August 10, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Ballot-topia: UMW Students Praised for Voter Participation

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Junior philosophy major and Campus Vote Project Fellow Kate McDaid (front, left) works with UMW Votes to help freshman Emma Goehner prepare to head to the polls. Seventy-nine percent of UMW students (more than the national average) cast their ballots in the last election. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Junior philosophy major and Campus Vote Project Fellow Kate McDaid (front, left) works with UMW Votes to help freshman Emma Goehner prepare to head to the polls. Seventy-nine percent of UMW students (more than the national average) cast their ballots in the last election. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.

Wearing a white slicker and black rain boots, University of Mary Washington senior Caroline Mowdy approached a tent set up outside George Washington Hall. She needed a ride to the polls. Soon, she was in psychology major Christian Lyman’s blue Toyota Scion and on the way to her voting site, Dorothy Hart Community Center in Fredericksburg.

“As an environmental sustainability major, protections and regulations are important to me,” Mowdy said. “In almost every class I’ve been in, I’ve learned that it all comes back to politics.”

With key Virginia appointments at stake, UMW students like Mowdy braved today’s cool, drizzly weather to get to the polls. It’s the Mary Washington way. Seventy-nine percent of UMW students – more than the national average – cast ballots in the last election, according to the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) report, released last week. Today, UMW Votes, a group that encourages engaged citizenship, lined up a cavalcade of cars, vans and even a trolley to transport students to polling sites and make sure their voices were heard.

“It’s really important, no matter who they vote for,” said sophomore historic preservation major Vivian Reinhardt, who cast her absentee ballot weeks ago but worked with UMW Votes to help those who’d waited until Election Day. “We need more turnout from every age and demographic possible.” Read more.

Literature Course a Matter of Life and Death – and Purpose

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A UMW course called Literature of Death and Purpose has students exploring prose and poetry grappling with grief, loss and life’s meaning. Photo by Annabelle Shuler.

A UMW course called Literature of Death and Purpose has students exploring prose and poetry grappling with grief, loss and life’s meaning. Photo by Annabelle Shuler.

Shelley Nguyen hasn’t landed on a career choice yet, but she’s already contemplating what kind of legacy she wants to leave.

“It’s important to think about how I want to live my life,” said Nguyen, a University of Mary Washington sophomore and international affairs major who spends a few minutes each morning jotting down notes in a gratitude journal. “I’m glad I’m already figuring these things out.”

She began to think along those lines during one of her first courses at Mary Washington: Literature of Death and Purpose. Introduced right before COVID hit in spring of 2020, the timely class covers two millennia of prose and poetry grappling with grief, loss and life’s meaning. In addition to literary analysis, students write letters to their 80-year-old selves, practice connecting with strangers, visit cemeteries and take photos to illustrate what brings them joy. Projects like these have helped them process the pandemic and reflect on what the late poet Mary Oliver – whose work “The Summer Day” made it onto the syllabus – called their “one wild and precious life.”

Conceived and taught by Professor of English Marie McAllister, whose research explores the intersection of literature and medicine as well as 18th-century works, the class was originally meant to focus on health. But, as she began developing it three years ago, McAllister found many pieces that wrestled with death, illness, pain and suffering.

“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty bleak,’” she said, “but much of what has been written about death is actually about how to live our best life while we still can.” Read more.

NSWCDD Hosts Virginia University Leadership Partnering Summit

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DAHLGREN, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWCDD) Commanding Officer Capt. Stephen “Casey” Plew, addresses distinguished attendees at the Virginia University Leadership Partnering Summit. On Oct. 26, the NSWCDD Innovation Lab hosted the event to bring together NSWCDD senior leadership and representatives from six Virginia universities to explore the expansion of academic partnerships between the two parties.

DAHLGREN, Va. – Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWCDD) Commanding Officer Capt. Stephen “Casey” Plew, addresses distinguished attendees at the Virginia University Leadership Partnering Summit. On Oct. 26, the NSWCDD Innovation Lab hosted the event to bring together NSWCDD senior leadership and representatives from six Virginia universities to explore the expansion of academic partnerships between the two parties.

