Latest Madison Updates

Under the wing — Friday, June 25

Professor, conductor and violist Amadi Azikiwe talks about mentoring, the Harlem Symphony Orchestra and James Madison University in this interview with Madison magazine.

JMU named a U.S. Top 50 Best Value — Thursday, June 24

"Virginia residents have the opportunity to study at James Madison for a very low price, while receiving the major benefits of the school's strong academic and pre-professional programs," according to the "Princeton Review Best Value Colleges for 2010."

Geographic Science Graduate Works for Living Oceans Foundation — Wednesday, June 23

As a kid, the idea of the water's unknown depth frightened JMU graduate Amanda Williams. Those fears abated as she grew up only to reappear when an opportunity to become SCUBA certified presented itself following graduation. Read more.

Schedule a visit with us! — Tuesday, June 22

We would love for you to visit campus! See our admissions' visitation site for virtual tours, traditional campus visits for individuals, families and larger groups, and more information.

The Huber Learning Community — Monday, June 21

Nobody practices health care alone. Health care involves talking, working, and brainstorming with teams of health care professionals. The Huber Learning Community fuses reality, community needs, and service learning together. Sharon Babcock, the Huber Learning Community director, describes the Huber experience as "the real world coming into the classroom."

Clubs and Organizations — Friday, June 18

Wondering if JMU has a club or organization that might interest you? Check out this list!

Movin' and Groovin' 2010 — Thursday, June 17

The Morrison-Bruce Center has been created through the JMU kinesiology department to develop and provide activities to promote physical activity for girls and women and enhance their knowledge of health issues. What does that mean for you? Lots and lots of hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom. For example, take a look at the recent Movin' and Groovin' event, a one-day program for girls age 7-17 to promote the importance of all things physical.

A Lifetime of Service — Wednesday, June 16

In an era when many women devoted themselves exclusively to raising their families, Carolyn Copley Wake ('52) was a networker. You can almost hear her Southern drawl: "Come on." But her intent was far more than social; Carolyn's networking changed lives. Read more.

JMU Students Present at National Geology Conference — Tuesday, June 15

Elizabeth Weisbrot and Holly Polivka felt a bit out of place surrounded by more than 4,000 working geologists. "Everyone was wearing flannel and hiking boots like they had just gotten out of the field, and there we were trying to dress nice," Weisbrot, a JMU senior geology major said of her first day at the 2009 Geological Society of America conference. The two seniors' research involved analyzing soil between Massanutten Mountain and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River to assess the stability of land near mountain ridges. Read more.

America's strongest man — Monday, June 14

As Mike Jenkins ('04, '05M) gets ready to step into the spotlight of his next North American Strongman competition, a quick glance at a small photograph of his late uncle or reading a text message from a family member, especially his little brother, is all he needs to get his adrenaline going. Read more.

Madison EcoCommunity — Friday, June 11

The Madison Eco Community is a residential learning community designed for 20 first-year students who want to explore environmental issues and how to live more sustainably on the planet. Read more.

Saving Lives in South Africa — Thursday, June 10

Few people would speak of serendipity and the AIDS crisis in South Africa in the same breath. Nonetheless, a JMU alumna, a professor and students who are involved in fighting the epidemic there are convinced that serendipity can exist even in grim reality and offer persuading proof that in a quest to better the world, good fortune can indeed be found seemingly by accident. Read more.

JMU Alternative Break Program is No. 1 in Nation — Wednesday, June 9

For the second time in its history, James Madison University's Alternative Break Program is the Break Away National Program of the Year. This year's award recognizes the university's commitment to active citizenship.

Thinking of coming for a visit? — Tuesday, June 8

Farmland, mountains, the wide sky full of stars are what make the Shenandoah Valley, and JMU's home in it, so unique and so beautiful. There are ski slopes, trails for biking, rivers for fishing, forests for camping — on any given evening you can choose between home-cooked southern-fried chicken, an edgy coffee shop, live music in a bar or ethnic cuisine. Throw out the stereotypes and choose between country roads or downtown nightlife, farmers' markets or vintage thrift shops, live Shakespeare or live jazz. While you're arranging your schedule, be sure to save plenty of time for your visit to James Madison University. Plan your visit now.

Talk About Hands-On Learning! — Monday, June 7

JMU sophomores got a taste of the engineering design process in an experiential, real-world, problem-based approach thanks to an assignment aimed at making a human-powered pedaled vehicle for a JMU professor who was born with cerebral palsy. Go here for the story and here for photos of the final projects.

Another Look at Studying Abroad — Friday, June 4

Caroline Braun ('09) spent the entirety of her junior year learning history, culture and language by studying in England and Spain. Her family and close friends thought she was crazy to want to do that. Braun calls the experience "the best year of my life." Read more.

Making Historians — Thursday, June 3

History is only one of JMU majors with a formidable course. However, HIST 395 may be the only one that is so reputed for its grueling demands that it has spawned a T-shirt that declares "I Survived History 395." Gateway or gauntlet, students and faculty members alike treat this course with special reverence — a reverence borne out on a national level when JMU was one of five universities recognized by the American Historical Association. Read more.

