Spider Insider
DRIVING INTO THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
For faculty & staff at the UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Winter 2020
SPIDER PRIDE HITS TOP SPEED
UR was chasing the checkered flag during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in September. The Spider-branded car — driven by Landon Cassill, No. 00, and designed by Chad Devers, University Communications senior web designer and front-end developer (pictured here) — was made possible thanks to the generosity of Superior Essex, a longtime business partner and provider of telecommunications and datacom infrastructure products to the University.
Winter 2020
Vice president for University Communications John M. Barry Associate vice president for communications and digital engagement Phillip Gravely
Spider Insider
Editor Cheryl Spain Director of creative services Samantha Tannich Graphic designer, publications Gordon Schmidt
Jepson “J” on Spider Day
Members of the Jepson Student Government show their Spider Pride on UR’s annual Spider Day, Nov. 1.
Photographer Jamie Betts Staff contributors: Ashley Bentley, Sunni Brown, Sarah Busching, Lindsey Campbell, Sam Campbell, Kevin Creamer, Catherine Amos Cribbs, Stacey Dec, ’20, Chad Devers, Matthew Dewald, Mike Domina, Joedy Felts, Pryor Green, Debbie Hardy, Kevin Heraldo, Alicia Hubbard, Brian Ivasauskas, Pamela Lee, Katie McBride, Joe Minick, Cynthia Price, and Aggrey Sam Spider Insider is printed on paper that is FSC® Certified, with 10% post-consumer recycled content and certified fiber. ON THE COVER: A team of University of Richmond researchers taught rats to drive. This research, which gained worldwide media attention, explores how performing complex tasks may inform the science community about treatment for mental health conditions. The car is a clear plastic food container on wheels with an aluminum floor and three copper bars functioning as a steering wheel. Rats who passed their driving tests were rewarded with Froot Loops. Learn more on Page 6 and at bitly.com/URDrivingRats.
We welcome your input.
Photography by Jamie Betts
Send your story ideas or comments to spiderinsider @richmond.edu.
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The Conversation
Setting the Standard
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UR Well Initiative Takes a Holistic Approach to Well-Being
How to increase your chances of sticking with your resolutions
Industry Expert
President Crutcher recognized for thought leadership
Social Buzz
4 A Commitment to Excellence for Everyone Inclusive pedagogy initiative helps faculty make classrooms engaging and relatable for all students
6 Faculty Research Takes Over National Media
HR to update, clarify staff job descriptions across campus
Successful student recruitment requires strategic thinking and a multi-pronged approach — plus an entire campus community
20 2019 Engage for Change! Award Winners
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Accolades Choosing Wisely
IT governance aligns technology decisions with University priorities
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Institute for Actual Innocence fosters educational opportunities that contribute to the common good
8 Serving Up the Good Stuff
Dining Services celebrates more than 40 years as an in-house dining operation
18 Accomplishments 19 2019 Custodial Award Winners
Yielding Results
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Midway through Arts & Sciences’ first strategic plan, pilot initiatives advance goals of community building
16 Remembering Chancellor E. Bruce Heilman
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Media Mentions
Piloting Progress
PEOPLE
The Fight for Justice
21 The Robins Difference
A conversation with Miguel “Mickey” Quiñones, dean of the Robins School of Business
23 New Hires, Moves, and Retirements
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Camilla Nonterah is one of more than 25 UR faculty who have authored articles for The Conversation, an independent news outlet that specializes in articles written by academics for a general audience. Faculty have authored pieces on everything from the physics of NASCAR to alchemy in literature. All The Conversation articles are distributed on The Associated Press news wire and available under the Creative Commons license to thousands of news outlets around the globe. As a result, pieces are republished an average of 30 times. To view a full list of The Conversation articles authored by UR faculty, visit news.richmond.edu/ placements/ conversation.html.
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THE CONVERSATION
How to Increase Your Chances of Sticking With Your Resolutions By Camilla Nonterah, assistant professor of health psychology The beginning of every new year comes with resolutions and plans for behavior change. Often the quest to improve health behaviors, such as losing weight, increasing physical activity, or quitting tobacco is short-lived. Estimates vary, but by some accounts, as many as 80 percent of people fail to meet their resolution by mid-February. The reasons vary. Change is hard. People often have not explored their reasons for making the change or how ready they are. They also may not have come up with a plan. And, they may simply not realize how hard it is to change behavior. Those who succeed have certain things in common. They are usually motivated to change, and they believe in their ability to engage in positive health behaviors. They also track their health behaviors and set goals. It helps to start with a thorough understanding of why you want to change. Without that, it is hard to stay motivated, especially when barriers arise. It’s also important to understand factors that affect behavior change. Stress lowers our inhibitions, making it more difficult to achieve our goals. For example, the stress of the loss of a job would likely challenge a smoker’s ability to abstain from cigarettes. Biological processes can also affect behavior change. One of the difficulties associated with weight loss is that we inherited traits from our
ancestors that cause our bodies to store fat. This was good for our ancestors when food was scarce, but it is bad for our current well-being, given that food is easier to access. The environment in which we live also influences behavior change. The majority of our foods are highly processed and contain high fats and sugars. Without the appropriate nutritional knowledge and with limited access to healthy foods, successful weight loss becomes challenging. The good news is you can improve your odds of success. Start by making a change for the right reasons. Changes for a desire to improve one’s health or to be a better example for your family are more likely to motivate positive change. Set both short-term and long-term goals, and track and monitor your behavior. You can accomplish this by using free fitness apps, journaling, and note taking. Finally, get help. In some cases, behavior change may be most successful with the help of a professional such as a licensed clinical health psychologist.
A desire to improve one’s health or to be a better example for your family are more likely to motivate positive change.
Editor’s note: The article was excerpted and adapted from an article originally appearing in The Conversation and is reprinted with the author’s permission.
A roundup of reactions to posts on @urichmond:
Industry Expert
President Crutcher recognized for thought leadership As a national leader in higher education, a distinguished classical musician, and an accomplished administrator, University of Richmond President Ronald A. Crutcher is well-known and respected among his peers nationally. But it’s his engaging and powerful messaging and ability to push the needle forward that have positioned him as an industry expert — and earned him recognition as a finalist in PR Daily’s 2019 media awards in the thought leadership category. “I have a continual focus to use every opportunity I am afforded to further tell the story of the University of Richmond,” Crutcher said. “I am always eager to talk about the quality of our students and the academic excellence of our faculty and to contribute, in any way I can, to the larger conversation about the importance of higher education.” Crutcher engages with numerous communities on a variety of channels and is a frequent author of opinion pieces. His latest thoughts on race and higher education in the wake of the Virginia governor’s racist yearbook scandal and the surfacing of a disturbing image from a UR yearbook were published this summer by The New York Times. One week later he appeared on an episode of PBS’ The Open Mind that focused on issues related to access, affordability, and race in higher education. These media opportunities followed a July 2018 opinion piece about the importance of civil discourse and why Karl Rove, political strategist and former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, was invited to campus that spring for the Sharp Viewpoint Speakers Series. The Hechinger Report published the article that was later included in the Peterson Rudgers Group’s “Compelling Higher Ed Leadership Voices 2018.” Inclusivity and civility aren’t the only areas where Crutcher is well-positioned as a leader and spokesperson in the higher education community. His thoughts on the importance of mentorship have been published in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and picked up for University Business’ “Leadership POV” e-newsletter focusing on opinion and commentary from higher education leaders. He and six other college presidents shared advice on surviving the presidency, leading meaningful campus change, and navigating an increasingly complex academic landscape in a special report published by The Chronicle of Higher Education. He also shares his thoughts on topics ranging from selflessness to labels to true value in his presidential essays in University of Richmond Magazine.
“I am always eager to talk about the quality of our students and the academic excellence of our faculty, and to contribute, in any way I can, to the larger conversation about the importance of higher education.”
Facilities’ talented Ron Koser made this weather vane! This photo highlights it perfectly! —Karla Connelly via Facebook
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SOCIAL BUZZ
The first time my son (UR 2016) showed me the school I cried … He asked if I was okay and my response was that I had never seen such a beautiful campus. —Kelly McCarthy via Facebook Congrats to Professors Clikeman and Hoyle. I have fond memories of them both generously helping me through my more challenging classes. #bschool @RichmondBSchool —Alexis Brandolini via Twitter Referring to Paul Clikeman’s and Joe Ben Hoyle’s installments as Robins Teaching Fellows
This is what makes the University of Richmond so special!!! Richmond gives all Student Athletes the opportunity to travel internationally!!! Go Spiders!!! —John Henry via Facebook Referring to a student-athlete trip to Cuba as part of the Athletics’ Global Leadership Immersion and EnCompass programs As we all explore what diversity & inclusion mean in our lives, I’m proud that my alma mater is actively leading the way. Thanks to President Crutcher and the whole #URichmond community for their efforts; it takes work to achieve real and sustainable change. —Heather Granato via LinkedIn
Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @urichmond
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CREATING A VIBRANT COMMUNITY For more information on inclusive pedagogy and other academic initiatives out of the Office of the Provost, visit provost. richmond.edu/ academic-initiatives.
