Educator, writer and independent consultant Gayatri Sethi drew on excerpts from her book, ‘Unbelonging,’ to deliver the Women’s History Month keynote address on Wednesday, March 15, at the Hurley Convergence Center’s Digital Auditorium.

There’s something perhaps as powerful as the stories being shared during this year’s Women’s History Month – the ones that are not.

“If our feminisms are not inclusive, expansive and intersectional, are they feminism after all?” Gayatri Sethi asks. “When we speak of women’s empowerment … are we reinforcing gender binaries or erasing queer and trans folks?”

These are the types of questions Sethi posed – urging listeners to interrogate, reflect and consider the foundation of feminism – in her keynote speech for the University of Mary Washington’s Women’s History Month celebration. The talk took place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, in the Hurley Convergence Center’s Digital Auditorium.

Women’s History Month also includes a Great Lives lecture on Anne Frank at 7:30 p.m. tonight, March 14, at Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall. Other events planned throughout March, and hosted by the James Farmer Multicultural Center (JFMC), are listed below. Read more.

Noal Rod (left) and Diora Nabiyeva (right) prepare to compete in the “Roller Coaster” category at a Virginia Science Olympiad at the University of Mary Washington Saturday. The regional competition brought hundreds of fifth- through 12th-graders to campus. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Stafford High School senior Justin Kelly used a curious collection of objects to make his science competition entry last weekend: PVC pipe, duct tape, Styrofoam, a No. 2 pencil, half a sock.

Despite its patchwork of parts, the contraption – an egg transporter that represents a lesson in physics – performed well in the “Scrambler” category, which tests devices designed to carry an egg to a finish line without cracking.

The challenge was part of a Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO) competition hosted by the University of Mary Washington on Saturday, Feb. 25. The last of this year’s three regional contests, it brought hundreds of fifth- through 12th-grade science enthusiasts to campus to test their STEM skills in biology and chemistry, anatomy and meteorology, forensics and forestry, and far beyond.

“UMW’s role as host gives students a glimpse of what opportunities are out there in terms of college,” said Senior Lecturer of Biology Michael Stebar, who served as onsite coordinator. “They’re in a physics lab surrounded by a myriad of equipment and instruments. They’re in a biology lab surrounded by microscopes and preserved organisms.”

The event had young scientists – 63 teams from 32 schools – testing bridges made of balsa wood, clocks that measured time with water and sand, and a host of homemade gadgets and gizmos designed to meet challenges under a constrict of rules. The top performers will be eligible to compete at the state level later this month in Charlottesville. Read more.

In his office, Michael Hubbard stands near a large photo showing UMW’s Dahlgren Campus. Hubbard recently completed a doctorate in education from Baylor University.

Michael Hubbard has proven an inspirational figure since taking leadership of the University of Mary Washington’s Dahlgren Center for Education and Research in 2019. A retired Marine, he’s an envoy between UMW and regional constituents who use the 42,000-square-foot, technologically sophisticated building for classes, conferencing and events.

A primary goal of the Dahlgren Campus is to foster innovation and technological education at all levels in King George and Caroline counties and Virginia’s Northern Neck. To this end, Hubbard has built relationships with experts at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD); elected officials; education and business leaders; and community stakeholders.

But there’s another side to Hubbard, one that sets an example of lifelong learning and also meshes with UMW’s broader liberal arts and sciences mission. Hubbard recently completed his doctorate in education with a focus on learning and organizational change from Baylor University.

His dissertation, “Mission Critical: A Qualitative Study on Improving Graduation Success for First-Generation, Black Students at Public Universities,” focuses on not just recruiting minority students but creating the immersive experiences and sense of belonging to get them to graduation. Read more.

From left to right: The City of Fredericksburg’s Victoria Matthews, UMW Professor of Geography Steve Hanna, UMW Professor of Historic Preservation Christine Henry, UMW James Farmer Multicultural Center Assistant Director Chris Williams, Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw, City of Fredericksburg Vice Mayor Charlie Frye Jr. and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine clap toward the end of yesterday’s unveiling event for the City of Fredericksburg’s new Civil Rights Trail, “Freedom, A Work in Progress.” Matthews and Williams spearheaded the project to bring to light a comprehensive history of the struggle for social justice in Fredericksburg. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

During Black History Month and amid a flurry of fanfare, the City of Fredericksburg in partnership with the University of Mary Washington unveiled its civil rights trail: “Freedom, a Work in Progress.”

