sammy D. Eagle

The new Sammy D. Eagle

Temperatures climbed to nearly 70 degrees under sunny, blue skies for UMW’s Homecoming last weekend. Spirited alumni flocked to the Battleground, where Eagles athletes – and sometimes @UMWAlumni– competed in matches of field hockey, rugby, soccer, volleyball and tennis. After more than three decades as UMW’s mascot, a new Sammy D. Eagle made his “beak-tastic” debut before the Friday night Mary Rock concert. And, #BackIntheBurg, Mary Washington alumni from various years enjoyed happy hour, tailgating and other festivities.

 

Marginalized Histories of Korean Women Opens in Ridderhof Martin Gallery Oct. 24

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The Department of Art and Art History and UMW Galleries present the opening exhibition of Marginalized Histories of Korean Women Thursday, Oct. 24 from 5-7 p.m. in Ridderhof Martin Gallery. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Suzie Kim, Assistant Professor of Art History, and features the work of Youngjoo Cho, Dohee Kim, Sumita Kim, and Wonju Seo. The Marginalized History of Korean Women symposium will be held the following day, Oct. 25. Please see the UMW Marginalized Histories of Korean Women Exhibition and Symposium Flyer for more information.

Entwined within the recent political history of Korea—Japanese colonial period (1910–45), liberation from it, the division of the Korean peninsula into north and south at the end of World War II, the Korean War (1950–53), the New Village Movement by the former president Park Chung Hee in the 1970s, the Gwangju Uprising (1980), and the democratization of the south in the 1980s—are Korean women whose histories have been often ignored or marginalized for contradicting conventional values of marriage and family, and the messages of political regimes. It is possible to expose the silenced histories of women in a society with deep roots in traditional Confucian ethics if we follow Chandra Talpade Mohanty’s vision of decolonizing feminism and acknowledge the complexities that characterize the lives of women in countries other than the West. The focus of the exhibition will be on accounts of Korean women in daily life, in fluid historical conjunctions, and in latent opposition to collectivism.

This exhibition presents four contemporary Korean artists, Youngjoo Cho, Dohee Kim, Sumita Kim, and Wonju Seo. Their art epitomizes the intersection of personal and collective histories of Korean women, and illustrates contemporaneous conversations against militarism, patriarchy, and nationalism.

Peace, Love, Mary Wash Event Oct. 26

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UMW faculty and staff (as well as students and members of the Fredericksburg community) are invited to join UMW Campus Recreation at Ball Circle on Saturday, October 26 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. to enjoy a day of free yoga and mindfulness, mental health and local vendor tables, and a food truck where food will be available to purchase! Kids are welcomed! Learn first-hand how practicing yoga and mindfulness can be relaxing, enjoyable, and help combat stress.

Schedule:

  • 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Music, Check-in and local vendor tables open
  • 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Fun Flow Vinyasa Yoga (presented by Kassi and Susan [UMW Alum!] representing Dragonfly Yoga Studio)
  • 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Functional Movement and Grounding Practice (presented by Kiersten Kennedy, a Fredericksburg yoga instructor)
  • 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Yoga Meditation (presented by Catie representing the Yoga Foundation of Fredericksburg and Latitude Yoga)

Vendors:

  • UMW Talley Center for Counseling Services
  • Mental Health America
  • UMW President’s Council on Wellness
  • Latitude Yoga
  • Yoga Foundation of Fredericksburg
  • Dragonfly Yoga
  • Kimman’s Co
  • Katora Cafe UMW
  • UMW Campus Recreation

Giveaways! We will be giving away UMW Campus Rec branded yoga mats, UMW Beanies, UMW Water bottles, t-shirts, and swag bags throughout the course of the day. You don’t want to miss it!

This event is free thanks to our amazing partners (above)! Please let us know that you’re planning to come by joining the Facebook event! Please bring your own towel or yoga mat. This is an outdoor event and free water stations will be available.

