On Campus

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...]

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...]

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...]

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 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...]

Mary Washington’s Women’s and Gender Studies program marked its 10th anniversary in fall 2019 with a gathering of current students, faculty, and alumni. Through the interdisciplinary major, students explore the intersections of gender, race, class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Graduates take their perspectives into such careers as media, law, health, education, and social work. Mary Washington students had been declaring women’s studies as a special major when, a decade ago, UMW’s administration decided it was time to launch a standardized program, said Professor of History and American Studies Allyson Poska, who served six years as its founding director. The current director, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Surupa Gupta, said the program’s strength lies in its interdisciplinary nature. With only three course requirements, students can craft their own paths, choosing electives from 17 disciplines taught by more than 45 affiliated … [Read more...]

UMW plans to offer first- and second-year Japanese language courses beginning this fall, complementing the Japanese culture classes already available. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger and Center for International Education Director Jose Sainz announced the program earlier this year in a campus ceremony with Japanese Minister of Public Affairs Takehiro Shimada. A visiting instructor, funded by a grant from the Japan Foundation, will teach first- and second-year Japanese. If the courses prove popular, UMW could hire permanent faculty. Mary Washington also has a study-abroad exchange program with Akita International University. The first three UMW students took courses in Akita, Japan, in fall 2019. “More and more, I’m hearing that Japanese is incredibly popular and that young people love the culture and language,” said Mellinger, who sees the courses as a recruitment opportunity.  Sainz added, “We hope that the language and culture classes combined with … [Read more...]

Civil rights icon Benjamin Chavis delivered the MLK Jr. Celebration keynote address at the University Center in January. A native of Oxford, North Carolina, Chavis was a young chemistry graduate of the University of North Carolina when he and nine others were unjustly convicted of arson and conspiracy, becoming known as the Wilmington 10. Before his conviction was overturned on appeal, Chavis earned a Master’s of Divinity from Duke University while in prison. Chavis began his career in North Carolina working for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He served as executive director and CEO of the NAACP in the 1990s and organized the 1995 Million Man March. He is president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association: The Black Press of America, and he co-founded the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, the world’s largest coalition of hip-hop artists and recording industry executives. The address was sponsored by the … [Read more...]

Brooklyn-based consultant Cosmo Fujiyama was the featured speaker at the 26th annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium @ UMW in November. The 34-year-old shared what she’s learned from her life and her work bringing joy and emotional intelligence to workplaces and schools. She and brother Shin Fujiyama ’07 co-founded the nonprofit aid group Students Helping Honduras when she was an undergraduate at the College of William & Mary. Each year, the colloquium presents the Patricia Lacey Metzger Distinguished Achievement Award to a community member who shows leadership in her field, personal and professional integrity, and a commitment to community service. This year’s recipient was UMW College of Business Dean Lynne Richardson. The daylong colloquium provides workshops, networking, and career coaching sessions to professional women. … [Read more...]