Matthew Hunsinger ’01 is so passionate about what causes stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination that he’s made a career of it. As assistant professor of psychology at Mary Baldwin College, he studies the factors that influence the way people feel toward those of different races, ethnicities, genders, and sexual orientations. His research brought him back to the University of Mary Washington this fall, where he was the guest of the Department of Psychology as its 2011 Graduate-in-Residence. During the three-day visit, Hunsinger spoke to UMW psychology classes, met with students interested in pursuing careers in experimental social psychology, and gave a public lecture called Paths to Improving Intergroup Relations: Decreasing Intergroup Bias in a Diverse World. He lives in Staunton, Va., where he teaches social cognition, cognitive psychology, conflict resolution, and learning and behavior. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mary Washington, he earned a … [Read more...]
Best-Selling Biographer Joins Great Lives
Charles J. Shields is practiced in the art of putting other people’s experiences into words. The best-selling author and self-described “literary detective” will capitalize on that skill in his new role as associate director of the UMW Great Lives public lecture series. Shields will work with Great Lives Director William B. Crawley Jr., distinguished professor emeritus of history and American studies, to pump up promotion of the annual spring-semester event. The series already enjoys a national reputation among biographers. “There is no other program quite like it in the United States,” Shields said. “My goal is to make the program visible to, and accessible by, a larger audience beyond the Fredericksburg region.” A Great Lives lecturer, Shields got a rousing ovation when he spoke about reclusive novelist Harper Lee last spring. He is the author of The New York Times best-selling biography Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. Shields will lead the next series on Jan. 24, … [Read more...]
Braxton Garners Gold – Again!
Winning Olympic gold gets sweeter each time for Mary Washington worker Grace Anne Braxton. The Eagle’s Nest dining attendant snagged a gold medal in golf at this year’s Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece. That award takes its place in what has become quite a collection for Braxton, who has long worked at UMW for Sodexo. Since she began competing in Special Olympics at age 8, her wins have included the 2005 National Golf Championship in Ames, Iowa; the 2007 World Summer Games in Shanghai, China; and the 2010 USA National Games in Lincoln, Neb. She was featured on the cover of Virginia Golfer Magazine in 2006 and has putted her way to a plethora of sports-related honors. Born with an intellectual disability, the Fredericksburg native found her footing in athletics. She also has competed in bowling, swimming, volleyball, skiing, and figure skating. She’s often on the Fredericksburg Country Club golf course practicing her swing. “I’m not going to stop,” she … [Read more...]
GIS Student Zeroed in on Scholarship
Where on Earth is Morgan Lamon ’12? She’s at the University of Mary Washington studying where on Earth everything else is. In other words, she studies GIS, geographic information science. And, Lamon’s college cost just got a little lighter. She received a $5,000 award from the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) Scholarship Program. “Our volunteer selection board was really impressed by the depth and breadth of our applicant pool this year,” USGIF President Keith Masback wrote on the foundation website. “There are some remarkable young people studying in the [geospatial intelligence] field.” The “remarkable group” includes Lamon, a geography major who is working toward a GIS certificate. She’s also displaying her talents on the softball field. This spring she was named to the 2011 All-Capital Athletic Conference Softball Team. USGIF, a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence field, awarded scholarships across the … [Read more...]
Farnsworth to Open Media Studies Center
In January, Stephen Farnsworth will return to UMW to open the Center for Leadership and Media Studies. He’ll also teach in the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, where he taught for 13 years before leaving in 2008. A media and politics expert, Farnsworth plans to get the new center open quickly. Using research and political opinion surveys, the work of the center should help students better understand the role media plays in politics. Another goal of the venture is to create connections among undergraduates and alumni in government and political science careers. Farnsworth is regularly quoted in major media outlets on political and communication topics. He has conducted research on elections, the mass media, the U.S. presidency, and public opinion. A veteran newspaper journalist, he is the author of Spinner in Chief: How Presidents Sell Their Policies and Themselves and Political Support in a Frustrated America. Farnsworth co-authored The Nightly News … [Read more...]
