This time, Richard V. Hurley really is retiring. On June 30, he’ll step down as the University of Mary Washington’s ninth president, leaving an academic community thankful for his six years of approachable, forward-looking leadership. In 2010, Rick Hurley was on the brink of retirement as UMW’s chief financial officer, having served as acting president after the departure of the university’s seventh president. Then UMW’s eighth president resigned unexpectedly, and the Board of Visitors asked Hurley to take the reins. He responded with enthusiasm and a solid commitment to the university and its people. That commitment translated to big things: The construction of the William M. Anderson Center. The state-of-the-art information and technology facility now called the Hurley Convergence Center. The sparkling University Center at the heart of campus. And the Mary Washington First campaign that’s closing in on a $50 million fundraising target. Hurley’s commitment showed in small … [Read more...]
Investing in Students
By Neva Trenis ’00 Psychology student Jenny Freud ’16 had long known she wanted to go to graduate school. She applied to 11 – fewer than the recommended dozen – and was invited to interview at five. But costs rose quickly with application fees, cross-country flights, food, lodging, and the requisite professional outfit. So when she learned that she had received the James C. ’87 and Deborah S. Llewellyn Scholarship in Psychology, she was thrilled. And relieved. “I’m so thankful to the Llewellyns for doing this,” the inaugural recipient said. “There are so many of us [students] who are benefiting from the generosity of alumni.” The Llewellyn psychology scholarship is a result of the Mary Washington First campaign, which began in 2011 and is well on its way to the $50 million goal before it ends this summer. Rising sophomore, junior, and senior psychology majors with a minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply for the aid. Deborah and James Llewellyn ’87, both high-level human … [Read more...]
Launching Education
By Edie Gross Aicha El Mahmoudi ’17 had plenty to adapt to during her first few days in Bilbao, Spain. The six-hour time difference. A full course load of finance, marketing, and Spanish classes. Streets teeming with rapidly conversing pedestrians who walked everywhere and dressed to the nines, even on their way home from the gym. But dinner each evening with her host family was perhaps the greatest challenge for the University of Mary Washington junior. “I found myself not wanting to sit down to dinner with them because I couldn’t understand what they were saying,” said El Mahmoudi, whose Spanish-language skills were more suited to a Latin American dialect than the euskara batua spoken in the Basque Country. That reluctance didn’t last. Not long into her spring 2016 semester abroad, El Mahmoudi declared dinner conversation with her host family her favorite part of the experience so far. “The first week was definitely hard. Everything was so different,” said El … [Read more...]
Second Act
One of the tangible signs of the success of the Mary Washington First campaign is the amphitheatre renovation and improvement project. The $3 million effort was supported by Donald B. and Josephine McPherson Heslep ’56, who pledged $1.25 million, Robert S. and Alice Andrews Jepson ’64, who pledged $1 million, and other generous donors. These architectural plans show the stage restored to its 1953 appearance, when the grove was a center of campus life. The seating will mimic an earlier era – about 1923 – in harmony with the wooded site and national preservation standards. New, accessible pathways of stabilized granite and aggregate will blend with the natural setting. The site will be lighted by a combination of inconspicuous path lighting fixtures and standard campus lampposts. A level aisle across the center of the seating area will allow wheelchair access. Terraces of groundcover along the seating area will be available for picnicking and small group meetings. Concrete benches will … [Read more...]