The C-SPAN Campaign 2012 bus rolled onto campus in late September. The traveling political nerve center, with TVs streaming headline news, computer kiosks filled with facts, and an array of digital devices and interactive features, visited schools across Virginia, targeting first-time voters. Stephen Farnsworth, UMW political science professor and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, gave an interview aired live on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal from inside the bus, and students climbed on board to express their views on the recent presidential election. International affairs major Samantha Litchford ’15 told The Free Lance-Star the experience was awesome. “It brings Washington a little closer,” she said. … [Read more...]
Mason, Randolph Take the LEED
Two half-century-old dormitories are now state-of-the-art living and learning spaces. After a year of extensive renovations, UMW’s adjoining Mason and Randolph halls opened to residents for the fall semester. On Sept. 21, President Richard V. Hurley and the Board of Visitors rededicated the buildings with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Alumni Association President Patricia Boise Kemp ’69 shared memories of her sophomore year in Mason with those gathered for the celebration. Judge Pamela White ’74,rector of the BOV, told the crowd that she lived in Marshall Hall, near Sunken Road. As she trudged up the steep hill past Mason and Randolph, she developed “Mason envy,” she said. The two buildings were “the cherished centerpiece of the campus.” Today’s renovated Randolph and Mason halls house nearly 400 students. While adding features like elevators and air conditioning to the buildings, project workers also upgraded the subterranean hallway once known as “the tunnel.” Now called “the … [Read more...]
Uncovering the Past
Growing up in the Republic of Georgia, Ana Tkabladze ’14 was surrounded by remnants and relics of the ancient world. She dreamed of someday learning about the sites and making her own discoveries. Now a classics major pursuing a concentration in classical archaeology, Tkabladze is already leaving her mark. Last summer the UMW junior spent three weeks on the Spanish island of Menorca and in Portugal as part of a team excavating and analyzing thousand-year-old artifacts. “I’m basically helping real archaeologists find out about that era,” Tkabladze said. “That’ll go in history later, which is pretty exciting.” She is one of several UMW students who received undergraduate research grants for the summer. Each year, a few students in the classics, philosophy, and religion department go on excavations, either through UMW undergraduate research grants like the one Tkabladze received or as part of an independent study. “Ana is an excellent example of those of our students who … [Read more...]
New Traditions Warm UMW’s Welcome
The evening after the University of Mary Washington ushered more than 1,300 new undergraduates into a fresh academic year, a brilliant tradition began. At the inaugural “Eagle Gathering” each student carried a candle and passed its flame to another, bringing a glimmering gold to the night on Ball Circle. The ceremony represented the “torch of knowledge” at the center of the UMW Seal. “This light symbolizes the core values of our community,” President Richard V. Hurley told new students at the Thursday, Aug. 23, gathering. “It stands for the desire to learn, to grow, to serve, to lead, and in all things, to give our best in search of meaning and truth.” The day before, with temperatures nearing 90 degrees, hundreds of freshmen embarked on a five-day orientation, lugging futons and air fresheners, Ramen and area rugs into Alvey, Virginia, Bushnell, Jefferson, Randolph, and Russell halls. Of the new students – 978 freshmen and 324 transfers – 40 had already met at Pre-Flight, … [Read more...]
Returning Leaders Share Wisdom
A trio of powerhouse alumni – ambassador, CEO, and psychologist – shared the secrets behind their success with UMW students this fall. In September, Rose McCartney Likins ’81, U.S. Ambassador to Peru, told international relations students how a curiosity about the world fueled her three-plus decades as a diplomat. Former U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador and dean of the Foreign Service Institute’s School of Professional and Area Studies, Likins said her public policy work taught her the importance of reaching out to people on a personal level. A distinguished UMW alumna who delivered the 2005 commencement speech, Likins encouraged those interested in similar career paths to concentrate on communications skills and explore a variety of disciplines. Also in September, Psychology Graduate-in-Residence Wendy Sulc ’98 brought inspiration to campus. A pediatric psychologist and research assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami’s Mailman Center for Child … [Read more...]
