College of Arts & Sciences

Keith E. Mellinger, Dean
Grant R. Woodwell, Associate Dean
Elizabeth F. Lewis, Assistant Dean

The Undergraduate Curriculum in Arts and Sciences

The University of Mary Washington’s undergraduate curriculum represents a distinctive academic experience which prepares graduates to make choices that lead to fulfilling lives as responsible, contributing members of local, national, and global communities. Three interrelated components make up this experience: General Education, the Major, and Electives.

General Education is the foundation of  a liberal arts and sciences education and is designed to cultivate the skills, knowledge, and habits of mind that are essential in every field of study and which enable graduates to make effective decisions as citizens of a rapidly changing, richly diverse, and increasingly interconnected world. The University’s General Education requirements introduce students to a variety of learning perspectives and methods of inquiry that combine to foster an appreciation for different ways of viewing, knowing, and engaging the world. General Education facilitates collaborative learning, individual intellectual development, and constitutes the basis for lifelong learning.

The Major develops expertise in a specialized area of study resulting from focused investigation in a particular academic discipline or disciplines (in the case of an interdisciplinary major). Majors are organized areas of inquiry and knowledge with defined learning goals and methodologies. Major requirements complement, reinforce, and extend the objectives of General Education while adding depth of study in course work, individualized learning, and co-curricular experiences.

Electives offer students opportunities to explore personal interests, add variety to one’s studies, and advance particular academic, career, or professional goals (such as preparation for law or medical school). Electives also enable the study of an area of knowledge in greater depth through individually selected courses or experiences that build on a Major’s formal requirements. The combination of experiences provided through General Education, the Major, and Electives enable students to achieve the following learning goals and to emerge fully prepared to contribute to the world beyond the University.

Visit the College of Arts and Sciences website for additional details.

Majors

Minors

Certificates

Learning Goals in Arts and Sciences

• University of Mary Washington graduates should be able to write and speak effectively in a variety of contexts;
• University of Mary Washington undergraduates, regardless of major, should acquire specific knowledge of and appreciation for the problems, methods, and contributions of the fine and performing arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics;
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should be characterized by intellectual rigor, integrity, disciplinary depth, and attention to the individual student;
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should include diverse learning experiences provided by the entire undergraduate course of study: General Education, the Major, and Electives;
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should offer students an informed  understanding of and engagement with global issues, thereby enabling them to graduate fully prepared to contribute in positive and substantive ways to the complicated and changing world beyond the university.
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should provide students with classroom-based and other educational opportunities to critically examine issues of identity (such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and nation), including explorations of how they relate to value systems, structured inequality, and cultural and institutional power. In addition to preparing Mary Washington students to contribute thoughtfully to the world beyond the university, a focus on issues of power and inequality is a critical component of the University of Mary Washington’s commitment to campus diversity.
• The University of Mary Washington academic experience should ensure that students are in command of the technologies that define not only 21st-century communication but the emerging tools of different disciplines.

College of Arts and Sciences Faculty

Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences is organized by departments and programs.

American Studies Program

Erin K. Devlin, Program Coordinator and Career Advisor
Krystyn R. Moon, Career Advisor 

Affiliated Faculty

Antonio Barrenechea, Department of English and Linguistics
Erin K. Devlin, Department of History and American Studies
Joseph G. Dreiss, Department of Art and Art History
Stephen J. Farnsworth, Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Bradley A. Hansen, Department of Economics
Christine R. Henry, Department of Historic Preservation
Janie Lee, Department of English and Linguistics
Mary Beth Mathews, Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
Jeffrey W. McClurken, Department of History and American Studies
Will B. Mackintosh, Department of History and American Studies
Krystyn R. Moon, Department of History and American Studies
Melina A. Patterson, Department of Geography
Gary N. Richards, Department of English and Linguistics
Mara N. Scanlon, Department of English and Linguistics
Jason R. Sellers, Department of History and American Studies
Gregg Stull, Department of Theatre and Dance
Clarence W. Tweedy, III, Department of English and Linguistics

Art and Art History Department

Jason M. Robinson, Chair; Career Advisor, Studio Art
Suzie Kim, Career Advisor, Art History

Faculty

(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)

Professors

Julia Anne DeLancey (Art History)
Joseph G. Dreiss (Art History)

Associate Professors

Suzie Kim (Art History)
Jason M. Robinson (Studio Art)

