mthad2zw Archives

Thaden and Orlando Preview Mary Wash Day, Reunion Weekend on ‘Town Talk’

April 4, 2024 by kotero

Mark Thaden and Shelby Orlando

Executive Director of Alumni Engagement Mark Thaden and Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando preview Mary Wash Day on April 4 and Reunion Weekend May 30-June 2 on WFVA Radio’s ‘Town Talk.’ “Our goals are 2,500 gifts, including 1,000 alumni donors and 250 first-time donors,” said Shelby Orlando. “The goal really is to celebrate milestone reunions, so we start at the 10th and go all the way out to the 65th reunion and beyond. The goal is to create an immersive experience where they get to relive their college days, experience campus, connect with faculty and connect with their former classmates,” said Mark Thaden. Listen to the episode.

Faculty Needed for Alumni College During Reunion Weekend

November 17, 2022 by Guest Author

Plans for Reunion Weekend 2023 are well underway. Classes ending in 3 and 8 will be celebrating their reunions on campus June 1-4, 2023. An integral part of the weekend are Alumni College lectures by UMW faculty. Lectures are an hour long and span all topics and disciplines. The alumni engagement office invites all faculty who are interested in presenting during Reunion Weekend to contact Mark Thaden at mark.thaden@umw.edu or ext. 2160 by December 14 to discuss further. Thank you in advance!

Thaden, Devlin Interviewed in The Free Lance-Star on LGBTQ Oral History Project

June 29, 2021 by Guest Author

Executive Director of Alumni Relations Mark Thaden

Executive Director of Alumni Relations Mark Thaden ’02 and Associate Professor of History and American Studies Erin Devlin were interviewed in The Free Lance-Star about Mary Washington’s LGBTQ Alumni Oral History Project. UMW Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives just launched the oral history collection, made up of recorded interviews and transcripts by students in Devlin’s oral history seminar in 2019.

When Mark Thaden first arrived at the University of Mary Washington in the late 1990s, the campus LGBTQ group met quietly, behind closed doors, in an upstairs room of the campus center.

“It was a social group, but it was very much about support,” said Thaden, a 2002 graduate of UMW who is now the university’s executive director of alumni relations.

Thaden said he was not out when he came to UMW from rural Maryland and a small, Catholic high school. At the club carnival early his freshman year, he was excited to see that there was an LGBTQ campus group, but he was too nervous at first to approach members.

Associate Professor of History and American Studies Erin Devlin

Luckily, a friend signed him up to receive the group’s emails and the meetings became formative in his journey toward self-acceptance.

“That’s where I started feeling more comfortable, being with people who were comfortable with themselves,” Thaden said. “That’s where I started feeling like it was OK.”

Thaden’s memories and those of two dozen other LGBTQ alumni were recorded and transcribed in 2019 by students in Associate Professor Erin Devlin’s Oral History seminar. Read more.

Feeling Alone? Phone a Mary Washington Friend

March 25, 2020 by Guest Author

A Mary Washington student using a hall telephone in 1965

The Alumni Relations Team has reached out to alumni who may be feeling isolated due to social distancing with the following letter.

Mary Washington Alumni,

It seems that each day we are waking up to a world of uncertainty as the impact of the novel coronavirus (or COVID-19) spreads across the globe. Millions of people are being encouraged to distance themselves from others, creating a prolonged period of isolation.

Humans are social beings, and isolation can be extremely difficult with potential health implications. As UMW President Troy D. Paino recently said, “Mary Washington stands for so much—education, empowerment, integrity, caring, and compassion. But most of all, people. At Mary Washington, it’s always about people.”

In an effort to support our alumni, students, and community, the Alumni Relations team is excited to launch the “Phone a Mary Washington Friend” program. During program hours, anyone feeling isolated from the world and craving some human interaction may call to speak with a caring and friendly member of the UMW team.

Phone A Mary Washington Friend
10am-8pm (Eastern)
Monday through Saturday
(540) 654-1173

Tell us about your favorite professors or places on campus, the friends you met, and the career path you took. Or, share your ideas of what we can do in the future. While right now it might feel like it, no one in our community is alone. Someone who is happy to connect is just a phone call away.

