A Newsletter for UMW Faculty and Staff
On October 20, from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the lobby of the UC we will be celebrating International Pronouns Day. On that day, we will be making pronoun buttons in recognition of how important it is to respect others’ pronouns and to share our own pronouns. All are welcome. We will be giving out stickers and buttons.
Please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu with questions.
The UMW Safe Zone program offers workshops that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. At the end of each workshop, participants have the opportunity to become a Safe Zone ally for our campus. Safe Zone allies are individuals who will:
We offer several types of Safe Zone programs every semester for faculty and staff. All faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend these workshops, including adjunct faculty and part-time staff.
If you would like to attend one or all of these events, please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu. Registration is required to attend. Please also keep in mind that all participants are expected to wear a mask and to wear that mask correctly throughout the entire Safe Zone program. If you do not comply with this policy, then you will be asked to leave.
Please stop by the Safe Zone table in the lobby of the University Center on Monday, August 30 from 11:00-1:00 or Tuesday, August 31 from 12:30-2:00. We will have helpful resources and awesome swag to give out. If you have questions about the Safe Zone program, please reach out to Dr. Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu or check out our website bit.ly/UMWsafezone.
If your office, department, or students would like to schedule a training, then please email Laura. If you would like more information about Safe Zone at UMW, to see the list of allies on our campus, or access LGBTQ+ inclusion resources, please visit our website at bit.ly/UMWsafezone. Also, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram @umwsafezone.
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson was interviewed by The Washington Post on her thoughts about the recent Colorado shooting for an article entitled, “Police officer killed in ‘ambush’ by man who ‘expressed hatred’ of law enforcement, officials say.” The article also ran in The Sentinel Source.
Laura C. Wilson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, said that years ago she might have thought about each mass shooting or shooting in a public place as having unique characteristics that affect survivors. But she now considers the trauma of multiple events. Read more.
Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology
Associate Professor of Psychological Science Laura Wilson was interviewed on the March 22 grocery store shooting in Boulder, Colorado, in the North Arkansas Democrat Gazette article entitled, “A closed door, and a prayer: Woman hid as man fired shots in Colorado.”
[Wilson] has focused on post-trauma functioning from mass trauma. She says most people’s exposure and understanding of mass shootings consists of the immediate aftermath.
“They see the news coverage of the crime scene and watch the investigators’ news briefing,” Wilson said. “Within a few days the news trucks leave and people’s attention turns to the next major news event. This is when the grief and recovery work starts for the survivors.”
Wilson said every person will process the events differently. Some will have intense, acute reactions that subside in a few days or weeks. Effects could be chronic for others, and some experience delayed reactions.
“Each person is different, and their recovery will look different,” she said. Read more.
The UMW Safe Zone program offers workshops that are designed to educate members of the University community about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) issues to increase the safety and inclusion of all campus citizens. We are excited to announce the following Spring programs:
Registration is required to attend each event, and space is limited. If you are interested in registering for the Basic and/or Advanced training, or would like to express interest in the Book Club and/or Identity and Intersectionality Workshop, then please provide your information at http://umw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_57QYFoE4BvcEGz4.
Laura Wilson, associate professor of psychology
Associate Professor of Psychology Laura Wilson spoke with WHRO Public Media, an NPR affiliate in Norfolk, about the anniversary of the Virginia Beach mass shooting on May 31 and the process of recovery for survivors.
People work through trauma in different ways, said Laura Wilson, a psychology professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Some may have channel their grief into political activism, some people organize events, some retreat into themselves, while others seek solace in people who can relate to their experience.
“Anything a person can do to create meaning around a loss can be vital to getting their life back on track,” she said.
But any of those things is likely more difficult in a pandemic.
“As you start to put additional stressors on people who are already struggling, that’s only going to further impact their mental health issues,” Wilson said. Read more.
