June 22, 2026

EagleEye

A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff

Rotter, Di Lauro & Mellinger Join WFVA’s Town Talk to Highlight ‘World on a Plate’ Course

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Marcel Rotter, Brooke Di Lauro, and Keith Mellinger sit together at a table to record the episode at WFVA

Marcel Rotter, Brooke Di Lauro, and Keith Mellinger preview a UMW course, “World on a Plate: A Journey Through Global Cuisines”

Associate Professor of German Marcel Rotter, Professor of French Brooke Di Lauro, and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Keith Mellinger got together to talk with NewsTalk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk. The trio previewed “World on a Plate: A Journey Through Global Cuisines,” a free five-week virtual course hosted by UMW beginning the week of June 22.

Held via Zoom and open to the community, the series will explore the history, culture, traditions and stories behind cuisines from around the world. Listen to the episode. Registration information is available through the UMW’s alumni program at alumni.umw.edu.

Mellinger, Kelly and Tabak Discuss What’s New at UMW on WFVA Town Talk

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Three academic deans — Keith Mellinger (College of Arts and Sciences), Pete Kelly (College of Education), and Filiz Tabak (College of Business)

Academic Deans Keith Mellinger (College of Arts and Sciences), Pete Kelly (College of Education), and Filiz Tabak (College of Business) at WFVA

Three academic deans — Keith Mellinger (College of Arts and Sciences), Pete Kelly (College of Education), and Filiz Tabak (College of Business) — appeared on News Talk 1230 WFVA’s Town Talk to discuss new majors, academic programs, and strategic initiatives taking shape across campus.

The conversation also highlights standout faculty, growing community and industry partnerships, and how each college is preparing students for a rapidly changing world. Together, the deans offer insight into the evolving academic landscape at UMW and the priorities driving innovation within their schools. Listen to the episode.

 

Mellinger Adds to Documentary on Bluegrass in Fredericksburg

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College of Arts and Sciences Dean and Professor of Mathematics Keith Mellinger

College of Arts and Sciences Dean and Professor of Mathematics Keith Mellinger

Exercise, sports, reading, and the list could go on! What is your favorite pastime? Well, Keith Mellinger, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Mathematics, chooses Bluegrass! That’s one you don’t hear often! “I think there’s a lot of deep-seeded, deep roots of Bluegrass in Virginia,” Mellinger said in a recently released documentary titled “Bluegrass Thrives in Fredericksburg.” Watch the documentary.

Computer Science Pathway Program Celebrated

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From left to right, UMW students Steven Deverteuil, Arsalan Ahmad, Meghan Cooke, Dylan Meyers and Suad Parvez gathered in Farmer Hall Tuesday for an event recognizing students either accepted to or interested in a master of engineering in computer science pathway agreement between UMW and Virginia Tech.

From left to right, UMW students Steven Deverteuil, Arsalan Ahmad, Meghan Cooke,
Dylan Meyers and Suad Parvez gathered in Farmer Hall Tuesday for an event recognizing students either accepted to or interested in a master of engineering in computer science pathway agreement between UMW and Virginia Tech.

Dannette Beane, assistant vice provost of enrollment management for strategic initiatives at Virginia Tech, visited UMW’s Computer Science department on Tuesday, March 29, to recognize students accepted to or interested in a partnership program in computer science and applications.

Part of Virginia’s Tech Talent Pipeline, the “4+1 pathway” pairs foundational and dual-credit coursework, preparing UMW students for early admission to grad school and the possibility of earning a master’s degree from Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering in less than two years. As many as six Mary Washington credits count also toward the master’s degree.

Senior Stephen Deverteuil, the first UMW student admitted to the computer science pathway program, joined fellow students Arsalan Ahmad, Meghan Cooke, Dylan Meyer and Suad Parvez for the event. UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger and Assistant Dean Betsy Lewis, as well as Computer Science Chair Karen Anewalt, also attended.

From left to right, Virginia Tech's Dannette Beane, UMW senior Steven DeVerteuil, UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, UMW senior Meghan Cooke and UMW Department of Computer Science Chair Karen Anewalt.

From left to right, Virginia Tech’s Dannette Beane, UMW senior Steven DeVerteuil, UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, UMW senior Meghan Cooke and UMW Department of Computer Science Chair Karen Anewalt.

The group gathered in Farmer Hall to pose for photos wearing Virginia Tech T-shirts!

One Month Left: x2 Match to Beyond the Classroom Endowment

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Beyond the Classroom Endowment

You know firsthand the value of high-impact learning experiences at Mary Washington — undergraduate research, independent study, study abroad, and internships. We created the Beyond the Classroom Endowment to ensure that UMW students will always have these meaningful opportunities to apply and expand their learning.