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A Commitment to Excellence for Everyone
Inclusive pedagogy initiative helps faculty make classrooms engaging and relatable for all students Since the spring 2017 launch of the University’s strategic plan, Forging Our Future, Building from Strength, UR has made great strides toward solidifying its place as a leader in higher education. In August 2018, one of the plan’s goals — academic excellence — was on the minds of UR faculty and staff who attended the Associated Colleges of the South’s (ACS) inaugural Inclusive Pedagogy Institute. The institute was designed to improve teaching effectiveness by providing attendees with strategies to foster an inclusive learning environment. Held here on campus, the event drew more than 70 faculty and staff from five colleges and universities — including 46 from UR — for a pair of two-day sessions. Interest in the program was vast — more than what could be accommodated in the single workshop originally planned — and demonstrated UR faculty’s desire to learn about innovative practices that ensure an inclusive learning experiences for all students. “As professors, we are always looking for strategies to do things better,” said Sandra Joireman, associate provost for faculty and Weinstein Chair of International Studies. “That’s precisely what the ACS workshop delivered. I think everybody who participated took away something they could immediately put to use in their classroom.”
Inclusive pedagogy, at its core, is a student-centered approach to teaching that ensures every person in the classroom — not just those from specific backgrounds — feels equally included and can perform at their best. With a current traditional undergraduate student population comprising 28% students of color and 9% international students; an increasing number of first-generation students; and students representing a range of religious, gender, political, and sexual identities, the need to further develop instruction techniques to engage our diverse population continues to be greater than ever. “It’s thinking about our student audience and the different interests and backgrounds they reflect,” said Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry and associate provost for academic integration. “It’s understanding that each student sitting in your classroom has different opportunities and challenges.” Classroom techniques to address those differences include ensuring readings and assignments reflect a diverse array of identities and perspectives, providing opportunities for all students to have their voices heard and engage in classroom conversation, removing jargon that
In spring 2018, an inclusive pedagogy cohort, sponsored by the provost’s office and led by Meredith Harbach, professor of law, was formed. The cohort was the first University-led initiative targeting inclusive training techniques. One of the cohort’s first charges: design a one-day version of the ACS training to satisfy the growing demand. That workshop, held in May 2019, was attended by more than 100 faculty interested in improving learning outcomes for students. The 2019–20 Inclusive Pedagogy Cohort, led by Hilliker, furthers these efforts, setting individual and classroom goals and drawing on support and advice among its members. In addition, the Teaching and Scholarship Hub is developing programming to build capacity as inclusive teachers and scholars. Its Early Career Faculty Seminar gives first- and second-year faculty strategies to foster inclusive excellence in their classrooms, and, in fall 2019, the Hub facilitated several inclusive pedagogy workshops, including one for more than 30 Robins School of Business faculty. According to Hilliker, the ongoing focus on inclusivity training is paramount to success. “[Inclusive pedagogy] is not something where you can take a few workshops and be done,” Hilliker said. “It’s something that is going to continue to change and adapt over our careers. I think it’s important that we, as faculty, are willing to pay attention to what’s changing in the world around us and in education literature and adjust accordingly.”
“It’s understanding that each student sitting in your classroom has different opportunities and challenges.”
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some students might not understand, incorporating working examples that reach more students of different cultural backgrounds, including subtitles on videos for non-native English students or those with hearing disabilities, and being transparent with expectations overall — just to name a few. But while inclusive teaching can mean something as specific as incorporating changes to one’s syllabus, it’s also very much a change in mindset that requires looking at one’s own assumptions and biases and recognizing how those might influence individual interactions. “I, like any faculty member, walk into the classroom with a set of assumptions and biases based on my lived experience,” said Angie Hilliker, associate professor of biology. “Some students might benefit from my assumptions and some might be at a disadvantage. If I can identify those assumptions and work against them, I can make my classroom a more welcoming place for everyone.” Prior to the ACS workshop, there was already much interest among faculty of all disciplines in regard to inclusive pedagogy. For years, faculty had been seeking out their own professional development opportunities, including lunch discussions, book clubs, and guest speakers. Faculty learning communities, proposed by faculty and supported by the provost’s office, were also being formed to support faculty in their ongoing work to better engage all students equally.
GENERAL EDUCATION REVIEW Under the leadership of the Faculty Senate, work is currently underway to consider improvements to UR’s general education curriculum (GEC). The GEC is a set of required courses that provide the fundamental skills, abilities, and perspectives every student needs to thrive, both during their time at Richmond and beyond — it’s the one common experience of all undergraduate students, regardless of their majors. Throughout the iterative design process, the GEC Improvement Committee, led by co-chairs Jennifer Cable, professor of music, and Timothy Hamilton, associate professor of economics, will hold meetings to share progress and gather feedback. All faculty are encouraged to participate. A proposed curriculum could go before the faculty for a vote as early as the spring semester. For more information or to share feedback on the GEC, visit facultysenate.richmond. edu/committees/ gecic.
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MEDIA MENTIONS
FACULTY RESEARCH TAKES OVER NATIONAL MEDIA
The visibility of a university’s faculty in the national media is one indicator of its level of academic excellence and can help raise the academic profile of the institution. By that measure — and many others — the University of Richmond’s academic reputation is strong and rising. UR faculty are frequently sought to discuss their research and share their perspectives in national media. One notable instance occurred in October, when five University of Richmond faculty were featured on The Academic Minute, a national radio program dedicated to highlighting scholarly research for a general audience. Produced by WAMC Northeast Public Radio in partnership with the Association of American Colleges & Universities, The Academic Minute features a national faculty expert each weekday reading a short, general interest essay about their research. In addition to being broadcast widely on radio stations around the country, each segment is posted daily on Inside Higher Ed. From time to time, the program features five faculty from a single institution in what is known as a weekly takeover. University of Richmond faculty were selected for such a week when the show aired Oct. 7–11, 2019. Faculty featured were: • Camilla Nonterah, assistant professor of health psychology, reading “How to increase your chances of sticking to your health goals” • Della Dumbaugh, professor of mathematics, reading “Three times political conflict reshaped American mathematics” • Jack Singal, associate professor of physics, reading “Reflections: 50th anniversary of the moon landing” • Monti Datta, associate professor of political science, reading “How many people are enslaved in the world today?” • Steve Nash, senior visiting research scholar, reading “To preserve US national parks in a warming world, reconnect fragmented public lands” “Connecting our faculty with media opportunities of this caliber plays a strategic role in our work to advance the academic reputation of the University,” said Sunni Brown, assistant director of media and public relations in University Communications. “This national radio program highlighted our faculty’s expertise with not only a general audience, but also the higher education community.”
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To hear these segments, visit news.richmond. edu/experts/the-academic-minute.
“Scientists have trained rats to drive tiny cars to collect food” “They learned to navigate the car in unique ways and engaged in steering patterns they had never used to eventually arrive at the reward,” said KELLY LAMBERT, professor of behavioral neuroscience and lead author of the Behavioural Brain Research journal article “Enriched Environment Exposure Accelerates Rodent Driving Skills.” New Scientist was the first of more than 1,500 news outlets from over 40 countries to cover this research, which may inform future research strategies for mental health treatments. Additional outlets include Good Morning America, CNN, The London Times, BBC World News, and Wired. “Chile’s president rolls back subway fare hike amid protests” “Piñera’s decision to deploy the military in Chile — a country that experienced a 17-year repressive dictatorship — is troubling and could further destabilize the situation,” said JENNY PRIBBLE, associate professor of political science. This piece was picked up by more than 300 media outlets and established Pribble as a go-to resource for her expertise on Latin American politics. Pribble’s foreign policy expertise appeared in dozens of news stories, including five additional articles in The Associated Press, quotes in Bloomberg, and an authored opinion piece in the Financial Times. “The Open Mind: Deferred Dreams of Brown and Grutter” “Part of the issue is if you don’t pay attention to disparities with respect to race and you pretend that everyone is the same … then you miss the nuances that occur when you take a student and they are in an institution that feels very foreign to them,” said President RONALD A. CRUTCHER in the episode discussing race and higher education. The episode aired on PBS stations across the country. “Teaching in the Age of Me Too” “As I finished the semester and read my students’ powerful final papers, I saw that nearly all of the students embraced an intersectional vision of history: they reached beyond simple categories of race, gender, or class and thought about how identities, power, and place combine to create complex human experience,” wrote ERIC YELLIN, associate professor of history and American Studies, in this piece on his experience discussing the Scottsboro rape trials of the 1930s with his students. “Why Colleges Look at Students’ Social Media” “As a residential campus, when we’re reviewing candidates, we’re just not admitting students for the classroom; we’re admitting students to be a part of this community,” explained MARILYN HESSER, executive director of admission, in this article about college applicants’ social media accounts. Hesser also noted that the University of Richmond doesn’t look at an applicant’s social media unless the student sends links highlighting profiles. “It really is WHO you know: Spending time with ‘high status’ people can increase your own social standing, scientists discover” “The finding that status depends on cooperation provides insight into why human societies, particularly small-scale societies like the Tsimané, are relatively egalitarian compared to other primates,” said CHRISTOPHER VON RUEDEN, anthropologist and associate professor of leadership studies, of examining the relationship between status and levels of cooperation among the men of the indigenous Bolivian Tsimané people. Visit news.richmond.edu to view additional media mentions or connect with University Communications’ Media and Public Relations team, Cynthia Price, Sunni Brown, and Lindsey Campbell.
