Giving Stories

Mary Wash Day Celebrates Philanthropy, Engagement, and UMW Pride

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When life threw Christine Exley ’09 a challenge during her senior year of college, University of Mary Washington friends and faculty got her through it.

“I was so excited for the next phase of my life, then everything was turned upside down,” said Christine, who praised the support she found at UMW after she was diagnosed with a condition that causes progressive blindness. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University and became an associate professor at Harvard Business School and at the University of Michigan, where she currently teaches economics.

On Mary Wash Day, held one week from today, Christine is challenging fellow 2000s graduates to give to the unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington, which underpins every aspect of the UMW experience. Each gift will help students take giant leaps intellectually, socially, and personally, just as Christine did. She and UMW Executive Director of Development Beth Waters Hunsinger ’01 will match donations from $5 to $250 to the Fund, up to $2,000, on Thursday, April 4.

Mary Wash Day donations help keep UMW’s class sizes small and provide undergraduate research opportunities for students to work alongside faculty mentors. Here, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Ranjit Singh speaks one on one with junior Shadwick Yoder, a political science major and environmental sustainability minor.
Service and volunteer experiences give UMW students the chance to make a difference on campus and in the community while exploring leadership roles and potential careers. Here, junior Celia Golden spreads mulch on Good Neighbor Day. Gifts on Mary Wash Day support COAR and the Center for Community Engagement, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, and other entities that provide meaningful experiences for students. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.
Donations on Mary Wash Day to Friends of Athletics or to a specific sports program provide critical support to help enhance the UMW student-athlete experience, supporting recruiting, professional development and training, team travel, athletic facilities, equipment and uniforms, and more. Here, senior UMW Men’s Basketball guard Cameron McCravy holds off a player on the opposing team. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.
Gifts on Mary Wash Day support student scholarships and help UMW students make groundbreaking discoveries in their fields. Here, junior Rachel Walker, who earned the Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and James D. Rodgers Student Research Fellowship II, conducts hands-on research in the Jepson Science Center. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.
Contributions to UMW Theatre on Mary Wash Day will help students learn to create plays and musicals that encourage conversations with their audience. Here, senior Maddie Baylor performs in Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express.’ Gifts can also be made to UMW Galleries, UMW Philharmonic, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, the James Monroe Museum, and the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series. Photo by Geoff Greene.

Generous alumni, families, friends, faculty and staff have stepped up this year to sponsor more than $400,000 in challenges and matches, exceeding totals from previous years, Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14 said. Their commitment will double and even triple the impact of each gift, she said, helping the University reach its goal of 2,500 gifts from 1,000 alumni donors and 250 new supporters in 2024.

Challenges and matches support the Fund for Mary Washington, student scholarships, academic departments, leadership and service organizations, arts and athletics, campus beautification, and more. Goals include:

  • 540 gifts (Fredericksburg’s area code) will unlock a $5,000 gift from Virginia Blackwell ’67 and John Rigsby
  • 1,908 gifts (UMW’s founding year) will result in a $6,000 donation from Mary Louise Holmes ’97
  • 2,500 gifts will unlock $100,000 from an anonymous donor to establish a scholarship in memory of Elizabeth Carolyn Vaughan Pritchett ’46
  • If gifts are made from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Vicky Nichols Wilder ’80 and former UMW Chief of Staff Marty Wilder ’80 will donate $6,000
  • When 1,000 alumni make a gift, Steve and Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68 will give $10,000
  • When 250 gifts are made from first-time donors, Patti Boise Kemp ’69 will give $15,000 for student scholarships
  • When 50 young alumni donate to UMW for the first time, Matt ’19 and Sarah Balenger Good ’19 will give $1,000
  • When 100 gifts are made by Mary Washington alumni married to other alumni, Rob ’93 and Dodie Denison Whitt ’95 will donate $5,000
  • Kourtney and Terrance Whitehead, parents of two UMW students, will unlock a $5,000 gift when 450 gifts are made by parents of current students or parents of alumni
  • In honor of their 50th Reunion, the Class of 1974 Reunion Committee is sponsoring a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $7,000