I am grateful to Dr. Cathie Woteki ’69 and her husband Tom Woteki for matching all gifts to the Beyond the Classroom Endowment through the end of July. Generous donors have already given more than $26,000 since the match was announced in late May, and their total impact exceeds $50,000 thanks to this dollar-for-dollar match. Overall, we are about two-thirds of the way to our target of $250,000 by the end of 2021, with an ultimate goal of $1 million.

I hope you will take a moment to hear about the impact of gifts to the Beyond the Classroom Endowment in this short video message from Cathie. If you have not already given, please consider donating before the match ends July 31. Thank you for all of the ways you support Mary Washington students!

With gratitude,

Dr. Keith Mellinger, Dean
College of Arts and Sciences

P.S. Read more about Cathie and the match in this story.

Make Your Gift for the x2 Match

 

UMW Offers Free Course to All: ‘Life After COVID’

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Building on the enthusiastic response to last year’s COVID-19 in Context course, the University of Mary Washington is offering another free, open-to-all series in June. Life After COVID, delivered to homes, backyards and porches via Zoom and YouTube, will run Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 1 to July 1.

Life After COVID artwork featuring a man on a ladder leaning on a coronavirus cell, looking through a telescope. “We view opportunities such as the Life After COVID course as part of our mission as a public liberal arts and sciences institution,” said UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, who is co-facilitating the course with Assistant Dean Betsy Lewis and Communication and Digital Studies Chair Anand Rao.

UMW’s largest course ever, last year’s COVID-19 in Context event reached nearly 2,000 participants in 39 states, plus Washington, D.C., and countries across the globe, including Canada, England, France, Switzerland, Japan and Ghana. Like its predecessor, the course this summer will bring together current and incoming students, alumni, parents, community members, faculty and staff to explore timely COVID-related topics, Rao said. “It’s a big tent for academic discussion, which is the best model of what higher education can provide in today’s world.” Read more.

“A Climate of Change” Featured in The Free Lance-Star

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A Climate of Change flyer“A Climate of Change,” hosted by UMW and Marstel-Day, a local environmental consulting firm, was featured in The Free Lance-Star. This three-part series of public discussions with local leaders, held on Tuesdays in April on Zoom, aims to amp up critical dialogue about climate change and issues like environmental justice, clean energy and conservation. Following each discussion, UMW College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger and Marstel-Day President and CEO Rebecca Rubin will moderate a public question-and-answer session. Read more.

A Climate of Change: An Earth Day Mini Series

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A Climate of Change FlyerCLEAR (Climate Environment and Resilience) is presenting “A Climate of Change,” an Earth Day mini-series of public sessions to talk about environmental issues facing the Fredericksburg region. They will happen every Tuesday in April, at 4 p.m. via Zoom. After the presentations, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger will moderate a Q&A with Rebecca Rubin of the Fredericksburg-based environmental firm Marstel-Day.

Climate and Environmental Justice, 4/6

  • Delegate Josh Cole – Virginia House of Delegates, District 28, President of Stafford County NAACP
  • Qasim Rashid – Human Rights Lawyer and Author
  • Kendyl Crawford – Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, Director, Member of the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://umw-sso.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pGRsvTvsRGWXxJd_nLwXDQ

 

Climate and Clean Energy, 4/13

  • Dr. Matt Eberhardt – Deputy Superintendent, Fredericksburg City Public Schools
  • Mayor Katherine Greenlaw – Fredericksburg City Mayor
  • Robert Courtnage – Fredericksburg Clean and Green Commission
  • David Cooper – The Brisben Center

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://umw-sso.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vOzVORiLQm6D4owhPW9LtA

 

Climate and Conservation, 4/20

  • Daria Christian – Executive Director, Friends of the Rappahannock
  • John Tippett – Professor, UMW
  • Alan Rowsome – Executive Director, Northern Virginia Conservation Trust

Register in advance for this webinar:

https://umw-sso.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TAyJ4rEXRji3ySenNOVIKg

Mellinger Writes Editorial on Sir Isaac Newton for “Great Lives” Lecture

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Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton

College of Arts and Sciences Dean and Professor of Mathematics Keith Mellinger wrote an editorial about Sir Isaac Newton in advance of his “Great Lives” lecture on Feb. 2. The Zoom talk may be accessed online at umw.edu/greatlives.

BORN ON Christmas Day in 1642 to a family of humble roots, Isaac Newton grew to be regarded by many as the most influential scientist who ever lived. As a child, he showed great talent, and before the age of 30, he laid the foundations for mathematical and scientific theories that changed the world.

Michael Hart’s often debated 1978 book, “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,” placed Newton in second place, perhaps a surprising outcome for one whose work was not political or religious, areas where individuals tend to have profound influence.

After a deep dive into Newton’s contributions, one can easily be convinced. Read more.