COAR Invites Faculty/Staff Families to Pumpkin Palooza Oct. 27

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Community Outreach and Resources would like to invite you and your families to our second event of the semester, Pumpkin Palooza, on October 27th from 1-4pm. For this event we invite local children and their parents or guardians to enjoy games, fall-themed crafts, and trick-or-treat tours! We encourage both parents and children to come in costume! The event is held in the Chandler Ballroom inside the University Center, and the trick-or-treat tours will take place on campus. This event is free, but we encourage you to bring nonperishable food items for our food drive. We would be honored to see you there! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out!

 

 

Reeves and Laufer Debate for 17th District Senate Seat Oct. 29

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Amy Laufer

Amy Laufer

Sen. Bryce Reeves

Sen. Bryce Reeves

On Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m., Republican incumbent Sen. Bryce Reeves will share the podium with Democrat Amy Laufer in the race for the District 17 seat in the Virginia Senate. The 17th District Senate Debate will be held in Monroe Hall, Room 116, on UMW’s Fredericksburg Campus.

A military veteran and insurance company owner, Reeves is co-chair of the Military and Veterans Caucus, serves on the Secure Commonwealth Panel and is the Senate representative on the Virginia Military Advisory Council to the Governor. Laufer is a former middle-school teacher and Peace Corps volunteer who served seven years on the Charlottesville City School Board. She launched Virginia’s List, an organization that supports Democratic women running for state office.

District 17 includes Fredericksburg, all of Orange County, and parts of Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Albemarle and Louisa counties, and stretches to the suburbs of Charlottesville.

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies, will serve as moderator and a panelist at each debate. The other panelists will be Ted Schubel, news director of News Talk 1230/WFVA and WBQB radio, and Editorial Page Editor Barbara Hollingsworth of The Free Lance-Star. Written questions from the audience can be submitted in person shortly before the start of each debate.

The debates are co-sponsored by UMW’s College Republicans, Young Democrats and the Legislative Action Committee of the Student Government Association, as well as The Free Lance–Star, the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Fredericksburg Area League of Women Voters.

Women’s and Gender Studies Celebrates 10th Anniversary Oct. 30

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Mary Washington’s Women’s and Gender Studies program celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. On Wednesday, October 30, a celebration will be held in Lee Hall, Room 412 from 4 to 6 p.m.

The program has an ongoing schedule of events throughout the semester tied to the 10th anniversary celebration. Upcoming events include:

UMW Art History presents
Marginalized Histories of Korean Women
October 24-December 8, 2019
Opening Reception: October 24, 5-7pm
Ridderhof Martin Gallery

Art & Art History Symposium in conjunction with the exhibition
October 25, 9:30am-3pm, HCC Digital Auditorium

UMW Theatre presents
Fun Home
November 7-24
Ticket prices: Students ($8), General Admission ($20)
November 6 Pay-What-You-Can Preview
Box Office opens October 24, 2019

Refugee Resettlement in the Fredericksburg Area
Kristen Larcher, Migration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities – Diocese of Arlington
Monday, November 11, 12:00-12:50pm, Monroe 212

College Survey Ranks UMW Among Virginia’s Top Eight

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UMW was ranked eighth among Virginia colleges and universities in a survey of more than 1,000 institutions of higher education across the country by WalletHub.

UMW was ranked eighth among Virginia colleges and universities in a survey of more than 1,000 institutions of higher education across the country by WalletHub.

The University of Mary Washington is among the top eight colleges and universities in Virginia, according to a new survey released this week by the personal finance website WalletHub. UMW’s strong statewide and overall finish means that it is among the nation’s top-performing schools with the lowest possible costs to undergraduates.

Survey results, published in 2020’s Best College & University Rankings, compare more than 1,000 schools across the United States. The study measured performance in seven key areas – student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes and career outcomes.

“Though success ultimately rests on students’ own determination and performance,” WalletHub states, “the quality of the schools they choose can certainly have an impact.”

Among institutions of higher education that made the survey’s Top Ten in Virginia – including the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, the University of Richmond, Virginia Tech and VMI – UMW ranked third in the “educational outcomes” category. Read more. 