In addition, a Devil-Goat contest sponsored by Mike ’95 and Katie Valentine Charnoff ’04 will encourage friendly competition between odd- and even-year graduates. Valerie Parks ’80, Susan Leavitt ’83, Abas ’85 and Eileen Brown Adenan ’88, and Mary Helen Dellinger ’90 will each sponsor an Eagle power hour, energizing the UMW community to donate at various points throughout the day.

After making a gift at givingday.umw.edu, supporters can spotlight their names and gifts on the donor wall or remain anonymous, as well as track progress on dynamic leaderboards. Participants can also engage in events hosted throughout the day by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement and campus partners.

Festivities kick off at 7:30 a.m. with a “grab and go” breakfast for faculty and staff on the steps of the Cedric Rucker University Center, which will later become a student headquarters with games, prizes, photobooths, and stations for donations, selfies, and thank you notes. UMW Dining will also have a Mary Wash Day themed menu.

Rob '93 and Dodie Denison Whitt '95 (seen here with daughter Emily, a 2023 graduate, at Homecoming last October) are sponsoring a challenge for Mary Washington alumni who are married to fellow alumni. When 100 gifts are made by alumni couples, the Whitts will unlock a $5,000 gift to the Fund for Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Rob ’93 and Dodie Denison Whitt ’95 (seen here with daughter Emily, a 2023 graduate, at Homecoming last October) are sponsoring a challenge for Mary Washington alumni who are married to fellow alumni. When 100 gifts are made by alumni couples, the Whitts will unlock a $5,000 gift to the Fund for Mary Washington. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Students will have the opportunity to answer trivia in the Eagle Cash Cart and snag a rubber eagle from the fountain in front of Monroe Hall. They can also find 10 stuffed eagles hidden on campus to earn a chance to win $100 to designate to the area of their choice, courtesy of Patti Boise Kemp ’69.

As the sun begins to set, blue lights will illuminate the Cedric Rucker University Center in honor of UMW’s primary color. Local alumni can participate in a happy hour at Rey Azteca in Eagle Village, followed by trivia at Adventure Brewing, led by Alumni Association board member Karmel James ’13. Richmond residents are invited to a happy hour garden party hosted by Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Eric Gable and the Richmond Alumni Regional Network. Register at alumni.umw.edu/events.

Members of the UMW community are also encouraged to sign up as Mary Wash Day ambassadors. They’ll receive a customized dashboard and social media toolkit to inspire others to contribute, as well as a chance to receive an exclusive UMW bento box. Those who post on social are asked to tag @umw_alumni and @marywash and use #TogetherUMW and #UMWAlumni.

Browse areas of support and make your gift April 4 on the Mary Wash Day website. More information about Mary Wash Day can be found on the FAQ Page.

-Article written by Associate Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

Seventh Annual Mary Wash Day Brings #TogetherUMW, April 4

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UMW graduates Matt and Sarah Balenger Good ’19 land on the exact same word to describe their experience at the University of Mary Washington, where they met, fell in love, and earned degrees in political science and psychology, respectively.

“It was more impactful than I could have ever imagined,” said Sarah, who was on UMW’s Honor Council all four years, becoming its president as a senior, and currently works in autism services. Matt, who followed the same track in the Student Government Association and is now employed in public safety, agrees. “I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without Mary Washington.”

The seventh annual Mary Wash Day will be held April 4 with the theme of #TogetherUMW. The 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement supports UMW students, faculty, and programs.
The seventh annual Mary Wash Day will be held April 4 with the theme of #TogetherUMW. The 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement supports UMW students, faculty, and programs.

