As nearly 1,000 Class of 2024 graduates crossed the stage at the University of Mary Washington’s Commencement to the applause of hundreds of faculty and staff and thousands of family and friends, five students and one faculty member received top-of-class honors.

Graduates Anna Blake, Anna Czernia, Hannah Lee, Harmony Peura and Abigail Swanson earned the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Award for Academic Achievement for completing their degrees with the highest grade-point average in the undergraduate program. All five – the greatest number of grads earning this achievement in recent history – finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA, graduating summa cum laude, the highest academic distinction, and earning additional honors through their programs.

In addition, Assistant Professor of Psychological Science Marcus Leppanen was recognized with the Mary W. Pinschmidt Award for having had the greatest impact on the lives of the members of the Class of 2024. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is proud of every student graduating this year. UMW is committed to providing a college experience that focuses on what matters most to each individual. As this year’s seniors spread their wings to explore life after Mary Washington, read about some of UMW’s 2024 Superstars, their accomplishments and the people who make this place. Read more.

Carleigh Rahn ’22 turned her classroom into an “escape room” to prepare for a unit on exploration. Mallory Karnei ’22 used the SkyView Lite app to help students learn about planets. Ivelisse Maddalena ’22 assigned a drawing activity to illustrate the concept that anyone can be a scientist.

What do these three local educators have in common? They all are recent University of Mary Washington graduates, and they all are recipients of this year’s “top teacher” awards in Fredericksburg, and Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, respectively.

During National Teacher Appreciation Week, Mary Washington celebrates teachers making a difference in their classrooms and in their communities throughout school districts near and far.

“I am extremely proud of the many teaching accolades and awards our graduates from the College of Education receive early in their teaching careers,” UMW College of Education Dean Pete Kelly said of this year’s honorees. “Our students are bright and deeply committed to becoming excellent teachers.” Read more.

The University of Mary Washington’s radio station entertained Eagles for decades, but it was in disrepair when rising senior Davy Washington first stepped foot inside its studio.

“Our overarching goal in the next school year is to reestablish WMWC as an essential part of the UMW community,” said Washington, who has ramped up engagement since becoming station director, recruited 80 student deejays and organized events like “Eagles in the ’80s.”

Restoring the station, which now broadcasts online, also requires new microphones, a mixer and other updated technology. That’s why Washington took the mic on April 20 to present a proposal, which secured a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant. Piloted this spring by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, the program awarded $25,000 in donor-funded grants, ranging from $1,200 to $5,000, to eight projects or initiatives pitched by students, faculty and staff on behalf of recognized campus organizations.

“These grants help expand the impact of donors’ gifts to the Fund for Mary Washington, sparking innovation and creating opportunities across campus and beyond,” said Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte, who conceived of the program. Read more.

A University of Mary Washington capstone experience offered a sweet treat to business students this semester.

Teams from the 400-level Strategic Management course came together to analyze a business scenario involving a four-way merger that produced Canadian ice cream company Top Glaciers. They presented their findings – including proposals for how to increase profits – last week at the annual Endowed Live Case Competition. The Shark Tank-like event, held in Woodard Hall, features real business professionals as judges, real cash prizes for winners and scoops of real-world experience.

“An event like this simulates real-world scenarios and allows students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom throughout their academic careers,” said College of Business Dean Filiz Tabak. “It helps them develop practical skills such as presenting in front of experienced judges, problem-solving, critical thinking, leadership and team building. These are invaluable skills for career success in the business world.”

Sprinkled on top, the winners – seniors Jenna Diehl and Brian Gaydos, who put forth a partnership and co-packaging plan – walked away with prize money of $3,500. Second place received $1,000; third place took $500. Read more.

Each year, the Eagle Awards spotlight the unwavering commitment of Mary Washington students to their studies and involvement, as well as to each other. This sentiment resonates beyond the student body; emotions run high when faculty and staff are honored for their dedication to students as well.

The 2024 Eagle Awards – presented last week by the Office of Student Activities and Engagement, the Center for Community Engagement, and Campus Recreation – united inspiring student leaders with lively co-hosts, seniors Fiona Archer and Faith Jones. The ceremony, held in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom, recognized award-winners for their commitment to community service, citizenship, philanthropy, academic excellence and more.

