The Picture of a Journey to Florence

New EUPS professor at JMU Florence campus, Christine Bakker, PhD, shares her professional journey, her experience working for the European Commission, and how she came to live in Florence, Italy full-time.

A Window into the Consulting World

Married JMU alumni, Mr. Richard Shapiro and Mrs. Alexis Shapiro stop by Florence, Italy to lead a consulting workshop and share their professional advice with the EUPS cohort.

JMU Duke Puts Down Roots in Italy

JMU Semester in Florence alumnus, Mr. Andrew Spannaus, speaks with students about his experience living in Milan and building a successful international career.

Il Conventino

Across the Ponte Vecchio, this historical social hub bridges cultures and communities.

A Changing Environment

The EUPS program ensures students are ready to enter the rapidly changing job market with practical experience.

Letter from the director of EUPS

Executive Director Charles Blake discusses the current cohort, upcoming alumni events in March and May 2024, and the varied ways in which alumni contribute to the EUPS program.

SMAD students and professor help hatch new school’s logo

Harrisonburg’s new high school, which opens next year, needed an identity, and SMAD professor Adrienne Hooker saw the branding of Rocktown High School as an opportunity for students

Sofia Samatar awarded Madison Scholar Award

Associate English professor Sofia Samatar is the 2023 College of Arts and Letters Madison Scholar Award recipient

Bella Bledzki: JMU English major at Oxford

Bella Bledzki, a senior English major with a minor in Creative Writing, is currently studying abroad in Oxford through the Center for Global Engagement at JMU.

Ending veteran homelessness

JMU ROTC graduate lays the foundation for Operation Renewed Hope

Harnessing the potential of AI

Artificial intelligence’s potential to spark fear and confusion can easily overshadow its potential for improving lives.

Frederick Douglass’ life, work and contributions to the Civil War

Here’s what ChatGPT wrote when a history professor prompted it to write an essay about Frederick Douglass and the Civil War

The promise and the pitfalls of AI

JMU is proceeding with caution as it assesses the AI landscape.

Halloween can provide a new outlook on life, says JMU professor

Halloween is often seen as something that can scare people and keep them away, but what if the script were flipped.

Can AI alleviate ‘wicked’ world problems?

Math professor illuminates the role of artificial intelligence in pandemics, poverty and gender disparity.

Researcher discusses impacts of electoral technologies

Hasnain Bokhari shared the findings of his recent research on electoral technologies in Pakistan and their impact on democratic processes

Religion Society hosts alumni panel

Religion Society hosts alumni panel

Reaching across the aisle

Sen. Tim Kaine emphasizes the importance of finding common ground.

Head above the clouds

Brian Kurlander (’89) achieved a new level of clarity climbing Mount Everest in 2022. Now he’s bringing those lessons to his roles in film, on stage and in the classroom.

JMU attends Global Citizenship and Peace seminar in Hiroshima

The workshop aimed to empower students to become agents of change in addressing climate adaptation and resilience.

Hello, my name is Dardanë

Dardanë Halimi is The Graduate School's new blogger — read her post.

JMU to invest in research centers

These centers will convene scholars, researchers and communities to examine and address 21st century challenges

Alumna turns home into sanctuary for Ukrainian relatives

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 hit close to home in Harrisonburg for some residents

Building Foundatiions

Dr. Liliokanaio Peaslee, professor of political science, brings her service ethic to the classroom and remains connected to the community by teaching students about applied research and policy analysis.

Community-Engaged Courses Give Students Hands-On Experience

In courses from several CAL programs, student groups work on problems for various organizations — including local businesses and community nonprofits — to connect their classroom learning to real-life outcomes.

Building Community With the Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue

Since 2012, the Institute for Constructive Advocacy and Dialogue (ICAD) has helped communities in Harrisonburg and across Virginia talk and think together.

English graduate Kevin Bie (’22) receives Fulbright Scholarship Award

English graduate Kevin Bie (’22) receives Fulbright Scholarship Award

From the ’Burg to the Bench

ISAT alumnus Mark Colombell (’99) followed a nontraditional path to law school.

Connecting people to their environment

Produced by JMU faculty and students, a seasonal radio program invites listeners to engage with the valley’s natural surroundings

JMU alumni contribute to The Martin Agency’s success

Virginia firm wins Ad Age’s 2023 Agency of the Year award

From James Madison University to Monticello to Colonial Williamsburg

SADAH alumna Emily Nootbaar selected as Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg’s Americana Foundation curatorial intern

Committee releases digital version of Quad History Tour

The tour is designed to provide a more accurate, inclusive history of the original Bluestone area of campus.

Letter from the Director

An expanded advisory board can nurture our growing alumni community.

The Green Transition and the Future of Social Europe

EUPS student Francesca Ragonese and Prof. Mario Munta discuss the current state of the Green Transition and its implications for the future of social policy in Europe.

