(COVER LINE SUBMITTED BY RICH GALASSO, R’90. SEE MORE READER SUGGESTIONS ON PAGE 6.)
LIGHT OF KNOWLEDGE — AND COMMUNITY
Members of the Class of 2025 gathered along Westhampton Lake for Candlelight Ceremony, their last time together before graduation. The next opportunity will be the five-year anniversary at Reunion Weekend 2030. Yes, it’s OK to mark your calendar now.
Photography by Jamie Betts
ALL SMILES
The must-have accessory at 2025 commencement ceremonies? A big, goofy, contagious ear-to-ear grin.
In May, the university awarded 853 undergraduate bachelor’s degrees from the School of Arts and Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The School of Professional and Continuing Studies awarded an additional 117 bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and Richmond Law awarded 118 law degrees.
EDITOR’S NOTE
My favorite magazine perk
From time to time, I get the very cool opportunity to sit in on a class. In the past few years, I’ve listened as students and their professors have talked about toxicology, Chilean politics, basketball culture in Europe, the economics of universities, and more. The subjects covered are usually far outside my academic background. My degrees are in literature and nonprofit studies.
Still, the old instincts always kick in. I have to sit on my hands to keep from raising them. I am there to observe, not participate. My proper focus is on how students and their professors interact. The material itself is, well, immaterial. Still, it’s like being sucked into a movie you never intended to watch. I’m inevitably drawn in by the subject matter, no matter how unfamiliar. (Note to any UR faculty reading this: If you invite me to class, I will come.)
For this issue of the magazine, it happened again. This time, it was an accounting class. The professor was Joe Hoyle. He has been on the faculty of the accounting department since the 1970s. I was there to observe his distinctive, recognizable teaching methodology. It gave his class a different feel from any other class I’ve attended. And yet, it shared undercurrents with all of them.
One shared undercurrent is an understanding of what it means to actually teach. There’s an old truism that communication is not message sent; it’s message received. Similarly, all of the professors I’ve observed at Richmond have a keen sense that their success as educators isn’t measured by the content they cover, but the understanding they cultivate.
Another undercurrent is individualized attention for each student — both as a learner and as a person. At some universities, professors knowing students’ names is a bragging point. At Richmond, it’s a start-
ing point. Here, students experience a web of rich relationships centered on their individual curiosities, goals, and potential. These undercurrents are integral to Richmond’s academic excellence and lasting impact. It’s a privilege for all of us on the magazine team to be surrounded by so many varieties of great teaching and student learning every day. And it’s an even bigger privilege for us to share stories about them with you.
—Matthew Dewald, Editor
P.S. You can read about Hoyle’s distinctive teaching style beginning on Page 26.
Illustration by Gordon Schmidt
SUMMER 2025
Vol. 87, No. 3
President
Kevin F. Hallock
Vice president, university communications
Tom Addonizio
Senior editor
Matthew Dewald, GC’22
Senior writer/editor
Rayne Miller
Associate vice president for creative and design services
Samantha Tannich
Director of design services
Katie McBride
Graphic designer/publications
Gordon Schmidt
Graphic designer
Ashley Gladner
Photographer
Jamie Betts
Associate vice president for marketing and digital engagement
“Tiny Hero,” by UR staff member Jamie Wagner, shared first place in the fourth annual biology photo/artwork contest. The charcoal and pastel piece depicts a zebra fish, which plays an important role in biomedical research on campus.
FEATURES
18 Tailwind of Love A journey of grief, growth, and friendship
26 The professor who merges Socrates and spreadsheets
Accounting professor Joe Hoyle has spent decades refining an unlikely style of teaching that’s both demanding and deeply supportive — and he invites parents to see it for themselves.
30 Beyond the scoreboard
Richmond takes an innovative, holistic approach to nurturing student-athlete potential.
6 INBOX
Spiders’ messages
Forum
Summer at the university
8 NEWS
Burying Ground
Memorial’s consecration, a Mass in jazz, and more
Paths
How UR’s head of career development navigates his career
Portrait Economics major Neha Kalwala, ’25 Voices
An exchange student talks about life at Richmond.
16 SPORTS
Spiders took home the A-10’s first women’s golf championship.
Portrait
Spider baseball coach Mik Aoki
36 ALUMNI
Exclusive Spider sneakers, 50+ years of tailgating, and alumni books
Back Then Alumni recall their Hollywood moment when Bon Jovi and Cry Wolf came to Richmond.
40 NOTES
What’s new with you
Back Then Mr. Gorbachev, put down that ball.
Postscript
A new orchard provides more food for thought on campus.
YOUR MAGAZINE, YOUR VOICE
Let us know what you think about what you read in this issue. Email your thoughts to magazine @richmond.edu or send us a letter (our postal address is on Page 5).
Please include your class year, city, state, and name you were known by as a student, if applicable. All letters to the editor may be edited for clarity or brevity and should not exceed 200 words. We also welcome your story tips at magazine @richmond.edu.
A GOOD READ
The cover featuring women’s basketball certainly must have caught the eye of pre-Title IX Westhampton athletes and others as well. So too was the reference to the Aquanettes synchronized swim team led in considerable measure by the internationally recognized Peg Hogan. And I am sure health majors of the ’80s and ’90s were pleased to read about the current booming health studies program. The entire spring issue was an enjoyable and informative read.
—Kathleen Rohaly Henrico, Virginia
[Editor’s note: Rohaly was a longtime professor in the physical education department, which evolved into the health and sports science department during her tenure.]
STAY IN TOUCH AND SHARE YOUR PRIDE
Social media, hashtags, and sites:
• @urichmond
• #spiderpride
• #spiderspotting
• magazine. richmond.edu
• urnow.richmond. edu
‘THE BIRD. THE MYTH. THE LEGEND.’
Readers offered nearly 100 caption ideas for this issue’s cover shot when we put out a call on @urichmond’s Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook accounts in June. The suggestion above came from Charlotte Haneke, an assistant director of annual giving. Here are a few of the other standouts:
The Bird Who Saw Too Much
—Perry Bentley, ’12
Jurassic Park? No. University of Richmond!
—Julie Dunbar, ’06
Duck ... Duck ... Triceragoose
—Amy Terdiman Lovett, ’94
UR’s Most Famous Non-Student
—Joel Mier, marketing lecturer at UR
Richmond Gives You Wings
—Daniel Garay, ’28
King of the Lake
—Laura Murray-Nerger, ’15
Admiral Blackbill Honkenbeak
—The children of Laura Ambrogi, ’07
Triceragoose: The Big Man on Campus
—Rylin McGee, ’19
A UR Legend That Waddles Among Us
—Allison Steele Hicks, GC’25
UR Is the Experience That Gives Us Goosebumps
—Chris Toolan, R’86
#ONERICHMOND
Current and new Spider fans responded to the historic 2024–25 season for women’s basketball. Here’s a sample of users’ reaction when the university’s main Instagram account (@URichmond) posted after their Round of 32 game, a competitive loss to overall No. 1 seed UCLA:
@terriacarter Congratulations on a great season. I love watching this team. I will miss the seniors next season, but look forward to next year with the returning players. Go Spiders.
@darien_brothers They will be back!
@lindymacwms Congratulations on an incredible season and thanks for representing Richmond! So proud of y’all!!!
@briannawilson
@courtneyharrisclaud Hard fought so proud!
@bella.mohren So proud of yall! My favorite team to cheer for
@ella.karcewski I love @spiderwbball
@jessmcnelley11 Incredible season! You are all heart and the funnest team to watch play! We are all so proud of you back home!!!
MEMORY LANE
Joe Nettles — head of the journalism department in the 1960s — taught more than sound journalism technique. He taught sound communication skills in general and some pretty solid life lessons as well.
@jaijaiclarkeey So proud of this crew! You made us all proud #GoSpiders
@fbtinla It was so much fun to watch you play last night congratulations and I hope to see you next year in the tournament!!
@maxlevenson15 This team has been amazing this season and thanks to the players and coaches on a great historic season and looking forward to next season.
@haleyhuamani Congratulations on an amazing season. Made all of us spiders so proud!!!! Can’t wait to see what is coming next for this team
Joe treasured brevity. He said the greatest sentence ever written was in the Bible: “Jesus wept.” How could you improve on that? How could you make it better? You can’t, he argued. It’s perfect.
A few years after my graduation in 1966, I landed a job I had very much wanted and wrote Joe to share both my excitement about the job and my appreciation for the role he had played in my life.
My letter was 2½ pages long. The reply I received? I can quote it in its entirety to this day: Joe wrote, “Son: I have filed your letter in my heart.”
One last reminder of the value of brevity. —Michael P. Hickey, R’66 and G’75 Richmond
What do Spiders do all summer?
The months between the end of spring semester and the start of fall are very different from the rest — and just as busy, writes President Kevin F. Hallock.
From our classrooms to our residence halls, from the Modlin Center to Robins Stadium, I am so grateful to our incredible staff and faculty for working smart and steadily 12 months a year. While routines shift between commencement and move-in, Spiders can be particularly active in the summer.
Summer is the busiest season for our facilities colleagues who repair, renovate, build, and maintain spaces on campus.
Between May and August, they will manage 50 active projects, from completing key renovations to Boatwright Memorial Library (including an expanded 8:15 Café and Lora Robins Gallery) to updating classrooms and labs, roads and walkways, sports fields and locker rooms.
The Heilman Dining Center team continues serving breakfast, lunch, and
dinner to hungry Spiders. Colleagues in the SpiderShop continue selling gear to fans of Spider Nation. Many students also continue learning.
Hundreds of students take summer classes, and hundreds more participate in faculty-mentored research or internships thanks to donors and the Richmond Guarantee. This summer, staff and faculty will also support some students as they continue learning in France, Indonesia, Japan, Latvia, and elsewhere. (An astonishing 70% of UR students will graduate with international experience!) While some faculty will continue teaching and mentoring, many will also develop creative projects, complete research grants, visit archives, and attend conferences. Onboarding the incoming class is another significant undertaking. Our admissions team ensures that incoming Spiders register for fall classes and begin to plan a course of study. Our student development colleagues put the finishing touches on sig-
nature programming to enhance orientation and campus life.
Finally, continuing to strengthen our engagement with the Richmond region, we welcome competitors, supporters, and spectators for the Virginia Special Olympics and youth for 25 sports camps. We also welcome thousands of alumni and families back to campus for Reunion Weekend — some visiting from a few miles away and others traveling across the country or even across the globe to connect with fellow Spiders.
In addition to these vital efforts, Spiders are encouraged to set aside time over the summer, when possible, to prioritize well-being. While I will be working to secure funds to continue our momentum and planning for our future, I also look forward to spending a bit of time with Tina, our family, and friends on Cape Cod as we prepare to welcome our first grandchild in the fall.
Thank you for all you do for Richmond. I remain confident that, thanks to our Spider community, our university’s best days are ahead.
MORE ON STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD
For 75 years, UR has been contributing data to the Open Doors Report, an annual survey focusing on international education opportunities. This year, UR ranked first among baccalaureate colleges awarding credit for study abroad participation and No. 2 for the number of students studying abroad for a quarteror semester-long program.
Kevin F. Hallock,
Photograph by Jamie Betts
VISIT
The Burying Ground Memorial, located near Fountain Hall, is free and open to the public daily from dawn to dusk. More information is available at buryingground -memorial .richmond.edu.
(Note: Omit the hyphen when entering the URL.)
IN MEMORIAM ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Bearing new witness
On a beautiful late-April afternoon, the university held a consecration ceremony for the Burying Ground Memorial, which honors the generations of enslaved individuals whose lives are woven into the history of the site and surrounding land.
“This moment celebrates the resiliency, strength, courage, and faith of so many who simply hoped to be able to properly recognize and honor those that were seemingly forgotten and voiceless,” Rasheeda D. Chambers, ’03, said at the ceremony. On July 1, she became president of the UR Alumni Association’s board.
Attention to the site was spurred in 2018 by the research of Shelby Driskill, a student in UR’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies. In 2019, she and UR faculty member Lauranett L. Lee published a university-sponsored report about the site. The report, “Knowledge of This Cannot Be Hidden,” detailed the history of the land and surrounding areas before and after the university began acquiring it in 1910. Records and other evidence show the site had been used as a burying ground for people held in enslavement.
Shortly after the report’s publication, the university established
a committee to guide the care and preservation of the site and began identifying and consulting with members of descendant communities. Three design principles emerged during planning: that the site should “remain sacred and lightly touched; ... be unique, accessible, and inviting; and ... balance sentiments of reconciliation and resilience with the certainty of an enduring struggle.”
Construction of the Burying Ground Memorial began in 2024. Descendants held a private consecration event several days before the public consecration in April.
Planners identified a living witness tree at the site dating to when the Burying Ground may have been active. One of its acorns now grows as a sapling at the memorial’s entrance. Portraits on a wall are drawn from the features shown in family photos of descendants. The memorial’s bronze work features Adinkra symbols from West Africa.
“May the memorial that will preside over this ground from here onward make visible the dignity and honor of those who lived and died here against their will and be for us a sign of healing and hope,” said Craig Kocher, university chaplain.
Goldwater Scholars
Two current students are UR’s latest recipients of the Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most sought-after undergraduate awards in science and math.
Phoebe Rubio, ’26 (right), is a biochemistry and molecular biology major. Arielle Vinnikov, ’27, is a double major in chemistry and health studies and minors in music. Both plan to pursue higher degrees and careers in research. They are UR’s 42nd and 43rd Goldwater Scholars since the program’s inception in 1986.
Peace Corps pipeline
UR ranked No. 5 among small schools on the Peace Corps’ 2025 list of top producers of volunteers. Seven UR alumni currently serve as Peace Corps volunteers in six countries and regions: Cambodia, Dominican Republic, Eastern Caribbean, Indonesia, Tanzania, and Zambia. According to Peace Corps data, 162 UR alumni have served as volunteers with the agency since its founding in 1961.
Top B-school, again
The leading online publication for undergraduate business education news, Poets&Quants for Undergrads, ranked the Robins School of Business No. 17 in its annual ranking of undergraduate business schools. Robins has been among its top 20 schools for four consecutive years.
“We are proud that this year’s rankings recognize our unwavering commitment to providing a dynamic undergraduate experience — one that is both academically rigorous and prepares our students for meaningful careers that make a positive impact,” said Mickey Quiñones, dean.
Visitors at the Burying Ground Memorial after the consecration
Photography by Jamie Betts
“Social media is not designed to inform us.”
Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist DAVID CARSON , who spoke on campus in March about artificial intelligence and disinformation. His talk was hosted by the American studies program.
OUTCOMES
Grad school boost
As the first student to work in the Digital Scholarship Lab, Amanda Kleintop, ’11, paved the way for future students to gain skills in analysis and data collection. Today, she teaches history at Elon University and leads her own digital humanities program.
“I strive to be the kind of mentor that my professors at Richmond were,” Kleintop said. “I hope that by engaging with community-driven digital research, my students will gain more real-world experience with the digital humanities.”
The DSL, directed by Rob Nelson, now hosts 20 students enriching their academic inquiry beyond the classroom — and picking up new interests in the process. Contributing to these research projects is helping some earn financial support for continuing their studies in graduate school.
This fall, Craig Caudill, ’25, a
mentee of Nelson’s, starts a master’s in public health at the University of Michigan on a full scholarship, a path sparked by his honors thesis and work at the DSL.
“My research with Dr. Nelson solidified my interest in social epidemiology,” Caudill said. “It also introduced me to key project collaborators, including Dr. Helen Meier, a social epidemiologist at the University of Michigan.”
Caudill’s thesis studied the impacts of structural racism on health, particularly stroke mortality, using data from the Richmond Cemetery Collaboratory.
“I am incredibly proud to have been a part of students’ intellectual evolution,” Nelson said. “It is critical that we all keep encouraging conversations around our shared history.”
—Sophia Demerath, ’26
A LEADER IN DIGITAL HUMANITIES
The Digital Scholarship Lab’s largest project to date is a digital atlas of U.S. history called American Panorama. It was started by former UR President Edward Ayers. View it and the lab’s other projects at dsl. richmond.edu.
When media cover news and events, they come to Richmond for perspective and expertise. Here’s a sample of recent stories:
Urban rat populations will be harder to fight because of warming temperatures, biology professor JONATHAN RICHARDSON told the newspaper. “I compare it to Sisyphus,” he said. Rodent control teams “are pushing a boulder uphill, and climate warming is working against them.”
Psychology professor ARRYN ROBBINS talked about how stress can cloud our focus. NPR paraphrased her guidance: “Think of your attention like a spotlight. ... You can increase the size of the beam or shrink it down.” Her advice for when you’re stressed? “Take a breath and calm your body down.”
