Dear UMW Community,
Welcome back! We’re ready for an exciting, educational, and eventful spring semester, with many upcoming opportunities to engage on campus and in the surrounding community. First, though, I want to welcome our newest UMW students, staff, and faculty. We are so glad to have you here, and you’ve picked an excellent time to join Mary Washington.
As is our tradition, following the first week of classes, the spring semester kicks off with a day of service and MLK Week events. The 2026 William B. Crawley Great Lives Series starts in January, and in honor of the America250 and VA250, celebrations will feature several historic figures involved in the American Revolution and Independence of the United States. Scholars interested in the era can continue their exploration and research at the James Monroe Museum, which also administers The Papers of James Monroe, with generous funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
In addition, Gari Melchers Home and Studio offers free admission Sundays in January and is free for UMW staff and students with EagleOne ID. The UMW Galleries reopen with two new exhibitions January 20. The spring schedule for music is already available as well, with recitals beginning in January, along with celebrations for Black History Month in February. Learn more about upcoming celebrations from the James Farmer Multicultural Center.
As you plan your schedule for the spring, you’ll also want to save the date for the Career and Internship Fair on Thursday, February 19. Life After Mary Washington Week starts February 11 with the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Internship Expo. Thinking ahead to summer, now is the time to research summer research opportunities, including the Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 Summer Science Institute and the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Summer Institute, or apply for a spring undergraduate research grant by January 21. More information and spring semester events are posted on the Research and Creativity Collaborative website. We saw a flurry of research and creativity at the end of the fall semester, including the publication of new campus blue light maps resulting from a collaborative project. I look forward to the projects this year.
For friends and family, don’t forget to share the opportunity to apply for free for fall 2026 admission. Share the code UMWFAM with a high school senior to waive the application fee. High school students can also experience UMW this summer through the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP). Registration for SEP is open now.
Our team in Admissions and Financial Aid is offering a series of financial aid webinars this spring for new students, and current students can contact their financial aid counselor with any questions as they complete this year’s FAFSA or review details of their awards. The scholarship application opens again on February 1.
These winter months are also full of Eagles games, as both the men’s and women’s basketball teams continue their conference schedules, with the men’s team ranked in the NCAA D III top 10. Hear more from the coaches about their teams’ success in a recent interview with Town Talk. Swimming and diving celebrated senior day on January 10, and our track and field athletes are quickly completing their spring indoor schedule, with three school records broken just this past weekend. As a reminder, regular season home games and swim meets are free, and UMW fitness classes are free during the first week of classes, if you are looking for ways to be more active in the new year.
We move forward with work to install new locker rooms at the Battleground Athletic Complex, and the Fairfax parking lot has been reserved for materials for the Ball Hall accessibility projects and adjacent foundation work on the Fairfax, Tyler and Hamlet Houses. The corner of campus at William St. and Sunken Road has been cleared for site work for the new theatre, with demolition of Marshall Hall and Russell Hall starting now. During this initial stage of the demolition, we’ve also partnered with the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank to donate refurbished AC units form the two buildings. At the other end of Sunken Road, the goats continue their landscaping work as well.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Devil-Goat Day, a campus tradition that dates back to its origins in 1926, when the junior class adopted the green goat as a class symbol. The seniors then selected the red devil as their mascot in competition and Devil-Goat Day was born as an annual conclusion to the spring semester. We certainly have much to celebrate this year.
We are also planning ahead to many more successful years at Mary Washington, and I appreciate the strategic action priority implementation groupsfor their thoughtful work throughout the fall semester. A draft of UMW’s Strategic Action Plan for 2026-2031 has been shared with the campus community by email, with feedback opportunities on the schedule through shared governance. As we focus on Learning, Innovation & Community, I’m excited to see these ideas develop into implementation plans.
As you return for this spring semester, I hope that you enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating winter break. Perhaps you found a new favorite book or a podcast with familiar voices, or spent time with family and friends. The holidays can be full of a mix of emotions, both joy and sadness. If you need extra support as you start a new semester, LaunchPad re-launches with a short schedule this week and next week. TimelyCare for students and the Employee Assistance Program are available whenever and wherever you need them.
It’s good to have your talents and gifts back in our campus community. Let’s make it a great year.
Sincerely,
Troy Paino