As part of our New Student Orientation program, Campus Dining will serve lunch in both the Washington Diner and the Smart Market on Thursday, June 19 and Monday through Thursday of next week (June 23 – 26). We hope you will enjoy the additional menu options that will be available due to this change. Our lunch serving times will remain 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please check the Campus Dining web site (www.umwdining.com) periodically for updates on our serving times and locations, or call Rose Benedict at 540-654-2169 if you have questions.
UMW Philharmonic Launches New Children’s Concert Series
The University of Mary Washington Philharmonic Orchestra is launching a new major concert series for children, the “Fiddlestix Summer Concert Series.” The series will bring world-class children’s entertainment to Fredericksburg each summer as a part of Fiddlestix, the Philharmonic’s outreach program dedicated to enriching the musical lives and education of children.
The Fiddlestix Summer Concert Series will kick off with a performance by the Laurie Berkner Band.
The series will kick off on Saturday, August 9 in the William M. Anderson Center with a performance by the Laurie Berkner Band. The Laurie Berkner Band has become one of the leading groups in the world of children’s entertainment. Tickets for the Laurie Berkner Band concert will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 26 at philharmonic.umw.edu.
“With young children of my own, I have been frustrated with having to travel long distances for great kid’s entertainment,” said Kevin Bartram, director of the Philharmonic. “Since the Philharmonic has experience with concert production with our annual Celebrity Series, we wanted to offer similar opportunities for area children and their families.”
Critics widely acknowledge the band’s major contribution toward launching what is now dubbed the progressive “kiddie rock” movement. Laurie Berkner was the first recording artist ever to perform in music videos on Nick Jr., and appeared regularly on the network’s series “Jack’s Big Music Show.” Her latest television project is a new short-form animated musical preschool series, “Sing It, Laurie!” which debuted in the spring of 2103 on 24-hour preschool television channel, Sprout. “Sing It, Laurie!” stars Berkner’s voice and features her original music written for the series.
The series will continue in the summer of 2015 with concerts by Nickelodeon’s The Fresh Beat Band and Disney’s Imagination Movers, as well as events for older children from middle school through high school.
The UMW Philharmonic is partnering with Fredericksburg Parent & Family Magazine to promote the series. The concert promoters are currently seeking corporate sponsors as well as dedicated volunteers who are able to assist with production.
The UMW Philharmonic, conducted by Dr. Kevin Bartram, is comprised of both UMW students as well as talented community musicians. The group achieved national acclaim in 2009 with the American Prize, an award given to the top nine collegiate orchestras in the nation. In 2012, the group was featured on a national PBS fundraising show, “A Fiddler’s Holiday.”
For more information about the Fiddlestix Summer Concert Series, contact (540) 654-1324 or email philharmonic@umw.edu.
Historic Preservation Alumna Named Museum Director
The Board of Directors of the Washington Heritage Museums (WHM) is pleased to announce that Anne Darron will become the first Executive Director of the organization effective July 15, 2014. Darron brings 16 years of experience in working with local non-profits including Boy Scouts of America and Washington Heritage Museums. Having served in leadership capacities over the years she brings a wealth of knowledge on working with volunteers and experience in the fields of fundraising, marketing and event planning.
A graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a BA in historic preservation, Darron focused on primary record research for historic structures. She has served WHM in several positions as Manager of the Mary Washington House, Administrative Assistant to the local branch of Preservation Virginia and more recently as the Administrator for Washington Heritage Museums.
The Washington Heritage Museums formed in 2013 was formerly known as the Mary Washington Branch APVA (Preservation Virginia). Its mission is to preserve, promote and maintain the four 18th century properties in Fredericksburg and develop dynamic educational resources and programs to engage and inspire the interests of everyone. The sites include the Mary Washington House, the Rising Sun Tavern, the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop and the St. James’ House.
Darron will lead the staff and volunteers in support of the organization’s annual programs including County Fair, Our Living Legacies, History Camp, Breast Cancer Awareness Month at the Mary Washington House, free school tours for area fourth grade classes, and other regularly scheduled programs. In 2015 there will be a special event to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the saving of the Mary Washington House.
Gail Braxton who has been the volunteer leader for the Mary Washington Branch Preservation Virginia and the Washington Heritage Museums for over 30 years said she is “thrilled to have Anne Darron take on the responsibilities of promoting and protecting these sites for the community and nation.” Braxton will continue with the organization as a member of the Board of Directors and as a volunteer.