UMW Artists Dove Into Service Project
During inauguration weekend this fall, UMW art students got an unusual canvas on which to showcase their work – a big white storage trailer. The artists turned their talents on the neighborhood eyesore and gave something beautiful to the community. Five-time cancer survivor Sonja Jeanguenat-Gallahan called UMW’s art department last summer. Could anyone there add some panache to the unsightly vehicle parked beside her aboveground pool, she asked. Art studio major Lauren Horton ’11 answered the call and soon set to work developing a plan to bring the beach to Jeanguenat- Gallahan. Horton corralled a group of fellow students who were eager to contribute, and they headed to the woman’s home in King George County, Va. Brandishing paint-dipped brushes, they transformed the trailer into a picture of tranquility, creating a beach-scene mural complete with palm trees, puffy clouds, and soothing sand and surf on one side and beach-related paraphernalia, tropical drinks, and a tiki bar on … [Read more...]
Belmont Banister a Top Ten Endangered Treasure
Fans of Belmont know that every inch of Gari Melchers Home and Studio is a treasure, but a group of preservationists wants to bring special attention to the curved wrought-iron railing that graces the front stairs of the historic home. The Virginia Association of Museums selected the swirling banister on Belmont’s east porch as one of Virginia’s “Top Ten Endangered Artifacts.” Experts believe the rare, iconic railing with applied lead rosettes was forged around 1845. The architectural landmark displays outstanding craftsmanship and the use of what in the mid-1800s were emerging technologies. Other entries included a revolving gun turret from the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, the Library of Virginia’s executive papers from the state governorship of Thomas Jefferson between 1779 and 1781, and a gown made for and worn by legendary vocalist and civil rights champion Marian Anderson. Virginia’s Top Ten Endangered Artifacts program was designed to create awareness of the … [Read more...]
Board Welcomes Three Members
There are three new faces on the UMW Board of Visitors. In July, the office of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell appointed members Joseph W. Grzeika ’83 of King George County, Dorcas R. Hardy of Spotsylvania County, and Ben Judson Honaker Jr. of Fredericksburg. They will serve four-year terms that expire June 30, 2015. They succeed Princess Renai Moss ’83, Russell H. Roberts, and Nanalou West Sauder ’56. Grzeika, a business consultant with Strategic Insight and president of Joetech LLC, is a former electronic warfare specialist for the U.S. Navy. He started Planning Consultants Inc. in 1985 and retired as president of the company in 2006. In 1992, Grzeika became a member of the King George Planning Commission. He is a member of the Rappahannock River Basin Commission and the George Washington Regional Commission, and he has served for more than a decade on the King George County Board of Supervisors. Grzeika also is on the board of directors for the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of … [Read more...]
Pearce Named VP
Mary Washington’s latest vice presidential selection is on the money: Richard R. Pearce has been named vice president for administration and finance. Pearce, who had served in the position in an acting capacity since last year, also is treasurer of the Mary Washington Foundation, the nonprofit entity that manages and administers assets to benefit the University. The vice presidential appointment formalizes his position as UMW chief financial officer. In that role, he directs facilities, capital projects, public safety, community services, human resources, and business operations. Since he came to UMW in 1998, Pearce has served as assistant and associate vice president for business and finance. He also is treasurer of the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center, president of the Fredericksburg Regional Boys and Girls Club, and a member of the Rappahannock Rotary Club. “Rick is a consummate professional whose expertise, management skills, and in-depth knowledge are … [Read more...]
Promoting Peace Through Poetry
World Poetry Canada and World Poetry International presented Alaha Ahrar ’12its World Poetry Youth Ambassador Medallion this summer. Because visa problems prevented the student from attending the award presentation in Canada, UMW held its own ceremony for Ahrar on Aug. 23. A citizen of Afghanistan, Ahrar studies at Mary Washington through generous support from William and Theresa Young Crawley ‘77 in the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women. Eklil Hakimi, Afghan ambassador to the United States, was invited to the presentation, but he was summoned to Kabul that week. His wife, Sultana Hakimi, represented the Embassy of Afghanistan at the ceremony. Both Sultana Hakimi and UMW President Richard V. Hurley presented the medallion to Ahrar, who read one of her poems to the group assembled in George Washington Hall. Like many of her poems, this one was about world peace. Ahrar read it twice – once in her native language and once in English. … [Read more...]