On Mary Wash Day, the couple is sponsoring a challenge to inspire graduates from the last decade to make their first-ever gift to their alma mater on Thursday, April 4, a day celebrating all contributions to the University. “We want to ensure that students today have the experiences we had and that young alumni get involved at Mary Washington,” Sarah said.

Eagles everywhere are encouraged to show off their Mary Wash pride during the 24-hour celebration of philanthropy and engagement, now in its seventh year, enjoying fun and festivities while making a difference in the lives of students for generations to come.

With a theme of #TogetherUMW, the event unites the entire Mary Washington community in support of students and faculty, as well as academic, arts, athletics, leadership, service, career, and cultural programs. Donors will have the chance to give to more than 80 different areas across the University.

After exceeding expectations last year with a grand total of $621,528 raised, UMW is striving toward a goal of 2,500 gifts from 1,000 alumni donors and 250 new supporters in 2024.

“These funds help Mary Washington continue to provide a public liberal arts and sciences education filled with impactful learning opportunities to current and future UMW students,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. Every gift made on Mary Wash Day – regardless of size – has the potential of doubling and even tripling its impact, thanks to more than $400,000 in challenges and matches sponsored by generous donors, she said.

Mary Wash Day donations help keep UMW’s class sizes small and provide undergraduate research opportunities for students to work alongside UMW faculty mentors. Here, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Pamela Grothe ’06 teaches a course exploring sedimentation.
Gifts on Mary Wash Day to Friends of Athletics or to a specific sports program provide critical support to help enhance the UMW student-athlete experience. Contributions fund athletic facilities, competition travel, professional development opportunities, custom-training equipment, and more. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.
Service and volunteer experiences give UMW students the chance to make a difference on campus and in the community while exploring leadership roles and potential careers. Gifts on Mary Wash Day support COAR and the Center for Community Engagement, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, the Gwen Hale Resource Center, and other entities that provide valuable and meaningful experiences for students.
Contributions to the UMW Philharmonic on Mary Wash Day help students explore their musical passions while providing arts and cultural experiences for the greater Fredericksburg community. Gifts can also be made to UMW Theatre, UMW Galleries, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, the James Monroe Museum, and the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.
Mary Wash Day helps students who participate in campus clubs, organizations, and other activities, such as UMW’s Esports team, pursue interests outside of class while building relationships with their peers.

Gifts can be made on the Mary Wash Day website April 4 to support the unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington, which helps UMW’s leadership meet emerging student, faculty, and program opportunities. Supporters can also give to other key areas of need, such as the General Scholarship Fund, the Technology Assistance Fund, and initiatives to bolster campus preservation and diversity and inclusion.

In addition to tracking progress through dynamic online leaderboards, new events and activities planned by UMW’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement and campus partners will build momentum and excitement leading up to and throughout the day.

Festivities kick off with a faculty and staff “grab and go” breakfast on the steps of the Cedric Rucker University Center, which will double as a student headquarters with thank you note, selfie, and donation stations; games and prizes; and more. UMW Dining will host a Mary Wash Day lunch with themed cookies for the occasion.

Students can participate in a scavenger hunt to find stuffed eagles planted across campus, catch a ride and answer UMW trivia in the Eagle Cash Cart, or snag a rubber eagle from the fountain in front of Monroe Hall.

That evening, the Cedric Rucker University Center will be lit in Mary Wash Day blue. Fredericksburg area alumni can join in a happy hour at Rey Azteca in Eagle Village, followed by trivia (in person and via Zoom) in the Hurley Convergence Center’s Digital Auditorium, led by Alumni Association board member Karmel James ’13. Professor of Sociology and Anthropology Eric Gable will host a happy hour garden party for the Richmond Alumni Regional Network.

Alumni can also request a brand new UMW pet bowtie through an online form and are encouraged to post pictures of their dapper dogs, chic cats, trendy turtles, and other animal friends with the tags #MaryWashDay and #UMWAlumni.

Members of the UMW community are invited to serve as Mary Wash Day ambassadors to inspire others to contribute. Anyone can sign up to receive access to a customized dashboard and toolkit.

