Scarab - Spring 2013 by VCU Development

The magazine of the MCV Alumni Association of Virginia Commonwealth University Spring 2013

Vol. 61, No. 1

Four-legged healers Studies tout the life-enhancing health benefits of dogs

Alumni V I R G I N I A

C O M M O N W E A L T H

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U N I V E R S I T Y

contents Features 9 Making the world a better place, one tail wag at a time New research finds that man’s best friend makes a positive difference by buffering the impact of stressful situations.

14 Seeding solutions Starter grants enable faculty members to enact change with community partners.

18 Living-learning environments Academically based communities connect classroom learning with residence life.

22 Alumni Volunteer Service Awards The VCU and MCV Alumni Associations honor individuals for their outstanding service to the university.

DEPARTMENTS 3 Scarab news 7 Presidential view 13 Alumni support 24 Legacy family: The Hundley and Hildenbrand families 26 Alumni news 29 Faculty profile: Nancy Langston 30 Class notes 32 Alumni profile: Eric Edwards 34 In memory 36 Q&A

Crossing over

Students of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine travel from the new James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center to the Main Hospital via a bridge that crosses over Marshall Street on the MCV Campus. The walkway links students’ clinical experiences in the hospital to a building designed for case-based learning, small group teamwork and the most significant renovation to the school’s curriculum in more than 30 years. The new 12-story, 200,000-square-foot education center serves as a state-ofthe-art learning hub, including two floors of cutting-edge simulation technology, as well as VCU Massey Cancer Center’s research pavilions.

On the cover: Dogs on Call volunteer Stewie; The 175 on the cover reflects Virginia Commonwealth University’s 175th anniversary. The university will commemorate its heritage and showcase its current stature as one of the nation’s top research universities with a yearlong celebration, beginning April 1. About Scarab In February 1952, the MCV alumni magazine was resurrected as The Scarab. The name was chosen because the roots of the healing arts can be traced to Imhotep, the Egyptian, and because the campus’s landmark Egyptian Building is so closely tied to MCV’s traditional history. Ancient dwellers of the Valley of the Nile viewed the scarab as a symbol of resurrection, fertility and immortality. Today, the scarab’s image can be found in the tile work of the Egyptian Building’s lobby.

Spring 2013

MCVAALETTER

scarabnews

Officers of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

Help create your new VCU Alumni

Paula B. Saxby (M.S. ’85/N; Ph.D. ’92/N)

The VCU and MCV Alumni Associations have been building upon their collaborative tradition of support for the university through the University Alumni Leadership Council, a coordinating group bridging both associations and other alumni constituent organizations. The UALC is charged with exploring goals and strategies for increasing alumni outreach and engagement. After more than two years of exploration and discussion, the UALC has presented a new organizational model designed to put alumni in charge of their relationship with their alma mater and to encourage an even more robust and collaborative approach for alumni outreach and engagement. This past November, the boards unanimously endorsed this new model for implementation. Now, we invite you to help shape your alumni experience. The new model consists of an alliance of constituent organizations — academic, geographic and shared-interest — giving alumni a menu of value-added engagement opportunities in support of the four themes of the university’s strategic plan, Quest for Distinction. It encourages increased opportunities for a more collaborative and coordinated approach to planning and management to serve alumni and to better align with the vision of Quest for Distinction. It preserves and encourages expansion of alumni-initiated, member-centric governance and programming to better capitalize on alumni energy and enthusiasm for their academic, geographic and shared-interest constituent organizations as a part of the VCU Alumni umbrella. The implementation plan calls for the new engagement menu to be available for alumni by July 1. Four task forces have been established to guide the UALC on and to allow for increased alumni participation with the implementation of the new model. Each task force — Governance, Communications, Operations, and Financial and Reporting — is co-chaired by alumni leaders, mostly UALC members, with assistance from an alumni relations staff member. Active, dues-paying members are invited to join a task force and to help shape the way all alumni engage with their alma mater in the future. If you’ve let your membership lapse and need to rejoin so you can participate, just visit www.vcualumni.org/join.html and climb back aboard. We invite you to create the alumni experience you’ve always wanted! Yours for VCU,

Editorial, design and photography VCU University Relations

James H. Revere Jr. (D.D.S. ’65/D)

Immediate past president Kenneth Kolb (Pharm.D. ’82/P)

President-elect

Vice presidents Peter Kennedy (M.H.A. ’10/AHP)

Allied Health Professions Michelle R. Peace (Ph.D. ’05/M)

Basic Health Ellen Byrne (B.S. ’77/P; D.D.S. ’83/D; Ph.D. ’91/M)

Dentistry Kelsey Salley (M.D. ’03/M)

Medicine Jim Jenkins (B.S. ’07/N)

Nursing Bronwyn McDaniels Burnham (B.S. ’89/P)

Pharmacy

Trustees-at-large Allied Health Professions Elizabeth Howell (M.S.N.A. ’04/AHP) Rebecca T. Perdue (B.S. ’62/AHP) Basic Health Quynh Do (B.S. ’01/H&S; M.P.H. ’05/M) Jenica Harrison (Ph.D. ’09/M) Diana McKinney (Ph.D. ’00/M) Dentistry Renita W. Randolph (D.D.S. ’91/D) Tammy K. Swecker (B.S. ’93/D; M.Ed. ’05/E) J. Neil Turnage (D.D.S. ’97/D)

Paula B. Saxby, Ph.D. (M.S. ’85/N; Ph.D. ’92/N) President, MCV Alumni Association of VCU

Vol. 61, No. 1, Spring 2013

President

MCV Alumni Association of VCU staff Keith Braxton Rob Brodsky Lisa Coble Amy Gray Michael Greene-Russell (B.S. ’91/B) Gordon McDougall Ann Nelms

Ken Thomas (B.S. ’91/B) President, VCU Alumni Association

Scarab is the official magazine of the Medical College of Virginia Alumni Association of Virginia Commonwealth University. Send address changes or comments to: MCV Alumni Association of VCU P.O. Box 980156 Richmond, Virginia 23298-0156

Medicine Clifford Deal III (M.S. ’95/M; M.D. ’00/M) Robert Kanich (M.D. ’62/M) Melissa Byrne Nelson (M.D. ’98/M) Nursing Ursula Butts (B.S. ’95/N; M.S.H.A. ’97/AHP) Kristin Filler (B.S. ’09/N) Terri A. Gaffney (B.S. ’81/N) Trula Minton (B.S. ’79/N; M.S. ’88/N) Pharmacy Joseph E. Hopper (B.S. ’89/P) Tana Kaefer (Pharm.D. ’04/P) Amy L. Rudenko (Pharm.D. ’98/P) J. Tyler Stevens (Pharm.D. ’06/P)

an equal opportunity/affirmative action university 121003-02

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Peter Boling, M.D., professor of medicine and chair of the VCU Division of Geriatric Medicine, leads an initiative to determine the advantages of house calls for elderly patients.

PATIENT CARE

Testing house calls The VCU Medical Center was selected as one of 19 sites nationwide to participate in the Independence at Home Demonstration to test the advantages of house calls for elderly patients too ill or disabled to visit their physicians. Peter Boling, M.D. (H.S. ’84/M), professor of medicine and chair of the Division of Geriatric Medicine, along with his team of physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers and support staff, will operate the three-year initiative in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and Medstar Washington Hospital Center. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the program, known as the Mid-Atlantic Consortium for the Independence at Home Demonstration, based on a model tested and promoted by VCU House Calls, a program that has provided in-home primary care for more than 5,000 homebound patients over the past 25 years. “By going to these patients, you make it much easier for them to have the care that they need, when they need it, both for chronic illnesses and for newly developing problems,” Boling says. “This program can help keep our patients from needlessly riding in ambulances and going to emergency rooms when their conditions can safely be managed at home, which could also save the Medicare program billions of dollars each year and keep patients out of harm’s way.” Boling received national media attention, including a feature on “NBC Nightly News” in 2009, for his work in crafting language for the Independence at Home Act that advocated in-home medical care for individuals with functional impairment, high costs and multiple illnesses.  Spring 2013

scarabnews Research

Research

VCU received a Grand Challenges Explorations grant, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support individuals worldwide who are taking innovative approaches to some of the world’s toughest and most persistent global health and development challenges. With the $100,000 grant, researchers from the VCU Institute for Women’s Health and the schools Daniel Nixon, D.O., Ph.D. of Medicine, Nursing and World Studies will work with two community partners in Ségou, Mali, to pursue a research project titled “Reducing Harmful Inflammation and Attenuating Immune System Deterioration in HIV-infected Malian Women.” “This award will help us determine how certain beneficial intestinal bacteria in HIV-infected women in Africa relate to immune system function,” says principal investigator Daniel Nixon, D.O., Ph.D., director of the VCU HIV/AIDS Center and associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine. Patricia Cummins, Ph.D., professor of French in the School of World Studies, and Saba Masho, M.D., associate professor of epidemiology and community health in the School of Medicine, serve as co-principal investigators of the study.

VCU is participating in a new statewide network that allows innovative projects created at the state’s universities and colleges to be developed into new prototypes and businesses, thus accelerating economic growth. One of only six multi-institution initiatives to win federal funding as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s i6 Challenge in 2012, the Virginia Innovation Partnership, or VIP, will bring together universities, community colleges, corporations, investment capital and other resources to drive promising research discoveries forward. “VCU is proud to work together with a statewide network of fellow academic institutions as well as corporate, community and governmental partners to boost economic development in the state through research,” says VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “Within VCU’s strategic plan, Quest for Distinction, one of our highest priorities is research that accelerates discoveries, promotes innovation and makes a positive impact on quality of life for those in Richmond, the commonwealth and beyond.” VIP will receive $1 million in federal funding over two years as part of the i6 Challenge, with additional matching funds provided by corporate participants, university partners and other entities.

Global health funding

John Ulmschneider, university librarian; Judy Jones, former president of the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary; and Teresa Knott, director of Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, gather at the CHEC Open House in April 2012.

Anniversary

CHEC’s 10th year

In October, the Community Health Education Center celebrated 10 years of success in providing the Richmond, Va., community with reliable and up-to-date consumer health information. The idea for CHEC grew from three partners — the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary, VCU Health System and VCU Libraries — that secured 2,225 square feet of space in the Gateway Building at the VCU Medical Center. After raising funds, the center opened concurrently with the new Gateway Building in 2002. Today, CHEC remains one of a few community health education centers tied not only to a top-tier academic medical library — the nearby Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences — but also to a major university medical center. CHEC serves patients, their families and professionals within the health care community who refer patients to the center’s resources, which are free. Some 1,300 people visit the center monthly to seek information about health and wellness. Research

$2.2 million grant for TBI research

VCU received a $2.2 million grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation, a component of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The fund will support a project to develop and evaluate treatment interventions for traumatic brain injury patients, who often suffer for years from secondary results of the injury, and for their caregivers. Through the five-year project, the VCU team will examine two interventions — one will focus on how best to improve the resiliency and adjustment of survivors following TBI, while the other will address the needs of couples in the aftermath of TBI. Experts agree that strengthening caregivers and relationships can enhance rehabilitation outcomes, and more evidence is needed to appreciate the benefits. The hope is that data collected from the VCU research projects will provide a better understanding of strategies to enhance recovery.

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Statewide network

Community

Patient care

Several changes in transportation services around campus have been implemented to better serve the VCU community’s needs. VCU Parking and Transportation rolled out a new bus fleet Nov. 1, offering rider-friendly buses equipped with GPS, Wi-Fi and cushioned, branded seats. The university also implemented RamSafe, an evening shuttle service that allows individuals to arrange for a ride by calling (804) 828-SAFE or visiting www.ramsafe.vcu.edu. Once a vehicle is assigned, users can track its location in real time entirely from their smartphone or desktop computer.

The VCU Medical Center has received Chest Pain Accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers, recognizing the hospital for achieving a higher level of expertise in caring for patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack. The Acute Chest Pain Management unit at the VCU Pauley Heart Center is nationally recognized for its diagnosis system that quickly and reliably identifies patients suspected of having acute cardiac disease, says Kenneth Ellenbogen, M.D., chair of the Division of Cardiology. “The accreditation provides reassurance that we are a hospital you can trust to provide the best possible outcome in heart care,” he says.

Transportation upgrades

VCU implements RamRide, an upgraded transportation experience for students, staff and faculty.

Chest Pain Accreditation

Education

Minority graduation rates

VCU was listed among the nation’s top four public and private institutions for boosting graduation rates and among the top six for closing the graduation rate gap for both black and Hispanic students between 2004 and 2010, according to a pair of reports released by The Education Trust. In November, the university received the first Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine for its exemplary initiatives on all aspects of diversity, including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community. VCU also was named a recipient of the 2012 Minority Access Role Models Award for its commitment to recruit, retain and advance students and employees from a diverse applicant pool. VCU is one of only 27 institutions nationally to achieve the designation. 

accolades

8 TIMES

Working Mother magazine named the VCU Health System one of the nation’s 100 best companies of 2012 for working mothers — marking the eighth year it has received the honor. The magazine recognized the health system for its array of progressive workplace programs that train, support and nurture working mothers, most notably an on-site recreation and aquatic center and a state-ofthe-art fitness facility.

EXCELLENCE AWARD

The VCU School of Medicine’s Student Family Medicine Association won an American Academy of Family Physicians 2012 Program of Excellence Award for its outstanding performance in family medicine, community service, promoting the value of primary care, exposure to family medicine and family physicians, professional development and measures of success. SFMA also was honored for providing leadership training to members and for its strong collaboration with the VCU Department of Family Medicine, family medicine residency programs and community family physicians.

