University of Mary Washington Professor of Psychology Christopher Kilmartin will discuss attitudes toward gender in the sports environment during an interview airing on the “With Good Reason” public radio program beginning Saturday, July 9. Kilmartin’s interview can be heard on July 9 at 4:30 p.m. on WCVE 88.9 FM and on Monday, July 11 at 12:30 a.m. on WAMU 88.5 FM. The program, “Real Men” is expected to be available online beginning the week of the show at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/2011/07/real-men/. One out of every 14 players in top college football programs has a criminal record, according to statistics published in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated. Many of these crimes involved violence toward women. Anti-feminine taunts, such as ‘let’s go ladies,’ reinforce a fiction that men are sexually indiscriminate, says Kilmartin. A new kind of motivation is needed on the field, says Kilmartin, who has taught courses on the … [Read more...]

Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont has received a $5,000 award from the Smithsonian Community Grant program. The competitive grant was awarded to assist in the development and implementation of exhibition programming in conjunction with the Smithsonian traveling exhibition “William H. Johnson: An American Modern,” which will be on display at Belmont from Saturday, September 10 through Sunday, December 4. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation and administered by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), helps strengthen the connections between museums nationwide and their communities. Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to allow exhibitors to enhance current program offerings or to create a new program suited to the topic of the SITES exhibition they will be hosting. Gari Melchers Home and Studio has several events and programs planned in conjunction with “William H. Johnson: An American Modern:” … [Read more...]

The University of Mary Washington Philharmonic Orchestra will perform its fourth annual Independence Day Spectacular concert on Monday, July 4 at Pratt Park in Stafford County. The performance will include patriotic music and Broadway favorites, in addition to other numbers. The show begins at 8 p.m., signaling the beginning of the fireworks display, and will feature singer Jasmine Williams, winner of the 2011 NOVA Idol competition. The concert will be broadcast on B101.5 WBQB-FM. In addition to the July 4 performance, the UMW Philharmonic will perform in Fredericksburg’s Market Square on Sunday, July 3 at 7 p.m. as part of the American Music Concert Series. Admission to both shows is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs. The UMW Philharmonic, which has been entertaining audiences for more than four decades, recently was honored with the American Prize for excellence. Over the past year, the orchestra has performed Disney’s Fantasia … [Read more...]

University of Mary Washington graduate Michele Alexander has been selected to receive a U.S. Fulbright grant for 2011-2012. She becomes the eighth student in the university’s history to receive the prestigious award, bringing to six the number of Fulbright grants awarded at UMW in the past four years alone. The scholarship will enable Alexander to study healthcare policies toward children affected by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which released radiation into Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Beginning in September, Alexander will spend the academic year in Ukraine conducting research. “We’re all very proud of Michele's achievement, and wish her well with her research agenda in Ukraine,” said Nabil Al-Tikriti, associate professor of history. “I am quite confident that she will make UMW proud representing the Fulbright program in the Chernobyl region.” In Ukraine, Alexander will research the health of children affected by the Chernobyl accident, … [Read more...]

Grace Anne Braxton, who works at the University of Mary Washington, will compete at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece from June 25-July 4. Braxton, currently ranked as the top female golfer in the Special Olympics, will play the sport among 135 athletes from five different racing levels during the games. “I am excited about learning a new language and meeting new people from all over the world,” said Braxton, who has has traveled to locations within the United States and China to participate in Special Olympics sporting events. “I enjoy meeting new people and going to different golf courses.” An accomplished athlete born with an intellectual disability, Braxton won the Special Olympics National Golf Championship in 2005. She also received a gold medal at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China. In 2010, she won a gold medal in golf at the Special Olympics USA National Games in Lincoln, Neb. Braxton, … [Read more...]

The University of Mary Washington will host its twelfth annual Operafest on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium. The program is open to the public without charge. The concert is the culmination of five weeks of intensive opera studies that was open by audition to serious students who want to sing opera and perform on stage. Directed by Kathy Ahearn and Jane Tavernier, voice instructors at the university, the performance features several scenes from “La Traviata” by Verdi, the trio from “The Impressario” by Mozart and the quintet from “The Magic Flute” by Mozart. In addition, for the first time, the second half of the program includes eight scenes performed in English from Bizet’s “Carmen.” A cast of 19 singers ranges from college voice majors and UMW alumni to well-established and successful artists from the Washington D.C. area. For more information about Operafest, … [Read more...]

The University of Mary Washington Faculty Brass Quintet will present “Give My Regards to Broadway!” on Saturday, June 18 at 7 p.m. in Fredericksburg’s Market Square as part of a new concert series. Admission is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs. An event of the American Music Concert Series, the performance will feature a mix of Broadway and patriotic music and marches. The quintet also will feature a set of authentic civil war brass band numbers. The Faculty Brass Quintet features world-class brass UMW faculty members, including founder and trombonist Kevin Bartram, who also directs the award-winning UMW Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to Bartram, members of the quintet include Jim Ford and David Mersiovsky on the trumpet, Jeremy Cucco on the French horn and Gary Carper on the tuba. Ford and Carper are adjunct instructors of music at the university. Founded in 2009, the Faculty Brass Quintet has performed at major … [Read more...]

The University of Mary Washington Small Business Development Center will offer consulting and training sessions in Stafford County. The 90-minute consultations address finance, accounting, marketing and demographic analysis. Offered in partnership with the Stafford County Department of Economic Development, the sessions are free to the public. Appointments must be scheduled in advance and are conducted the first Tuesday of each month at the Stafford County Office of Economic Development at 1300 Country Road. The venture also includes Stafford County as a partner in the UMW SBDC regional Business Constellation Program, whose mission is to make business services more accessible by offering services at multiple offices throughout the region. In addition, the UMW SBDC offers the same sessions in partnership with the King George Department of Economic Development. The consultations are offered by appointment at the King George Office of Economic Development at 10459 Courthouse … [Read more...]

The University of Mary Washington has been selected as host of the 2011 Governor’s Foreign Language Academy in German by the Virginia Department of Education. This summer, 45 Virginia high school students who have excelled in language study will reside on UMW’s Fredericksburg campus from June 25-July 17. The program provides students with a three-week foreign language immersion intensive environment. Marcel Rotter, associate professor of German, said the university’s dedication to foreign language studies makes Mary Washington a fitting site of the program. Rotter, who developed the grant proposal for the German academy, will be the program coordinator. “UMW has a strong commitment to liberal arts education, including foreign language education,” said Rotter. “We have a language requirement that provides all graduates at least an intermediate knowledge of one foreign language. The recent restructuring of the Office of International Academic … [Read more...]

Scott Harris has been chosen as director of the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library in Fredericksburg. Harris, who currently serves as director of the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park in New Market, Va., will begin work at the museum July 18. He replaces John Pearce who retired after 27 years service to University of Mary Washington, including 14 years as director of the museum. The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, located at 908 Charles Street, is owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by UMW. The largest repository of Monroe artifacts and documents, the museum is dedicated to the study, interpretation and presentation of the life and time of James Monroe. As director, Harris will be responsible for the management of daily operations at the museum, including long range planning, fundraising, supporting research and publications, coordinating events and physical improvements. At New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, Harris … [Read more...]