Here are some fun facts about the internships that have been completed by UMW students, courtesy of Mary Washington’s Center for Career and Professional Development. This summer CCPD also launched a blog for sharing internship experiences through the lens of Mary Wash students. 
Sodexo Praised for Concierge Program
The Dining Concierge program operated by campus dining services provider Sodexo at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia stands out from the typical university customer service programs in several respects, Food Management says. Read more.
UMW, Germanna Partner on Fast-Track Business Major
UMW President Troy Paino and Germanna President Janet Gullickson sign an agreement creating a pathway between the two schools to put students on a fast track toward a business major. Photo by BC Photography.
The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College signed an agreement Monday that creates a fast track to earning college business degrees in the Fredericksburg region. The pathway program allows students to complete both an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree online in about two-and-a-half years, saving time and money.
The ultra-accelerated route provided by the two schools starts with Germanna’s “College Everywhere” program, which gives students the opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree remotely in just 12 months. Those who transfer to UMW can then finish the major in business administration, also online, within an additional 18 months.
That’s great news for Cheryll Mosley, a 32-year-old single mother of two from Stafford County who’s nearing completion of a one-year associate’s degree at Germanna. Next, she’ll transfer to Mary Washington’s AACSB-accredited College of Business. “I know what I want, and I know how to get there. This program has really helped me grow,” said Mosley, who plans to start her own business.
“This is all about the students,” said UMW President Troy Paino. “This is about removing obstacles, creating access and opportunities, lowering costs, accelerating time to degrees. All of those things are really going to make a difference, not only in the students’ lives but in our community.” Read more.
UMW Grads Win Fulbright Awards to Teach Overseas
UMW grads (from left) Theresa Darroch ’20, Mary Cheney ’21, M.Ed. ’22 and Charlotte Kramer ’22 are all winners of this year’s Fulbright Awards to work and study overseas.
Charlotte Kramer ’22 was still absorbing the first piece of news – that she’d received semifinalist status for a grant to live and work overseas – when a second email came through.
“I thought I was seeing things,” Kramer said of the message that upgraded her standing and meant she’d get to spend nearly a year in Bulgaria. “I think I understood, even if I couldn’t fully process, how life-changing that moment was.”
Kramer, who earned a degree in anthropology in May, is one of three recent University of Mary Washington grads to win a Fulbright award this year. The transformative U.S. government-sponsored honor, among the world’s most highly regarded, aims to boost cultural connections around the globe. But the journey for these alums – among the nearly 60 Fulbright finalists and semifinalists Mary Washington has produced throughout the years – began with the support and inspiration they found among faculty.
“They helped me navigate the whole process,” Kramer said of UMW’s Fulbright Advising Committee (FAC). Kramer will leave for Ruse, Bulgaria, later this year. Mary Cheney ’21, M.Ed. ’22, will head to South Korea and Theresa Darroch ’20 will go to Taiwan. Read more.
Outstanding Educators Formed Friendship, Path to Success at UMW
UMW grads Amelia Carr (left) and Shelby Press met during their first college class and became best friends. Press was named Fairfax County Public Schools’ Outstanding Elementary New Teacher this year. Carr received the honor in 2021. Photo courtesy of Fairfax County Public Schools.
When Shelby Press and Amelia Carr walked into their first ever college class at 9 a.m. Monday morning of their freshman fall semester, little did they know they were about to embark on a lasting friendship.
As they began talking, they realized they had a lot in common. They had both played field hockey, they both wanted to be teachers and they graduated from rival schools in Fairfax County: Edison High School and Hayfield Secondary School. The two became so close over the next few months, they decided to become roommates their sophomore year. The pair pursued the same path at the University of Mary Washington, both earning a master’s degree through UMW’s College of Education.
Seven years later, Press and Carr, who are still roommates, now have something else in common. They’ve both been recognized at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Honors as the Outstanding Elementary New Teacher. Press, a second-grade teacher at Riverside Elementary School in Alexandria, received the honor this year. Carr, a kindergarten teacher at Bucknell Elementary School in Alexandria, received the award in 2021. Read more.
President Paino Announces Climate Action Task Force
To all students, faculty, and staff,
I write today to announce that over the last three months, a presidentially appointed Climate Action Task Force has begun work to produce an actionable plan aimed at significantly reducing UMW’s carbon footprint. Their full charge is attached.
Co-chaired by Sustainability Coordinator Sean Morrow and Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Alan Griffith, the task force includes representatives from the UFC and USC, as well as a number of other units at the University. The plan will identify specific actions and policies, provide measurable objectives, and include timeframes for implementation.
This work is incredibly important, both for ourselves and for future generations. The grave threats posed by global climate change must be recognized and addressed by individuals and institutions alike. Knowing that success in this area requires the cooperation and commitment of all of us, I’ve asked the task force to reach out and work with students, faculty, and staff across the University as they develop this Climate Action Plan to be delivered to me by July of next year. And so, I also ask each of you to be responsive when the task force reaches out and supportive of their work.
Thanks to Sean and Alan and the other members of the committee for their work now and in the months to come.
Scanlon to Appear on ‘With Good Reason’ Radio
Professor of English Mara Scanlon
Professor of English Mara Scanlon will appear on With Good Reason radio, in an episode titled “Beyond the Book,” which will air from July 23 to 29.
Outer space probably isn’t in your travel plans this summer. But it could be very soon. Hayley Arceneaux was a SpaceX crew member in the first all-civilian mission to orbit earth, bringing space tourism from the realm of science fiction into reality. Her new book, Wild Ride: A Memoir of IV Drips and Rocket Ships, chronicles her journey from childhood cancer to unlikely astronaut. And: Mara Scanlon (University of Mary Washington) took her class of self-proclaimed “Whitmaniacs” to the Walt Whitman house in Camden, New Jersey. She says her students were awestruck by being in the intimate spaces where Whitman lived and breathed… including his bathroom.
UMW Prioritizes Affordability, Access With New Scholarship for In-State Undergraduates
The President and the Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors of the University of Mary Washington announced today the addition of a one-time scholarship to offset a 3% tuition increase for all in-state undergraduate students in the 2022-23 academic year, effectively keeping in-state undergraduate tuition at the same rate for four consecutive academic years.
The board approved an increase of 3% for undergraduate annual tuition at the June 2022 meeting. In 2022-23, tuition for in-state undergraduate students is $8,938, an increase of $260. The university will provide approximately $700,000 in one-time scholarship funds to offset this increase, supporting Virginia students, while sustaining capacity for existing programs and staffing levels, funding new initiatives and employee raises, and addressing inflationary increases.
This one-time reallocation of current funding is coupled with the state’s impressive investment in the University of Mary Washington, with key new funding for UMW’s arts, career building, faculty and staff salary increases, accessibility, affordability and museums. Read more.
Alumna Whips Up Career as ‘L.A. Times’ Food Writer
Hungry for small classes and more facetime with teachers, Stephanie Breijo ’09 studied journalism at Mary Washington. Now, she covers Los Angeles’ culinary culture as a food writer for the L.A. Times.
Savory meatball subs smothered in mozzarella. Sizzling birria tacos with spicy salsa. Smoky barbecue brisket with all the fixings. And a rainbow of Italian cookies.
Just try looking at Stephanie Breijo’s Instagram on an empty stomach.
“Food is universal,” said Breijo, a Los Angeles Times food writer who graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 2009. “It’s a lens everyone sees the world through, whether they’re aware of it or not.”
Reporting takes her to every corner of L.A.’s restaurant community, from pop-ups in Koreatown to bistros in Santa Monica. But before she began highlighting epicurean happenings throughout the city and curating cuisine on social media – an art that didn’t even exist when she was a student – she acquired the recipe for great storytelling at Mary Washington. Read more.
Chemistry Alums Mourn Passing of Beloved Professor
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Bernard Mahoney
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Bernard Mahoney was in his element teaching and advising students during his nearly four decades at Mary Washington.
When alumni learned he had passed away on May 9 of this year, tributes began pouring in, reflecting on his many attributes: his “laughing” Irish eyes, his delightful Boston brogue, his knack for making even the most challenging of courses fun. Most of all, they spoke of how he made an impact on their lives and livelihoods, cheering them on for years, even after they graduated.
“He was my catalyst to succeed,” says Amanda Bruch McNeil ’80, crediting Dr. Mahoney for helping launch her career in the oil and gas industry at a time when it welcomed few women. “Without him, I never would have pursued that dream.”
Dr. Mahoney came to Mary Washington, then the women’s college of University of Virginia, in 1965. He held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College and a doctorate in physical chemistry through University of New Hampshire. He also earned several prestigious fellowships, including from Harvard Medical School, the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Science Foundation.
At Mary Washington, he served as department chair, was instrumental in creating the Bachelor of Liberal Studies program, and helped design the Jepson Science Center. He became a distinguished professor, earned UMW’s Grellet C. Simpson Award, and was granted emeritus status upon his retirement in 2002. Read more.