Canadian rapper Drake is “embarrassing himself,” ERIK NIELSON, program chair of liberal arts in SPCS, said about his defamation lawsuit over the song “Not Like Us.” “Drake knows the rules. ... What has always made rap music so successful and popular is that it pushes the limits, rhetorically.”
Management professor VIOLET HO discussed the potential effects of increased pay transparency laws. “Whether the laws help to close the gender and racial wage gaps depends in part on how wide a company’s posted pay ranges are,” she said. Narrower ranges are more helpful for reducing gaps, she added.
History professor ERIC YELLIN offered context for understanding current efforts to downsize the federal government. Commenting on government efficiency efforts during the Clinton administration, he said, “There’s significant exodus of agencies out of [Washington, D.C.], but also services to private contracts.”
For the latest stories, go to news.richmond. edu/placements.
Craig Caudill, ’25, in the Humanities Center
MAGAZINE.RICHMOND.EDU
Additional magazine stories regularly publish online between print issues of this magazine. Here’s a look at some:
University Dancers celebrate 40 years
A behind-the-scenes look at the company’s anniversary concert. Much of the focus is on company captain Maggie Crowe, ’25, who choreographed what she called “a swan song” for herself and her four fellow seniors. Also featured is Cheryl Behrens Policastro, B’89, an original member of the company. In the article, you can watch bolero, the six-minute film the company created to mark the milestone.
When college gets delicious
Graduating senior Jimmy James tells the tale of his experience in what he calls “UR’s Shark Tank course,” Bench Top Innovations. Each year, students enrolled in the course launch a product. This year, it was a pesto Caesar salad dressing called Envee, and James was part of the sales team.
“Roller coaster doesn’t even begin to describe the past few months,” he writes, “but I don’t think us entrepreneurs-in-training would have had it any other way.”
What makes smoky, charred barbecue taste so good?
More food news you can use: Chemistry professor Kristine Nolin explains the chemistry of cooking over an open flame.
“Cooking on a grill may seem simple,” she writes, “but there is a lot of chemistry that sets barbecue apart from other cooking methods and results in such a delicious experience.”
ACCOLADE
SUSTAINABILITY Rob Andrejewski, director of sustainability, received the inaugural Fellows Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. It recognizes mid-career professionals who significantly contribute to the advancement of sustainability in higher education. “This recognition truly belongs to the entire [UR] community,” he said.
Goode’s good news
As part of its statement of mission, the Truman Scholarship Foundation declares a strategy: “We take risks by investing early.” This spring, the foundation invested in Richmond junior Chloe Goode by naming her a 2025 Truman Scholar. Only one student per state is selected annually.
ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED
At UR, Goode is a Presidential Scholar and an Oliver Hill Scholar, designations that come with merit-based scholarships. She is also the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Tinina Q. Cade Scholarship. In 2023, she became the first UR student to receive a prestigious summer Fulbright scholarship to Northern Ireland.
The Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the U.S. Goode is one of 54 recipients selected out of 743 nominations this year. She’s UR’s ninth Truman Scholar since the program’s inception in 1977. The most recent recipient before her was Kate Lawrenz, ’14.
Truman Scholars demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Each scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.
“I am mind-blown and beyond grateful,” she said. “I want to keep learning about effective ways to build strong communities, and these programs will allow me to have hands-on public service experience at a government agency or nonprofit in D.C.”
Goode, who is from Henrico, Virginia, plans to pursue a master’s in public administration with a specialization in public and nonprofit man-
agement and policy. Driven by her personal experiences, she intends to focus her career on the U.S. education system.
“When I enter public service, I want to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to thrive,” she said.
by Jamie Betts
A ‘best-in-class’ commitment
Damon Yarnell is finishing his first year as executive director of career development. His team recently became part of the provost’s office, a move that more strongly integrates it with UR’s academic infrastructure.
MY ROOTS
Being from New York City shapes who I am, and having moved away from New York also shapes who I am. When I was growing up, New York was among the planet’s densest and most diverse and dynamic cities. I benefited from that every day I lived there. I went to Stuyvesant, a magnet public high school, so I made friends with incredibly bright and talented students from all over the city.
MY FIRST CAREER
After college, I took my degree in comparative literature to North Carolina. Friends and I founded two businesses in sustainable construction and development, and I ran them for about 10 years. The economy was booming, but some people were getting pushed out. I came to understand what was occurring in Chapel Hill as a form of regional gentrification. Curiosity about that process sent me
back to graduate school.
MY CAREER SHIFT
After my doctorate, I reached a juncture where I knew I did not want to be a professor. I considered a turn toward policy, but what I found working in college administration was the chance to build at a scale where I could really make a difference every day.
MY RICHMOND DECISION
Richmond has a dynamic leadership
team. Their directive was, “Come define what best-inclass means, and then go get it.” It was the best way to convince me that this was the right opportunity.
When I think about what best-inclass means, I want maximum opportunity for all Spiders while they’re here, when they graduate, and as they build their careers.
I also want to show the way for other people who do this work. That’s possible at
Richmond because of the commitment of leadership, the caliber of people, and the institution’s resources. We can imagine things that not everybody has the wherewithal to imagine, and then we can go do them. That’s exciting.
MY APPROACH
My team’s job is to make sure that Spiders have the skills, self-awareness, and access to opportunities and connections. Our challenge is that we’ve got to be good, but we also have to be fun because we’re competing with all the other things
students have to do and want to do.
MY PHILOSOPHY
I’m a champion of the liberal arts. I’m convinced that a great education will enable people to be creative problem solvers and ethical decision makers. Every day, I remind myself that launching Richmond students out into the world into positions of responsibility can impact them and their families, but also society at large. I believe Spiders will make the world a better place.
BONUS: MY INVITATION
Access to the Spider network is among the most important features of a UR education. In good times and challenging ones, the network is always valuable, and it works for Spiders at every career stage.
Our team relies on alumni, parents, and other members of the extended Spider community to help provide opportunities. Be an active part of it. careerservices. richmond.edu
Interview by Matthew Dewald
Photograph
By
SHE DOES IT ALL
Kalwala had a lead role in this year’s “Bollywood on the Block” concert.
The annual dance showcase is presented by two student dance groups, the Bollywood Jhatkas (Indian dance) and Block Crew (hip-hop).
Dancing with the Jhatkas, Kalwala played one of two sisters transported back in time to experience Bollywood dance styles from the 1980s to the 2010s.
MORE RUPEES, MORE READING?
For her senior thesis, economics major Neha Kalwala, ’25, picked a subject aligned with interests she’s had since middle school. She studied whether money that migrant workers send home boosts educational outcomes there.
When Neha Kalwala, ’25, took her first economics class in a middle school in Hyderabad, India, something clicked.
“I loved the math and analytical thinking,” she said. “And I learned that economics can also be used to study many social justice issues.”
Kalwala’s interest in this intersection continued with her move from India to the greater Chicago area as a teenager and more recently sparked the topic of her senior thesis at UR: remittances. Her research question asks whether these transfers of money from individuals who have left home to work in another city or country, which often serve as a crucial source of income for their families, affect educational outcomes in India.
“Given that it is now the most populous country in the world, educational outcomes there have a global impact,” she said.
Her framework uses three metrics to judge these outcomes: whether the children of the household are enrolled in school, how long per week they spend at school, and whether they attend private or government school.
Kalwala analyzed a data set from the India Human Development Survey, which gathered testimonies on the quality of health, employment, education, and economic status of over 41,000 households across India in 2004–05 and again in 2011–12.
“The biggest challenge has been ensuring that every variable I need exists within the data set,” Kalwala said. “While there are hundreds of thousands of individual-level data points in the IHDS, not every household has answers to every question.”
A key variable in Kalwala’s research is the implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Since 2005, the NREGA has provided a guarantee of at least 100 days of wage employment to workers in rural areas who are willing to do unpaid manual work. The act’s goal is to increase the fiscal security of rural households. Kalwala believes this policy would
likely impact remittances received by these families.
“If a family participates in the NREGA, it may decrease the need to migrate and send remittances, which could affect their educational outcomes,” Kalwala said. Her preliminary findings show that a 1,000-rupee increase in remittance income leads to a 0.35% increase in the likelihood of a child in that household attending school. “When applied to India’s population
metrics,” Kalwala said. “This means that an additional 30,200 children across the country are enrolling in school.”
Overseen by economics professors Alexander Persaud and Maia Linask, this project continued Kalwala’s exploration of critical social justice issues. In her sophomore year, Kalwala partnered with Linask to study gender disparities in nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Photograph by Jamie Betts
“She can be a queen sometimes .”
JUANITA URIBE, ’25 , describing a UR icon in “The Lore of Triceragoose” on the university’s YouTube channel. youtube.com/@UniversityofRichmond
Bebop blessings
For centuries, composers have set the sacred text of the Roman Catholic liturgy to music. In March, Richmond senior Benjamin Stalder joined their ranks with a modern take in Cannon Memorial Chapel.
For his senior recital, the music and accounting major offered the premiere of “Jazz Mass.” The composition in six movements featured jazz piano, bass, drums, and two vocalists. It included the six sung texts of the Latin Mass ordinary, such as the Gloria. Each movement reflected a different style of jazz, performed by student musicians and vocalists from the music department.
The ability to complete dual degrees in music and business in four years drew Stalder to UR. He has consistently found common themes in the two disciplines. During his junior year, he took a course on choral conducting and immediately saw through-lines with his business studies.
“We focus on the importance of leadership, directing and guiding an ensemble, how people react to input, and organizational behavior,” he said. “It all pairs very nicely.”
NEXT STEP
AROUND
CAMPUS
A better Boatwright
A multiphase renovation of Boatwright Memorial Library enters a new stage in August with the upcoming grand opening of a two-story enclosed atrium facing the lake and the reopening of the two lower levels, which are being transformed. The changes create lakeside entrances to the library on two levels and enhanced lake views.
The reimagined ground level, formerly called B1, provides better access to key spaces within the library, including the Book Arts Studio, the Rare Books & Archival Collections, and the Lora Robins Gallery. Collectively, the library is calling the area the Arts District, emphasizing its role as the library’s community and cultural center. It will also become the new home of an expanded 8:15 Café.
The next phase of renovation will create a home for the Weinstein Learning Center. The WLC will integrate and amplify the centers for speech, writing, quantitative resources, academic skills, technology learning, and English language learning in one space. These renovated floors are expected to reopen in fall 2026.
UR’s first Phi Beta Kappa Service Scholar
“This upbeat and uplifting composition will be sure to have you tapping your toes the entire recital,” he wrote beforehand.
When Stalder was a child, his teachers discovered his extraordinary musical acumen. “My piano teacher would often remark that what I played sounded great, but it wasn’t what was on the page,” he said.
Just before graduation, the music department awarded Stalder the 2025 Roy Jesson Music Prize for excellence in performing, conducting, and composing. In September, he will begin a position at PwC in his hometown, Pittsburgh. He previously interned with the company. QUOTATION
“Jazz Mass” is the newest of more than 20 pieces he has composed.
The Phi Beta Kappa Society named junior Will Iboshi a Key into Public Service Scholar. Iboshi is the first UR student to receive this award, which is given to 20 arts and sciences students in the U.S. interested in pursuing careers in local, state, and federal government.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Phi Beta Kappa Society for the personalized mentorship and training that will guide me in the years ahead,” he said.
Iboshi majors in political science and global studies and has minors in Arabic and history.
MUSIC
At left, accounting and music major Benjamin Stalder, ’25, on piano during “Jazz Mass”
Photograph by Michael Warchol
AROUND CAMPUS
‘Innovations that inspire’
UR’s Spider Business Hub, launched in 2021, is an exemplar in higher education, according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
The hub, which works with more than 400 students each year, was named to AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire spotlight this spring. The initiative highlights innovative ways that business schools partner with businesses.
“The Spider Business Hub shows students actionable ways to use the things that they’re learning in class and develops soft skills like professional communication and project management through interactions with our partners,” said marketing professor Sara Hanson, the hub’s faculty director.
Students, new grads set high giving marks
Nearly 600 students in the Class of 2025, or 76% of the class, made gifts during the Senior Legacy Campaign. It’s the highest participation rate in the history of the SLC. In total, they raised more than $4,500 for scholarships and other areas of impact. As importantly, they stepped into their role as keepers of UR’s culture of philanthropy.
“I’ve had so many great experiences during my four years at Richmond,” said Daniela Perez, ’25, one of the SLC’s student leaders and a first-generation college graduate. “I’ve studied abroad three times. I simply would not have been able to afford it without donor giving. ... Even if it’s just a little bit, you’re making it possible for others to have their own unique experiences.”
Their immediate predecessors also showed strong philanthropic commitment to UR in the spring. The highest number of donors during UR Here Giving Day in April came from the Class of 2024.
LUCI, CAMERA, AZIONE The inaugural Italian Film Festival in March transformed campus into a showcase for one of the world’s great cinema cultures. The festival included screenings of five films along with panel discussions with producers, directors, and experts. Films included 2023’s C’è ancora domani, recipient of six David di Donatello awards — the Oscars of Italian film.
A very Spider tale
A SPIDER BOOK HELPING SPIDERS
All net proceeds from the book will go toward the University of Richmond scholarship fund. Learn more about the book at alongcamethespiders.com.
(Omit the hyphen when entering the URL.)
Tina Hallock, UR’s first lady, gets a lot of questions when she’s traveling with her husband, Kevin F. Hallock, UR’s president. One inquiry that comes up often is the origin of the university’s distinctive mascot. As every Spider knows, UR has the only Spiders in collegiate sports.
This spring, Tina Hallock answered in a new and fun way: a children’s book called Along Came the Spiders. It’s a fitting outlet for her. She taught elementary school for many years and is a champion for reading from an early age. The book is illustrated by Kaitlin Jones Stasiunas, UR’s health promotion coordinator and an artist.
“The basis of the mascot story is that in 1894, a sports writer in Richmond used the term ‘spider’ to
describe the baseball team’s pitcher, who had lanky arms and legs, and the nickname stuck,” Hallock said.
“What started as a tale became part of a larger story that celebrates this incredible university community.”
Hallock and Stasiunas have been sharing their tale with campus, alumni, and the broader community at launch parties and at a book signing during Reunion Weekend. All of the events provided a family-friendly venue for alumni and their families and friends to enjoy the book and meet the author and illustrator.
“The support from so many Spiders has been amazing,” Hallock said.
“We’ve been thrilled but not surprised at the turnout at these events. It’s a testament to the fact that so many people love UR as much as we do.”
Photography by Jamie Betts; opposite page by Gordon Schmidt
Kaitlin Jones Stasiunas, left, and Tina Hallock at the book launch at the SpiderShop in April
FILM
OUTSIDE HIS COMFORT ZONE
We often feature UR students who leave the U.S. to study abroad. Lucas Dominguez Molina, ’25, went the other way — leaving home in Madrid to study for a year in UR’s Robins School of Business.
Why did you want to study abroad?
I’ve always been interested in leaving. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my home school or my family or anything, but I feel like it’s a very big step in your life to get outside of your comfort zone. I was very eager to discover new experiences and try a different way of life than what I am used to. It’s my first time living outside my home country.
What made you choose Richmond? I wanted to try a smaller school for a change and have that connection with the professors, and I feel like that’s been the case ever since I got here. I was really happy about that.
How would you sum up UR in a phrase or a sentence?
“American dream,” maybe. You see those American movies, and it’s exactly what I expected when I came here. It’s living a movie. You have the campus life, go to your cafeteria, to your library to study. You make friends, and you go to clubs. I really enjoy that living-in-amovie sensation because you never know what’s going to happen next.
How would you describe the environment
It’s a very community-based environment. ... You have lots of people you know already, and even if you don’t, you know somebody in common. You always have this sense of being surrounded by people who are nice, who will enjoy talking to you, and you enjoy talking to them.
Not only students. Staff, too. In the dining hall, for example, workers always ask you, “How are you doing? I like your sweater.” Every time you walk into some place, you walk in with a smile.
What is your favorite thing to do on campus?
I do club sports. I play rugby here. I discovered rugby once I came here, and I really enjoy playing it. It’s a very harsh sport, but you have lots of fun. The group is great. The coaches teach you from scratch, even though you have no idea how to play.
Besides sports, I also go to the gym a lot. The facilities here really help with that. I enjoy walking around campus. We have a forest surrounding us, and there’s the lake in the middle. Lots of times, I just find myself walking around campus, thinking to myself and calling my family and just enjoying the views. I’m a really big nature guy.
“I was very eager to discover new experiences and try a different way of life.”
What do you miss about home, and what have you found here that makes it feel like home?