More information about Mary Wash Day can be found on the FAQ Page. To sponsor a challenge or match, please contact Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14 at sorlando@umw.edu or (540) 654-1361.

-Article written by Associate Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

Late Alum’s Comic Book Creations on Display for Thursday’s Great Lives Lecture

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When Stan Lee drew Spider-Man, he gave his signature superhero the ability to shoot webs from a device attached to his wrist.

One of Duke Stableford's embroidered creations inspired by Stan Lee's comic book covers. Stableford, a 1981 alum who passed away in January, created 30 needlepoints of Marvel Comics covers that will be on display in George Washington Hall before the Great Lives lecture on Stan Lee on Thursday. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
One of Duke Stableford’s embroidered creations inspired by Stan Lee’s comic book covers. Stableford, a 1981 alum who passed away in January, created 30 needlepoints of Marvel Comics covers that will be on display in George Washington Hall before the Great Lives lecture on Stan Lee on Thursday. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Influenced by Lee’s work, Mary Washington alumnus Duke Stableford ’81 used cloth, a needle, and colored thread to create his own interpretations of the celebrated writer and artist’s classic comic book covers.

An exhibit featuring 30 needlepoint pieces by Stableford, who passed away in January, will be on view in George Washington Hall on Thursday, Feb. 22, when the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series presents Stan Lee: Spider-Man and Marvel Comics in the University of Mary Washington’s Dodd Auditorium on the Fredericksburg campus at 7:30 p.m. Presented by cultural historian Bob Batchelor, the lecture will be free and open to the public and is sponsored by Yuh Prosthodontics.

Cultural historian Bob Batchelor will present 'Stan Lee: Spider-Man and Marvel Comics,' sharing anecdotes from his 2022 book, on Thursday as part of the Great Lives Lecture Series.
Cultural historian Bob Batchelor will present ‘Stan Lee: Spider-Man and Marvel Comics,’ sharing anecdotes from his 2022 book, on Thursday as part of the Great Lives Lecture Series.

 

Lee, a larger-than-life personality who would have been 101 tomorrow, made an indelible impact on popular culture, from his trailblazing comic book series to film cameos to a blockbuster movie franchise. For Marvel Comics, he created iconic characters with superhuman strengths and incredibly human flaws – such as the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, and the Fantastic Four – who continue to entertain and inspire generations of superhero fans today.

In his lecture, Batchelor will draw from his book, Stan Lee: A Life, covering important milestones experienced by this American cultural visionary, who died in 2018, interwoven with the events that changed our nation during Lee’s lifetime.

A self-taught artist, Stableford began drawing and embroidering as a teenager. He kept up his craft most of his life, including intermittently at Mary Washington, where he majored in American studies and philosophy and played basketball, chess, and disc golf. He became a history and government teacher at Chancellor High School in nearby Spotsylvania and coached the school’s chess team to a state championship.

In retirement, Stableford merged his childhood interest in comic books with his passion for needlepoint. He began reproducing a series from Marvel Comics, which make up the core of this exhibit, until health issues began to limit his ability to embroider. He passed away peacefully on Jan. 11, 2024, surrounded by family and friends.

“Duke was an easygoing person with diverse interests whom it was a pleasure to know, even casually,” said Executive Director of UMW Museums Scott Harris ’83, who was recently named co-director of Great Lives. “It’s no surprise that he became an inspiring and beloved educator. I’m glad that we could associate his very personal tribute to Stan Lee’s legacy with this Great Lives lecture.”

A complete lineup of Great Lives lectures, including dates, speakers, and sponsors, can be found at umw.edu/greatlives.

Duke Stableford, fourth from the right, with the Mary Washington basketball team in 1978.
Duke Stableford playing frisbee at Mary Washington in 1980.
Duke Stableford, an American studies and philosophy major, studying at Mary Washington in 1980.
Duke Stableford, who had Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History Bill Crawley as a professor, went on to teach history and government at Chancellor High School, where he often taught students using mock trials.
Duke Stableford, seen here in 2007, sponsored Chancellor High School’s chess team, which went to the state championships.
Duke Stableford, seen here in 2002, was a popular history and government teacher at Chancellor High School in Spotsylvania, Virginia.

-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

UMW’s New Dean Gets Down to Business with Reaccreditation, Programs, and More

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Dean Filiz Tabak brought a broad portfolio of expertise when she came to lead the University of Mary Washington’s College of Business (COB) last summer. It helped her guide the college through a successful reaccreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or AACSB.

Dean Filiz Tabak recently guided UMW’s College of Business through AACSB reaccreditation.
Dean Filiz Tabak recently guided UMW’s College of Business through AACSB reaccreditation.

“This is a significant milestone signifying our commitment to academic excellence and the highest quality standards in business degree programs and in student success,” said Tabak in the announcement last week, thanking faculty, staff, and administration for their collaborative efforts in achieving this prestigious honor. Only 6% of business schools worldwide have received this international recognition, she said, which COB first earned in 2018.

During the lengthy reaccreditation process, Tabak relied on the extensive knowledge base she built during her years at Towson University’s College of Business & Economics, where she taught courses in organizational leadership, management, and more – while publishing research in countless peer-reviewed journals. There, she rose through the ranks, becoming graduate program director, department chair, and acting associate dean.

Yet, her background goes beyond business. As a first-generation college student, Tabak earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and a master’s degree in marine physics and chemistry before working at Henkel. Getting a glimpse into the multinational corporation’s inner workings helped her discover a passion for organizational behavior, a field she focused on while earning an MBA at Bogazici University in Turkey and a Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University.

“My multidisciplinary background was a major asset, because I thought differently from my peers,” said Tabak, who sees the same multifaceted approach through the liberal arts at Mary Washington and her prior work at Towson.

Besides reaccreditation, at UMW, she has been charged with developing innovative undergraduate and graduate curriculum, strengthening partnerships, creating a Dean’s Student Advisory Board, revamping the Executive Advisory Board, initiating a strategic plan for the college, and more.

Now in her second semester as dean, Tabak shares COB’s recent accomplishments and what’s in store for 2024.

What goals will you be focused on this year?
The College of Business is getting ready to launch a new major in entrepreneurship and management this fall and is streamlining the entrepreneurship minor. We’re working closely with UMW’s Center for Economic Development to provide training and internships and connect students with alumni entrepreneurs and area small business owners. We’re also promoting our 30-credit MBA program that can be completed entirely online, but still offering face-to-face graduate courses.

How would you describe the strategic planning process?
It was initiated under the umbrella of the University’s strategic plan and will help guide COB’s direction for years to come. Business schools must meet certain standards to keep AACSB accreditation, including focusing on social impact and digital knowledge. We’re looking for alumni, students, faculty, and staff, as well as community leaders, who want to join this effort and provide insight and feedback to help the college continue to achieve success.

What events are planned for 2024?
We’re excited to host our Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society induction ceremony on April 4, followed by the sixth annual Strategy Case Competition on April 18, in which student teams will analyze a comprehensive business case and present recommendations to an alumni panel of judges. Andrew Blate ’04 and his business partner, Craig Schneibolk, started an endowed fund for an annual $5,000 award to be split among the winners.

In the fall, we’ll host our Alumni Awards as well as our Meet the Firms event. Last semester, we hosted nearly 70 students who met with representatives from over a dozen firms to learn about internships and employment opportunities. We plan to expand the event to include more organizations.

UMW's College of Business, housed in Woodard Hall, recently completed a successful renewal, extending its AACSB accreditation for another five years.
UMW’s College of Business, housed in Woodard Hall, recently completed a successful renewal, extending its AACSB accreditation for another five years.

