On Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, more than 1,000 graduates will receive their degrees. Find everything you need to know about the graduate and undergraduate commencements here: http:www.umw.edu/commencement.
Amanda Rutstein Named Excellent Eagle Employee
Amanda Rutstein
Congratulations to Amanda Rutstein, coordinator at the Fredericksburg Writing Center and adjunct English instructor, who has been selected as the Excellent Eagle Employee for the month of May. A parking spot of her choosing has been reserved for her through the end of the month.
Here is what a coworker said about her:
“Amanda has been working at UMW for almost three years now. She is a graduate of UMW and went on to UNC Greensboro for her MFA. She loved the university so much, she wanted to come back and contribute to the atmosphere of dedication and hard work UMW is known for.
Amanda now works as the Coordinator for the Writing Center on the Fredericksburg campus. Amanda manages all the tutors’ work schedules, time sheets, scheduling student appointments, records for the visits the Writing Center has, planning events, and so forth. This is merely her required activities. Amanda goes above and beyond her job description every day. She arrives early almost every day to ensure that everything is set up for the busy day ahead. She also volunteers to assist the tutors with their own writing, and many students come by just to have her read their poetry and provide feedback. Moreover, Amanda goes out of her way to be kind and accommodating to all she encounters during the day. For instance, she always remembers what is going on in peoples’ lives and asks them how a particular event went or how a paper turned out.
To beat it all, Amanda is a funny and genuine person. She is always making us laugh with her quick wit and humor. She always makes the day fly by. No matter how busy or frustrating a day may get, we all can count on Amanda to make us laugh hysterically. We are constantly afraid we will lose her to a job at some great, funny online website or blog such as Jezebel. With any luck, she will remain with us for many years to come as she makes certain the writing center is running well all the while making it look easy. She EVEN makes me look organized–a feet unto itself!
Amanda genuinely cares about the university and wants to see it maintain the spark that first captured her heart when she was in high school looking for her perfect university. Every day, she gives the university all she has to ensure students currently enrolled have the wonderful experience she had. Amanda truly exemplifies what it means to be a an excellent eagle employee.”
To nominate someone who you believe is an Excellent Eagle Employee, send an email to Priscilla Sullivan (psulliva@umw.edu) with Excellent Eagle Employee in the subject line. In your email, be sure to list the person’s name, department, job title, work location (with the most convenient parking lot), and of course, the reason why you believe they should be recognized. Please spread the word to other employees about this wonderful opportunity to recognize a co-worker(s).
You may now go to the Staff Advisory Council’s site and click on the Excellent Eagle tab to make a nomination: http://sac.umwblogs.org/excellent-eagle/.
Staff Advisory Council Updates
Leah Cox and Baldwin
Meeting:
The Staff Advisory Council will meet on Thursday, May 15 at 1 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 412 to hear Leah Cox speak about the her role as the Ombudsmen in relation to staff issues. All meetings are open and we encourage you to attend.
Last month’s meeting minutes are available our website: sac.umwblogs.org.
The Eagle Has Landed:
Baldwin landed on Leah Cox’s desk this week. He’s now sporting an eye patch and a tie! Will you be next? Click here for more information on this program.
VPSW Online Appreciation Blog:
Take advantage of the appreciation blog to let your fellow co-workers know how much you appreciate them during VPSW: May 5 – 9. The blog will go live on Monday, May 5 and can be accessed at the following address: http://vpsw.umwblogs.org. You can also drop off your “thank you” at the Fairfax House and a Human Resources staff member will post them.
Reunion Weekend 2014
Mark your calendar for Reunion Weekend! Over 700 alumni and guests from the classes of 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004 are expected to come back to campus to participate variety of events Friday, May 30 – Sunday, June 1. 2014. A full schedule of events is attached as well as posted online at http://alumni.umw.edu/reunionweekend.
All UMW faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend events as schedules permit. As a small thanks for all the campus community does to support alumni, the Reunion Picnic registration fee will be waived for faculty and staff.
If you are planning to attend, email alumni@umw.edu with your name and any guest names as well as the events that you plan to attend.
If you are interested in seeing who has already registered to attend, Visit the registration page and click “Attendee List.” Click the column header labeled “Preferred Class Year” to sort the list by class year.
For more information contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 540-654-1011 or email alumni@umw.edu.
We hope to see you during Reunion Weekend!
Leadership Colloquium at UMW Networking Event, May 15
The Leadership Colloquium @ UMW Team has been busy making plans to give you ways to connect between November events!