Freedom Rides Tour a ‘Life-Changing’ Experience

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Last weekend, a group of 21 area residents joined 46 Mary Washington students, as well as UMW faculty and administrators, to trace the route of the 1961 Freedom Rides, the historic protest to desegregate interstate travel, organized by the late civil rights icon and Mary Washington history professor Dr. James L. Farmer Jr. and the organization he co-founded, Congress for Racial Equality. Photo by Lynda Allen.

Last weekend, a group of 21 area residents joined 46 Mary Washington students, as well as UMW faculty and administrators, to trace the route of the 1961 Freedom Rides, the historic protest to desegregate interstate travel, organized by the late civil rights icon and Mary Washington history professor Dr. James L. Farmer Jr. and the organization he co-founded, Congress for Racial Equality. Photo by Lynda Allen.

Stafford resident Frank White joined the Air Force in 1957, three days after finishing high school. Stationed in Texas, he traveled by Greyhound bus to visit his family in Virginia. For days and nights, he remained dressed in his uniform, sitting quietly in the back as the bus barreled through the deep South.

“Don’t make waves, don’t draw attention to yourself,” the young airman was warned by his African American superiors.

Mr. White remembered those travels as he sat at the front of the bus last weekend, one of 21 area residents who joined 46 UMW students, as well as faculty and administrators, to trace the route of the 1961 Freedom Rides during fall break. This social justice experience celebrates Dr. James L. Farmer Jr., the late civil rights pioneer and Mary Washington history professor who orchestrated the historic protest to desegregate interstate travel.

After the success of last year’s civil rights trip, James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC) Director Marion Sanford and Assistant Director Chris Williams wondered what they could do to make this one even more meaningful. With the 100th anniversary of Dr. Farmer’s birth approaching and the University announcing a centennial celebration in his honor, they decided to dedicate this year’s experience to his signature movement and lifelong commitment to social justice. Read more. 

College of Business Covers Bases With Alumni Honors

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UMW alum Pat Filippone ’88, president of 7th Inning Stretch, which owns and operates three minor league baseball teams, was this year’s College of Business Executive-in-Residence. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

UMW alum Pat Filippone ’88, president of 7th Inning Stretch, which owns and operates three minor league baseball teams, was this year’s College of Business Executive-in-Residence. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

As a freshman at Mary Washington, Pat Filippone ’88 knew right off the bat what he wanted to do with his life – build a career in professional baseball. He just didn’t know how. Four years later all that had changed, he told a crowd last week at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center.

A bachelor’s degree in business administration, a well-rounded perspective from a liberal arts education, and an undergraduate career marked by personal attention from memorable professors, allowed him to hit a grand slam in his professional life. Now the president of 7th Inning Stretch, which owns and operates three minor league baseball teams, Filippone returned to campus last week as this year’s College of Business (COB) Executive-in-Residence.

The program, now in its 30th year, gives UMW students the opportunity to learn from and interact with established corporate leaders. Read more.

UMW Pathway Provides Grad-Level Engineering Opportunities

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Thanks to a new pathway program with George Mason University, UMW students will now have the opportunity to enroll in pre-master’s courses in Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering. Photo by Ron Aira/George Mason University.

Thanks to a new pathway program with George Mason University, UMW students will now have the opportunity to enroll in pre-master’s courses in Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering. Photo by Ron Aira/George Mason University.

Engineers share a lot in common with superheros.

The latter leap tall buildings in a single bound, fight evil-doers and travel faster than a speeding bullet. The former design sustainable and safe infrastructure, combat cyber-crime and create signals that move at lightning speed.

UMW students aren’t caped crusaders, but they need to be prepared to tackle and solve complex problems plaguing our society. Starting in fall 2020, a new agreement with George Mason University will help them do that. Mary Washington undergraduates will have the opportunity to take graduate-level courses in Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering (VSE) during their senior year. Students can earn up to nine credits that will be applied to their bachelor’s degree at UMW and potentially later be used toward a master’s degree in engineering at Mason. Read more.