Awards Abound
The second half of the year got off to a stellar start for Jeff McClurken ’94, UMW associate professor and chair of history and American studies. In July, McClurken was named website review editor for the quarterly Journal of American History, the leading scholarly publication in that field. In August, he received UMW’s J. Christopher Bill Outstanding Faculty Service Award for his contributions to digital history efforts, his commitment to incorporating technology in the classroom, and his service as chair of multiple University committees. The honor also recognized McClurken for his efforts in the community, with the public school systems and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, and for the lectures he delivers across the country. In late September, C-SPAN recorded his U.S. History in Film class discussion of Gone With the Wind for possible inclusion on a future segment of American History TV’s Lectures in History. Other recent honorees on campus include: • … [Read more...]
A Decade of Lectures
The Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series will celebrate its 10th season in 2013 with what promises to be its most interesting lineup ever. Experts will speak on historical and cultural icons from Cleopatra to Marilyn Monroe and Julius Caesar to Winston Churchill. Great Lives will again feature lectures by authors on biographies they have recently published. Among them are: • Cronkite by Douglas Brinkley, who accessed diaries and letters and interviewed hundreds of Walter Cronkite’s friends and colleagues to craft a personal portrait of the newsman. • Rasputin: The Untold Story by Joseph Fuhrmann, whose fluent Russian allowed him to interpret previously sealed documents in Moscow and Siberia. • Hemingway’s Boat by Paul Hendrickson, who drew on primary resources and family interviews to explore the last decades of the life of Ernest Hemingway. The final 2013 lecture will explore the link between great achievement and mental aberration through the lives of a … [Read more...]
UMW Field Hockey Thrives Under Former Rival
In 2003, Lindsey Elliott was a thorn in the side of the University of Mary Washington field hockey program. An All-American player, she led archrival Salisbury University to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and two national championships. Until last year, Dana Hall had spent 22 years coaching UMW field hockey and lacrosse. When she moved to coaching lacrosse alone, Elliott was called to replace her as head of Eagles’ field hockey. Since then, the former rival has done nothing but succeed in Fredericksburg, leading the Eagles to a 15-5 record and top-15 national ranking a year ago, and raising the bar by starting this season with a school-record 11-game winning streak en route to a top-five ranking in the nation. “I believe it was harder for others to accept that a former Salisbury player was going to be taking over, but they have been very accepting,” Elliott said. “I always knew Mary Washington was a great field hockey school, and now I have the pleasure of being a part … [Read more...]
Hall of Fame Grows by Five
The University of Mary Washington inducted five new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame in October. The 17th Hall of Fame class includes former track and field All-Americans Kim Alvis ’00 and Erik Kochert ’02, soccer All-American Ellen Anderson ’01, women’s lacrosse multiple All- American Bridget Geiman ’01, and the school’s all-time leading field hockey scorer, Jessica Morris ’02. A two-time All-American, Alvis was one of the most versatile track and field performers in program history. The holder of three school records, Alvis excelled in the triple jump, long jump, 200 meters, and 400 meters, competing in all four events at the NCAA Championships. She finished seventh in the triple jump at the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships and took eighth in the 400 meters at the same competition in 2000. In all, she competed in 11 NCAA Championship events during her junior and senior seasons. Alvis was named Mary Washington’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in … [Read more...]
Milton Kline
Fresh out of high school with two potential summer jobs, Milton Kline was faced with a choice: pickles or paint? Taking a pass on the pickle factory position might have been the best decision he ever made. A chief painter at the University of Mary Washington, Kline has been covering the campus in satins and semi-glosses for more than three decades, but UMW’s walls aren’t all that he brightens. He does the same for employee morale as president of the Staff Advisory Council and for young people’s futures as leader of the popular student-painting program. He spends evenings writing referral letters to help his charges land jobs, turns up at their ballgames and class presentations to show support, and trusts them to do their own thing to help build their confidence. “I let students manage themselves,” Kline said. “In a student-run organization, they have ownership.” By now, Kline has his UMW painting schedule in sync with the school year. Projects like stairwells and railings can … [Read more...]