Category: What’s New @ UMW

Department of History and American Studies & Department of Mathematics

An Accidental Cryptologist:  Genevieve Young Hitt
the U.S. Government’s First Female Cryptologist

presented by

Betsy Rohaly Smoot

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

5:00 PM

116 Monroe Hall

Genevieve Young Hitt, wife of U.S. Army Colonel Parker Hitt,  was the first woman to break codes and ciphers for the U.S. government.  She first worked on an unpaid basis during Pershing’s Punitive Expedition, and then as a paid government employee at Fort Sam Houston during World War I.   Recently discovered letters and government records shed light on this remarkable woman, her brief career and her interesting life.

Betsy Rohaly Smoot is a historian at the National Security Agency’s Center for Cryptologic History.  She is a member of the Class of 1982 and majored in Geography and Economics while at Mary Washington.

The holidays are approaching and so are those added pounds. Surveys show that the average person gains 7 pounds during the holiday season. Don’t become a statistic. Join UMW’s Weight Watchers @ Work and shed pounds instead of adding them. Since 2009, the UMW family has dropped thousands of pounds, and as an added benefit; they’ve gotten to know coworkers they don’t often see on a daily basis.

Stop by the WW@W Open House on Wednesday, Oct. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Woodard Campus Center, Red Room. Try scrumptious recipes prepared by the WW@W family and sample delicious Weight Watchers snacks. Talk with Weight Watchers leaders and hear from members about their successes. Learn how you can join the next session, which begins Wednesday, Oct. 17. Find out about the special pricing and benefits for UMW employees.

Bring a friend and your name can be entered in a drawing for a Weight Watchers prize.

Eagle Dining would like to award over $2,000 from its “Go Green” Grant fund to support sustainability efforts in our campus community. We established the “Go Green” Grant fund last year by contributing $5 to the fund for each “Go Green” Commuter meal plan sold. We are now seeking applicants for the grants from UMW students, staff, faculty, or clubs in order to support your sustainability initiatives. For details on the grant process, or to get a copy of the grant application, go to the Eagle Dining website at www.umwdining.com

The University of Mary Washington Department of Political Science and International Affairs, in collaboration with the Joint Warfare Analysis Center, is pleased to announce the continuation of the National Security Lecture Series held at the university’s Dahlgren campus.

Jack Kramer, who lectured last spring, will kick off the series and focus on Russian foreign policy.  Ranjit Singh, who also lectured last spring, will follow up his Arab Spring presentation by providing participants with additional insights into the Syria crisis.  Congressman Rob Wittman will overview the ways in which sequestration will impact the federal budget, the resulting impact on our nation’s defense and national security implications.  Finally, Stephen Farnsworth, who directs the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, will focus on the 2012 campaign and election, paying special attention to national security issues.

The programs start at 8 a.m. with registration, refreshments and networking followed by the lecture starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 10 a.m.  The lectures will include time for each speaker’s presentation along with opportunities for questions and answers.  While there is no cost to attend, we ask that you register for each lecture at http://dahlgren.umw.edu/.

Wednesday, Oct. 3: “Russian Foreign Policy: Strategic Challenges for the United States” by Jack Kramer, distinguished professor of political science and international affairs

Wednesday, Oct. 10: “Sequestration and the Federal Budget – Implications for the Department of Defense and National Security” by Rep. Rob Wittman

Tuesday, Oct. 30: “The Syria Crisis: Personal, National and Regional Insecurity” by Ranjit Singh, associate professor of political science

Wednesday, Nov. 14: “The 2012 Presidential Election: The Media, Public Opinion and International Issues” by Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies

Please join the Staff Advisory Council (S.A.C.) in participating in the Governor’s announced “Day of Service in Virginia” campaign, now through Saturday, Sept. 29.

If every UMW employee brings just one non-perishable food item to the Eagles in Service donation sites listed below, UMW will collect 869 items to help replenish our area’s food banks.

Donation Locations:

• Marye House
• George Washington Hall, 3^rd Floor
• Facilities Services Lobby
• Jepson Alumni Executive Center Lobby
• University Relations, Eagle Village, Suite 300
• Lee Hall – 2^nd and 3^rd floors
• Trinkle Hall, Education Suite, 2^nd floor
• Stafford Campus, North and South buildings

Donation boxes will be available on Campus Walk and Lee Terrace at the Alzheimer’s Walk on Saturday, Sept. 29 – the final day of the Eagles in Service Food Drive!