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Piloting Progress
Midway through Arts & Sciences’ first strategic plan, pilot initiatives advance goals of community building In January 2017, the School of Arts & Sciences began an extensive school-wide strategic planning process. The purpose of Concept 30, or ‘C30’ as it has become known, was seemingly straightforward — to conceptualize a shared vision for the future of Arts & Sciences. But with over 30 disciplines, more than 350 faculty and staff, and every undergraduate taking its classes, conceptualizing a representative and cohesive vision for the school was no small task. As with any strategic plan, success relies on the strategies implemented to transform conceptualization into action. For C30, plan goals were thoughtfully paired with actionable pilot initiatives. In the first 2 1/2 years since the plan’s beginnings, many pilot programs have been initiated, each with one key goal interwoven among them all: community. “The plan, in its essence, activates the notion that our community is strongest when we work toward solutions together and across disciplines,” said Patrice Rankine, A&S dean. New C30 pilot initiatives are underway to improve community and cross-disciplinary collaboration. A new sabbatical fellowship program addresses faculty desire for support during their research time, while a new staff engagement plan ensures staff voices are heard when day-today operations are being discussed by the A&S community. Community among A&S students is also being addressed. Honors Convocation, a longstanding A&S event, has been re-envisioned to welcome new majors into the school and serve as an important milestone to the A&S student experience. The introduction of themed programming has also been key in establishing community among
the school. The 2018–19 theme, “Contested Spaces: Race, Nation, and Conflict,” provided an opportunity to invite students and faculty into shared conversations about contemporary concerns. “Contested Spaces: This Ground” is the theme for 2019–20, and Rankine expects year two of the pilot to further weave together disciplines by hosting events that incorporate the humanities and social sciences, as well as the natural and applied sciences. As the five-year plan surpasses the pivotal midway point, a new planning committee has convened to lead a second phase of assessment, which includes addressing any gaps that have emerged in the early stages. The committee is actively gathering feedback on pilot programs from students, faculty, and staff and is assessing what new practices the school should sustain. There will also be a heightened focus on students as the plan continues into its fourth and fifth years. Those years will also be focused on preparing for the final destination of C30 — A&S’s 30th anniversary in 2021. As with any milestone celebration, the year is sure to be an expression of success and growth, but a determined Rankine also sees opportunity. “These C30 pilot initiatives are the type of initiatives higher education leaders are endeavoring,” Rankine said. “Based on the progress we’ve made over the last several years and over the course of our 30-year history, A&S is well-positioned to lead in a discussion on what the future of liberal arts education should look like moving forward.” For more information about Concept 30, visit as.richmond.edu/concept30.
COMMITMENT TO A DIVERSE COMMUNITY A&S hired its first assistant dean for diversity, thriving, and inclusion, Carthene Bazemore-Walker, in fall 2018. It was one of many C30 steps toward committing to a diverse community of learners and dovetailed with President Crutcher’s Making Excellence Inclusive report.
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UR dining staff pose for a photo during the site clearing for the E. Bruce Heilman Dining Center. From top left, by rows: Ron Inlow, Gail Donovan, Donna Case, Dee Hardy, Stan Thorne, Randy Moran, Glenn Pruden, Betsy Andress, Anne Reid, and Mamie Kelley.
Serving Up the Good Stuff Dining Services celebrates more than 40 years as an in-house dining operation
BEST OF THE BEST For a complete list of Dining Services’ awards and recognition, visit dining.richmond.edu/ contact/awards.
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The University of Richmond is known for providing a high degree of personal attention. If you need an example outside our classrooms, look no further than one of our dining locations. At a time when many universities are outsourcing food services, UR continues to buck the trend. And for more than 40 years, Dining Services staff have taken great pride in providing award-winning and personal service to the University community. But to better understand the significance of this milestone, we need to rewind. In 1978, University Dining was outsourced, and the institution had gone through about six different food service contractors in 10 years. In fact, one provider barely lasted three months before the University realized it wasn’t a good fit for students. A new plan was in order, so the decision was made to bring dining back under the control of the University. That was also the year Debbie Balducci, assistant director of operations at Tyler’s Grill; Dee Hardy, associate vice president for campus services; Glenn Pruden, director of residential dining; and Cindy Stearns, assistant director for marketing and special programs, began their careers in Dining Services at UR, each part of a brand-new team and eager for a professional change.
“At that time, to be very candid, the University had some very old facilities, and I think it was trying to wrap its head around where it was going, what it needed to do to respond to what the growing needs of the University were going to be,” Hardy said. The University was already ahead of its time with one of the first computerized dining systems for ordering ingredients and planning menus. It had also moved away from the traditional dining hall layout to provide a better experience for students through stations and a multitude of food options every day. This was all enhanced through the new in-house operation that allowed dining staff to better stay in touch with students. “I think that when we run our own food services, it becomes more personal,” Stearns said. “A food management company has corporate goals it has to meet, and in order to meet them, there are corners it has to cut.” Forty-two years after bringing food service back in house, Dining Services continues to thrive. The E. Bruce Heilman Dining Center opened in 1982, and since then, operations have expanded to serve eight locations, each addressing a specific need of students, whether it’s providing late-night options at the Cellar or introducing new international dishes at Passport Café.
After more than 41 years of service, Dee Hardy, associate vice president for campus services, is retiring.
Balducci, Hardy, Pruden, and Stearns have been here to celebrate every milestone, still committed employees of the University’s independent food service operation. “We work hard at trying to be a good food service every day,” Hardy said. Each week, Dining Services reviews all feedback to tailor its future services to the needs of the University community. And when those needs require extraordinary effort, Hardy and her team do whatever it takes to keep students fed. When bad weather shuts down the University, power outages cease operations, or outbreaks confine students to their apartments or dorms, Dining Services works to ensure all students have quality meals to eat. “In the early days, I had Dining Services staff spending the night at my house because I lived so close to campus, just so that we could get here in the morning and make breakfast,” Stearns said. “They were long days. But just to make sure that we could get our job done, we would stay over.” During the last big storm, Hardy said she had about 98% turnout of the dining staff. “That’s phenomenal. I am just so proud of the ownership that people have taken. That’s a personal high point for me,” Hardy said. It’s precisely that dedication to service and quality that has made UR’s in-house dining operation a point of pride for the campus community and an award-winning model for university dining — including most recently, bringing home the bronze medal from the 2019 Annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference. And its success can be attributed to the commitment of its staff — and maybe, just a little, to Jersey Dirt.
What is your favorite memory? We were here when UR held the 1992 presidential debate. We about killed ourselves working hard, but it was so fun. About an hour before the broadcast, we had a dozen or so students who were working their little hearts out for us. We had been given tickets [to the debate] for us and our staff, but Tom Roberts, now the associate vice president of health and well-being, and I decided we had other things we had to do and wanted to give our kids the tickets. That was probably the highlight of my career — to be able to give those kids who worked so hard those tickets to that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to that national debate.
“Good food, good people, sports, education. What more could you ask? It’s been a wonderful, wonderful career.” What’s kept you at UR for 41 years? The people, and the fact that I’ve been given new challenges and was able to grow. I went to leave a couple times and the University convinced me not to go, to be honest. It’s a special thing if somebody doesn’t want you to leave. What will you miss the most? The students. They keep me young. They keep me aware of the latest and the greatest. I mean, they’re all are so smart. They push us to be creative. I don’t worry about tomorrow; we’re in pretty good hands. It’s a vibrant world to be around college students.
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Q&A with Dee Hardy
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The in-house dining operation will continue its forward-thinking approach with Theresa “Terry” Baker, who was recently hired as executive director of dining services. “I’m so impressed with UR’s operations — the quality of healthy, fresh choices; the incorporation of diverse international flavors; the sustainable business practices; the student-focused customer service,” Baker said. Baker has more than 25 years of experience in the university dining industry and is currently a trustee for the National Association of College and University Food Services. “With her experiences and seasoned perspective, Terry will build on the University’s strong foundation of award-winning success and guide our team into this exciting next chapter of dining at UR,” said Mark Detterick, senior associate vice president for campus operations.