For more information on Washington Heritage Museums, please contact them at 540-373-1569, or visit them at www.WashingtonHeritageMuseums.org.
Press Release courtesy of the Washington Heritage Museum.
Staff Advisory Council Updates
Next Meeting:
The Staff Advisory Council will meet on Thursday, June 19 in Eagle Village, Suite 480 Conference Room to hear from Director Pamela McCullough on the new bachelor of science in nursing completion program, which is slated to begin this fall. All S.A.C. meetings are open to the UMW community. Please join us!
Faculty/Staff Mixer:
The next UMW Employee Mixer will be Friday, June 27, 5-7 p.m. at Home Team Grill. We have reserved the bar and outside overflow area for this event. The happy hour special is half-price draft beers, half-price shelf liquor, and half-price wine from 5-6 p.m.
Latin Alumni Win Awards
Donna Dollings ’80 and Mark Keith ’87, who majored in Latin at the University of Mary Washington, were both recipients of prestigious awards for their teaching last year.
Donna Dollings ’80 (right) holds her award.
Dollings received the Angela Lloyd Book Award from the Classical Association of Virginia. The
Mark Keith ’87 won two awards for his teaching.
James River High School teacher won the award for dedication to her students. Here is what her nominator said about her, “Her genuine compassion is obvious and she quickly puts all at ease. I have known her to tutor with great success students that others have given up on.”
Keith received the 2013 Foreign Language Association of Virginia David Cox Award for Excellence in Foreign Language Teaching for his demonstrated excellence in foreign language instruction and the 2014 Jane Harriman Hall Award for Outstanding Service to the Classical Association of Virginia.
Student Abstract Accepted for Pi Mu Epsilon National Council
Senior mathematics student Kimberly Hildebrand’s abstract titled Using Independent Bernoulli Random Variables to Model Gender Hiring Practices has been accepted for presentation at the 2014 National Pi Mu Epsilon Conference from August 6 to 8 in Portland, Ore.
Here is the abstract:
Gender bias is a problem in the workforce at large. In order for society to progress it is important that hiring practices do not use gender as a competitive factor. Hiring practices based on gender can be represented statistically using Bernoulli Random Variables and the Beta and Binomial Distributions. Using the moment generating function (MGF) of the Bernoulli and Binomial Distributions, it is possible to calculate the expected value (mean) and variance for the number of women hires for n positions. The probability generating function (PGF) of a sample size n can be used to find the probability of hiring a specific number of women (X). A computer program was used to run trials to simulate different male/female distributions using recent data on the proportion of women earning a PhD in a variety of disciplines. The simulations were used to represent hiring results for seven faculty positions. Situations where the female proportion is centered at 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 were studied. Trials that included random proportions of women for each position were run as well. Results revealed that it is actually unusual for employers to hire one or fewer women for seven positions, which could provide evidence of gender bias.
Summer Fire System Testing
Convergint Systems will begin summer testing of all fire alarm systems between Tuesday, June 17 and Monday, July 28. Testing will occur during daylight hours. If you know of events occurring during this time period, please contact the Office of Emergency Management and Safety as soon as possible. The testing schedule can be altered so that it will not interfere with scheduled events. Our office already is aware of the Orientation schedule, which will not be affected. Questions or concerns may be directed to Fire Safety Officer Briant Atkins at batkins@umw.edu or 654-2108, or Emergency Management and Safety Director Ruth Lovelace at rlovelace@umw.edu or 654-2096.
Connie Dowell Named Excellent Eagle Employee
Congratulations to Connie Dowell, coordinator for the Stafford Campus Writing Center, who has been selected as the Excellent Eagle Employee for the month of June. A parking spot of her choosing has been reserved for her through the end of the month.
Here is what a co-worker said about her:
“Connie Dowell is the coordinator for the Stafford Campus Writing Center. Although Connie is located out on Stafford away from the main campus, she takes her job as seriously as if she were seeing 300 students a day. Connie adores the students at Stafford and works to ensure their writing needs are met. Moreover, Connie works hard to build bridges and relationships with the other departments and services around the writing center in an effort to ensure that students receive the assistance, support, and encouragement they so deserve.
