Category: What’s New @ UMW

The University of Mary Washington has received a $2.5 million gift to establish a series of endowed professorships and faculty awards in various departments within the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and the College of Education. The bequest is from the estate of Shirley Van Epps Waple, an alumna from the Class of 1952.

“Named, endowed professorships enable the University to attract, retain and recognize outstanding faculty who are truly experts in their fields,” said President Richard V. Hurley. “This generous gift from Mrs. Waple’s estate is greatly appreciated, and we will honor her legacy by ensuring that UMW professors continue to inspire students to think critically, engage meaningfully and communicate effectively.”

Vice President for Advancement and University Relations Torre Meringolo said each new professorship will be named for Shirley Van Epps Waple.

This is one of the largest single gifts to support academics at the University. Its timing is ideal in advancing President Hurley’s vision for UMW to be among the premier public liberal arts and sciences universities in the nation.”

Originally from Troy, N.Y., Waple majored in psychology at Mary Washington. After graduation in 1952, she returned to New York. Working with her husband Harry, who predeceased her, she co-founded, operated and served as president of the Professional Adjustment Bureau, Inc. of Troy. She was active in numerous professional associations and served in various capacities within several arts and historical organizations. Waple relocated to Richmond in 1999, and she died in September 2010.

A longtime supporter of the University, Waple previously endowed a scholarship for students with financial need, and she made a gift to name an office in the Jepson Alumni Executive Center.

With Thanksgiving a week away, remember to shut off lights, computers, monitors, printers, copiers, etc. before you leave your offices for the break.   Also unplug items in your office such as coffee makers, microwaves, radios, etc. since these small appliances often waste energy when plugged in and not in use.

As you begin to spend this weekend perhaps making final Thanksgiving day plans, here’s a great article we found online about having a “Green” Thanksgiving.  Some good tips are featured in this article including reducing the amount of waste that often accompanies Thanksgiving, ways to keep costs down on the big day, and also general Do’s and Don’ts for an Eco-Thanksgiving:

http://earth911.com/news/2011/11/22/your-guide-to-a-green-thanksgiving/

If you’re also starting to think about getting a start on holiday shopping, November 24th is Small Business Saturday.  Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to support their local economy by patronizing brick and mortar businesses in your community.  Consider if items you plan on buying this holiday season can be purchased from locally owned “mom & pop” stores.

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving — enjoy the break!

Last week’s tip of the week: Green Meetings

Students from the University of Mary Washington were finalists in a preliminary round of the College Fed Challenge competition, held on Friday, Nov. 9 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. In the competition, students delivered 20-minute presentations on monetary policy and were scored on content, teamwork, responses to questions, presentation and style.

Students Patrick Byrne, Robert Herse, Lawton Cooper, Chelsea LeHew, Luke Mendelsohn and Roxy Sklavos presented for UMW. Daniel Abbondanzo, Jose Chavez Guzman, Paul Flather, Colin Jennings and William Zebian were part of UMW’s research support team. Professor of Economics Margaret Ray coached the UMW team.

UMW competed against teams from across the Commonwealth, including the University of Richmond, Virginia Tech and Christopher Newport University. The team from the University of Virginia, winners of the preliminary round, competed against the winners from the Richmond Fed’s Baltimore and Charlotte branches. American University won the overall competition on Nov. 13.

The Richmond Fed sponsors College Fed Challenge, a regional academic competition, to encourage better understanding of the nation’s central bank, the forces influencing economic conditions in the United States and abroad, and the ways the economy affects everyone. More information is available online at www.richmondfed.org/education/.

The 2012 UMW holiday ornament features the front gates and the Carmen Culpeper Chappell Centennial Campanile, complete with “University of Mary Washington” written across the bottom. The ornament includes a navy box with navy lining and an imprinted design on the front. In addition, the box contains a brief description of the locations displayed and the history of the ornament itself.

The ornament is available for $19.99 from the UMW Bookstore, located in Lee Hall, or from the Bookstore’s website.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., shared their business philosophy with attendees of the Fredericksburg Forum on Saturday in Dodd Auditorium.

Their multi-million dollar enterprise uses products created by socially responsible businesses and has begun utilizing only fair-trade ingredients in their ice cream.

Patron ticket holders enjoyed a special treat—a sampling of Ben & Jerry’s signature ice cream flavors, including Cherry Garcia and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Since Cohen and Greenfield served the first Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Burlington, Vt., in 1978, the company has grown into a multi-million dollar entity with an international presence.

Cohen and Greenfield received the Corporate Giving Award from the Council on Economic Priorities in 1988 and were named U.S. Small Businesspersons of the Year by President Ronald Reagan the same year. Their bestselling 1997 book “Ben & Jerry’s Double-Dip: How to Run a Values-Led Business and Make Money, Too” uses their experiences at the helm of Ben & Jerry’s to illustrate their views on socially conscious entrepreneurship. Greenfield currently serves as president of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation.