President William Frawley presented his “State of the University” address at the first faculty meeting of the year held on Thursday, August 24, in Dodd Auditorium. Attending were teaching faculty and administrative faculty at the institution. Click here to read the text of the address.

September 30, 2006 will mark the inauguration of the University of Mary Washington’s seventh president – Dr. William J. Frawley. Inaugural festivities throughout the week will include musical performances, an Inaugural Lecture, a campus-wide festival and an Inaugural Ball, as well as the formal Installation Ceremony.  For more information, go to www.umw.edu/inauguration.

Family Weekend will also be held the weekend of September 29 – October 1.  A complete schedule of events is available at http://www.umw.edu/cas/familyweekend/default.php.  Of particular interest to alumni are the Legacy Reception and the Family Weekend 5K Run.

If you are a Mary Washington graduate who also is the parent of a currently enrolled UMW student, you won't want to miss the Legacy Reception.  Please join us on Friday, September 29 from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center for this opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow alumni parents and their families.  Light refreshments will be served.  For more information and to RSVP, visit www.umw.edu/alumni/events/.

The annual Family Weekend 5K Run is open to alumni, and will be held on Saturday, September 30.  The run will begin at 7:30 a.m., with Goolrick Hall Gymnasium serving as the start/finish line. For more information, visit the Family Weekend web site at www.umw.edu/cas/familyweekend/default.php, and click on the link for “5k Run Registration Form” on the left hand side of the page.

The UMW campus will be full of Homecoming spirit on Saturday, October 7!  The Class of 2001 will kick off the festivities as they celebrate their 5-year reunion with an exclusive brunch at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center.   Eagle sports teams will be in action throughout the day at the Battleground, and alumni and their guests will gather at the annual Alumni Tent Party at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center from noon to 3 p.m.  Tours of the beautiful facility will be conducted by UMW Ambassadors, the Alumni Association's student group.  For a complete listing of Homecoming activities, visit www.umw.edu/alumni/events/homecoming_2006.php.

Alumni will have an opportunity to meet University President William J. Frawley at several regional receptions throughout the 2006-2007 academic year.  Receptions will be held this fall in Fredericksburg, Richmond, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and the Peninsula region of Virginia.  Planning is already underway for spring events in Atlanta, Florida, California, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Washington, D.C., Roanoke, Baltimore, the Northern Neck and Annapolis.  Keep checking our web site at www.umw.edu/alumni/events/ for the latest details and registration information. 

Alumni in the Tidewater, Va., area are invited to at luncheon and tram tour of the Norfolk Botanical Gardens on Saturday, September 16 at 11:30 a.m.  For more information, visit www.umw.edu/alumni/events/.

The Virginia Governor’s Office has announced three appointments to the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors. Reappointed to a second term is J. William Poole of Fredericksburg. New members appointed by the Governor include Xavier Richardson of Chancellor, Va., and Maureen Stinger ‘94 of Richmond. All board members serve four-year terms. The new appointees succeed outgoing members Betsy Hughes of Baltimore and Karen Radley of King George, Va.

Poole currently serves as vice chair of the university’s Board of Visitors. He served as General Manager of WFLS-FM and WYSK AM-FM in Fredericksburg until his retirement in 2001. Stinger is an associate with the international corporate law firm Reed Smith LLP, where she focuses on Virginia government relations, including matters before the General Assembly, executive branch agencies and the State Corporation Commission. Richardson is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Community Affairs for the MediCorp Health System and President of the Mary Washington Hospital Foundation.

UMW’s Ridderhof Martin Gallery will host the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibition “LOOK HERE Dazzle” from September 14 through December 8. Through finely crafted objects in gold, silver, gemstones and other precious materials, the exhibit will demonstrate how such objects can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

For more information, go to www.umw.edu/umw_galleries/.

Now in its eleventh year, the Fredericksburg Forum continues to bring nationally known speakers to the University. On October 4, broadcast journalist Tim Russert will appear, followed by actor James Earl Jones on March 14, 2007. Each program will be held at 8 p.m. in the university’s Dodd Auditorium, located in George Washington Hall.

For more information, including how to purchase tickets, go to www.umw.edu/forum

The Office of Career Services is looking for alumni to help current Mary Washington students. Alumni can:

Become a part of their Alumni Database.  Students can search the database for alumni willing to share insight on a range of career related topics such as career fields, employers, graduate school and opportunities available in certain geographic regions.  To become a part of the Alumni Database, please fill out an informational interview form at: www.umw.edu/careerservices/alumni.

Join them for Career Day on October 26, 2006. This is an opportunity to share career information or recruit interns and/or full-time employees for your organization.  A registration form is available at: www.umw.edu/careerservices/employers.

Sponsor a Mary Washington student at your workplace. They offer both externship and an internship programs.  For more information on either program, visit www.umw.edu/careerservices/employers.

They also look for alumni who are willing to return to campus to serve on panels, give workshops or help with other special events. For more information on any of these opportunities, contact Gary Johnson, Director of Career Services, at 540-654-1022 or gjohnson@umw.edu.

Did you know that UMW has two of the best facilities in Fredericksburg in which to host a formal event? The Jepson Alumni Executive Center has been full of activity nearly every weekend since April 30, 2005, hosting 31 wedding receptions, 11 wedding ceremonies and 19 nonprofit galas and fundraisers. In addition, the newly built Studio Pavilion at Gari Melchers Home and Studio recently opened its doors for weddings, meetings and more.

For more information on the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, visit www.umw.edu/visitors/directions/jepson_alumni_executive_ce.php.  For more information on the Studio Pavilion, visit www.garimelchers.org.