Spider Insider: Spring 2024

Spider Insider Spider Insider

RISING WITH THE SUN

UR’S bakeshop staff arrive at 5 a.m. daily to prepare for breakfast. Operating seven days a week, the bakers produce all of the freshly baked desserts and breads for D-Hall and many of the treats sold at other on-campus dining locations. According to lead baker Wendy Petersen (pictured), about 85% of the baked goods in Heilman Dining Center are made completely from scratch.

Vice president for communications and chief marketing officer

Tom Addonizio

Associate vice president for communications and media relations

Cynthia Price Editor

Cheryl Spain

Associate vice president for creative and design services

Samantha Tannich

Graphic designer

Ashley Gladner

Photographer

Jamie Betts

Staff contributors:

Lauren Anesta, María

Badillo, Sunni Brown, Sandi Cauley, Megan Condict, Kevin Creamer, Catherine Amos Cribbs, Rachel Dawson, Sophia Demerath, ’26, Matthew Dewald, Phillip Gravely, Paul Heltzel, Terrance Henderson, Kevin Heraldo, Alicia Hubbard, Pamela Lee, Rachel Long, Katie McBride, Marcela Pizzato, ’27, Cynthia Price, Gordon Schmidt, Sandra Shelley, Cindy Smith, Greg Thompson, and David Vinson

Spider Insider is printed on paper that is FSC® Certified, with 10% post-consumer recycled content and certified fiber.

ON THE COVER

The Robins Center echoed with excitement as WebstUR and a sea of Spider supporters rallied behind Richmond men’s basketball, the Atlantic 10 regular season champions.

We welcome your input. Send your story ideas or comments to spiderinsider @richmond.edu.

All Smiles Students ham it up for campus photographer Jamie Betts.

AROUND THE LAKE

2

Supporting the Success of Spider Sports Message from President Kevin F. Hallock

3 Getting It Right Workday project team moves into testing phase in preparation for January 2025 system launch

Social Buzz

4

Weaving a New Tradition Cross-campus collaboration and new strategies boost Spider Dash 5K participation in its second year

6 Media Mentions

UR Magazine Website Gets New Look

7

The Conversation Thank gluten’s complex chemistry for your light, fluffy baked goods

8 A Strong Foundation UR’s new Foundational Curriculum launches with arrival of Class of 2028

10 Accolades

A Shared Responsibility Siteimprove makes website content more accessible for all

11

Bridging Boundaries Humans and machines team up in new robotics lab

12

A Bird in the Web Engineering team crafts a compassionate solution when a pigeon’s nest halts banner replacement

13

Flexing Financial Strength and Stability Bonds for capital projects exceed expectations

Shattering Barriers

16 Accomplishments

17 A StudentFocused Career A conversation with Steve Bisese, vice president for student development

18 Omicron Delta Kappa Epsilon Circle Inductees

20 Business Affairs Award Winners

New Hires, Moves, and Retirements

Outstanding Service Award Winners

Milestones

International Education

Photograph by Jamie Betts

STAY CONNECTED

Read more of President Hallock’s messages to the University community — or share your thoughts or ideas with him at any time — at president.richmond. edu.

Supporting the Success of Spider Sports

On my 55th birthday this year, I stood among a roaring crowd of Richmond Spiders. Together, we watched our students, coaches, and staff secure Richmond’s first women’s basketball Atlantic 10 title tournament in program history to add to their regular season title. Just four days earlier, I stood on the court in the Robins Center watching our men’s team cut down nets after winning its first Atlantic 10 regular season title. Reflecting on those moments, I’ve felt both pride and gratitude. This year’s basketball season is just one example of our university’s rising star and how we can take Richmond to even greater heights through our combined effort and support for one another.

Our coaches and athletic staff work with our players before the season begins and every day all season long to hone strategy, fitness, communication, and teamwork. My first time traveling with Spider basketball, I was struck to see our coaches on the bus back to the airport, already studying footage of opponents to come. As soon as one competition ends, the clock is ticking to prepare for the next!

And our coaches are by no means alone in preparing our student-athletes for success.

Our academic staff, faculty, deans, and student development professionals provide close mentoring relationships and support. They

encourage our students to pursue multiple passions and foster confidence that people who want to see them flourish and care deeply about their well-being are standing beside them. Meanwhile, staff across campus come together to create our game day experience — from those who prep the court; operate T-shirt cannons and scoreboards; manage crowd safety; oversee pyrotechnics; and sell tickets, merchandise, and concessions to those who raise funds for our facilities; maintain their infrastructure; advertise games; take photographs; tell our story to the world; and even spend their free time connecting with one another to cheer on our students.

I often refer to the University of Richmond’s “comparative advantages” — things that set Richmond apart and offer an edge over our peers. One advantage is Spider Athletics and our 17 Division 1 teams. But another is foundational to all the rest: our dedicated, talented, and tightknit Spider community. Some things call for the strength of a Spider community, and Spider basketball is just one of those things.

Thank you for being an important part of our web and for all that you do to strengthen it. Go Spiders!

Kevin F. Hallock President

 Photo courtesy of Richmond Athletics

Getting It Right

Workday project team moves into testing phase in preparation for January 2025 system launch

The Workday@Richmond project team continues to forge ahead, marking significant milestones as the University inches closer to the launch of Workday, its next enterprise resource planning system for human resources, payroll, and finance functions. A network of change ambassadors was introduced in early spring to facilitate communication between departments and the project team, and now rigorous testing is underway to ensure a seamless transition in January 2025.

Workday, which will replace Banner after more than three decades since its introduction, has been meticulously tailored to meet UR’s unique needs. Unit testing was conducted in March to confirm that the finance, human resources, and payroll processes worked in the ways the team had designed them. Identified issues were promptly addressed, and processes were then retested. Comprehensive end-to-end testing is scheduled for mid-June to the beginning of the fall semester and will involve scrutinizing all finance and HR processes and reports in Workday. Along the way, the project team will document each process, design test scenarios, and collaborate with colleagues across campus to test a year’s worth of activity in two months.

Serving as the testing lead, Jess Clatterbuck, business analyst in the Office of Planning and Policy and a member of the UR Better team, advised those involved in the testing process to “think critically and creatively about the things [they] do every day, and make sure the configurations are right.” Focus remains on optimizing administrative procedures — making them simpler, smarter, and more efficient to free up valuable time for faculty and staff to better support students and advance the educational mission of the University.

Beginning this fall, training and informational sessions will be held to ensure everyone is well-prepared to maximize the potential of the new platform.

“We are going to be successful in using Workday to revolutionize the way we work, allowing us to strategically align with the mission and vision of the University of Richmond,” Clatterbuck said. “It’s going to be thrilling to have a modern, nimble system that can adapt to our evolving needs.”

For more information about Workday, including progress updates, previous communications, and an overview of the Change Ambassador Network, visit workday.richmond.edu.

SOCIAL BUZZ

I love the University of Richmond’s beautiful campus and how each season reveals something else beautiful — architectural features dominate when the leaves drop, daffodils blossom in the springtime, and gorgeous colors when the leaves begin to change.

—Danice Stetson via LinkedIn

I’m Spider Born and Spider Bred, and when I die, I’ll be Spider dead!

—Bill Wright via Facebook

No one would have been more pleased about having a building filled with vitality and change than Tyler himself. He would have loved the interaction with today’s future graduates and they would have enjoyed the conversation as well! He was a friend of mine when I was an undergraduate student of the age of those in this picture!

—Gaston Williams via LinkedIn, referring to Tyler Haynes Commons

Current students don’t realize how lucky they are to have a stadium on campus. In my day (geezer alert) it was a 30 minute bus ride to city of Richmond to see a game so many students didn’t bother. As a cheerleader it pained me so much to see so few students in the stands.

—Megan Anderson via Facebook

Congratulations U of R!! There was no program for the University of Economics in Warsaw my junior year in 2006, but we made it happen! Directly due to that international experience and a series of other happy coincidences, I’m now celebrating my 15th year living and working abroad in Europe. Thank you!

—Claire Yeer via LinkedIn, referring to UR being ranked No. 1 in undergraduate study abroad participation in the most recent Open Doors Report

AROUND THE LAKE

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @urichmond

REVIEWS ARE IN

“As usual, UR ran this event extremely well, and the event contributed to school spirit/pride. As an alum, it enhanced the continuing bond with UR, a bond the alumni office does an exceptional job of creating and maintaining.”

“I

thought the atmosphere was so much fun!”

“I love any excuse that gets me back to campus — it was beautiful to run through UR. That was the highlight.”