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UR WELL INITIATIVE TAKES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELL-BEING
Setting the Standard HR to update, clarify staff job descriptions across campus University staff managers will soon have a new tool to record changes in job descriptions and build new ones. As part of the Career Framework initiative, Human Resources is in the process of migrating all staff position descriptions to a database so that managers and the HR team are always working from the most current version. The purpose of the Career Framework is to make it easier for employees to identify the skills, experience, and education required for positions on campus. “We have always had a methodology for evaluating positions, but we’ve often heard that the process is a mystery to employees, so one of our goals for the Career Framework project is to make that criteria more visible to everyone,” said Carl Sorensen, senior associate vice president of human resources. A major component of the project includes updating all staff position descriptions throughout campus to ensure accuracy, because position descriptions will be used to determine career levels in the framework. Feedback from staff managers in test groups revealed that the position descriptions in place often did not reflect the employees’ current functions. As a result, working with departments to update their position descriptions became a priority for the project team. Not only are all staff position descriptions being updated, but they will now be stored in a central database, ensuring that the position descriptions used in the Career Framework will be the most up to date. The position descriptions will be edited to capture the core responsibilities of roles using consistent language. Title changes, grade changes, and reporting changes in the future will automatically be updated in the database from BannerWeb. The project team hopes to complete the Career Framework project by the end of the academic year.
The purpose of the Career Framework is to make it easier for employees to identify the skills, experience, and education required for positions on campus.
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Learn more about the Career Framework initiative at careerframework. richmond.edu.
The idea that one needs to be well to do well isn’t a new concept at UR. For more than 25 years, the University has provided a range of health resources and services to ensure students have what they need to thrive, both on campus and beyond. “We’ve always embraced wellness — it’s always been a part of our culture at this University,” said Tom Roberts, associate vice president of health and well-being. “If there was a transition, it’s that we’ve gone from just the physical part of wellness to a much broader and holistic approach — well-being.” That evolution was made evident in 2018 with the formation of the Health and Well-being Unit, which brought together the work of Counseling and Psychological Services, the Student Health Center, University Recreation, and Health Promotion. The integration solidifies a decade of collaborative work and strengthens programs that support high achievement and a balanced lifestyle for all constituents at UR, including faculty and staff. Now, as the University prepares for the fall 2020 opening of the Well-Being Center and the introduction of numerous new initiatives of the health and well-being strategic plan, colleagues in Health and Well-being are taking aim at integrating the programs currently offered within their unit, as well as the efforts of other departments. Programming will be intentionally scheduled around monthly themes, increasing connectivity across the University and ensuring faculty, staff, and students don’t have to choose between multiple well-being-related events taking place at the same time. “We want to make sure that we’re not duplicating efforts across campus,” said Kelly Harris, director of operations for health and well-being. “It’s about packaging it all together under the UR Well umbrella and showcasing it more prominently within the campus community.” The new UR Well logo is a nod to that work. As a visual representation of the four departments within Health and Well-being that drive the UR Well initiative and a depiction of the initiative’s growth and expansion, it’s a tangible reminder of our institutional commitment to well-being. For more information about the well-being initiative or to provide feedback on UR Well programming, visit urwell.richmond.edu.
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Discovery begins within us.
RICHMOND SPIDERS POSSESS AN INSATIABLE CURIOSITY. Our ambition is strengthened by an elevated academic experience that provides the resources we need to succeed. Through research, scholarship, and collaborative opportunities with peers and colleagues, we find innumerable ways to drive progress and make new discoveries. We know that exploration is the heart of innovation — and it all starts within us. See what’s within us and the impact we make at within.richmond.edu.
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Campus visits, available year-round, are an important part of the enrollment process and often a potential student’s first look at UR.
Yielding Results
Successful student recruitment requires strategic thinking and a multi-pronged approach — plus an entire campus community
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Higher education is facing an unprecedented series of challenges — a decrease in the number of prospective students nationwide, demographic shifts in the pool of potential applicants, more competition for talented students from diverse backgrounds, and more people opting for alternative paths. The University of Richmond is not immune. As a result, the process of attracting students and convincing them to come to Richmond — “yielding” in admissions terms — is more difficult and critical than ever. And while our colleagues in Enrollment Management are the ones on the front lines, every faculty and staff member contributes to ensuring success amid these challenges. Between November and May of each year, Enrollment Management determines which applicants will become Spiders the following fall. But the process begins well before that. “It takes about 24 months or sometimes more, because for some students, we begin connecting and communicating with them as sophomores,
prior to the application deadlines,” said Gil Villanueva, associate vice president and dean of admission. “Yielding a class at the University of Richmond and other highly selective institutions is not for the faint of heart.” While academics are obviously a large part of the equation during the application review process, Richmond evaluates a wide range of elements when considering candidates. Students capable of being admitted to an institution as selective as UR — 28% of applicants for the current first-year class were admitted — are likely to have other excellent options for college. To compete for those students, the University has nearly 70 yield programs for admitted students, including electronic communication, a must for today’s digital natives; direct mail; and physical recruitment spanning from on-campus programs to off-campus receptions featuring President Ronald A. Crutcher, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, current students, and alumni. “We’re looking for 800 unique people who we can bring together in a very cool way to create
AROUND THE LAKE TIPS FROM THE PRO Dupaul shared the following tips for UR faculty and staff who are parents of prospective college students:
a class that’s going to do amazing things,” said Stephanie Dupaul, vice president for enrollment management. “Gil [Villanueva] says it best: We’re looking for an orchestra, and in an orchestra everyone has a different instrument they play, a different style. We’re looking for an orchestra of students to create a community at the University of Richmond that is intellectually talented.” Given Richmond’s size, building and maintaining awareness is another critical component of the University’s admission and enrollment management work. Through integrated enrollment management and University brand advertising strategies, UR is gaining more traction with prospective students and their families in growing metropolitan markets — such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Denver — and working to offset those demographic and geographical shifts affecting higher education. Factors such as growth in high school populations around the country, state mobility patterns (direct flights are a consideration for many parents), and information garnered through data analytics are balanced with targeted ad placement, territory management (which high schools to recruit from), and updated branding materials that reflect the campus experience in an authen-
tic fashion in order to attract students. “This investment in the brand work has been really, really important for the University,” Dupaul said. “It’s also been great, frankly, as we talk about our own materials, our own messaging … so that we’re all singing from the same sheet of music.” Both Dupaul and Villanueva emphasize that it takes the entire campus community for them and their colleagues to be successful. “I don’t think [faculty and staff] fully understand how reliant we are on them, that every single person on this campus touches enrollment and prospective students in ways they may not realize,” said Dupaul, who rattled off multiple anecdotes of future students interacting with University employees during campus visits as part of their reasoning for enrolling at UR. “Every year when first-year students arrive on campus, I let faculty, staff, students, and alumni know that the minute they stop doing what they’re doing, we in admission have nothing to talk about,” Villanueva added. “The things that you do on a day-to-day basis are the things that we are sharing. Those are the things that we feel make the messages compelling and true.”
“We’re looking for 800 unique people who we can bring together in a very cool way to create a class that’s going to do amazing things”
Start the college search early: Make it fun and visit some campuses before the spring of your child’s junior year of high school. Manage the stress: As you get deeper into the process, don’t let it take over your life. Keep an open mind: Consider schools that are unique and aren’t among the 25 to 50 schools that get the most attention nationally.
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ACCOLADES U.S. News and World Report ranked UR No. 23 overall and No. 24 for “BEST VALUE” among national liberal arts colleges in its BEST COLLEGES 2020 guide. Richmond was also ranked No. 10 for “MOST INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS,” No. 20 for “Learning Communities,” and No. 61 for “Campus Ethnic Diversity.” Forbes ranked UR No. 83 on its list of “AMERICA’S TOP COLLEGES 2019.” Richmond ranked No. 14 on its list of “25 TOP COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE SOUTH 2019, Ranked by Academics and Outcomes.”
Choosing Wisely IT governance aligns technology decisions with University priorities
TheTravel, an online travel news site, ranked UR No. 10 on its list of “10 OF THE PRETTIEST COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN THE COUNTRY.” The Princeton Review recognized UR’s commitment to environmentally conscious practices and programs for the 10th consecutive year in its “GUIDE TO GREEN COLLEGES.” The 2019 edition profiles 413 colleges with exceptional commitments to sustainability. The American Historical Association awarded UR’s Digital Scholarship Lab the Roy Rosenzweig Prize for INNOVATION IN DIGITAL HISTORY for American Panorama: An Atlas of United States History. The annual prize honors and supports work on an innovative and freely available new media project. The American Heart Association awarded UR Well Employee GOLD RECOGNITION in its 2019 Workplace Health Achievement Index for implementation of quality workplace health programs and a culture of health best practices.
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At a time when more and more faculty and staff are looking for technology solutions or enhancements in the classroom or office, the need for establishing priorities is greater than ever. In the past, the University has successfully made IT decisions through informal consultations, but that model is no longer sufficient to navigate all of the competing priorities and ensure good stewardship of University resources. Now the University has a much more comprehensive and systematic approach, thanks to the fall 2019 launch of IT governance — a system of evaluating technology project requests within the context of institutional priorities and values. “It is imperative for us to focus our finite resources on investments providing the best value for the University,” said Keith W. “Mac” McIntosh, vice president for information services and chief information officer. “IT governance will facilitate alignment between digital investments, University strategy, goals, and priorities.” The 75-member Information Services division maintains a portfolio of more than 120 projects at any given time, from creating the network infrastructure of the forthcoming Well-Being Center to a proof-of-concept pilot for streaming specialized software to student-owned computers. At the same time, IS also responded to more than 28,000 faculty, staff, and student service requests in 2018 alone. To increase efficiency, the new collaborative approach relies on structures, processes, and policies to help drive the University’s decisions in regard to project implementation. All project requests received by Information Services now go through an intake interview process. Projects that are deemed complex, demonstrate significant risk, or impact many members of the University community are forwarded to IT governance, where as many as three advisory committees evaluate the proposals and make recommendations on whether to proceed with the requests. These recommendations are reviewed by the IT governance steering committee, which issues final recommendations about the status and priority of each project. These recommendations are then validated by the executive committee. “Our goal is to make sure that the projects we take on bring the maximum benefit to the University,” said Susan Galvin, project office manager. “We receive project requests every week, and IT governance ensures that we are good stewards of University resources — both capital and human.”
“IT governance will facilitate alignment between digital investments, University strategy, goals, and priorities.”
Learn more about IT governance at itgovernance.richmond.edu.
AROUND THE LAKE
The Fight for Justice Institute for Actual Innocence fosters educational opportunities that contribute to the common good Advocating for the rights of people wrongly convicted of serious crimes in Virginia is a hard slog. The legal hurdles are high, the timelines are long, and positive results are few and far between. As Richmond Law’s Institute for Actual Innocence marks its 15th anniversary this year, its director, Mary Tate, emphasized the profound stakes in play when the legal system convicts someone for a crime he or she did not commit. In any large system, horrific errors can happen, but mistakes in the judicial system have an added layer of injustice that make them different from, say, the tragedy of an airplane crash, she said. “We have been aspirational, through our Bill of Rights and through the story we tell ourselves, that we have a criminal justice system that is blind to race, class, gender,” she said. “The unique and disturbing aspect of outcome errors in the criminal justice system is that they are not randomly distributed. Due to historical and structural racism, poor people and people of color are overrepresented in the criminal justice system to begin with, and therefore they are overrepresented among those who’ve been wrongfully convicted.” The Institute’s mission is as much about legal education as it is about the public good. Each year, it takes on a cadre of law students, typically 2Ls, who devote hundreds of clinical hours to researching case law, writing briefs, and interviewing clients, all under Tate’s direction. Students “have the experience of doing actual work for an individual who is in actual need, but they have the protection of it being an academic environment,” Tate told President Ronald Crutcher during a recent Spider Talks interview, scheduled to air in January.
The Institute is one of the reasons that Lindsey Vann, L’12, chose Richmond Law. Vann — who is now executive director of Justice 360, a South Carolina nonprofit that represents people on death row and provides resources to other attorneys doing the same — says that her experience with the Institute prepared her for the need for extraordinary persistence. “Unfortunately, as criminal defense attorneys, you kind of learn that you have to take your victories where you can get them, and you have to be creative and flexible and willing to be in it for the long haul,” she said. “I’m still working on cases that I had when I first got here [in 2005], and there’s no real end in sight.” In one of the Richmond Institute’s more notable victories, it represented a man who was exonerated by DNA after being convicted for a 1976 abduction. In addition to actual innocence cases, the Institute also deals with parole, clemency cases, and expungements and lobbies for criminal justice reform. In 2017, one of its clients received a presidential commutation because his sentence of life without parole for a nonviolent drug offense was grossly disproportionate to current sentencing standards. In the fall of 2019, a German man convicted for a 1985 murder received parole and was deported after advocacy by Tate and others, who pointed to his youth at the time of the crime and argued that new analysis excluded him as the source of blood found at the scene of the crime. “In a multicultural, multiracial society, a modern democracy, the legitimacy of the criminal justice system is extraordinarily important,” Tate said. “It really cannot be overstated.”
IN THE DETAILS A significant victory can be as seemingly small as the change of a single letter to one word in one sentence of one law. In 2013, Tate and others successfully lobbied for a change to a section of Virginia law that said that someone claiming actual innocence needed to prove that “no rational trier of fact could have found proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” The word “could” was amended to read “would,” lowering the burden of proof from “the whole universe of possibilities” to “what would be foreseeable to occur,” Tate said. Virginia’s Supreme Court agreed, writing in a subsequent ruling that this seemingly small modification “fundamentally changed the nature” of actual innocence inquiries.
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REMEMBERING CHANCELLOR E. BRUCE HEILMAN 1926–2019 University of Richmond President 1971–86 and 1987–88
Dr. Heilman’s legacy stretches far and wide and lives on in those who had the privilege of knowing him. Heartfelt condolences celebrating his life were shared on social media and other platforms upon news of his passing. Below are just a few. He was truly a great man, wonderful family member, proud Spider, dynamic leader/president and mentor to so many. He leaves an unparalleled legacy that won’t be repeated. Thank you Dr. Heilman for what you meant to me and more importantly, what you meant to UR’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and neighbors. R.I.P. Bruce, your contributions were many. You will be missed. —Ron Inlow via Facebook So very sad to hear. I thought he’d be with us forever. Honored to have known him just a little bit. —Regis Dean via Facebook He was such an incredible man. His energy, sense of humor, and sensibility made him a delight to be around. Anytime he spoke, you were a fool not to listen and soak in his experience. I hope the best for his family and am grateful for the time he gave me. —bocbrown via Instagram A very bright light has gone out … but what a legacy he left. —Anne Latham Holdaway via Facebook Bruce was uniquely qualified to lead the University to prominence after the Robins gift. His contributions are innumerable … and his real gift was making each person who stood before him feel like the most important person to cross his path. He’ll never be forgotten. —Gerri Leder via Twitter One of the best men that I have ever known. May he rest in peace. —themovemaker via Instagram Hats off to this man who guided UR from a small and secluded college to the highest reaches of scholastic prestige. He became president the year I began UR, he invited me to exit school two years later when I proved my academic deficiency, and let me back in 8 years later … . As an attorney, I handled a real estate closing for him years later and he sat in my office and told me his life story. He said to me, “Some guys just are not ready for college out of high school and need to mature.” I hope I made him proud. Salute to a patriot warrior and great example. 16
—Ken Edwards via Facebook
PEOPLE
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OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS We celebrate the accomplishments of UR’s talented faculty and staff. See more accomplishments and submit your own grant, publication, or honor at richmond.edu/ faculty-staff.
PAUL ACHTER, associate
professor of rhetoric, received an advance contract for his book Fit to Kill: Militarism and the Rhetoric of Style (Rutgers University Press).
ROD ADAMS, visiting assistant professor of law,
was elected a member of the Virginia State Bar Health Law Section Board of Governors. Adams was selected for inclusion in the 26th edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in medical malpractice law for defendants and was recognized as a 2020 Lawyer of the Year for the same work in Richmond. TAYLOR ARNOLD, assis-
tant professor of statistics; Lauren Tilton, assistant professor of digital humanities; and a colleague from LA Review of Books co-authored “Visual Style in Two Network Era Sitcoms” in the Journal of Cultural Analytics. Arnold; Cindy Bukach, MacEldin Trawick Professor of Psychology; and Edwin Burns, MacEldin Dunn Trawick Postdoctoral Fellow, co-published “P-curving the fusiform face area: Meta-analyses support the expertise hypothesis” in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
puter science, received a $100,000 grant from the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust to support his research on allocation policies for liver donations. SUNNI BROWN, assistant director of media and
public relations, won third place nationally in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest in the News or Feature Release category for “Bees saved from tornado downed tree.” Brown also received an honorable mention in the Media Pitch category for “Andy Spalding on the Olympics.” CINDY BUKACH, MacEldin Trawick Professor
of Psychology; Taylor Arnold, assistant professor of statistics; and Edwin Burns, MacEldin Dunn Trawick Postdoctoral Fellow, co-published “P-curving the fusiform face area: Meta-analyses support the expertise hypothesis” in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. EDWIN BURNS, MacEldin Dunn Trawick Postdoc-
toral Fellow; Taylor Arnold, assistant professor of statistics; and Cindy Bukach, MacEldin Trawick Professor of Psychology, co-published “P-curving the fusiform face area: Meta-analyses support the expertise hypothesis” in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. MARTHA CALLAGHAN, interim vice president for
advancement, was named to advancement software company EverTrue’s inaugural “40 Under 40” list of most influential fundraisers. HANK CHAMBERS, Austin
er-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and president emeritus, launched The Future of America’s Past, a new PBS television show that explores how Americans discover the past by visiting historical sites across the country.
E. Owen Research Scholar and professor of law, was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam to serve on the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission. Chambers was also appointed to Northam’s newly formed Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law.
