The University of Virginia tragedy continues to reverberate across the state and through the lives of so many at Mary Washington who have affiliations and personal relationships with students and colleagues at UVA. In recognition of our empathy and sympathy for UVA and thanks to the initiative of our friends in Student Involvement and University Relations, we have created a large banner supporting UVA “with love from Mary Wash” which is currently in the Cedric Rucker University Center living room.

Please stop by the CRUC and add your signature and a short comment of support. The banner will be there from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Monday.

Senior Madeline Killian isn’t just hitting the books to study female scientists in 18th century Spain. In December she will travel to Madrid to delve into discoveries made by Junta de Damas de Honor y Mérito, the country’s first civic organization for women.

“They conducted groundbreaking medical experiments to improve infant health, and the group still exists today,” Madeline says. A physics and Spanish major at the University of Mary Washington, she plans to write her thesis on the topic.

This unique opportunity to explore Spain’s national archives and historical sites – and many other high-impact learning experiences for students – were made possible by UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment (BTC). Established two years ago, the initiative supports student experiential learning, including independent research, internships, travel to academic conferences, and study abroad. Read more.

The University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development has presented its annual Veteran Small Business Owner of the Year award to Dr. Sharon Kelley, owner of P Cubed Consulting LLC.

Kelley, a Stafford County resident, formed her defense contracting company in 2014 after retiring from the Marine Corps. It specializes in cybersecurity and logistics management.

Besides running her successful business, Kelley gives back to veterans by conducting workshops on entering the civilian workforce and mentoring veterans with mental and financial crises. She also helps other small business owners develop business structures and identify resources.

In the community, she helps young people learn trade and technical skills and understand entrepreneurship. She’s active with the Cinderella Experience, aiding young women to choose outfits and accessories for special events. Read more.

Stephanie Lyles of Topside Federal Credit Union received the Patricia Lacey Metzger Distinguished Achievement Award at the Women’s Leadership Colloquium on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. The recognition goes each year to a woman who’s established herself as a leader in her chosen field, and shown personal and professional integrity along the way.

The 28th annual daylong colloquium, held each November, unfolded in a room filled with energy – and some of the Fredericksburg region’s most inspiring and motivated women – at the University of Mary Washington’s Stafford Campus. Nationally recognized best-selling author Fran Hauser, a startup investor and women’s empowerment speaker, delivered the keynote. The colloquium also included collaborative break-out sessions led by regional business leaders, networking and a “wine-down” hour with door prizes.

“After a two-year delay, to be back in-person for this event and to have the interest and attendance reminds us of the importance of empowering our career-minded women,” said UMW Associate Provost of Career & Workforce and colloquium co-chair Kimberly Young.

The 23rd Metzger award winner since 1999, Lyles is director of marketing outreach at Topside Federal Credit Union, where she also has worked in community relations and business development. Before that, she started The Real Estate Book of Fredericksburg, a color, digest-sized magazine of homes for sale that she ran for 17 years. Read more.

If you’ve enjoyed the pollinator gardens and no-mow zones on campus or taken part in events like the Tree Festival or Eco-Carnival on Earth Day, you’ve already experienced some of the University of Mary Washington’s commitment to the environment.

The Princeton Review has recognized that commitment as well, including UMW in the 2023 Guide to Green Colleges.

The Green Colleges rating considers whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable; how well a school prepares students for employment in the clean-energy economy and for overall green citizenship; and how environmentally responsible an institution’s policies are. UMW has also made the list in previous years.

“We’re happy to be a part of The Princeton Review’s list again,” UMW Sustainability Coordinator Sean Morrow said this week. “Since our last recognition in the Green Colleges list, we’ve really taken the time to review and expand our current sustainability initiatives on campus.” Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is getting a big boost from Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC), which has committed to a sponsorship that will provide support for Campus Recreation (CREC) over the next five years.

“Mary Washington Healthcare exists to improve the health of all people in the region,” said MWHC Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Eric Fletcher. “Part of that commitment is to promote wellness, so partnering with UMW in these efforts is a natural connection. We hope our sponsorship helps students, faculty and staff stay healthy and enjoy life to the fullest.”

A portion of the funds will go toward campus events that encourage wellness, exercise and outdoor activities, like last week’s Big Ash Bonfire and Campout with Residence Life, and November’s Largest Gratitude Meditation.

But Director of Campus Recreation Kelly Shannon said the sponsorship will mainly help expand operating hours for the fitness center. More than 70 percent of the student body takes group classes, works out or participates in other activities such as intramural or club sports, she said. “MWHC’s sponsorship is helping us better serve our mission of promoting student success, learning and personal wellness.” Read more.

The Mayor of Mary Washington. That’s what one professor called then-student Lavar Edmonds ’14 as he strolled down Campus Walk, stopping to chat with everyone along the way.

“I’ve always been a curious person,” said Edmonds, who discovered a passion for social science research at the University of Mary Washington. Majoring in economics was “a whole new way to ask and answer my own questions about the world, which is a huge part of what I do now.”

A Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University, Edmonds engages in conversations with his students like he did with his professors a decade ago, describing his time at UMW as “an unparalleled experience.” He’s still asking important questions, such as how economic and housing inequality can impact learning, recently as a research specialist at Princeton University’s Eviction Lab.

At the start of the pandemic, Edmonds penned a Washington Post opinion piece that asked: Want to help kids weather this school year? Keep them from getting evicted. His expertise drew national attention, landing him interviews on PBS Newshour and NPR. Read more.

Betty Emrey of Mindpower Inc. contributed to the reporting and writing of this story.

The next Mary Talk will be presented by UMW Athletics Director Patrick Catullo ’95. Catullo will explain recent shifts in Mary Washington’s conference, which changed from the Capital Athletic Conference to the Coast-to-Coast (C2C) Conference and now includes schools as far away as California. Catullo will share what that change looks like for our student-athletes and how it affects recruitment. He also will discuss the overall state of NCAA Division III athletics. The talk will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 16, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Register to watch the talk online via Zoom. You’ll receive a link to the streaming video, which can be watched live or at a later time. You also will have the opportunity to submit questions to be asked of the speaker.