Weaving a New Tradition

Cross-campus collaboration and new strategies boost Spider Dash 5K participation in its second year

As the sun began to cast its glow over the University Forum, staff and volunteers gathered, bundled up and ready to contribute to the success of the second annual Spider Dash 5K on Feb. 24. The start line was set, race packets organized, and water stations poised to serve the anticipated crowd of runners and walkers.

Clad in shades of red and blue, participants began arriving for the event, some accompanied by strollers, others adorned in Spiderman costumes, and many sporting brand-new running shoes. They stretched and chatted with neighbors until the countdown finished and the jogging mass snaked its way up the hill.

“We talked for years about doing a 5K on campus,” said Heather Sadowski, director of health promotion, who serves as race co-chair along with Kirsten McKinney, director of marketing for campus operations, and Laura Dietrick, director of benefits and employee well-being.

“We have a corporate 5K for faculty and staff, but we wanted to expand it to include students. One of our goals was to bring many different sectors of campus together and to promote one of the guiding lights of President Hallock’s strategic plan — well-being.”

The idea of a course that would showcase the beautiful landscape of UR and an opportunity to gather as a community once participants crossed the finish line was a no-brainer.

“I was walking on campus one day in the spring,” McKinney said. “Dogwood petals were floating out across the lake, and I saw people from around the campus community running. That was my visual inspiration.”

That inspiration and extensive support from departments across campus served as the driving force behind the race — now established as a new campus tradition.

Sarah Lee, fitness manager in University Recreation; Madeline Nathe, a registered dietitian in Dining Services; and Kaitlin Jones, health promotion coordinator in the Well-Being Center, mapped out the route. University Communications designed the race T-shirt and created all race-related signage and materials. University Recreation managed registration, while URPD marked the course and directed traffic to keep participants safe. Dining Services prepared an array of delicious — and nutritious — foods. And others stuffed race packets, prepared race bibs, and more.

“It worked because the coordination of the planning committee was very strong,” McKinney said. “So many people took on tasks.”

The event, designed with accessibility in mind, appeals to those who want to enjoy a brisk Saturday morning walk, long-distance runners looking to train, and everyone in between. A few fundamental changes brought in nearly 530 race registrants this year, twice as many as the inaugural 5K.

“We moved the race earlier in the morning and earlier in the spring,” Dietrick said. Alumni were also invited for the first time to participate along with students, staff, faculty, retirees, and their families. “We more than doubled our sign-ups.”

Traveling from as far as Chicago and upstate New York, 59 alumni returned to campus to participate in the event. Chuck Lycett, R’91, from Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, learned about the race from an alumni email and decided to make a day of it, catching men’s basketball and lacrosse games later that day with his girlfriend. They also connected with Lycett’s fraternity brothers and other alumni.

As participants sprinted, jogged, or walked across the finish line, a DJ spun tunes, transforming the finish line into an impromptu dance party. Early finishers cheered on those who crossed after them.

“As the runners were finishing, people were truly embracing the community aspect and supporting each other with pompoms and cheering,” Sadowski said. Participants were then invited to refuel with a large breakfast of fresh berries, eggs, and pancakes in D-Hall, where the awards were presented. President Kevin F. Hallock and his wife, Tina, congratulated the winners.

“I was walking on campus one day in the spring. Dogwood petals were floating out across the lake, and I saw people from around the campus community running.”

Despite the complexity of organizing such an event, McKinney, Sadowski, and Dietrick agreed that the collaboration and assistance of numerous staff members made the event a breeze.

“Looking back,” Dietrick said, “it has all been such a smooth process, and we know this will be a core event at Richmond for years to come.”

AND THEY’RE OFF … AGAIN!

In March, UR partnered with Sports Backers to help host another much larger race — the inaugural Virginia Credit Union River City Half Marathon and 5K, which started and ended on campus. The sold-out event brought roughly 2,750 runners and walkers from across the U.S. to UR. A celebratory post-race festival was held by Westhampton Lake.

“This wonderful new tradition celebrates the well-being of our community and the beauty of our region,” said President Kevin F. Hallock, who welcomed registrants and participated in the 5K. “Many participants and spectators remarked that it was their first time at the University or that it had been too long since their last visit. This event was a terrific opportunity to showcase our award-winning campus and reaffirm that the University of Richmond and the Richmond region are truly better together.”

This race will return to campus next March.

MEDIA MENTIONS

KEITH “MAC” MCINTOSH, vice president and chief information officer, and JOHN CRAFT, director of information security, are quoted in “For Higher Education, a Byte of Threat Hunting is Worth a Gigabyte of Mitigation.” “The more visibility you have within your environment, and the more capabilities you have to employ threat hunting to analyze the events that are occurring, the more likely you’re going to be able to prevent something disastrous,” Craft said.

KEVIN WOODSON, professor of law, was interviewed in “How the ‘Black Ceiling’ is holding some professionals and the economy back.” “Racial discomfort encapsulates the sense of unease that a lot of Black professionals experience working in elite white work settings,” Woodson said. “It consists of a stigma anxiety, which is essentially the apprehension that Black professionals face in recognizing that some of their colleagues might be biased and might treat them unfairly.”

Political science professor JENNY

PRIBBLE, a Latin American politics expert, is quoted in “Weary Chileans Reject Second Proposed Constitution, Dealing Blow to Country’s Political Class.” “Chile’s political parties are seen as out-of-touch with large swaths of society, incapable of effectively channeling citizen demands, connecting and mobilizing voters, and producing a consensus democratic solution to national challenges,” she said.

DANIELLE STOKES, a professor of environmental and property law, was quoted in “Make America Build Again.” “Until there is some sort of federal agreement on rapid deployment of renewable energy, or high-speed rail, or electric vehicle charging stations — it’s increasingly difficult to have systems that in the aggregate will effect change,” she said.

Accounting professor ROB PAWLEWICZ, an expert on audits, is quoted in “Chinese Auditors on Notice as Empowered US Regulator Digs Deep.” “[Firms] are still learning what the PCAOB expects of them,” Pawlewicz said. “I think the hope is that we may export some audit quality to those Chinese firms. It’s not going to happen overnight and it’s probably going to be kind of messy and painful along the way.”

ANGIE HILLIKER, associate professor of biology, wrote “Customizing mRNA is easy,” which was first published in The Conversation and appeared in more than 30 additional publications, including the Women In Science website. “While most scientists studying mRNAs are not creating new drugs, this fundamental understanding of how mRNA works laid the foundation for other scientists to create effective mRNA medicines like COVID-19 vaccines,” she wrote.

Financial aid adviser LAURIE MACKEY was quoted in “How to Renew the FAFSA.” “It would be a little bit of a different urgency (this aid year), if you were talking about new prospective students,” she said. “They are going to want to pay attention to the deadline of their specific institutions to make sure they don’t miss those.”

Visit news.richmond.edu to view additional media mentions or connect with University Communications’ Media Relations team, Cynthia Price, Sunni Brown, and Lauren Anesta.

UR MAGAZINE WEBSITE GETS NEW LOOK

As online reading habits shift, University of Richmond Magazine is shifting with them. In March, the magazine released a redesign of its website that emphasizes beautiful presentation and more versatile in-depth storytelling.

“Part of the purpose of the new site is to make it easier for us to elevate bigger, longer, more involved forms of storytelling and to do it more frequently than we are able to do in print,” said Katie McBride, the magazine’s design director.

The current cover story — “101 Things We Love About the University of Richmond” — showcases many of the upgrades. It includes large-scale photography, abundant embedded videos, and parallax scrolling — where the background stays still while the foreground moves.

These changes lean in to the strengths of the print publication, which regularly receives national recognition from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The magazine was a finalist for CASE’s magazine of the year award in 2015 and 2021.

“We focused a lot on how to replicate the quality of the print experience for the digital environment,” said Matthew Dewald, the magazine’s editor.

Much of the website’s traffic comes from mobile users. Terrance Henderson, director of user experience, headed up the web team that worked with the magazine staff. One priority was offering the same rich visual experience to all users.

“We worked to ensure there was no loss of experience from desktop to tablet to mobile,” he said. “If you’re pulling it up on your phone, you’re getting the same experience as on desktop.”

The launch of the redesigned site is a step in an ongoing process, Dewald said.

“There’s a moment when everything is suddenly different,” he said. “However, that’s immediately followed by growth and development. We look forward to exploring its full potential as we share the stories of this remarkable university and community.”

Thank gluten’s complex chemistry for your

light,

fluffy baked goods

Within the bread, rolls, and baked goods on many tables is an extraordinary substance — gluten. Gluten’s unique chemistry makes foods airy and stretchy.

I’m a chemist who teaches a chemistry of cooking class, and every year I ask my students, “What is gluten?” Common answers are “a sugar” or “a carbohydrate.” But rarely does anyone get it right.

So, what is gluten?

