The University of Mary Washington presented its top honors during commencement ceremonies Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7.
Katherine L. Coleman of Montpelier, Va., Haley A. Kane of Fredericksburg, Va., and Christopher J. Lloyd of Burke, Va., received the Colgate W. Darden Jr. Awards, which are presented to the students with the highest grade-point averages (GPA) in the four-year undergraduate program. Each graduate finished with a 4.0 GPA.
Marie McAllister, professor of English, linguistics and communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, was presented the Grellet C. Simpson Award, the institution’s most prestigious annual award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. The recipient is routinely a senior member of the faculty.
Jon M. Pineda, assistant professor of English, linguistics and communication in the College of Arts and Sciences, received the UMW Alumni Association Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award, which is presented annually to an exceptional member of the faculty who has served the institution for at least two years but no more than five years.
Dawn Bowen, professor of geography, received the Mary W. Pinschmidt Award. The winner is selected by the graduating class as the faculty member “whom they will most likely remember as the one who had the greatest impact on their lives.”
John P. Broome, assistant professor in the College of Education, was recognized with the Graduate Faculty Award. The honor recognizes an exceptional full-time faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in graduate teaching and professional leadership in a graduate program. The person selected must have served in a full-time position at the university for at least two years.
Martin A. Wilder, UMW’s chief of staff, was presented the Washington Medallion, one of the university’s most significant awards, that recognizes an individual who has served Mary Washington with exceptional dedication.
Richard V. Hurley, UMW’s ninth president who is retiring in June 2016, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The UMW Board of Visitors may award honorary degrees to recognize and express gratitude to individuals who have provided outstanding service or contributions that are instrumental in helping the University achieve major objectives. He also was awarded the title of President Emeritus.
Katherine L. Coleman
Katherine (Luci) Coleman is a double major in biology and environmental geology, with a minor in environmental sustainability and a GIS (Geographic Information Science) Certificate. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Coleman has made two trips abroad through UMW, studying sustainability issues faced by both the Galapagos Islands and in post-apartheid South Africa. Earlier this year, she delivered over 400 sustainable solar lanterns to impoverished families in Moshi, Tanzania, after raising $5,000 to form a grant through Friends of Tanzania, a local nonprofit. Currently, Coleman is a GIS data manager at Next Tier Concepts in Vienna, Va.
This spring, Coleman was one of five students to receive a Fulbright grant and will conduct research in Cape Town, South Africa, on the impact of invasive species on fynbos freshwater ecosystems.
Haley A. Kane
Haley A. Kane is a psychology major who graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Arts and Sciences. Originally from Henrico, Va., Kane is described as the “most decorated” student in UMW’s history, both academically and athletically.
As a psychology major, she became a member of Psi Chi, the international honors society in psychology, presented research at a national conference and started an elementary school reading program.
She led UMW’s Division III field hockey team through four seasons, three of them as captain. She’s twice been named scholar-athlete of the year by both UMW and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Kane also earned the NFHCA’s Scholar of Distinction award for the all-American with the highest cumulative grade point average and serve as vice president of the National Society for College Scholars.
Christopher J. Lloyd
Christopher J. Lloyd is a mathematics major with a minor in computer science. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Arts and Sciences and received departmental honors in mathematics.
Lloyd was inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon, the national mathematics honor society. For his honors thesis, he conducted research in applications of group theory to non-commutative cryptology. He presented his research findings at two Maryland-District of Columbia-Virginia conferences of the Mathematical Association of America, and won a third place award for student presentations at the session held at Montgomery College in Germantown, Md., in April. Christopher will enter the doctoral program in mathematics at the University of Virginia this summer.
Marie McAllister
A professor within UMW’s Department of English, Linguistics, and Communications, Marie McAllister’s courses are known as favorites among students in the program, led with a teaching style is described as “encouraging, but challenging.”
An expert in 18th-century literature, McAllister worked with students to create Eighteenth-Century Audio, an archive of recorded poetry from 1660-1800. Her edition of the 1787-88 travel journal of Ann Flaxman, An Uninteresting Detail of a Journey to Rome, was published by Romantic Circles Electronic Editions. Her articles have been appeared in The Age of Johnson, Eighteenth-Century Fiction, Eighteenth-Century Life, The Eighteenth-Century Novel, Source: Notes on the History of Art and various scholarly collections.
Most recently, McAllister was selected as one of the four UMW Waple Professors for her project “Literature and Medicine,” which awards her a stipend to pursue her research for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.
McAllister holds a doctorate from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
Jon M. Pineda
Described as “a colleague perfectly integrated within the community of a liberal arts institution,” Jon M. Pineda has been an assistant professor within the Department of English, Linguistics and Communication since the fall of 2014.
The author of four books over the past seven years, Pineda’s novel “Apology” won the 2013 Milkweed National Fiction Prize and received a starred review from Library Journal. His memoir “Sleep In Me” was a 2010 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, was named a “Best Books of 2010” selection by Library Journal and is being translated into Chinese.
