A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds provided a commentary to the Virginia Mercury titled “Data centers and Virginia’s special kind of denialism.” Bonds wrote “The reelection of Donald Trump shows the continued prevalence of climate denialism, which involves a rejection of the scientific consensus that human activity is changing the climate.” Read the article.
Mary Washington faculty share expertise on ‘With Good Reason,’ a national radio program that inspires thought, discovery and action through public engagement and dialogue on topics that shape our world.
Imposter syndrome, photoshopping, the complexities of foreign alliances, political humor, the magic of Disney World and shared musical experiences – these are just a few of the topics on which University of Mary Washington professors have contributed their expertise over the radio airwaves this past year.
UMW is proud to announce the continued success of its collaboration with Virginia Humanities’ With Good Reason radio program, which brings the research and insights of Virginia’s top educators to audiences across the nation. Each week, over 100,000 listeners tune in to 128 radio stations throughout Virginia, Washington, D.C., and 38 states to hear thought-provoking discussions with leading academics. Thousands more listen to the episodes through iTunes podcasts.
The partnership between UMW and Virginia Humanities helps showcase valuable work in Virginia’s higher education system. Since last summer, a dozen Mary Washington faculty members were featured on With Good Reason, either as new guests or in re-aired episodes that continue to draw audiences. Read more.
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Eric Bonds discussed the possibility of energy-intensive data centers in Fredericksburg and their climate and environmental impact in an op-ed piece for the Fredericksburg Free Press entitled “My Education in Data-Center Secrecy and Green Illusions.” Read the op-ed.
In addition, recent media mentions for Bonds include:
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds penned a recent opinion piece titled “Fredericksburg Can Find Another Way on Data Centers,” published in the FXBG Advance. In the piece, Bonds discusses the concept of climate denialism and Fredericksburg City Council’s entertainment of a proposal to use $200,000 of city funds to conduct a preliminary study in order to attract climate-harming data centers to our community. Read the column.
From left to right: UMW students Stephen McClanahan, Rob Willcox and Katie Reif adjust lighting and camera equipment. With their mentor, Assistant Professor of Communication and Digital Studies J.D. Swerzenski, the trio conducted interviews, scouted locations, got familiar with equipment and the editing process, and honed other skills. The five-week filmmaking session was part of UMW’s Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute. Photo by Suzanne Carr Rossi.[/caption]
University of Mary Washington senior Stephen McClanahan spent five weeks this summer practicing filmmaking. A psychology major, he saw the session as the next step in carving out the career he’s hoping to build.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to have access to this technology the university offers while also getting hands-on experience with filming and editing footage,” said Rob Willcox, an anthropology and theatre major who also took part in the video project.
Led by Assistant Professor of Communication and Digital Studies J.D. Swerzenski, the summer filmmaking course – packed with interviews, location scouting, lighting set-up, editing and more – was part of UMW’s Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Summer Institute (AHSSSI). The collection of immersive hands-on learning experiences, designed to give students real-world expertise they can add to their résumés, also included psychology, environmental sociology and 3-D design work, all done side-by-side with faculty mentors.
“Lots of universities offer research opportunities to students, only to have them end up doing menial work. That isn’t what happened this summer,” Tobias Conner, a senior psychology major who plans to pursue a Ph.D., said of AHSSSI, for which students receive free room and board, as well as a paycheck. “We were doing real research every step of the way, from researching our primary sources in week one, to building the study, running participants, and assessing data by the end.” Read more.