UMW senior Nathan Francis has been named to the 2023 cohort of the Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact.

UMW senior Nathan Francis, from Leesburg, Virginia, has been named to the 2023 cohort of the Newman Civic Fellows by Campus Compact, recognizing his work on campus, in the Fredericksburg community and ever-expanding around the world.

“I have always had a passion for community service, participating in Key Club in high school and being a part of an organization called PEER (Positive Experiences in Educational Relationships) my junior and senior year of high school. Getting to help the local community where you live, whether at home or at school, helps to provide a much more personal tie to where you are,” he recalled. “That’s why I ultimately decided to continue participating in it during my time at Mary Washington. Even in 2020, I still participated with COAR as a volunteer, and helped in participating in the events I eventually was helping to coordinate.”

Francis’ first-year experience at UMW was punctuated by the pandemic, making the typical four-year college tenure feel more like three, but he quickly jumped back in sophomore year volunteering for as much as he could. He sought connections with faculty in his major through the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, and in spring 2023 completed research with Assistant Professor Jared McDonald, resulting in a soon-to-be-published co-authored paper. Read more.

The following message is from the Office of University Communications:

UMW Campus Community,

We want to remind campus about the potential for winter weather and resulting changes to campus operations and the class schedule. In the event of inclement weather that impacts normal operations at UMW, we’ll communicate to the campuses (Fredericksburg, Stafford, Dahlgren) via email and post updates to the UMW website, umw.edu. We also will update the University Information Line, which can be reached at (540) 654-2424. You should check these communication channels as your first source of information, as updates to external sites, social media and traditional media are secondary and may be delayed. Severe storm updates will come from the National Weather Service via text messages in UMW Alerts, but you’ll need to check email for changes to class schedules and campus operations.

Every effort will be made to post an inclement weather announcement by 6 a.m. on the day of closing or delayed opening. A decision about evening class changes will be made by 3 p.m. on the day in question if possible. A class schedule delay or cancellation includes all modalities of classes – in-person and online. When UMW campuses are closed for inclement weather, public events are also canceled during that time.

Even when campus is closed and classes are canceled, many campus services remain open and accessible to students, but may modify hours or services depending on the situation. UMW Police and Public Safety remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Please check the following for updates:

• UMW Dining on Facebook or join the UMWFoodies by texting 82257.
• Campus Recreation with updates posted to Instagram
• Hurley Convergence Center (HCC)

Snow emergency parking regulations may also be implemented. In most cases, these regulations go into effect when there is a threat of snow, sleet, hail, freezing rain, or ice and begin at 10 p.m. preceding forecasted inclement weather or as otherwise announced.

Students and employees should assess the weather conditions in your location. If campus continues normal operations, but you are impacted by weather and road conditions in your area, please contact your instructors and supervisors with any changes to your schedule and to make arrangements for missed classes or work.

During inclement weather that impacts campus and results in a change to campus operations, employees who can work from home (telework) should do so.

Those unable to work remotely should contact your supervisor for options:

• Supervisors will add Emergency Closing Leave, as necessary, to timecards of non-essential fulltime and quasi-fulltime employees who are not able to telework.
• If an employee has the means to telework but chooses not to, another leave type must be requested. (For more information on leave, supervisors should go to pages 29 and 30 of the MyTime Supervisor Manual.)
• Employees who are designated as essential and required to work on campus during authorized closings are paid their regular rate of pay for hours worked and granted compensatory leave for the hours worked. For some inclement weather events, Facilities Services Alternate Shift Pay Policy E.1.3 may be in effect for employees engaged in snow/ice removal working outside their normal schedule.

Please check with your supervisor if you are unsure of your designated employee status. Supervisors are reminded to communicate with employees regarding expectations during changes to campus operations for inclement weather.

For more information, please visit https://www.umw.edu/news/information-hotline/.

Thank you for preparing for winter weather and staying informed.

Amy Jessee
Executive Director of University Communications

This email is being sent to you in accordance with the UMW Broadcast Email Policy. Please do not respond directly to this message with comments or questions, but instead to the office or individuals listed above. 

The String Queens will perform at the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m.

A blend of violin, viola and cello, the Washington, D.C.-based trio The String Queens also blend together their careers, as educators by day and concert performers by night.

The ensemble will bring its signature sound to the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the community. Registration is required.

Praised for their authentic, soulful and orchestral sound, The String Queens pride themselves on bridging the gap between classical music and other styles, like R&B, hip-hop and pop, turning hits by such giants as Aretha Franklin and The Beatles into orchestral masterpieces. And the teachers credit some of their eclectic flair to their students, who’ve introduced them to music they might not have otherwise known existed.

The group – Kendall Isadore on violin, Dawn Johnson on viola and Élise Sharp on cello – creates musical experiences designed to inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel and imagine. With a repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the Jazz Age to today’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart, they take listeners on a journey through time and musical genres. Read more.

Aniya Stewart ’24, winner of the 2023 Mock Interview Competition. Stewart is a mathematics major and a member of the Student Alumni Ambassadors, who participate in the biennial competition. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Senior Aniya Stewart sharpened her skills before taking part in the Mock Interview Competition at the University of Mary Washington last month. She researched how to answer the toughest questions and reflected on her past performances when applying for jobs.

Still, she was surprised when she was declared the winner. “My shock wore off when the judges explained their reasoning and gave feedback,” said Stewart, a mathematics major at Mary Washington. “I was elated after that and called my mom to share the good news.”

