On Campus

The University of Mary Washington has a new provost and a special adviser to President Troy D. Paino. In addition, the colleges of education, business, and arts and sciences all have new leadership, and there’s a new interim vice president for administration and finance. UMW Professor of Philosophy Nina Mikhalevsky became provost in July after serving in high-level administrative positions and teaching at UMW since 2006. As provost, she is the university’s chief academic officer, responsible for oversight of all academic programs, planning and budgets, and faculty matters. She works with the deans and the faculty to lead university initiatives in teaching and research. Her areas of academic expertise and research include aesthetics, ethics and political theory, women in STEM, women’s education and pedagogy, and the history of women’s education. Jeffrey W. McClurken ’94 became special adviser to the president in May, assuming many of the duties of chief of staff Martin A. … [Read more...]

Lisa Jamison Bowling ’89 is the University of Mary Washington’s new vice president for advancement and university relations, including oversight of alumni relations. Bowling served for the past seven years as assistant vice president for resource development at Roanoke College, where she was instrumental in a $200 million comprehensive campaign. She also led a strategic assessment of the institution’s positioning and branding. Bowling spent 10 years at Ferrum College before joining Roanoke College. Immediately after graduating from Mary Washington with a double major in English and political science, she worked in marketing and public relations for various companies and nonprofits. She earned an MBA from Wake Forest University in 2009. “Few people have the opportunity to help shape the place that was most formative to them,” Bowling said. “Mary Washington placed me on a path of success, and I hope to parlay my experiences into a powerful impact for the university and its … [Read more...]

Kimberly C. Young has been named UMW’s executive director of continuing and professional studies, including new certificate opportunities and career development for working adults. Young is focusing on expanding Mary Washington’s credit and noncredit programs for adults. She’s based at the Stafford campus, but courses will also be offered on the Fredericksburg and Dahlgren campuses and in the community. Young has nearly 20 years’ experience in education, consulting, and marketing. She comes to the university from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she directed executive MBA programs and led a team in development, marketing, and delivery of programs serving adult learners. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy studies from Duke University and a master of management degree and an MBA from Cornell University. … [Read more...]

NASPA, the leading association for the student affairs profession, honored Dean of Student Life Cedric Rucker ’81 with its Region III Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award during a ceremony in June. Rucker, who also is UMW’s associate vice president of student affairs, has worked to build strong organizations for underrepresented students. The award recognizes Rucker’s commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion, and signifies that fellow student affairs professionals value his contributions. Professor of Education Marie Sheckels was named the recipient of the 2017 Waple Faculty Professional Achievement Award last April. Sheckels has held several leadership positions during her 35 years at UMW, in which time she rose from lecturer to professor. Established in honor of Shirley Van Epps Waple ’52, the award recognizes faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to their scholarly or creative area. The Association for Psychological Science (APS) named Laura C. Wilson, … [Read more...]

In June, the Virginia Governor’s Office announced the appointment of Devon Williams Cushman ’93 of Richmond and Patricia “Pat” Gwaltney McGinnis ’69 of Washington, D.C., to the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors. They will serve four-year terms, which expire June 30, 2021. They succeed Kenneth J. Lopez ’92 and Lisa D. Taylor ’85. Cushman has served as senior counsel at Capital One in Richmond since 2012. From 2005 to 2012, she worked as an attorney for Hirschler Fleischer. Law & Politics named her a Virginia Rising Star in business litigation, and Virginia Business recognized her as Legal Elite among lawyers under 40. She was an attorney for Morris & Morris P.C. from 2003 to 2005. Before building her law career, Cushman was an account executive for GMMB, a public relations and communications agency in Washington, D.C., where she worked with Fortune 500 companies. Cushman has taught advanced trial practice at the University of Richmond School of Law, where she … [Read more...]

Natalie Kerr ’95, a professor of psychology at James Madison University, visited UMW as the 2017 Graduate-in-Residence in the Department of Psychological Science. Kerr gave a lecture, From the Bedroom to the Highway: The Science of Smartphone Addiction and Distraction, and she presented her research to cognitive and developmental psychology classes. She also met with students who are interested in pursuing graduate school or careers in related fields. After Mary Washington, she earned a master of arts in experimental psychology from Hollins University and a doctorate in social psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She returned to UMW for a year as a visiting assistant professor before joining the faculty at JMU. The JMU Department of Psychology honored Kerr with its Outstanding New Faculty Award and an Innovation in Teaching Award. … [Read more...]