By Emily Freehling For a college admissions officer, freshman move-in day is one of the two best days of the year, recalled Martin A. “Marty” Wilder Jr. “We would always fan out across campus and help people move in and carry boxes,” said Wilder, who retired in 2017 after a 38-year career at the university that started in admissions. “We knew those students personally.” Wilder came to Mary Washington in 1979 as an assistant dean of admissions. Over nearly four decades, the school’s reputation and his career evolved side by side as he rose through the ranks, eventually serving his last seven years as chief of staff to presidents Rick Hurley and Troy Paino. Wilder has worked for six of Mary Washington’s 10 presidents. When he started, the school was led by Prince B. Woodard, who encouraged Wilder to pursue a doctorate as he was just getting started in his career. Wilder also credits Senior Vice President Emeritus Conrad Warlick with providing strong mentorship – and for … [Read more...]

By Edie Gross Ilona Dulaski ’64 has literally done theater with her eyes closed. While playing a blind character in Signature Theatre’s spring 2018 production of John, Dulaski opted to spend most of the 3½-hour run time with her eyes shut – except for the moments when she had to negotiate stairs. She didn’t get to see much of the show, but according to a review in the Washington City Paper, it appeared that Dulaski was “having more fun than anybody” as the play’s quirky free spirit, Genevieve Marduk. That’s not an act, according to Dulaski. After more than 50 years as a professional actress, singer, and voice-over artist, the Annapolis, Maryland, resident says she still loves the work. “I have had a need to be an actress from the time I was 7,” said Dulaski, who has performed on stage and television since graduating from Mary Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater and a minor in music. “I do it all, and I love it all. I even like ‘extra’ work to a … [Read more...]

By Emily Freehling Ken Stuck ’90 sits at the intersection of progress and the past in his job as cultural resources coordinator for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s busy Hampton Roads District. In an area of Virginia that is home to America’s first permanent European settlement – along with a bustling modern network of roads, tunnels, and bridges – Stuck deploys teams of archaeologists to search for traces of the past beneath land that has been slated for roads that will keep Virginia moving into the future. Sometimes, his work leads VDOT to redesign projects so that they don’t unnecessarily disturb historical sites. Other times, it leads his teams to unearth long-buried history. A few years ago, Stuck oversaw work that offered a rare glimpse of an 18th-century settlement found near the I-64/I-264 interchange on the border of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Work to improve the interchange continues, but before construction began, Stuck engaged the College of William … [Read more...]

By Vicki L. Friedman Chat up Dustin McDonald ’07 these days, and he’ll remind you about one of the most underused features of Twitter – it’s Lists – and share at least five unique ways to engage followers on Instagram. The former professional football player might not mention his gridiron days at all. “That was so long ago,” stressed the digital and social media strategist now living in Washington, D.C. Back at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia, McDonald rarely came off the field, playing three positions. He spent his first year of college at Division III Carnegie Mellon University, getting few carries as a true freshman running back. Unenthusiastic about classes in auditoriums, weary of snow before Thanksgiving, and eager to cut his tuition by two-thirds, he opted to transfer to Mary Washington. “The best part was some of the professors,” said McDonald, who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. No football in … [Read more...]