Beyond the Classroom Endowment

UMW Honors Couple’s STEM Contributions with Chemistry Classroom Naming

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Cathie O’Connor Woteki ’69 and husband Tom have both led distinguished careers in government, industry, and academia. Cathie got her start in STEM as an assistant in a lab in college – much like the one named for them last week in the University of Mary Washington’s Jepson Science Center – where she prepped solutions and lab equipment for experiments.

“I learned so much from that experience and my interactions with faculty,” said Cathie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry at Mary Washington and went on to shape food safety policy for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the White House. “I want to provide the same kinds of experiences for today’s students that I had in college.”

The Wotekis visited that fourth-floor lab for an unveiling, where UMW President Troy Paino, Provost Tim O’Donnell, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger expressed their gratitude to the couple for their generous gifts. Current and retired science faculty and university staff gathered in the space, which Professor of Biology Lynn Lewis, director of the Irene Piscopo Rodgers School of Science, said will hold introductory and upper-level chemistry courses and be used for the Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 Summer Science Institute.

Mary Washington alumna Cathie O’Connor Woteki ’69 and husband Tom in the doorway of the ‘Drs. Catherine O’Connor Woteki ’69 and Thomas H. Woteki Laboratory,’ in the Jepson Science Center, Room 416. The couple returned to campus last week for the lab’s naming ceremony, where University administrators and faculty thanked them for their generous gifts to UMW. K Pearlman Photography.
From left: UMW Provost Tim O’Donnell, President Troy Paino, Tom Woteki, Cathie O’Connor Woteki ’69, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger. K Pearlman Photography.
Cathie and Tom Woteki listen as College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger reads the Board of Visitors Resolution to name the classroom after the Wotekis. K Pearlman Photography.

Cathie and Tom have made gifts to the Class of 1969 50th Reunion Scholarship and the Fund for Mary Washington, but their greatest impact has come from their contributions to the Beyond the Classroom (BtC) Endowment since its inception.

Mellinger recalled a 2019 lunch, where Cathie posed the question: “What do you need?” Requests for undergraduate research funding were greater than the University could provide at the time, he said, so the Wotekis sponsored the endowment’s first significant campaign challenge, inspiring numerous alumni to make similar commitments in future years.

Gifts and pledges to BtC have since surpassed $1 million, providing experiential learning opportunities for dozens of UMW students for undergraduate research, internships, study abroad, and academic conference travel.

“Thank you for being here and for your continued investments in our students and the University,” said President Paino, acknowledging the importance of a public liberal arts and sciences education in addressing 21st-century challenges. “Cathie, you’re a wonderful example of a Mary Washington education. We’re so proud of everything that you and Tom have accomplished throughout your careers.”

Cathie and Tom Woteki chat with science faculty, including Professor of Physics Matt Fleenor (left) at a reception in the Jepson Science Center in the Wotekis’ honor. K Pearlman Photography.
President Paino thanks the Wotekis for their generous gifts to Mary Washington, especially the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, which they supported from its inception. K Pearlman Photography.
Professor of Biology Lynn Lewis, who is also chair of the Irene Piscopo Rodgers School of Science, explains how the laboratory named for the Wotekis will be used. K Pearlman Photography.
From left: Professor of Chemistry and UMW Honors Program Director Kelli Slunt ’89 and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Smith ’12 react to the Wotekis’ story of how they met and fell in love via one of the earliest computerized dating match sites. The couple joked that they were “the first and last” people they were each matched with. K Pearlman Photography.
Cathie O’Connor Woteki ’69 shares how she met and fell in love with her husband, Tom, after meeting on an early computerized match program. The Wotekis had their first date on the Mary Washington campus in February 1966. K Pearlman Photography.

Cathie earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in human nutrition from Virginia Tech and became the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first undersecretary for food safety, leading the agency through a transformation of the meat inspection system. She also co-authored the Clinton Administration’s national science policy statement and became the first female dean of agriculture at Iowa State University. At Mary Washington, she served on the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Advisory Board and received the UMW Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2009.

Tom, a three-time Virginia Tech alum, was chief statistician at the U.S. Department of Energy’s information administration and founding director of Virginia Tech’s Academy of Data Science. He was also chief data scientist and a senior vice president at MAXIMUS Inc. and held senior roles at Cisco, Northup Grumman, Merck, and the American Red Cross.

As she described her academic experience at Mary Washington, Cathie shared that she and Tom had their first date on campus in February 1966, after being matched by an early computerized dating program. The couple discovered their shared passion for scientific research, she said, connecting it to the conversation they’d have with Mellinger over five decades later.