JMU Honors Grad Earns Fulbright — Wednesday, June 2

Eric Pasciuti will head to Taiwan in August to teach English to elementary schoolchildren, but the 2010 James Madison University honors graduate plans to be as much student as teacher. Read more.

ISAT professor and sustainability educator — Tuesday, June 1

Maria Papadakis defines enthusiasm. Talk to her for two minutes and you'llunderstand that she is passionate about changing anyone and everyone's mind about environmental responsibility, especially with respect to energy use. Read more.

JMU Called Role Model For Student Financial Literacy — Friday, May 28

James Madison University's collaborative approach to teaching financial literacy to students should be a model for other universities, an official with the National Student Loan Program says. Another example of how we do things differently here because we focus on our students.

Is JMU Psychology Right for You? — Thursday, May 27

The goal of the JMU Psychology Major is to help students think like scientists about behavior. This series of short videos is designed to help you learn more about our program and help you decide if what we offer is right for you.

Wow! Check out these rankings! — Wednesday, May 26

Let's see: U.S. News & World Report's top public master's-level school in the South the past 16 straight years; U.S. News' 2010 America's Best Colleges list for first-year programs that include orientation and the rest of freshman year; Princeton Review's 2010 Best Value Colleges. Some nice numbers here, huh? Check the whole list here.

Known or Not — Tuesday, May 25

Whether it's a chance for further community service opportunities or to embark on a totally new experience, Community Service-Learning is a gateway for JMU students to find themselves and their future.

Tomorrow's Leaders are Here Now! — Monday, May 24

Start with JMU marketing professor and renowned Internet communications expert Theresa Flaherty. Mix in a couple teams of JMU College of Business students. The result? Domination of the 2008 and 2009 Google Online Marketing Challenge competition. Go here for a look at conversations about the online leaders of tomorrow, and about the kind of learning experiences that await you here.

The Real Scoop on JMU Engineering — Friday, May 21

Check out this interview with Michelle Beatty ('12), who says that she loves that JMU's generalist program is allowing her to seek her unique path for the future.

Have we got Sport Clubs, you ask? — Thursday, May 20

Uh, yeah. Right now, there are 41 different ones. From archery to wrestling, from men's and women's lacrosse to triathlon and from Brazilian jiu-jitsu to swing dance, we have a little something for everyone. Check out the list.

Alternative Spring Break: The Coolest Spring Break! — Wednesday, May 19

About 400 people from James Madison University headed to destinations throughout the United States and seven other countries to spend Spring Break, March 6-13, volunteering as tutors, shelter and maintenance workers, builders, and nutrition and health advisers to help people in need and to clean beaches and forest trails.

The 39 teams, each headed by two student leaders and accompanied by a learning partner, a JMU faculty or staff member who works alongside the students, added their own chapters to JMU's well-established Alternative Spring Break program tradition.

BusinessWeek gives JMU straight A's — Tuesday, May 18

You could say James Madison University's College of Business made the dean's list again in 2010. The business school remains in the top 5 percent of undergraduate business schools ranked by "BusinessWeek" magazine, receiving exceptionally high marks from students and straight A's for teaching quality, services and job placement. Read more.

Back For the Future — Monday, May 17

JMU education students are taking a community-building approach to providing sustained relief efforts in Welch, W.Va., the heart of one of the poorest counties in the country. Click here for a look at the JMU approach to volunteerism.

JMU makes another "higher education value" list — Friday, May 14

As part of its Financially Fit series, Yahoo! Finance has recognized JMU as one of 15 higher education values. This Yahoo! list includes a mix of public schools and small religious private schools from across the country.

How's spending a semester abroad sound to you? — Thursday, May 13

Considering studying abroad during your time at JMU? If so, you'll definitely want to check out studio art major Angel America Elza's stunning photo essay from her time JMU's Semester in Florence study-abroad program.

JMU underclassmen dig research — Wednesday, May 12

JMU freshmen and sophomores get a rare opportunity to take part in high-level scientific research early in their college careers through JMU's Science Education Alliance. From isolating bacterial viruses and phages from soil to annotating and comparing sequenced genomes to preparing viral DNA for sequencing by using colored dye and electronic waves, JMU underclassmen are immersing themselves in meaningful research and learning the essence of scientific discovery. Watch the video on YouTube!

JMU Alum Caring for AIDS orphans in South Africa — Tuesday, May 11

"What are we really on this Earth to do?" Amy Porter Zacaroli ('88) and her husband Alec weren't afraid to ask themselves that tough question. In 2003, they got the answer. After watching a documentary film about an orphanage in Cape Town, South Africa, that takes in HIV/AIDS infected children, they determined they would make a difference in the lives of people more than 7,000 miles away. Read more.

JMU Has Nation's Top-Rated Professor! — Monday, May 10

Kimberly Duvall-Early's students are not shy about expressing how much they love her class. One of their favorite places to tell people about her is RateMyProfessors.com, where Duvall-Early, a psychology lecturer, was recently declared "Best University Professor" for 2009-2010.

Success comes from engagement in the Madison Experience — Friday, May 7

Why do 92 percent of JMU freshmen have a favorable image of JMU, and 91 percent of the seniors say they would choose to enroll at JMU again? A recent national survey revealed that JMU students rise far and above their college peers in student engagement. The findings are an important gauge for JMU in its mission to prepare students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. Read more.