Stewart, who is already looking for her first post-college position, said she feels more prepared than ever after participating twice in the competition, held every other year for UMW Student Alumni Ambassadors, or SAAs. The event equips students with strategies and techniques to nail any interview – and hopefully, the job.

Along with Network Mary Wash, it’s one of many initiatives organized by the Office of University Advancement and Alumni Engagement to introduce UMW students to the vast network of graduates whose guidance can help them launch their careers and lives after college. A recent Mary Talk held on Nov. 15 featured Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young discussing the key competencies the University has adopted to prepare students for Life After Mary Washington. Read more.

UMW’s Great Lives Series Announces 2024 Lecture Lineup

Some subjects of the 21^st William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series are universally known – William Shakespeare, Martin Luther King Jr. and Elizabeth Taylor, for example. Others, including liberator and visionary Mary Lumpkin and spymaster Wild Bill Donovan, are less familiar.

But all are intriguing characters whose stories are bound to enlighten audiences of the University of Mary Washington’s hugely popular Great Lives series. Lectures will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from January through March 2024. All are open to the public free of charge and begin at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium of George Washington Hall.

The 2024 Great Lives lineup was announced Tuesday evening at a gala presentation that drew about 140 community supporters, donors and sponsors to the ballroom of UMW’s Jepson Alumni Executive Center.

Series founder and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History William Crawley reminded the crowd of the program’s beginnings as an academic class focused on biography as a key to understanding history. Because prominent speakers were coming to campus, a decision was made early on to open lectures to the public. Read more.

UMW swimmer Amanda Sheward will represent Team USA at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

As a high school student in Villanova, Pennsylvania, Amanda Sheward was sure of two things: She wanted to go to college in Virginia, and she wanted to swim for her collegiate team.

Those goals achieved, the University of Mary Washington junior is on to her next challenge, and it’s a big one.

Sheward will represent the United States as a swimmer at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Nov. 17 – 26. Held every four years, the Parapan Games bring together elite athletes from North and South American countries for a multi-sport competition. The games are a precursor to the worldwide Paralympics taking place in Paris in summer 2024.

Sheward earned her spot on the U.S. team by excelling at the Citi Para Swimming World Series meet in Minneapolis last spring. She’s on the team of 19 women and 14 men, including former UMW assistant swimming coach Zach Shattuck, a 2020 Paralympian.

Like more than half of her fellow athletes on Team USA, Sheward will be making her first major international appearance in Santiago. Read more.

The Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington has been approved to open on UMW’s Stafford Campus in fall 2024.

With the vote yesterday by the Virginia Department of Education, the Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington (ATI-UMW) has been approved to open in fall 2024.

The regional high school and lab school could serve students from Stafford, King George and Caroline counties as well as Fredericksburg City Schools and potentially more areas. It pools the expertise of local school districts with the University of Mary Washington’s College of Education, creating a one-of-a-kind public high school focused on computer and data science, teaching excellence and career readiness.

“It’s exciting to be at the point where the school has been approved and is recruiting students. It’s a testament to the commitment and hard work of the many individuals across the region who have come together to create the vision for ATI-UMW, and we’re happy to be collaborating with them on this and so many other opportunities to improve K-12 education in the Fredericksburg region,” said UMW Provost Tim O’Donnell.

When the school opens in fall 2024, it will enroll up to 100 ninth-graders from the partner school districts. Students will be selected via a lottery in January. Applications opened Nov. 15 and close in early January. Current eighth-graders who are interested in computer science, data science, cybersecurity, digital design and related fields are encouraged to apply. No prior experience or courses are necessary. Read more.

UMW alumna Meghan McLees ’23 received the Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer Award at last night’s 2023 Volunteerism and Community Service Awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond. Pictured here are, from left to right: Chairman of the Virginia Governor’s Advisory Board on Service and Volunteerism Cliff Yee, Virginia First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and McLees. Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin.

When the elementary school student she was tutoring via Zoom appeared on the screen, Meghan McLees ’23 sensed something was wrong. So, she quickly switched gears, replacing the scholarly lesson she’d planned for the day with an educational game.

“We just did that the whole time, and we talked about his day,” she said of the session with a student from Stafford Junction, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families struggling with poverty. “He was having a hard time at school.”

The call was just a small part of the volunteer work she completed as a University of Mary Washington student, but it created a career path for McLees, who enrolled in a master’s program for school counseling at the University of Maryland after graduating from UMW in May. Now, in addition to a chosen profession, her penchant for giving her time to others has earned her something else – the 2023 Outstanding Young Adult Volunteer Award from the Virginia governor’s office. Read more.

Life coach and longtime Fredericksburg-area professional Susan Coleman received this year’s Patricia Lacey Metzger Award for Distinguished Achievement at last week’s Women’s Leadership Colloquium at the University of Mary Washington.

Local leader Susan Coleman has received the 2023 Patricia Lacey Metzger Distinguished Achievement Award. With successful stints in the Fredericksburg-area banking and medical industries, Coleman, now a life coach, was applauded for her career journey and dedication at last week’s 29th annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium at the University of Mary Washington.

The event – a beacon of empowerment, inspiration and resilience for professional women from diverse backgrounds for nearly three decades – took place Thursday, Nov. 2, at UMW’s Stafford Campus. Named for the late Mary Washington professor who helped found the colloquium, the Metzger award goes each year to someone who upholds high standards and achieves success both personally and professionally.

Early in her career, Coleman set herself apart as a leader in the financial sector, serving in pivotal roles as a business development officer, branch manager and vice president at Wachovia Bank. Her responsibilities included overseeing branch offices throughout Richmond and Fredericksburg. Read more.