Assistant Professors

L. Ashe Laughlin (Studio Art)

Athletics, Health, and Physical Education Department

Patrick L. Catullo, Chair
Caitlin E. Moore, Assistant Chair

Faculty

Senior Lecturers

Justin A. Anderson
Deena A. Applebury
Andrew S. Delaney
J. Todd Helbling
Marcus N. Kahn
Jason A. Kilby
Caitlin E. Moore
Jamie M. Tierney
Rodrick L. Wood

Lecturers

Scott P. Gerseny
Hanaria J. Qualls
Kelly F. Swiney

Administrative/Professional Faculty

Patrick Fleming, Associate Athletic Trainer
Elizabeth Druvenga, Head Athletic Trainer
Kimlonte Morriss, Director of Strength and Conditioning
Clint Often, Sports Information Director​

Biological Sciences Department

Dianne M. Baker, Chair

Faculty

Professors

Dianne M. Baker
Andrew S. Dolby
Alan B. Griffith
Lynn O. Lewis
Deborah A. O’Dell

Associate Professors

Swati Agrawal
Theresa M. Grana
Bradley A. Lamphere
Abbie M. Tomba
R. Parrish Waters
April N. Wynn

Assistant Professors

Lauren A. Cirino
Ginny R. Morriss
Laura M. Sipe

Senior Lecturer

Michael C. Stebar

Chemistry and Physics Department

K. Nicole Crowder, Chair
Janet A. Asper, Career Advisor
Matthew C. Fleenor, Program Coordinator (Physics)

Faculty

(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)

Professors

Janet A. Asper (Chemistry)
K. Nicole Crowder (Chemistry)
Matthew C. Fleenor (Physics)
Kelli M. Slunt (Chemistry)

Associate Professors

Leanna C. Giancarlo (Chemistry)
E. Davis Oldham (Chemistry)
Randall D. Reif (Chemistry)

Assistant Professor

Desmond R. Villabla  (Physics)
Sarah E. Smith (Chemistry)
Varun Suresh Makhija (Physics)

Classics, Philosophy, and Religion Department

Jason P. Matzke, Career and Pre-Law Advisor (Philosophy)
Mary Beth Mathews, Career Advisor (Religion)

Faculty

(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)

Professors

Mary Beth Mathews (Religion)
Jason P. Matzke (Philosophy)
Angela L. Pitts (Classics)

Associate Professor

Jennifer A. Barry (Religion)

Assistant Professor

Kalpesh Bhatt (Religion)

Senior Lecturer

Michael J. Reno (Philosophy)

Communication and Digital Studies Department

P. Anand Rao, Chair and Career Advisor (Communication)
Zachary N. Whalen, Career Advisor (Digital Studies)

Faculty

Professor

P. Anand Rao 

Associate Professor

Adria Y. Goldman
Zachary N. Whalen
Elizabeth A. Johnson-Young
Sushma Subramanian 

Assistant Professors

Emily D. Crosby
James [J.D.] D. Swerzenski 

Computer Science Department

Andrew M. Marshall, Chair

Faculty

Professors

Karen M. Anewalt
Stephen C. Davies
Jennifer A. Polack

Associate Professors

Ian Finlayson
Andrew M. Marshall
Veena Ravishankar
Jessica Zeitz Self
Xin-Wen Wu

Assistant Professor

Prashant Chandrasekar 

Instructor

Nazia Sharmin

Contemplative Studies Program

Angela L. Pitts, Program Coordinator, Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion

Affiliated Faculty

Kalpesh Bhatt, Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
Joseph G. Dreiss, Department of Art and Art History
Caitlin C. Finlayson, Department of Geography
Miriam N. Liss, Department of Psychological Science
Deborah A. O’Dell, Department of Biological Sciences
Angela L. Pitts, Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
Holly H. Schiffrin, Department of Psychological Science
Hilary E. Stebbins, Department of Psychological Science

Cybersecurity Program

Andrew Marshall, Program Coordinator, Department of Computer Science

Affiliated Faculty

Randall Helmstutler, Department of Mathematics
Kimberley Kinsley, College of Business
Veena Ravishankar, Department of Computer Science
Mukesh Srivastava, College of Business
Xin-Wen Wu, Department of Computer Science

Data Science Program

Prashant Chandrasekar, Program Coordinator, Department of Computer Science

Affiliated Faculty

Stephen Davies, Department of Computer Science
Christopher J. Garcia, College of Business
Debra L. Hydorn, Department of Mathematics
Jessica Zeitz Self, Department of Computer Science

Earth and Environmental Sciences Department

Jodie L. Hayob, Chair
Jodie L. Hayob, Career Advisor (Geology)
Melanie D. Szulczewski, Career Advisor (Environmental Science)/Program Director, (Environmental Sustainability Minor)

Faculty

Professors

Jodie L. Hayob
Ben O. Kisila
Grant R. Woodwell

Associate Professors

Tyler E. Frankel
Pamela R. Grothe
Melanie D. Szulczewski

Senior Lecturer

Sarah A. Morealli

Economics Department

Don D. Lee, Chair

Faculty

Professors

Bradley A. Hansen

Associate Professors

Amrita Dhar
W. Shawn Humphrey
Don D. Lee

English and Linguistics Department

Jonathan Levin, Chair
Maya Mathur, Associate Chair
Colin T. Rafferty, Career Advisor (Creative Writing)
Janie Lee, Career Advisor (Linguistics)

Faculty

(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)

Professors

Antonio Barrenechea (English)
Christofer C. Foss (English)
Mary Katherine Haffey (English)
Jonathan Levin (English)
Eric G. Lorentzen (English)
Maya Mathur (English)
Colin T. Rafferty (English)
Gary N. Richards (English)
Mara N. Scanlon (English)

Associate Professors

Susanne Brenta Blevins (English)
Laura L. Bylenok (English)
Shumona Dasgupta (English)
Paul D. Fallon (Linguistics)
Benjamin J. LaBreche (English)
Janie Lee (Linguistics)
Clarence W. Tweedy, III (English)

Geography Department

Melina A. Patterson, Chair
Dawn S. Bowen, Career Advisor

Faculty

Professors

Dawn S. Bowen
Stephen P. Hanna
Farhang Rouhani

Associate Professors

Caitlin C. Finlayson
Jacqueline Gallagher
Marco Millones Mayer
Joseph W. Nicholas
Melina A. Patterson
Ping Yin

Historic Preservation Department

Cristina Turdean, Chair
Michael G. Spencer, Career Advisor

Faculty

Associate Professor and Prince B. Woodard Chair

Michael G. Spencer

Professor 

Andréa D. Livi Smith

Associate Professors

Christine R. Henry
Daniel J. Hubbard
Michael G. Spencer
Cristina Turdean

Assistant Professor

Katherine G. Parker

History and American Studies Department

Claudine L. Ferrell, Chair
Will B. Mackintosh, Career Advisor (History)
Erin K. Devlin, Career Advisor (American Studies)

Faculty

Professors

Nabil S. Al-Tikriti
Susan R. Fernsebner
Claudine L. Ferrell
Steven E. Harris
Jeffrey W. McClurken
Krystyn R. Moon
 

Associate Professors

Erin K. Devlin
Will B. Mackintosh
Jason R. Sellers

Latin American Studies Program

Jeremy G. Larochelle, Program Coordinator, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Affiliated Faculty

Antonio Barrenechea, Department of English and Linguistics
María Laura Bocaz-Leiva, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Dawn S. Bowen, Department of Geography
Ana García Chichester, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Marcelo Fajardo-Cárdenas, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Melissa Martinez, Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Laura H. Mentore, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
 

Mathematics Department

Julius N. Esunge, Chair
Randall D. Helmstutler, Career Advisor for Pure Mathematics
Jangwoon Lee, Career Advisor for Applied Mathematics
Debra L. Hydorn, Career Advisor for Statistics

Faculty

Professors

Julius N. Esunge
Debra L. Hydorn
Janusz Konieczny
Jangwoon Lee
J. Larry Lehman
Keith E. Mellinger
Suzanne Sumner

Associate Professors

Melody B. Denhere
Randall D. Helmstutler

Senior Lecturers

Jennifer M. Magee
Kelly W. Perkins

Middle Eastern Studies Program

Farhang Rouhani, Program Coordinator

Affiliated Faculty

Maysoon Fayez Al-Sayed Ahmad, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Nabil Al-Tikriti, Department of History and American Studies
Ranjit Singh, Department of Political Science and International Affairs

Modern Languages and Literatures Department

Marcel Rotter, Chair
Brooke E. Di Lauro, Career Advisor, French
Marcel Rotter, Career Advisor, German
Elizabeth F. Lewis, Career Advisor, Spanish

Faculty

(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)

Professors

Ana García Chichester (Spanish)
Brooke E. Di Lauro (French)
Jeremy G. Larochelle (Spanish)
Elizabeth F. Lewis (Spanish)
María Isabel Martínez-Mira (Spanish)
Scott M. Powers (French)

Associate Professors

María Laura Bocaz-Leiva (Spanish)
Gonzalo S. Campos-Dintrans (Spanish)
Marcelo Fajardo-Cárdenas (Spanish)
Antonia L. Delgado-Poust (Spanish)
Jennifer Hansen-Glucklich (German)
Leonard R. Koos (French)
Marcel Rotter (German)
Jose A. Sainz (Spanish)

Senior Lecturers

Maysoon Fayez Al-Sayed Ahmad (Arabic)
Martha Patricia Orozco (Spanish)

Music Department

James Brooks Kuykendall, Chair
Douglas T. Gately, Career Advisor

Faculty

Professors

James Brooks Kuykendall
Christopher O. Ryder

Associate Professor

Robert L. Wells

Senior Lecturer

Douglas T. Gately

Nursing (Bachelor of Science in Nursing [BSN] Completion Program)

Janet M. Atarthi-Dugan, Program Director

Faculty

Lecturer

Ruth Arriaza
Mary Jane R. Bowles

Political Science and International Affairs Department

Rosalyn L. Cooperman, Chair
Jason W. Davidson, Career Advisor and Director of the Security and Conflict Studies Minor

Faculty

Professors

Rosalyn L. Cooperman
Jason W. Davidson
Stephen J. Farnsworth, Director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies
Surupa Gupta
Emile J. Lester

Associate Professor

Ranjit Singh

Assistant Professor

Guanyi Leu
Melissa Martinez
Jared A. McDonald

Psychological Science Department

Miriam N. Liss, Chair
Christine A. McBride, Career Advisor
Laura C. Wilson, Community Service Learning Advisor
Mindy J. Erchull, Psi Chi Advisor

Faculty

Professors

Mindy J. Erchull
Miriam N. Liss
Christine A. McBride
Holly H. Schiffrin
W. David Stahlman

Associate Professors

David W. Kolar
Virginia H. Mackintosh
Jennifer R. Mailloux
Hilary E. Stebbins
Laura C. Wilson

Assistant Professors

Marcus L. Leppanen
Erin N. Palmwood

Sociology and Anthropology Department

Laura H. Mentore, Chair
Laura H. Mentore, Anthropology Career Advisor
Eric C. Bonds, Sociology Career Advisor

Faculty

(The person’s subject field is indicated in parentheses.)

Professors

Eric C. Bonds (Sociology)
E. Eric Gable (Anthropology)
Jason C. James (Anthropology)
Nora Huijung Kim (Sociology)
Kristin L. Marsh (Sociology)
Leslie E. Martin (Sociology)
Debra J. Schleef  (Sociology)

Associate Professors

Tracy B. Citeroni (Sociology)
Laura H. Mentore (Anthropology)

Theatre and Dance Department

Gregg Stull, Chair and Career Advisor

Faculty

Professor

Gregg Stull

Associate Professor

Michael G. Benson
Kevin J. McCluskey

Assistant Professors

Bridgette Dennett
Marc A. Williams

Urban Studies Program

Melina A. Patterson, Program Coordinator

Affiliated Faculty

Jason C. James, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Leslie E. Martin, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Will Mackintosh, Department of History
Andréa D. Livi Smith, Department of Historic Preservation

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program

Surupa Gupta, Program Coordinator

Affiliated Faculty

Jennifer M. Barry, Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
Laura A. Bylenok, Department of English and Linguistics
Tracy B. Citeroni, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Rosalyn L. Cooperman, Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Shumona Dasgupta, Department of English and Linguistics
Antonia L. Delgado-Poust, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Mindy J. Erchull, Department of Psychological Science
Susan R. Fernsebner, Department of History and American Studies
Surupa Gupta, Department of Political Science and International Affairs
Mary Katherine Haffey, Department of English and Linguistics
Christine R. Henry, Department of Historic Preservation
Benjamin J. LaBreche, Department of English and Linguistics
Janie Lee, Department of English and Linguistics
Elizabeth F. Lewis, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Miriam N. Liss, Department of Psychological Science
Will B. Mackintosh, Department of History and American Studies
Kristin L. Marsh, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Mary Beth Mathews, Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion
Jeffrey W. McClurken, Department of History and American Studies
Kevin J. McCluskey, Department of Theatre and Dance
Laura H. Mentore, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Krystyn R. Moon, Department of History and American Studies
Gary N. Richards, Department of English and Linguistics
Farhang Rouhani, Department of Geography
Mara N. Scanlon, Department of English and Linguistics
Debra J. Schleef, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Gregg Stull, Department of Theatre and Dance
Laura C. Wilson, Department of Psychological Science