“As scientists, we appreciate how important field and lab work is,” she said. “You apply principles, play with ideas, and experience the joys of human insights as well as the frustrations when things don’t work out.”

Tom, who has also made gifts with his wife to his own alma mater, spoke about the gratifying experience of receiving letters from UMW scholarship recipients who’ve benefited from their generosity.

“We’re so fortunate that we’ve been able to support Mary Washington and Virginia Tech,” he said. “It means a great deal to us to be able to help students and these institutions that mean so much to us.”

Learn more about Beyond the Classroom or make your gift. For information, please email Executive Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts Jeremy Vaughn ’08 in the Office of University Advancement or call 540-654-2063. 

This article was written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

Alumna Propels UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment Past $1 Million Mark

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Renee Kuntz ’85 can still remember the advice that Distinguished Professor Emeritus Jack Kramer gave her before she graduated from Mary Washington with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a focus in Russian studies.

Renee Kuntz '85 (center, chatting with friends at Reunion Weekend in 2022) recently made a pledge that helped UMW's Beyond the Classroom Endowment pass the $1 million mark to help Mary Washington students engage in high-impact learning experiences like study abroad, internships, and undergraduate research. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Renee Kuntz ’85 (center, chatting with friends at Reunion Weekend in 2022) recently made a pledge that helped UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment pass the $1 million mark to help Mary Washington students engage in high-impact learning experiences like study abroad, internships, and undergraduate research. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

“He encouraged me not to stay in one position,” said Renee, who spent nearly four decades rotating through various roles in the National Security Agency, putting her foreign policy background and language skills to work to protect American intelligence. “Mary Washington was truly foundational for my life and career.”

A dedicated donor to UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment (BtC), Renee wants current and future students at the University of Mary Washington to have access to experiential learning opportunities that will ensure success in their own careers. She recently made a pledge that pushed the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) initiative over the top in its quest to raise $1 million in gifts and pledges to help students pursue study abroad, internships, independent research, and travel to academic conferences.

“Accomplishing this milestone in just four years is simply amazing,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Keith Mellinger, who established BtC after student research proposals climbed to twice the CAS budget to pay for them. “It means we will be able to support our students in perpetuity and can make an annual commitment to these learning experiences that can really change lives.”

More than 1,363 gifts have been made from 677 donors since BtC’s inception to help undergraduate students enhance their liberal arts and sciences education. Some examples include:

  • Jay Boudreau ’23 studied treatments for antibiotic resistant “superbugs.”
  • Madeline Killian ’23 conducted research on female scientists in 18th-century Spain while studying abroad in Madrid.
  • Devin Thigpen ’23 participated in the Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers and competed in the World Geography Bowl.
  • Nathaniel Huff ’24 went on the UMW Theatre in London trip, where he attended 19 professional theatre productions in three weeks.
  • Ariana Adamek ’25 traveled to Denmark and Greece to take a course titled “Tasting Culture: Nordic and Mediterranean Food, Tradition, and Nutrition.”
  • James Rollison ’25 took “The Business of Football,” a course taught by UMW College of Business faculty in London.
  • Grace Gower ’26 went on a faculty-led trip to Paris to study the urban and architectural history of the City of Lights.
  • BtC helped 10 students complete professional internships in summer 2024.
Nathaniel Huff ’24 (center, green shirt and glasses) and his classmates visit Westminster Abbey during the UMW Theatre in London trip in summer 2023. Nathaniel was able to take the trip because he received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, which was awarded for the first time last year. Photo courtesy of UMW Theatre.
Ariana Adamek ’25 received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, which helped her study the food culture of Greece and Denmark (seen here in Denmark) last summer. Photo courtesy of Ariana Adamek/College of Arts and Sciences.
Madeline Killian ’23 received funds from UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment to travel to Madrid to conduct research on Spain’s first civic organization for women. Photo courtesy of Madeline Killian/College of Arts and Sciences.
James Rollison ’25 received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, which helped him take the UMW faculty-led course, ‘The Business of Football,” in London this summer. Photo courtesy of James Rollison/College of Arts and Sciences.

Dean Mellinger also acknowledged alumni and friends for their contributions, including CAS Advisory Board members Cathie Woteki ’69, Karen Laino Giannuzzi ’71, Mary Bradley MacPherson ’71, Beth Craig ’77, and Phyllis Quinn ’77, who all sponsored challenges in the last four years. Renee said it was “humbling” to be included in the company of these alumnae who achieved success despite overcoming the challenges women often face in their careers.

