Please mark your calendars: All faculty and staff are invited to President Troy Paino’s annual Opening Assembly. It will be on Thursday, Aug. 17, from 10 a.m. until 11:45 a.m., in Dodd Auditorium.

 

 

Next week after the end of summer session 2017, there will be a campaign that will affect all bicycles on campus.

There are three goals of this campaign. They are as follows:

• Improve the UMW campus visual appearance by the removing of all abandoned and/or trashed bikes.

• Reduce the opportunity for the larceny of bikes from the UMW campus.

• Support and strengthen the UMW policy that all bicycles on campus must be registered with UMW Police Department.

To support these goals, the following will be accomplished after the end of the summer session:

• All non-registered bicycles on campus will be removed and placed in Police Storage.  If the bicycle is not claimed and registered within 90 days, it will be turned over to Central Stores for disposal in accordance with state regulations.
• All bicycles registered with UMW Police Department, but not secured with a lock, will be placed in Police Storage.  Attempts to contact the registered owners will be made via email and/or phone.
• The owners of all bicycles registered with UMW Police Department and secured with a lock will be contacted via email. The owners will be asked to select if the bike will be used in the fall semester, removed from campus within 90 days, or is available to be donated to charity.

If you have a registered bicycle you will be using on campus between the end of the summer session and the start of the fall semester, please come to UMW Police Department at Brent House. An identifying marker will be provided that can be placed on your bicycle. If you cannot come to Brent House, please contact Sgt. Gagliardi at jgagliar@umw.edu. With your name and bicycle location, a marker will be placed on your secured and registered bike for you.

If you have any questions about the bicycle roundup or bike registration, please contact Sgt. Gagliardi. Stay tuned for more services provided to improve your UMW life and bicycle security on campus.

All Faculty and Staff, 

The Office of Residence Life and Housing invites you to participate in one of the most exciting and memorable days of the year: Move-In Day!  Move-In Day for first year and transfer students is Wednesday August 23, 2017.  Move-In Day for returning students is Saturday, August 26, 2017. 

As Move-In Volunteers, you will welcome our new and returning students and their families, help unload cars, carry suitcases and boxes, and enjoy the energy that comes with the first day of students for the academic year.   

New Student Move-In begins with a Faculty/Staff volunteers sign in table at Mason/Randolph Halls.  Volunteers should arrive by 7:30am, sign-in, get a Move-In Crew t-shirt, and head out to an assigned residence hall.  Students and families will be moving in from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  We ask that you stay until at least 12:00 noon, or longer because you’ll be having fun! The time goes by quickly and it is extremely fun! 

Returning Student Move-In will begin with a Faculty/Staff volunteers sign in table at the William Street Apartments.  Volunteers who did not participate on Wednesday will need to sign-in, get a Move-In Crew t-shirt, and then will head out to an assigned residence hall.  Volunteers who participate on Wednesday who volunteer on Saturday will be given an assignment prior to arriving on Saturday morning via e-mail.     

If you would like to participate on these special days but you cannot commit to the physical work, sign up to be a Greeter!  Greeters will work with Student Housing staff at the check-in tables and in the halls welcoming students and families and helping them feel like they are home!   

To sign up, please fill out the myUMW form at https://orgsync.com/59554/forms/197248.  If you have any questions, please contact Colin Coleman, Assistant Director of Residence Life, at 540-654-1058 or ccolema4@umw.edu. 

Colin M. Coleman

Assistant Director of Residential Learning Initiatives

University of Mary Washington

1301 College Avenue

Fredericksburg, VA 22401-530

Tel: 540-654-1058

Fax: 540-654-1527

 

“If you think you’re a leader, turn around and make sure there are people following. Otherwise, you’re just out for a walk.”

~Kathy Humphrey

 

 

University Annex Parking – Construction of a new parking lot in the area previously occupied by the Annex B trailers.  Project includes new site lighting, a new emergency blue light phone, dumpster pad, and improved stormwater management.  Construction will occasionally impact both pedestrian and vehicular traffic on College Avenue near the intersection with Payne Street.  Contractor is mobilizing this week with construction activity to begin soon after. Construction is expected to be completed by October.   Please contact Les Johnson at 540-654-2100 should you have any questions.

Amphitheater Rehabilitation – Restoration, repair, and new construction associated with the existing Amphitheatre.  Work includes improvements to the stage area with repair/replacement of the columns and balustrade; restoration of audience seating; ADA improvements for parking, seating, and restrooms; and stormwater. Special attention has been made to preserve mature healthy trees, remove diseased/impaired trees, and replanting to mitigate any loss of trees.  The project will include the addition of a new restroom building at the rear of Trinkle Hall.  Construction is estimated to begin in August and take approximately 9 months with substantial completion anticipated in Spring 2018.  During construction activities, the rear of Lee Hall and Trinkle Hall will be closed to the university community and used exclusively for construction staging and work with limited delivery and garbage disposal access.  From the UMW website, more information is available per the following link: http://giving.umw.edu/amphitheatre/sustainability/  Please contact Rob Johnston at 540-654-1299 should you have any questions.

