UMW’s chapter of Psi Chi – the international honor society in psychology – has been selected as the best in the 1,100-member organization. In May, the UMW group received the Ruth Hubbard Cousins Chapter Award, which includes a $3,000 prize, for demonstrating the organization’s mission of promoting excellence in the science and application of psychology. … [Read more...]
Eric Gable Receives Waple Faculty Achievement Award
November 15, 2018 by
Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Eric Gable received the 2018 UMW Waple Faculty Professional Achievement Award in April. Established in honor of Shirley Van Epps Waple ’52, the nomination-based award recognizes faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to their scholarly or creative area of expertise. During his 22 years at UMW, Gable has distinguished himself as an international scholar with an extensive publication record and an active research agenda. He is an expert on museum studies, heritage, and the religion and politics of West Africa and Outer Island Indonesia. … [Read more...]
UMW Theatre’s Spring Shows: God of Carnage, Country Wife
November 15, 2018 by
What happens when two sets of parents meet to try to sort out their children’s schoolyard tussle? The adults quickly devolve into bickering children themselves. At least, that’s what happens in God of Carnage, the next production in UMW Theatre’s strong 2018-2019 season. The comic masterpiece by Yasmina Reza hilariously strips the characters to their cores, showing humanity at its most primal. God of Carnage plays in Klein Theatre on select dates from Feb. 14-21, 2019, with evening productions beginning at 7:30 p.m. and matinees starting at 2 p.m. Taking theatregoers back to Restoration London, William Wycherly’s The Country Wife follows scheming playboy Harry Horner as he attempts to seduce the wives and daughters of the city’s most influential businessmen. But when sweet, innocent Margery Pinchwife falls under Horner’s spell, his mischievous scheme takes an unforeseen turn. The Country Wife will run on select dates from April 11-20, 2019, also at 7:30 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees. … [Read more...]
High-Profile Season Continues for Philharmonic
November 15, 2018 by
Fresh off the success of October’s well-received Celebrity Series performance by Paul Anka, the UMW Philharmonic continues another high-profile season Dec. 7. That’s when travel expert Rick Steves will present his Symphonic Journey, a musical and video exploration of his favorite European countries. Also ahead are Gustav Holst’s The Planets, narrated by actor George Takei, March 23, 2019, and Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, featuring violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, April 26, 2019. All concerts will be in Dodd Auditorium and begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets or more information, visit umwphilharmonic.com, email philharmonic@umw.edu, or call 540-654-1324. … [Read more...]
Digital Pedagogy Lab Hits Stride
November 15, 2018 by
UMW is now the permanent home of the Digital Pedagogy Lab, an annual days-long professional development conference for learners, educators, librarians, and administrators who incorporate technology into their teaching and scholarly endeavors. The project is the brainchild of Jesse Stommel, UMW’s executive director of teaching and learning technology, and Sean Michael Morris, director of the UMW Digital Pedagogy Lab (DPL). Though the event at the Hurley Convergence Center draws highly regarded speakers and attendees from all over the world, it didn’t start out as a “big idea,” Morris told participants in the 2018 event in July and August. “It began with a desire to help teachers who were faced with teaching in an increasingly digital world get their feet under them,” Morris said in the conference’s opening remarks. “I am thrilled to be able to make official the relationship between Mary Washington and DPL,” UMW Chief of Staff Jeffrey McClurken ’94 said. “This internationally … [Read more...]
Forbes: UMW Is a Top College
November 15, 2018 by
UMW is ranked 205 overall among the 650 four-year colleges and universities that Forbes considers the nation’s best. Mary Washington is listed as 64th of the nation’s public colleges and 42nd in the South. Forbes compares four-year-colleges on alumni salaries, debt after graduation, retention and graduation rates, and more. … [Read more...]
Wilder, UMW Shaped Each Other Over 38 Years
November 15, 2018 by
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...]
Happy ‘Misfit’ Finds Success on Stage, TV
November 15, 2018 by
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...]
Historic Preservation Grad Is VDOT Guardian of Virginia Historical Treasures
November 15, 2018 by
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...]
Social Media Champ Recalls Pro Football Days
November 15, 2018 by
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...]