Please join us at our next Quarterly Networking Event on Thursday, May 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Stevenson Ridge, 6901 Meeting Street, Spotsylvania, Va. 22553. The screening of Sheryl Sandberg’s TED Talk on “Lean In” will be presented, followed by a brief discussion and networking. The cost is $10 and includes spirits and appetizers. Click here to register.
Please visit umw.edu/lcpw to stay informed about one of our upcoming events or take a look at our new blog so that you may be inspired for a lifetime of leadership.
The Leadership Colloquium at UMW Teams Up with the Habitat for Humanity
Members from the Leadership Colloquium at UMW at a Habitat for Humanity “Women Build” on May 3, 2014.
The Leadership Colloquium at UMW participated in a Women Build on Saturday, May 3 to kick off Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week. This national initiative occurs annually and will take place from May 3 -11. Now in its seventh year, National Women Build Week challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing or complete beautification projects in their local communities. The week also focuses on the homeownership challenges faced by women.
The UMW group teamed together with employees from the Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity to complete projects on a Stafford, VA home. Participants from UMW included: Andrea Cordray, Christina Eggenberger, Melissa Myers, Mary Parnell, Megan Petter, Lynne Richardson, Beth Searcy, Anika Wilson, and Aries Wilson. Colloquium advisory board members Lynn Pates and Jo Ellen Armstrong also participated in the build.
The Leadership Colloquium at UMW’s mission is to create a network and relevant learning environment to inspire women for a lifetime of leadership. Quarterly events and volunteer opportunities attract managers, administrators, educators, business owners and leaders of public, private and nonprofit organizations.
For more information about the Colloquium and other upcoming events please visit: http://www.umw.edu/lcpw/.
Volleyball Tourney @ Employee Appreciation Day
Signup for a 4 vs. 4 volleyball tournament on Ball Circle from Noon-1 p.m. on Monday, May 12 following the Employee Appreciation Day Award Ceremony!
Signup at: https://orgsync.com/59405/forms/105500
Registration closes Wednesday, May 7 and the bracket will be posted Friday, May 9.
The winning team will receive IM Champion T-Shirts!
Contact Dan Gardner, Assistant Director of IM Sports & Sport Clubs at dgardner@umw.edu or 540-654-1126 with any questions.
UMW Launches $50 Million Fundraising Campaign
The University of Mary Washington has publicly launched its $50 million Mary Washington First fundraising campaign. The announcement was made at a news conference on Friday, April 25, in the Jepson Alumni Executive Center.
The goal of the comprehensive campaign is to raise funds to advance President Richard V. Hurley’s vision: for University of Mary Washington to become one of the nation’s premier public liberal arts and sciences universities.
“The pace of change in higher education accelerates daily, and the fiscal challenges faced by colleges and universities are daunting,” Hurley said. “In order to remain at the forefront of our competitors, affordable for our students and families, and able to attract the best and brightest minds, it is imperative for UMW to have the resources necessary for success.”
Among the fundraising initiatives, the university strives to secure private funds for endowment of scholarships, restoration of the campus amphitheater, support for the university’s three colleges, enhancement of the Fund for Mary Washington, and development of key program initiatives.
These initiatives are: the arts, athletics, leadership, study abroad, the Chappell Great Lives lecture series, libraries and instructional technology.
The amphitheater, located in a grove of trees near Sunken Road on the Fredericksburg campus, has been home to many significant UMW traditions since it was constructed in 1913. The planned $3 million restoration would return the site to its 1952-1953 appearance by repairing and reconstructing damaged and missing pieces. It would provide seating for approximately 600 people on weather-resilient benches and chairs while incorporating accommodations for ADA accessibility.
Over the past three years, in the non-public phase of the campaign, the university has raised a total of $29.2 million. Represented in that amount are seven gifts and pledges of
$1 million or more. Out of a total of about 13,000 donors, more than 120 have made campaign commitments of $25,000 or more.
Significant gifts include:
- More than $7.5 million in estate gifts for student scholarships, including one full-tuition Washington scholarship and one Alvey Scholarship, which covers tuition costs for an out-of-state student
- More than $3 million in estate gifts to support students studying abroad
- Nearly $1.4 million in gifts to support restoration of the amphitheater
- A $1 million estate gift to create special professorships in the three colleges
- More than $600,000 in pledges and gifts to support the unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington
- More than $500,000 to support the Great Lives Lecture Series.
Anne Marie Thompson Steen ’83 and Daniel K. Steen ’84 of Arlington, Va., serve as national campaign chairs. Both said they are eager to move the campaign forward. “We are fortunate to be able to partner with other Mary Washington alumni, parents, and friends,” said Dan Steen, a former rector of the UMW Board of Visitors.
