March 28, 2024

UMW Earns 10-Year Reaffirmation of Accreditation from SACSCOC

The University of Mary Washington has achieved a 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), as confirmed by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees during its annual meeting on Dec. 3.

“Once again, the University of Mary Washington has proved that ours is an education that matters,” said UMW President Troy Paino. “We appreciate all who contributed throughout the process and through their work each day, particularly our faculty and staff. Together, we achieve and sustain a high-quality, highly ranked educational experience that goes beyond the classroom through student learning opportunities and alumni accomplishments and connections.”

The reaffirmation process spanned more than a year with input and insight across the University, culminating in a March 2023 on-site visit by a committee of leaders from peer institutions. The committee met with students, faculty and staff, as well as board members, reviewing documentation, policies and practices, and finding zero areas for recommendations. Read more.

New Alumni of Distinction Gallery Honors Mary Washington Grads

New York Times bestselling author. An Emmy-nominated television host. A past poet laureate. Two previous U.S. ambassadors. The former CEO of Rolls Royce North America. An award-winning chef and restauranteur. And the newly minted assistant general manager of the Chicago White Sox.

Those are just a few of the individuals recognized in the University of Mary Washington’s inaugural Alumni of Distinction class, featuring 35 exceptional graduates who excel in the fields of business, law, medicine, arts and entertainment, sports, literature, human rights advocacy, philanthropy, scientific research, higher education and more. Spanning generations and professions, their accolades can be found displayed on the first floor of George Washington Hall and in an online gallery. The University is accepting new submissions – grads can nominate themselves or others on the UMW Alumni website – and fresh faces will be added every five years. Read more.

UMW Workshop Helps Promote Mental Health in the Classroom

“For what it’s worth, I’m really stressed out.”

The email from a fellow faculty member prompted University of Mary Washington Center for Teaching Director Victoria Russell to print it out and carry it in her planner – and in her mind – for nearly a year.

It served as a reminder of her plans with colleagues to address a growing concern in college classrooms – the challenge of meeting increasing student mental health needs while maintaining meaningful, rigorous coursework. Those plans sprang to life earlier this month with a keynote address and workshop by sought-after psychologist Sarah Rose Cavanagh, author of Mind Over Monsters: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Compassionate Challenge. Read more.

UMW MLK Keynote Speaker Focuses on the Future

Binge-watching C-SPAN from his great-grandmother’s couch was just the beginning for Tylik McMillan.

“That’s the only thing she watched,” he said. And as he sat there, too, seeing politics play out on the screen, he pictured himself – and other young men and women of color – with their own seat at the table.

Now 27, McMillan is a social justice leader and movement strategist who’s worked with The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) for more than a decade. He’s been featured for helping organize marches and for his viewpoints on voting, police reform and other civil rights issues on Good Morning AmericaCBS News and CNN. And, yes, you can find him on C-SPAN. Read more.

UMW ‘Year in Review 2022-23’ Chronicles a Stellar Year

It’s been a big year for the University of Mary Washington. As the calendar year concludes, we take a look back at the prior academic year in our annual Year in Review 2022-23.

Read the online edition of the 2022-23 Year in Review.

Flip through the online publication to meet our most recent graduates, follow along with the research and teaching of Goldwater Scholars and Fulbright Fellows, and see how our community partnerships, generous gifts from alumni and friends, and the dedicated work of our faculty and staff defines an education and experience that matter.

This year, we announced a transformational gift – the largest in UMW history – bolstering undergraduate research in STEM fields and funding student scholarships. It was a record-breaking year in many ways, from the fundraising success to the soccer field, as we take a look back at the Final Four for men’s soccer. UMW celebrated annual aspirations and community values, shining a spotlight on service of our students and alumni.

And while this year’s publication is hot off the press in print and online, there’s one more award from the prior year not included. The 2021-22 edition of UMW’s Year-in-Review recently won the Best of CASE District III Award for Design in Publications. The award recognizes a single publication for overall design, including typography, organization, presentation, and use of photography and illustrations. UMW’s publication stood out in the southeast region from more than 4,000 entries from 583 institutions worldwide.

Read the award-winning 2021-22 Year in Review online.

Remembering JFMC Founding Director Forrest Parker

UMW James Farmer Multicultural Center Founding Director Forrest Parker

UMW James Farmer Multicultural Center Founding Director Forrest Parker

Forrest Anthony Parker – founding director of the University of Mary Washington’s James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC) and co-creator of its annual Multicultural Fair – passed away on the first day of the new year, Jan. 1, 2024.

Parker will be remembered at Mary Washington, particularly by the many students he inspired, the positive impact he had on colleagues and the campus community, and the welcoming multicultural home he established on campus and in the Fredericksburg region. As chronicled in University of Mary Washington: A Centennial History, 1908-2008, he avowed to establish the fair from his first days on the job, and his work certainly lives on in the history books and through the individuals with whom he connected through the years.

Parker’s work at Mary Washington College began in 1989 as an associate dean for admissions, where he directed Project SOAR (Summer Orientation Adventure Retreat) and led the James Farmer Scholars Program. He became the founding director of the Multicultural Center at Mary Washington when it was established in 1990. As head of the center, he directed the SOAR and Summer Transition programs, as well as coordinated major celebrations, from MLK Jr. Day to annual heritage months. During his tenure, the center was officially named the James Farmer Multicultural Center in 1998. In 1991, he also imagined and implemented the first Multicultural Fair, now a much-anticipated tradition attended by thousands each spring. Read more.