“When I first started out, I never thought I would financially be in a place where I could contribute in this way,” Renee said. She considers Karen Laino Giannuzzi an influential mentor during her career, which sent Renee to far-flung locales across the globe, including England, where she and her husband lived for several years.

Recently retired, Renee previously served as a member of UMW’s Alumni Association Board of Directors and currently leads the Baltimore Regional Alumni Network. A giving ambassador who has made gifts to her alma mater since she graduated, she’s also inspired by the generosity of her former professor.

Dr. Kramer said the same of Renee. Describing himself as a “stalwart supporter” of BtC, he has sponsored several challenges to encourage his UMW colleagues to donate to the initiative on Mary Wash Day.

“I’m delighted to learn that BtC will be able to carry on its critical work in furthering UMW’s educational mission,” said Dr. Kramer, who taught at Mary Washington for nearly five decades. “It’s especially gratifying that it was the contribution of Renee, one of my former students, who made this milestone possible.”

Learn more about Beyond the Classroom or make your gift. For information, please contact Jeremy Vaughn ’08 in the Office of University Advancement at jvaughn@umw.edu or 540-654-2063. 

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

UMW’s Giving Tuesday Totals Top $215K

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That’s a wrap! Donors to the University of Mary Washington gave more than $215,000, based on preliminary totals, in support of the UMW student experience during 2023’s Giving Tuesday celebration on Nov. 28.

Giving Tuesday image - Thank you for helping #MakeItPossible. I love University of Mary Washington (with Giving Tuesday heart and logo). Members of the Mary Washington community – including alumni, families, friends, faculty, staff, and students – gathered together for the 24-hour event to #MakeItPossible on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, contributing 575 gifts to areas across the University.

Nearly 300 alumni made gifts, helping to unlock more than $45,000 in matching and challenge funds from generous donors, inspiring others to give and maximizing the impact of each gift.

“I’m always amazed at the way our Mary Washington family comes together for students on Giving Tuesday year after year,” said Director of Annual Giving Shelby Orlando ’14. “Their enthusiastic support is a testament to their generosity and belief in UMW’s mission.”

The following challenges and matches were met in full on Giving Tuesday:

  • $12,500 match from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for gifts of $500 or less to the Fund for Mary Washington
  • $10,000 challenge gift from Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 after 200 gifts were made in November to the Beyond the Classroom Endowment, a College of Arts and Sciences initiative, which focused on student study abroad this year
  • $5,000 match for the College of Business from the COB Executive Advisory Board
  • $5,000 match for the Veterans Endowment from Brian ’84 and Erma Baker ’82
  • $5,000 match for the General Scholarship Fund from Alec and Betty Olander Adams ’69

Ryan Donaldson ’14 donated in honor of his former roommate, who had served in the military. “I’d like to make it easier for veterans like him to go to college,” he said.

Ryan’s gift of $19.08 also earned him the opportunity to name a campus squirrel after his current roommate as an early Christmas gift. More than 200 donors gave squirrels fun names like Henrietta Minerva Nutkin, Sir Donald Edward Fluffington, Sammy T. Squirrel, and Ms. Zippy Chatternut, receiving a digital certificate with their chosen name.

Alumni were also invited to make gifts in honor or in memory of the person who made their Mary Washington experience a special one. Beth Unklesbay ’74 paid homage to Karen Laino Giannuzzi ’71 – they’re both part of a small group of female retired military officers – whom she met almost five decades after leaving Mary Washington.

“From the beginning of our newfound friendship, Karen has been an enthusiastic advocate for our alma mater,” Beth said. “I credit her with bringing me back into the UMW fold.”

To learn more about the #GivingTuesday totals, please visit givingday.umw.edu/makeitpossible. 

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

Beyond the Classroom Endowment Brings the World to UMW Students

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University of Mary Washington senior Nathaniel Huff ’24 attended 19 professional theatre performances in the span of three weeks – more than most patrons see in a year – on the UMW Theatre in London trip last summer.

A theatre major, Nathaniel grew up in a small town with limited access to his chosen field. He said that going abroad exposed him and his classmates to a wide variety of plays and musicals, including several world premieres.

“There is no doubt that the productions I witnessed are influencing my work and giving me ideas on how to engage with the creative process,” said Nathaniel, who is currently directing a play he discovered at England’s National Theatre for his senior project.

UMW senior Nathaniel Huff received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship to go on the UMW Theatre in London trip last summer. Alumna Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 has sponsored a challenge, which will unlock $10,000 for study abroad if 200 gifts are made to Beyond the Classroom in the month of November. Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Huff.
Nathaniel (back row, third from right) saw 19 productions during the three-week trip, including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ (a fictional account of Shakespeare’s son) in Stratford-upon-Avon. Photo courtesy of UMW Theatre.

Nathaniel’s participation in the six-credit course, which also took students to the Globe Theatre and other Shakespearean sites, was made possible by UMW’s Beyond the Classroom Endowment (BtC). The initiative, founded three years ago, supports experiential learning such as study abroad, undergraduate research, internships, and travel to academic conferences. Now, the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, first awarded last year, has given students like Nathaniel the funding to study overseas.

“BtC was started to provide access to those learning experiences that make such a critical difference in the education and lives of our students,” said College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Keith Mellinger. According to UMW’s Center for International Education, one in three students study abroad while attending Mary Washington. “These opportunities set our students apart from others in a very crowded and highly competitive work environment,” Dean Mellinger said.

Generous donors have raised more than $600,000 for the initiative, which is already being used by UMW students. The long-term goal, Dean Mellinger said, is creating a $1 million endowed fund, which will generate tens of thousands of dollars for students each year.

Mary T. Bradley MacPherson '71 (right) with President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová. Photo courtesy of Mary T. Bradley MacPherson '71.
Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 (right) with President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová. Photo courtesy of Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71.

Mary T. Bradley MacPherson ’71 has sponsored a challenge, which will unlock $10,000 for study abroad if 200 gifts are made to Beyond the Classroom in the month of November. The timing coincides with International Education Week, Nov. 13-17. Donations made on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, will also count toward the total.

“It’s enriching to see how other cultures live and to be exposed to different perspectives,” said Mary, who majored in American Studies at Mary Washington. Her liberal arts education prepared her for a career promoting organizational capacity building, educational exchange, and entrepreneurship, which brought her to 45 countries across the globe. Since 2010, she led the Slovak-American Foundation, strengthening business partnerships between the two countries, until the nonprofit ceased this year after reaching its final goals.

Mary T. Bradley MacPherson, as a junior at Mary Washington, in the Battlefield Yearbook. Photo courtesy of UMW Special Collections and University Archives.
Mary T. Bradley MacPherson, as a junior at Mary Washington, in the Battlefield Yearbook. Photo courtesy of UMW Special Collections and University Archives.

A longtime CAS Advisory Board member, Mary has supported BtC since its inception and said she hopes her challenge will inspire her fellow alumni to give. “A small amount of money goes a long way in helping students have life-changing experiences.”

That’s true of sophomore Grace Gower ’26, a historic preservation major who went to France last summer for a course taught by UMW Professor of Historic Preservation Andréa Livi Smith and offered through the MICEFA consortium of French universities.

A Paris native, Dr. Smith led Grace and her classmates through the urban and architectural history of the City of Lights, touring museums, cathedrals, city parks, catacombs and world-famous sites like the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, which Grace captured through photography.

“The Beyond the Classroom Endowment helped pay my tuition fees for the course when my family was in a bit of a rough patch,” said Grace, who plans to pursue a career in historic preservation and urban planning. “I’m very grateful that it relieved some of the costs so I could take advantage of this unique opportunity.”

UMW sophomore Grace Gower (fifth from left) received the Beyond the Classroom Education Abroad Scholarship, which enabled her to go on a faculty-led UMW in France trip to study historic preservation in Paris. Here, she and her classmates visit the gravesite of Eliza Monroe Hay, daughter of President James Monroe. Hay was born in Fredericksburg and died in Paris. Photo courtesy of UMW Professor of Historic Preservation Andréa Livi Smith.
Grace’s photo of the Musee d’Orsay, an art museum in Paris housed in a former train station. Photo by Grace Gower.
Grace’s photo of the Cité de l’Architecture, an architecture museum in Paris. Photo by Grace Gower.

Learn more about Beyond the Classroom or make your gift. For information, please contact Jeremy Vaughn ’08 in the Office of University Advancement at jvaughn@umw.edu or 540-654-2063. Visit UMW’s Center for International Education to learn more about study abroad opportunities at Mary Washington.

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

UMW Reports Record-Breaking $21.3 Million Raised in 2022-23

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The University of Mary Washington closed the books June 30 on its most successful fundraising year to date, with $21,362,093 in gifts and pledges – more than triple last year’s number – made during the 2022-23 fiscal year to enhance the UMW student experience.