The nearly three-mile walking trail, with some stops a close drive, guides participants through post-Civil War history into the modern day, drawing together the stories – one never-before-heard testimony after another – of the Fredericksburg-area people and places that helped shape the civil rights narrative.

“I can’t even begin to describe to you what a fantastic day this is for the City of Fredericksburg and the University of Mary Washington, and more importantly for our Black community,” said Chris Williams, assistant director of UMW’s James Farmer Multicultural Center. He and Victoria Matthews, tourism stadium and sales manager for the City of Fredericksburg, spearheaded the project.

Featuring Virginia historical markers – one at the first stop on the 1961 Freedom Rides journey that challenged segregation of interstate travel – the trail’s 21 stops pull together a saga of persecution and peril, power and promise. They chronicle court rulings and protests from the Jim Crow era to the Black Lives Matter movement, stopping at churches, cemeteries, markers and monuments throughout the city, across the UMW campus and beyond. Read more.

For the first time in school history, both the University of Mary Washington women’s and men’s basketball teams have advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournaments in the same season.

The women will open play on Friday, March 3, at 4:30 p.m., in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on the campus of DeSales University, against Roger Williams College. President Paino will purchase tickets for students, faculty and staff with proof of UMW ID at the stadium ticket booth.

The men will open play on Friday, March 3, at 4 p.m., in Galloway Township, New Jersey, on the campus of Stockton University, against St. Lawrence University. President Paino will purchase tickets for students, faculty and staff with proof of UMW ID at the Will Call window in the Sports Center.

If you are unable to make it in person, we invite you to watch online at umweagles.com.

Get Dirty… Go Wash!

Women’s History Month, March 2023 Celebrating Women: Telling Our Stories
Dear Colleagues: Title IX Exhibition 

Monday, March 6 – Friday, April 28 | Main Lobby, Simpson Library

Sponsored by the Department of Athletics, Center for Prevention and Education, Office of Title IX and ADA Compliance, and Simpson Library

A history of the 1972 Title IX Education Amendment and supporting guidance to showcase activism on and off the field within higher education. This exhibition will feature Title IX and related guidance through activism, athletics, and legislation.

Great Lives Lecture:  Sandra Day O’Connor

Tuesday, March 7 | 7:30 pm | Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

Speaker Evan Thomas details the life of Sandra Day O’Connor.  At a time when women were expected to be homemakers, she set her sights on Stanford University. When she graduated near the top of her law school class in 1952, no firm would even interview her.  When she arrived at the United States Supreme Court, appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, she began a quarter-century tenure on the Court, hearing cases that ultimately shaped American law.  Thomas provides a remarkably vivid and personal portrait of a woman who loved her family, who believed in serving her country, and who, when she became the most powerful woman in America, built a bridge forward for all women.  (From https://www.umw.edu/greatlives/lecture/sandra-day-oconnor-3/)

Body Movement Session

Thursday, March 9 | 5:00 pm  | Colonnade Room, Cedric Rucker University Center

Join us for a session of body empowerment as we create a safe space to explore body movement and center your energy. This session is open to movers of all levels. We will begin with some lightweight stretching led by the instructor followed by an easy combination of natural movements that are designed to help movers gain confidence and feel grounded.

Beyond A Single Story: An Evening of Personal Storytelling and Reflection

Thursday, March 9 | 6 pm | Chandler Ballroom A/B, Cedric Rucker University Center

Co-sponsored by the James Farmer Multicultural Center and the Department of Communications and Digital Studies

Inspired by the powerful words of novelist Chimamanda Adichie and the 2023 theme for Women’s History Month, this interactive session will explore the significance of storytelling in teaching about oneself and learning about others. In her 2019 TED Talk, “The Danger of a Single Story,” Adichie speaks to the importance of hearing multiple perspectives—or stories—for a better understanding of the world, including people’s multifaceted identities and experiences. After a group screening of Adichie’s talk and a brief discussion of the “single stories” commonly associated with women and intersecting identities, guests will be invited to write their own stories that share a deeper understanding of themselves, whether through personal stories, social critique, or explanations of impactful women in one’s life. At the end of the session, guests will be invited to share their stories with the group to help demonstrate the power of narrative and the value in learning beyond a single story.

