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...]

Cristina Turdean, director of the Center for Historic Preservation, received Historic Fredericksburg Foundation’s highest honor in March for contributions to the city’s historic preservation. Turdean shares the Edward D. Alvey Jr. Education Award with Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4. Turdean, her students, and lodge officials have worked together for more than six years to catalog the lodge’s historic artifacts and collections. … [Read more...]

Children need to feel safe, understood, and loved to succeed in the classroom. That’s the message 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson delivered in late January at UMW’s Dodd Auditorium. About 200 people attended Robinson’s talk, including aspiring teachers from UMW’s College of Education and working educators from the community. “It’s about relationships,” said Robinson, who teaches history at the Richmond Juvenile Detention Center’s Virgie Binford Education Center. “It’s about touching their hearts and making them want to change.” Robinson believes teachers must meet students’ basic social and emotional needs before tackling academics. He urged educators to get to know their students, empathize with them, and consider the students’ interests and experiences as human beings. “Every day, everything I do is viewed through a lens of equity,” Robinson said at UMW. “I believe that all students can learn, and it’s everybody’s job to help teach the children.” … [Read more...]

For the 12th consecutive year, UMW was a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers among colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 students. Until the pandemic forced the Peace Corps to evacuate its volunteers from their posts, a dozen graduates were serving worldwide, placing UMW at No. 7 on the top-producer list for its size. A total of 270 alumni have joined the Peace Corps since its 1961 inception. “Mary Washington’s culture of service keeps fueling students’ interest in continuing their commitment to populations served by the Peace Corps,” said Jose Sainz, director of UMW’s Center for International Education. “It pushes their boundaries and offers many opportunities for them to become better global citizens.” … [Read more...]

Mary Washington is among the top eight public and private colleges and universities in Virginia, according to a survey by the personal finance website Wallet Hub. UMW’s strong statewide and overall finish means it is among the nation’s top-performing schools with the lowest possible costs. The study measured performance in seven key areas – student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes, and career outcomes. Among the survey’s Virginia institutions – including the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, the University of Richmond, Virginia Tech, and VMI – UMW ranked third in the “educational outcomes” category and fourth in safety.  … [Read more...]