Together, we will get through this challenging time and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like further information. We appreciate your support as we navigate this unprecedented situation.

Sincerely,

The Alumni Relations Team

Feeling Alone? Phone a Mary Washington Friend

March 18, 2020 by Mark Thaden

A Mary Washington student using a hall telephone in 1965

The Alumni Relations Team has reached out to alumni who may be feeling isolated due to social distancing with the following letter.

Mary Washington Alumni,

Phone A Mary Washington Friend
10am-8pm (Eastern)
Monday through Saturday
(540) 654-1173

Sincerely,

The Alumni Relations Team

Alumni Relations Hosts Volunteer Leadership Summit, Jan. 31-Feb. 2

January 30, 2020 by jlaiacon

The UMW Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to host their second biannual Volunteer Leadership Summit January 31 – February 2. Nearly 90 alumni leaders from across the country are expected on campus to network, share ideas, and learn leadership strategies and best practices. Summit highlights include a presentation by Shin Fujiyama ’07, Founder and Executive Director, Students Helping Honduras, and a keynote address by Capt. Nizhonlii Robinson, of the United States Naval Academy, entitled “Leadership is a Relationship.” The summit will conclude with a “Spirited Social” at A. Smith Bowman Distillery. Representatives from the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Young Alumni Council, UMW Foundation Board of Directors, College of Business Executive Advisory Board, College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Board, College of Education Advisory Board, Regional Network Leaders, Affinity Group Leaders, Honors Program Advisory Board, Student Alumni Ambassadors, and others will be in attendance. A few spaces remain for faculty and staff to attend. Email Mark Thaden – mthad2zw@umw.edu if you would like to attend.

Reunion Weekend Presenters Wanted

October 6, 2016 by Erika Spivey

Save the Date! Alumni from the classes ending in 2 and 7 will be celebrating their reunions June 2-4, 2017. As in previous years, Alumni Relations will be coordinating Alumni College during Reunion Weekend – a series of one-hour lectures from faculty on a variety of topics. Alumni College lectures are a highlight for reunion attendees. We invite all faculty to participate in the Alumni College program. Please contact Mark Thaden at mark.thaden@umw.edu no later than Nov.r 1 to express interest in participating in the program. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Retirement Reception for Cynthia Snyder, June 5

May 20, 2014 by Mark Thaden

Cynthia L. Snyder ’75 will be retiring from the University of Mary Washington in June. In honor of, and in appreciation for, Cindy’s decades of service to Mary Washington, we ask you to join us for a special reception on Thursday, June 5, from 3:30 – 5 p.m. in the Kalnen Inn at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center.

For catering purposes, please confirm your attendance by Monday, June 2 to mark.thaden@umw.edu.

Volunteer for Reunion Weekend, June 1-3

May 23, 2012 by Brynn Boyer

Are you interested in volunteering for Reunion Weekend? We are expecting over 700 alumni and guests to visit UMW the Friday, June 1 through Sunday, June 3, and we need your help to make everything run smoothly. If you have not done so already, please check out the Reunion Weekend website at www.umw.edu/reunionweekend to see the schedule and recent announcements.

In order for Reunion Weekend to be a success, we need dozens of volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks. There are over 150 different shifts available throughout the weekend, and duties range from riding the trolley to Carl’s to taking tickets at the picnic. This year we’re using VolunteerSpot, an online coordination tool, to help us organize the volunteer registration process. Please click the link below to view the various volunteer opportunities and to sign up. Once you enter your email address, select the day you are interested in volunteering and a menu of volunteer opportunities will be available. Choose whichever ones best fit your time schedule and talents.

http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/762345634252728038

You are welcome to sign up for as much or as little as your schedule will allow. Each volunteer will receive a free Reunion Weekend t-shirt. Volunteer shirts will be in red so alumni and guests know who is working the event. Mark Thaden, director of Alumni Relations, will send a follow up note the week before Reunion Weekend confirming your time and duties as well as any other specific information you may need for your shift. Please feel free to forward this to any alumni, friends, or colleagues who may be interested in volunteering.

If you would like additional information or if you have any questions, contact Mark Thaden at (540) 654-1011.