NSWCDD Hosts Virginia University Leadership Partnering Summit

DAHLGREN, Va. – On Oct. 26, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s (NSWCDD) Innovation Lab hosted the Virginia University Leadership Partnering Summit. Presidents, deans and various representatives from six Virginia universities gathered with senior leadership to discuss expanding strategic academic partnerships between the warfare center and Virginia’s top research universities.

The distinguished attendees from the University of Mary Washington, Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Old Dominion University and George Mason University heard briefs from Command and subject matter experts about the future missions at Dahlgren and key research interests, which will impact the future fleet. Brief subjects included current and proposed NSWCDD academic partnership programs as well as artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtualization.

The event was led by NSWCDD Commanding Officer Capt. Stephen ‘Casey’ Plew, Acting Technical Director Darren Barnes and the Chief Technology Office. Throughout the day, the summit leaders opened the floor for questions and constructive dialogue concerning future partnerships that will mutually benefit the universities and NSWCDD.

Following the summit, the attendees were invited to tour the Laser Lethality Lab for a directed energy demonstration.

Attendees/Participants:

Visitors:

Dr. Troy Paino, President, University of Mary Washington
Dr. Tim O’Donnell, University of Mary Washington
Dr. Keith Mellinger, University of Mary Washington
Mr. Michael Hubbard, University of Mary Washington
Dr. Eric Paterson, Virginia Tech
Dr. John Green, Virginia Tech
Dr. Laurel Miner, Virginia Tech
Dr. Melur Ramasubramanian, University of Virginia
Dr. Krzysztof Cios, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Ivelina Metcheva, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. P. Srirama Rao, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Preetam Ghosh, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Gary Tepper, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Eric Weisel, Old Dominion University
Dr. Robert Wojtowicz, Old Dominion University
Dr. Kenneth Ball, George Mason University
Mr. Curry Roberts, President, Fredericksburg Regional Alliance at the University of Mary Washington

NSWCDD:

CAPT Casey Plew, USN, Commanding Officer
Mr. Darren Barnes, SSTM, Technical Director (Acting)
Mr. Chris Clifford, Deputy Technical Director (Acting)
Ms. Terri Gray, Chief of Staff
Ms. Jennifer Clift, SSTM, Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Jeff Solka, SSTM, Distinguished Scientist for Naval Data Sciences
Ms. Karen Smith, Deputy Chief Technology Officer

UMW Theatre presents ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,’ Nov. 11-21

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Nov. 11-21 in Klein Theatre.

UMW Theatre presents
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

November 11 to 21
Klein Theatre
based on the novel by Mark Haddon
adapted by Simon Stephens

Christopher Boone is 15 years old, is quite good at maths, and finds people very confusing. After being accused in the death of his neighbor’s dog, Christopher sets out on a mission to discover the truth. Along the way, he encounters a world that is wildly out of sync with how he sees and processes life around him. Discovering upsetting truths about his family, Christopher ventures beyond what he knows and embarks on a journey that turns his world upside down. Based on the blockbuster novel by Mark Haddon and the winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a coming-of-age-too-soon tale of parents, children, and the challenges of loving, being loved, and accepting who you are.

Tickets available for purchase through the Klein Theatre Box Office, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
540-654-1111 or www.fredtix.com

Head Start Gift Box Drive 2021

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Hello, UMW Faculty and Staff!

COAR’s annual Head Start Gift Box Drive is back this year, and happening right now!

During this drive, we fill wrapped shoebox-size boxes with small toys and necessities for three- to five-year-old students in the Head Start program at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania schools. The boxes will be delivered to the students by Dean Rucker (dressed as Santa) and COAR staff during finals week. Each box should include a small toy, hat, gloves, toothbrush, toothpaste, coloring book/stickers, and markers or crayons. A list of required, recommended, and prohibited items is available on our Facebook page and Instagram, as well as inside the boxes.