Gluten is a complex mixture of proteins. It makes up 85–90% of the protein in flour. Gluten comes from the endosperm of wheat, rye, barley, and related plants.

make the dough rise. If it’s too weak, the balloon will burst, and the dough will not stay risen.

How strong the gluten network ends up being depends on how long you knead and mix the dough. For the gluten network to form, you also need to knead or mix the dough with some liquid (i.e., water, milk) — this aligns the proteins.

Without the formation of the gluten network, baked goods would not rise into the light and fluffy delicious dishes we love.

The endosperm is a tissue in the plant’s seeds that serves as a storage location for starch and protein. The milling process that creates flour releases the contents of the endosperm, including gluten.

The main proteins in the gluten mixture are gliadin and glutenin. During the kneading or mixing part of making dough, these proteins form an elastic mesh, often referred to as the gluten network.

Creating a gluten network

Forming a gluten network is key for getting dough to rise. The network acts as a balloon that traps gases during the rising, proofing, and baking processes. If the gluten network is too strong, the gases will not produce enough pressure to

Strengthening and shortening

Adding salt neutralizes charges that may be present on the proteins. This minimizes any repulsion between the proteins and forces water out from the space between the proteins, which both brings the proteins closer together and stabilizes the network. So, adding salt will create a stronger network that increases the amount of stretching and pulling the dough can withstand.

Fats like butter or margarine will weaken, or “shorten,” the gluten network. Typically, recipes ask you to mix the fats with the flour before adding water or milk. This is so the fats coat the flour. And because fats are hydrophobic, or water-repellent, this process prevents the water, which helps the gluten network form, from reaching the proteins. This results in a softer, more tender baked good.

Without the formation of the gluten network, baked goods would not rise into the light and fluffy delicious dishes we love.

By Kristine Nolin, associate professor of chemistry

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

A complete list of The Conversation articles, including this one by Nolin, is available at news.richmond.edu/ placements/ conversation.html.

Faculty interested in writing for The Conversation can contact Sunni Brown, director of media and public relations, at sbrown5@ richmond.edu, or Lauren Anesta, media relations manager, at lauren.anesta@richmond.edu.

Reprints of The Conversation articles appear frequently in Spider Insider University of Richmond Magazine, and UR Now (urnow.richmond. edu).

LEARN MORE

For more information about the Foundational Curriculum, visit richmond.edu/ academics/ foundationalcurriculum.

A Strong Foundation

UR’s new Foundational Curriculum launches with arrival of Class of 2028

When the Class of 2028 arrives this fall, they’ll encounter more than just the newly renovated Pier and Passport Café. They’ll embark on an educational journey as the inaugural cohort enrolled under the University’s new Foundational Curriculum. It’s the first significant change to the general education curriculum in more than three decades.

The Foundational Curriculum transcends what most people would probably think of as a general education curriculum, said Joanna Love, director of general education. Instead of a set of specific courses all students must take — a check-the-box approach to learning — the Foundational Curriculum fosters a dynamic “web of inquiry” that engages students across all four years of their education. It encourages exploration across disciplines and a diverse range of learning experiences.

“When we surveyed alumni, faculty, future employers, and students, they talked about all of the things you have to do in the world that are very practical — things like writing, communicating effectively as a human, and

critical thinking,” Love said. “And those things are developed over time and over multiple iterations, through multiple kinds of encounters with different kinds of knowledge. It’s not something that you get by taking one course.”

Under the Foundational Curriculum, students will have the flexibility to select from an approved set of courses that serve as the cornerstone of their liberal arts education while meeting requirements in six areas of inquiry — historical; social; literary and textual; visual and performing arts; natural science; and symbolic reasoning. Additionally, they’ll delve deeper and strengthen their knowledge in the four integrated focus areas of quantitative data literacy; written communication; embodied communication (oral communication as well as visual and performing arts); and power, equity, identity, and culture. To ensure holistic development, students will also participate in a First-Year Seminar, second-language proficiency, and wellness modules promoting a balanced, healthy lifestyle. The curriculum also allows students to participate in an optional integrative

learning pilot, where they can reflect on their academic endeavors, draw connections between courses, and apply their knowledge and skills to tackle real-world problems.

“The Foundational Curriculum is meant to give students 21st-century aptitudes or ways of thinking,” Love said. “So while we meet the kind of disciplinary standards that have been traditional to a gen ed curriculum, everything is more interdisciplinary by design because that is how academia and the world have evolved. It’s a way to think about a variety of approaches to learning that are flexible and dynamic.”

Preparations for the arrival of students in the fall are in full swing, with the advisory groups, General Education Committee, and Faculty Senate busy reviewing course proposals for the new curriculum. Faculty propose courses that target specific areas of inquiry and integrated focus areas, each with clearly defined learning outcomes of three to four goals students must accomplish before class completion. To date, more than 430 courses have been reviewed and approved.

and second-year programming — with input from the Office of Admission and the Center for Student Involvement — have been zeroing in on registration and how to counsel students to approach the Foundational Curriculum. “It’s about interest and encouraging them to take chances,” Love said. “We want students to think of courses or subjects they maybe never thought of before and choose the ones that are most interesting to them.”

“It’s a way to think about a variety of approaches to learning that are flexible and dynamic.”

Concurrently, Love and Nicole Maurantonio, director of advising, first-year seminar, and first-

To assist faculty, staff, and students in this process, the group is working with University Communications to create possible pathways showcasing various ways students might move through the curriculum.

“I want our incoming students and their parents — and our future students — to see the Foundational Curriculum as a way to gain more of the liberal arts education,” Love said. “You can choose your path. You can start with this broader scope and really narrow in and find the things that speak to you within the curriculum. And you can explore in ways that were less possible before because the boxes were a little smaller. Now that those boxes are bigger, there’s a lot more opportunity.”

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named UR one of the U.S. colleges and universities with the HIGHEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS selected for the FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENT PROGRAM It’s the eighth time and the sixth year in a row Richmond has been named a top producer of Fulbright students with five awards offered in 2023–24.

Poets&Quants for Undergrads, an online publication for undergraduate business education news, ranked the Robins School of Business No. 18 on its 2024 “BEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOLS” list for the third consecutive year. The business school also ranked No. 14 for career outcomes, No. 22 for academic experience, and No. 28 for admissions standards and is identified as one of two schools that reported 100% employment for 2023 job-seeking graduates within three months of graduation.

The Charles A. Stille Foundation awarded the Robins School of Business a $30,000 GRANT to support Q-Camp, an immersive two-day professional development program designed to introduce sophomore business students to employer-desired career readiness skills such as communication and professionalism.

Cigna awarded UR the GOLD 2023 CIGNA HEALTHY WORKFORCE DESIGNATION for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and vitality of employees through a workplace well-being program (UR Well).

The Institute for Citizens and Scholars awarded the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement a $10,000 GRANT to realign the CCE’s civic learning goals and develop rubrics to measure learning outcomes among Bonner Scholars. Curriculum and assessment will be realigned to target three critical scholar learning outcomes: civic identity development, systems thinking, and assets orientation.

Sports Backers awarded UR ACTIVE RVA CERTIFICATION for creating a workplace culture that promotes physical activity.

The Virginia Commission for the Arts awarded UR’s Department of Music a $2,000 GRANT to support four performances of the Washington Saxophone Quartet (WSaxQ) on campus.

A Shared Responsibility

Siteimprove makes website content more accessible for all

Web accessibility means creating websites that are usable to everyone. That includes making content available to those using adaptive technology like a screen reader — but it also means something as simple as fixing broken links or misspellings, as they can negatively impact readability and create accessibility barriers.

University Communications, Web Services, and the Compliance Office recently launched a new software — Siteimprove — to help ensure a consistent experience for all users accessing the University’s websites. Siteimprove analyzes all University websites for accessibility concerns and then scores the sites accordingly.

“Making our web content more accessible for people of all abilities means we’re improving our web content for everyone. ”

For several months, University Communications team members have been working through Siteimprove’s capabilities and training themselves on the product before rolling it out to the larger Cascade content management system user group later this year. Ultimately, Siteimprove will be integrated into Cascade, and users will be required to complete training to maintain access.

“It’s vital that we all get this right,” said Catherine Cribbs, director of digital engagement. “Because this is a shared responsibility among anyone who creates and maintains web content, it’s important that we all understand why it matters and how to use this new tool.”

Website editors will be responsible for monitoring their site’s metrics in Siteimprove and taking action to improve or maintain their scores regularly by fixing content accessibility issues. Correcting identified “quality assurance” issues, such as broken links and spelling errors, will help Google and other search engines find and rank UR’s content, ultimately increasing traffic to richmond.edu websites. It’s also a great place to start when learning to use the software.