How can alumni help students achieve success in college and after Mary Washington?
Alumni can join our COB Executive Advisory Board, Young Professionals Group, or the strategic planning focus group. Alumni and advisory board member perspectives are invaluable and can help us shape the future of the college. We’re always happy to spread the word if you’re looking to hire an intern or a UMW graduate.

One of your goals is to start a Bloomberg Finance Lab. How will this benefit students?
These labs provide applied learning in up-and-coming areas like finance, financial planning, and business analytics, which we’d like to introduce as majors in the future. It’s critical that UMW students acquire comprehensive skills in these areas to compete well against other business school graduates in the market.

Why are your plans to create more faculty research opportunities and endowed professorships important?
Faculty research and knowledge creation increases the profile of the college, attracts prospective students, and improves the visibility of our outstanding faculty. UMW strikes the right balance between putting talented and engaged faculty in the classroom while nurturing an environment with opportunities to produce high quality scholarship.

How do you spend your free time?
I love exercising at the UMW Campus Recreation Fitness Center alongside our wonderful students and enjoy visiting downtown restaurants, the farmers market, and art galleries. I also train and board dogs, and I’m a canine photographer. I was chased and terrorized by a stray dog as a child, so I got a puppy to get over my fears about 20 years ago, and that was it; I fell in love with dogs and anything dog-related! But my side gig is on hiatus now that I’m a dean!

Read more about UMW’s College of Business.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

Lessons in Sciences: Mary Washington Alumnae Advance STEM Careers

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A young woman leaves New York to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at a small Virginia women’s college in the 1950s. After graduate school, she becomes a revered electron microscopist – but not without the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. Consequently, she spends her life helping female students at her alma mater advance their own careers and pursue their scientific passions.

It sounds like Lessons in Chemistry, the popular Apple+ miniseries based on the novel by Bonnie Garmus, chronicling the life of a female chemist challenging the status quo in the mid-20th century.

Yet, it’s the true story of Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59. She and other Mary Washington alumnae – such as Anne Hope Scott ’59, Jerri Barden Perkins ’61, and Marilyn Shull Black ’69 – made scientific breakthroughs while breaking through the glass ceiling.

Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 poses in 2017 with three of her recipients, Kelly McDaniel, Mary Hopkin, and Emily Ferguson.
Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics Janet Asper (right) works with chemistry major Dorothy Haas ’23 in Experimental Methods, a course that has students separating and identifying the molecules within a mixture. Through the years, Irene’s generous gifts to her alma mater have bolstered students’ pursuit of science.
Irene poses with a group of UMW scholarship recipients who benefited from her generosity at the 2018 Donor Appreciation Luncheon. To date, 93 students and counting have earned awards thanks to the funding she provided.

“These women overcame obstacles at a time when there were few women in STEM and found success in their fields,” said Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte. “We are so thankful to them and others who continue to invest in their alma mater so that students today can achieve their goals, just as they did.”

On Feb. 11’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science, UMW recognizes alumnae who have established or contributed toward scholarships and other awards in the sciences. A total of 21 graduates have given $10,000 or more to STEM areas over the years, all of them women. Nearly $43 million has been made in gifts and pledges to designations in the sciences by alumni, friends, and families, mostly in the last decade. 

Irene left the University of Mary Washington a transformational $30 million gift – the largest in the institution’s history – when she passed away in 2022. Her generous bequest will exponentially grow UMW’s undergraduate scientific research program and create four new Alvey Scholarships, providing full tuition, fees, and room and board for out-of-state students, adding to the eight she created in her lifetime.

The first of these four new scholarships will be awarded this spring to an incoming first-year student who wishes to pursue studies in biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and environmental science, mathematics, or computer science. Recipients will be notified by April 1, 2024, and students are encouraged to apply for admission as the first step. UMW also offers in-state full-ride scholarships for Virginia students, with more than 90 majors, minors, and programs to choose from.