Woodard Hall Arcade Roof – Replacement of the existing roof above the arcade walk along Woodard Hall.  Passage through the arcade will be closed to public and the University community during power washing and painting. Construction runs through the end of July.  Please contact Rob Johnston at 540-654-1299 should you have any questions.

Goolrick Hall Plaza and Wall Repairs – Project continues with waterproofing of the deck and replacement of much of the brick wall.   Remaining work includes installation of flashing before placement of concrete deck and miscellaneous repairs including new doors and frames, and reinstallation of exterior lighting.  Despite some additional work, the project is expected to be completed by the end of July.   While repairs continue, pedestrians and drivers are reminded to stay alert to signage and safety barriers around Goolrick Hall and along Alvey Drive.  Please contact Gary Hobson at 540-654-1292 should you have any questions.

Trinkle Hall Basement ADA Ramp – Installation of a new interior ADA compliant ramp at the basement hallway steps on the northeast side of Trinkle Hall (towards Mason Hall).  The work is mostly complete with delivery and installation of finish floor tile and new stair treads to be complete by end of July. Please contact Rob Johnston at 540-654-1299 should you have any questions.

George Washington Hall Repair to Exterior Stairs – Repairs to both entrances were completed in June.  Considering possible replacement of cracked terrazzo tiles on the main entrance with granite.  Please contact Gary Hobson at 540-654-1292 should you have any questions.

Jepson Science Center – Funding and design issues have delayed the start of construction of the new addition to Jepson. Updates on progress will be forthcoming.

Willard Hall – A steam tunnel failure and break has rendered Willard Hall uninhabitable at the present time. An assessment of the extent of the damage and recommendations for repair are ongoing and will extend into the fall of 2017.

 

UMW junior Lindsey Jones is tackling tuberculosis. Sophomore Ave Keefer is working to turn carbon dioxide into something useful. Senior Hoang-Anh Tran is exploring the harmful components in plastic.

The projects, part of the University of Mary Washington’s Summer Science Institute (SSI), have students and professors working together on promising research. Focused on critical issues like anxiety and depression, water and soil contamination, and the vitality of plants, SSI turns the typical two-hour lab on its head. Undergraduates take the lead on STEM-based projects that prepare them for careers and grad schools, with the potential to shape not only their own futures but everyone else’s.

“They get to devote so much time to their projects,” said Professor of Chemistry Nicole Crowder, who co-directs the program with Professor of Biology Abbie Tomba. “It shows them what being a research scientist looks like. They learn what it would be like to do that on a daily basis.”

The 10-week program, a partnership between UMW’s earth and environmental science, chemistry, biology, physics, math and computer science departments, runs May through July and ends in a daylong public symposium, where students present their findings.

“There are some really fascinating projects this summer,” Crowder said. “I’m excited to see what they figured out.”

For some, like senior geology major Abby Friedman, SSI provides a first taste of real, original research. With her partner, junior environmental science major Sarah Jordan, Friedman scoured Fredericksburg parks, golf courses and buildings for toxins like pesticides, arsenic and lead that could seep into drinking water. They used scientific techniques like inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography to test soil samples and identify contaminants that could harm the environment.

“It’s mind-blowing for me,” Friedman said. “I’ve learned a lot of things I didn’t know you could do and test for.”

Eleven faculty members mentored 20 students through this summer’s SSI session, which includes workshops, team-building extracurricular activities and weekly meetings to monitor progress.

Jones, the junior whose research centers on tuberculosis, is working to further Assistant Professor of Chemistry Davis Oldham’s quest to discover a new drug to treat the contagious bacterial disease.

“I’m applying everything I learned in organic chemistry over the past year,” she said.

Jones called the time and attention she’s received from her professor “invaluable,” and Oldham agrees.

“It’s a win-win situation,” he said. “There’s no better teacher than experience, and the students are better scientists as a result.”

Junior Renee Hilelson and senior Rachel Evans teamed up with Assistant Professor of Biology April Wynn. They extracted plant DNA to study the aintegumenta (or “ANT”) gene, which controls cell division, to explore responses to harsh climate conditions, like drought and cold temperatures.

Professor of Chemistry Ray Scott obtained a grant from DuPont in 1999 to start the SSI. The program originally spanned the sciences – biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and environmental science – and expanded in 2004 to include math and computer science. Students who complete the intensive research experience often go on to present their findings at national conferences, graduate with honors and get into great grad schools.

“I came to Mary Washington because I wanted to teach,” Crowder said. “One of the most effective ways we can teach is to give students an opportunity to do real research.”