New Athletics Director Is Alum, Successful Tennis Coach

Patrick Catullo ’95 is UMW’s new director of athletics. One of UMW’s most successful coaches, Catullo took on the role of interim director in summer 2018. He has proven himself as a leader and collaborator committed to the educational experience of student athletes. As Mary Washington’s head women’s tennis coach from 2004 to 2018, Catullo advanced the team to 14 conference championships and 14 NCAA Tournament appearances. He also served as UMW’s assistant director of athletics and director of compliance between 2012 and 2018. In his new role, Catullo is focused on upholding UMW’s tradition of academic and competitive excellence while strategically positioning the department for the future. He oversees 23 varsity sports, as well as the team club sports of men’s and women’s rugby. … [Read more...]

Soriano, Men’s Soccer Have Memorable Season

Men’s soccer midfielder Gabriel Soriano ’20 can add first-team All-America honors to his accomplishments with the Eagles. Team captain Soriano scored nine goals and contributed seven assists in his senior season, which saw the Eagles become Capital Athletic Conference champions for the third year in a row. The Eagles shut out Keystone College, 3-0, in the first round of the Division III NCAA Championship, but fell 3-2 to Rowan University in double overtime in the second round. Besides the All-American designation, Soriano also earned Virginia Player of the Year honors for Division III. … [Read more...]

Women Claim CAC Soccer Crown

Defender Corinne Carson ’20 denies an opportunity to her Christopher Newport opponent in front of about 3,500 enthusiastic spectators at Homecoming in October. Women’s soccer went on to claim the Capital Athletic Conference tournament crown for the 14th time, a league high. The Eagles advanced to the Division III NCAA tournament for the first time since 2009. … [Read more...]

Volleyball Seniors Net Top Honors

UMW volleyball players Savannah Powers ’20 and Peyton Dunow ’20 were named honorable mention All-America selections by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Powers also was an All-American choice last year. Both Powers and Dunow were also named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors all-state volleyball team. The honors followed a winning season for UMW volleyball. The Eagles won 16 games, lost 13, and made it to the final game of the CAC championship. An outside hitter, Powers ended her college career with a school record 1,347 kills, 707 digs, 199 blocks, and 150 aces. Outside/right side hitter Dunow recorded a career 1,169 kills, 797 digs, 140 blocks, and 111 aces. … [Read more...]

Eagles Hit the Road

All spring sports team trips were completed by early March, before health precautions canceled collegiate sports and curtailed most travel. Spring break, Feb. 29-March 8, didn’t mean a lull in the action for spring sports. While other UMW students did service projects, road-tripped with friends, caught up on studies, or just hung out at home, many Eagles athletes spent the weeklong break competing in far-flung places. The tennis teams traveled south and west – men to the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, and the women to Chapman University in Orange, California, and Caltech in Pasadena, California. The softball team played seven games against five opponents in Tucson, Arizona. And men’s golf started the season at the Callaway Gardens Collegiate Invitational in Pine Mountain, Georgia. In club sports, UMW Rugby and the UMW Center for International Education teamed up for travel. While in Spain, the club played games against Barcelona and Cornellá. In France, … [Read more...]

Mary Washington Strong

Most readers of this magazine remember the springtime excitement of senior year. As the campus erupted in blossoms and green, the Mary Washington friends you’d soon leave became more precious, and the anticipation of commencement grew. Dear Class of 2020, in March our world changed. Your Mary Washington plans were upended, and we feel for you. Someday, you’ll have stories to tell of how this year unfolded, stories of how you spent the end of the semester away from campus managing online classes and nurturing long-distance connections with friends and professors. You’ll have the memories of how you braved this crisis. For now, know that you are in the hearts of all of the Mary Washington family. And to all readers, stay strong – we can do this. … [Read more...]

UMW to Lead Cybersecurity Effort

IT professionals in the Fredericksburg area will soon be able to train for one of the industry’s most sought-after cybersecurity certifications without having to leave the region. UMW is leading a consortium of local governments and educational entities to offer a noncredit prep program for the CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professionals – exam. The program, unique in the area, is supported by a grant from the statewide economic development initiative GO Virginia; King George County; and the Fredericksburg and Stafford County economic development authorities. The CISSP prep course will begin in winter 2020, and registration is now open. Classes are scheduled to take place at UMW’s Stafford County and Dahlgren campuses. Learn more about the course and the requirements for CISSP certification. … [Read more...]

Mary Washington Forges Pathway to Engineering

Thanks to a pathway program scheduled to start with George Mason University this fall, UMW seniors will have the opportunity to enroll in pre-master’s engineering courses at Mason’s Volgenau School of Engineering (VSE). An agreement between the institutions allows Mary Washington undergraduates to earn up to nine credits that apply to their bachelor’s degree and have the potential to be used toward a master’s degree in engineering at VSE. Mason’s VSE has an expansive number of courses and a robust selection of online offerings – and it’s close to Fredericksburg. While still enrolled at UMW, students may take pre-master’s VSE courses in six areas: applied information technology, computer science, data analytics engineering, operations research, statistics, and systems engineering. … [Read more...]

UMW Student Voters All In for Democracy

Mary Washington students are motivated and informed – and they vote. Their civic responsibility earned UMW the 2019 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Platinum Seal for institutions with a student voter participation rate above 50 percent. Mary Washington is well above that mark. In the 2016 presidential election, 67 percent of UMW students voted, compared with a 61 percent rate nationwide. In the 2018 midterms, 53 percent of Mary Washington students voted, exceeding the national student voter turnout of 39 percent. Besides voting, Mary Washington students have shown their civic engagement by hosting debates with state legislature candidates, holding voter registration drives on campus, and providing rides to the polls. Center for Community Engagement Associate Director Sarah Dewees and several students accepted the award at a November 2019 ceremony in Washington, D.C. … [Read more...]

Mary Washington, Rappahannock CC Sign Transfer Agreement

Mary Washington and Rappahannock Community College entered into a transfer partnership agreement that allows RCC students a seamless transfer to UMW. President Troy Paino and RCC President Shannon Kennedy signed the agreement at a ceremony at UMW’s Dahlgren campus in February. In brief remarks, Paino said that educating all students is essential, and the goal should be to remove barriers to access. The agreement, he said, is “a testament to how these two institutions have developed a trusting relationship.” … [Read more...]