We will be tabling at the University Center lobby from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Monday-Friday beginning on November 8 and ending on November 19. Boxes may be checked out at our table or in the Center for Community Engagement during 9:00-5:00 office hours. We are also happy to deliver them to you anywhere on campus – just email us and let us know how many you would like. COAR staff will also be making the rounds in the next two weeks to various academic buildings, so you can pick one up then. We ask that you return any and all boxes by Tuesday, November 23th at 5 PM to the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) Suite 320 in the University Center.

If you are interested in checking out a box (or a few) please do not hesitate to reach out or stop by our table at the UC!

Best,
Carleigh Rahn
COAR Staff Director
coarumw@gmail.com

Flu Clinic at UMW on Tuesday, Nov. 16

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Flu Season Flyer. Tuesday, Nov. 16 Flu Clinic. From the Student Health Center:

Flu season is here! The Student Health Center is collaborating with Giant Pharmacy to administer flu shots to everyone on campus. They will be in the University Center Lobby from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

On these dates, other vaccines will also be available, including the COVID vaccine (Pfizer and J&J) and non-flu vaccines such as Meningitis ACWY, Meningitis B, Tetanus and/or Pertussis, Shingles, and Pneumonia.

Make sure you stay healthy this school year! Come get your flu shot!

Contact the Student Health Center at 540-654-1040 or healthcenter@umw.edu with questions.

Volunteer Servers Needed for Holiday Dining Events

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Thanksgiving Dinner FlyerUniversity Dining will be hosting several special holiday dining events this fall, starting with the annual Thanksgiving Dinner on November 17th, and followed by the Winter Holiday Dinner on December 2nd and the Cram Jam Late Night Breakfast on December 6th, the first night of final exams. Since these special events draw many more guests than usual, it has become tradition here at UMW for students and members of the faculty and staff to volunteer to help serve the food at these events. This year, due to the tremendous labor shortage caused by the current pandemic, University Dining needs volunteer help more than ever.

Volunteers work in teams to prepare plates of food for the students as they come through the serving lines. It’s a great opportunity to have some light-hearted fun with the students, and to also enjoy some great food! All volunteers get their holiday meal free, and they will also receive a coupon for a free retail meal!

Anyone wishing to volunteer can sign up through a Google Volunteer Form. For additional information contact Rose Benedict, rbenedic@umw.com, or call the University Dining Marketing office at 540-654-5982.

Read THE NIGHT WATCHMAN with Mary Washington’s Mother of All Book Clubs

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We are beginning the next round of reading in our online literary group, the Mother of All Book Clubs! This club is open to anyone with a connection to Mary Washington — alumni, parents, donors, faculty, and staff. Join us!

Our next selection is The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich. This book won the Pulitzer Prize this year, is a New York Times bestseller, and is on countless booklists.

From The New York Times:

“Early in this banquet of a novel that invites us back into Louise Erdrich’s ongoing Chippewa chronicles, a character on the reservation boasts, ‘Law can’t take my Indian out of me.’ Unfortunately, the United States government is hoping to do just that through the Termination Bill, an Orwellian plan that promises to ’emancipate’ Indigenous people from their lands and their tribal affiliations…

The novel’s title character, Thomas Wazhashk, is a night watchman for a factory where women of the Turtle Mountain clan work by day, using gemstones as drill bits for Defense Department ordnance and for Bulova watches. Among these working women is Thomas’s niece, Patrice, known against her will as Pixie. Thomas watches over the dark, possibly haunted factory to protect these gems from thieves. The novel follows the fates and struggles and adventures of these two people and the ever-expanding circles of their relations.”

Pick up a copy of the book and start reading–we will begin posting discussion questions on Monday, November 22. You might consider supporting an independent bookstore, or you could try your local library system.

We look forward to reading with you!

All the best,
The Alumni Relations Team