RANDY BARAN, police sergeant, was named
TOM COSSE, associate dean for international
EDWARD AYERS, Tuck-
the Central Virginia Law Enforcement Officer of the month as part of 1140 WRVA’s Blue Friday program. TIM BARNEY, associate professor of rhetoric
and communication studies, was awarded the Rhetoric Society of America’s Fellows’ Early Career Award. The award honors a member of the Society who has established an innovative and strong record within eight years of having earned their Ph.D. and have the potential to contribute significantly to the field of rhetorical studies. JANE BERRY, professor of psychology, and col-
leagues co-authored “Artificial neural networks reveal individual differences in metacognitive monitoring of memory” in PLOS One. 18
PRATEEK BHAKTA, assistant professor of com-
business programs and professor of marketing and international business studies, was appointed to the Education Quality Accreditation Agency International Peer Review Team. The EQUAA is an international accreditor focused on increasing the academic quality of business programs in schools, institutes, colleges, and universities of Latin America and the world. MIKE DIXON, SPCS adjunct instructor of liberal
arts, released the digital album Aquarium.
JAMES GIBSON, professor of law, was named
the Sesquicentennial Professor of Law by dean Wendy Perdue. The Sesquicentennial Professorship was established in 2019 as the law school prepares for its 150th anniversary celebration in 2020.
PEOPLE
CHIARA GIORGETTI, professor of law, was ap-
pointed scholar-in-residence at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, D.C. KRISTINE GRAYSON, assistant professor of biol-
ogy, is the principal investigator on a three-year $134,659 grant from the National Science Foundation for “Applying the CURE model to facilitate multi-institutional investigations across levels of biological inquiry using Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders.” ELISABETH GRUNER, asso-
ciate professor of English, published Constructing the Adolescent Reader in Contemporary Young Adult Fiction (Palgrave Macmillan). Gruner presented research from the book in Stockholm. MICHELLE HAMM, Clarence E. Denoon Professor
of Science, received a three-year, $270,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for her project “RUI: Chemical Investigations into the Bioactivity of the DNA Lesion 8-Oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine.” KRIS HENDERSON, director of compliance and
Title IX coordinator, received the designation of Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) from the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics. The CCEP designation is a gold standard in the world of corporate and nonprofit compliance. LINDA HOBGOOD, director of the speech center,
published Yesternight (Covenant Books).
CRYSTAL HOYT, Colonel Leo
K. and Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, co-published “A Growth Mindset Intervention: Enhancing Students’ Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Career Development” in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. MILES JOHNSON, assistant professor of chemis-
try, received a $55,000 grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund for “Modular and Rational Design of Pyrrolyl Phosphine Ligands for Nickel Catalysis.” MICHELLE KAHN, assistant
professor of history, was awarded the 2019 Fritz Stern Dissertation Prize by the German Historical Institute for “Foreign at Home: Turkish-German Migrants and the Boundaries
2019
Custodial Award Winners These annual University Facilities awards recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating the custodial commitments — safety, hospitality, quality, and efficiency.
Custodial Safety Award KENNETH JACKSON, CUSTODIAN Champions safety through their actions and commitment to themselves, their fellow staff, and the entire UR community Custodial Quality Award DRAGICA JOVANOVIC, CUSTODIAN Displays exemplary attention to detail and exceptional service Custodial Commitment Award FRANCES WYNE, CUSTODIAN (above) Most exemplifies all four commitments of the custodial department Custodial Hero Award IRENE TERRY, CUSTODIAN Performs decisively in the face of adversity. The actions of this person demonstrate their ability to put others before themselves, an act of selfless service that demands the highest form of respect and gratitude Custodial Leadership Award NYRENG DUT, TEAM LEADER Demonstrates dedication to the team’s success, develops those around them, and serves those they lead Custodial Efficiency Award MIHRETA SELIMOVIC, CUSTODIAN Displays creative thinking, provides innovative suggestions, and continually seeks ways to improve the operation Custodial Hospitality Award WAYNE ROBINSON, CUSTODIAN Best demonstrates a positive attitude and an ability to build lasting relationships
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of Europe, 1961–1990.” The award recognizes the best doctoral dissertation on a topic in German history written at a North American university. MOLLY KENT, post-doctoral fellow: Kelly Lambert,
MacEldin Trawick Professor of Psychology; and Dylan Vavra, research lab specialist, published “Avoiding Beach’s Boojum Effect: Enhancing bench to bedside translation with field to laboratory considerations in optimal animal models” in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
RON KOSER, maintenance technician II, received
University Facilities’ CHEERS (Co-workers Honoring Excellent Employees with Rewards) Award for second quarter 2019. Winners are selected from a pool of peer-submitted nominees. DANA KUCHEM, director of scholars and fellow-
2019
Engage for Change! Award Winners These awards, given annually by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, celebrate and acknowledge students, faculty, staff, and community leaders working together to make an impact in our communities. FACULTY AND STAFF AWARD RECIPIENTS Community-Engaged Teaching Award KARINA VAZQUEZ, DIRECTOR OF THE SPANISH COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING PROGRAM Recognizes a faculty member who has consistently demonstrated excellence in community-engaged teaching at the University of Richmond Community-Engaged Scholarship Award MARY FINLEY-BROOK, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY AND THE ENVIRONMENT Recognizes University faculty member(s) whose scholarly and/or other creative activity emerges from a mutually beneficial partnership with a community and creates new knowledge that contributes to positive social change Collaboration for Change Award TOM MULLEN, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS JOURNALISM Honors a collaborative community-based partnership between campus and community stakeholders Contribution to the Institution Award NICOLE MAURANTONIO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF RHETORIC & COMMUNICATION STUDIES IRINA ROGOVA, PROJECT ARCHIVIST, RACE & RACISM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND PROJECT Recognizes faculty or staff whose community-engaged teaching, scholarship, and/or service made a significant contribution to UR, furthering opportunities for faculty engagement, community collaboration, and the learning and thriving of our students For a complete list of award winners, visit engage.richmond.edu/events/ awards. 20
ships, co-edited Bridging the Gap: Perspectives on Nationally Competitive Scholarships (University of Arkansas Press). KATHY LAING, program manager for the Institute
on Philanthropy, earned the designation of Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach for coaching individuals and groups using its CliftonStrengths. Laing also led the workshop “The New Frontier of Philanthropy — A Survey of Fundraising Innovation” at the 21st annual Virginia Fund Raising Institute. KELLY LAMBERT, MacEldin Trawick Professor of
Psychology; Molly Kent, post-doctoral fellow; and Dylan Vavra, research lab specialist, published “Avoiding Beach’s Boojum Effect: Enhancing bench to bedside translation with field to laboratory considerations in optimal animal models” in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. JOANNA LOVE, associate professor of music, published Soda Goes Pop: Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Popular Music (University of Michigan Press).
JULIE MCCONNELL, clinical professor of law and
director of the Children’s Defense Clinic, was reappointed by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to serve a four-year term on the Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Prevention. She was also a juvenile justice expert and presenter at the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law’s Juvenile Justice in a Counterterrorism Context conference in Valetta, Malta. McConnell was awarded the Craig Cooley Professionalism Award by the Richmond Criminal Bar Association. SANDRA JOIREMAN, Weinstein Chair in Interna-
tional Studies and associate provost for faculty, co-published “Possession and precedence: Juxtaposing customary and legal events to establish land authority” in Land.
PEOPLE
The Robins Difference
A conversation with Miguel “Mickey” Quiñones, dean of the Robins School of Business Mickey Quiñones, an internationally recognized expert in individual and organizational development and strategic management of human capital, joined UR on July 1 as the dean of the Robins School of Business. What attracted you to the business school dean position at the University of Richmond? It was an opportunity to make a broader and deeper impact. The Robins School is the perfect size and has the perfect ingredients to make a difference in the way we educate business students. We have a strong foundation in the liberal arts along with a solid, well-rounded business education. And because our classes are small, our students get personalized attention and unparalleled experiential learning opportunities. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing business schools nationally? Our challenge is to graduate students who have the skills needed at a time when the business environment is in a state of flux. The most obvious of these are technical and analytical skills, but students also need to have an understanding of societal trends and environmental changes and a deep appreciation for the fundamental human condition. Given our size and position within a world-class liberal arts university, we are well-positioned to provide the opportunities our students need to thrive. Our challenge is to take the great potential they bring and turn it into action. How is business education different at Richmond? We are similar in some ways to schools much bigger than us. For example, we offer a broadbased core curriculum that provides a solid foundation in all aspects of business, along with a plethora of experiential learning opportunities. However, because we have smaller classes,
we are able to innovate and try new things. We also have a culture of continuous improvement. In addition, our faculty care deeply about our students. What can we do even better to prepare our students for the future? I hear a lot from alumni and employers that our students are well-rounded and go-getters. I want to make sure that we also are intentional in building the interpersonal and character skills required to lead with courage. It is important that our students know how to be inclusive, how to problem-solve in groups, and how to set a direction and align people behind that vision. I think our students have that, but I want to be sure we do this with intentionality. How do you describe the Robins School when you find yourself chatting with a stranger in the airport? We blend the best of a top business school grounded in a world-class liberal arts university to address societal issues and business issues. Our small size allows us to give personalized attention to our students and remain nimble in an ever-changing world. And we’re the Spiders!
