Notable and Quotable

Educators Abigail Omans Seeley ’78 and Seth Kennard ’01 have earned separate honors for their contributions to student learning. Seeley, a sixth-grade teacher at Orange Hunt Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia, was named the 2015 Virginia History Teacher of the Year. The award is presented by the Virginia Department of Education in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, cable television channel History, and Preserve America. “Abby Seeley is known for providing lessons that accentuate the uniqueness of each student … and help them develop critical-thinking skills,” according to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples. Kennard, principal of Charles Barrett Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, earned The Washington Post’s 2015 Distinguished Educational Leadership award. He was recognized for his commitment to engaging all students. He has expanded his school’s tutoring program and doubled its community … [Read more...]

Jennifer Mozolic ’03, a professor of psychology at North Carolina’s private Warren Wilson College, has been named to NerdScholar’s second annual list of “40 Under 40: Professors Who Inspire.” NerdScholar, a financial literacy website focusing on college students, said in a news release that the 40 professors under age 40 were chosen “based on their ability to captivate and engage students in the classroom, their outstanding involvement on campus and in the community, and their overwhelming passion for their subject matter.” A story on Warren Wilson’s website quotes Mozolic saying she is “fascinated by the way the brain supports human thought and behavior. In my classes, I love connecting students to the basics of neuroanatomy and neuropsychology by providing them opportunities to experience things firsthand – like touching a human brain or hearing nerve cells sending signals.” Mozolic is in her seventh year of teaching at the college. At Mary Washington, she majored in biology and … [Read more...]

The University of Mary Washington athletic department has dedicated a court at its Edward H. Hegmann II Tennis Complex in honor of two-time national champion and three-time All-American Christine L. Copper ’91, a professor of chemistry at the U.S.Naval Academy. Copper, a UMW Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, achieved a singles record of 114-30 and was named NCAA Division III National Senior Player of the Year. A founding member of the Eagle Club Advisory Board, she has contributed more than $10,000 to the Eagle Club. “Christy was one of the greatest players in Mary Washington history and had many victories on that court,” said UMW Director of Athletics Ken Tyler. “More importantly, her legacy of leadership and support to UMW continues to make a difference for our current student athletes.” … [Read more...]