In addition to books, Pineda has authored an award-winning poetry collection including “Little Anodynes,” a Palmetto Poetry Series selection; “The Translator’s Diary,” winner of the 2007 Green Rose Prize in Poetry from New Issues; and “Birthmark,” winner of the 2003 Crab Orchard Award Series in Poetry Open Competition.
Pineda is the recipient of a Virginia Commission for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship and has twice served on faculty for the Kundiman Asian American Poets’ Retreat, held at Fordham University. Pineda has a master’s of fine arts from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University.
Pineda earned a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University and a master’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dawn Bowen
A 1986 graduate of Mary Washington and member of UMW’s staff since 1991, Dawn Bowen is an award-winning scholar in the field of human geography and regional geography of Eastern and Western North America.
Students say Bowen’s passion for geography and her commitment to teaching are evident in her extensive research trips to Latin America, the Caribbean and North America, which she has used to create new courses at UMW. During spring break, she leads students on a week-long trip to Guatemala to visit Maya communities and complete a reforestation project.
According to her students, “her first priority is, and always has been, her students.” Despite having a reputation for being a tough professor, students report her classes always having a waitlist.
Bowen is the recipient of multiple awards over her careers, including the Grellet C. Simpson Award, UMW’s most prestigious annual recognition for excellence in undergraduate teaching in 2012; UMW’s Richard Palmieri Outstanding Professor Award and the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004; and the Henry Douglas Distinguished Service Award for the Research, Publication, and Teaching of Material Culture from the Association for the Preservations of Artifacts and Landscapes of the Pioneer American Society in 2009.
Bowen received a bachelor’s degree from UMW, a master’s degree from the University of Maine at Orono and a doctorate from Queen’s University.
John P. Broome
Described as a “champion for the success of our students and the betterment of our University,” John P. Broome is an assistant professor in the College of Education and program director of the PreK-12, Middle and Secondary Education programs. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the foundations of teaching and learning, instructional design and assessment, social studies methods, classroom management and educational research.
With an innovative and progressive approach to teaching, Broome has been recognized as an “emerging leader” in teacher education by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Within the College of Education, he supervises five to six master’s degree theses around the issues of citizenship and cultural diversity in schools and classrooms each year. He also serves as the UMW director for Hungry Brains! At Hazel Hill, a student-run tutoring program for high-poverty elementary and middle school students in Fredericksburg, Va.
Broome holds a doctorate from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary.
Martin A. Wilder
Currently serving as UMW’s chief of staff, Martin Wilder has served Mary Washington in various administrative capacities since joining the staff in 1979. In addition to overseeing the university’s recruitment, admissions and enrollment functions, he has provided leadership in the areas of external relations, communications, marketing and student services.
As the chief of staff, Wilder works closely with the president, providing essential advice and counsel on all matters related to the University. He also serves as clerk of the UMW Board of Visitors, providing organizational and logistical support to the board.
Wilder previously worked as a guidance counselor and director of guidance in the Stafford County Public Schools. He has been active in regional and national professional organizations, including the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Wilder was a member of the Spotsylvania County School Board from 1994 through 2011 and twice served as school board chair. He is a member of the board of trustees of Mary Washington Healthcare, a large regional healthcare organization.
He holds a bachelor degree, master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Virginia.
Richard V. Hurley
Serving as UMW’s president since 2011, Richard V. Hurley has been responsible for implementation of the University’s 2009-2014 Strategic Plan, as well as launching the development of a new strategic plan that will be announced this year.
Hurley serves as a board member of the University of Mary Washington Foundation where he played a key role in the acquisition and development of the Eagle Village mixed-use venture. Eagle Village includes apartments housing 600 UMW students, a pedestrian bridge spanning Route 1, commercial retail and office space, a parking facility and a Hyatt Place Hotel. This partnership between the University, the UMW Foundation and the City of Fredericksburg has been highly acclaimed as a model of effective public-private partnership, successful regional economic development and community revitalization.
Beyond campus, Hurley is recognized as an active community leader and is strongly committed to regional engagement and economic development. He has served as chair of the board of directors of the Rappahannock United Way, a director of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and a member of the board of the Fredericksburg Regional Alliance. Hurley formed the UMW Center for Economic Development and has engaged a wide variety of community and business leaders in the development of a regional economic development plan. Hurley also established the Town and Gown Committee, a group of University and city officials and citizens, who work to strengthen the University’s relationships with the community.
Earlier this year, he received the Chamber’s Prince B. Woodard Leadership Award, annually presented to an individual who has provided a lifetime of service to the Fredericksburg region.
On a statewide level, Hurley has served as chair of the Virginia Council of Presidents, and he was appointed by the governor to Virginia’s Higher Education Advisory Committee. According to Gov. Terry McAuliffe, “President Hurley’s unwavering leadership, thoughtful approach and dedication to engagement at all levels will be sorely missed.”
Hurley earned a bachelor degree from Richard Stockton College, now Stockton University, and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University. He also holds certificates and diplomas from the University of Kentucky and Harvard University.