OUTSIDE ADVENTURES When not on campus, Quiñones likes to spend time outdoors. In 2014, he walked part of the Camino de Santiago with his wife and two children. The Camino is a roughly 500-mile pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He also hopes to follow his teenage son’s lead and bike across the United States. “I run, camp, travel, and bike,” Quiñones said. “I like the discovery process. Taking yourself out of your comfort zone and seeing new things is a good way to grow as a human being.”
What would you like the University community to know about you? I am genuinely interested and curious about others. I’m a lifelong learner and also very collaborative. I think we can accomplish much more when we work together. I’m also very approachable. What would you be doing if you weren’t working in higher education? In my next life, I joke and say I want to come back as Oprah. I like to ask questions. I like learning about other people, their life stories, their organizations, and how they see the world.
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MARIELA MÉNDEZ, asso-
ciate professor of Latin American, Latino, and Iberian studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies, received the 2019 Best Critical Monograph Award from the Association for Gender and Sexuality Studies for Crónicas Travestis: The Transgressive Journalism of Alfonsina Storni, Clarice Lispector and María Moreno. BRITTANY NELSON, assistant professor of
photography, published Out of the Everywhere (Mousse Publishing). KRISTEN OSENGA, professor of law, was appointed Austin E. Owen Research Scholar by School of Law Dean Wendy Perdue. CAROL PARISH, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S.
Gottwald Professor of Chemistry and associate provost for academic integration, and colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Florida received a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation for a project using machine learning and data analytics to develop a central portal for the molecular sciences — the Alexa of chemistry. The project is one of the first in the United States selected as part of a new NSF pilot project called the Convergence Accelerator. SANDRA PEART, dean
of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, published “William Beveridge’s ‘mock trial of economists’” and “On fallibility and perfection: Boettke’s Hayek vs. mainline economics” in The Review of Austrian Economics. ALEXANDER PERSAUD, assistant professor of
economics, was awarded the 2019 Arthur H. Cole Prize by the Economic History Association for “Escaping Local Risk by Entering Indentureship: Evidence from Nineteenth-Century Indian Migration.” The award is presented annually by the editorial board of the Journal of Economic History for the best article in the previous year’s volume of the journal. CYNTHIA PRICE, associate vice president of
media and public relations, won first place nationally in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest in the Audiovisuals category for “PowerPoint of 60 Minutes,” a behind-the-scenes look at Associate Professor of Leadership Studies Julian Hayter’s appearance on 60 Minutes.
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OMAR QUINTERO, associate
professor of biology, and students published “The MyMOMA domain of MYO19 encodes for distinct Miro dependent and Miro independent mechanisms of interaction with mitochondrial membranes” in Cytoskeleton. He will serve as UR’s institutional coordinator for the “Bridging to STEM Excellence: Leveraging a Consortium of National STEM Education Initiatives to Improve Undergraduate STEM Teaching and Learning” grant from the National Science Foundation and will work to identify which professional organizations within the consortium can best support pedagogy revisions in the biology department. CHRISTOPHER VON RUEDEN, associate professor
of leadership studies, published “Making and Unmaking Egalitarianism in Small-Scale Human Societies” in Current Opinion Psychology and “Niche diversity can explain cross-cultural differences in personality structure” in Nature Human Behaviour. He co-published “The Dynamics of Men’s Cooperation and Social Status in a SmallScale Society” in The Proceedings of the Royal Society B. RAFAEL DE SÀ, profes-
sor of biology, published “The unique traits of the subgenus Unicus within Chiasmocleis Méhely” in Zootaxa. He also published “Presence and distribution of Leptodactylus guianensis Heyer and de Sá, 2011 in Colombia: comparisons with other species in the L. latrans group” in the Journal of Natural History. DANITA SALONE, associate director of admis-
sion, presented “Coalition Day 2” at the Coalition Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. She also presented in Spanish on the “College Search and Fit” and “Ayuda Financiera (Financial Aid)” at the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling Mini Camp in San Juan, Puerto Rico. CHARLYNN SMALL, staff psychologist, published
“Embracing Relapse: For College Students, Consider It a Gift” in Perspectives. Small also attained the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals’ approved supervisor status. Assistant Professor of Sculpture and Extended Media SABLE ELYSE SMITH’s work was featured as part of the exhibition Great Force at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. NATHAN SNAZA, director of the Bridge to
Success Program, published Animate Literacies: Literature, Affect, and the Politics of Humanism (Duke University Press).
of art, published “Circle Back: Immigrant Memories and Fungal Networks” in the Journal of Speculative Philosophy.
MARIAMA REBELLO DE SOUSA DIAS, assistant
professor of physics, published “Alloying: A Platform for Metallic Materials with On-Demand Optical Response” in Accounts of Chemical Research. BOB SPIRES, assistant professor of education in SPCS, co-published “Generalized Self-Efficacy of Youth in the New Territories [of Hong Kong]” in Asian Education and Development Studies. GARRETT STERN, senior program manager for
professional education, co-produced The Seed Saver, a documentary film released by Independent Television Service’s Indie Lens Storycast.
We offer a warm welcome to our new colleagues and congratulations to colleagues taking their next steps. The following includes employment status changes for full- and part-time faculty and staff from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2019.
NEW HIRES FACULTY SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES ART AND ART HISTORY Yu-chuan Chen Visiting Assistant Professor of Asian Art Allison Myers Visiting Professor of Art History BIOLOGY Priscilla Erickson Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Jonathan Richardson Assistant Professor of Biology Melinda Yang Assistant Professor of Biology
JERRY STEVENS, professor of finance, received a
EIGHTH BLACKBIRD Zachary Good Visiting Instructor of Music
LESE TAYLOR, library resource sharing special-
GEOGRAPHY Vivian Leung Consortium for Faculty Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow
lifetime achievement award in financial education from the Financial Education Association and Academy of Business Education.
ist, was selected as a 2019–20 Kaleidoscope Program Diversity Scholar by the Association of Research Libraries. LINDA FISHER THORNTON, adjunct associate
professor of human resource management, was ranked No. 3 on the list of the top 100 accounts on ethical leadership on Twitter by Finster Data. Her book 7 Lenses: Learning the Principles and Practices of Ethical Leadership also appeared on the list. LAUREN TILTON, assistant professor of digital
humanities; Taylor Arnold, assistant professor of statistics; and a colleague from LA Review of Books co-authored “Visual Style in Two Network Era Sitcoms” in the Journal of Cultural Analytics. UR DINING SERVICES, featuring Matt Grosse, ca-
tering sous chef; Sharitka Giles, cook II; Amanda Boyd, Lou’s Café manager; and Earl Lee, sous chef, won the bronze medal during the 25th Annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference, competing against 15 teams from colleges and universities across the United States, Canada, and China. DYLAN VAVRA, research lab specialist; Molly Kent, post-doctoral fellow; and Kelly Lambert,
MacEldin Trawick Professor of Psychology, published “Avoiding Beach’s Boojum Effect: Enhancing bench to bedside translation with field to laboratory considerations in optimal animal models” in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews.