Current students can apply for scholarships now, with the application open Feb. 1 through May 15.

In addition, the University recently recognized a decades-long commitment by Anne Hope Scott, who made a provision in her estate plan in 1988 to fund the Anne Hope Scott ’59 Scholarship in Chemistry. A former teacher, Anne, who also passed away in 2022, spent 34 years as a chemist and consumer safety officer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at UMW’s 2014 Commencement ceremony. Photo by Norm Shafer.
Anne Hope Scott (right) collaborates with a coworker in an FDA lab. The 1959 alumna’s bequest funded the Anne Hope Scott ’59 Scholarship in Chemistry.

Irene had often said that Mary Washington had “opened worlds” for her, so she wanted to do the same for students like senior Sofia Taylor, an Alvey Scholarship recipient with whom she corresponded regularly through cards and letters.

Sofia had the opportunity to thank her late donor one last time in a video that premiered at UMW’s annual Celebration of Giving dinner in December.

“I hope you know that everything I’m doing here at UMW was made possible because of your generosity,” said Sofia, a psychology major and music and neuroscience minor. “I will continue to make you proud as a woman in STEM and sing your praises for all past and future Alvey Scholars to hear.”

Seniors Sofia Taylor (right) and Hannah Stottlemyer, who both earned full-ride Alvey Scholarships established by Irene Piscopo Rodgers, pose with Ron Pohl, Irene’s friend and attorney, at the 2023 Celebration of Giving. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.
Harrison Miles ’15, ’23, who earned a post-baccalaureate degree in conservation biology, poses with his donor, Jerri Barden Perkins, MD, ’61, at the 2023 Celebration of Giving. His research received the John C. and Jerri Barden Perkins ’61 CAS Student Research Fellowship at last year’s Summer Science Institute. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

With a storied career as a chemist, physician, researcher, and author, Jerri Barden Perkins, MD, credits her start to the $100 scholarship she received at Mary Washington when she was a student. “This is my way of paying it forward for future generations.”

She was also honored in the video by one of her recipients, Harrison Miles ’15, ’23, who returned to UMW to earn a post-baccalaureate degree in conservation biology. Harrison was awarded the John C. and Jerri Barden Perkins ’61 College of Arts and Sciences Student Research Fellowship at last year’s Summer Science Institute for his research using fungus extracted from the invasive spotted lantern fly.

“Without the scientific background and support of my Mary Washington professors, I could not have achieved my goals,” said Jerri, who faced gender bias in medical school and throughout her career. She later trained at the National Institutes of Health, where she made groundbreaking discoveries into rheumatoid arthritis, and worked at the FDA, where she recommended the first therapy to treat AIDS patients.

Docia Atanda ’23, also featured in the video, said that receiving the Bernard L. Mahoney Jr. Student Research Fellowship from Marilyn Shull Black meant that she could continue her research with Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Smith ’12. Docia and Dr. Smith also received awards from Irene when they were students.

Now pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Maryland, Docia said she hopes to use her science education to contribute to the greater good just like Marilyn, who spent her career studying indoor air quality and its impact on children’s health.

Marilyn Shull Black ’69 with the late Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Bernard L. Mahoney Jr. She named her fellowship for the former professor.
Docia Atanda ’23 (right) with Kathleen Mahoney, wife of the late Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Bernard L. Mahoney Jr., the namesake of Marilyn Shull Black’s fellowship, at the 2023 Donor Appreciation Luncheon. Photo by Karen Pearlman Photography.

“Dr. Black, thank you for believing in the power of education and investing in students like me,” Docia said. “Your support has changed my life and enabled me and other Mary Washington students to pursue our dreams and make a difference in the world.”

Find scholarship opportunities that are available to UMW students. Learn more about establishing scholarships and how private support makes a difference in the lives of UMW students who receive scholarships, research fellowships, and internship grants.

-Article written by Associate Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

Watch the ‘Impact of Giving on the Sciences’ video: