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2021 Donor Appreciation Celebration

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The annual Donor Appreciation Celebration was held virtually March 20, 2021, through ZOOM. More than 150 guests were in attendance, including endowment donors, members of the Washington and Heritage Societies, faculty representatives, scholarships recipients, and student ambassadors.

The virtual event was led by two UMW student scholarship recipients and featured remarks and updates from President Paino. The new custom video, “Because of You,” was shown for the first time, as well as a new virtual performance of our Alma Mater.  See the links below to watch segments from the event, as well as the two featured videos. (Note: Approximate running times for each segment are noted in parentheses.)

View remarks and special video presentations from the virtual celebration:

Welcome (2:46)
Rahi Taylor ’20 – Abbott International Study Scholarship
Samantha Shahinian ’20 – Albert R. Klein Memorial Scholarship and Fred R. Winer Research Scholarship
Donor Acknowledgement (4:55)
Lisa Jamison Bowling ’89 – Vice President for Advancement and University Relations

Importance of Philanthropy (7:38)
Troy D. Paino – President

Premiere of “Because of You“ (7:08)
Courtney Burrows B.A. ’17, M.Ed. ’18 – Ukrop Scholars Program and Mann College of Education Graduate Year Scholarship
Bailey Johnson ’21 – Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship and Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 and James D. Rodgers Student Research Fellowship II
Justin Daniels ’23 – Robert ’93 and Dodie ’95 Whitt Scholarship, Louis A. ’94 and Jill Marmo Partnership for the Future Scholarship, and Don and Kathleen Edwards Scholarship in Computer Science

Alma Mater (1:34)
UMW Chorus

 

For more information about the event or video links, please contact dharter@umw.edu

Giving Day Brings UMW ‘All Together’ on April 13

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There’s no time like spring at the University of Mary Washington, and there’s no day like Giving Day. Mary Wash Giving Day returns this year on April 13, and the University community near and far – alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and friends – is invited to join the celebration.

This year’s theme, #AllTogetherUMW, serves as a reminder of what can be accomplished when supporters join forces for a common purpose: to benefit students through funding for academic, athletic, arts, leadership, service, career and cultural programs. And this year’s goal — 3,000 gifts to areas across the University during the 24-hour online event — emphasizes each donor’s impact on the student experience.

Also known as “Mary Wash Day,” the initiative has grown exponentially since its 2017 inception, and with 2020’s event canceled amidst the growing pandemic, UMW’s Annual Giving team is pulling out all the stops this year. Dynamic leaderboards, matching funds and social media challenges will add to the excitement as the day’s progress is tracked live.

The University has benefited from strong private support for more than a century, and donors’ gifts have provided an essential boost throughout the past year. As student need grows and UMW adapts to a rapidly changing world, Giving Day gifts are more valuable than ever. On the Mary Wash Giving Day website, on April 13, donors will be able to provide direct financial assistance to students through the General Scholarship Fund or the Technology Assistance Fund, or support the University’s most pressing needs through the Fund for Mary Washington. Gifts will strengthen diversity and inclusion initiatives, and bolster campus preservation, student life, and other areas that define the UMW difference.

In addition to marking the calendar for April 13, the Mary Washington community is asked to help spread the word on social media by tagging their posts with #AllTogetherUMW and #MaryWashDay. In 2019, more than 300 Giving Day Ambassadors inspired more than 1,000 additional gifts by posting and sharing. Anyone can sign up as a Giving Day ambassador, and receive access to a custom dashboard and toolkit, at givingday.umw.edu.

Visit the FAQ page for more information about Mary Wash Giving Day.

Finding Stability

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Scholarships help UMW senior find balance.

Matt Smith ’21 is the proud recipient of three UMW scholarships: The Biology Departmental Scholarship, Celtic Art Scholarship, and the Stanley A. Owens Scholarship.

He also is a beekeeper and is currently conducting research with the biology department on pollinator foraging patterns in the Fredericksburg area. The purpose of his research is to see if human-designed landscapes are adequate replacements for natural landscapes or pollinator forage. Matt says this is important because many native pollinators have suffered population declines within the last two decades due to forage and habitat loss.

In addition to this scientific research, Matt maintains a 3.9 GPA while holding leadership roles in several clubs, including the Ecology Club, Boxing Club, and the UMW Eagle Bagpipe Band. Matt especially enjoys the creative outlet from participating in the Eagle Bagpipe Band with Professor Lauren McMillan. ”

“Bagpipes have provided a unique opportunity for me to grow outside of the academic sphere at UMW,” says Matt.

Privately funded UMW scholarships help make college more affordable and – together – they allow Matt the time to pursue his scientific and creative interests. Matt’s post-graduation plans include finding a job in geospatial analysis or in field biology, and working in the field for a few years before going to graduate school.

Written by Darlene Mugisha ’21

Honoring a Master

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Privately funded faculty award for English professors recognizes the value of extraordinary teaching.

Donald E. Glover as pictured in the 1971 edition of The Battlefield.

In 1971, the average cost of a postage stamp was 8 cents; Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Florida; and Intel released its first microprocessor. In Fredericksburg, Virginia, a Mary Washington English professor made an indelible impression on a member of the Class of 1971.

Fifty years later, that alumna has fully funded a new faculty award to honor the memory of Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English Donald E. Glover. During his tenure, Dr. Glover was a widely respected and beloved member of the faculty. He began teaching at Mary Washington in 1961 and served as department chair from 1970-73. Glover retired in 1998 after 37 years of service; he passed away in August of 2020.

While the donor still wishes to remain anonymous, she first alerted the University in 2018 of her intentions as defined in her estate plans. She then requested that Glover be informed so he would know how important his teaching had been to her during those formative years at Mary Washington.

Dr. Gary Richards, professor and chair of the Department of English and Linguistics, met with Glover in 2018 to share news of this faculty award, as well as the future creation of a named endowed scholarship.

In 2018, Dr. Gary Richards (left) met Dr. Donald E. Glover (right) and shared news of two special gifts from a former English student.

“Don was long retired when I became Chair,” says Richards, “but this award brought me in contact with him and his lovely wife, Alice. Even though he was already struggling with his health then, I got a glimpse of the professor who made such an impact on our donor. I am delighted that Don Glover is being honored in this way.”

The donor recalls that Glover was light on lectures, yet strategically led his students to understand and appreciate works of literature by asking questions to stimulate critical thinking and discussion. She says students learned for themselves as they came to realize the full meaning and importance of what they had read. She decided to go ahead and fund this award now in the hope that English faculty can follow in Glover’s footsteps, while having a positive and lasting impact on students’ lives.

Richards says the award’s focus on teaching acknowledges Glover’s long and distinguished career at Mary Washington. “This award documents the life-impacting teaching that professors in our department have been doing for decades,” says Richards. “It also documents the generosity of this alumna, who so carefully looked backwards to her experiences at UMW and forward to other students’ experiences.”

While the department is fine-tuning details for the application and evaluation process, Richards stresses the value of this new faculty award for an outstanding professor of English. “This is in perfect keeping with UMW’s focus on undergraduate teaching and stands to buoy faculty who are exerting such winning energies in this arena,” he says. “And, as I hope we all know, affirmed and energized professors carry that excitement into the classroom, which in turn energizes students.”

Details for applying for the new Donald E. Glover Faculty Award will be available soon.

For information about establishing estate gifts or funding endowed awards and scholarships, contact the Office of Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-846-0470. UMW honors requests for anonymity.

 

Article written by Donna Harter, Executive Director of Advancement Initiatives

Finding a Spark

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Scholarship helps student discover passion for history. 

One reason students come to UMW is because of the wide range of opportunities and possibilities for majors and minors. That is the case for Gillian Brown ’22, who is majoring in historic preservation with a minor in museum studies.

“I chose these subjects because of my love for history,” says Gillian. “I was drawn by the practical aspect of historic preservation and my ever-growing love of the museum experience.”

Gillian is a recipient of the Mansheim Scholarship in Historic Preservation, and she is grateful that it allows her to pursue her passion for history and have time for extra-curricular activities. In her free time, she is an intern at Pro-Rep Sales; she is the secretary for the Museum Student Society; and she enjoys swing dancing. At one time, she worked at the Rising Sun Tavern Museum, a living history museum in downtown Fredericksburg.

Gillian does admit that it is a bit challenging being a student during the COVID pandemic, but says UMW is an amazing community. “UMW has encouraged me and my classmates to reach out to each other either in class or outside of class,” she says. “They want us to learn from each other and with each other.”.

Gillian is fortunate to have found her passion. After graduation, she hopes to work in museum administration or collections management in a museum.

Written by Darlene Mugisha ’21