Category: What’s New @ UMW

Preparation of the construction site and fencing began this week in the vacant retail space between the University of Mary Washington Foundation’s Eagle Village complex and Giant Food, to allow for construction of the new Hyatt Place hotel. The hotel will be located in the second phase of the Eagle Village mixed-use development adjacent to UMW’s Fredericksburg campus.

The work will continue through mid August. During that period, lanes may be re-routed around the building on a day-to-day basis, but no major roadway closures are expected, according to Jeff Rountree, chief executive officer for the UMW Foundation.

The five-story, 66,500-square-foot hotel is scheduled to open its doors by fall 2013. The hotel will include 93 studio rooms or suites, several meeting and conference rooms for public rent and 24-hour food and beverage service for guests. The 66,500-square-foot facility also will include an indoor pool and a fitness center. In addition, the building will house approximately 1,400 square feet of retail space and possibly a day spa, according to Rountree.

As announced in June, the Hyatt Place will be the first to benefit from the new Virginia Tourism Development financing project.

Drema Khraibani of Woodbridge, Va., has been named the 2012-2013 recipient of the University of Mary Washington’s Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership.

The annual award is given to a rising senior enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate degree program at UMW. The student must possess characteristics of leadership and a personal commitment to advocating an appreciation for diversity and inclusion on campus.

As the award recipient, Khraibani will serve as an active spokesperson for diversity inclusion, a peer mentor to students and a voice for underrepresented populations, while maintaining high academic standards.

Khraibani, an environmental science and secondary education double major, is a student representative for the President’s Council on Sustainability, the Fredericksburg Forum and the RISE Peer Mentor Program. She is a member and past president of the Islamic Student Association and is an active member of Kappa Delta Pi, an education honor society. Khraibani, daughter of Mohamed Khraibani of Lorton and Donna Bailey of Woodbridge, is a 2009 graduate of Freedom High School.

University of Mary Washington seniors Jennifer Crystle, Christine LaPlaca and Riham Osman have been chosen as writing interns as part of Phi Beta Kappa’s new two-semester internship program.

During the internship, the students will prepare a series of brief articles for publication on Phi Beta Kappa’s national website for news and alumni relations.

Phi Beta Kappa, based in Washington, D.C., is the nation’s oldest academic honor society focused on the liberal arts. The Kappa Chapter of Virginia was established at Mary Washington in 1971.

Congratulations to Michele Neeley, manager of work management services in facilities services, who has been selected as an Excellent Eagle Employee for the month of July. A parking spot of her choosing has been reserved for her until the end of the month.

Here is what one of her co-workers said about her:

“I work with Michele often on van reservations and work requests and she is always friendly, flexible, and extremely helpful. I often travel to Facilities to chat with her face to face about any requests since she is so helpful and I like to see her smiling face. To me, her interactions with co-workers is what makes UMW feel most like a family. Michele’s level of customer service is something all employees should strive for and that is why I believe she deserves the Excellent Eagle Employee.”

To nominate someone who you believe is an Excellent Eagle Employee, send an email to Priscilla Sullivan (psulliva@umw.edu) with Excellent Eagle Employee in the subject line.  In your email, be sure to list the person’s name, department, work location (with the most convenient parking lot), and of course, the reason why you believe they should be recognized.  Please spread the word to other employees about this wonderful opportunity to recognize a co-worker(s).

Please save the date

for the

19th Annual

Leadership Colloquium for Professional Women

Thursday, November 8, 2012

at the

UMW Stafford Campus