My family, of course. I’ve lived with my family all my life. This is my first time living away from them, and this is a big jump. And probably the food, too. Spanish people are really proud of our food.
Here on campus, I’ve found another family. That can be other Spanish students or the rugby club — just this constant sense of belonging with different people. You meet new friends constantly. Even though you might be having a bad day, if you’re on campus you’ll run into somebody you know, and you’ll end up cheering up really quickly because it’s this constant feeling of, “Aw, this is my place.”
One of the things that saddens me the most is knowing this is my last semester here. Last semester was easier because I thought, “I have a full year in front of me.”
Now, I find myself in a place where there is no next semester, so I’m trying to make the most of it.
Dominguez Molina was one of 102 visiting exchange students who came to Richmond for a semester or a full year in 2024–25. Like him, three-quarters of them studied in the business school.
The Robins School of Business is a hub of global business education with 47 partner universities in 27 countries. More than 180 domestic Robins students are expected to study abroad during the upcoming fall semester.
GLOBAL HUB
ON THE MEN’S SIDE
Carson Baez capped a standout freshman season with a runner-up finish at the National Golf Invitational. His score matched the second-lowest tournament score in program history.
“He’s got a high ceiling,” said Adam Decker, the team’s coach.
QUOTATION
“I can’t wait to continue this journey with our fans and Spiders everywhere.”
Women’s basketball coach AARON ROUSSELL , following his program’s historic 2024–25 season (see “Rundown,” right)
WOMEN’S GOLF
The
Inaugural champions
In April, the Spiders staged a comeback to win the A-10’s first-ever championship in women’s golf. The conference added the sport for the 2024–25 season.
The team did it with a spate of late birdies after entering the final round trailing leader Loyola Chicago by five strokes. By the time they hit the back nine, the Spiders were tied with Dayton for the lead. That’s when they put together a combined eight birdies on holes 12–18 that propelled them to victory. Prior to that stretch, UR had managed just 11 birdies total over the event’s first 47 holes.
“I don’t even know how to describe the feeling of it,” Calle Barlow, women’s golf coach, said. “This means a lot for Richmond golf.”
RUNDOWN
History made, twice
Two Richmond teams — one of the newest and one of the oldest — secured first-time NCAA tournament wins this spring.
Spider men’s lacrosse, which began Division I play in 2014, beat the University of North Carolina 13-10 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. In the national quarterfinals, the team lost to No. 1 seed Cornell by a single point. It finished the season with a 14-4 record and won the A-10 regular season and conference tournament championships. Three of the team’s four losses came against Cornell and Maryland, the two teams that played in the NCAA championship game. Seven players were named All-Americans by USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse
It was her team’s second conference title in the last three seasons. The team won the title in its previous conference, the Patriot League, in the 2023–24 season.
A Spider also topped the individual leaderboard. Junior Hannah Lydic became the tournament’s top finisher after birdies in three of her final seven holes. She has now won three tournament titles at Richmond, the most in program history.
“I’m so proud of this team,” she said. “We’ve come a long way. We’ve worked together as a team.”
At the NCAA Regionals in Charlottesville, Virginia, the team placed 11th, the best finish in program history. The field included eight teams ranked in the nation’s top 50.
Women’s basketball beat Georgia Tech 74-49 in the first round of the NCAA tournament in March, the program’s first NCAA tournament victory. In the round of 32, the team fell to overall No. 1 seed UCLA. Maggie Doogan drew national attention with a combined 57 points in two games. During the season, the team put together a 17-game win streak, the longest in program history. In April, ESPN ranked the Spiders No. 20 in its “Way-too-early Top 25” rankings for the 2025–26 season.
Spider smarts
In the words of athletic director John Hardt, “Spider student-athletes are serious about academic achievement.” The most recent evidence came from Richmond’s current Academic Progress Rate score, which the NCAA reported in May.
Six Richmond programs earned perfect scores of 1,000, the most in six years. Every Spider team received an APR score of 976 or higher, well above the 930 required by the NCAA. The data cover a four-year period through the 2023–24 academic year.
by
A-10’s first-ever trophy for women’s golf went to the Spiders.
Photography
Richmond Athletics
Forward momentum
Under the leadership of second-year head coach Mik Aoki, Spider baseball is making steady progress. But he measures his program’s success by more than just what happens on the field.
Baseball has been central to Mik Aoki’s life since he was a child throwing Kenko-brand balls to the second floor wall of his apartment complex in Japan. But the head coach of Spider baseball views the sport as more than a passion — it’s an opportunity to enrich the whole person.
Aoki began his coaching journey in 1991 at Manchester Community College in Connecticut. He went on to coach at Notre Dame, Boston College, Columbia, and Morehead State. However, his respect for UR’s program goes back to high school when Richmond was one of the schools he considered.
“For a solid 20-year stretch, Richmond baseball was really good and was one of the places you thought about being able to combine academics and athletics at a high level, and I thought it might be a great fit,” Aoki said.
When Richmond’s head coach position opened in 2023, Aoki pursued it. He wanted to be part of a baseball program that offered the opportunity to be competitive combined with a great academic and developmental experience. He brought this mentality to his first season at UR.
“I want our kids to be the very best they can or aspire to be the very best wherever they find their feet, whether that’s in a classroom, the dormitory, [or] the baseball field,” he said.
His first season, in 2024, offered some challenges as Aoki and his team adjusted to each other. Despite a rough 0-5 start, Aoki was proud to witness significant improvement that carried the team to the A10 championship game. Resilience after losses was key to the team’s improvement.
“The ability for our guys to just forget what happened on Tuesday and be able to
be that team that we were at the end of the year on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was pretty remarkable,” he said.
During the 2025 season, progress continued. The team missed the cut for the A-10 tournament after its surprise appearance in 2024, but it finished with a record of 33-19 — the program’s highest win total in 21 seasons. Along the way, the Spiders picked up victories over North Carolina State and No. 23 Virginia, and outfielder Aaron Whitley set a new Spider single-season record with 36 stolen bases. Six players earned All-Conference honors, and Aoki collected his 600th win as a Division I head coach. Throughout, the team was present-minded, enjoying experiences in the moment.
“I hope that kids aren’t walking away from the programs that I’ve been involved with and the only thing they’ve learned is how to hit or how to pitch. I hope [the program is] helping them in school, helping them in life, and helping them once they transition into the work world.”
SPIDERS IN THE PROS
Spiders continue the program’s tradition of launching careers in professional baseball. 2018 draftee Vinny Capra began the 2025 season on the opening day roster of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Mark Budzinski, ’95, is the Toronto Blue Jays’ first-base coach. Mike Mergenthaler, ’14, is hitting coach with Triple-A Scranton. Kyle Schmidt, ’19, and Brenden Argomaniz, ’22 and GC’23, are both coaches with Single-A Salem. Three-time all-star Sean Casey, ’96, continues to work as a broadcaster for MLB.
By
Amy Ogle, ’26
A JOURNEY OF GRIEF, GROWTH, AND FRIENDSHIP
BY RAYNE MILLER COLLAGES BY ASHLEY GLADNER
HARSH WYOMING WIND CUTS ACROSS AN EMPTY ROAD that stretches toward the horizon. A solitary cyclist, his neon green and orange bike laden with camping gear and cameras, pedals steadily forward. Nineteen days without human connection — save for fleeting interac tions with curious strangers — have left him in a pecu liar mental state. His thoughts flow, a smooth river unobstructed by the distractions of modern life.
“My conscious had mastered control over my sub conscious,” says Eli Beech-Brown, ’24, describing the meditative headspace he achieved during his crosscountry cycling journey. “I was incredibly present.”
Several states away, his best friend Miles Gold man, ’24, anxiously checks his location on Find My Friends, worrying about Beech-Brown’s well-being in the wilderness. When they finally connect over a phone call, Goldman is bombarded with philo sophical revelations.
“He would be rattling off the most insane thoughts one after another,” Goldman says, laughing. “I was like, ‘Oh God, has he descended into madness?’ He’d be saying things like, ‘My body’s a machine,’ or, ‘I’m a wild animal — I am no different than the grizzly bears out here.’”
This intense, illuminant bicycle journey across America wasn’t just a physical challenge for Beech-Brown. It was a deeply personal pilgrimage to connect with his late father, who completed a similar journey decades earlier. And a documentary film that Goldman produced about the expe rience wasn’t just a creative endeavor — it was a testament to a profound friendship that emerged on the University of Richmond campus.
A FRIENDSHIP IS BORN
Their story begins, appropriately enough, with bicycles.
Like many friendships forged during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beech-Brown and Goldman initially connected through one of the few social outlets available to Richmond students at the time: club sports. As first-years living in the same residence hall, they joined the Ultimate Frisbee team (affectionately known as the Spidermonkeys) and quickly discovered a mutual appreciation for cycling.
“My earliest memories of connecting with Eli on a deeper level were on bike rides we would take together outside of campus,” Goldman says. They would regularly pedal across the bridge to Pony Pasture, jump in the water, and bike back, still wet, in the darkness. “Those were always refreshing times to check in with each other and talk about the hardest things — or the most important things.”
By sophomore year, their bond had deepened consider ably. It was during one particular walk across Westhamp ton Green that Beech-Brown first mentioned his dream of retracing his late father’s cross-country bicycle journey.
Beech-Brown’s father, Jeff, had passed away unexpect edly a few years prior. He recounted Jeff making this lengthy post-graduation ride, pedaling alone from Michigan to California. Seeking to process his grief and reconnect
“ “
HE’D BE SAYING THINGS LIKE, ‘MY BODY’S A MACHINE,’ OR, ‘I’M A WILD ANIMAL — I AM NO DIFFERENT THAN THE GRIZZLY BEARS OUT HERE.’”
Miles Goldman, left, and Eli BeechBrown. The pair collaborated on a documentary about BeechBrown’s journey on his bike and through his grief.
His days took on a monastic simplicity: Wake up, eat, stretch, pack, bike for eight hours, unpack, eat, stretch, read, write, sleep. Repeat. Every day for 100 days.
“All there is to do is think about who you are and every decision you’ve ever made,” he says. “It was just intense and a lot to handle.”
The experience was punctuated by occasional visits from friends, including other Spiders, though these encounters sometimes made the journey more difficult. After friends left, Beech-Brown experienced what he describes as the difference between solitude and loneliness.
“It’s one thing to spend three days alone and then another 10 and kind of become accustomed to this routine and that sense of solitude,” he explains. “But when someone comes and then leaves, there’s a sense of loneliness.”
The longest stretch without human connection came before Yellowstone — 19 days traversing Wyoming with limited internet access and only brief, superficial inter-
actions with strangers. “It was death by a thousand cuts,” Beech-Brown says of these encounters. “You get the same question a thousand times, yet there’s no depth.”
Yet in this stark isolation, something remarkable happened. BeechBrown found a profound mental clarity and a previously untapped strength.
“I felt the most confident I’ve ever felt in my life,” he says. “You’re incredibly self-sufficient. It’s just me, and I just have to go up this mountain, and I don’t have another choice, and there’s no one to help. And if you do that over and over for 100 days, you feel pretty damned good.”
“ “
ALL THERE IS TO DO IS THINK ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND EVERY DECISION YOU’VE EVER MADE. IT WAS JUST INTENSE AND A LOT TO HANDLE.”
A FRIENDSHIP SUSTAINED
Throughout the journey, Goldman remained BeechBrown’s lifeline, receiving phone calls every few days filled with philosophical musings and raw emotion.
“I was there through the hardest times, like when he was stuck with an injury for three days in a hotel room,” Gold man says. “That was probably one of the lowest points. And just telling him, ‘You’re going to be back on the bike so soon.’”
Goldman marveled at his friend’s mental transformation, particularly during their reunion in Colorado, where they conducted what both consider the most powerful interview of the documentary.
With a stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a setting sun, Goldman interviewed Beech-Brown about his journey. What started as a list of prepared questions quickly evolved into the kind of deep conversation the two friends had always shared — focused on relationships, grief, and love.
“It was so beautiful,” Goldman says simply, emotion evident in his voice. “It was crazy.”
For Beech-Brown, the presence of Miles throughout the journey — whether physically or through phone calls — provided a crucial anchor. “Miles provides a stable presence,” he explains. “I’m prone to being erratic, and my life changes rapidly, often. I find a great stability in Miles that gives me the confidence to continue to pursue a life that is erratic and challenging because I know that there is some sort of unconditional love that is behind me at all times.”
Goldman echoes this sentiment: “I know that I can live my days however I choose or let somebody down or do something that I may not love myself for, but at the end of the day, I always have somebody there for me. And that is the best feeling in the world.”
THE END OF A JOURNEY
Beech-Brown’s 100-day journey concluded in Torrey, Utah — not in San Francisco as his father’s had. The decision to diverge from his father’s route was partly practical (he had friends in Colorado and Utah), but also symbolic.
“I didn’t want to copy his trip completely because it was also my trip,” Beech-Brown says. “In diverging from part of his route, I was making it somewhat my own.”
By journey’s end, Beech-Brown had discovered something profound about grief. “The last part of the trip was to forgive myself,” he says. The journey helped him reconcile his complicated feelings about his relationship with his father and come to appreciate some of his father’s choices in a new light.
“Doing the trip helped me realize the beauty in some of his idiosyncrasies in a way that I had previously been averse to,” Beech-Brown says. “I found them not only to be a logical conclusion of some of the experiences I think he had, but also to be something that I now value in myself.”
A FRIENDSHIP TRANSFORMED?
Their film together came to be called Tailwind of Love. Asked how their friendship changed after the journey and documentary project, both pause thoughtfully. Their answer is somewhat surprising.
“I actually don’t think that much has changed,” BeechBrown says. “But I think that’s really awesome. I think the trip and the film were a culmination of what we had practiced and built over four years.”
Goldman agrees. “I definitely understand Eli more now, obviously,” he says. But the most meaningful outcome is the film itself — a permanent record of their friendship. “Personally, to me, it’s a testament to our friendship ... having the film itself and having it for the rest of
professional collaboration. “There’s a dichotomy between friendship and professionalism in some ways,” BeechBrown says. “That is challenging sometimes because, logistically, we might only have an hour, but we need to have an hour discussing film budgets instead of interpersonal relationships.”
Nevertheless, their friendship remains grounded in the same qualities that defined it at Richmond: deep conversation, unconditional support, and a shared capacity for introspection.
“Our relationship has always been super introspective,” Goldman says. “I think it’s largely due to his worldview and love for learning. He pushes me to think greater about myself and my place in the world and the people that I love. Every time we get on the phone, it’s like I have a new vigor for life because we talk about some big theme. ... I don’t have that relationship with anybody else.”
Both Beech-Brown and Goldman think fondly of their student days on campus, where their friendship took root, strengthening each year that passed.
I DIDN’T WANT TO COPY HIS TRIP
“ “ IN DIVERGING FROM PART OF HIS ROUTE,
veracity for life and willingness to take risks in order to feel that sense of aliveness.”
Goldman nods in agreement. “At the end of the day, Richmond brought Eli and I together, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Throughout their Richmond years, cycling remained a constant — from those early rides to Pony Pasture to regular trips to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. These smaller journeys foreshadowed the epic quest to come.
“I can see how [the] bike rides Eli and I went on in college [scaled up] to this massive trip,” Goldman observes. “[They’re] not only a vehicle for getting places, but for navigating your thoughts.”
A LOOK TO THE HORIZON
The documentary about Beech-Brown’s journey is still being finalized, with both friends deeply invested in crafting the final product. Goldman returned to campus in the spring to screen the latest version and receive feedback from film faculty. He is eyeing a release date sometime
United States — they remain committed to maintaining their bond. In fact, they managed to see each other every month for five straight months after graduation until Beech-Brown’s departure for South America.
And they’re already planning their next adventure. “One day Miles will go on a bike trip with me,” Beech-Brown insists. “On a tandem. That’s my dream.” When Goldman chuckles, Beech-Brown doubles down. “That’s not a joke. Might be next year too. Might be next summer.”
Whatever form their next adventure takes, it’s clear that the friendship forged at Richmond and strengthened through this remarkable journey will continue to be a defining force in both their lives. As Beech-Brown rode across America processing his grief, he discovered the power of love — not just the love he had for his father, but the steadfast love of friendship that carried him through the journey.
“By coming to terms with one’s own mortality, you can feel more alive than ever before,” Beech-Brown says with a pensive look on his face. And that sense of vitality keeps
COMPLETELY BECAUSE IT WAS ALSO MY TRIP,
I WAS MAKING IT SOMEWHAT MY OWN.”
THE PROFESSOR WHO MERGES SOCRATES AND SPREADSHEETS
BY MATTHEW DEWALD | PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE BETTS, ILLUSTRATIONS BY JAMIE DOUGLAS
Accounting professor Joe Hoyle has spent decades refining a teaching style that’s both demanding and deeply supportive — and he invites parents to see it for themselves.
“So what you’re saying is the unaudited business is not worth owning?”
THE PROFESSOR’S QUESTION WAS NOT SO SIMPLE: “Unfortunately, Ms. Abbott, we used $80,000 here, and we used $100,000 there, and we got the $50,000 back,” it began. “But we’ve still got $120,000 left of that loss, so what the heck are you going to do with that $120,000, probably?”
It was a Monday afternoon in late March, a little past the halfway point of the spring 2025 semester. Ms. Abbott — Sierra to her friends — paused. A sophomore from Massachusetts, she was sitting in one of the accounting department’s most notoriously difficult classes, ACCT 302: Intermediate Accounting II. Teaching it was one of the university’s longest-serving professors. The question, posed directly to her, put her in the hot seat.
Another factor raised the stakes further. A few feet away in the row behind her sat her mother, Jen.
The story of how Sierra Abbott faced that question in that class under those circumstances is wrapped up in another story — that of her professor, Joe Hoyle.
Hoyle began teaching accounting at Richmond in 1979. In total, he has been teaching it for 54 years and counting. On its face, accounting does not seem like a discipline poised to be ground zero for a pedagogical revolution. Hoyle is pioneering one from it anyway. To do so, he has reached back thousands of years to Socrates for inspiration. He has also looked inward, reexamining every assumption
“We seek innovative thinking from our students. They deserve innovative thinking from us.”
and experience he has ever had related to teaching.
“We seek innovative thinking from our students,” he writes in his book Transformative Education. “They deserve innovative thinking from us.”
As a result, his accounting classroom is unlike any other at the university and, probably, in the country. The first thing a visitor notices is that every student in the room is paying close attention nearly all of the time. There is a practical reason for this. Hoyle teaches accounting using his adaptation of the Socratic method. That is, he walks students through accounting practices, assumptions, and thinking via a stream of questions posed to individual students, one by one.
The class session in March offered a typical example of exactly how it works. After some preliminary chatter while returning assignments and then reviewing a concept from an earlier class, he dove into the topic of the day: deferred tax assets. That’s when the questions started. Over the remaining 45 minutes, the 25 students in the class collectively answered 148 questions.
Each question began the exact same way: with a student’s name. He directs each question to one of them specifically.
“I always call their name first in case they’re not paying attention,” Hoyle said later in his office. “I need to be sure they hear what I want to ask.”
When calling on each student, he uses a courtesy title and their last name. It lends a bit of formality to class in an era when many professors not only address students by first name, but invite students to address them likewise. That is not Hoyle’s style.
“If they call me Professor Hoyle, which is what I want, it’s unfair of me to call them by their first name,” he said. “I want them to know that I’m serious about this. I prepare hours for each class, even though I’ve taught for 54 years. My wife says I’m a slow learner, but I want them to know I take it seriously.”
Every student gets multiple questions over the course of every class session. Some questions are rat-a-tat-tat requests for which figures should go where on a spreadsheet mocked up across six whiteboards in his comically bad handwriting. Some questions ask students to evaluate others’ perspectives, whether the likely stance of a company CEO or an interpretation a classmate has just delivered.
The most common question is some version of “Why?” As the lesson goes on and increases in complexity, Hoyle refers back to students’ earlier answers, positioning them as the experts upon whose expertise he is building.
When a student is stumped, he lets them off the hook quickly. He’s not interested in embarrassing anyone. He wants something more ambitious than a right answer. He wants students to understand why a right answer is right.
“I believe great classes are most often built around the teacher’s ability to craft questions that will puzzle students,” he writes in his book. “Carefully developed questions that ask for explanations like, ‘How can we do this?’ and ‘Why do we do that?’ are fabulous as a basis for learning.”
Hoyle began experimenting with the Socratic method in 1991, long before his current students were born. “I told anyone who asked,” he explained, “that I hoped to become a kinder, gentler version of Charles Kingsfield,” the archetypically brutal Harvard Law professor played by John Houseman in the 1973 film The Paper Chase. Hoyle had noticed that while students feared Kingsfield, they also worked long and hard to be prepared for class and developed a strong understanding of the complex course material. That led Hoyle to an epiphany about “what one teacher can accomplish in one class period with just two things: prepared students and good questions,” he said.
Refining the question-and-answer format over decades has borne out this insight. He has watched as it prompts
students’ active involvement in their learning, a point he made in his office after his March class.
“Every single one of those students got one or more questions right by the time they walked out,” he said. “It was not a question of me simply conveying information to them. They got the answers right themselves.”
Abbott, the sophomore from Massachusetts, answered seven questions that day, including the one about the $120,000. (She correctly said that it is carried forward and reduces future tax liability.)
Sitting in the row behind her, her mother got a unique window into her daughter’s education at Richmond. A parent’s presence in a college class is, to put it mildly, unusual. Hoyle invites it. At the start of every 302 class he teaches, he invites students to provide their parents’ email addresses to him so he can communicate with them directly. It’s completely voluntary, and most students take him up on it.
Then, after the first week of classes, he sends the first of several emails to the parents. He’s been doing it since 2001. He warns them that their child is enrolled in what is “considered the most challenging course in our program and perhaps at the university as a whole.” He speaks generally about his philosophy of teaching. “In my classes, I don’t want students to view accounting as a bunch of rules to be memorized, but rather as a way of thinking.”
attended, and the pair saw each other at school every day for four years.
Watching through her teacher’s eyes, Jen came away from the class impressed. “I loved his teaching style,” she said. “Yes, he cold-called on kids, which can actually be terrifying. He was so encouraging. If they didn’t know the answer, he helped them through it. I loved the way he interacted with students. He knew all of their names. I think that’s really important. I’m really happy I got the chance [to sit in].”
Another pair of parents in class that day came with a completely different perspective. Bill and Carole Ann Rohan — parents of Brandt Rohan, ’27 — are 1996 UR graduates. Both already knew Hoyle. As an undergraduate, Carole Ann was a student with him in a Russian class.
Throughout his career, Hoyle has often enrolled in courses, especially ones in which he has little or no knowledge. In addition to Russian, the subjects have included creative writing, large-format photography, and ballroom dancing. He does it “just to remind myself of what it is like to be the person in class who feels lost and confused,” he wrote on his teaching blog in 2011.
“I can balance a ledger, but here I’m just trying not to be a liability.”
Federal law, he acknowledges, prevents him from discussing any student specifically without their permission, but he cautions that the students collectively will face tough challenges, and he offers advice. Simple positive encouragement, such as saying, “‘I know you are tired and frustrated, but you can learn this stuff,’ goes a long way,” he writes.
He also encourages parents to talk regularly about business-related topics: “Things that you take for granted, such as getting a loan or how employee promotions are determined, can seem foreign to even the smartest 20-year-old.” He includes a link to his book and a 2024 TEDx Talk he gave about teaching. (The talk is linked from this story on magazine.richmond.edu.)
For Jen Abbott, Sierra’s mother, the main takeaway from his communication “was how much he loves what he does and cares about the success of his students,” she said.
That first message also invites the parents to sit in on a class session whenever they like. Between five and 10 show up over the course of an average semester. Jen Abbott worked in the visit when weekend plans to visit Sierra morphed into a Monday departure. She traveled from Massachusetts.
For the Abbotts, there was no awkwardness about mom’s presence. Jen is a teacher at the high school Sierra
For Bill, the connection with Hoyle was even closer. An accounting major at UR, he took Hoyle’s 302 class, the very class he was sitting in on in March. Today, he’s a managing director at Deloitte in the New York City metro region.
“It’s kind of ironic that the one class we get asked to attend is this class,” he said. The session felt familiar to him. “I don’t want to say it’s confrontational, but it’s an intense process. Notwithstanding that, it definitely shines through that he cares for individuals in an over-and-above way. It reminded me that he helped a lot, not just in the classroom. It was a tough class to be in, but when you got to know him, you realize he was doing it for the right reasons.”
Carole Ann, whose background is in the sciences, came away impressed in a different way. “I was surprised at how engaged I was and how much I actually learned from the class,” she said. “I was also thinking that if I was in that class, I would have been a nervous wreck.”
These are the kinds of reactions Hoyle is hoping for when he invites parents to class. “The reason I decided to start inviting parents for this particular course was because it is so flipping hard,” he said. “I hope they walk away with an excitement about their kid’s experience and say, ‘I am so happy my son or daughter came to the University of Richmond. These people are not just treating them sweetly, but they’re really pushing them to be great.’”
AN EVANGELIST FOR PURPOSEFUL TEACHING
Hoyle distributes his 2023 book Transformative Education: How Can You Become a Better College Teacher? online for free. “I don’t believe people should hoard educational ideas, so I never tried to get a publisher,” he explained. “Instead, I am happy to give the book away.” (There is a link to the book in the online version of this story.)
BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD BEYOND THE SCOREBOARD
Above photograph courtesy of Richmond Athletics
Spider student-athletes have an entire team behind them taking a holistic approach to nurturing their potential.
BY SANDI CAULEY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE BETTS
FEAR CAN RATTLE THE MOST TALENTED AMONG US.
Despite her accomplishments, it has sometimes gotten ahold of distance runner Izzy Blaylock, ’25.
She was the top freshman performer in the 1,000-meter run at the Atlantic 10 championships in her first year. In her junior year, she received All-East honors for her performance in the 1,000-meter run at the Eastern College Athletic Conference championships. She also has received awards for her academic achievement and civic engagement. Still, the road has not been easy.
“I really struggle with all these things on my plate, and so often I’m trying to make everything work and sometimes pieces slip,” she says. “I think I just put too much pressure on myself to fit the role of a perfect person.”
Blaylock says the pressure has sometimes left her with paralyzing anxiety.
“There was a point in my life where I thought, ‘If I get on that line right now and it goes poorly, everyone’s going to think that I’m not worth anything,’” she says.
For Blaylock, one key to breaking this cycle of negative thinking has been the support of others. After arriving at Richmond, she realized quickly that her team wasn’t just her coaches and the teammates running alongside her. She had another entire team of Spiders behind her.
The team looking out for Blaylock — and all other Spider student-athletes — is organized through a program called Spider Performance. Known informally as SP4, it is Richmond’s signature student-athlete success program. SP4 brings together coaches, tutors, psychologists, advisers, mentors, doctors, trainers, faculty, and others to provide an elite level of coordinated, comprehensive, and individualized support for every Spider who competes in one of UR’s 17 Division I sports. SP4’s goal is to give them all the best opportunity to become champions on the field, in the classroom, in their careers, and in their personal lives.
“I’m truly indebted to them,” says Blaylock. “I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Lauren Wicklund, senior associate athletic director, is one of the people Blaylock leans on for support. Wicklund says SP4 is the result of a goal she and athletics director John Hardt have been working toward for years: to create the best student-athlete support system in the country.
“We knew it was more than just strength and conditioning, more than just leadership or academics or well-being,” explains Wicklund. “It was all of those things combined.”
Spider Performance is abbreviated SP4 because it focuses on four areas of student-athlete success: athletic, academic, personal, and professional achievement. For athletes, SP4 starts even before they arrive at Richmond and is the road map of their athletic and academic journey.
Many student-athletes don’t even realize it’s happening, and that’s kind of the point.
“There are times when it will be really pronounced, like when you’re a first-year or when you’re getting ready to go into your senior year,” Wicklund says. “But for the most part, they are not seeing what we’re doing behind the scenes to make it all happen.”
For example, teams use sports science and technology to gather analytics on athletes and create custom workouts to boost performance. At the same time, advisers, tutors, and mentors help athletes manage their coursework, labs, and presentations. Doctors and therapists provide nutrition plans and mental health support, while trainers serve as onsite physical therapists. Career counselors help student-athletes line up internships, prepare for interviews, and build the skills necessary for their future careers. Other staff members arrange leadership, team-building, and personal development programming on everything from financial literacy to cooking classes to learning to change a tire. SP4 is, by design, a comprehensive approach to doing all of it well.
“Students coming into college often struggle with connecting to resources,” says Wicklund, who has been at Richmond for seven years and has made her career in collegiate athletics. “If you want to have the best experience possible, you’ve got to understand how things work and where the resources are.”
Wicklund has worked hard to put all those resources together. She’s seen student-athlete support programs of various shapes and sizes, but she says that few do it as well as Richmond. She attributes that to the SP4 team’s willingness to collaborate.
ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS
One of the best words to describe Blaylock is “driven.” She’s a double major in philosophy, politics, economics, and law (PPEL) and history and ran cross-country and track for the Spiders. This means she ran all year long for all four years. She also served on the A-10’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, completed three internships, and held the highest GPA of any Spider athlete graduating in 2025.
“Izzy is special,” says R.D. Montgomery, associate director of student athlete success and part of the SP4 team.
“She’s very self-motivated, very smart, very driven, and she’s extremely ambitious.”
Montgomery arrived at Richmond about the same time as Blaylock. In that time, he’s watched her juggle a hectic track schedule, a full academic schedule, and internships at Virginia’s state Capitol and in Washington, D.C.
“The hardest thing for me with Izzy is to scale her back,” says Montgomery. “Because she wants to do it all.”
Blaylock, the seventh-generation Texan, says her goal is to work in politics. She will begin law school at the University of Virginia in the fall.
“I’m doing this for something bigger,” explains Blaylock. “I’m doing this to make other people’s lives around me better.”
Despite all that Blaylock has accomplished, the law school application process was a big hurdle for her. She worried in particular about writing her personal statement. She reached out to Montgomery, who then reached out to Brandon Metheny, director of admissions at Richmond Law. Metheny agreed to serve as a mentor, and the rest just fell into place.
“The woman Izzy interviewed with at UVA just happened to be the mentee of Brandon Metheny,” says Montgomery. “They hit it off instantly, and that’s how networking works. I just helped guide a little bit, but she did 99% of the work.”
Most of what Montgomery does helps student-athletes secure a job. The process begins in the student-athletes’ first year with just a simple introduction, and it ramps up as they move through their four years.
He says his role is especially important for first-generation students who don’t know how college works — let alone the networking aspects of it.
In many cases, students will have jobs waiting for them. Such is the case for Brian Reinke, ’25, a baseball player who found a position with CapTech before graduation. The same is true for Sofia Mancino, ’25, a soccer player who has accepted a position with AT&T in New York before commencement.
In cases where a student-athlete is focused on turning pro in their sport, Montgomery preps them too.
“I view [being a professional athlete] as being a small-business owner,” says Montgomery. “You’re a brand. You must hire an agent and a manager. You now have employees.”
Of the 99 student-athletes in the Class of 2024, 59 reported having secured a job before graduation; 25 went to grad school; two took a gap year; and six became professional athletes.
The facilities and the resources that we have here will make anyone better.
—GOLFER MAYA BEASLEY
The remaining seven did not respond to the survey.
“I’m excited. We really have good kids,” says Montgomery. “I help them find information to make decisions about their future: ‘Let’s figure out what you’re into. Like really dig in and figure out who you are.’”
COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT
Golfer Maya Beasley and tennis player Cole Brashear might not appear to have much in common, but they’re more alike than they are different.
Both left home as teenagers to live at sport-specific academies, she in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and he in Las Vegas. Both will graduate in 2027. Both are bonded to their teammates. And both have won a championship since arriving on campus.
They have also both faced challenges when managing their academics and personal success. But they also agree that one of the biggest challenges has been making friends outside their sport.
“I’m part of Theta sorority on campus,” says Beasley. “I joined this year because sometimes you just need a little bit of an escape from it (sports), and it’s cool to be able to do both.”
Brashear took a little longer to adjust. “For me, it’s been very easy to open up and talk to all my teachers and coaches,” says Brashear.
Brashear, a men’s tennis player from Georgia, says he took advantage of opportunities to sit down with Rachel Turk, SP4’s full-time psychologist. He said Turk mostly listened, but it was enough to help him work through his feelings of isolation.
Brashear says he has taken advantage of as many SP4 offerings as possible. Despite being a longtime athlete, he says he’s never had access to this level of resources.
“I started having pretty intense back problems last year,” says Brashear. “[The athletic trainers] have been helping me through that this entire time. I’m still seeing them three or four times a week, so that’s been very nice. And that was surprising. I didn’t think it would be that extensive.”
Ensuring that students have the support they need when they need it most is an important part of SP4’s approach.
“We see these students at their most vulnerable time,” Wicklund says. “They come in stressed out about a grade or a class, and our academic coordinators work diligently to support them. The same is true for when they’re fighting through tough things like their mental health. We get them with the staff psychologist. We started to notice when periods of high stress were and implemented programs such as Wellness Wednesdays where we bring in the therapy dogs or offer massages.”
Brashear and Beasley both say they have used tutors to help them with classwork. Sometimes those tutors are other athletes. They can also be students from across campus.
“My academic adviser is Isabelle Rose,” says Beasley. “If I have a question about anything or need a tutor, she’ll set it up, and they will be in the Millhiser study hall waiting for me. They can help me with anything I need.”
Beasley, a PPEL major, grew up in New York state but now calls North Carolina home. She and her teammates just won the first Atlantic 10 Women’s Golf Championship.
Beasley said she knew she wanted to come to Richmond as soon as she visited campus, but she’s been “blown away” by the support system and opportunities curated through SP4.
“The facilities and the resources that we have here will make anyone better,” explains Beasley. “I’m going to Spain this summer to study abroad. It’s normal for [non-athlete] students to go abroad. Now I get to do it, too.”
She doesn’t plan to play golf while in Europe and will instead enjoy the down time, a break that people throughout her support system encourage.
“If anything, I’ve learned from my coaches that it’s OK to take a day off and really focus on recovery,” she says. “I think honestly that’s what’s made me stronger.”
Photograph courtesy of Richmond Athletics
COLLABORATION TAKES CENTER COURT
On Anna Camden’s first day on campus with her new team, in her first 20 minutes of practice, before she’d made one friend, she went down on the basketball court, her knee throbbing with pain she’d never experienced before.
Camden, a 6-foot-3-inch forward, graduated from Penn State the previous spring. She transferred to Richmond as a fifth-year student-athlete to play basketball as a Spider during the 2023-24 season.
Sara Spencer, an athletic trainer at Richmond, was the first to render aid and evaluate Camden’s knee. She called on senior athletic trainer Andy McPherson for a second opinion. The two knew Camden had torn her ACL, but they held back that news.
“How do you share that information?” McPherson says. “‘Hey, your ACL is torn, and you’re done for the season.’ That’s not the time or place because of [her] vulnerability and emotions.”
Instead, the pair notified the team orthopedist and secured appointments for the following morning. Spencer arrived at 7 a.m. to drive Camden, who was now on crutches, to the doctor.
“Sara was my first friend,” Camden says. “It was like a forced friendship, but she was the first person [apart from my coaches] that I had a connection to at Richmond.”
After coming to terms with the news that she had torn her ACL, Camden faced a list of choices. They included when she was going to have surgery, where she was going to rehab, and even whether she was going to stay at Richmond for grad school or just retire from basketball.
“I could have easily been like, ‘Clearly this isn’t meant for me,’ and been done,” Camden says.
Anyone who’s ever torn an ACL can attest to the fact that the injury is life-altering and humbling. For a Division I athlete, the injury is devastating. There’s a point in the first stage of the injury when you realize you are fragile, perhaps for the first time. You must also come to terms with the fact that no matter how much you will yourself to walk or play again, you physically cannot.
Camden says McPherson quickly shifted his support to addressing her well-being more broadly.
“I said, ‘I don’t think I have any fight left in me,’ and he just looks at me, and says, ‘Yes, you do,’” Camden says. “Just very gently, ‘Yes, you do. You have fight left.’ I started crying. I believed him.”
For the next nine months, McPherson, Spencer, and head strength coach Beacher Porter worked hard to get Camden ready for a comeback. More than her athletic performance was on the line. The work included reaching out to academic advisers to set up Camden’s class schedule and coursework, getting a temporary disabled parking placard for her car, and helping her grab meals. She juggled it all while getting back to walking, then running, then jumping, and finally playing.
“There were times when she was in there twice a day,” Porter says. “If it had been up to her, we would have been in four sessions a day.”
To call Camden determined is putting it lightly. Five days after surgery, she was off her crutches. Days later, she was in rehab doing hurdles and getting bored. Spencer recalls how fast Camden wanted to move.
“She was like, ‘When can we get out on the court?’ and we were nowhere close,” says Spencer. “Andy and I were like, ‘Slow down. You were on crutches last week.’”
Camden spent a lot of time on the underwater treadmill and doing rehab with Spencer. Once she was cleared to go harder, more work with Porter got her back to her athletic self. She documented much of it on her social media, where she has more than 400,000 combined followers on TikTok and Instagram.
“It takes a lot of people, but also it takes individualized attention at each spot,” adds McPherson. “It’s not a cookiecutter recipe.”
The Camden recipe worked. Spencer remembers Camden’s first game back.
“We opened against Temple in Philly, and I’m pretty sure there was a group text between Andy, Beacher, and me, and it said, ‘I’m not crying, you’re crying,’” recalls Spencer. “Andy had tears. I had tears. It’s just one of those things, when you put all this effort in and finally see — she did it. That’s good.”
Another crowning achievement for Camden applies to her education. The extra year on campus meant she was able to complete her two-year master’s degree and graduate following her final basketball season.
ONE RICHMOND
Porter says SP4 is the biggest change in his work as a strength coach because of how it has given his colleagues the opportunity to create optimized plans for Spider athletes.
“It has allowed us to all come together,” says Porter. “I have my expertise. They have their expertise. It’s not about one of us more than the other.”
McPherson agrees. He says SP4’s alignment means there are fewer hoops to jump through so the team can pivot and get someone like Camden help immediately. He thinks of it like a theater company. He says student-athletes are the performers while the doctors, trainers, coaches, staff, and faculty are the stage crew: You don’t see the set building or costume designers — but it all happens behind the scenes to support what you do see from your seat.
“This is the most collaborative place I’ve ever worked,” Wicklund, SP4’s director, says. “From the faculty to the dining hall and nutritionists to maintenance and facilities, everyone is so collaborative here.
“That’s why we can dream big, and I love that.”
Sandi Cauley is an Emmy Award-winning producer, writer, and communications manager. She is an associate director of marketing at the University of Richmond.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
SP4 takes its name because the program has four areas of focus: athletic, academic, personal, and professional achievement. This comprehensive approach results in highly personalized care plans that help student-athletes before, during, and after game day.
KICKOFF
Bessent and crew will be there when Spider football’s home season kicks off Sept. 20 against VMI. Homecoming is against Holy Cross Oct. 18. For the full schedule, go to richmondspiders. com.
Tailgate tales
Last year, our colleagues at UR Now ran a story about a group of 1985 alumni who have been tailgating at Spider football games for four decades. Not long after, an email showed up in UR Now’s inbox. It began, “While quite impressive, it pales in comparison to our group of over 50 years!”
The sender was Ron Bessent, R’70. The competition he hinted at was definitely friendly. “We started our tailgating ritual in 1970, the year I graduated, and continued nonstop (except for COVID) every year since,” he wrote. “The brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma and friends have been together for every home, and many away, games since then.”
The group has another claim to fame. In the 1990s, they started the UR Alumni Kazoo Band, a mainstay at Spider games in old City Stadium for many years.
The band went from famous to Collegian-famous when the student newspaper profiled them in 2001. Student reporter Jennifer Brown quoted Bessent saying, “It is amazing how otherwise responsible adults
... can be so crazy during football season.”
Late in the 2024 football season, a staffer from this magazine dropped by their tailgate to say hello. As the Spiders and William & Mary warmed up inside the stadium, Bessent and crew were in their usual spot: Lot C, space 209. The landmark to look for was a steaming pot of oysters. Among the crew of 15 that day were fraternity brothers, at least one former cheerleader, and more than a few folks happily retired from a variety of fields. Tailgating is a big part of how they keep up their friendship.
Bessent’s wife, Linda — a UVa grad, forgive her — said her husband has missed only four home games in 55 years: two because of family weddings and two because of the couple’s commitments as shag dance instructors. This fall, the group will begin its 56th season tailgating together.
“We’ve been through it all,” Bessent said. “We’ve done this through the heat and hurricanes and snowstorms and everything else. No matter what, we’re here on a home Saturday.”
Record-breaking
Thanks to the dedicated Spider family, UR Here 2025 raised a record $2.8 million in donations from more than 4,000 contributors.
The 36-hour event saw participation from alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and community supporters. These funds support the university’s academic programs, scholarships, and student activities. This year’s total represents the highest amount raised during any giving day in the university’s history.
Homecoming FYIs
Mark your calendars: Homecoming Weekend 2025 will be here before you know it. Join fellow alumni for tailgates, class reunions, and Spider sporting events Oct. 17–19.
Reconnect with campus, which has likely had an upgrade or two since your last visit. The Burying Ground Memorial opened in May, and Boatwright Library is in the final stages of its new atrium extension.
Registration and a full schedule are available at homecoming.richmond.edu.
Keep in touch
Have you moved? Gotten a big promotion? Started a new business or a family? Two steps.
1.) Send the magazine a Class Note so your fellow Spiders can celebrate with you: classnotes@richmond.edu
2.) Make sure your contact information is up-to-date by emailing magazine.richmond. edu. That way, you’ll also get the latest updates about campus and alumni between issues of the magazine.
Visit alumni.richmond.edu to get connected and see what alumni events are coming up near you.
CAMPUS
These Spiders are about to begin their 56th season tailgating together.
ALUM DRIVES ROVER ON MARS Amy Snyder Hale, W’93, literally left her mark on another planet. The April 18 issue of Science magazine features the Mars Science Laboratory’s groundbreaking work on Martian carbonates — with tracks made by the rover while under Hale’s remote control.
“It feels pretty nifty,” says Hale, who credits her success to foundations built in the UR physics department. Though rover driving is just one part of her role at MSL, Hale describes it as “definitely my favorite and the most fun.”
Spirited steps
When President Kevin F. Hallock needed footwear to reflect his school spirit, he turned to an artist who specializes in wearable masterpieces.
Quentin Southall, ’24 — the creative force behind Q’s Custom Sneakers — transformed a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths into a vibrant homage to Spider athletics. The one-of-akind sneakers feature an intricate collage of sports logos, insignia, and personal touches that celebrate Hallock, the university, and the Spider community.
“I designed and painted these sneakers with as many Richmond Spiders sports logos I could dream of,” Southall explains.
The artwork incorporates the number 11 throughout the design, acknowledging Hallock’s place as Richmond’s 11th president. A second pair for Tina Hallock evokes her recent childrens book, Along Came the Spiders — read more on Page 14.
What makes these kicks truly special is the personal touch —
portraits of the Hallocks’ two beloved dogs are artfully integrated into the colorful design, adding warmth to the university pride displayed on each shoe.
The Richmond-based artist meticulously hand-paints each pair with specialized techniques developed through years of experimentation and refinement. Southall’s work transforms standard shoes into unique expressions of identity and affiliation.
For Hallock, an avid Richmond athletics “superfan,” these custom Stan Smiths aren’t just footwear — they’re a wearable celebration of his commitment to the university and its sporting tradition, adding an extra dash of Richmond spirit to each step he takes.
Q’S CUSTOM SNEAKERS
Southall, who established his custom sneaker business in 2018, has built a reputation for turning ordinary footwear into extraordinary art. His previous clients include athletes, celebrities, and now university leadership.
THE SILENT ALPHABET BOOK
JOSIAH ROUTHIER, ’13, GB’24
A playful alphabet book highlighting silent letters hidden within everyday words. Each letter develops a distinct personality — such as “R” competing in beauty pageants and “X” racing cars in faux leather.
FOOTPRINTS IN
FAITH: A HISTORY OF ST. PHILIP’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, 1861-2021
KENNETH S. ANDERSON, ’17, L’20
A Richmond-area church founded in 1861 by enslaved and free African Americans is chronicled through the stories of parishioners who rose from enslavement to success, faced Jim Crow, and fought for civil rights.
SISTERHOOD OF THE LOST CAUSE: CONFEDERATE WIDOWS IN THE NEW SOUTH
JENNIFER LYNN GROSS, G’95
This book examines the lasting impact of widowhood through the stories of Confederate women during and after the Civil War.
CLEANUP ON AISLE MINE
DAN CELLUCCI ’04
A daily reflection book sharing humorous and vulnerable personal stories — from parenting mishaps to travel adventures. Blending a Catholic perspective with everyday moments, these brief vignettes reveal the power of an ordinary life and invite soulsearching.
By Rayne Miller
MORE BEHIND THE SCENES
Dugandzic, Hansen, and Beck had more memories about being extras in Cry Wolf than there was space for in this article. For a deeper dive into their experience — and more entertaining quotes — visit magazine.richmond .edu/alumni.
Cry Wolf turns 20
Alumni reflect on their time as movie extras when the cult horror film was shot on campus in the mid-2000s.
Twenty years ago, the University of Richmond became a film set for the horror thriller Cry Wolf . Students were given the opportunity to appear as extras alongside stars Julian Morris, Lindy Booth, and Jon Bon Jovi. Today, three alumni share memories of movie magic on campus.
“I was involved in theater at Richmond, and the Cry Wolf team reached out to the theater department for extras,” says Shauna Havercamp Dugandzic, ’07. For Megan Cummings Hansen, ’07, the experience became a core memory with her roommate Heather Reineke Richmond, ’07 — “one of the first memories we made together.”
Filming turned familiar campus settings into the fictional Westlake Preparatory High School. Dugandzic found it “strange being in a computer lab that I had been in as a student that was refitted as a high school classroom.”
Hansen spent a day filming “many takes
walking out of Keller Hall” before being moved to the green for scenes of students “playing Frisbee, talking, relaxing.” Dugandzic’s experience was closer to the stars — she was unexpectedly positioned next to lead actor Julian Morris during classroom scenes.
Emily Shea Beck, ’07, also had a brush with Morris: “I accidentally ran into Julian’s rucksack and knocked him down a few steps during one take. I was super embarrassed, obviously. Actually, this probably isn’t surprising to anyone who knows me.”
For sharp-eyed Spider viewers, these alumni and others can be spotted in the film. Dugandzic appears at 13:40, “the blonde wearing black rimmed glasses next to Julian (Owen) in the classroom” — above, second row — and again at 44:36. Hansen appears in the trailer walking down the steps of Keller Hall carrying a book as she crosses in front of the main charac-
ters. Beck couldn’t recall a timestamp but appears in a scene where students rush out of a school building. “You can recognize me because I’m looking at the camera and smiling, the only two things they repeatedly told us not to do.”
The production created some uniquely collegiate moments. Dugandzic remembers students blasting Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” from dorm windows whenever the rock star-turned-actor filmed outdoor scenes. “I felt bad for the folks trying to get the shot,” she says, “but I also remember chuckling to myself — that’s what you get for filming on a college campus!”
Two decades later, the film remains nostalgic for each alum. Hansen felt “a lot of pride that UR was chosen as the movie location,” while Dugandzic occasionally uses her time on set as an icebreaker: “Not very many folks can say they were in a movie with Jon Bon Jovi.”
As Dugandzic puts it: “I can’t believe it’s already been 20 years since the filming. We are not that old!”
“
Winning the gold was a big moment.”
Teeing up
What began as a modest gathering of 18 golfers in 2023 has evolved into a significant networking event for Spider grads. The annual MBA Alumni Golf Tournament, co-organized by Chris Rinaldi, GB’23, and Austin Chandler, L’18 and GB’19, has more than doubled in size with over 50 participants this year.
“The thing about golf is you can build strong relationships while playing,” says Rinaldi, who learned the sport at age 7 from his grandfather. His passion for golf and the Spider community inspired the tournament’s creation.
it creates — you’re outside with people you care about, and the sport is both challenging and relaxing,” he says. “It’s a rare space where relationships deepen naturally.”
Hosted at Richmond Country Club in partnership with Emily Martin Julien, GB’23, the tournament has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants.
“The word that comes up most is ‘connection,’” says Chandler. “People love having an informal yet meaningful space to meet other Richmond MBAs, swap stories, and talk about careers.”
Beyond networking, both organizers envision the tournament eventually funding scholarships for future MBA students.
BOOKS
AND THEN CAME YOU: WHEN FAMILIES GROW, LOVE GROWS TOO CHRISTINA SHAWN, ’02
This story shows children the positive side of family changes, that despite initial discomfort, “a family can be full of love at any size.”
THE FAITHFUL SKEPTIC: IN SEARCH OF A HUMBLE CHRISTIANITY
JAN G. LINN, R’67
This book explores how a healthy Christianity embraces skepticism rather than demanding conformity. It suggests that faith’s strength lies in asking meaningful questions that guide ethical living and positive change in the world.
THE MALEVOLENT PATRICK R. FIELD, R’86
Griffin discovers his mansion is haunted by Angelus, who died in 1919. As he uncovers Angelus’ forbidden romance, Griffin must choose between helping the vengeful spirit or protecting his loved ones.
MURDER STRIKES A CHORD
HEATHER WEIDNER, ’00
Chandler, who began playing during college when friends lent him clubs and taught him the game, shares this enthusiasm. “What lights me up about golf is the environment
KLUB COMMUNITY Chandler and Rinaldi co-founded Klub Community to organize the growing event. “Our mission is to connect alumni to current students while providing an event for the Richmond MBA to tie itself even further into the Greater Richmond community,” says Rinaldi. QUOTATION
Cassidy inherits her grandmother’s event planning business and quirky elderly employees, the Pearly Girls. After landing a major band booking, she discovers the lead singer dead in her venue. Now she must solve the murder to save both her business and the Pearly Girls.
MBA ALUMNI
ISABEL BENVENUTI, ’18 , gold medalist at the 2025 Para Climbing National Championships.
This Spider gear and more can be found in the Spider Shop at urspidershop.com.
We welcome your news. Send information to your class secretary or directly to the magazine at classnotes @richmond.edu. Or you may mail it to the magazine at Fountain Hall • 118 UR Drive • University of Richmond, VA 23173. Please include your class year and the name you were known by as a student, if different than today. For your children, please include birth dates rather than ages. Photographs of alumni are welcome and encouraged. Please note that the magazine does not publish news of engagements or pregnancies. Information may take up to two issues to publish. Class notes do not appear on the magazine’s website.
The magazine uses undergraduate degree designations for graduates through 1992, and law, graduate, and honorary degree designations for all years.
B Robins School of Business
C School of Professional and Continuing Studies
G Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
GB Richard S. Reynolds Graduate School of Business
GC Graduate School of Professional and Continuing Studies
H Honorary Degree
L School of Law
R Richmond College
W Westhampton College
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’54Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
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dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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Class notes are available only in the print edition. To submit your news and photos, contact your class secretary or email us at classnotes@richmond.edu.
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For information about photos, see:
3.
4.
1. Hilda Moore Hankins, W’50
2. Corinne Henry Barkdull, W’70
Adele Affleck Medved, W’71
Patrick Kilpatrick, R’72
5. Bill Sterling, R’73
THOMAS KLEIN, L’78
Bridge builder
When Thomas Klein, L’78, took the empty, avoided seat beside the first Black student in his elementary school band class, desegregation was new at the time. But as a Jewish person beginning to navigate antisemitism, Klein saw only what they had in common: They both played clarinet.
“I was able to put myself in the shoes of someone coming into a situation where they may not be understood,” Klein said. “I’ve had kids in the neighborhood say all these bad things about Jewish people, not knowing that I was one. I didn’t blame them — I assumed that was the kind of stuff being said in their house.”
Early experiences like these molded Klein’s worldview, carrying him through Richmond Law and his subsequent career. He began practicing law, then transitioned to the title insurance industry, where he built a thriving agency. Through it all, Klein quietly championed diversity well before it became a widespread corporate initiative.
“There were not many independent title agencies back then,” Klein said. He hired based on talent regardless of background at a time when many other employers didn’t.
Klein continued to face his own uncomfortable moments of discrimination. During dinner with a company president, the president made an antisemitic comment. “I didn’t know what to say,” he said, “but later in the conversation, I brought up my Jewish background. The president got very embarrassed and apologized, but you can’t take that kind of thing out of a person.”
Today, Klein co-manages the National Independent Agency Solutions, a national title industry consulting firm, with his wife, Cheryl Huerta Klein. He also channels his experiences into political bridge-building between parties.
“People need to be kind to others and have more dialogue,” Klein said. “There’s a lot more things people have in common than are different.”
—Rayne Miller
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“I’m healthy and involved in several projects, laughing at the antics of my pet pup but admitting that there’s not a lot of ‘news.’”
— Nancy Richardson, W’62
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ing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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’69Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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ALISA MAYOR, W’91
Joyful learning
Alisa Mayor, W’91, believes there is a Sesame Street or Muppet Show sketch to fit nearly every situation she’s encountered. In a training module she developed for colleagues, she uses an episode about an acorn that grows into an oak tree. She compares this transformation to a conference abstract becoming a medical poster or journal article. For Mayor, the process of learning should be both informative and joyful.
As a scientific content editor at the Lockwood Group, Mayor fact-checks materials, develops biographies of key opinion leaders, and writes summaries of conference papers — always with an eye for enlivening the copy. The English major’s audience might be physicians, pharmacists, nurses, or patients. For example, she may edit a summary of an article about a new treatment using language ordinary patients can easily understand.
“It’s more than a question of [technical] vocabulary. It’s also a question of what information is most helpful for the audience,” Mayor said. “Patients should be able to have something written in a way that they can understand when they’re trying to decide what sort of treatment they should have.”
When Mayor began her editorial career, she didn’t plan on working in the medical and pharmaceutical field. She hoped to become a professor of Russian literature. But a lack of positions caused her to change course, first to proofreading for one pharmaceutical company, then to developing medical article summaries for another. Her summaries emphasized the safety of a drug or product, and they required her to do substantial background studying — a task that grew her scientific knowledge over time. Now, later in her career, she still finds joy in the unexpected education.
“I get to learn something every day,” she said. “I’ve gotten to feel a lot better about the science. Maybe I didn’t specialize in that when I was in college, but I can still keep learning.”
—Amy Ogle,
’26
JILL EMANUELE, ’96
Emotions manager
There’s a novel treatment for adults and adolescents who have significant difficulty regulating their emotions, and it changed the way clinical psychologist Jill Emanuele, ’96, provides mental health support. This treatment — dialectical behavior therapy — teaches patients emotion management and mindfulness skills and “is partly based in Eastern medicine and Buddhism,” Emanuele said.
Emanuele has her practice, Urban Yin Psychology, in New York City. There, she integrates these Eastern philosophies with evidence-based treatments. Her individualized approach helps patients of all ages who experience mental health challenges like depression and anxiety.
“Living in a busy city, I want to help people ground and be peaceful in a chaotic environment or chaotic time in their life,” Emanuele said. “I want to provide people with a haven.”
Emanuele’s Richmond education laid the groundwork for her clinical experience. “The psychology department was a really good training program because they emphasized research-informed learning,” Emanuele said. “They prepared students well to be scientist practitioners.”
Since moving to New York City, Emanuele has worked in a variety of clinical environments, including 11 years as vice president of clinical training at Child Mind Institute, a nonprofit focused on children’s mental health. “A career in clinical psychology is so versatile,” Emanuele said. “And we desperately need more clinicians in this space.”
Many mental health providers like Emanuele have experienced an increased demand for their services in recent years for a myriad of reasons. “It is not always about diving into one’s childhood for an extended period of time,” she said. “Instead, much therapy is present-focused and addresses specific goals to improve one’s life. But the success of it, in part, depends on one’s willingness to openly engage with the process.”
—Sophia Demerath, ’26
’71
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corper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincid-
unt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
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“The old saying is true: ‘Move to Florida, and they will come!’”
— Kristin Sponsler Peurifoy, W’65
giat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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sequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feu-
DONTAÉ BUGG, L’06
Outreach from the bench
When the Honorable Dontaé Bugg, L’06, began his tenure as a circuit court judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit in Fairfax County, Virginia, his goal was not only to serve his diverse community, but to rejuvenate its administration of justice with what he’s learned through lived experience.
Bugg’s journey to the bench began as a private practitioner focusing on criminal defense and domestic relations matters. While he managed his own firm, several people urged him to consider a judicial career. He began paying more attention to the role of the judge in court, and in 2016, Bugg was appointed a substitute judge for the general district and juvenile and domestic relations district courts. He was confirmed to the circuit court bench in 2019.
In addition to his professional experience, Bugg carried wisdom from his cousin, whose incarceration provided insight into the criminal justice system. And he found a mentor in the Honorable Gerald Bruce Lee, the second Black man to become a circuit court judge in Fairfax County, who shared valuable insight about the importance of his presence on the bench.
“It’s important to have different perspectives and life experiences so you can have a fully informed and engaged discussion about decisions that will impact people who perhaps live life completely differently than some folks may be able to understand,” Bugg said.
On his days off, Bugg visits schools throughout the state to speak with students about his career. He emphasizes the importance of these visits as both a way to stay connected to the people he serves and to inspire the next generation of legal professionals, no matter their background.
“It’s about keeping proper perspective, especially if we sit in judgment of other people,” he said. “Being a judge is a job. We are still people. We still have to be members of the community and society.”
—Amy Ogle, ’26
giat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
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esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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“Getting old sucks, but it beats not getting old.”
—Mike Scott, R’65
nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
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scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation
ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. scing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. ’76
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Mr. Gorbachev, put down that ball
Former university counsel Gilbert E. “Bud” Schill Jr. recalls the day a former Soviet leader inked his name into Spider sports history.
One of my favorite statements by a U.S. president is Ronald Reagan’s June 12, 1987, plea at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Mikhail Gorbachev, then president of the Soviet Union, initially discounted the Reagan drama as the work of a professional actor. But within a little over two years, the Soviet president presided over the destruction of the Berlin Wall, which since 1961 had been a symbol of oppression by communist East Germany.
Gorbachev went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize and oversee the dismantling of the Soviet Union, whose flag was lowered for the last time on Christmas Day 1991. Then he retired from politics at age 60 and embarked on a world speaking tour.
That’s when I got to meet him — sort of.
I spent much of my professional life doing legal work for colleges and universities. By the 1990s, I was counsel to the University of Richmond, which was then fine-tuning its national profile by hosting important political events, such as the 1992 presidential debate among George
H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and H. Ross Perot.
In 1993, the university invited Gorbachev to campus to speak in the Robins Center, and he gave a very well-received speech. Two of my daughters and I had front-row court-level seats about 15 feet away from the edge of the slightly elevated stage. We had an unobstructed side view of the guest of honor.
The next day, I was told that just before walking out onto the stage, Gorbachev had met with a few university officials in an athletics office adjacent to the area of the basketball court where the stage had been set up. According to one of those in the room, Gorbachev seemed relaxed while reviewing his notes, but something on a desk caught his eye. It was a pedestal on top of which sat a baseball with about 20 ink signatures on it.
with his right hand, pulled out his fountain pen, clamped down on the top with his lips, unscrewed the pen, and — obviously figuring all the dignitaries went through this routine — found a space large enough to carefully sign his name. He then put the ball back on the pedestal and rushed off to deliver his speech.
One of those who had been in the staging room later told me that, thinking back to the famous Ronald Reagan admonition, he said to himself, “Mr. Gorbachev, put down that ball!”
Gorbachev was a good man. He died in a Moscow hospital in 2022 at the age of 91. Before that, and to his expressed dismay, much of his work had been undone by his successors, so some of his legacy was compromised.
But Germany is free.
INTRODUCTION
Without saying a word, Gorbachev inched toward the pedestal, picked up the ball in his left hand, reached into his shirt pocket
And Gorbachev managed to squeeze in a Pizza Hut TV commercial in Red Square and a print ad for Louis Vuitton luggage. Plus, he left behind at the University of Richmond one of the few baseballs in the history of the world ever signed by a president of the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev’s speech in the Robins Center came during a run of visits by high-profile leaders in the early 1990s. In addition to the presidential debate that Schill mentions, campus welcomed both U.S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as speakers in 1992.
By Gilbert E. “Bud” Schill Jr.
MARY CATHERINE NEBEL, ’10, C’15, GC’17
Learning reimagined
Mary Catherine Nebel, ’10, C’15, and GC’17, is living the best of two worlds. With a passion for both marketing and education, she took her career from marketing coordinator to middle school teacher. Now, as a digital marketing manager at Age of Learning, she can have both.
As an undergraduate, Nebel planned on studying education, but then she fell in love with her marketing classes. She wound up pursuing a marketing career, continuing to feed her enthusiasm for education through volunteer work.
Then she returned to UR for a master’s degree in education.
After that, Nebel taught elementary school, then middle school math. Her instruction style focused on “teaching the whole child,” she said. “You’re helping the students not just learn the content, but learn how to be better citizens, better classmates.”
Nebel found some teachers were leaving the traditional classroom for education technology, also known as edtech. She combined her interests and joined Age of Learning, a startup within ABCmouse, where she is responsible for digital content creation.
Nebel’s familiarity with the traditional classroom informs her audience-based approach. For example, she knows teachers will be interested in free access to supplemental materials, whereas administrators want building-wide progress reports. Although she is now outside the classroom, she still provides critical support to both staff and students.
“There’s a certain amount of passion that has to be there if you’re part of education,” she said. “It’s not easy work. But the more the work base truly understands what it’s like to be in a classroom, the more authentic and helpful [edtech] will be.”
Amy Ogle,
’26
odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
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Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit
praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’85Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel
illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feu-
“Memories are not just a reflection of our shared history, but also a powerful force that shapes our present and inspires our future.”
— Laura Lee Hankins
Chandler,
W’74
giat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. ’86
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta
nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’87
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit
ROBERT HELER, ’12
‘Don’t overthink it’
If you have ever found yourself scrolling through Pinterest searching for the perfect image to spark your next trendy outfit choice, start a DIY project, or create a mood board for a kitchen renovation, it’s likely that Robert Heler, ’12, and his Visual Search team had a hand in it.
“We help pinners find the inspiration they’re looking for,” Heler said. By suggesting related photos, recommending products, and harnessing AI, Heler’s team has helped millions of people realize their ideas, even when they can’t find the words to describe what they want.
With the explosive growth of AI, Pinterest encourages leveraging machine learning. “The languages are constantly evolving,” Heler said. “If you want to stay competitive, you have to get out of your comfort zone every day.”
Heler’s previous experience at an AI startup got him acquainted with tools that are critical for productivity. “My coding output has increased tenfold,” Heler said. “Things that used to take a week take an hour.”
However, it was a complex path to software engineering on the Visual Search team at Pinterest. After graduating from UR with degrees in computer science and biochemistry and molecular biology, Heler pursued a doctorate in genetics and biotechnology.
His advice for students facing a fork in the road? Don’t worry too much. “It is a marathon, so don’t overthink it,” Heler said. “You will end up where you are supposed to.”
Whether discussing the color trends of the week or integrating new technologies into the user experience, Heler’s team at Pinterest encourages creativity and enjoyment of the process.
“Pinterest says that they are the positive corner of the internet, and the day-to-day operations embody that,” Heler said. “Everyone is really happy.”
— Sophia Demerath, ’26
praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat
nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros
“How can it be that we’re celebrating our 50th reunion? That’s for old people!”
— Suzanne Heffner Brown, W’75
et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te
feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’96
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’97
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipisc-
For information about photos, see:
6. Beth Wheeler Nelson, W’77
7. Anne Lee Nottingham McCorey, B’81
8. Arlen Schweiger ’96
9. Catherine Amos Cribbs, ’07
ALEXANDRA CASTIGLIA, ’19
The fun side of insurance
Alexandra Castiglia, ’19, learned that art history suited her as early as high school. As an undergraduate, she navigated various sectors of the art world to find her place. Her landing spot: insurance.
As an account executive with Risk Strategies Co., Castiglia is the point of contact between clients — museums and galleries, private collectors, or even packing and shipping companies — and underwriters. Her day-to-day work depends on the client. Galleries are a fast-paced environment and involve communicating with multiple contacts, whereas private collectors require a comparatively slower, individual-driven process.
“We get to do the fun side of insurance,” Castiglia said. “We work with clients who are passionate about art, and we get to share that passion.”
Her path to her current career was driven by one question: “How can I engage my love for art in other areas?” As an undergraduate, academic adviser and professor of art history emerita Margaret Denton connected her with Laura Doyle, ’06, who introduced Castiglia to fine art insurance. Her arts management concentration and internships with the registration departments of Capital One, David Zwirner, and the Museum of Modern Art furthered her interest in the operational side of art.
Castiglia made a point of absorbing as much knowledge as she could from a global network of art professionals, some of whom Doyle connected her with. Her intersectional exploration, winding as it was, led her exactly where she wanted to be.
“A lot of art and art history students know of curatorial jobs, academia, and museum work, but there’s so many other job opportunities available to students,” she said. “There’s an entire industry and market around art that can lead to careers in numerous fields, such as marketing, investing, museum donor relations, exhibition design, logistics, and more that serve all types of individual strengths while still being rooted in a love for art.”
—Amy
Ogle, ’26
ing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
’98
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit
in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’01
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril
delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
’02
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
“ I’m grateful for every day, especially the ones spent with family.”
— Connie Booth Collins, W’69
’03Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’04Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’05Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. unt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
BENJAMIN
QUEEN, ’23
Radio domination
As a first-year student, Ben Queen, ’23, decided to stop wearing headphones and instead carry a speaker in his backpack.
“Some students would call me Speaker Kid,” Queen said. “That stuck with me and my friends once we started realizing people did that. But really, I just wanted to get to know people, and that’s the amazing thing about music — you can truly connect over it.”