UMW Senior Shines ‘Light of Awesomeness’ on Accessibility

UMW senior Adrianna Giddings is this year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership winner. Now legally blind, she began losing her sight at age 16. As president of UMW’s Delta Alpha Pi honor society for students with disabilities, Giddings has become a force for enhancing accessibility at UMW.

UMW senior Adrianna Giddings is this year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership winner. Now legally blind, she began losing her sight at age 16. As president of UMW’s Delta Alpha Pi honor society for students with disabilities, Giddings has become a force for enhancing accessibility at UMW.

Adrianna Giddings leaves her white cane behind and makes her way to the front of the room.

Drip-drop, drip-drop … Tasha Page-Lockhart’s Tears flows through the University of Mary Washington’s Chandler Ballroom, and Giddings breathes it in. “It’s like I’m in my own bubble,” she said of the performances she delivers with UMW’s Praise Dance Team, of which she is president. “I close my eyes and the words become movement in my mind.”

When she opens them, Giddings, a UMW senior who is legally blind, cannot see the audience.

Adjusting to a world with limited vision is a journey she began at age 16, just two years before she arrived at Mary Washington. Since then, she’s pushed for improvements in accessibility for people with blindness and other disabilities on campus. This year’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership winner, she’s used her voice to make her own college career a success, but she’s focused on lighting the way for others long after she graduates.

“She’s helped this University move the needle forward in a very thoughtful and inclusive way,” James Farmer Multicultural Center Director Marion Sanford said of Giddings, president of UMW’s Delta Alpha Pi honor society for students with disabilities. “And she does it in such a compassionate way.” Read more.

STEM Students Share Gratitude at UMW’s Celebration of Giving

The Celebration of Giving, held on Dec. 6, honored Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and other Mary Washington alumnae who majored in the sciences and gave back to support the University and STEM students. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

The Celebration of Giving, held on Dec. 6, honored Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and other Mary Washington alumnae who majored in the sciences and gave back to support the University and STEM students. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

One of Hannah Stottlemyer’s most memorable moments at the University of Mary Washington came on a Global Medical Brigades trip to treat underserved communities in Panama. There, she put her majors in biomedical sciences and Spanish into practice when she extracted a patient’s tooth and watched his sudden relief.

Having this experience as an undergraduate was possible because she earned an Alvey Scholarship, she said, providing her with full tuition, fees, and room and board. “I feel such gratitude toward my donor,” said Stottlemyer, a Mary Washington senior who plans to apply to dental school this spring. “She achieved success and decided to selflessly invest in UMW students to ensure they also have opportunities to succeed.”

At the Celebration of Giving, Stottlemyer shared her story, honoring her late donor, Irene Piscopo Rodgers, who passed away in July 2022. The 1959 alumna left the University a transformational $30 million estate gift for undergraduate STEM research and to establish four new Alvey Scholarships for out-of-state students, in addition to the eight she created in her lifetime. This year’s event, held Dec. 6 at UMW’s Jepson Alumni Executive Center, focused on the tremendous impact that Rodgers and other alumnae in the sciences have made at Mary Washington by prioritizing the University in their philanthropic giving over the years.

“They overcame obstacles at a time when there were few women in STEM, found success in their fields and gave back to their alma mater so students could follow their dreams and change the world,” said Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte, who shared highlights from the past fundraising year and thanked those who donated in 2023. Read more.

UMW Gift Box Drive Helps ‘Open Hearts’ to Area School Children

Back row, from left to right, UMW students Khushi Constance, Jillian Vargas, Sarah Hybl, Ainsley Lord and Knox McKinley, along with Mary Wash alumna Tamara Garrett ’23, pose with a group of children from Fredericksburg City Public Schools Preschool Program. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Back row, from left to right, UMW students Khushi Constance, Jillian Vargas, Sarah Hybl, Ainsley Lord and Knox McKinley, along with Mary Wash alumna Tamara Garrett ’23, pose with a group of children from Fredericksburg City Public Schools Preschool Program. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

A group of University of Mary Washington students donned elf hats this week for a special holiday delivery.

The COAR (Community Outreach and Resources) staff – and the entire UMW community – spent months filling gift-wrapped shoeboxes with winter hats, school supplies and toys for preschool students. The annual effort produced more than 300 packages specifically for youngsters in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County schools, including students in the Head Start Program, which provides education and resources for eligible children ages 3 to 5.

“It’s heartwarming to see,” Center for Community Engagement Director Sarah Dewees said of the event, which calls on UMW students, faculty, staff and friends to provide supplies and fill boxes. “It kind of brings the campus community together.” Read more.

UMW Included in Princeton Review’s ‘2024 Guide to Green Colleges’

UMW made Princeton Review's 2024 Green Colleges List

UMW made Princeton Review’s ‘2024 Guide to Green Colleges.’

A strong commitment to sustainability and a student body energized by opportunities to support and enjoy the environment are part of the culture at the University of Mary Washington.

Those factors and others have earned the University a spot among the greenest campuses in higher education. UMW is among 474 institutions nationwide – and 14 in Virginia – included in the Princeton Review’s 2024 Guide to Green Colleges.

The educational rating organization based its list of institutions on surveys of administrators and students at U.S. and international colleges and universities, weighing sustainability policies, practices and programs, and considering campus experiences and attitudes.

“We are proud to shine our light on these exceptional schools,” said Princeton Review Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek. “We recommend them enthusiastically to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college also to be a green one.” Read more.