Wendy Stout Spatial Analysis Laboratory Director and Geographic Information Systems Lecturer JOURNALISM Thomas Kapsidelis Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Marcella Torres Director of Mathematical Studies MUSIC Stephen Hudson Visiting Assistant Professor of Music PHYSICS Barti Subramaniasiva Laboratory Director of Physics POLITICAL SCIENCE Dan Chen Assistant Professor of Political Science Colin Kielty Visiting Lecturer of Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law Claudio Lopez-Guerra Associate Professor of Political Science Anthony Sparacino Visiting Lecturer of Political Science
PSYCHOLOGY Brittany Alperin Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Megan Bookhout Visiting Lecturer of Psychology
PEOPLE
TANJA SOFTIC, professor
Jacy Jacob Trawick Postdoctoral Fellow Brandon Ng Trawick Postdoctoral Fellow RHETORIC AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES Chaz Barracks Consortium for Faculty Diversity Dissertation Fellow Annisa Rochadiat Visiting Assistant Professor of Interpersonal Communication ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ACCOUNTING Abbie Sadler Assistant Professor of Accounting ECONOMICS Carlos Hurtado Martilletti Assistant Professor of Economics MARKETING Cindy Conn Instructor of Business Communication Raika Sadeghein Assistant Professor of Marketing SCHOOL OF LAW Rebecca Crootof Assistant Professor of Law Elena Helmer Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Da Lin Assistant Professor of Law Robin Meier Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Fallon Speaker Assistant Clinical Professor of Law JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES Rana Dajani Cmelikova Visiting Scholar David Wilkins Professor of Leadership Studies
23
STAFF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Kästle Aschliman Content Coordinator, Dean’s Office Kevin Butay Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Chemistry Hannah Coovert Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Chris Cotter Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Olivia Harding Research Lab Specialist, Psychology Shellie Johnson Accompanist, Music Emily Ploppert Post Baccalaureate Research Fellow, Psychology Edward Provencher Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Christopher Reed Accompanist, Music Ellen Rozsa Administrative Coordinator, Religion Hannah VanHuss Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Marina Winkler Post Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Beth Zizzamia Geographic Information Systems Operations Manager and Technician, Geography ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Mickey Quiñones Dean
Leah Frierson Director of Academic Advising, Academic Advising Resource Center Georgia Osborne Operations Coordinator, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Cory Schutter Fellow for Student Engagement, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Suzanne Slye Historical Research Consultant Tyler Wiseman User Support Specialist, Boatwright Memorial Library SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING STUDIES Mariea Johnson Program Coordinator, Continuing Studies Non-Credit Suzy Sleman Business Operations Coordinator Kris Waikart Administrative Coordinator ADVANCEMENT Chnoic Adams Clarke Director of Donor Relations Stefanie Massony Assistant to the Vice President of Advancement Mary Maxwell Prospect Research Specialist Keith Webb Associate Director, Career Services ATHLETICS Amber Anthony Football Recruiting and Graphic Design Assistant
Kelley Ranager Administrative Coordinator, Economics
David Ayscue Assistant Coach, Strength and Conditioning
SCHOOL OF LAW Steve Grumm Director of Career Development, Instruction
Noelle Bogart Intern Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine
Kristin Jennings Administrative Assistant, Instruction PROVOST Shelby Driskill Research Coordinator
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Annie Evans Director of Education and Outreach, New American History; American Studies
Emily Brode Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine DeAnna Hedgepeth Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine
Joe Olivadoti Head Football Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine
Joshua Murray Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill
Karlie Suber Athletics Leadership Intern, Student-Athlete Leadership Development
Samantha Paul Cook II, Passport Café
Courtney Taylor Intern Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Michael Thomson Assistant Coach, Strength and Conditioning Ian Woolwine Facilities and Events Assistant Veronica Zega Intern Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS SERVICES Orlando Bacotes Utility Associate, UR Downtown Café Terry Baker Executive Director of Dining Services Malik Banks Cook I, Heilman Dining Center Erin Brewer Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Slone Eller Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Anne Stewart Freeman Registration Assistant; Events, Conferences, and Support Services Denena Goodman Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill Princess Hangka Café Associate, 8:15 at Boatwright Mark Harvey Information Technology Analyst, OneCard Devin Henderson Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Alix Hidalgo Accounts Payable Specialist, Dining Services Josh Hollaway Café Lead, UR Downtown Café RJ Johnson Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Crystal Jones Cook I, Passport Café Nick Krack Cook II, The Cellar
Ethan Riddle Utility Associate, Tyler’s Grill Dahnte Scott Cashier, Heilman Dining Center Rtia Terry-Pryor Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Corey Thomas Café and Stores Associate, Passport Café Lita Tucker Café Associate, Passport Café Patsy Turner Cashier, Heilman Dining Center Theosha Washington Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center FACILITIES DaQuan Berry Groundskeeper Elisabeth Christoffersson Custodian Damyan Damyanov Custodian Joshua Gilleland Groundskeeper Yusupha Jatta Custodian Frank McMurrough Mechanical Supervisor, HVAC Josh Moss Groundskeeper Sejida Turnanovic Custodian FINANCE/ADMIN Kelsey Fastabend Post-Baccalaureate Fellow, Sustainability Program Coordinator ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Brenna Denicola Administrative Coordinator, Undergraduate Admission Jose Garcia Assistant Director of Admission, Undergraduate Admission Elodie Hardt Slate Technology Specialist, Undergraduate Admission
Terri Moore Administrative Coordinator, Undergraduate Admission Heather Selby Admission Counselor, Undergraduate Admission Rachel Weinberg-Rue Compliance Officer, Financial Aid Office INFORMATION SERVICES Eli Anderson Technical Support Analyst, User Support Specialists Alex Cain Information Security Analyst, Network Services SPIDER MANAGEMENT Bob Congdon Investment Analyst STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Brittany Gillespie Facility Supervisor, Operations Anna Lacy Area Coordinator, Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Housing Jess Procopio Administrative Assistant, Richmond College Dean’s Office Morgan Russell Associate Director of Disability Services and Multicultural Affairs Anne Schueneman Registered Nurse, Student Health Center Shelby Suffridge Area Coordinator, Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Housing Rachel Turk Staff Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services Milo Wilson Staff Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Mike Domina Senior Web Designer, Front End Developer
Dave Soule Visiting Lecturer
FACULTY
SCHOOL OF LAW Christopher Corts Professor of Law
SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES BIOLOGY Linda Boland Professor of Biology Kathy Zoghby Visiting Instructor of Biology LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES Jessica Chan Associate Professor of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Ashley Dobbs Associate Clinical Professor of Law Doron Samuel-Siegel Professor of Law Tamar Schwartz Professor of Law Rachel Suddarth Professor of Law Laura Webb Professor of Law
Petar Vjestica Cold Food Production Cook Lead, Heilman Dining Center
Ray Hooper HVAC Mechanic I Matt Morgan Custodian Douglas Robinson Custodial Floor Technician
PHYSICS Jack Singal Associate Professor of Physics
STAFF
SECURITY OB Bojang Security Officer, Campus Safety
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES MJ Chinworth Academic Employment Coordinator, Dean’s Office
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Lauren Bennett Assistant Director of Admission, Undergraduate Admission
SCHOOL OF LAW Erica Hall Operations Manager, Advancement; Dean’s Office
Nicki Pugh Administrative Coordinator, Undergraduate Admission
John Shines Recycle and Custodial Support Associate
Ashley Hudak Administrative Assistant, Instruction
Rachel Ristow Associate Director of Visitor Experience, Undergraduate Admission
THEATRE AND DANCE Alicia Diaz Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance
PROVOST Jane Bise Administrative Coordinator, Faculty Development Center
INFORMATION SERVICES Jamie Fairley Academic Computing Specialist
ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ACCOUNTING Abdullah Kumas Associate Professor of Accounting
ATHLETICS John Srofe Director of Football Operations and Recruiting Coordinator
Julie Neville User Services Systems Administrator
Rania Sweis Associate Professor of Anthropology
Jack Molenkamp Visiting Lecturer ECONOMICS Chad Curtis Associate Professor of Economics Huyen Curtis Visiting Lecturer Timothy Hamilton Associate Professor of Economics Shakun Mago Professor of Economics MANAGEMENT Violet Ho Professor of Management
BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS SERVICES Michael Carpenter Events and Projects Technician, Events, Conferences, and Support Services Cavan Farrell Catering Chef Jon Mykich Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Michael Scampoli Catering Cook II Monica Taylor Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center
MIKE BOWLES University Facilities — HVAC
FACILITIES Michael Chamberlain Roofer Apprentice
JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES Chris von Rueden Associate Professor of Leadership Studies
SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY Eric Grollman Associate Professor of Sociology
40 YEARS
CONTROLLER Stephen Walker Assistant Controller
PHILOSOPHY David Lefkowitz Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law
RELIGION Will Kelly Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies
RETIREMENTS
Wilbert Thacker Technical Support Consultant, User Services STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Hilary Delman Staff Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services Kathy Harvel Registered Nurse, Student Health Center Courtney Turnbull Administrative Specialist, Richmond College Dean’s Office
23 YEARS
ELLIS BILLUPS Information Services — User Services Specialists
13 YEARS
MARY ELLEN DONAGHY Law School, Dean’s Office
12 YEARS
HOP DINH Heilman Dining Center
11 YEARS
TRICIA FANNEY Economics
6 YEARS
NINA ACHARYA Heilman Dining Center
PEOPLE
MOVES
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
FEBRUARY Feb. 1, 6 p.m. Employee Appreciation Day at the Robins Center Limited free tickets for faculty/staff Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m. Employee Appreciation Day at the Robins Center Limited free tickets for faculty/staff Feb. 21 Preview Richmond Open house for prospective students and their families Feb. 28 Experience Richmond A glimpse into life at Richmond for the Class of 2024
MARCH March 3, 2–4 p.m. Employee Service Awards Booker Hall of Music, Camp Concert Hall March 6–15 Undergraduate Spring Break
APRIL April 3 Experience Richmond April 8–9 UR Here UR’s annual giving day April 17–18 ANSWER (A Night to See, Witness, and Experience Richmond) Overnight experience for admitted students April 18 Experience Richmond April 24 Last Day of Undergraduate Spring Classes
USAC
The University Staff Advisory Council represents the needs of staff to senior administration and works proactively to make the University of Richmond an employer of choice. Meetings* Feb. 11 March 10 April 14 1–3 p.m. Visit usac.richmond. edu for meeting locations.
*Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all faculty and staff.
FACULTY SENATE
The University of Richmond Faculty Senate is the body authorized by both the University faculty and the Board of Trustees to represent the faculty in the University’s governance process on matters that impact the University or affect more than one school. Meetings* Feb. 28 March 20 April 24 3–4:30 p.m. Visit facultysenate.richmond.edu for meeting locations.