The Gardens of City Life

Take a walk through the flora, fauna and history of Florence’s most treasured gardens!

Building Responsible Artificial Intelligence

EUPS alumna Evi Fuelle (‘14) reflects on her journey into technology governance and shares her insights on the rapidly growing field of AI

Life is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Learn more about EUPS alumnus Seth Tallvik (2010) and his experiences living and working in Europe after years in DC.

The Breeze celebrates 100 years of chronicling JMU history

The award-wining student newspaper has been a fixture of student engagement at Madison for more than a century.

Celebrating the 2023 College of Arts and Letters faculty award winners

We’re pleased to congratulate three of our faculty members for their incredible efforts across teaching, service, and scholarship.

JMU’s undergraduate research journal celebrates 10 years

For the 18 seniors who served on the 2022-2023 JMURJ Editorial Board, the journal’s decennial is just one of many reasons to celebrate.

The Breeze and Breeze TV win 18 VPA awards

Breeze and Breeze TV staff members received honors in writing, design, photo, advertising and video categories at the Virginia Press Association annual conference in Richmond on May 6.

New Breeze and Breeze TV leaders look ahead to 2023-24

New leaders of the newspaper, online and TV staffs are Michael Russo, executive editor; Grant Johnson, editor-in-chief; Kayla Brown, TV news director; and Avery Goodstine, Breeze managing editor.

Two Arts and Letters faculty awarded Fulbright Scholarships

Arts and Letters Faculty, Daniel Beers (justice studies) and Ken Rutherford (political science), were awarded Fulbright Scholarships to conduct research abroad in 2023-24.

Furious Flower Assistant Director L. Renée collaborates with Celebrating Simms

Furious Flower Assistant Director L. Renée visited two Harrisonburg high schools in collaboration with Celebrating Simms and Rockingham County Schools.

Exhibit allows SMAD students to showcase alumni's work

The SMAD alumni network is on full display in the SMAD Gallery in the ground floor hallway of Harrison Hall thanks to Prof. Adrienne Hooker's SMAD 332 class.

Anyone Can Cook!

Learn how to prepare a four-course Italian meal from a local professional chef

SMADies should submit those scholarship applications soon

The deadline for most of the competitive SMAD scholarships is March 1, so submit those applications ASAP!

Il Resto è Storia!

EUPS student, Katherine Wallentine (‘23), shares what inspired her to pursue the EUPS program after five years working in US state and federal government.

"A Longstanding Tradition of Journalistic Commentary"

As JMU’s student newspaper, The Breeze, marks its 100th year, we also mark a 10th year for the scholarship founded in memory of Breeze Designer and Senior Editor/Columnist Whitten Maher.

'22 grad's film wins best short in Virginia film fest

“Home of the Brave,” written and directed by 2022 SMAD alumnus Ian Welfley, won Best Short Narrative Film at the Virginia Film Festival in November.

JMU shares information on loss of students

The loss our community has felt today is unthinkable.

Launching the Innovation Center for Youth Justice

With generous support from the Commonwealth of Virginia, JMU is proud to launch the nation’s first Innovation Center for Youth Justice.

Growing with the Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence

The Mahatma Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence, established in 2005, is a local and global hub dedicated to advancing the understanding of justice and nonviolence through individual and collaborative endeavors.

Furious Flower Poetry Center Continues to Blossom

Under the new leadership of Executive Director Lauren K. Alleyne, professor of english, the Furious Flower Poetry Center has expanded its commitment to celebrating and educating the public about Black poetry

Celebrating the African, African American, and Diaspora Studies Center

The African, African American, and Diaspora Studies Center provides to the JMU community a wealth of interdisciplinary knowledge, programming, and initiatives and recently welcomed a new director: Delores B. Phillips.

The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement

Under the directorship of David Kirkpatrick, PhD, the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement is “making JMU a place where global conversations happen.”

Celebrating 25 years of connections in D.C.

The Washington Semester Program recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gathering of over 100 people at the JMU Washington Center’s Dupont Circle location.

Student showcase: Thriving in Anthropology

For students Cheyenne Sewell (’23) and Casey Brewer (‘23), and many others like them, anthropology means everything from connecting to the local community to taking on the world

Researching With the American Political Reform & Innovation Lab

Timothy LaPira, professor of political science at James Madison University, is the founding director of the newly created American Political Reform & Innovation Lab.

Student Showcase: Translating and Interpreting Harrisonburg

Students in Dr. Marianne Mason’s SPAN 496 class bring their classroom language skills to provide much-needed translation and interpreting services to the Harrisonburg community.

Faculty Focus: Mapping Environmental Justice

Case Watkins is the 2022 Provost Award Winner for Excellence in Research and Scholarship for the College of Arts and Letters.

Faculty Focus: Teaching With Compassion

For Allison Fagan, professor of english, the most important learning is ethical, creative and collaborative in and out of the classroom.