Nabil Al-Tikriti Monitors Ukrainian National Elections
Nabil Al-Tikriti with OSCE partner at polling station.
On May 19 to 29, 2014, Associate Professor of History and American Studies Nabil Al-Tikriti served as an election monitor for the Ukrainian national elections. One of around 90 Americans joining the 900 strong OSCE (Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe) delegation, Al-Tikriti spent the first two days in Kiev before joining the rest of his 20 person team to monitor the region around Lviv, in Western Ukraine. Together with his Canadian monitoring partner, he visited over a dozen polling stations in and around Yavoriv district, which borders Poland. He also observed ballot counting at the district station in Yavoriv, before visiting numerous historical sites and museums in both Lviv and Kiev, before returning home.
Larochelle Publishes Book Chapter on U.S. Latino Poet
Jeremy Larochelle, Associate Professor of Spanish, published a book chapter entitled “From the Inner City to the Cotton Fields: Living and Working Conditions in Martín Espada’s Poetry” in Acknowledged Legislator: Critical Essays on the Poetry of Martín Espada (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press).
Goehring Presents Paper
James Goehring, Professor of Religion, presented a paper on “The Monastery of Apollo at Bala’izah and Its Literary Texts” at the Annual Meeting of the North American Patristics Society in Chicago,Illinois, held May 22-24, 2014. The paper explored the contents of the library of an important 7th-8th century Coptic Christian Monastery in Upper Egypt.
Catullo Named Coach of the Year
UMW’s Patrick Catullo (left) named VaSID State College Division Coach of the Year.
UMW Eagles Women’s Tennis Head Coach Patrick Catullo was recently named the Virginia Sports Information Directors State College Division Coach of the Year.
Catullo repeats as State Coach of the Year after leading Mary Washington to the 2014 NCAA Tournament third round with an 18-8 record. The Eagles were CAC Champions for the 11th straight year, and advanced to NCAA Tournament for the 16th straight year.
Information and photo courtesy of a VaSID Press Release.
Davidson Presents Research
Jason Davidson, associate professor of Political Science and International Affairs, presented a paper entitled “The Irrelevance of Radical Parties in Coalition Foreign Policy: Italy and the Extremity Hypothesis” during The Italian Left and Foreign Policy conference at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The paper was coauthored with Fabrizio Coticchia of the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy.
O’Donnell Named Associate Provost
Dear Colleagues,
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Timothy O’Donnell has agreed to serve as Associate Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Success. Dr. O’Donnell joined the University of Mary Washington in 1999 as Assistant Professor of Communication and Director of Debate. As Director of Debate, he administered all aspects of the debate program, leading Mary Washington to several national championships and dozens of top ten finishes. He served as Chair of the National Debate Tournament from 2006-2012. Having been named Professor of Communication in 2011, Dr. O’Donnell has published and presented on topics related to communication, debate, and a wide array of social issues. From 2010 to 2013, he led UMW’s decennial self-study for reaffirmation of accreditation by SACS-COC, which was successfully completed in December, 2013. Dr. O’Donnell has a long history of outstanding service to his department, college, and university. As Associate Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Success, he will oversee the Office of Academic and Career Services, the Office of Disability Resources, and the offices administering the Writing Center, the Speaking Center, and the QEP. I look forward to working with Tim in his new role.
I want to express my sincere thanks to the search committee, which brought an outstanding group of finalists to campus. The search took us through the end of the semester, when everybody is especially busy, and I truly appreciate the time and energy put into this search by everyone involved, including those who attended meetings and presentations with the candidates.
Tim has agreed to begin his service as Associate Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Success effective immediately. Please join me in congratulating him as he transitions into this new role.
Jonathan
Jonathan Levin
Provost
Bonds Publishes New Social Problems Text
Eric Bonds, assistant professor of sociology, recently published a new book with Routledge Press, entitled Social Problems: A Human Rights Perspective. The book is based on Bonds’ teaching approach in his Social Issues class at UMW, in which he encourages students to both evaluate U.S. society from an international human rights framework while also considering – from a sociological vantage – what human rights are and what they can mean in the first place.
Baker Selected to be Business Mentor
Brian Baker, executive director for Economic Development at the University of Mary Washington, was invited by the William James Foundation to be a business mentor for companies in the Sustainable Business Plan Competition. This is Baker’s third year as a judge. As a mentor, he will work closely with company management to advance their value proposition.
The William James Foundation, founded by Chuck Dell in 2002, is dedicated to the principle that “people can be of service to their communities through their work.” Dell attributed his inspiration to the teachings of William James, a noted American philosopher. Since 2002, the foundation has provided more than $3 million in direct funding and countless value in in-kind benefits to for-profit social enterprises.
Farnsworth and Hanna Co-author Review Essay
Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, and Stephen P. Hanna, professor and chair of geography, are co-authors of a review essay, “How the Democrats Won Virginia in 2013,” which was published in the Spring 2014 issue of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine.