At the end of each spring semester, UMW faculty gather to approve the graduates and recognize colleagues who are retiring from their dedicated service. Departmental tributes chronicle their time in classrooms and labs, with committees and in communities, and as leaders in undergraduate research and in their areas of study. In spring 2026, the University of Mary Washington recognized seven faculty emeriti.
Ana G. Chichester, Professor Emerita of Spanish
Stephen J. Farnsworth, Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Alan B. Griffith, Professor Emeritus of Biology
Janusz Konieczny, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics
J. Larry Lehman, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics
Joseph W. Nicholas, Associate Professor Emeritus of Geography
Grant R. Woodwell, Professor Emeritus of Geology
Together, the 2026 faculty emeriti represent the very best of UMW’s academic mission – collective decades of curiosity, rigor, mentorship and unwavering dedication to students. Read more about the 2026 Faculty Emeriti.
“There’s no doubt about it — late night programming has been a touchstone of American politics and culture for years and decades going back into the 1960’s. People would often turn to these late-night programs for a joke or two and maybe an interview of a guest before bed,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington.
The candidate’s bluster and mannerisms were ripe for late-night jokes. But a deeper shift had taken hold. Since the early 1990s, late-night hosts began to increasingly target Republican election candidates more often than Democrats, according to an analysis by political scientists Stephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter.
“In 2020, when we looked at the jokes that were devoted to Trump or [Joe] Biden, Trump got 96% of the jokes,” says Mr. Farnsworth, co-author of “Late-Night in Washington.”
Stephen Farnsworth, the director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, immediately recognized the DNA of Politico in NOTUS, which he described as “a vehicle for younger, scrappier reporters combined with more experienced talent that has gotten laid off or bought out from other news organizations.”
“One of the rules of life is not to mess with success, but this is exactly what CBS is doing with late night,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington and coauthor of “Late Night in Washington: Political Humor and the American Presidency.”
UMW Political Science professor Stephen Farnsworth (Photo by Norm Shafer).
Professor Emeritus of Political Science Stephen Farnsworth was featured by Newsweek in an article titled, “Democrats Dealt Major Blow as Virginia Supreme Court Tosses New Map.” It is a “significant setback” for Democrats, Farnsworth told Newsweek. “The hope for the Democrats had been that Virginia could counter Republican gains in Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina and now that’s not going to happen,” he said. “Democrats are still probably likely to pick up one or two seats with the old map but nowhere near the net gain of four with the new lines.” Read more in Newsweek.
Other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
Va. Gov. Spanberger still has dozens of bills to consider (The Virginian-Pilot; The Free Lance-Star) “The governor has sent her message,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, after word leaked that Spanberger plans to veto the collective bargaining and class-action lawsuit bills. “Now, the question is how loud that message is going to be. Maybe it’s a preview of coming attractions, or this message will be sufficient.” Read more in the Free Lance-Star.
Virginia Democrats balk at proposal to retire state Supreme Court (Virginia Business) Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said, “The idea of mandatory retirement in your 50s for a judge seems ridiculous. “Democrats wisely abandoned this idea almost immediately,” Farnsworth added. “That strikes most people as pretty unreasonable, and Democrats would pay a high price if they tried to employ this approach.” Read more in Virginia Business.
Democrats defend Maine Senate candidate’s controversial history (Fox News) “What we are seeing here is the question of a democratic redefinition,” said Stephen Farnsworth. View more from Fox News.
Trump rejecting Iran’s latest deal poses a ‘serious threat’: political analyst (CTV News Canada) “Well, it does seem that both the Iranians and the Americans are convinced that time is on their side, said Stephen Farnsworth. View more from CTV News.
Virginia Democrats appeal to US Supreme Court and consider wiping out their own (The Washington Examiner) “The decision is going to be made by the Supreme Court about whether or not they are going to be new lines in Virginia,” said Stephen Farnsworth. View more from The Washington Examiner.