Foreign Film Series 2023: Women’s Stories

March 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22 | 7:30 pm | Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

Sponsored by the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures

The Department of Modern Languages & Literatures will be holding its annual foreign filmi series in March, 2023. This year, the theme of the series will be women’s stories. Each night a foreign film from one of the modern languages taught at UMW (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish) will be screened with English subtitles. A short discussion will follow each film.

Great Lives Lecture:  Anne Frank

Tuesday, March 14 | 7:30 pm | Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

The most common question asked by those who tour the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam is: “Who Betrayed Anne Frank?” 74 years after the Nazis’ tragic abduction of the residents of the secret Annex in August 1944, two Dutchmen decided to take on the unsolved mystery.  Attend to speaker Rosemary Sullivan as she takes you through the gripping and historic story.  (From https://www.umw.edu/greatlives/lecture/anne-frank/)

2023 Women’s History Month Keynote Speaker;  Dr. Gayatri Sethi, PhD

Wednesday, March 15  |  7 pm  |  Digital Auditorium, Hurley Convergence Center

Gayatri Sethi (PhD) is an educator, writer, and independent consultant. She teaches and writes about Social Justice, Global Studies, and Comparative Education. Born in Tanzania and raised in Botswana, she is of Punjabi descent, multilingual, and polycultural. She reflects on these lifelong experiences of identity, immigration, and belonging in her debut non-fiction book titled Unbelonging.

She is also the co-founder of the Desi KidLit community, an initiative to build solidarity among South Asian diaspora writers for young people. When she is not reading or recommending reads on Instagram as @desibookaunty, she is envisioning traveling and gathering in community safely again.

Population, Reproduction, and Sustainability: Film and Panel

Wednesday, March 22 | 5 pm | Digital Auditorium, Hurley Convergence Center

Sponsored by the President’s Council on Sustainability and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

We will screen the documentary film, My So-Called Selfish Life, which is about the choice to be childfree, the importance of reproductive health/rights, and how gender equity is part of environmental justice. There will be a panel discussion afterwards. Co-hosted with the Center for Biological Diversity.

Great Lives Lecture:  Queen Isabella

Tuesday, March 21 | 7:30 pm | Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

At a time when Christianity appeared to be dying out and the Ottoman Empire was aggressively expanding, a young princess was born into obscurity in a remote village in the weak and splintered kingdom of Castile. Speaker Kirstin Downey will take the audience through the story of one of the most significant monarchs of all time; her controversial legacy survives in the 500 million people who speak Spanish as their first language and the 1.3 million who practice Catholicism.  (From https://www.umw.edu/greatlives/lecture/queen-isabella/)

The Art of Solo Female Travel

Thursday, March 23 | 4PM |   Room 411, Lee Hall

Sponsored by the Center for International Education

Traveling alone can seem daunting, especially for women, which is why the Art of Solo Female Travel is an essential skill to master. In this program we will explore the rewards and challenges to traveling alone as a woman, address the most common fears and concerns, and role-play real-life scenarios to prepare for whatever might arise on this road less traveled.

Women in STEM Discussion Panel

Friday, March 24  | 4pm  |   Digital Auditorium, Hurley Convergence Center

Sponsored by the Optica Society of America (OSA)

A discussion about STEM and gender issues with a diverse panel of women in both industry and academic STEM fields.

Women’s Empowerment Through the Arts

Saturday, March 25 |  3 pm | Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall

Sponsored by Women of Color

Individuals, clubs, and organizations will have the chance to perform a piece of art celebrating women’s empowerment through the past years and all that they have overcome.

Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies Undergraduate Research Forum

Wednesday, March 29 | 4 pm | Room 411, Lee Hall

Sponsored by the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

UMW students showcase their undergraduate research in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. Cash prizes will be awarded.