The University of Mary Washington announces its most successful fundraising year to date, with $21.3 million raised in 2022-23 to support UMW students, programs, faculty, and staff.
The University of Mary Washington announces its most successful fundraising year to date, with $21.3 million raised in 2022-23 to support UMW students, programs, faculty, and staff.

Private support from 4,829 generous donors, more than half of whom are alumni, helped Mary Washington continue its commitment to providing students with an outstanding public liberal arts and sciences education filled with impactful learning opportunities. Gifts benefited 301 areas across the University, including academics, arts, athletics, service and leadership initiatives, career services, and cultural programs.

“We are so grateful to the many new and longtime supporters across the UMW community, and I am thrilled to thank them all for our most successful fiscal year ever,” said President Troy Paino. “Our alumni, friends, families, students, faculty, and staff give generously and invest in this institution. These funds will be a critical piece of our ongoing efforts to recruit, retain, and graduate successful Mary Washington students.”

This year’s grand total was bolstered by a portion of a transformational $30 million gift from alumna Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59, who passed away in July 2022, leaving the largest donation in Mary Washington’s 115-year history. Rodgers’ gift, which will be paid out over multiple years, exponentially grows UMW’s undergraduate research program in the sciences. The gift also creates four new Alvey Scholarships, providing full tuition, fees, and room and board for out-of-state students for up to four years, adding to the eight already created by Rodgers.

Making a UMW education accessible and affordable remains a major priority at Mary Washington, with 790 scholarships and awards, totaling more than $2.1 million, given to 550 students in this fiscal year. Fifteen scholarships were awarded for the first time, including the Class of 1966 Scholarship and the Class of 1973 50th Reunion Scholarship, which illustrate the investment alumni continue to make in their alma mater and its students. Five incoming students have been awarded full-ride Alvey or Washington scholarships (for in-state students) for the coming academic year.

Recently recognized as a “Top Employer for Interns” by the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership, the University announced in April the William H. Leighty ’78 and Martha Kearns Leighty ’75 Fellows Program. The couple, who are both former Board of Visitors members (Bill also served as chief of staff to two Virginia governors), made a $100,000 philanthropic commitment to the program to support UMW juniors and seniors in pursuit of public service internships in the commonwealth.

“This year’s success is due to the dedicated alumni, friends, families, students, faculty, and staff who make the University of Mary Washington a priority in their philanthropic giving,” said Vice President for Advancement Katie Turcotte. “We are deeply grateful for the generosity of every donor and for their devotion to supporting UMW students, programs, faculty, and staff.”

Other 2022-23 highlights include:

  • The entire UMW community came together on April 4th’s Mary Wash Day, a high-energy celebration of school spirit, with alumni and friends sponsoring 52 challenges and matches to help raise $621,528 in 24 hours to support students, faculty, and programs.
  • Alumni donors spanning 84 years made gifts in FY23, totaling $10,135,909.
  • Current and former faculty and staff donors contributed $430,206 in FY23.
  • President Paino and his cabinet endowed the Charles Coleman Service Award for staff who demonstrate dedication to UMW and a concern for others. The first award went to Student Life Case Manager Betsy Southern, who served as COVID care coordinator during the pandemic.
  • UMW dedicated several spaces on campus, including the Weatherly Wing, the Mason Team Room and the Leigh Frackelton Classroom and Gibbons Team Room.

Donors also helped UMW reach its halfway mark of $500,000 for Beyond the Classroom, an initiative that supports undergraduate experiential learning such as independent research, study abroad, and internships. While BTC is already helping current students enhance their academic experience, the long-term goal is to create a $1 million endowment to generate tens of thousands of dollars for students each year.

The unrestricted Fund for Mary Washington received $687,052 in gifts and pledges, as well as a $2.2 million estate distribution to the Lynne Gourley Farrell ’62 Fund for Mary Washington Endowment, helping UMW address its most pressing needs.

This year also marked a full return to in-person advancement events that spotlight the power of philanthropy, including the Celebration of Giving and the Donor Appreciation Luncheon and Student Showcase. More than 3,100 alumni participated in regional network and affinity group gatherings, presidential events, Mary Talks, UMW Alumni on the Road trips, Homecoming, and Reunion Weekend, which saw over 850 alumni return to campus to celebrate their milestone years in June.

“I’m so impressed and energized by Mary Washington graduates who support their alma mater through their engagement, as well as the alumni team and volunteers who put each of our exceptional alumni events together,” Turcotte said. “We look forward to seeing even more of you in the future, and if you haven’t been back to campus in a while, we hope you’ll visit soon.”

Make a gift for FY24, which runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. To learn more about giving options, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024. Explore upcoming Mary Washington alumni events.

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