Users won’t be left to fend for themselves. University Communications will roll out a series of virtual training sessions and office hours over the spring and summer, continuing over the coming year. Additionally, all Siteimprove users will have access to help center articles, FAQs, in-platform tutorials, and its training library, Siteimprove Frontier.

“Making our web content more accessible for people of all abilities means we’re improving our web content for everyone,” Cribbs said.

Bridging Boundaries

Humans and machines team up in new robotics lab

To a casual observer, the contents of the new robotics lab, located on the ground level of Jepson Hall, might look like random wires, parts, and pieces, but these items fit together to form cutting-edge research about the possibilities of human-robot interactions.

The lab, which opened this semester, serves as a research hub for computer science professor Patrick Martin and a dozen undergraduate research students. Martin, a roboticist who joined UR’s faculty in fall 2023, is working to develop technologies that allow humans and robots to interact in more natural ways.

“If you’re going to have a robot in close proximity with a human, you’re going to need to communicate with the robot, and the robot needs to communicate with you, so that’s a key component of what we focus on,” Martin said.

In Martin’s lab, this interaction takes many forms — from visual cues like body language to computer algorithms and location tagging. This focus on nonverbal communication is part of a subfield known as human-robot teaming. Martin uses dance to highlight the possibilities of this work.

Martin’s research team choreographed a performance to showcase humans and robots working together. The performance, called “Together//Apart,” examines what happens when humans share spaces with machines. In a live setting, the choreographer sends instructions for spatial patterns to both dancers and robots in real time. The performers respond to each

other, shift from leader to follower, and change formations.

This year, the team performed at Theaterlab in New York City and during a regional technology festival at Virginia Tech.

“We are giving the robots gestures, and my hope is the robots can take those single gestures and add their own movements to one day build their own performances,” Martin said. “Eventually, they can do their own improvisation in the live performance with humans and react in a way they choose versus how they are told.”

Martin’s robotics lab and its research are among many ways the University is responding to the growing interest in certain fields and preparing students for careers and graduate school.

“Staying current with student interest and trends is important, and offering the opportunity to study robotics is a great example of that,” said Jennifer Cavenaugh, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences.

In the past two years, A&S has launched interdisciplinary programs in Africana studies, data science and statistics, and creative writing — and will soon offer cognitive science — as a result of student initiatives.

“Our robust offerings of majors and minors directly reflect our deep commitment to meeting student needs and interests,” Cavenaugh said.

“Many successful students have also crafted their own innovative majors through our interdisciplinary studies program.”

BEYOND THE LAB

Martin says his lab’s robotics research has implications that reach far beyond the performing arts and into fields such as health care, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture — and it’s always been a goal to move it out of the lab.

“The idea of having a robot working side by side with a human on an assembly line or doing other tasks on the factory floor is something we don’t have a handle on yet,” Martin said. “I think looking at dance and highly dynamic things that require a human team to accomplish — and drawing inspiration from it — will allow me to develop new algorithms and technologies for robots to work better in an environment like advanced manufacturing. Advanced manufacturing is a dance, after all.”

WHERE THE

WILD THINGS THRIVE Campus boasts a vibrant ecosystem and serves as home for a variety of wildlife, including fox, deer, coyote, and the occasional otter and beaver. And on any given day, a quick stroll offers a glimpse of ducks, geese, and other avian friends.

“We have a pair of great blue herons, and from time to time, we will have a batch of cormorants,” said Peter Smallwood, associate professor of biology. “Every few years, we also seem to have a bald eagle and osprey hang out for a while. We’ve even had some feral peacocks visit campus occasionally. It’s quite rewarding to see the wildlife from year to year.”

A Bird in the Web

Engineering team crafts a compassionate solution when a pigeon’s

nest halts banner replacement

Every now and then, the banners adorning Tyler Haynes Commons require changing. This year, however, presented a unique challenge for Aubrey Grubbs, electrical supervisor in Engineering Services, and his team. As they set out to replace the banners, they encountered an unexpected obstacle — a pigeon had decided the banner was an ideal spot to build its nest.

The team paused their work and conducted a little research to ensure they could address the situation without injuring the bird.

Noel Brooking, electrician, secures the banners under Tyler Haynes Commons.

Typically, a crew of four or five team members takes the banners up to the roof of THC, weighs them down, and rolls them out and over the side of the building. Team members stationed below in a boat on Westhampton Lake then secure the banners to the underside of the building with bungee straps.

When Grubbs’ team ran into the feathered squatter in the banner under the building, they knew they had to come up with a different plan.

“I was like, ‘OK, now what do we do?’” he said. “Obviously, we didn’t want to harm it.”

Despite the pigeon not being a protected species, the team chose not to disturb it — or “ruffle its feathers,” so to speak. They crafted a makeshift hammock out of the existing banner, wrapped and secured the new banner around it, and left the bird in the same place it was when they got there.

While many might have opted to simply remove the pigeon and destroy the nest, Grubbs and his team took the compassionate route.

“I think it shows the character of my guys,” he said. “It’s cool to work with a team that’s willing to do something like that instead of saying, ‘That’s not my job’ — because that’s really easy to do. It made me appreciate the guys I work with.”

And it proved that even pigeons belong in the web.

Illustration by Katie McBride

Flexing Financial Strength and Stability

Bonds for capital projects exceed expectations

Capital projects, which include the construction of new buildings or making significant, long-term improvements to existing facilities, are critical to most colleges. The University of Richmond has several capital projects underway, including the renovation and expansion of Boatwright Memorial Library, upgrades to the campus central steam plant, and the conversion of the North Court academic building into a student residence hall.

“Investing in our facilities and infrastructure is a key component of supporting our educational mission,” said David Hale, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Colleges have various financing options for capital projects, including grants, gifts, or bonds — loans funded through investors instead of banks. UR sought and secured about $100.5 million in tax-exempt bonds. The bonds went to market in late February and were highly sought after by investors, and demand for the bonds outperformed expectations.

which provides a conduit financing mechanism for private colleges in Virginia, issued the bonds, which will be paid back over 30 years.

This funding will be used for ongoing capital projects, as well as to refinance a prior tax-exempt bond issuance from 2012. The University used that bond for numerous capital improvements on campus, including renovations to several residence halls and the Robins Center and upgrades to the intramural fields.

“Investing in our facilities and infrastructure is a key component of supporting our educational mission.”

Earlier this year, the University received an Aa1 rating from Moody’s Investors Service, maintaining its previous rating and noting UR’s “excellent balance sheet strength and strong strategic positioning.” UR also maintained its AA+ from S&P. These ratings indicated a stable financial outlook and reflected favorably on the bond sale.

CAPITAL PROJECTS IN BRIEF

Bond funding secured in February will support three capital projects underway on campus.

• Boatwright Memorial Library — The current library project includes enclosing an existing interior courtyard and adding new student study and collaboration spaces. The full building is expected to reopen in fall 2025.

• North Court — The academic programs in North Court were relocated to other buildings, and the vacated academic space will add roughly 60 beds to existing housing options for students. The new residence hall is slated to open this fall.

More than 35 unique investors, including individuals, brokers, money managers, and institutions, placed orders for the bonds, which were oversubscribed by 360%. The high demand allowed UR to be selective about which investors to choose and provided the opportunity to achieve competitive pricing and negotiate a lower-than-anticipated financing cost for the transaction. Virginia College Building Authority,

“The positive outcome of this bond sale reflects the University’s strong financial condition as a result of excellent operating results, incredible philanthropic support for the University over many generations, and appropriate stewardship of our financial resources,” Hale said. “Coupled with our steady increase in applications, including more than 16,000 this year, it demonstrates our stability as an institution and the position we are in compared to many of our peer colleges and universities.”

• Steam Plant — Work includes replacing two boilers with new high-efficiency units, upgrading electrical systems and mechanical controls, and improving safety and structural aspects. Installation will begin this summer and is targeted for completion in winter 2025.

SHATTERING BARRIERS

At the University of Richmond’s Harnett Museum in February, Atifete Jahjaga — the first female president of Kosovo and the youngest woman to serve as president globally — spoke with UR students about female empowerment and the critical role of education in lives and communities.

Dubbed “the troublemaker” for challenging norms in patriarchal Kosovo, Jahjaga (pictured left) served as the country’s top official until 2016. Her presidency was marked by advocacy for women, education, and human rights, notably combating sexual violence as a weapon of war.

Lidia Radi (pictured right), professor of French and Italian studies, met Jahjaga in Kosovo last year at the University of Pristina, the former president’s alma mater, and was instrumental in bringing her to Richmond.

“This memorable meeting profoundly impacted the students, who later articulated in their reflections a renewed motivation to enact positive change in their communities,” Radi said. “This underscores the influence of such meaningful engagements in molding the intellect and ambitions of young minds and leaders.”

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.

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

TOM ARNOLD, professor of finance; Cassandra Marshall, associate professor of finance; and fellow researchers published “Introducing a Real Option Framework for EVA/MVA Analysis” in The Engineering Economist.

EDWARD AYERS, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and president emeritus, published American Visions: The United States, 1800–1860 (W.W. Norton & Co.).

CHRIS BISCHOF, associate professor of history, received a $60,000 National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship to support his latest book project, Easy Fixes: Race, Capitalism, and Social Engineering Schemes in the British West Indies, 1823–1865

Bischof presented “Engaging with the Empire: Education, Emigration, and Imperial Networks in a Highlands Community, c. 1860–1930” at the North American Conference on British Studies.

STEVE BISESE, vice president for student development, was awarded the Student Affairs Legacy Award at the Virginia Student Services Conference in recognition of his commitment and dedication to student development and the field of higher education.

COURTNEY BLONDINO, assistant professor of health studies, published the World Economic Forum insight report “Wiring the Community Health Worker: A Winning Strategy for NCD Care.”

KATE CASSADA, associate professor of education, and Dana Jackson, assistant professor of education, presented “University and K–12 Schools Partnership in Virginia (USA): Preparing Leaders for a Changing K–12 Landscape” and “University and K–12 School Partnership in Virginia (USA): A Succession Plan for Teacher Leaders and School Leadership” with an educational leadership alum at the 2023 International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation in Seville, Spain.

HANK CHAMBERS, Austin E. Owen Research Scholar and professor of law, was inducted into the Virginia Law Foundation Fellows Class of 2024.

DAN CHEN, assistant professor of political science, published “China on Campus: A Conversation with China Scholars of Asian Heritage” in PS: Political Science & Politics.

VLADIMIR CHLOUBA, assistant professor of leadership studies, published “African Traditional Institutions and Support for Democracy” in Democratization

OLGA CHYKINA, assistant professor of leadership studies, was awarded a Mellon/Scholars At Risk Academic Freedom Fellowship to support her research on whether the rise of populism leads to a decrease in academic freedom.

REBECCA CROOTOF, associate professor of law, was named a member of the Artificial Intelligence Governance Forum, launched by the Center for a New American Security. The forum brings together stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to better understand the risks and opportunities of AI and together develop solutions to harness AI’s potential.

ERIKA ZIMMERMANN DAMER, associate professor of classical studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies, published “Religious Authority and Classical Reception in Baroque Rome: Martha Marchina’s Musa Posthuma and Feminist Epistemologies of Care” in Believing Ancient Women: Feminist Epistemologies for Greece and Rome (Edinburgh University Press) and “What is a Future for Classics?” in the American Book Review

JONATHAN DATTELBAUM, professor of chemistry; Shannon Jones, director of biological instruction; Isaac Skromne, associate professor of biology; and students published “Physicochemical and Inflammatory Analysis of Unconjugated and Conjugated Bone-Binding Carbon Dots” in ACS Omega

MARIAMA REBELLO DE SOUSA DIAS, associate professor of physics, published “Photonics Roadmap for Ultra-High-Temperature Thermophotovoltaics” in Joule

KELLING DONALD, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry, published “Lowering Activation Barriers to Success in Physical Chemistry (LABSIP): A Community Project” and, along with students, “Sigma Hole Potentials as Tools: Quantifying and Partitioning Substituent Effects” in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A

WADE DOWNEY, professor of chemistry, and undergraduate students published “One-Pot Silyl Imidate Formation-N-Alkylation Reactions of Amides With Propargyl Propionates” in Tetrahedron Letters Downey and undergraduate researchers published “One-Pot Enol Silane Formation–Allylation of Ketones Promoted by Trimethylsilyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate” in Synthesis

JOANNA DRELL, professor of history, published “‘The Luxuriant Southern Scene’ Textiles as Reflections of Power in the Kingdom of Southern Italy and Sicily” in Mapping Pre-Modern Sicily: Maritime Violence, Cultural Exchange, and Imagination in the Mediterranean, 800–1700 (Palgrave Macmillan).

SHARON G. FELDMAN, William Judson Gaines Chair in Modern Foreign Languages and professor of Spanish and Catalan studies, attended the staged reading of her English-language translation of The Nicest Body Ever Seen Around These Parts (2021), by Catalan playwright Josep Maria Miró, at the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at the CUNY Graduate Center. The event was the culmination of Miró’s three-week residency in New York City.

MEGAN FREEMAN, purchasing specialist in campus services, earned the Certified Auxiliary Services Professional designation from the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

A Student-Focused Career

A conversation with Steve Bisese, vice president for student development

After 40 years in student development, Steve Bisese will retire on June 30. Most of his career — with the exception of 10 years at Georgetown University — has been at the University of Richmond. He joined UR in 1985, serving as one of the two first live-in area coordinators. He also served as assistant dean and then dean of Richmond College. Following a national search in 2006, he was promoted to vice president for student development. Throughout his career, he has mentored hundreds of students.

What are your retirement plans?

I’m not looking to be scheduled, having a plan for every minute of the day. I might do some consulting.

I’m sure I’ll travel with my wife and kids, but I’ve always wanted to learn to play golf better. I’ve played for 20 years, and I’ve never broken 100. Maybe now I can. And I love the racetrack. I enjoy walking the track during a live meet and being near the horses.

What changes have you seen in student development?

Students have become more serious about taking advantage of all the opportunities a university has, especially those that advance their academic goals. We’ve invested in living-learning programs, pre-orientation programs, study abroad, and research — when I started, those things weren’t as available. Greek life was the outlet, but now we work to resource even the smallest clubs.

We’re also much more focused on mental health issues now. We have added staffing as mental health needs increased, and we built the Well-Being Center. We have to be committed to student well-being.

What are you proud of?

I’m most proud of the development and planning that I did with Dr. Scott Johnson [associate professor of communication studies] and others that resulted in the living-learning programs, including the Sophomore Scholars in Residence. We thought it would be a great program, and now it’s part of our vocabulary.

We’ve also improved our housing choices, adding more suite-style living, singles, and single-bedroom apartments, as well as coed and gender-neutral housing options.

Finally, it was a joy to be a part of the creation of the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion. It is remarkable how it has progressed under Dr. Morgan Russell-Stokes’ leadership.

What advice do you have for the next vice president?

Enjoy the University; it’s a great place to work. We have beautiful buildings, but it’s really all about the people. You’ll have willing colleagues to help you achieve your goals and feel welcome.

What will you miss?

I’ve loved it here. I’ve had great bosses. I’ve had great people work for me. The students have been wonderful. I’ll always keep up with Spider sports. Most of all, I’ll miss my staff.

LIFETIME SERVICE HONORED

Steve Bisese’s 20-plus years of outstanding impact to the field of student affairs was spotlighted when he was honored with the Student Affairs Legacy Award at the Virginia Student Services Conference in November.

Recipients have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to student development and the field of higher education. They have mentored staff and students and have helped shape the student affairs profession.

“He has truly left a mark and will be missed not only at UR, but across the state and profession,” said Patrick Benner, director of Housing and Residence Life.

Those who wish to pay homage to Bisese’s extraordinary impact may do so through the Steve Bisese Scholarship, established this year in his honor.

OMICRON DELTA KAPPA

FALL 2023 Epsilon Circle Inductees

COLLEEN CARPENTERSWANSON Assistant Professor of Biology School of Arts & Sciences

GINA FLANAGAN

Assistant to the Vice President for Student Development Student Development

KEVIN HALLOCK

President

This national leadership honor society recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary character and leadership achievements in one of the five phases of campus life: scholarship, athletics, service, communications, and arts.

KEITH “MAC”

MCINTOSH

Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Information Services

ANGEL OTRO-BLANCO

Associate Professor of Spanish School of Arts & Sciences

LESLIE STEVENSON

Director of Career Development Career Services

FRANCES WYNE

Custodian

University Facilities

GUZEL GARIFULLINA, assistant professor of leadership studies, published “Ambition without Democracy: When the Cautious Seek Office” in Democratization

RHIANNON GRAYBILL, Marcus M. and Carole M. Weinstein & Gilbert M. and Fannie S. Rosenthal Chair of Jewish Studies and professor of religious studies, co-authored What Are They Saying about the Book of Jonah? (Paulist Press), Jonah: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Yale University Press), and Lee Edelman and the Queer Study of Religion (Routledge). Graybill received the 2022 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion: Textual Studies from the American Academy of Religion for Texts after Terror: Rape, Sexual Violence, and the Hebrew Bible (Oxford University Press).