Connie coordinates workshops for students such as APA Bootcamp and works with the library to ensure students have opportunities to master APA citation style. Importantly, Connie listens. She is truly concerned about what students say they need from their experiences at UMW and works hard to provide them with the skills and support the wriitng center can offer. Any student to whom I have spoken who has worked with Connie always echoes the same sentiment in a variety of ways: She was patient, kind, and brilliant.
Those who know Connie would describe her as quiet, but we have all heard the cliché that still waters run deep. Connie is truly a content person absorbed in thought most days. It would be a mistake to construe her quiet as aloofness. Rather, the opposite is true. Connie illustrates what Mother Teresa described as practicing humility: ‘To speak as little as possible of one’s self. To pass over the mistakes of others. To be kind and gentle even under provocation.’ Connie is truly a humble employee who works tirelessly to assist students; she endeavors to gain as much wisdom as possible. She even works in her spare time to publish a book on composition in universities as well as keeping up a blog for which she writes and illustrates.
Connie never ceases to amaze me. She has amazing hobbies. One day she simply brought everyone some hot peppers she had been growing at home. She and her husband hiked in Alaska for their honeymoon. She decorates cakes for people who want them. Connie knits. Who knows what else she does! As Silent Bob says in Chasing Amy, “What you don’t know about [Connie] could just about fill the Grand Canyon.” Indeed she is a source of order, dependability, knowledge, friendship, and support..”
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/.
Scholarships for Employees’ Children 2014-2015
UMW employees’ children who plan to attend UMW in fall 2014 and are not currently receiving one or more of the scholarships designated for children of employees should contact Tessa Howard, Assistant Director of Financial Aid (twagn4rn@umw.edu), on or before June 30, 2014.
Information regarding the specific criteria for these scholarships can be found at http://adminfinance.umw.edu/financialaid/scholarship-information.
UMW Department of Theatre & Dance Brings Back “Always…Patsy Cline”
In response to overwhelming and unprecedented demand, the University of Mary Washington Department of Theatre & Dance is bringing “Always…Patsy Cline” by Ted Swindley back to Klein Theatre. Performances will be July 9-12, July 16-19, and July 23-26 at 7:30 p.m., and July 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for standard admission, $35 for students, senior citizens, UMW alumni, and the military and $25 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are on sale at umw.tix.com.
Photo by Geoff Greene.
“Never in the history of our program have we experienced such a demand for tickets,” said Director Gregg Stull, chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance and the Department of Music. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this thrilling production to the greater Fredericksburg community this summer.”
UMW’s original production ran in Klein Theatre for three sold-out weeks in February.
“Always…Patsy Cline” is based on the true story of Louise Seger, a fan of Patsy Cline, who gets the chance to meet Cline when she comes to her hometown for a show. Louise and Patsy become fast friends, bonding after the show over the troubles of life. Their friendship grew through a series of letters and phone calls that continued until Cline’s untimely death. The musical features many of Patsy Cline’s hits, including “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” and “I Fall to Pieces.”
Taryn Snyder as Patsy Cline.
Photo by Geoff Greene.
Virginia Patterson Hensley, known as Patsy Cline, was a country singer from Winchester, Va., who crossed over in the 1960’s from country and western into the pop-music charts. She died at the age of 30 in a plane crash in 1963. Ten years later, Cline became the first female solo artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her plaque in the Hall of Fame reads: “Her heritage of timeless recordings is testimony to her artistic capacity.”
“Always…Patsy Cline” features two local students in the roles of Patsy Cline and her friend and fan, Louise Seger. Senior theatre major Taryn Snyder, who grew up in Fredericksburg before moving to Rochester, N.Y., to attend high school, plays the role of Patsy. Fellow senior theatre major Emily Burke, who graduated from James Monroe High School, plays Louise. Burke is the recipient of the Susan Mulholland Breedin ’86 Scholarship and Snyder received the Debby C. Klein Scholarship for 2013-14. Both students are members of Alpha Psi Omega, the national collegiate theatre honorary fraternity.
“Always…Patsy Cline” is directed by Stull, with musical direction by Christopher Wingert. Scenic design is by associate professor Julie Hodge and costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting and sound designs are by guest artists Catherine Girardi and Anthony Angelini. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit umw.tix.com.