The Steens join members of a Campaign Cabinet, membership of which represents a cross-section of UMW constituents from varying career paths, affiliations and locations across the country. “Together,” Steen added, “we all are committed to the $50-million campaign goal.”
For more information about the campaign or to donate, visit http://marywashingtonfirst.umw.edu.
The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers. In recent years, the university has seen its academic reputation garner national recognition in numerous selective guidebooks, including Forbes, the Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Princeton Review’s 2012 edition of 150 “Best Value Colleges” and the 2014 edition of “The Best 378 Colleges.”
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News from Human Resources
Open Enrollment is May 1-23, 2014:
For information on this year’s Open Enrollment (rates, forms, available plans and more!). REMINDER: Annual enrollment is required to participate in the Flexible Spending Accounts.
We will be having an open enrollment informational meeting on Wednesday, May 14 at 10:00 am in Lee Hall 412.
Meet our New Employees:
Please join us in extending a warm UMW welcome to our newest employees
Michelle Benson joined the Information Technology Department as an Administrative Assistant on April 25.
Rachel Hutcheson joined the Art and Art History Department as a Visitor Services Coordinator on April 7.
Michelle Miller joined the Procurement Services Department as a Buyer on April 25.
Kenneth Powell joined the Grounds Administration Department as a Grounds Lead Worker on April 25.
Visit our What’s New page for more information on:
- Virginia Public Service Week May 5-9
- Employee Appreciation Day Picnic May 12
- May Service Award Recipients
UMW Students Receive Fulbright, International Scholarships
University of Mary Washington students and alumni will travel, teach, and explore new cultures thanks to prestigious grants and scholarships.
Charlotte Johnson, a 2013 international affairs and German graduate, is the 14th student to receive a U.S. Fulbright grant in the university’s history. Her scholarship continues a tradition of Fulbright awards at UMW over the past seven years.
As a Fulbright scholar, Johnson will work for one year as an English teaching assistant in Germany. She will leave for her placement at the end of August.
“I spent a year in Germany as a high school exchange student, so I have been dying to go back ever since,” Johnson said. “I want to go back as a leader as opposed to a student. This time, I can bring what I’ve learned [at UMW].”
Johnson, a native of Tyaskin, Md., was very involved during her time at UMW, including as president of the club swim team, co-president of the German Club and a member of both the political science and foreign language honor societies.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program currently awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study, and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.
Shirley Martey, a 2014 political science graduate, received a Boren Scholarship for a program in China. Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program, a major federal initiative designed to build a broader and more qualified pool of U.S. citizens with foreign language and international skills. NSEP’s Boren Awards program provides students with resources and encouragement to acquire language skills and experience in countries critical to the future security and stability of our nation. This year, 165 students were offered awards from a pool of 868 applications.
Earlier this year, she was awarded the Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship for an intensive language program at Suzhou University in China. She’ll spend two months in Suzhou after graduation, then travel to the Harbin Institute of Technology for nine months of study through the Boren Scholarship.
“As a Ghanaian American woman, I hope to be able to contribute a unique perspective to the conversation about U.S.-China relations, helping to develop a mutual understanding of the differences in each other’s policymaking structures and processes,” Martey said.
Shirley, a native of Centreville, Va., has served in leadership roles in multiple on-campus organizations, including as chapter president of the Pi Sigma Alpha and Mortar Board honor societies and as a peer mentor for underrepresented students.
Students Zaire Sprowal and Katherine Hansen have received the Gilman International Scholarship for their summer studies in Guyana and China, respectively. The scholarship provides awards to U.S. undergraduate students who are studying abroad and receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university.
Sprowal will study with the UMW Guyana program under the leadership of Laura Mentore to gain the unique experience of living in an indigenous community and rainforest environment while developing his qualitative research skills. Hansen will participate in a two-month internship in Shanghai, China through the College of Business led by Wei Chen.
Senior Michael Crawford will travel to Leipzig, Germany later this year thanks to a competitive scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Services, known as DAAD. Crawford will work alongside scientists to study how cow grazing affects plant biodiversity of grasslands.
Crawford will work from October 2014 until July 2015 at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in the Department of Ecological Modelling for a scientist named Volker Grimm. In working for Grimm, Crawford will work to simplify an existing ecological simulation that details how certain plants grow or do not grow in conjunction with cow grazing.
DAAD is the largest German support organization in the field of international academic cooperation, and is a private, federally and state funded, self-governing national agency of the institutions of higher education in Germany. The scholarship is a similar award to a Fulbright scholarship, but is only for Germany. The organization awards competitive, merit-based grants for use toward study and research in Germany at any of the accredited German institutions of higher education.