His theory worked. Not long after, Queen got a job at WDCE, the university’s student-run radio station. At the time, the station played strictly rock music, and the antenna’s signal barely reached the edges of Henrico.
“I decided to carve out a new path for the station,” Queen said, “because radio is about finding something that resonates with you.”
By Queen’s senior year, he was general manager and a lead DJ, and WDCE was streaming rap, pop, and R&B anywhere there was internet access.
Today, Queen is still at the soundboard as an associate producer at Sirius XM. He produces shows on a channel called Fight Nation, which features the biggest news in combat sports like boxing and wrestling.
“[My role] is a little bit of everything,” Queen said. “Whether uploading audio clips or meeting with talent, I take it show by show.”
Queen started a website called EQuelizer. The site’s tag, “Find something EQlectic,” mirrors its creator’s mission to share the stories of musical artists and explore new albums and genres. For example, a 2024 Album of the Year list breaks down Queen’s choices — and reasons — for the top 10 album releases of last year.
“At some point I want to be a lead producer on my own show,” Queen said. “And who knows? I might be coming for radio domination.”
—Sophia Demerath, ’26
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Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat iusto odio dignissim qui blandit feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
’08
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
“[My] candidacy [for mayor of York, PA] was rooted in a lifelong commitment to service, inspired by [my] late father.”
— Sandie Walker, ’05
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim
qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’12Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’13
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit
in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’14Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. giat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue
duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
“My goal is to build a team [at Iona University] that plays hard, competes at the highest level, and makes our fans proud.”
— Dan Geriot, ’11
’17Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit
in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
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’23
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Everyone reads class notes, but only you can write them. Send your update — whether life-changing or just friendly chitchat — today using this QR code.
nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta
nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum.
’24Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option
congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod
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We remember Spiders’ lives. The notes that appear here are drawn from the university’s most recently available records updates at the time of compilation, which is generally about two months before each issue prints. To report a graduate’s passing, email classnotes@richmond.edu.
’40s
Eulalia “Mattie” Edwards Pitts, W’45, of Rockville, Maryland, Jan. 19, 2025. She was an English teacher and human resources professional, and after she and her husband bought the Yellow Cab Co. in Washington, D.C., she helped him run the business. She was a dedicated mother and a devoted grandmother.
Mary Cross Marshall, W’48, of Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 25, 2025. She was a longtime member of Boulevard United Methodist Church and the Bon Air Artists Association.
Elizabeth “Libby” McNeal Claybrook, W’49, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Jan. 1, 2025. She was active in her church and garden club. She was a Girl Scout leader and volunteered with the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
Gilda Mann Ellis, W’49, of Haverford, Pennsylvania, Dec. 31, 2024. An artist, she produced abstract oil and acrylic paintings, silk-screen prints, sculptures, and photographs. Her work was featured in exhibits in the U.S. and Mexico. She was a world traveler and studied papermaking in China and Upper Mongolia.
’50s
Barbara Brann Johnston, W’50, of South Boston, Virginia, Jan. 1, 2025. She was involved in many
local organizations and was a supporter of the Halifax County Historical Society and the fine arts and history museums. She was known for her big-heartedness and spirit-lifting surprises.
William V. Ford, R’51, of Arlington, Virginia, Dec. 22, 2024. He was a Korean War veteran and a Fulbright Fellow. He began working for Arlington County in 1959 and concluded his service as county manager in 1981. He served for 60 years as chair of the board of trustees of the historic Ketoctin Baptist Church.
John R. Brown, R’52 and G’73, of Glen Allen, Virginia, Feb. 19, 2025. He joined the original faculty of Henrico High School, where he dedicated 36 years as a teacher, football coach, athletic director, and administrator. Both Hermitage High School, where he began his career, and Henrico High School inducted him into their Halls of Fame.
Barbara Watkins Beale, W’53 and G’74, of Sparta, Virginia, May 7. 2023. She served in the choir, handbell choir, women’s ministry, and Bible studies at Salem Baptist Church. She was a teacher and guidance counselor in the Caroline County, Virginia, public schools.
Jean Martin Beasley, W’53, of Richmond, Virginia, March 10, 2020. She was a medical technologist and teacher.
Carla Waal Johns, W’53, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 30, 2023. She was a professor and mentor at the University of Georgia and the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she chaired the speech and dramatic arts department. She directed and performed in many plays and co-authored the anthology Hardship and Hope: Missouri Women Writing About Their Lives and performed its stories in a two-woman show.
Doris Johnston MacEwan, W’53, of Ridgetown,
Ontario, Jan. 17, 2025.
Ronald “Ronnie” Mann, B’53, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Feb. 5, 2025. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and then began a career in real estate.
Carol Jones McNamara, W’54, of Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 5, 2025. She taught English in Virginia, Georgia, and Florida before earning a master’s degree in library science. She then began a 26-year career as a reference librarian at the University of Tennessee, University of South Carolina, and Georgia State University.
Timothy T. Pohmer, R’54, of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, March 24, 2023. He was an associate professor at Butler County Community College. He was a musician, playing cello, banjo, and harmonica. A sailor, he split his time between Annapolis, Maryland, and Sewickley.
Mary Stewart Lawrence Stallard, W’54, of Henrico, Virginia. Coming from a family of 15 brothers and sisters, she earned a scholarship to Bluefield College and, with the help of a benefactor, went on to graduate from Westhampton College. She was a teacher in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
William E. “Bill” Steed, B’54, of Roanoke, Virginia, Dec. 22, 2024. He worked for Royal Insurance for 37 years, and in retirement, he volunteered with Carilion Cancer Center. He was a U.S. Army veteran.
John E. Beasley, B’56, of Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 8, 2024.
W. Kenmore “Ken” Cardoza, B’56, of Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 19, 2024. He worked in the finance business in Richmond; Greensboro, North Carolina; Milwaukee; Birmingham, Alabama; and Louisville, Kentucky.
L. Arnold Frederick, R’56, of Richmond, Virginia, Feb. 9, 2025. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a physician who co-owned Urology Associates of Richmond. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and loved the outdoors. Over the years, he was a hiker, sailing instructor, amateur ornithologist, kayaker, canoeist, and windsurfer. He also played tennis, ran the Richmond marathon, and was a woodworker and artist.
Kenneth L. Daniel, B’57, of Zion Crossroads, Virginia, Jan. 17, 2025. A U.S. Army veteran, he held various sales positions, including partnership in the Crafton & Sparks clothing store. He then went into commercial real estate. A basketball player for the Spiders, he holds records for most rebounds in a career and in a single game.
W. Trent Fox, attd.G’57, of Capron, Virginia, March 8, 2025. Owner of a farm equipment business, he was active in Southampton County, where he served on several boards. He was instrumental in the organization of Southampton Academy and active at Capron Methodist Church.
John W. Gordon Jr., R’57, of Orange, Virginia, March 14, 2025. As a Baptist pastor, he served churches throughout Virginia. In Nelson County, he became involved in disaster relief following Hurricane Camille. This led to many years of service through Virginia Baptist Disaster Relief and the American Red Cross, both in the U.S. and abroad. He served 30 years in the Army Reserve, retiring as a colonel.
James E. “Jim” Grant, R’57 and G’62, of San Diego, California, Jan. 6, 2024. He served in Southern Baptist ministry for 10 years before transferring his ministry to the American Baptist Church and then relocated to Southern California and the Unitarian Universalist ministry. For a decade, he served interim and contract ministries in California, Las Vegas, and finally, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Lloyd H. Hansen, L’57, of Dunedin, Florida, July 25, 2022. He was a former commonwealth’s attorney and a member of the Hampton, Virginia, school board.
Gilbert J. Henshaw, R’57, of Salem, Virginia, Feb. 6, 2025. He dedicated his life to ministry and education, teaching history in Chesterfield, Virginia, and founding Western Heights Baptist Church in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, where he was pastor. He also served churches in Kentucky, Maryland, and Virginia.
Carolyn Moore Temple Jenkins, W’57, of Norfolk, Virginia, March 8, 2025. After raising her children, she earned a master’s in psychology and was a licensed professional counselor. She was active in her church and undertook mission work in Indonesia and the Hawaiian Islands.
Lovey Jane Long, W’57, of Irvington, Virginia, March 7, 2025. She taught history at Douglas S.
Freeman High School, and after moving with her husband to the Northern Neck of Virginia, she opened Lovey’s Locker, a fuel, hardware, and supplies store serving the sailing community. She loved teaching, playing bridge, involvement with the WC Alumni Association, and sailing. She was active in Grace Episcopal Church and was a docent at Historic Christ Church and Museum.
Jennie Sue Johnson Murdock, W’57, of Salem, Virginia, Nov. 23, 2024. After teaching and receiving a master’s degree, she became the first director of student activities at Bluefield College. That was followed by jobs as associate director of the Girl Scout Council of Central Maryland and director of two YWCAs. She and husband Bill, who pastored a church in Salem, Virginia, loved to travel and participated in study travels to England, Israel, and Yucatan. They also enjoyed several narrow-gauge railroad trips to Colorado, New Mexico, and West Virginia.
Tony R. Auby Sr., R’58, of Newport News, Virginia, Nov. 28, 2024. After receiving advanced degrees in music and school administration, he served as choir director of Ferguson High School in Newport News, as well as for churches. He played with the Old Dominion University Collegium Musicum and the Tidewater Recorder Society. He and his wife were members of the Virginia Choral Society and Peninsula Community Opera and performed in various productions with the Peninsula Community Theatre.
Lloyd E. “Bud” Brotzman, B’58, of Franklin, Virginia, Nov. 19, 2024. A U.S. Army veteran, he worked 45 years in sales for Union Camp Corp. in Franklin. He enjoyed golfing, traveling, and coaching youth baseball, basketball, and football.
Bernard H. “Bernie” Cross, L’58, of Hanover, Virginia, Dec. 14, 2024. He practiced law in Richmond and Hanover County for more than 50 years. He brought Christmas joy to generations through Santa’s Forest Tree Farm and the Green Earth poinsettia nursery.
James R. Garber, R’58, of Terre Haute, Indiana, Jan. 15, 2025. He was a high school chorus teacher and band director and continued his love of music as church choir director, a member of the Tobacco Land Chorus, and a performer in community theater. He later became a photographer and was a master photographer of the Professional Photographers of America, which named him Photographer of the Year in 2007.
Ernest K. “Tom” Geisler Jr., L’58, of Richmond, Virginia, March 2, 2025. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he graduated at the top of his law school class. He became an associate at Bareford & Bareford in Saluda, Virginia, and then established Geisler & Glascock in Richmond. He went on to a 25-year career as a partner with McGuireWoods. After retiring, he volunteered with Central Virginia
Legal Aid and served on the Chesterfield County electoral board.
Robert N. “Bob” Harris, B’58, of Fall City, Washington, Aug. 25, 2023. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and later became a CPA, working in the banking industry until his retirement. He loved the outdoors and was a passionate gardener.
Richard V. Jennings, B’58, of Zion Crossroads, Virginia, Feb. 13, 2025. A U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Korean War, he later worked as a CPA in Richmond. He explored the United States in his recreational vehicle, enjoying trips to the beach and to visit family in Texas and California.
Frederick C. Scott, R’58, of McLean, Virginia, Feb. 21, 2025. He worked for Travelers Insurance in the pension field before starting his own firm. He enjoyed road trips, hunting, fishing, Western mystery novels, the Washington Commanders, big band music, animals, and other activities.
John T. Bonner, R’59, of Atlanta, Georgia, Jan. 4, 2025. He was a flight surgeon in the U.S. Navy and returned to Atlanta for residencies at Emory University. He spent the remainder of his career on the faculty of Emory University’s medical school in the anesthesiology department. From 1982 to 1985, he was chief of the anesthesia service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Decatur, Georgia.
William H. “Hew” Stith Jr., R’59, of Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 16, 2024. He was a Methodist minister, radio host, and community activist. He began his ministry as an assistant pastor at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, where he was instrumental in the church becoming the first in the Southeastern Jurisdiction to desegregate membership. He served as a campus minister to Richmond universities and pastor of Park Avenue Methodist. In the 1960s, he was host of the radio program Religion in the News. In the 1980s, he was executive assistant to the president of Virginia Union University and director of public relations. He then became a copy editor for the Richmond News Leader, then the Richmond Times-Dispatch after the papers merged. Finally, he became a freelance editor and consultant. Among his many honors was the Distinguished Leadership Award from the United Negro College Fund.
’60s
Carmen A. Cavalli Jr., R’60, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, March 20, 2024. After playing football for the Spiders, he became a charter member and defensive end for the American Football League’s Oakland Raiders in 1960. After playing and coaching football for the Wheeling Ironmen, the Philadelphia Bulldogs, and the Pottstown Firebirds, he began a career in the beverage business. His dream of owning his own bar and restaurant became a
reality in 1979 when he opened Carmen’s Place.
William H. “Bill” Eanes II, attd.’60, of Miami, Florida, and Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 19, 2025. While still a student, he began a 43-year banking career. He specialized in real estate trust. He served as president of the Richmond chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management and as a regional officer of the national organization.
Loyd A. Johnson, R’60, of Winchester, Virginia, Feb. 6, 2025. He taught English and later became a counselor at Langley High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. He loved to travel and visited 50 states and 86 countries. An avid reader, he had a collection of more than 1,000 autographed books.
Mary Sue Ludington Jones, W’60, of Bridgewater, Virginia, Feb. 13, 2025. She assisted her pastor husband through 53 years of ministry at eight churches as organist, pianist, choir member, and church secretary and on missions and other projects. Outside of her church work, she was a secretary or bookkeeper for the Hampton, Virginia, school board, James Madison University, Moser Funeral Home, and Harrisonburg Baptist Church. She also was active in the communities in which she lived.
Gayle Gowdey Williams, W’61, of Axton, Virginia, July 28, 2024. Following graduation, she began a career as a teacher in Richmond and as a business manager in the lodging industry. Moving to Martinsville, Virginia, she was a loving and proud wife, mother, and grandmother and an avid supporter of her husband’s legal career. She was a member of PEO and First Baptist Church in Martinsville. She loved to read, write, sing, dance, smile, and laugh.
George E. Morgan, B’60 and GB’67, of Midlothian, Virginia, Nov. 28, 2024. An Army veteran, he had a long accounting career with Reynolds Metals Co., followed by many years at the Virginia State Corporation Commission. He enjoyed outdoor activities, the beach, and golf.
Robert J. “Bob” White, attd.’60, of Millsboro, Delaware, Feb. 27, 2025. He had a long and distinguished banking career at Millsboro Trust, Bank of Delaware, and PNC, from which he retired as assistant vice president. He was active in community organizations and served on the board of Beebe Medical Center.
Ingeborg Lehmann Ward, W’61, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Feb. 10, 2025. At the age of 9, she came with her family to the United States from Germany. She earned a doctorate in physiological psychology, followed by 36 years as a professor at Villanova University. She traveled throughout the world to conferences as a featured speaker. The Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology honored her in 2018 as a pioneer in the field with the establishment of a scholarship in her name for graduate students.
Raymond F. Allen Sr., R’62 and H’74, of Roa-
noke, Virginia, Sept. 27, 2022. As an ordained minister for more than 62 years, he served churches and people throughout Virginia, including Blacksburg Baptist Church, where he is pastor emeritus. He was called to mission work, and in 1980, in the former Czechoslovakia, he worked with government officials to draft a new constitution to include freedom of religion. He made 18 trips to India over 42 years, starting an orphanage, many churches, and a seminary. He served on the UR Board of Trustees, and in 1974, the University awarded him an honorary degree. He authored several books that were published in many languages and utilized in ministries around the world.
Julia Lee Perkinson Crews, W’62, of Glen Allen, Virginia, Jan. 29, 2025. She was a teacher, hobby photographer, artist, avid reader, and volunteer.
Shirley Kell DeRoco, W’62, of Richmond, Virginia, March 3, 2025. She taught in schools in Virginia and Rhode Island, eventually becoming a therapist for students with learning differences. In Richmond, she was near her family and helped with her grandchildren, was active in Redemption Hill Church, and helped people in need.
Mark R. Frazer, R’62, of North Beach, Maryland, Feb. 4, 2025. Following two years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force dental corps, he entered private practice in Prince Frederick, Maryland. He served as president of the Southern Maryland Dental Study Club and the Academy of General Dentistry Annapolis Chapter. Gov. Harry Hughes appointed him to the Maryland Dental Board of Examiners in 1979. His public service included membership on the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners for two terms, mayor of the town of North Beach for multiple terms, and president of the Maryland Municipal League. He was also deeply involved in the leadership of several charitable and civic organizations.