STEFAN GREENFIELD-CASAS, visiting assistant professor in music theory, published “On Musical Memories, Monuments, and Museums: Review of Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestral Arrangement Album” in the Journal of Sound and Music in Games and “‘We Are What They Grow Beyond’: Visions (and Sounds) of a Transnational Star Wars” in Musicology Now.

DIETER GUNKEL, associate professor of historical linguistics, published “Musical Evidence for Low Boundary Tones in Ancient Greek” in Greek and Roman Musical Studies

KITTY HARTVIGSEN, Trawick Postdoctoral Fellow in psychology, received a grant from the International Brain Research Organization for “Brain Health from Research to Running.” Funds will help offset the costs of community engagement neuroscience outreach opportunities on and off campus.

JAVIER HIDALGO, associate professor of leadership studies, published “Reacting to the Past as Education for Leadership” in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

DANIEL HOCUTT, web manager in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, presented “Mining Ourselves: Collaborative Autoethnography (CAE) as Methodology” with fellow Digital Life Institute researchers at the annual conference of the ACM Special Interest Group on Design of Communication. Hocutt was named the 2024 SPCS Innovations in Teaching Award recipient during SPCS’s spring faculty meeting in January.

PIPPA HOLLOWAY, Cornerstones Chair in History, participated in the panel discussion “The U.S. Constitution: A Discussion of Rights and Citizenship,” sponsored by the Virginia Law Foundation, at James Madison’s Montpelier to commemorate Constitution Day. Holloway was cited by the Minnesota Supreme Court in a dissenting opinion in Schroeder v. Simon, a case that challenged the state’s felon disfranchisement laws, and in an amicus brief submitted by the Campaign Legal Center in support of a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court in Harness v. Watson. Holloway published “Virginia Penny’s ‘State of Desperation’: Anger, Insanity, and Struggles for Justice in Nineteenth-Century Kentucky” in Ohio Valley History

CRYSTAL HOYT, Colonel Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, co-published “Mindsets of mental illness: What are the implications for stigma?” in Socius

DANA JACKSON, assistant professor of education, and Kate Cassada, associate professor of education, presented “University and K–12 Schools Partnership in Virginia (USA): Preparing Leaders for a Changing K–12 Landscape” and “University and K–12 School Partnership in Virginia (USA): A Succession Plan for Teacher Leaders and School Leadership” with an educational leadership alum at the 2023 International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation in Seville, Spain.

KATHRYN JACOBSEN, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, published “Conservation and Health Policy Implications Linked to the Human Consumption of Sea Turtles in Northwestern Mexico” in World Medical and Health Policy and “Sedentary Behavior and Physical Inactivity Among Secondary School Students in the 2017 Sierra Leone Global School-Based Student Health Survey” with a student in the Journal of School Health

YUCONG JIANG, assistant professor of computer science, published “Expert and Novice Evaluations of Piano Performances: Criteria for Computer-Aided Feedback” in the proceedings of the International Society for Music Information Retrieval (ISMIR) conference and presented the paper at the conference in Milan.

MILES JOHNSON, associate professor of chemistry, and undergraduate students published “Comparative Analysis of the Donor Properties of Isomeric Pyrrolyl Phosphine Ligands” in the journal Organometallics

SHANNON JONES, director of biological instruction; Jon Dattelbaum, professor of chemistry; Isaac Skromne, associate professor of biology, and students published “Physicochemical and Inflammatory Analysis of Unconjugated and Conjugated Bone-Binding Carbon Dots” in ACS Omega

MICHELLE KAHN, assistant professor of history, received a $3,000 summer fellowship at the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam for June 2024.

KELLY LAMBERT, MacEldin Trawick Professor in Psychology, received the 2023 Science Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience for her significant contributions to educating the public about neuroscience.

ALEKSANDRA SZNAJDER LEE, associate professor of political science, published “The Effect of European Integration on Economic Redistribution in Central and Eastern Europe” in European Union Politics

LAURANETT LEE, adjunct assistant professor of liberal arts, was named a 2024 RVA Community Maker by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The annual project honors African American leaders from a variety of fields and showcases the Black history being made every day in Richmond.

MICHAEL LEOPOLD, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, and undergraduate researchers published “Mechanistic Elucidation of Nanomaterial-Enhanced First Generation Biosensors Using Probe Voltammetry of an Enzymatic Reaction” in Biosensors

PETER LEVINESS, adjunct faculty member in the School of Arts & Sciences and retired director of Counseling and Psychological Services, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors for his contributions to the field of campus mental health.

“Who Loses Most When Big Banks Suddenly Fail? Evidence from Silicon Valley Bank Collapse,” published by SUMMER LIU, assistant professor of finance, and Nancy Tran, assistant professor of finance, in Financial Research Letters, was referenced in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation Annual Report.

ASLAN LOTFI, assistant professor of analytics and operations, was awarded the H. Hiter Harris III Rising Star Award from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges for his dedication to undergraduate teaching.

MATTHEW LOWDER, associate professor of psychology, and a student published “The Lab Discovered: Place-for-Institution Metonyms Appearing in Subject Position Are Processed as Agents” in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition

CASSANDRA MARSHALL, associate professor of finance; Tom Arnold, professor of finance; and fellow researchers published “Introducing a Real Option Framework for EVA/MVA Analysis” in The Engineering Economist

RICK MAYES, professor of health policy, delivered the opening keynote for the Virginia Association of Free and Charitable Clinics 2023 Annual Conference. Mayes presented healthcare policy research talks for the 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Virginia Dermatological Society and the January 2024 General Meeting of the Albemarle Medical Society.

LIONEL MEW, assistant professor of information systems, co-presented “Leveraging ChatGPT for Higher Education Course Offerings” at the ISCAP Conference on Information Systems and Computing Education.

MANUELLA MEYER, associate professor of history, presented “Psychoanalyzing the Possessed: Spirits of the Dead in Early Rio de Janeiro, Brazil” as the Greer Lecture in Latin American History at Virginia Commonwealth University.

CHRIS MOTZ, visiting assistant professor of classical studies, published four chapters in The Porta Stabia Neighborhood at Pompeii Volume 1: Structure, Stratigraphy, and Space (Oxford University Press).

BRANDON NG, visiting assistant professor of psychology, co-authored “Experiencing Pain Invalidation Is Associated with Under-Reporting of Pain: A Social Psychological Perspective on Acute Pain Communication” in The Journal of Pain

TRACY NICHOLSON, assistant professor of human resource management, presented “Top Skills for HR Leader Development: Graduate Education Response to the Next Generation of HR Leaders”

Business Affairs Award Winners

The annual Business Affairs Awards recognize individuals or teams who excel in the performance of their duties, promote teamwork, inspire excellence in others, and consistently reflect the values of the Business Affairs division — inclusivity, cooperation, and collaboration; working together for the good of the whole; working in an open and accountable manner; and being innovative.

MARK BEATTY Engineering Services Manager University Facilities –Electrical

ANGIE DUBOSE Police Officer Campus Safety

SHELLE FLOWERS Payroll Manager Controller’s Office

GRAY NANCE Lead Stores Associate Heilman Dining Center

MELISSA REYNOLDS Facilities Accounts Payable and Data Coordinator University Facilities –Support Services

and “Reinventing Human Resources Post COVID-19: The Changing Role of HR Leaders” at the 2023 International Conference of Education, Research, and Innovation in Seville, Spain.

ERIK NIELSON, professor of liberal arts, served as the consulting producer for the documentary “As We Speak,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film features Bronx rap artist Kemba exploring the weaponization of rap lyrics and revealing how law enforcement has used artistic creation as evidence in criminal cases.

CAMILLA NONTERAH, associate professor of psychology, published “Systems Connected to Inequities in Access to Kidney Transplantation and the Value of Intersectionality” in Transplant International, Special Issue: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Nonterah; Janelle Peifer, assistant professor of psychology; and others published “Collective Self-esteem and Well-being Among College Students in Ghana” in International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation.

LILLA ORR, assistant professor of data science and statistics, published “Is Affective Polarization Driven by Identity, Loyalty, or Substance?” in the American Journal of Political Science

ELIZABETH OUTKA, professor of English and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of Humanities, was named an Outstanding Faculty Award recipient by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

JON PARK, assistant professor of computer science, co-published “Relevance-aware Generation for Robust Zero-shot Retrieval” in the Proceedings of the Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing: Industry Track. Park co-published “Asking Clarification Questions to Handle Ambiguity in Open-Domain QA,” “From Values to Opinions: Predicting Stances on Specific Issues Using Value-injected LLMs,” “mRedditSum: A Multimodal Abstractive Summarization Dataset of Reddit Threads with Images,” and “Tree of Clarifications: Answering Ambiguous Questions with Large Language Models” in the Proceedings of the Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing.

