UMW Historic Preservation Alumna Pivots to Career as a Pop Culture Critic

When entertainment journalist Maggie Lovitt ’15 reviewed a new period drama, she relied on the knowledge base she built while earning a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation at the University of Mary Washington.

“I come at it from a deeper well of knowledge than the average viewer,” Maggie said. For example, she asked more insightful questions when covering The New Look on Apple TV+, which follows Christian Dior and Coco Chanel launching their fashion empires in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. “Even if you don’t stay in the field you majored in, you can still use what you studied in your daily life.”

In just a few years, Maggie has gone from managing a historic site to rubbing elbows with the stars at Hollywood award shows. Yet, she still employs the skills she honed at Mary Washington – conducting research, writing and editing, and collaborating on a team – in her current career. As a critic, screenwriter, and actress, Maggie has earned accolades and approval from the Screen Actors Guild, Rotten Tomatoes, and the Critics Choice Association, which she shared in the spring edition of UMW’s Class Notes.

Maggie has been exploring these seemingly disparate interests since her fourth birthday, when her mother took her to a Star Trek convention, her first foray into fandom.

Around the same age, she also became fascinated by history. Growing up in Virginia, she and her family often visited Fredericksburg area locales like George Washington’s boyhood home, Ferry Farm, and his sister’s residence, Kenmore.

So, it was no surprise when she applied to Mary Washington, one of the few institutions in the country with an undergraduate major in historic preservation. At UMW, Maggie enjoyed the broad benefits of a public liberal arts and sciences education, taking courses in history, British literature, museum studies, geography, and journalism while volunteering at nearby museums and historic sites.

Maggie Lovitt (fourth row, second from right) with Department of Historic Preservation faculty members and classmates before Commencement in 2015. Photo courtesy of Maggie Lovitt.

Maggie with her parents, Karen and Brad Lovitt, after UMW’s Commencement in 2015. Photo courtesy of Maggie Lovitt.

Maggie explores a display at Ferry Farm in Stafford. Visits to George Washington’s boyhood home and other historic sites around Fredericksburg influenced her decision to pursue a bachelor’s degree in historic preservation at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Maggie Lovitt.

But television and movies were still on her mind. “Anyone who was in class with me knew I was always reading reviews in The New York Times,” Maggie said. “I talked about ratings for my favorite shows ad nauseum.”

After graduation, Maggie earned a master’s degree online in engaged anthropology from the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, while working as the executive director of the Chapman-Beverley Mill in Fauquier, Virginia, where her family has had roots since the 1700s.

She oversaw the 19-century historic site, planned events and programs, coordinated volunteers, maintained the website and social media accounts, and wrote press releases and grant applications. Then came COVID, which slowed traffic to museums and historical landmarks.

That’s when her other passion came into play. She began reviewing films for online publications and launched a podcast, Petticoats & Poppies: History Girls at the Movies, with friend and fellow film buff Nicole Ackman. “I realized this wasn’t a dead end; it was a doorway to more opportunities,” Maggie said.

Hired by digital entertainment hub Collider, she rose to the role of senior lead news editor. She now manages a team of writers and produces prose on pop culture topics like the latest from the Star Wars universe, rom-coms, horror flicks, and historical dramas.

Maggie Lovitt (far right) on a panel with sci-fi actresses (from left) Alexa Kingston, Michelle Hurd, and Felicia Day. Photo credit: FanExpo.

Maggie with her mother, Karen Lovitt, and actor Robert Beltran, who played Chakotay on ‘Star Trek: Voyager.’ Photo courtesy of Maggie Lovitt.

Maggie Lovitt interviews ‘Harry Potter’ actors Matthew Lewis (left) and Jason Isaacs. Photo credit: FanExpo.

Maggie Lovitt interviews Diego Luga, an actor who has appeared in the ‘Star Wars’ vehicles ‘Andor’ and ‘Rogue One.’ Photo credit: FanExpo.

She has also been cast in a dozen onscreen roles, including in Wonder Woman 1984 and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and designed costumes for several projects. And her screenplays have placed in film festivals in New York City, Los Angeles, and Richmond, Virginia.

Looking back at her time at UMW, she’s grateful to the alumni, donors, and faculty members who supported her endeavors in college and continue to root for her success. Among them is Professor of English Eric Lorentzen, who remembers having lively discussions with Maggie at Mary Washington over film interpretations of their favorite texts.

“I love when a piece of Maggie’s writing takes on instances of literary adaptation,” Dr. Lorenzten said, “so I can see the wonderful ways that echoes of our old conversations in class recur and expand in these brilliant new venues.”

Maggie’s advice for current UMW students? “No matter what you are currently studying, you never know what your future might have in store for you,” she said. “It’s important to always stay true to yourself and to go with the flow.”

– Article written by Advancement intern Tabitha Robinson ’24