UMW President Troy Paino and Vice President for Student Affairs Juliette Landphair acknowledged the challenges faced by the Class of 2024, who began their college journey online, attending virtual classes during a pandemic. Their dedication to creating traditional student experiences had brought them to this pivotal moment just weeks before they cross the stage at Commencement.

Demonstrating an exceptional commitment to UMW and a passion for positive change, some individuals received multiple awards. One such standout was honored with the prestigious Grace Mann Launch Award, which recognizes an enduring quest for social justice. Dean of Students Melissa Jones took the stage to present this esteemed honor. Read more.

When entertainment journalist Maggie Lovitt ’15 reviewed a new period drama, she relied on the knowledge base she built while earning a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation at the University of Mary Washington.

“I come at it from a deeper well of knowledge than the average viewer,” Lovitt said. For example, she asked more insightful questions when covering The New Look on Apple TV+, which follows Christian Dior and Coco Chanel launching their fashion empires in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. “Even if you don’t stay in the field you majored in, you can still use what you studied in your daily life.”

In just a few years, Lovitt has gone from managing a historic site to rubbing elbows with the stars at Hollywood award shows. Yet, she still employs the skills she honed at Mary Washington – conducting research, writing and editing, and collaborating on a team – in her current career. As a critic, screenwriter and actress, Lovitt has earned accolades and approval from the Screen Actors Guild, Rotten Tomatoes and the Critics Choice Association, which she shared in the spring edition of UMW’s Class Notes. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is part of a $25,000 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant aimed at helping public colleges and universities navigate the world of artificial intelligence.

The project, “Developing a Public Liberal Arts Humanities Curriculum: Empowering Students to Navigate an AI World,” is led by five public liberal arts institutions representing distinct regions of the country. Collaboratively, faculty from each school will develop classes, units or short modules in humanities courses focused on the positive and negative aspects of generative AI.

The funding was awarded to Miriam Wallace, dean of the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Emily Todd, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Connecticut University, through a partnership with the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).

The grant will support collaborative curricular design by humanities faculty at UIS, Eastern Connecticut State University, the University of Mary Washington, Northern State University and Evergreen State College. Participants will form learning communities and share progress first on their own campuses, and then meet in the summer of 2025 to share insights and experiences during a COPLAC workshop at Innovate Springfield, UIS’ business incubator in downtown Springfield.

As part of the grant, the institutions will also create open-access AI teaching resources, such as syllabus modules, readings, activities and assignments for all COPLAC institutions to utilize. UMW’s Center for Teaching, directed by Victoria Russell, associate professor in the College of Education, will lead the effort at UMW.

The University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors has set tuition and fees for the 2024-25 academic year, as approved at their quarterly meeting in April.

Tuition will increase by 2% for undergraduate and graduate students. The auxiliary comprehensive fee at UMW will increase by 3%. This decision follows several years of keeping undergraduate in-state tuition flat, but a small increase, still below the rate of inflation, is needed to support state-mandated compensation actions for faculty and staff and the continued success of academic programs and the campus experience.

UMW stands out among Virginia schools, known for smaller class sizes, dedicated faculty who work side- by-side with students, and a smaller price point that still encompasses this personalized approach.  Starting this fall, UMW will offer a tuition promise for Pell-eligible Virginia students, closing any gap in tuition funding for in-state students who qualify for Federal Pell Grants. Pell-eligibility is determined when students and their families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UMW encourages families with an annual gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less to complete the application process and add UMW to their list as an affordable option. Read more.

When University of Mary Washington senior Hannah Lee bought her first pair of scrubs at the start of her college career, she couldn’t have known that – wash after wash – she’d be pulling them on four years later, for the same volunteer job.

“Being able to provide care for people who are unable to access it was something that touched my heart,” said Lee, a biochemistry major who donates her time at a free clinic.

As her moral compass synced with her medical work, it clicked on campus, too. She joined the Honor Council, trumpeting UMW values and rising to the role of president this year. Her drive took a similar direction in the classroom, where she discovered the sociological side of healthcare, added a practical ethics minor to her course load and gained early admission to med school through the Honors Program.

Her capstone project – a study of how people’s health affects their propensity to do the right thing – brings together her passions, she said. “It’s really a culmination of everything I’ve learned at Mary Washington so far.” Read more.