SANDRA PARK, adjunct assistant professor of paralegal studies, has been named the 2024 Alumna of the Year by the NYU Law Women organization of the New York University School of Law.

JANELLE PEIFER, assistant professor of psychology; Camilla Nonterah, associate professor of psychology; and others published “Collective Self-esteem and Well-being Among College Students in Ghana” in International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation. Peifer presented “College Students’ Reduced Cognitive Empathy and Increased Anxiety and Depression Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic” at the Association for Psychological Sciences International Convention of Psychological Science and the Association for Psychological Sciences Annual Convention; “Pathways for College Student Intercultural Competence Development Amidst COVID-19” at the WISE Conference 2023; “Dismantling the Implicit Assumption of Whiteness in Measures of Intercultural Competence” at the Association of International Education Administrators Annual Conference; “Race and Gender Identity, Self-compassion, and Emotional Clarity in College Students: Implications for Trauma and Stress Outcomes” at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention; and

“Foregrounding Intersectional Identity in Trauma-informed Care” at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention.

WENDY PERDUE, dean of the University of Richmond School of Law, was inducted into the Virginia Law Foundations Fellows Class of 2024.

HEATHER RUSSELL, associate professor of mathematics, published “RSK Tableaux and the Weak Order on Fully Commutative Permutations” in The Electronic Journal of Combinatorics

DAVID SALISBURY, associate professor of geography, environment, and sustainability; Stephanie Spera, assistant professor of geography, environment, and sustainability; and undergraduate students in the Amazon Borderlands Spatial Analysis Team lab published their work mapping official and informal road networks of Brazil in the Monitoring of Forest Roads (MOCAF) Bulletin, Second Edition

ADRIA SCHARF, adjunct assistant professor of nonprofit studies, published “Worker Co-Ops in Health Care: Lessons from the Field” in Nonprofit Quarterly

ISAAC SKROMNE, associate professor of biology; Jon Dattelbaum, professor of chemistry; Shannon Jones, director of biological instruction, and students published “Physicochemical and Inflammatory Analysis of Unconjugated and Conjugated Bone-Binding Carbon Dots” in ACS Omega

NATHAN SNAZA, assistant professor of English, published Tendings: Feminist Esoterisms and the Abolition of Man (Duke University Press).

STEPHANIE SPERA, assistant professor of geography, environment, and sustainability; David Salisbury, associate professor of geography, environment, and sustainability; and undergraduate students in the Amazon Borderlands Spatial Analysis Team lab published their work mapping official and informal road networks of the Brazil in the Monitoring of Forest Roads (MOCAF) Bulletin, Second Edition

BOB SPIRES, associate professor of education, was named co-editor-in-chief of The Urban Review: Issues and Ideas in Education

LIZ ST. JOHN, project manager in collegiate licensing and business services, received the National Association of College Auxiliary Services East Regional Rising Star Award. The award recognizes individuals for their innovative, meaningful contribution to the improvement of their profession and to the efficiency of their institution.

CAROL SUMMERS, Samuel Chiles Mitchell-Jacob Billikopf Professor of History and Global Studies, presented “Saving Britain (with money): Canada, Uganda, Loyalty, and World War II” at the Canadian Association of African Studies 2023 Annual Conference.

MARGARET TAIT, assistant professor of health studies, published “Federal Student Loan Debt in Public Health and the Opportunities for Loan Repayment Programs” in Public Health Reports

JAKE TAN, visiting assistant professor of chemistry, published “Modification of Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters Comprising Acridan-pyrimidine Moieties for Efficient Sky-blue to Greenish-blue OLEDs” in the Journal of Materials Chemistry C; “Highly Efficient CO2 Electrochemical Reduction on Dual Metal (Co-Ni)-Nitrogen Sites” in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A; and “Mapping spin contamination-free potential energy surfaces using restricted open-shell methods with Grassmannians” in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

LAUREN TILTON, E. Claiborne Robins Professor of Liberal Arts and Digital Humanities, and an undergraduate student received a grant from Virginia Humanities for “Digital Documerica: Picturing the Environment in 1970s America.” Digital Documerica is a joint project of The Digital Scholarship Lab and the Distant Viewing Lab.

“Who Loses Most When Big Banks Suddenly Fail? Evidence from Silicon Valley Bank Collapse,” published by NANCY TRAN, assistant professor of finance, and Summer Liu, assistant professor of finance, in Financial Research Letters, was referenced in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation Annual Report.

JAKE TURNER, professor of military science, has been promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.

JOANNA WARES, associate professor of mathematics, presented “One Ginger’s Thoughts on Higher Education” as the BIO-SIGMAA Speaker at the 17th Annual Symposium on BEER (Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research).

KEVIN WEBSTER, visiting lecturer in the Department of Psychology, published “Examination of the Mechanisms Underlying the Discriminative Stimulus Properties of the Atypical Antipsychotic Amisulpride” in Behavioral Pharmacology.

THAD WILLIAMSON, associate professor of leadership studies and philosophy, politics, economics, and law, published “Democracy in the Real World” in the Boston Review and “A General Model of Good Executive Leadership in Policy Contexts” in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

JOSH WRONIEWICZ, business office director in campus services, earned the Certified Auxiliary Services Professional designation from the National Association of College Auxiliary Services.

CARRIE WU, associate professor of biology, received a $258,715 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to support collaborative research into the early detection and rapid response of invasive species in forest ecosystems. Wu co-published “Effects of Experimental Warming on Floral Scent, Display, and Rewards in Two Subalpine Herbs” in Annals of Botany and “Seed Longevity and Germination of the Emerging Invasive Species Wavyleaf Basketgrass (Oplismenus undulatifolius) Under Varied Light Regimes” with an undergraduate student in Invasive Plant Science and Management

ERIC YELLIN, associate professor of history, co-edited Public Workers in Service of America (University of Illinois Press).

We offer a warm welcome to our new colleagues and congratulations to colleagues taking their next steps.

The following highlights employment status changes for full- and part-time faculty and staff — including temporary to full- or part-time positions — from Nov. 1, 2023, to Jan. 31.

NEW HIRES

FACULTY

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

BIOLOGY

Stephen Ferguson Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology

ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

MARKETING

Michael Mullen Visiting Lecturer

SCHOOL OF LAW

Richard Peterson

Visiting Professor of Law

STAFF

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Stephanie Fillman

Academic Administrative Coordinator, Health Studies

Lynn Hardwicke Academic Administrative Coordinator, American Studies

ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Amy McCracken

Associate Dean for Graduate and Executive Programs

JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES

Christina Mills

Operations Coordinator, Dean’s Office

SCHOOL OF LAW

Helen Boyd Administrative Coordinator, Dean’s Office

Jessica Fonseca-Nader Seasonal Application Assistant, Dean’s Office

Joleen Traynor

Digital Resources Associate, Law Library

PROVOST

Stacey Calderon-Castillo Study Abroad Advisor and Program Coordinator, International Education

Annaka Grismer

Assistant Marketing and Design Manager, Modlin Center for the Arts

April Kim

Administrative Specialist, Institutional Equity and Inclusion

Kevin Willoughby Assistant Production Manager, Modlin Center for the Arts

ADVANCEMENT

Frasher Bolton Leadership Giving Officer

Anne Cabot Galeski Major Giving Officer

Aretha Harris Administrative Coordinator, Gift Planning

Erica Robinson Administrative Coordinator, Career Services

ATHLETICS

Deon Batts

Creative Content and Social Media Manager, Game Day Experience

Katie Fraker Health Insurance Coordinator, Sports Medicine

Jake Kilmer Ticket Office Assistant

Martu Loncarica Head Field Hockey Coach

Dan Madden Director of Football Operations and Recruitment Coordinator

Kaylee McLaren Assistant Director for Facilities and Events

Erin Menges Assistant Field Hockey Coach

Khari Smart Director of Men’s Lacrosse Operations

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chelle Davis Director of Board Operations

BUSINESS AFFAIRS

CAMPUS OPERATIONS

Jared Badger Custodian

Charlie Crawford Gardener

Nick Daglis Events and Projects Technician, Events, Conferences, and Support Services

Buck Dalton HVAC Mechanic I –Boiler Plant

Nathan Fox Chef Production Manager, Heilman Dining Center

Tanya Harris Floater Manager, Heilman Dining Center

Brandy Leatherman Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Sean Mitchell Events and Projects Technician, Events, Conferences, and Support Services

Nychae Parker Cook II, Heilman Dining Center

Wendell Parker Cook I, Tyler’s Grill

Sam Robertson Executive Director, Facilities Operations

Jorge Rodriguez Lead Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Kay Rudolph Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill

Cody Schreiner Access Control Specialist, University Facilities/Carpentry

Madison Slough Events and Projects Technician, Events, Conferences, and Support Services