Finalists

Two medical technologies originating from VCU were among the four finalists selected to present at the annual Southeast BIO/Plan Competition, a yearlong program designed by Southeast BIO to bring forward the most promising opportunities from the region’s research universities. VCU Tech Transfer worked with the faculty inventors of both technologies, along with business advisory groups, to develop comprehensive commercialization plans. The two VCU finalists represent opportunities that can have a significant impact on health care. The technologies include a handheld device for faster testing of cardiac ischemia and an optimized surgical mesh for hernia repair that helps overcome the issues of adhesion, recurrence and infection.

National honors

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living selected the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Brook Road Campus, as a 2012 recipient of the Silver – Achievement in Quality award for its outstanding performance in the health care profession. PonJola Coney, M.D., director of the VCU Center on Health Disparities and professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the School of Medicine, was elected to the Institute of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. Coney, also senior associate dean for faculty affairs, was among 70 new members and 10 foreign associates and the fifth member from VCU to be elected to the prestigious institute.

New leaders

Alexandria “Sandy” Lewis, Ed.D., was appointed director of the Virginia Treatment Center for Children at VCU and assistant professor of psychiatry in the School of Medicine. As director of the VTCC, Lewis will have a key role in defining the strategic vision and future of programs, research and clinical service related to child mental health at VCU and in the commonwealth. Lewis brings more than 20 years of experience in the field, most recently as executive director at McHenry County Mental Health Board in Illinois. Paul J. Wesolowski was named vice president of professional services for the VCU Health System. Wesolowski has more than 25 years in health care administration. He previously served as corporate vice president at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health Care System.

Spring 2013

PRESIDENTIALView Research for Life

Funding the people, programs and places that will defeat cancer By Michael Rao, Ph.D., President, VCU and VCU Health System

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: BRIAN S. THOMAS Senior Executive Director of Development E: bsthomas@vcu.edu P: 804.828.0067

Naming the MCV Foundation in your will or trust is an easy way to leave a legacy on the MCV Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. A bequest does not affect your current cash flow or assets, and it is easy to revise if your circumstances change. It may also save you estate taxes later. Best of all, you have the satisfaction that goes with leaving a legacy that will benefit you and future generations of students and faculty.

‘

Here is some sample bequest language:*

I give (______dollars OR _____ percent of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate) to the MCV Foundation, located in Richmond, VA, to be used for its general unrestricted purposes (OR state a specific purpose). *For illustrative purposes only. Consult your attorney.

Talk with your attorney today. You can give a specific dollar amount, a particular asset, or a percentage of your estate after distributions and costs. And, be sure to let us know when you have completed your plan. We want to thank you for your generosity and include you in the MCV Society, which recognizes donors who have made planned gifts to the MCV Campus through bequests, charitable remainder trusts, lead trusts, retirement plan assets, life insurance, and charitable gift annuities.

Honor the Past. Reach for the Future.

VISIT US ONLINE

Of course, if you have already included the MCV Foundation in your plans in some way, please let us know. We want to make sure your future gift will be designated exactly as you intend.

WWW.LEGACY.VG/MCVFOUNDATION

courage, compassion and determination to change lives by changing the course of cancer. We all have a story, like my father’s and, therefore, an important role to play in defeating cancer. Let’s support the people, programs and places that lead to the cures, treatments and prevention of cancer. I am confident that the Research for Life Campaign will help to further position the VCU Massey Cancer Center to become Virginia’s first National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, of which there are fewer than 50 in the nation. By advancing to comprehensive status, Massey’s resources will grow to support more research to find better cancer treatments, Virginians’ access to the greatest cancer expertise and latest breakthroughs will increase, and our opportunities to educate and impact the community will multiply. And most importantly, lives will be saved. This is what the Glasgows must have imagined three generations ago. And it is exactly what our future generations demand. To learn more about the Massey Research for Life Campaign, please visit www.massey.vcu.edu/researchforlife.htm. 

Michael Rao, Ph.D.

Brian Rule photo

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EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND PATIENT CARE

n 1952, Arthur and Margaret Glasgow established trusts for the Medical College of Virginia, now the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. After their last heir died in 2011, $25 million of those funds were reserved for the VCU Massey Cancer Center, where an interdisciplinary team of physicians, researchers and others are committed to the prevention, treatment and ultimately the cure of cancer. The Glasgows must have known the difference they could make for generations to come. Today, their generosity, and that of countless others, is helping to recruit top scientists and clinicians, expanding clinical trials across the commonwealth and building unparalleled research facilities right here at VCU. This vast support means that groundbreaking science developed at VCU is quickly translated into cures and treatments for the patients who need it most. Our patients come from far and wide. Their diseases might be complex, but our focus is simple: to save and improve the lives of those facing cancer. There is no doubt that cancer touches us all. It certainly has touched me. My father died of Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was a young child. That is one reason I am passionate about fighting and eradicating cancer. Did you know that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetimes? We cannot stand by and let that happen, and at VCU, we are committed to making sure that trend reverses. In our strategic plan, Quest for Distinction, VCU has made an unrelenting commitment to human health — bringing to bear great strengths in interdisciplinary research and learning across the entire university. Nowhere is that commitment more focused than at Massey, where we are undertaking a historic $100 million campaign to defeat cancer. It is called the Research for Life Campaign and was launched with the announcement that we are three-quarters of the way toward our goal. Generous donors already have committed $76 million to help Massey’s dedicated team of researchers make groundbreaking discoveries that equal progress in the fight against this insidious group of diseases known as cancer. Behind each of these donations, of course, are inspiring stories of

The Research for Life Campaign will expand Massey’s research enterprise to support the work of physician-scientists such as Suzanne Barbour, Ph.D., and Charles Chalfant, Ph.D., members of Massey’s Cancer Cell Signaling program.

Spring 2013

Making the world a better place, one tail wag at a time

Susan Dubuque’s dog Tyler Too provides stress relief for this busy advertising executive.

By Sathya Achia Abraham

tressed out at work? Fighting projects, deadlines and headaches? Don’t take an aspirin; take your dog to work with you. A Virginia Commonwealth University study shows that man’s best friend may make a positive difference in the workplace by reducing stress and making the job more satisfying for other employees. Stress is a major contributor to employee absenteeism, morale and burnout and results in significant loss of productivity and resources. But a preliminary study, published in the March 2012 International Journal of Workplace Health Management, found that dogs in the workplace may buffer the impact of stress during the workday for their owners and make the job more satisfying for those with whom they come into contact.

A positive difference

Meet Tyler Too and Charlie. They are job-stress reducers. Every morning when their owner, Susan Dubuque, principal at Richmond, Va.-based advertising agency Neathawk, Dubuque & Packett, is ready to leave for work, Tyler Too and Charlie are right there at the door ready to roll. “They make me laugh, and they entertain everyone else,” Dubuque says. “Anytime someone comes into my office, Tyler twirls in circles and points them to the cookie jar. And she is relentless. She won’t stop until she gets a treat. “Every day at lunchtime, we take a walk. It forces me to get out of the office and away from my desk for a few minutes. What a great way to just clear my head,” she says.

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VCU researchers compared employees who bring their dogs to work, employees who do not bring their dogs to work and employees without pets in the areas of stress, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, communication and support. “Although preliminary, this study provides the first quantitative study of the effects of employees’ pet dogs in the workplace setting on employee stress, job satisfaction, support and commitment,” says principal investigator Randolph “Randy” T. Barker, Ph.D., professor of management in the VCU School of Business. “Dogs in the workplace can make a positive difference. The differences in perceived stress between days the employees’ dogs were present and absent were significant. The employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms.”

Increased employee morale

The study took place at Replacements Ltd., a retail business located in Greensboro, N.C., which employs about 450 people. On any given day, the company also welcomes anywhere from 20 to 30 dogs. The study occurred at the company over one workweek, during which time participants completed surveys and collected saliva samples. The researchers didn’t observe a difference among the three employee groups on base stress hormone levels, which were measured via a saliva sample, in the morning, but during the course of the workday, self-reported stress declined for

Spring 2013

Prescription pooches

employees with their dogs present and increased for nonpet owners and dog owners who did not bring their dogs to work. The team noted that stress significantly rose during the day when owners left their dogs at home compared with days they brought them to work. About half of those with their dogs at work thought the dog presence was important to their productivity and about half thought it didn’t make a difference. Eighty percent of the other two groups indicated that pet presence did not have any negative effect on their productivity, and more than 25 percent thought pet presence positively affected their productivity. According to Barker, the team observed unique dog-related communication in the workplace that might contribute to employee performance and satisfaction. For example, he says, although not part of the study, employees without a dog were observed requesting to take a co-worker’s dog out on a break. These were brief, positive exchanges as the dogs were taken and returned and resulted in an employee break involving exercise. The dog became the communication energizer between these co-workers. Other findings, Barker says, revealed mostly positive comments from employees, such as “pets in the workplace can be a great bonus for employee morale,” “having dogs here is great stress relief ” and “dogs are positive; dogs increase co-worker cooperation.” “The effect of pets in reducing the impact of stress and enhancing communication found in other settings may extend to the workplace,” Barker says. “Pet presence may serve as a low-cost, wellness intervention readily available to many organizations and may enhance organizational satisfaction and perceptions of support.” Further research with larger 10

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“When so many of us share our homes and our lives with a pet, it’s important to take a closer look at that interaction.” – Sandra B. Barker, Ph.D., VCU Center for Human-Animal Interaction sample sizes within the organizational setting is needed to replicate the findings of this initial study, Barker says. Barker collaborated with Janet S. Knisely, Ph.D. (B.S. ’81/H&S; M.S. ’83/H&S; Ph.D. ’85/H&S), associate professor of psychiatry in the VCU School of Medicine; Sandra “Sandy” B. Barker, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the VCU School of Medicine; Rachel K. Cobb, Ph.D. (B.S. ’87/N; Ph.D. ’08/N), research faculty in the VCU School of Nursing; and Christine M. Schubert, Ph.D., assistant professor of biostatistics at the Air Force Institute of Technology. The study was supported in part by the Center on Human-Animal Interaction at VCU, which also houses the VCU Medical Center’s Dogs on Call program.

Call her Dr. Dog

Step into the medical center, and you might find a different kind of caregiver roaming the halls. She has an uncanny knack for sensing just what her patients need, making it clear to guests and hospital staff that she practices a different kind of medicine. Expressions of fear or worry from patients seem to fade while visiting with her. She usually leaves behind a trail of smiling faces. It’s all in a day’s work for Daisy.

The VCU Center for Human-Animal Interaction’s Dogs on Call program enhances the well-being of patients and staff at the VCU Medical Center with in-hospital visits by trained and certified dog-handler teams from the community. Gifts to the center, a 501(C)(3) organization, are used to help the program coordinate dog visits, certify and recertify therapy dogs, monitor credentialing and re-credentialing of Dogs on Call teams and provide support products such as cleanup bags, dog treats and water bowls. To learn how you can support the center and Dogs on Call, or for information about volunteer opportunities, visit www.chai.vcu.edu.

She is just one of about 30 dogs that comprise the VCU Dogs on Call program. On any given day, members of the Dogs on Call program can be found spending time with patients who might be enduring difficult or painful hospital stays and offering them good cheer and comfort. “For patients, a therapy dog may represent something safe,” explains Sandy Barker, who also serves as director of the VCU Center for Human-Animal Interaction, which coordinates the Dogs on Call program with the VCU Health System Volunteer Services. Sandy is married to Randy Barker. “When you think about ‘touch’ in a hospital, it’s more of a professional purposeful touch by necessity,” she says. “But with the dog, patients can pet them, hug them and have them lie beside them. The dog provides a diversion and changes the environment. The dog is not evaluating the patient. It’s not asking questions, it’s not telling them it’s going to start their IV now.” Housed within the School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry, CHAI is the only center of its kind based at a medical school. CHAI offers clinical programs, such as the Dogs on Call program, as well as pet loss support in collaboration with veterinary hospitals in the Richmond area. In addition, the center provides a variety of programs for professional audiences, community groups and grand rounds for medical faculty, residents and students to raise awareness and educate as many people as possible about the importance and health benefits of human-animal interaction.

Taylor

Reilly

Rocky and Daisy

Kelley Snowa Photo

Daisy

Savannah

Oreo

Kian

Stewie

A social support for humans

One of CHAI’s major areas of focus is research on the benefits of human-animal interaction. Sandy Barker, along with VCU faculty affiliated with the center, has Photos courtesy of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction

Dixie

Kaiya

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The The majority majority ofof alumni alumni ho than than one one phone phone call call and and t Alumni Support indicative indicative ofof single single and and m

Sandy Barker (left), of the Center for HumanAnimal Interaction, and Randy Barker, of the School of Business, pool their respective talents to conduct research on dogs in the workplace.

published numerous studies documenting the health benefits of animal-assisted therapy for patients. “When so many of us share our homes and our lives with a pet, it’s important to take a closer look at that interaction. Through our research, our focus is to understand the health benefits of the human-animal bond,” Sandy Barker says. “Based on our work so far, we believe that pets provide a means of social support for humans that seems to buffer the impact of stressful events. By increasing the body of knowledge about the health benefits of human-animal interactions, we hope to raise awareness of health care professionals. The hope is that awareness will lead to an increased access for patients to this effective and low-cost intervention.” For more than 20 years, Sandy Barker has been exploring this interaction, although her clinical focus over the years has included counseling patients with substance abuse issues and psychological trauma. Today, her clinical practice is made up of individuals suffering post-trauma reactions. In the inpatient setting, Sandy Barker has witnessed firsthand the impact an animal can have on patients. She has seen patients who refuse treatment but after contact with a therapy dog become more cooperative and willing to undergo treatment. “Those are what we call the ‘mini-miracles’ we observe with our therapy dogs.

It’s amazing when we suddenly see patients interacting when they were withdrawn before,” she says.

Emotionally close

In 1988, Sandy Barker teamed with her husband to publish a study that examined how close people are to their dogs compared with how close they are to their human family members. They used a projective technique, the family-life space diagram to collect data, because they knew that if they simply asked participants to rank the importance of people and pets, they would naturally name their spouses and children first. The Barkers found that there was no significant difference between how close people were to their pet dog and to their closest human family member. They observed, however, that about one-third of people were closer to their dog than to any human family member — whether it was a spouse or a child. They also looked at dog show enthusiasts versus typical pet owners and found no significant difference. They concluded that, generally, people are emotionally very close to their dogs. In her first study looking at the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in the health care setting, Sandy Barker and her colleague Kathryn Dawson, Ph.D., were interested in knowing if interacting with a therapy dog and its owner would reduce anxiety in hospitalized psychiatric patients. They

measured anxiety levels in patients before and after 20-30 minutes of therapeutic recreation involving a therapy dog and before and after a regular therapeutic recreation session. They found a significant reduction in anxiety for patients with mood, psychotic and other disorders except primary substance abuse. The authors speculate that anxiety associated with the acute withdrawal phase being experienced by many of the substanceabuse patients might not be impacted by the therapy dog interaction. In a later study, Sandy Barker, along with VCU colleagues Ananda Pandurangi, M.D., and Al Best, Ph.D., studied psychiatric patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT. For many of these patients with profound depression, ECT is considered an effective treatment when other medications fail to help their condition. Before ECT treatment, however, many patients become anxious and fearful. In the study, before an ECT treatment, patients were assigned to interact with a therapy dog for 15 minutes on one day and to look at magazines for 15 minutes on a consecutive treatment day Sandy Barker explains. The researchers measured fear, anxiety and depression in these patients before and after the dog and magazine activities. Patients’ fear levels after the dog session were significantly lower than their fear levels after the magazine session. As for the dogs, it’s clear they benefit, too. “You see their tails wagging, wagging and wagging. They thrive on this type of interaction. They are constantly doted over and loved and given attention,” Sandy Barker says. 

- Sathya Achia Abraham is a contributing writer for Scarab.

Picture your pet online Do you have a furry, feathered or scaled friend who loves to ham it up for the camera? Send photos of your pet to alumni@vcu.edu and we’ll post them on the alumni association Facebook page.

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He ndri x

Li tt le

Ro ry

Se amus

Lu lu

The majority of alumni households receive more than one phone call and the campaign dollars are indicative of single and multiyear commitments.

More credit card gifts = less impact on the environment

163,744 163,744 calls calls made made 163,744 calls made

2,407

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., visits the call center.

pledges and gifts made*

$371,773

2,4 2,4

in pledges and gifts received* *From Sept. 17, 2012, to Feb. 8, 2013; includes multiyear commitments

$284K raised so far

Student fundraisers find their calling, connect with alumniand pledges pledges andg

ith the ambitious goal of contacting each of the more than 165,000 living Virginia Commonwealth University alumni — or, at the very least, all 67,000 of those with a telephone number in the university database — students are manning the phones in a new fundraising initiative in support of the university’s annual fund. The VCU Gold Line Call Center, which opened Sept. 17, 2012, features at least 40 current students reaching out to former students in an effort to reconnect alumni with the university while updating contact information and raising money. The Gold Line Call Center marks the first time in 10 years that a phone bank has been brought to campus with students serving as callers. In addition to earning an income and helping to raise much needed unrestricted donations for the university’s academic annual funds, the students are learning valuable skills. “There’s an advantage in having students making contact with our alumni,” says William “Ike” Tucker II (M.Ed. ’06/E; Cert. ’06/H&S), director of annual giving operations. “Students are the best ambassadors.” Not only is the student-based initiative an ideal way to reconnect alumni with their alma mater, Tucker explains, but it is also designed for cost-efficiency. “Opening this facility marks the first time in 10 years that we’ve taken a unified approach to universitywide fundraising. For the first time, we’re processing all phone numbers in our database and managing it out of one office for greater efficiency,” he says. There’s another benefit in bringing the call center to campus, explains Michael P. Andrews (M.S. ’05/E), VCU’s director of annual giving strategy. “When our alumni reconnect with the university, they’re more likely to take part in fundraising efforts, which means we’re able to report greater alumni participation.”

44%

Alumni engagement, he says, is a critical component of the collegeand university-ranking process for entities agreed such astoU.S. News & World a multiyear commitment Report, which in turn, oftentimes plays a major role in a student’s higher potential alumni donors education selection. Manning the phones are students from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. Afternoon and evening shifts rotate six days a week, during each semester. “As VCU becomes the nation’s premier urban, public research university, our private philanthropy, alumni engagement and renewed efforts to tell our story are more important than ever,” says VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. “The Gold Line Call Center is moving the needle and very quickly. I am so proud of the leadership of the Gold Line, and especially the student callers, who are making such a difference.” Shayla Betts (B.S.W. ’12/SW), an alumna and a current graduate student in the School of Social Work, has learned that giving back is less about the financial contribution and more about giving to the VCU legacy and helping students achieve raised raised soso farfar similar dreams. “I’m able to share my VCU pride with people who graduated recently as well as those who Shayla Betts graduated decades ago. Many are willing to share advice to help me pursue my dreams,” she says. Betts says she feels fortunate to have a shared connection through the alumni phone contacts. So, the next time your phone rings, be sure to answer it. It might be a call you — and your alma mater — can’t afford to miss.

42,457

$371, $371

ininpledges pledgesand andg

$284K $284K

– Nan Johnson is a contributing writer for Scarab.

44% 44%

agreed agreed toto a multiyear a multiyear commitment commitment

Spring 2013

VCU students on Team Warbler use migratory songbirds to teach local middle school students about conservation.

Hispanic patients receive free health screenings from VCU students and faculty at Una Vida Sana events.

Seeding solutions F

ree health screenings for an underserved population. College classes for Richmond City Jail inmates. International research and education to save habitats here and abroad. Throughout the city of Richmond, an army of Virginia Commonwealth University faculty, staff and students are quietly pursuing outreach projects with the aid of a small-grant program offered by the VCU Division of Community Engagement’s Council for Community Engagement. “The program is really trying to harness our talent and our muscle to address community-identified needs,” says Samantha Marrs, senior associate vice president for the VCU Office of Development and Alumni Relations, who helped build the initial criteria for the grants. The program offers one-year seed grants of up to $20,000 for projects that involve at least one partner within the Richmond community and a minimum of two departments from VCU or the VCU Medical Center. Ideally, the projects produce important byproducts, whether enhanced student learning opportunities in the form of service-learning or internships, or additional research opportunities for faculty. The hope is that the grants ultimately lead to long-lasting relationships that will continue to impact the community long after the initial funds run out.

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“We’re hoping that we’re able to contribute to something that ripples out,” explains Valerie Holton, Ph.D., LCSW (M.S.W. ’00/ SW; Ph.D. ’11/SW), director of community-engaged research for the Division of Community Engagement. “The money that we have to contribute, it’s not something that could sustain projects. We’re really hoping to help people get started.”

From the beginning

The origins of the grant program can be found in VCU Community Solutions: Working Together, Changing Lives, an initiative established in 2005 that awarded small grants to VCU faculty members for projects targeting two focus areas: early childhood education and violence prevention. The grants’ success led Catherine Howard, Ph.D., vice provost for community engagement, and Sheryl Garland (M.H.A. ’88/AHP), vice president of health policy and community relations for the VCU Health System, to seek internal funding to tackle a wider range of community issues. “We asked, ‘What if we had [a] pot of money and wanted to get faculty involved in the community in areas that they cared about?’” Howard says.

Addressing a community need

From the very beginning, the community-engagement grants were designed to respond to a community-identified need, which requires a shift in approach for research-minded faculty. “It’s not about studying our community; it’s about working in partnership with them,” Marrs says. “We want someone in the community to say, ‘We need help.’” Mark Ryan, M.D. (M.D. ’00/M; H.S. ’03/M), of the VCU Department of Family Medicine, heard the call for help from Spanishspeaking parents of his pediatric patients at the Hayes E. Willis Health Center in Southside Richmond. “I began to get more questions from parents about whether I could help them with medical care,” says Ryan, who speaks fluent Spanish. “But, unfortunately, most of them were undocumented and did not have insurance.” Recognizing the growing Hispanic population in Richmond as a medically underserved community increasingly at risk for diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, he joined with Sallie Mayer, Pharm.D., and Allison Gregory, R.N. (B.S. ’99/N; M.S. ’00/N) — faculty members in the VCU schools of Pharmacy and Nursing,

Catherine Viverette photo

With the help of small starter grants, VCU faculty members team with community partners to enact change By Katherine Schutt

respectively — and CrossOver Health Care Ministry, Virginia’s largest free health care clinic, to create Una Vida Sana, which means “a healthy life” in Spanish. The project, which received an $18,000 community-engagement grant in 2010, hosts health care screenings and educational sessions at predominantly Hispanic events throughout Richmond every two months. VCU faculty and students provide the screening tests and evaluation; trained CrossOver volunteers offer health care education and referrals to the free care clinic for those flagged as at-risk. CrossOver also offers a designated telephone line so referred patients can be seen more quickly. “The faculty really took seriously the activities that were already under way in the community through the CrossOver outreach program,” Garland says, “and tried to figure out how to bring things that we do well in collaboration with things they do very well to enhance services for a very vulnerable population.” The resulting project benefits all stakeholders, including the screening recipients — more than 500 in the 13 events held last year — and CrossOver, which is targeting the underserved population. “People have definitely been made more aware of who we are and what we offer,” says Karen Bunn, CrossOver’s Hispanic health education

Spring 2013

Community engagement grants » The $100,000 grant program is funded jointly by the offices of the VCU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and VCU Senior Vice President for Health Sciences.

» Projects must feature at least two VCU departments and at least one community organization.

VCU’s David Coogan (right) brings university students and inmates together through the Open Minds program.

coordinator, “and it’s helped people that I’ve trained to be better advocates for people who need services, health or otherwise.” Because student volunteers — 140 and counting — staff the events alongside VCU faculty, Una Vida Sana also offers opportunities for VCU health sciences students who want clinical experience, another goal of the community-engagement grants.

Learning opportunities

Several projects have produced servicelearning courses that provide students with opportunities to explore critical social issues and to apply what they are learning in the classroom in the “real world.” David Coogan, associate professor in the VCU Department of English, used his 2011-12 grant to establish Open Minds: Shared Inquiries, Shared Hope, a unique series of service-learning courses offered in partnership with the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office. Open Minds brings VCU students into the Richmond City Jail to join prisoners in taking a range of humanities classes that emphasize dialogue-based and writing-intensive work. “What we’re doing is bringing liberal arts to people in need,” says Coogan, who used his 16

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$13,000 grant to recruit faculty in the College of Humanities and Sciences to adapt or create new courses, to develop a program website, to purchase class materials and to provide training for both faculty and students. “VCU students are no different than the residents of the jail, at least in principle,” he says. “We find a common language to talk about our lives.” Last year, 50 VCU students and more than 100 inmates participated in four classes offered at the jail by the departments of African American Studies, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, and English and the Religious Studies program. Though admittedly intimidating for VCU students to sit knee-to-knee with prisoners in the basement of the city jail, the classes allow all students, free and incarcerated, to imagine a better world. “Almost universally, I get feedback during and after class along the lines of ‘This has changed my life,’” says Coogan, who cofounded Open Minds with John Dooley, M.Ed. (M.Ed. ’97/E), who oversees the education department at the jail. A creative-writing class taught by Coogan led Julie Markham, a 36-year-old English major, to make the difficult decision to redirect her career path. “Incarceration is never

going to fix crime,” says Markham, who, before the class, planned to attend law school after graduating from VCU. “This stuff — education, getting across the social divide, realizing the likeness among us — will make a difference. I realized that if I wanted to make a difference, I needed to be a teacher.” Because the project has been so wellreceived by students on both sides of the partnership — Dooley reports that his students gain “a new sense of respect for themselves and others” — the classes are set to continue and possibly expand over the next few years.

Developing relationships

While some of the original grant projects created one-time events, many projects such as Open Minds produce relationships that live beyond the life of the grant funds. “If there’s a trend that’s emerging, it’s how to support sustainable partnerships,” Garland observes. Team Warbler: From Chesapeake Bay to Panama Bay and Back – Cross Cultural Connections Supporting Sustainable Communities, a project supported by a $15,000 grant in 2010, developed from a long-term research program involving the

» Grants are awarded by the Council for Community Engagement after a two-part process:

PART 1: The Gifts and Grants Committee reviews and scores each application. PART 2: The most promising applicants are invited for interviews before the committee.

prothonotary warbler, a migratory songbird, that began at VCU in 1987. When National Audubon began looking for a Virginia-based partner for a project in Panama Bay, it turned to VCU, which already had a relationship with Richmond Audubon. The resulting project involves a number of different components — a two-week servicelearning trip by VCU students to Panama, scientific research in the Chesapeake Bay and educational outreach with local middle school students — and is wrapping up its third year of existence. “We’re using migratory birds to connect communities to their environment and to each other,” says Cathy Viverette (M.S. ’04/LS), of the Center for Environmental Studies, who leads the project with Lesley Bulluck, Ph.D., and Edward Crawford, Ph.D. (M.S. ’95/H&S), of the Department

Read more about what VCU is doing in the community at www.community.vcu.edu/category/news.

» Preferences are given to proposals that:

• Can be sustained beyond the oneyear grant term by outside resources • Result in measurable outcomes

» Awardees are

announced at a community celebration in late spring.

» Since 2007: • More than $550,000 awarded to date

» Funds must be used

• $14,000 average grant size

» Grantees must

• 38 projects

within one year.

• Involve students • Contribute to faculty and students’ research trajectory

make a presentation of their projects, outcomes and future plans at the following year’s event.

of Biology, with coordination and assistance from the Audubon Society’s International Alliance Program. Through the project, VCU faculty and students collect scientific data on prothonotary warblers in the Chesapeake Bay (their breeding ground) and Panama Bay (their wintering home) to support conservation efforts in both regions. That information has proven particularly significant in Panama this year, where the bay’s protected-area status was temporarily suspended in May 2012 to make way for development. “This means the environmental community stands a chance of reversing that decision,” explains Matt Jeffery, program manager for the International Alliance Program. Additionally, VCU students provide middle school students in Chesterfield County and Panama with experience observing and

Service-learning to improve medical care Medical students undertake service projects to learn the needs of underserved communities

For doctors to be truly effective, they need to be aware of the circumstances that govern their patients’ lives. That understanding led Virginia Commonwealth University’s Lelia Brinegar, M.Ed., director of the School of Medicine Curriculum Office, and Christopher Woleben, M.D. (M.D. ’97/M; H.S. ’01/M), associate dean for student affairs — winners of the school’s 2012 Educational Innovation Award — to create a nationally recognized curriculum that enhances VCU’s relationships with the community and medical students’ understanding of the practice of medicine. The course, Learners Involved in the Needs of Communities, requires first-year medical students to complete 20 hours of community service. The projects allow students to experience firsthand the environments where their patients spend their lives, which, in turn, can help them understand the interventions and resources that will be the most useful for their patients. “LINC sets a new national standard for medical education curricula that aim to prepare culturally and economically sensitive physicians,” says Lynn Pelco, Ph.D., director of VCU Service-Learning. “In particular, I have been impressed by the care and consideration Chris and Lelia have put toward developing and stewarding collaborative relationships with community partners to ensure that LINC meets communityidentified needs while still providing students with innovative and engaging learning experiences.”

• 46 community partners • 20 applicants per year, on average • Yearly grants average seven

handling the birds, making the connection among the bird population, clean water and healthy habitats. “We can be out in the field collecting data all we want,” Viverette says, “but until we make that connection back to our communities about why they should care, we’re not going to make much difference.” The success of the project has both partners talking about future undertakings, including possibly using National Audubon’s 47 nature centers and 22 state offices to offer real-life experiences and potential employment to VCU students from traditionally underserved audiences.

The road ahead

Moving forward, the Council for Community Engagement will give more preference to projects that align with VCU’s strategic plan, Quest for Distinction, as well as those that have more potential for further research. Additionally, the council plans more followup to determine the impact that each project has on its targeted population. As they continue to evolve to mirror the university’s priorities, the grants represent a valuable opportunity for faculty members to put their ideas and passions to work and, hopefully, make a real difference in the community. “If nothing else, they set the stage for putting forth evidence for other funders that these projects really do have a return on investment,” Garland says. “Without this university funding, they may not have a chance to do that.” 

- Katherine Schutt is a contributing writer for Scarab.

Spring 2013

Living -le a r ning

Students participating in ASPiRE mingle in one of several communal student lounges (left) and enjoy the convenience of attending classes in the program’s new West Grace Street Student Housing – South building.

en v ironments VCU embarks on an innovative, high-impact educational experience for students Article by Erin Egan, photos by Tom Kojcsich

ine weeks into the fall 2012 semester at Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Slade, Ph.D., executive director of the newly launched Academic Scholars Program in Real Environments, raved about two large events that had taken place a few nights before in the West Grace Street Student Housing – South building. More than 100 students had gathered to discuss the importance of healthy foods and sustainable gardens and how the community’s development of its own food could impact Richmond. In a lounge down the hall, 85 more students had congregated to watch the third presidential debate with Nannette Bailey, M.Ed. (M.T. ’95/E), ASPiRE’s community partnerships coordinator, who was working to promote student voting as part of a shared grant with the VCU Honors College.

“It was one of my favorite nights,” Slade says. “I would love to see us scheduling events like this every night.” ASPiRE, coordinated through VCU’s Division of Community Engagement, is an innovative and comprehensive community engagement-focused living-learning program for students. The first program of its kind at VCU, ASPiRE aims to enrich and deepen students’ understanding of their capacity to create positive change in communities through the connection of course work, cocurricular activities and a vibrant residential experience. “ASPiRE provides an outstanding opportunity for students to participate in integrative learning,” says Catherine Howard, Ph.D., vice provost for community engagement at VCU. “Students combine experiences from the community with class experiences and the living experience they share into an integrative learning experience.”

The first class of pioneers

The first class of ASPiRE “pioneers,” as Slade calls them, includes 148 sophomores pursuing more than 40 different majors. The students live on the first and second floors of the residence hall, but by 2014, Slade envisions 450 students participating in the program and inhabiting the entire building. Originally designed for rising sophomores, ASPiRE now accepts applications from students of any year as long as they have two years of study remaining. But already, Slade says, students are asking if they can stay in the program for a third year. She hopes to accommodate them by creating a leadership academy of 48 students who have gone through the program and exhibit initiative and drive. Slade says she has pinpointed 18

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several students whose skills would be an asset to the burgeoning program. “Sometimes there is not enough staff to cover all the events we’re doing,” she says. “So we would ask these students to come back to live and work with us as staff to lead some of the service activities.” Slade admits to a bit of surprise at the level of dedication with which her ASPiRE students arrived. She describes them as going from zero to 60 almost immediately. (The same could be said for Slade, who exudes energy and enthusiasm.) “They were already one step above where I usually find students in terms of commitment,” she says. “They want to change the world. They want to serve.” Lynn Pelco, Ph.D., associate vice provost of community engagement, says research supports the use of high-impact education practices such as living-learning programs for engaging students and helping them complete their education. Other highimpact practices include study abroad, undergraduate research, service-learning and community engagement. Improved retention and graduation rates are two long-term goals of ASPiRE. “By combining two high-impact educational practices like service-learning and living-learning into a single program like ASPiRE, VCU is providing students with a higher dose of the strategies we know engage students so that they can develop their identities as professionals and community leaders,” Pelco says. “The sooner in their undergraduate lives that we can help students find their passion, dive deeply into that passion and envision how that passion is going to lead them out into the community, the better it is, and the research shows programs like ASPiRE are one of the best ways to accomplish that goal.” Yusra Islam, a sophomore forensic science major, joined ASPiRE to participate in sustained service projects, something she enjoyed as a high school student. She discovered that living in the building offers other benefits as well. “You can focus on your studies better,” she says. “I am surrounded by focused individuals and that really helps me because when your peers are motived, you get motivated.” Spring 2013

Community living First-year students at VCU can also expand their academic experience by joining students with similar interests or majors in residential villages located in Johnson and Brandt halls. Students live together and are enrolled in one course together. During the semester, students experience faculty presentations, participate in field trips, take part in movie nights and guest lectures and easily form study groups with their neighbors. The villages include: •• Artist’s Colony – for students interested in studio, performing or visual arts •• Doctor’s Lounge – for students interested in pre-health sciences

The curriculum piece

In the first year of ASPiRE, students take seven credit hours of course work. The Foundations of Community Engagement course teaches students the basics of community engagement: definition, ethics and how to begin. They also take a writing and rhetoric course with special sections geared toward ASPiRE students. In the second-semester Community Studies Seminar, students work in teams with faculty members and community partners to develop projects that address community-identified needs. Students pick from among four tracks: health, education, sustainability and vibrant communities. Erin Burke-Brown (M.P.A. ’08/H&S), assistant director of service-learning and director of AmeriCorps/America Reads, teaches one section of the foundations course to 40 students. She says while students enjoy what they’re learning in the classroom, they can’t wait to put their newfound knowledge to work in the community. But Burke-Brown and other instructors want to make sure students are prepared before they dive into community work. “We tell them, ‘You’re going to be so good when you get out there because you understand the importance of these things,’” she says. “‘And we want you to be trained and confident in what you’re doing.’” To get their feet wet, students participate in a cocurriculum that involves performing 100 hours of community-based service. Opportunities include engagement with the community, participating in Alternative Spring Break service and assisting with projects and special events that support community partners. One such example was Mosby Community Day, where 34 ASPiRE students joined the families of the Mosby Court neighborhood 20

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to celebrate their annual Community Day. Students distributed school supplies to young residents and provided several children’s activities. Mark Hairston, a sophomore biology major, took part. He describes ASPiRE as an enlightening experience for him. “I found out I like working with kids,” he says. “And even though I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do, this will help clarify it for me.” Hairston’s story serves as a perfect illustration of the program’s intent, Pelco says. “If we can help students unpack what they’re good at and what they like to do, and then give them some opportunities to find places in the community that need those skills, then we’ve developed a lifelong, community-engaged citizen,” she says.

•• The Boardroom – for students interested in becoming future business leaders

Living-learning residence hall amenities

•• Clinical Corner – for students interested in health sciences

Today’s living-learning communities offer a unique learning experience in ultramodern comfort. Among the conveniences students enjoy:

VCU’s newest living-learning residence hall, West Grace Street Student Housing – North, rises across from ASPiRE.

•• Apartment-style single or double rooms with washers, dryers and kitchens •• Study rooms and common lounges (some with fireplaces!) •• Central location •• State-of-the-art classrooms and faculty offices on the first floor •• 12-month living contracts

The next living-learning community

Quickly rising across the street from ASPiRE, VCU’s newest living-learning residence hall is taking shape in the form of West Grace Street Student Housing – North, home to Globe. Set to open this fall, Globe aims to expand students’ identities as global citizens through a sequence of three phases: global education, global engagement and global leadership. The program is open to rising sophomores of any major. Students complete a 12-credit curriculum that includes seminars and internships. Recruitment for Globe began in fall 2012 and orientation for accepted students takes place in spring 2013. McKenna Brown, Ph.D., executive director of the VCU Global Education Office, says student interest is high. “An advantage for Globe is that it’s in the slipstream of ASPiRE,” he says. “They have cleared a path in many ways that, for a student who’s interested, there’s a little more evidence because it’s up and running now. So for students, it’s a leap of faith but a well-reasoned one.” Before ASPiRE and Globe, the VCU Honors College served as a precursor to the university’s new living-learning environments. The Honors College was established in 1983 as a planned environment that promotes a social approach to intellectual

development for 1,200 talented undergraduate student scholars. Smaller class sizes, discussion groups, seminars and lectures combine to create an academically intense environment, while mentorship programs, honors student organizations and an honors-only residence hall — West Grace Street Student Housing — build a valuable intellectual support system. Roshan George (B.S. ’09/E) was enrolled in The Honors College for four years and lived in West Grace Street Student Housing as a freshman. He says as a member of the close-knit biomedical engineering class, The Honors College exposed him to other students outside of the program and educational opportunities beyond the ordinary. As a junior, George traveled to Oxford University with three other VCU students to study philosophy with Timothy Hulsey, Ph.D., dean of The Honors College. “It was an amazing opportunity and the most unique experience I’ve ever had,” George says. The Honors College also allowed George, now a third-year medical student at the VCU School of Medicine, to enroll in medical school through The Honors College Guaranteed Admission Program Preferred Applicant Track. “My experience is an example of how enriching The Honors College can be,” he says.

The long-term results

While presenting VCU’s model for livinglearning communities at higher-education conferences, Pelco says people often express awe that VCU opened with a group nearly three times the size of other university programs, which average 50 students, and wonder how this university did it. “It takes a high level of institutional commitment, which we have,” Pelco says. “I think it’s a hallmark of VCU that we take on big projects, and we move them forward.” Aside from improving retention and graduation rates, Pelco and Slade hope to take advantage of the fact that such a large percentage of VCU graduates remain in the metro Richmond area after graduation. That statistic represents a boon to the region. After participating in a program such as ASPiRE or Globe, students will forever see their profession, whatever it may be, through a community lens. Slade believes the biggest winners in the equation will be the students. “Our communities are lucky to have our kids,” she says, “but our kids already feel how lucky they are to have these experiences.” 

- Erin Egan is a contributing writer for Scarab.

Spring 2013

Alumni Volunteer Service Awards

Elaine and W. Baxter Perkinson Jr. and Vickie and Thomas Snead Jr. Alumni Award for Exemplary Service Presented to those who have given freely of their time, their experience and their resources to support the university

Honoring extraordinary service to VCU

In celebration of service to the Virginia Commonwealth University community, alumni and friends gathered Nov. 2 at the Richmond Marriott for the inaugural Alumni Volunteer Service Awards ceremony, hosted by the VCU and MCV Alumni Associations.

Elaine and Baxter (D.D.S. ’70/D) Perkinson Jr., D.D.S., have been married 48 years and

Vickie (B.S. ’76/B) and Thomas (B.S. ’76/B) Snead Jr. have both excelled at business

have provided significant financial support to the university, which is reflected in the newest School of Dentistry building being named in honor of Baxter. Elaine has always been active in her community, which earned her the honor of being named Richmond’s 2012 Christmas Mother. Baxter also has served on the VCU Board of Visitors as rector and as a member of the VCU Health System Authority Board.

and put their significant expertise to use as co-chairs of the Campaign for VCU from 1999 to 2007, an effort that raised $410 million. Through the Snead Family Foundation, the couple’s generous philanthropic support has stretched beyond the School of Business, which bears their name, to include the VCU Medical Center, Massey Cancer Center, VCU Athletics and more. They each have also held numerous leadership positions in many university associations and advisory boards, including Tom’s service to the VCU Board of Visitors as rector.

STAT Award

Awarded to a current student for service hours contributed to the Students Today Alumni Tomorrow program, as well as for leadership and serving as a role model to his or her peers One of the founding members of the Students Today Alumni Tomorrow program, Alexandra McDougall transferred to VCU from the University of California and began volunteering as a way to become a part of the university community. A psychology major and member of the Class of 2013, she has since volunteered extensively not only through STAT but also at a variety of university functions and athletic events, which has given her a true insight into the rich diversity of the university and Richmond communities.

In all, 54 individuals were recognized during the festivities, including the following major award recipients, who were selected by the University Alumni Leadership Council and received handmade black-and-gold glass medallions featuring the new VCU seal. Outstanding Service Program Award

Awarded to an affiliated group that has created a successful and innovative program that furthers the mission of the alumni association’s service program A past president of the School of Business Alumni Society, Joseph E. Becht Jr. (M.B.A. ’80/B) led the effort to establish the school’s Ram to Ram Program, which connects students to mentors in the field to gain insight into today’s business environment. Though only 2 years old, the program already has set up more than 30 mentorships and interviews.

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Through the VCU Alumni Association’s Richmond Promise Program, Edward Robinson Jr. (B.G.S. ’00/H&S; M.S.W. ’03/SW) also

helps mentor students but at the high school level. By offering guidance and helping students in their quest to succeed in higher education, Robinson has helped strengthen VCU’s relationships with Richmond-area high schools.

VCU GOLD Award

Awarded to a graduate of the last decade who has given outstanding service to VCU, its alumni associations or an affiliated organization

Alumni Association Service Awards

Yesenia Villalta (B.S.W. ’11/SW) co-founded the

Corinne Dorsey (Dipl. ’54/N; B.S. ’65/N) has long been considered a state and national leader in the field of nursing and has worked to create and sustain scholarships in the School of Nursing. She has held numerous leadership positions in the MCV Alumni Association of VCU and is always willing to give her time as a mentor to today’s nursing students.

VCU Alumni Association’s Latino Alumni Council, was heavily involved in the 2012 Hispanic Youth Symposium at Virginia State University, and helped develop and promote the School of Social Work’s Adelante Scholarship. Through her work with VCU’s Primeros Pasos program, she also has helped provide Latino high school students with insights into the college experience.

Jay Paul photos

Presented to one who has given exceptional service to the alumni association through volunteer support during his or her lifetime and has served as a role model to others

Pride Award

Presented for outstanding service in an affiliated organization and to one who has found creative ways to support his or her alma mater

Over the past two years, Jon B. Hill (B.S. ’85/B; B.S. ’85/B; M.B.A. ’99/B; M.S. ’12/B) has

As president of the MCV Alumni Association,

lent his expertise to a major financial services review of the alumni associations, spending countless hours in collaboration with leaders and volunteers throughout the university community to more effectively meet the needs of a growing and complex network of alumni constituents.

works to unite graduates and instill pride in alumni and students. She has helped organize and support the annual Your Passport to the World graduation celebration as well as Reunion Weekend festivities, and has been an ardent supporter of VCU’s Quest for Distinction.

Paula Saxby, Ph.D. (M.S. ’85/N; Ph.D. ’92/N),

Spring 2013

legacYfamily

Nursing: the chosen path for sisters, daughter

n the remote coal mining town of Jenkinjones, W.Va., Leah Hundley (B.S. ’59/N) grew up admiring an aunt who ultimately inspired her career path. “I adored her, and she was a nurse,” Hundley says of her aunt, Pearl Bennett. “That was the only thing I ever wanted to do.” As high school came to a close and college choices beckoned, Hundley considered following her aunt’s path by attending Johnston-Willis Hospital School. Her father insisted she choose a degree-granting institution instead. Hundley selected the Medical College of Virginia’s School of Nursing and left the coal town behind for an urban life in downtown Richmond, Va. “The sorrow of my dad’s life was that he did not have a college degree,” Hundley says. “That’s how I ended up at MCV. My father had more wisdom than I did.” Hundley, 75, was the first in her family to attend MCV’s School of Nursing, which became the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing in 1968. Not far behind was her sister, Linda Hildenbrand (B.S. ’64/N), and nearly three decades later, Hundley’s daughter, Lynne Smith (B.S. ’86/N). The family connection to the MCV Campus doesn’t stop at nursing. Hundley’s uncle, Carroll Graves Bennett, M.D. (M.D. ’28/M), who was married to the aunt who inspired her, graduated from MCV’s School of Medicine and sent his two sons to the college, too. Carroll G. Bennett Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’59/D), and Curtis G. Bennett, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’64/D), both chose to attend MCV’s School of Dentistry. Another of Hundley’s cousins, Sidney Hunter Jr., M.D. (M.D. ’56/M), attended medical school at MCV, making for a family of MCV-educated nurses, doctors and dentists. 24

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For sisters Hundley and Hildenbrand, nursing was among a handful of career options they say women of their era could pursue. Hundley says a career as an airline stewardess was a no-go for her because the industry didn’t accept workers who wore glasses, and she didn’t want to be a teacher or a secretary. Her career included working at the Hanover County Health Department, the Richmond Eye and Ear Hospital and the Henrico County Health Department, from which she retired in 2004. Growing up in the West Virginia coal fields, Hildenbrand says, her only choice seemed to be nursing: She didn’t want to follow her peers who went to work in Washington, D.C., as secretaries, and she certainly didn’t want to be a teacher. Her family moved to Richmond after the coal mine shut down and her father lost his job, which made MCV the best choice for her, Hildenbrand says. There, she lived only partly in her sister’s shadow. “There were a few of the instructors that knew her but a number of them did not, so it was sort of like a clean slate,” she says. Hildenbrand lived in the same residence hall her sister had, the original Cabaniss Hall, and says she was impressed by the campus, which made her feel like she was “going into the big leagues.” After graduation, Hildenbrand went to work at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md., before moving to Hagerstown, Md., and stumbling into a career as a nursing instructor that spanned 30 years. She retired from Hagerstown Community College in 2004. The sisters have a close bond because of their shared nursing experience, Hildenbrand says, adding that she can rely on Hundley when she needs to talk to someone about major health problems in the family — and about everything else, too. Both women return to campus for class reunions and are quick to talk about the deep connections they forged with their classmates.

Hundley’s daughter, Smith, says she was certain she wanted to attend VCU for nursing school not only to follow in the footsteps of her mom and aunt but also because of its impeccable reputation. “Mom told me all about it,” she says. “They had great stories from there and they loved the experience.” Smith spent her first two years on the Monroe Park Campus, then moved to the MCV Campus for two years of nursing school. It wasn’t her first time on the MCV Campus. Smith shadowed a physical therapist there during high school. That experience helped her rule out physical therapy and solidified her decision to go into nursing. “MCV was just glamorous to me as a child,” she says. “I remember thinking it was so big and amazing. I had it up on a pedestal.” Smith says she wanted to emulate her mom, who was an incredible role model and working mother. After graduating in 1986, Smith interned in the NICU at the VCU Medical Center, where she met her husband, Kevin (H.S. ’91/M), an OB-GYN. She worked until 1992, when she had her first child. Now the youngest is grown up, and she’s back in the workplace as a part-time nurse at her husband’s practice. The couple stays connected with the VCU Medical Center through their church, which has taken on the palliative care unit as a ministry and periodically brings food, blankets, magazines and supplies for patients and families. Hundley is humbled that her daughter decided to follow her career path. “It really made me happy when my daughter went,” she says. “It made me feel like I was doing something worthwhile enough for other people to see, admire and maybe want to emulate.” 

(Top row from left) Leah Hundley’s senior photo, 1958; Linda Hildenbrand,1967; Lynne Smith at graduation in 1986; sisters Hundley and Hildenbrand as children; Hundley (second from left) as a class officer her junior year; (above, from left) a recent photo of Hildenbrand; Smith with husband Kevin, who she met at VCU; (right) a recent photo of Hundley and Smith

- Samieh Shalash is a contributing writer for Scarab. Photos courtesy of the Hundley and Hildenbrand families

Spring 2013

alumninews SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

James M. Gilchrist, M.D. (H.S. ’84/M), has been named professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill. He assumes the post following a distinguished career at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I., where he most recently served as professor and interim chair of neurology. Gilchrist’s research interests include neuromuscular disease and electrodiagnosis, and he has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals and written 29 books and book chapters. SCHOOL OF NURSING

Alvin Garcia, LCDR (B.S. ’95/N), currently serves in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and completed training as a trauma nurse coordinator in the Joint Trauma System, which works to improve trauma care delivery and patient outcomes using evidence-based medicine driven by the collection and analysis of data maintained in the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. The Joint Trauma System’s work affects soldiers from the point of injury to the final stages of recovery and makes other units more capable of delivering accurate, effective on-site care. SCHOOLs OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS and pharmacy

Patricia Slattum, Ph.D., Pharm.D. (B.S. ’85/P; Cert. ’92/AHP; Pharm.D. ’92/P; Ph.D. ’93/P), was presented with the Alzheimer’s Advocate Award in November by the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of her dedication to those with dementia diseases. Slattum, associate professor and geriatric pharmacotherapy program director in the VCU School of Pharmacy, chairs the commonwealth’s Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Commission and served for six years 26

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News about Virginia Commonwealth University and Medical College of Virginia alumni

on the board of directors of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater Richmond Chapter. In addition to her extensive work educating health care providers on medication issues for those with cognitive issues, she also provides consultations for families who are struggling with medication for their loved ones. School of Medicine

Mary Snyder Shall, PT, Ph.D. (Ph.D. ’91/M), was named chair of the VCU Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Allied Health Professions this past fall. Shall, who joined the department in 1987, teaches functional neuroanatomy in the PT program and holds an affiliate appointment in the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology. Her primary research interests lie in the areas of mechanical parameters and behavior of motor units used for fine motor control, the role of the vestibular system input on the development of skeletal muscle fiber types, and the importance of integrative health to the quality of life among patients undergoing treatment for cancer. SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Kate Powis, M.D. (M.D. ’03/M), was featured in the spring/summer 2012 issue of Harvard Public Health magazine for her work through the Botswana-Harvard School of Public Health AIDS Partnership, which, among other concerns, works to prevent mother-tochild HIV transmission. The article, “Finding Her True Path,” focuses on Powis’ dramatic transition from vice president at now-defunct electronics retailer Circuit City 13 years ago to her work with the AIDS project. After earning her medical degree in 2003, Powis completed residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and earned her master’s degree in public health at Harvard. Now, when she’s not in Africa, she returns to the Boston area to work at a Mass General primary care center in Chelsea. Last year, the National Institutes of Health recognized her work with a five-year career development grant.

James Gilchrist photo courtesy of Southern Illinois University; Kate Powis photo courtesy of Harvard AIDS Initiative

Kate Powis, M.D.

Spring 2013

facultyprofile School of Allied Health Professions

Mary Ligon, Ph.D. (M.S. ’04/AHP; Ph.D. ’07/AHP), assumed the role of chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at York College of Pennsylvania. She also serves as president of Sigma Phi Omega, the national academic honor and professional society in gerontology and, in 2011, received the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.

to technicians through the use of bar code verification, both in the pharmacy and at the bedside. Silvester is a past president of both the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists. She is a past recipient of the Virginia Health-System Pharmacist of the Year award and the Pharmacy Alumnus Service Award from the MCV Alumni Association of VCU.

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

SCHOOLS OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS and nursing

Janet Silvester, R.Ph., FASHP (B.S. ’79/P), received the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Board of Directors Award for Distinguished Leadership in HealthSystem Pharmacy Practice for her 33 years of hospital practice and her sustained efforts to advance her field. As director of pharmacy and emergency services at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va., Silvester has helped to develop a decentralized, integrated practice model with pharmacists stationed on patient-care units where a significant portion of medication dispensing is delegated

Kenneth R. White, Ph.D., R.N., FACHE, FAAN (B.S. ’95/N; M.S. ’95/N; Ph.D. ’96/AHP), who holds joint appointments as the Sentara Professor in VCU’s Department of Health Administration and professor in the VCU School of Nursing, was one of 176 nurse leaders from across the nation to be inducted as Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing during the academy’s 39th annual meeting and conference in October. White is one of more than 1,800 nurse leaders in education, management, practice, policy and research nationwide who have earned the FAAN distinction

SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY

Bruce Warlick, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’46/D), was awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the second-highest honor bestowed by the governor of North Carolina, for his extraordinary service to his home state. Throughout his career and long after his retirement in 1988, Warlick has been a strong advocate for better dental health throughout North Carolina. He regularly provided preventive dentistry workshops and taught dental health lessons in elementary schools. Under his leadership, the North Carolina Committee for Dental Health (for which he served as chairman from 1977 to 1991) promoted strong public policy through legislation, education and prevention. Previously, Warlick received the North Carolina Dental Society’s Meritorious Achievement Award and the Moore County Distinguished Citizen Award. He is also a member of the honorary Pierre Fauchard Academy.

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based on their contributions to nursing and health care. An award-winning author, teacher and leader in health administration and nursing, he possesses many years of experience in health care organizations in clinical, administrative, governance and consultation capacities. SCHOOLS OF ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONS and nursing

Marilyn Tavenner (B.S. ’83/N; M.H.A. ’89/AHP) was named one of Modern Healthcare magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2012. Tavenner began her career in nursing in Virginia, where she eventually rose to the leadership of the Hospital Corporation of America as the CEO at Johnston-Willis Hospital. Tavenner then moved to government service, serving as Virginia’s secretary of health and human resources in the administration of former Gov. Tim Kaine. From there, she became the principal deputy administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where she now serves as acting administrator. Among many returns to campus, Tavenner most recently visited VCU in October, where she led a discussion regarding opportunities for improvement in the U.S. health care system and fielded questions about health care reform and Medicare services delivery. School of Dentistry

Preston D. Miller Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’63/D), received the American Academy of Periodontology’s highest award, the Gold Medal. Miller has been active in the academy since 1968, serving on more than 20 committees, representing District 3 on the board of trustees for six years and eventually serving as president in 2006-07. Miller has also been involved in the AAP Foundation as a member of its board and Visionary Society. He is a peer reviewer for the Journal of Periodontology, has published numerous articles in refereed periodontal journals and contributed to four textbooks. A born teacher, Miller sold his practice in 2008 and now shares his skills as a clinical professor at the dental school at the Medical University of South Carolina.  Janet Silvester photo courtesy of Martha Jefferson Hospital; Marilyn Tavenner photo courtesy of HHS/CMS; Bruce Warlick photo courtesy of Barrett Walker

Nancy Langston, Ph.D., R.N.

School of Nursing

A game-changer retires with mission accomplished

hen Nancy Langston, Ph.D., R.N., accepted the position of dean at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Nursing in 1991, she planned to stay for only 10 years, anticipating another career move before she retired. Twenty-two years later, Langston is set to retire this summer, having ushered the school to new heights of achievement while more than doubling its enrollment and overseeing a move to a 70,000-square-foot state-of-the-science education building. Under her visionary and collaborative leadership, the VCU School of Nursing has become one of the top 25 nursing schools in the nation based on research funding from the National Institutes of Health, is ranked in the top 10 percent of nursing graduate schools nationwide by U.S. News & World Report and serves as a stellar model for community outreach. “We focused on the tripartite mission — teaching, research and service — and showed that you can do them all, and they don’t have to compete one with the other,” Langston says. Janet Younger, Ph.D., R.N. (B.S. ’67/N; M.S. ’72/N), who retired as associate dean for academic programs in 2009 after a 40-year career at the VCU School of Nursing, says Langston initiated a new era upon arriving at the school, creating an atmosphere of opportunity and possibility for faculty and students. “Dean Langston balanced the need for the school to be prominent in research while at the same time maintaining notably excellent academic programs that got incredible support from accreditors,” Younger says. “She basically rewarded people who did the job well in either or both areas. What you did mattered. She made it matter.” Once Langston initiated a new focus on scholarship in the late 1990s, research funding grew from $300,000 to as high as $2.8 million, catapulting the nursing school into the upper echelons of NIH-funded research. “When we started, we were 84th in the nation in NIH funding,” Langston recalls. “We’re now in the top 25. We did, in fact, become a part of a major research university.” Langston also participated on the leadership team that created a strong partnership between nurse education and nursing services at the VCU Medical 29

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Center — a partnership cited as a national model during the hospital’s Magnet designation, the most prestigious honor awarded for nursing excellence in national and international health care. She supported faculty and students as they returned to the community, reinvigorating a legacy of local outreach established by the school in the early 1900s. During her tenure, the School of Nursing helped establish a free clinic for women and children at the Fan Free Clinic as well as a new resource center in the Mosby community, providing access to health care for underserved and vulnerable populations. Working tirelessly to ensure diversity at the school, Langston brought alumnae from the St. Philip School of Nursing, a separate school established for African-American women at the Medical College of Virginia from 1920 to 1962, into the VCU fold. St. Philip graduates held separate reunions until Langston reached out to encourage unity among all alumni. Outside of VCU, Langston has served on the Fan Free Clinic board of directors, on the disaster management planning committee of the Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross and on the Richmond Forum board of directors. At the national level, she has served on numerous committees of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and as president of the National League for Nursing. She is currently chairperson of the board of trustees of the National League for Nursing Foundation for Nursing Education. Ronwith Gregory, Pharm.D. The recipient of numerous awards, Langston was honored the Nancy Vance Award, the Virginia Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence, in fall 2011. She was inducted as a Fellow by the American Academy of Nursing in 2001 and an Academy of Nursing Education Fellow by the National League for Nursing in 2012. Langston leaves the VCU School of Nursing with a tremendous legacy of dedication, determination and success achieve through shared governance. “I didn’t set out to create legacies,” she says. “I believed in us — the faculty of the school — and I believed in VCU.” 

– Katherine Schutt is a contributing writer for Scarab. Spring 2013

classnotes ’50s Billie Elliott, M.D. (M.D. ’54/M; H.S. ’55/M), retired from private practice in 2010 and is currently completing a curriculum regarding the prevention of neurosis based on the life work of Erik Erikson and his thesis, “The Metamorphosis of the Psyche.”

’60s

Jim Revere, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’65/D; H.S. ’89/D), director of planned giving in the VCU School of Dentistry and former president of the MCV Alumni Association, and Trisha Bonwell, Ph.D. (B.S. ’94/D; M.S. ’09/AHP), opened the Lucy Corr Village Dental Clinic in November in Chesterfield, Va. Consisting of two examination/treatment rooms, a laboratory, office space and a conference room, the clinic offers free dental care to Lucy Corr Village residents and at-risk seniors in the community. L

’70s

David Bernd (M.H.A. ’73/AHP), CEO of Sentara Health System, was listed No. 96 in Modern Healthcare magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare for 2012. Bruce Bernie, M.D. (M.D. ’71/M; H.S. ’75/M), is the director of robotic surgery and the GYN epicenter at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Richard Bracken (M.H.A. ’77/AHP), chairman and CEO of HCA Inc., was listed No. 74 in Modern Healthcare magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare for 2012. L

Can’t wait to see what’s happening with your fellow Virginia Commonwealth University and Medical College of Virginia alumni? View archived and expanded class notes online at www.vcualumni.org/classnotes.

Ken Byrd (B.S. ’77/H&S; M.H.A. ’86/AHP), president and part owner of Richmond Group LLC, expanded his company’s list of businesses with Morooka America, a manufacturer of rubber track carriers, under a license agreement with Japan-based Morooka Co. Ltd. The manufacturing operation in Hanover County, Va., is the first Morooka track carrier plant in the U.S. Richmond Group, located in Ashland, Va., is a holding company for construction-related firms geared around the Morooka product. Christopher Colenda III, M.D. (M.D. ’77/M), chancellor for health sciences at West Virginia University, was named chair of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. L Jeffrey Dorsey (M.H.A. ’73/AHP) received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the VCU M.H.A. Class of 1977’s 35th reunion in October 2012. Jess Judy (M.H.A. ’77/AHP) received the Outstanding Alumni Award at the VCU M.H.A. Class of 1977’s 35th reunion in October 2012. Harold L. Rekate Jr., M.D. (M.D. ’70/M; H.S. ’71/M; H.S. ’78/M), was appointed to the advisory board for NASA in March 2012 as a medical expert for its visual impairment intracranial pressure program. Rekate, director of the Chiari Institute at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., was selected for his world-renowned research over the past 30 years relating to the causes and treatment of raised intracranial pressure. NASA’s program analyzes the physiological and anatomical changes in astronauts who are participating in space missions where intracranial pressure may cause long-term visual impairment. M Tom Ryan, M.D. (M.D. ’72/M; H.S. ’75/M; M.S.H.A. ’99/AHP), executive vice president and CMO at

Mary Washington Healthcare, was the featured speaker at the VCU M.H.A. Class of 1977’s 35th reunion and annual fall alumni gathering, “Paul A. Gross Landmarks in Leadership,” held at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in October 2012. L Kenneth J. Walker, M.D. (H.S. ’78/M), was appointed to the Virginia Board of Medicine by Gov. Bob McDonnell. Walker, of Pearisburg, Va., is a physician at Carilion Clinic. L Robert A. Welcome (B.S. ’70/AHP) published the book “In Search of Destiny, The Universe and Man” on Authorhouse. It explores life and its mysteries, creation, evolution, intelligent design, the vulnerable situation on planet Earth, prophecies that have been fulfilled and those prophesied to come. Capt. William Ayers, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’82/D), ranked 10th on the U.S. Navy’s seniority list, retiring after 30 years of service.

’80s

Capt. Joseph Rusz, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’82/D), ranked ninth on the U.S. Navy’s seniority list, retiring after 30 years of service. M

’90s

Ann Charlescraft, D.Min. (Cert. ’96/AHP), accepted a position with Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center as chaplain of staff ministries in the Division of Faith and Health Ministries’ Department of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education. Charlescraft provides spiritual care support services through When Caring Hurts, a program she developed to support and educate staff about the issues of moral distress and compassion fatigue.

WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU? Scarab welcomes updates on marriages, family additions, job changes, relocations, promotions — whatever you think is newsworthy. Help us keep track of you by completing and returning this form, or make your submission online at www.vcualumni.org/alumni /update. Recent newspaper clippings and photographs are also appreciated. Please mail to MCV Alumni Association of VCU, 1016 E. Clay St., P.O. Box 980156, Richmond, VA 23298-0156; fax to (804) 828-4594; email to classnotes@vcu.edu. Emailed photographs must be jpeg image format, cannot exceed 5MB and must have a 300 dpi resolution. Name ⁄ degree ⁄ class Spouse’s full name (if applies)/degree ⁄ class

Address Email address

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Sterling N. Ransone Jr., M.D., FAAFP (M.D. ’92/M; H.S. ’95/M), was appointed president-elect of the Medical Society of Virginia at the organization’s annual meeting in November in Williamsburg, Va. Ransone, who also serves as the MSV Political Action Committee chairman, practices family medicine in Deltaville, Va. L

’00s

Caroline Astbury, Ph.D. (Ph.D. ’00/M), was promoted to director of the Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics Laboratory in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Sarah Bergen, Ph.D. (Ph.D. ’09/M), accepted a position with Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. She specializes in schizophrenia neurogenetics research. Toni Coe, Pharm.D. (Pharm.D. ’09/P), was elected the 2013-15 postgraduate officer of the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science. Quynh Do (B.S. ’02/H&S; M.P.H. ’05/M), a student at the University of Texas Medical Branch Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, was awarded a 2012-13 Houston-Galveston Albert Schweitzer Fellowship in November. She will address childhood obesity in Galveston by developing and implementing an educational curriculum for elementary students aimed at encouraging them to make healthier choices and incorporating family participation in adopting lifestyle changes. M

Marvin Singh, M.D. (M.D. ’05/M), is a gastroenterologist with the Guthrie Clinic in Corning, N.Y.

News items (Please attach additional sheet if necessary.)

Lisa Chestnut, M.D. (M.D. ’90/M; H.S. ’94/M), serves as physician, owner and managing partner of KidMed, an after-hours pediatric urgent care practice. Now in its fourth year of business, KidMed operates offices in the West End and Southside of Richmond, Va.

Daniel Fusco, M.D. (H.S. ’02/M), serves as an attending surgeon at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, specializing in cardiothoracic surgery. His areas of interest include robotic surgery, heart transplantation and heart failure.

Children (if currently attending VCU)

Phone number

Before moving to Wake Forest, she worked at VCU Medical Center from 1995 to 2012, providing pastoral care services and most recently as the manager for bereavement services and faculty chaplain for neonatology, women’s health, pediatrics and psychiatry. She was recognized as VCU Employee of the Year in 2005 and was the hospital’s first dedicated pediatric chaplain. Charlescraft is working on a book, “Caring for the Caregiver,” in collaboration with her former VCU colleagues. M

M Member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

L Life member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

M Member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

Faculty and staff Sharon Gatewood, Pharm.D. (B.S. ’97/H&S; Pharm.D. ’02/P), assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy, was one of five members nationwide chosen for the 2012-13 inaugural class of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation’s Faculty Scholars Program. The program educates assistant pharmacy professors in designing, implementing and publishing community pharmacybased patient-care research. The scholars’ first inperson meeting was in August 2012 at the NACDS Pharmacy and Technology Conference in Denver. Emily Peron, Pharm.D., assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science, appeared on ABC News online in August 2012. Peron, whose focus is in geriatrics, discussed how and why medications can be an issue for elderly patients. John W. Seeds, M.D., senior associate dean of professional education programs and professor of obstetrics and gynecology and radiology in the School of Medicine, was appointed to the Virginia State Board of Health by Gov. Bob McDonnell. Bill Soine, Ph.D., emeritus professor of medicinal chemistry in the School of Pharmacy, received the Teaching in Service Award at the School of Medicine psychiatry resident’s graduation ceremony. Cindy Watts, Ph.D., professor and chair of the School of Allied Health Professions’ Department of Health Administration, along with Yasar Ozcan, Ph.D., professor in the department, and former VCU professor Lou Rossiter, Ph.D., presented a workshop in September 2012 titled, “Effective Medical Institutions: Recipe for Success” at the Sechenov Medical University in Moscow. The event was sponsored by Philips Healthcare and initiated by Eric Silfen, M.D. (M.S.H.A. ’95/AHP), vice president and CMO of Philips. Jeanne Walter, Ph.D., R.N., FAAMA (Ph.D. ’05/N), assistant professor in the School of Nursing’s Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, was awarded the Daisy Nurse Faculty Award for excellence in teaching. The award is part of a national program to demonstrate appreciation for the commitment and inspiration of nurse faculty. M Jean Zavertnik, M.N., R.N., ACNS-BC, CNE, clinical assistant professor in the School of Nursing’s Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems, received the Daisy Nurse Faculty Award for excellence in teaching. The award is part of a national program to demonstrate appreciation for the commitment and inspiration of nurse faculty.

Weddings Emily Haynes Cooper, M.D. (M.D. ’06/M; M.H.A. ’06/AHP), married Brian Cooper in Virginia Beach, Va., on Nov. 11, 2011.

L Life member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

Key to AbbreviationS Alumni are identified by year and degree or program/school

College and schools H&S College of Humanities and Sciences A School of the Arts AHP School of Allied Health Professions B School of Business D School of Dentistry E School of Education En School of Engineering GPA L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs M School of Medicine MC School of Mass Communications N School of Nursing P School of Pharmacy St.P St. Philip School of Nursing SW School of Social Work WS School of World Studies

Degrees A.S. Associate degree B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts B.S. Bachelor of Science Cert. Certificate D.D.S. Doctor of Dental Surgery D.H. Dental Hygiene Diet. Dietetic Intern Dipl. Diploma D.N.A.P. Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice D.P.T. Doctor of Physical Therapy H.S. House Staff M.B.A. Master of Business Administration M.D. Doctor of Medicine M.H.A. Master of Health Administration M.P.H. Master of Public Health M.P.S. Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences M.S. Master of Science M.S.D. Master of Science in Dentistry M.S.H.A. Master of Science in Health Administration M.S.N.A. Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia M.S.O.T. Master of Science in Occupational Therapy M.S.W. Master of Social Work O.T.D. Post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Pharm.D. Doctor of Pharmacy Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy

Spring 2013

alumnIprofile

classnotes

New Rams for Life The following alumni and friends have made a lifetime commitment to VCU by becoming Rams for Life members of the alumni association. Thank you!

Want to join the more than 5,000 alumni who call themselves Rams for Life? Upgrade to Life today at www.vcualumni.org.

Mr. Michael G. Abbott

Mrs. Cathryn Stone Hatcher

Dr. Read F. McGehee Jr.

Dr. Cecil M. Sanders

Mrs. Patricia L. Abbott

Dr. William C. Henry

Dr. H.R. McLeod

Ms. Gloria H. Scarabelli

Dr. Malini Acharya

Dr. Jane Ratcliff Hill

Dr. Larry R. Meador

Dr. David A. Schwartz

Dr. F. Michael Ashby

Dr. Heidi B. Hinson

Mrs. Jill M. Mercier

Dr. Charles A. Shasky

Dr. Ann C. Banes

Dr. Clarence A. Holland

Mr. Kenneth W. Mesick

Dr. Judith A. Shelly

Mr. Edward G. Barker

Mr. James M. Hood II

Dr. Benita A. Miller

Mrs. Dorothy M. Shepard

Dr. David L. Barnes

Mrs. Anne S. Hubbard

Dr. Michael E. Miller

Dr. Felix Eugene Shepard Sr.

Dr. John M. Bass

Mrs. Linda R. Hubbard

Ms. Daniella R. Montejano

Dr. Joan M. Shumaker

Mrs. Catherine L. Benson

Dr. Maury A. Hubbard Jr.

Dr. Honor A. Montgomery

Dr. Patricia W. Slattum

Dr. Duane J. Bickers

Dr. Van S. Hubbard

Dr. Burton A. Moss

Mr. B. Prestley Smith Jr.

Dr. Patricia B. Bonwell

Mr. James Thomas Ingram

Dr. Perry D. Mowbray Jr.

Mrs. Tracy Kemp Stallings

Dr. Sallie H. Bowden

Mr. Jay R. Johnson

Ms. Joan M. Mulshine

Mrs. Lynn B. Stevenson

Dr. Ako D. Bradford

Dr. Howard D. Kahn

Dr. Kinloch Nelson

Mrs. Amy Swisher Stickle

Dr. Donald R. Brown

Mrs. Mary Jo Ellis Kahn

Dr. Melissa Nelson

Mr. Shane Stickle

Dr. Sharon S. Camden

Mrs. Elizabeth M. Keeney

Mrs. Carolyn M. Noland

Dr. Carolyn E. Thomas

Mrs. Patricia T. Chappell

Dr. Catherine McVearry Kelso

Dr. E. Blackford Noland Jr.

Dr. George W. Thomas

Dr. Betty D. Cobaugh

Dr. Nicholas T. Kipreos

Mrs. Nancy A. O’Donnell

Dr. Peter S. Trager

Dr. Patrick B. Colvard

Dr. Naveen Kwatra

Dr. Kenneth Olshansky

Dr. Richard Steven Vacca

School of pharmacy

Dr. Albert F. Creal Jr.

Mrs. Shireen Kwatra

Ms. Barbara Kay Overton

Dr. Lawrence E. Valentine

Brothers of invention inspired by a personal need

Mrs. Janet Meyer Creal

Mr. James J. Lee

Mrs. Faye D. Parson

Mr. W. Randall Wampler

Dr. Jeffrey E. Cyr

Mrs. Mina C. Lee

Dr. Rebecca J. Patterson

Dr. L. Rawls Williams Jr.

Dr. Benjamin S. Davidson

Mr. Ronald L. Lee

Dr. Laura Phieffer

Dr. William C. Wilson

Dr. Thomas C. Davis

Dr. Suk H. Lee

Dr. James R. Poliquin

Dr. Charles B. Windle

Dr. Frank T. Grogan III

Dr. Debra Lyon

Dr. Donald M. Poretz

Mrs. Leslie S. Windle

Mr. Eddie Hale

Dr. Joseph A. Maiolo

Mr. Richard Baylor Rice Jr.

Dr. Cassandra L. Wood

Mrs. Josephine L. Hargis

Dr. Philip J. Mayer

Dr. Brian A. Robertson

Miss Tiffany Joan Yhip

Dr. Robert D. Harris

Mrs. Meredith A. McCollum

Dr. E. James Rubis

Dr. Pamela Burkholder Young

Dr. H. Tucker Harrison Jr.

Dr. Michael E. McCollum

Dr. Scott A. Ruffner

Eric Edwards, Ph.D. (left), and Evan Edwards

bout the age of 3, Eric Edwards, Ph.D. (B.S. ’02/H&S; Ph.D. ’11/P), and his identical twin brother, Evan, were labeled two of the most severely allergic children their physician had ever seen. The two never went anywhere without an EpiPen, which was, at the time, the only device standing between them and a potentially fatal reaction. In the summer of 1998, while on their way to the airport for a family vacation, they realized they had left home without one. “Here we were, about to eat our way through all of these foreign countries, as severely allergic individuals,” Eric says. Thankfully their mother had packed an extra, as she so often did. That panicked moment was a turning point in the twins’ lives. They thought that EpiPen, which was developed by and for the military, wasn’t particularly well-suited as a portable device for everyday people. A discussion ensued that day, launching the two on a mission to create an alternative. More than 10 years and 10 prototypes later, in 2012 they received Food and Drug Administration approval for Auvi-Q, a credit card-sized device that’s equipped with a patented, voice-guided system, designed to steer everyday users through the process of administering an epinephrine injection. “In many cases, patients may be trained on how to use an EpiPen when they’re very young, or someone may be trained on how to administer one to their child; but then you may not have an anaphylactic episode for years,” Eric says, pointing out that epinephrine devices are less like daily insulin injections for diabetics and more like automatic defibrillators. Auvi-Q might be pocket-sized, but it represents a mountain of research and development, comprising what Eric believes to be the largest “human comparative study into epinephrine auto injectors” ever conducted. In 2001,

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the two formed Intelliject Inc. as a family-run business and, with funding from the National Collegiate Investors and Investors Alliance, initial concepts were developed. Then, in 2002, with the help of funding from angel investors, the first working version of Auvi-Q took form. In the years that followed, the product’s details were carefully honed to a design that proved most effective for the broadest range of individuals. Over the course of Auvi-Q’s development, the twins tailored their educations to match their goal. While Evan focused on engineering at the University of Virginia, Eric studied at VCU, earning a bachelor’s in biology. He later completed a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in the School of Pharmacy and is currently pursuing his M.D. in the VCU School of Medicine. “Here I was, taking courses on clinical trial design, while we were conducting the first clinical trial for our initial product,” Eric says. “I don’t know how much more interdisciplinary and hands-on you can get than that. VCU allowed — and even encouraged — me to do this. And I think that’s what education is all about.” Over time, Intelliject transformed from a family-run operation into a fullfledged employer and world-renowned business. And Auvi-Q is now available through thousands of pharmacies. “It was a dream realized when I had a prescription filled for the first time,” says Eric, who now has three children, two of whom have severe allergies. With more than $15 million in new funding, the company, which holds more than 100 patents worldwide, is moving forward with other applications for its technology. 

List includes individuals who joined the alumni association between Nov. 12, 2011, and Nov. 1, 2012.

– Drew Vass is a contributing writer for Scarab.

Photo courtesy of Intelliject Inc.

Spring 2013

iNMEMORY

The MCVAA family notes with sorrow the passing of these Virginia Commonwealth University and Medical College of Virginia alumni and friends.

J. Curtis Nottingham (B.S. ’35/P), of Harbor’s Edge in Norfolk, Va., died Oct. 29, 2012, at the age of 100. He established Nottingham Pharmacy, where he spent decades serving the community. Originally from Cheriton, Va., Nottingham graduated from Fork Union Military Academy and the Medical College of Virginia School of Pharmacy. He was awarded an honorary Master of Pharmacy degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science and an honorary Doctor of Pharmaceutical Science degree in 1966 from MCV. A registered pharmacist, Nottingham worked as a medical service representative for Upjohn and Owens & Minor before becoming the first full-time executive secretary of the Virginia Pharmaceutical Association. He also served as editor of The Virginia Pharmacist and was active in many pharmaceutical organizations, becoming president of the Chesapeake Pharmaceutical Association, Virginia Pharmaceutical Association, American Pharmaceutical Association and the National Conference of State Pharmaceutical Association Secretaries. In addition, he served as president of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU and the Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce. He was appointed to two terms on the state Board of Health by former Govs. Mills E. Godwin Jr. and A. Linwood Holton Jr. and was a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration and Smith-Kline Laboratories (now GlaxoSmithKline). John C. Shilan, Pharm.D. (Pharm.D. ’11/P), of Reva, Va., died Oct. 11, 2012. The 27-year-old worked as a pharmacist at CVS in Ruckersville. The son of Cynthia Shilan (B.S. ’81/P), a past president of the Virginia Pharmacists Association, Shilan followed in his mother’s footsteps as a student taking an active role in the VPhA as a member of the Virginia Academy of Student Pharmacists. He remained active with the VPhA after graduation, serving on its Capital Campaign Committee. The VPhA Research and Education Foundation has established a memorial fund in his honor and memory. Tim Stack (M.H.A. ’77/HA), president and CEO of Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, died July 30, 2012, at age 60. An active member of the MCV Alumni Association, he served the Department of Health Administration as president of the association from 1992-93 and as an M.H.A. residency preceptor for more than 15 years, mentoring more than a dozen students. He received the 2008 Outstanding Alumnus Award and was the founding donor of the Roice Luke Scholarship, which is used to recruit and maintain Master of Health Administration students with a preference for serving underrepresented populations. The department is seeking to establish the R. Timothy Stack Professorship to honor his many contributions to the department and to the field of practice. Gifts to the fund can be made by check to the MCV Foundation/Tim Stack Professorship, 1008 E. Clay St., P.O. Box 980203, Richmond, VA 23298-0203 or online at www.support.vcu.edu/give/healthadmin. Denise Thornby (M.S. ’88/N), director of education and professional development for the VCU Medical Center, died July 31, 2012, at the age of 58. She retired in April 2011 from the medical center after more than 35 years of dedicated service as a director, clinician and manager of the cardiac surgery and the surgical trauma intensive care units. Thornby served as president of the American Association for Critical Care Nursing, the world’s largest specialty association for nurses, and influenced many aspects of AACN, such as the Healthy Work Environment initiative, creation of the Beacon award that recognizes individual critical care units for excellence and development of the Certified Nurse Manager specialty certification. Oscar Wilde Ward Jr., M.D. (M.D. ’42/M), a physician and prominent Hampton-Newport News, Va., businessman, died July 25, 2012, at the age of 95. He graduated from Hampton High School and attended the College of William and Mary, where he played football for two years. The next three years,

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’30s

Bruce T. Garratt, M.D. (M.D. ’60/M), of Suffolk, Va., Feb. 4, 2012, at age 85.

Lynne P. Noyes (M.S. ’88/AHP), of Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 13, 2012, at age 51.

William D. Deep, M.D. (M.D. ’59/M; H.S. ’61/M), of Richmond, Va., Oct. 1, 2012.

Thomas F. Hall (M.H.A. ’66/AHP), of Dayton, Tenn., July 31, 2012.

Theresa S. Proseus (B.S. ’80/AHP), of Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 1, 2012.

Flavia Pierotti (B.S. ’36/AHP), of Henrico, Va., Oct. 12, 2012.

Margaret Frasier Faust (Cert. ’55/N), of New Orleans, Sept. 16, 2012, at age 78.

W. Joe Jacumin, M.D. (M.D. ’66/M; H.S. ’71/M), of Rutherford College, N.C., Aug. 29, 2012, at age 74. M

Thomas C. Rawlett (M.S. ’85/ AHP), of Hampton, Va., Aug. 15, 2012, at age 81.

Otto S. Steinreich, M.D. (M.D. ’38/M), of Akron, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2012.

Earl R. Fox, M.D. (M.D. ’53/M), of Lynchburg, Va., Sept. 23, 2012, at age 94.

William L. Morris (B.S. ’62/P), of Williamsburg, Va., Sept. 20, 2012, at age 72.

Elizabeth C. Sully (Dipl. ’39/N), of Richmond, Va., July 29, 2012, at age 95.

Gerald Q. Freeman, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’52/D), of Poquoson, Va., Aug. 18, 2012, at age 85.

Robert E. Peterson (M.S.N.A. ’94/AHP), of Newnan, Ga., Aug. 3, 2012, at age 60.

Jack C. Kanter, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’39/D), of Virginia Beach, Va., Aug. 19, 2012, at age 95. M

Reuben Barnes Young, M.D. (B.S. ’53/P; M.D. ’57/M; H.S. ’60/M), of Virginia Beach, Va., died Sept. 17, 2012, at the age of 82. The Wilmington, N.C., native earned his pharmacy and medical degrees at the Medical College of Virginia, completed an internship and residency at MCV and then spent three years at Children’s Hospital in Pennsylvania. Young moved back to Richmond, Va. in 1963 to join the pediatrics department at MCV and was believed to have been among the earliest pediatric endocrinologists in the state. During portions of his career at MCV and then VCU, he served as acting chairman of the pediatrics department and executive associate dean of the School of Medicine, the post he held when he retired in 1997. As a Richmond resident, Young worked to preserve the James River and was instrumental in the creation of the Falls of the James Scenic River Advisory Board. He served as its chair for 30 years. Young led the board in supporting river development that included acquisition of spots such as Pony Pasture River Park and Belle Isle and accomplishments ranging from the inclusion of a pedestrian, bicycle and handicap-accessible bridge from the James’ north shore to Belle Isle suspended under the Lee Bridge to the creation of riverbank trails.

Faculty Robert Peter “Bob” Perry, M.D., mentor, teacher, doctor and former professor of internal medicine at the School of Medicine, died Aug. 18, 2012. He was 61. Perry was well-known throughout the MCV Campus and served as a faculty member in the School of Medicine from 1979 until his retirement in 2004. During his time at VCU, he served as the program director for the Department of Internal Medicine’s residency training program, associate dean of graduate medical education and chief of general medicine at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He also was awarded the Department of Internal Medicine’s David Markham Award for Outstanding Teaching. Richard “Dick” D. K. Wilson, D.D.S., dental practitioner, lecturer and former clinical professor at the School of Dentistry, died Dec. 11, 2012. Wilson taught at the dental school for 40 years and worked with former dean John DiBiaggio, D.D.S., and his lifelong friend and collaborator the late J. Gary Maynard Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’62/D), to establish the Department of Periodontics. His prolific career lecturing about restorative dentistry took him across the U.S. and around the globe. Wilson served in leadership roles on innumerable professional organizations, including the Commission on Dental Accreditation and the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry. He also founded the Richmond Dental Study Club in the 1960s. In 2001, Wilson and his wife, Betty Ann, established the Bernie Wilson Scholarship Fund at the VCU School of Dentistry in memory of their daughter, Bernadette. In 2012, the VCU Board of Visitors approved the naming of the J. Gary Maynard, Jr., D.D.S. and Richard D. Wilson, D.D.S. Clinic at the VCU School of Dentistry, and the Maynard Wilson Implantology Fund was established in their honor.

M Member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

L Life member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

’50s

E. Jack Dawson Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’55/D), of Newport News, Va., Sept. 4, 2012.

he studied electrical engineering at Virginia Tech and, after graduating, enrolled at the Medical College of Virginia where he finished his studies in 1942. Two years of military service in World War II saw Ward at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone, where he fulfilled his internship and residency requirements. In 1944, he joined his father in Phoebus, Va., where he practiced medicine for 42 years as a general practitioner. In addition to his medical practice, Ward designed and built Empire Pipe Plant in Hampton in 1955, and then in 1966, he purchased the Colonial Block Plant in Newport News, later known as Empire Block. He retired from medical practice in 1986 but remained active in the two manufacturing businesses as president and CEO. A charitable man, Ward was an active contributor to William and Mary, Virginia Tech, MCV, Phoebus United Methodist Church, St. Mary Star of the Sea School and many local and national nonprofits. L

Katie Geneva Lea (Dipl. ’38/N), of Pflugerville, Texas, Aug. 23, 2012, at age 94.

’40s

Marvin G. Burdette Jr., M.D. (M.D. ’46/M; H.S./M), of Winter Haven, Fla., Oct. 1, 2012, at age 90. M James H. Edwards, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’46/D), of Raleigh, N.C., Sept. 19, 2012, at age 90. A. Broaddus Gravatt Jr., M.D. (M.D. ’41/M), of Irvington, Va., Aug. 20, 2012, at age 96. M Irving J. Imburg, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’48/D), of West Hartford, Conn., Sept. 8, 2012, at age 88. Ruby B. Johnson (B.S. ’43/N), of Watson, Mo., July 31, 2012. Arthur G. Meakin Sr., M.D. (M.D. ’48/M), of Greenville, S.C., Oct. 9, 2012. L Roy A. Miller, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’45/D; H.S. ’46/D), of Jacksonville, N.C., Aug. 16, 2012, at age 91. Evelyn F. Moore (B.S. ’48/N), of Greensboro, N.C., Sept. 2, 2012, at age 87. Louise R. O’Bannon (B.S. ’46/N), of Woodville, Va., Sept. 29, 2012, at age 87. Madge B. Orth (R.N. ’47/N), of Philadelphia, Dec. 25, 2011, at age 85. George A. Zirkle Jr., M.D. (M.D. ’45/M), of Knoxville, Tenn., March 30, 2012, at age 93. M

M Member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

Charles P. Harwood, M.D. (M.D. ’53/M), of Highland Springs, Va., Aug. 25, 2012, at age 90. George H. Hull, M.D. (M.D. ’52/M), of Roanoke, Va., May 27, 2012. Eugene L. Kanter, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’55/D), of Virginia Beach, Va., July 26, 2012, at age 82. Joseph E. Mathias, M.D. (M.D. ’51/M), of Hague, Va., Oct. 15, 2012, at age 86. Norman C. Ratliffe, M.D. (M.D. ’53/M), of Clintwood, Va., Aug. 5, 2012, at age 86. M Nancy O. Rice (B.S. ’55/N), of Richmond, Va., Oct. 13, 2012. L Marion B. White, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’54/D), of Aiken, S.C., Oct. 26, 2011, at age 89. William W. Whitehurst, M.D. (M.D. ’58/M; H.S. ’60/M), of Richmond, Va., Aug. 7, 2012. Philip J. Winn IV, M.D. (M.D. ’50/M), of Ashland, Ky., April 18, 2011, at age 91. Howard A. Woolwine, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’58/D), of Fayetteville, W.Va., Aug. 7, 2012, at age 83. M

’60s

Deane E. Beamer (M.H.A. ’62/AHP), of Marion, Va., Aug. 9, 2012, at age 78.

’70s

Carol C. Boswell (B.S. ’79/N), of Spotsylvania, Va., Oct. 24, 2012, at age 59.

John C. Desmarais (M.H.A. ’72/ AHP), of Auburn, Ky., Aug. 14, 2012, at age 70. Emerson C. Gambill Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’79/D), of Harrisonburg, Va., Dec. 25, 2011, at age 64. Howard R. Jackson, M.D. (M.D. ’78/M), of Bakersfield, Calif., April 22, 2011, at age 58. Richard L. Jones, M.D. (M.D. ’71/M), of Falls Church, Va., July 19, 2012. Robert L. Kenney, D.D.S. (B.S. ’78/H&S; D.D.S. ’81/D), of Virginia Beach, Va., Aug. 12, 2012, at age 57. Robert B. Myers, M.D. (M.D. ’78/M), of North Andover, Md., Aug. 15, 2012. Kenneth D. Patty (B.S. ’75/P), of Blairs, Va., Sept. 20, 2012, at age 65. W. Dudley Vest, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’71/D), of Waynesboro, Va., Oct. 30, 2012.

’80s

Jill Sizemore Capps, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’86/D), of Roanoke, Va., July 30, 2012, at age 52.

Krystyna P. DrewnowskaCoates (’84/M), of Richmond, Va., Aug. 10, 2012, at age 60. M

Cephas N. Christian III, D.D.S. (D.D.S. ’68/D), of Lecanto, Fla., April 8, 2011, at age 69.

L Life member of the MCV Alumni Association of VCU

’ 90s ’00s

Susie B. Brown (B.S. ’07/N), of Richmond, Va., March 3, 2011, at age 76.

Faculty and staff James J. Dwyer, M.D., of Richmond, Va., Oct. 29, 2012, at age 90. Dwyer, an associate clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics, retired from the university after 50 years of service. Carrie Holmes, of Henrico, Va., Oct. 9, 2012, at age 78. Holmes served on the nursing staff.

Friends of VCU Louise Creeger, of Richmond, Va., Nov. 5, 2012. Creeger taught French at Mary Munford Elementary School and Highland Springs High School. She was a lifelong member of Temple Beth Ahabah and devoted to the residents and staff of the Hermitage at Cedarfield. David N. Martin, of Richmond, Va., Oct. 2, 2012, at age 82. After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College, Martin joined Cargill & Wilson Advertising. In 1965, he cofounded Martin & Woltz and in 1975 renamed it The Martin Agency, where he served as CEO until 1987. Martin helped establish the VCU Brandcenter and the Miami Ad School, and served on the organizing board of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. He was vice chairman of the board of directors of The Central Virginia Public Broadcasting Co. until his death. 

Spring 2013

q&A

The World...

brought to you by VCU Alumni

2013-14

Travel Destinations

2013 Trips Kelsey Salley, M.D.

Taste of Europe cruise (London to Barcelona) Aug. 26-Sept. 6 China and the Yangtze River (Beijing to Shanghai) Sept. 10-23 Paris to Provence (Rhone River cruise) Sept. 16-24 Grand Journey: Around the World Sept. 21-Oct. 16 Greek Isles Odyssey cruise (Istanbul to Athens) Oct. 17-25

Priscilla Mpasi

2014 Trips*

Conversation reveals the need for tighter student-alumni networking These days, alumni and students find themselves connecting with their peers in the same way: social media. But Facebook friend lists don’t always overlap between the two groups. In a recent conversation, Kelsey Salley, ’03/M; H.S. ’06/M; H.S. ’09/M), medical division chair on the MCV Alumni Association Board of Trustees and Priscilla Mpasi, a third-year medical student and student representative for the VCU Board of Visitors, discussed a need for bringing the two circles closer together. The talk ended in the epiphany that face-to-face interaction remains the most effective. Salley: One of the fun things about medical school is you’re all together in a huge room and you talk to one another between classes. But, when I was in school, there was probably a lot more face-to-face contact. Mpasi: I would say that’s true. Our courses and lectures are recorded, so when students are unable to come to class, they can attend online. Facebook, Twitter, Google groups — they all help us to stay connected. Salley: After graduation, I think unity among alumni is incredibly important, especially for having a referral base. When someone is moving to another city and needs to locate a good endocrinologist, I can contact one of my fellow alumni in that region to ask them if they know of any. Mpasi: Likewise, as students, it’s important for us to unify, because we’re our own best support system. There’s a similar referral base, but it’s more so a network of resources and perspectives. If the person I’m asking doesn’t have an answer, they can refer me to someone they know who does. It’s important for us, as a class, to have those connections.

Salley: Most definitely. There’s such a huge bond that’s created by going through medical school together. And I can definitely say that, because of Facebook, I’ve kept in touch with people I may or may not have kept up with. It’s interesting, because, when you graduate, you will already be connected with your alumni base on Facebook. It wasn’t until about the time that I left medical school that Facebook was really coming around. Of course, there’s nothing like reunions and getting back together for some face-to-face contact. Mpasi: I think that students struggle with connecting to alumni, even with advancing technology. As students, we want to connect with our alumni, because, not only are they a great resource, but they can provide a support system to advance and guide us. And that shouldn’t only happen in April, when everyone comes to town for Alumni Month; so I’ve been working with the administration on the idea of developing an alumni directory that’s broken down by area of practice and location. Salley: I think there are a lot of alumni out there who want to connect with students. We just aren’t communicating in all of the same circles, so we’re missing one another. By the way, I know you said you’re interested in pediatric oncology. I have someone I can connect you with. She’s out in Salt Lake City, but she’s going to be a great resource if you want to learn more about the field. Moderator: It just happened. Mpasi: It sure did. Salley: Yes it did. See, you simply cannot beat face-to-face contact. 

Alumni sports travel

VCU Alumni is teaming up with Premiere Global Sports, the company that took Ram fans to the Final Four, to offer five special “bucket list” opportunities. These special packages offer you a chance to experience these events in a way that you can’t on your own. 2013 Kentucky Derby 2013 Masters Tournament 2013 Wimbledon 2013 NCAA Final Four/Masters Tournament (combination) 2013 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Learn more at: www.vcualumnisportstravel.com

January Tanzania Safari During Great Migration Jan. 15-25 Tahitian Jewels cruise Feb. 20-March 10 Asian Explorations (Hong Kong, Taipei, Kyoto, Shanghai, Seoul, Beijing) February/March Panama Canal 100th Anniversary Nature’s Wonders cruise March Passage to India cruise (Singapore to Mumbai) March Cruise the Lesser Antilles (St. Maarten to Virgin Gorda) April Historic Reflections cruise (Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, Ephesus, Athens) April/May ACA Italy’s Lake District (Milan/Stresa, Borromean Islands, Bellagio/Como) April/May Oxford England/Town and Country Life April-June ACA Normandy – 70th Anniversary of D-Day May Southern Culture and Civil War paddlewheel cruise (Memphis to New Orleans) May Mediterranean Grandeur (Rome, Portofino, Provence, St. Tropez, Monte Carlo) May Mediterranean Antiquities (Venice, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Athens) June Adriatic Antiquities cruise (Venice, Corfu, Ithaca, Olympia, Athens) June 7-22 The Great Rivers of Europe (Vienna to Amsterdam) June 28-July 7 National Parks and Lodges of the Old West July Discover Switzerland (small group) July 17-23 Canadian Rockies Parks and Resorts August Iceland to Greenland cruise Russia Revealed: Moscow to St. Petersburg river cruise Aug. 21-Sept. 5 * Dates are subject to change and revision. Please check the website for details.

For more information, including travel details and discount information, call (804) 828-2586 or visit www.vcualumni.org/travel. 36

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Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid RICHMOND, VA Permit No. 869

Virginia Commonwealth University MCV Alumni Association 1016 East Clay Street P.O. Box 980156 Richmond, Virginia 23298-0156

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Join us as Rams for Life. Upgrade to Life before the rate increase in July. If you love Virginia Commonwealth University, you will love being a Ram for Life — an active, life member of the alumni association. In addition to saving money and demonstrating a lifelong loyalty to VCU, life members: • Never worry about renewing their memberships • Receive additional benefits (like the annual photo calendar and access to special discounts) Not only will you save money (over annual membership dues), but your contribution multiplies as it eliminates the need for annual mailings and renewal notices, helping the alumni association make the best use of its resources.

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