Dzenita Smajkan Custodian

Caroline Stabile Administrative Assistant, Heilman Dining Center

Avonna Taylor Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Beck York Groundskeeper

CONTROLLER

Kristin Mance Accounting Manager

HUMAN RESOURCES

Kevin Barry Compensation Specialist

Christina Page Human Resources Business Partner

SECURITY

Ilia Pittrell Communications Officer, Campus Safety

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Kheli Muhammad Program Coordinator, Office of Scholars and Fellowships

Matt Rooney Admission Associate INFORMATION SERVICES

Jay Einck Technical Support Consultant, User Services

Christopher Woods Technical Support Consultant, User Services

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Mahreen Azam Interim Muslim Life Program Coordinator, Chaplain’s Office

Jerrika Forbes Operations Coordinator, Health and Well-Being

Thenance Green Assistant Director of Operations, Health and Well-Being

Angela Smith Operations Coordinator, Health and Well-Being

MOVES

FACULTY

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

BIOLOGY

Rafael de Sá Research Professor STAFF

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Emily Peebles Academic Administrative Specialist, Religious Studies

Susan Wolski Academic Administrative Manager, Physics

SCHOOL OF LAW

Will Thompson Budget and Events Specialist, Dean’s Office

PROVOST

João Riva Tonini Computational Support Specialist

BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS OPERATIONS

Billie Afflick Front of the House Manager, Heilman Dining Center

John Bradley Lead Cook, Heilman Dining Center

Scott Glatfelter Front of the House Manager, Heilman Dining Center

Randolph Jefferson Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Michael LaRue Concessions/Relief Manager

Eric Lee Gardener Team Leader

Scott McIntosh Supervisor, Plumbing and Food Service

Kyle Nance Concessions Lead

Shomari Obiekwe Cook II, Heilman Dining Center

Georgia Osborne Administrative Coordinator, University Facilities/ Support Services

Alison Robert Custodial Floor Technician

Fotini Williams Director of Catering

Cliff Wingfield SpiderShop Assistant Director

HUMAN RESOURCES

Tom Schram Director of Compensation

SECURITY

Daniel Giddings Police Officer

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Eliot Cleveland System Administrator and User Support Specialist

INFORMATION SERVICES

Christina Shepperson Senior Technical Consultant and Business School Lead, Academic Computing Services

Wilbert Thacker User Services Project Coordinator

LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE

Yahneet Govine Risk Management Program Manager

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT

Karen Morrissey Operations Coordinator, Health and Well-Being

RETIREMENTS

43 YEARS

MICHELLE TAYLOR Heilman Dining Center

30 YEARS

ALENE WALLER Student Health Center

25 YEARS

STEVE NOLES Counseling and Psychological Services

23 YEARS

DORA DOUGLAS Academic Computing Services

16 YEARS

SAMUEL BLOUNT University Facilities –Custodial

15 YEARS

MICHELE BEDSAUL Jepson School Dean’s Office

12 YEARS

RHONDA MCILWAIN Gift Planning

PAUL SANDMAN University Facilities –Landscape

11 YEARS

JOE WOLFF Catering

2024 Outstanding Service Award Winners

These awards, given annually, honor staff for exemplary commitment and service to the University in the following categories: administrative, clerical support, dining services, and service/maintenance. Outstanding Service Award winners are nominated by their colleagues and supervisors and receive $1,000 and a personalized plaque.

Administrative

ASHELLE BROWN

Talent Development Consultant Human Resources

Administrative

ANTHONY CRENSHAW

Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives

Equity and Community

Clerical Support

ANNE WRONIEWICZ

Administrative Coordinator, Law Clinics Law School

Dining Services

MARY FICHTEL

Catering Support Coordinator Catering

Service/Maintenance

LARRY RICHMOND JR.

Gardener

University Facilities / Landscape

ADDITIONAL HONOREES

For a complete list of staff service award honorees, visit hr.richmond.edu/ current-employees/ employee-appreciation/ service-awards/ honorees.html.

Milestones

Congratulations to these UR staff and faculty who celebrated major service anniversaries of 25 years and more in 2023.

50 Years of Service

HAMILTON BRYSON Law School faculty

45 Years of Service

DEBBIE BALDUCCI Tyler’s Grill

40 Years of Service

DEAN SIMPSON Arts & Sciences faculty (Classical Studies)

35 Years of Service

KEVIN CREAMER Information Services

JIM DAVIS Arts & Sciences faculty (Mathematics and Statistics)

MAZIE ELLERBE

University Facilities –Custodial

JESSE FORBES University Facilities –Boiler Plant

STEVE HARGROVE Campus Safety

MICHAEL KERCKHOVE Arts & Sciences faculty (Mathematics and Statistics)

JENNIFER NOURSE Arts & Sciences faculty (Sociology and Anthropology)

BOB PLYMALE Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office

MAREN REINER Arts & Sciences faculty (Biology)

DIANNE ST. JOHN One Card Services

JONATHAN STUBBS Law School faculty

30 Years of Service

JENNIFER CABLE Arts & Sciences faculty (Music)

JOEL EISEN Law School faculty

JOE ESSID Provost Office (Writing Center)

ELISABETH GRUNER Arts & Sciences faculty (English)

JOHN JACOBS Campus Safety

SAMPSON JONES

University Facilities –Carpentry

RUSSELL NEWCOMB University Facilities –Carpentry

NANCY SCHAUBER Arts & Sciences faculty (Philosophy)

ERIC SMITH University Facilities –Custodial

CHRIS STEVENSON Arts & Sciences faculty (Chemistry)

25 Years of Service

RAY CARGILL Enterprise Applications

STEPHANIE CHARLES User Services

RICHARD COUGHLAN Robins School faculty (Management)

KIM EDWARDS Law Library

PAMELA HARPER Campus Telecommunications

BOBBY HAYES User Services

LU HENDRICK University Facilities –Custodial

DANIEL HOCUTT School of Professional & Continuing Studies

ALFRED JOHNSON Campus Safety

ED JONES University Facilities –Custodial

CHARLEY KING Controller’s Office

MARI LEE MIFSUD Arts & Sciences faculty (Rhetoric and Communication Studies)

SHERRY MINOR Tyler’s Grill

KEITH MITCHELL

University Facilities –Electrical

CRISSY POINDEXTER Heilman Dining Center

TERRY PRICE Jepson School faculty

BILL QUIG

University Facilities –Architectural

SCOTT TILGHMAN User Services

International Education Awards

These annual awards recognize staff, faculty, students, and alumni who perform exemplary acts of internationalization to benefit the University of Richmond and communities beyond.

For a complete list of award winners, visit international.richmond. edu.

KAY MACDONALD Administrative Coordinator, New Student and Transition Programs

For her promotion of international travel with maximal benefit and minimal risk for undergraduates; partnership with International Education and all comers; and sense of humor throughout

SAIF MEHKARI Associate Professor of Economics

For his mentorship with international students; recognition of the toll of the pandemic and responses through teaching and outreach; and constant collegiality and innovation

410 Westhampton Way

University of Richmond, VA 23173

Eco-Friendly Fix

We welcome your input.

Send your story ideas or comments to spiderinsider @richmond.edu.

MAY May 10–12

Commencement

May 13, 9–11 a.m.

University Faculty Meeting

Tyler Haynes Commons, Alice Haynes Room

May 16, 8:30–10:30 a.m.

Spiders in the Know Modlin Center for the Arts, Camp Concert Hall

May 23, 3–4:30 p.m.

SummUR Sounds Millhiser Green

May 27

Memorial Day

May 31–June 2

Reunion

JUNE

June 19

Juneteenth

JULY July 4 Independence Day

AUGUST

Aug. 21, 3 p.m. Colloquy Modlin Center for the Arts, Alice Jepson Theatre

Aug. 26

First Day of Undergraduate Fall Classes

Aug. 30

Preview Richmond Open house for prospective students and their families

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 2 Labor Day

Sept. 13–15

Family Weekend

USAC

The University Staff Advisory Council represents the needs of staff to senior administration and works to make the University of Richmond an employer of choice.

Meetings*

May 14

June 11

July 9

Aug. 13

Sept. 10 1–3 p.m.

Visit usac.richmond.edu for meeting locations.

FACULTY SENATE

The University of Richmond Faculty Senate represents the faculty in the University’s governance process on matters that impact the University or affect more than one school.

Visit facultysenate. richmond.edu for meeting locations.

*Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all faculty and staff.

Gardeners (from left) Eric Preston, Bruce Lockhart, Joe Marion, and Charlie Crawford plant dwarf mondo grass in Gumenick Quadrangle. The landscaping team planted 4,320 individual pots to help prevent dirt runoff in the area where grass won’t grow.