Malvin M. Utleye Jr., R’62, of Newark, Delaware, Dec. 11, 2024. He was a pastor in Narrows, Virginia; Lexington Park, Maryland; and Wilmington, Delaware. While living on the Virginia-Tennessee border city of Bristol, he was a radio announcer. He continued radio announcing in Hopewell, Virginia, and for many years, his Sunday services in Maryland were broadcast. His international travel and ministry took him to Malawi, the Shetland Islands, Latvia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Charles A. “Allen” Wells Jr., R’62, of Rockville, Virginia, Feb. 26, 2025. He was a U.S. Army veteran and pastored churches in Virginia for two decades.
Griffin T. “Bus” Garnett III, R’63 and L’66, of Arlington, Virginia, Nov. 20, 2024. He is remembered as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, lawyer, and “true Arlingtonian.”
Elizabeth Violette Heard, W’63, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Dec. 1, 2024. She was a native of Hampton, Virginia.
Lawrence L. Koontz Jr., L’65 and H’99, of Salem, Virginia, March 16, 2025. He served in every level of court in the Virginia judicial system, including the Supreme Court of Virginia. He was one of the original members of the Virginia Court of Appeals and was elected chief judge in 1985. He was elected to the Supreme Court of Virginia in 1995. His judicial career spanned 57 years.
Mary Watt Frischkorn New, W’63, of Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 21, 2025. Known as someone who “did almost everything in her own unique way,” she found whimsy and humor in almost all situations. She created art her entire life and read poetry and listened to music from diverse writers and musicians. She loved telling stories to make people laugh and placed others’ needs above her own.
Jeremiah A. Robertson, B’63, of Birmingham, Alabama, Jan. 20, 2025. He spent his career in the paper and printing industry, eventually owning Robertson Press Inc. He was active in his church and enjoyed playing the double bass in many bands and orchestras.
Phillip W. “Phil” Finch, B’64, of Yorktown, Virginia, Sept. 24, 2024. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and received the Bronze Star. He was a CPA and worked for several firms until opening his own practices in Yorktown. He was an expert witness for court cases after his retirement. He was active in Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton, Virginia, and served as treasurer of the Peninsula Baptist Association for more than 20 years.
Lee Hill Andrews Packard, W’64, of Orange, Virginia, Dec. 8, 2023. When her two sons were in college, she went to work as a teacher for the U.S. Department of Defense and moved to the Philippines, Japan, Scotland, England, and Germany. She spent summers in and around Culpeper, Virginia, near family and friends. After retiring from teaching, she married for a second time and moved to Orange, where she played piano most Sundays at Trinity United Methodist Church. She stayed in touch with friends from throughout her life.
Linda Clayborn Richardson, W’64, of Savannah, Georgia, Aug. 2, 2020. She was a librarian at the Library of Congress and a professor at the University of Georgia, where she taught football star Herschel Walker. In Savannah, she enjoyed a long career with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, especially helping at-risk children. She was active in Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church and loved theater and music, lending here voice to the chorale of the Savannah symphony.
John A. McCloud II, R’65, of Williamsburg, Virginia, Feb. 13, 2025. He was commissioned through ROTC at UR and had a 26-year career in the U.S. Army as a cavalry and military intelligence officer. He served six overseas assignments, including
Vietnam, Korea, England, and Germany. He was commander of several intelligence companies and special security groups and the Army’s counterespionage battalion at the Presidio of San Francisco, and he served as military assistant for electronic warfare at the Pentagon. He retired from the Army as a colonel.
Stephen W. O’Neill Jr., R’65, of Midlothian, Virginia, Jan. 14, 2025. He devoted much of his professional life to the YMCA, serving communities in Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia; Asheboro, North Carolina; and Flint, Michigan. He then turned to real estate in Richmond, where he continued to connect with people and make a difference in their lives.
Claude A. Sandy, G’65, of Charlottesville, Virginia, Feb. 11, 2025. He taught math and was an elementary school principal before joining the State Department of Education as director of research and testing and director of sciences and elementary education. He valued most his time as guidance counselor at Bainbridge High School. He served in the Coast Guard Reserve for many years. He was an avid golfer and tennis player into his 80s.
Wayne K. Talley, R’65, of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Jan. 29, 2025. He dedicated his career to academia and research, serving as a transportation economics professor at Old Dominion University for 50 years. His passion for research culminated in the Onassis Prize for Shipping from the Onassis Foundation in 2018. He was a member of First United Methodist Church.
John G. Wooldridge Jr., B’65, of Aurora, Colorado, Jan. 10, 2025. He served in the U.S. Air Force and then worked for more than 30 years in the finance department of Hercules Inc. in Wilmington, Delaware. He moved back to the Richmond area after retirement, but in 2022, he and his wife moved to Colorado to be closer to their daughters and grandchildren.
Roger L. DeMik, B’66 and L’69, of Alexandria, Virginia, Nov. 16, 2023. He worked at the Federal Trade Commission before earning an MBA and working for Heinz in Pittsburgh. He spent the majority of his legal career in Kingsport, Tennessee, working for Eastman Chemical Co. He was a Civil War historian, collecting thousands of books and items and accruing knowledge of the battles, generals, and stories. He enjoyed traveling to Civil War battle sites and Europe.
Beauchamp Farley Payne, W’66, of Richmond, Virginia, Aug. 9, 2022. She was known for her warm hospitality, her gardens, and her cooking. Called the “Julia Child of Church Hill,” she marshaled forces to provide Lenten lunches and pots of soup for Friends of Libby Park on mulching days. She was hospitality chair for Historic Richmond for a decade.
Maureen Shelbourne Goode, W’67, of Midlo -
thian, Virginia, Feb. 5, 2024. She spent a 50-year social work career in public social service agencies in the greater Richmond area. She enjoyed traveling to Europe, taking cruises, skiing, and annual trips to New Orleans.
Elizabeth Hummel Hancock, W’67, of Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 2, 2025. She studied at Harvard and in Italy, and her career in the art world spanned nearly 44 years at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where she began as an intern and retired as head registrar. She is quoted as saying, “Registrars mother the collection. We’re responsible for the physical well-being of every piece. It’s like we’re asking each one: Are you warm enough, cool enough, too wet, too dry? Do you need nourishing?”
Hayden Kirby-Smith Jr., B’67, of Kernersville, North Carolina, Feb. 18, 2025. During the Vietnam War, he served in the U.S. Army, earning the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. Following his time in the service, he began his career in the financial industry as a trust officer. For 35 years, he served communities in Greenville, South Carolina, and Martinsville, Virginia, retiring as director of marketing for Mutual Life Insurance Co. in Syracuse, New York.
Carl “Lone Eagle” Custalow, R’68, of West Point, Virginia, Oct. 24, 2022. He retired from State Farm Insurance after 32 years and returned to the Mattaponi Indian Reservation in King William County, Virginia. He believed it was important to have a purpose in life, and his was strengthening and protecting the Mattaponi River, the reservation, and the more than 1,000-year-old culture of his people. He served as assistant chief in 1993 and chief from 2003 to 2012.
Robert R. “Bob” Merhige III, B’68, of Suffolk, Virginia, Nov. 30, 2024. He was a police officer in Richmond, and after attending law school, he began work with the Metropolitan Airport Authority in Washington, D.C. He later worked for the Virginia Attorney General’s Office as assistant attorney general and then deputy director of the Virginia Port Authority.
Francis W. Poates, G’68, of Powhatan, Virginia, Dec. 9, 2024. He was a past principal of Midlothian High School.
Judith Parrish Ratcliffe, W’68, of Manassas, Virginia, Feb. 28, 2025. She worked many years for IBM as a computer programmer and then for the family business, R. Jackson Ratcliffe Insurance. She was a member of the Manassas Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary, the Junior Woman’s Club of Manassas, the Manassas Garden Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Prince William Chamber of Commerce.
Preston M. Yancy, G’68, of Richmond, Virginia, March 31, 2024.
Charles P. “Charlie” Adams, R’69, of Midlo -
thian, Virginia, Feb. 23, 2025. He taught science to middle school students at several schools and served as an assistant headmaster. He enjoyed coaching sports, especially basketball.
James M. “Jim” Harper, GB’69, of Midlothian, Virginia, Aug. 10, 2022. He was one of the founders of James River Paper Corp., a specialty paper company that began in Richmond and expanded to become an international corporation. He found both success (multiple holes-in-one) and frustration on the golf course and was an astute bridge player.
Marilyn Rose Lipsitz-Flax, W’69, of Richmond, Virginia, Jan. 17, 2024. She retired after 32 years as a teacher in Richmond Public Schools. For more than 20 years, she assisted her husband in his legal career. She enjoyed concerts, operas, theater, and lectures and visited many countries, including Russia, Sweden, and France.
Wayne A. Satterwhite, R’69, of Marietta, Georgia, Dec. 26, 2024. A U.S. Army veteran, he enjoyed a long career as a director of human resources for two major corporations. He enjoyed travel and was known as a caring man who loved his family.
Sandra “Sandy” Lough Towberman, W’69, of Butler, Pennsylvania, May 29, 2024. She was ordained in 2013 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Butler and served two Lutheran churches. She was a musician, artist, writer, and poet and wrote books on Bible gardening and Jesus’ mother, Mary. She led clergy and lay ministers in a prayer and support group.
’70s
Mary Emily Edwards Kitterman, G’70, of Ashland, Virginia, Feb. 15, 2025. She is remembered as a smart and passionate academic and administrator in education.
Bruce W. Marion, B’71, of Glen Allen, Virginia, May 28, 2024. His passion for cooking and love of entertaining led to his founding a catering company, Marion Enterprises, and later Tilly’s Tavern Restaurant.
Frank C. Olejack, B’71, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Jan. 26, 2025. He was a member of the 1968 Tangerine Bowl-winning Spider football team. He had a fulfilling career in manufacturing, serving as a production manager and quality manager at Mack Trucks and then as plant manager at the FLSmidth plant in Manheim, Pennsylvania. He loved camping, traveling, sports, and playing cards.
Brian L. Rice, B’71, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Aug. 31, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was an accountant for the Maryland State Department of Education for more than 30 years. He enjoyed golfing, gardening, and volunteering at the Land of Little Horses.
Jon M. Smith, R’71, of Wichita, Kansas, June
11, 2024. He was called to ministry early in life and specialized in healing churches that had split. He dedicated his life to helping others.
David V. Swann, G’71, of Jacksonville, Florida, March 13, 2025. He was a talented musician and played banjo professionally with his bluegrass band, Rainbow Mountain Boys. A U.S. Army veteran, he became an attorney and practiced tax law for many years with the IRS and the Florida Department of Revenue. He had a wide range of interests, including exotic butterflies, reptiles, prehistoric sharks’ teeth, and arrowheads.
Gwendolyn Fletcher Duncan, W’72, of Greenville, North Carolina, March 7, 2025. She worked in computer validation for Burroughs Wellcome and its successor companies for 38 years. She was active in First Pentecostal Holiness Church, loved travel, played the mountain dulcimer, and enjoyed driving off-road in her Ford Bronco.
Robert E. “Bob” Gutridge Jr., R’72, of Midlothian, Virginia, Nov. 28, 2024. He taught elementary school and then began a career with Southern States Cooperative. Toward the end of his career, he was a sales rep for Dare Products and Bonide Products. He enjoyed golf, time at the river, and trips to sporting events.
Jerry L. Austin, B’73, of Washington, D.C., Jan. 7, 2025. He was an independent contractor and database consultant for clients coast to coast. He had many interests, a positive personality, a dry wit, and a love of the outdoors.
John W. “Jay” Tawes, B’73, of Crisfield, Maryland, Jan. 20, 2025. He was owner of Tawes Insurance in Crisfield and devoted more than 50 years of his life in economic development to help his community. He served and volunteered for numerous organizations and was a member of Immanuel United Methodist Church. He enjoyed sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Silvia Bivens Hall, G’74, of Prince George, Virginia, Jan. 22, 2025. She was a teacher and head of the English department at Chickahominy Academy. In 1980, she pivoted to a career in financial services at Branch Cabell and Co. in Richmond, becoming the first woman in the company to serve as a fee-based manager and to earn a Series 8 certification. She retired as managing director of the company. After retirement, she operated Oak Hill Farm with her husband, raising registered Angus cattle for more than 20 years.
John H. Hensley, B’74, of Stuarts Draft, Virginia, Nov. 10, 2020. He was co-owner of H.C. Hensley and Associates, where he worked as an accountant for 30 years. He was a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician and an amateur radio enthusiast.
David C. “Dave” Burns, R’75, of Fernandina Beach, Florida, Jan. 13, 2025. He served 30 years in the U.S. Army as an officer with the medical ser-
vice corps. He held many roles, highlighted by his time with the 4th Engineer Battalion, at the Pentagon, and as commander of the 47th Combat Support Battalion. He retired with the rank of colonel in 2005 and continued to support the military in a civilian capacity. He was known for his commitment to service and people and his willingness to listen, help, and mentor others.
James G. Hatfield, G’75, of Fishers, Indiana, Jan. 8, 2025. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a school psychologist for the Perry Township school system from 1980 until his retirement in 2018. He was a photographer for an automobile racing magazine and had 17 cover shots published. A model train enthusiast, he built an elaborate train layout in his basement.
Robert J. “Bob” Kloeti, L’75, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Jan. 2, 2025. He practiced law at Bowles and Bowles and then “found his law family” at Florance Gordon Brown as a partner in 1983. He earned many recognitions and high rankings and was an active parent, coaching soccer and supporting Boy and Girl Scouts, Adventure Guides, James River High School athletic boosters, band boosters, swim teams, and other activities.
Susie Buhrman Rommell, W’75, of Henrico, Virginia, Oct. 16, 2024. She taught for more than 40 years in Henrico and Chesterfield counties and for two years at Bermuda High School. She loved being out on the water, spending time in Bermuda or on her boat in Coles Point, Virginia.
David M. “Dave” Chapin, R’76, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Dec. 25, 2024. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army and then began a career with UPS/Overnite Transportation, retiring as a claims adjuster. He was a New York Yankees and Washington Commanders fan and an avid golfer. He also loved sitting on his porch, smoking a cigar, and feeding the wildlife.
John R. Hughes, B’76, of Glen Allen, Virginia, Dec. 4, 2024. Growing up in an Army family, he lived in Kansas, Germany, and Hawaii before arriving in Virginia. After graduation, he was a purchasing agent and manager for several Richmond companies. He taught preschool and children’s Sunday school at First Baptist Church.
Thomas E. Launder III, R’76 and L’79, of Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 13, 2024. He had a great love and vast knowledge of history, music, and old movies. His love of storytelling was only surpassed by his love of animals, and he supported several animal rescues and sanctuaries.
Benjamin J. “Ben” Mollema Jr., R’76, of Oakland, New Jersey, Jan. 1, 2025. He played football for the Spiders.
Stephen H. Rosser, R’76, of New York, New York, Jan. 18, 2024. At UR, he sang in the Glee Club, the University Choir, and Schola Cantorum. After graduation, he moved to New York to work for
the City University of New York as an assistant to the deputy chancellor. Upon retirement, he moved to Tampa, Florida, working in banking for seven years before returning to New York to work at Chelsea Market Baskets and then Apple. He sang in choirs wherever he lived and sometimes performed with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra choir and other New York performance groups.
Marsha Garnett Sharpe, W’76, of Montpelier, Virginia, Dec. 21, 2024. She taught high school math, played organ, sang at her church, and loved spending time at the beach.
Walter R. Andrews Jr., GB’77, of Wilmington, North Carolina, March 1, 2025. He had a 44-year career with DuPont in polymers and textile fibers. He started major polyester yarn plants globally. He had four patents and co-authored six others. He was active with his children as a baseball coach and swim team starter, helped build 125 Habitat for Humanity homes, and assembled hundreds of bikes for the Salvation Army Christmas Shop. He and his wife traveled to 40 countries and throughout the United States.
Karen Beth Davenport Fishero, B’77, of Plano, Texas, Jan. 4, 2025. She studied and taught numerous Bible studies. During the last 20 years, she found a passion for mentoring young mothers through the Mothers of Preschoolers organization.
J.D. “David” Rose Jr., B’77, of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, Dec. 10, 2024. He spent more than five decades as a commercial plumbing sales representative, first with his family’s business, David Rose Sales Co., and then with MidAtlantic RepSouth. He loved the St. Louis Cardinals and had a passion for music. He played in bands with friends for many years.
John C. “Casey” Struckmann Sr., L’77, of Front Royal, Virginia, May 15, 2024. He was a police officer while attending law school. He was admitted to practice in state and district courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. He was a substitute judge from 2012 until his retirement. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and he taught hunter education courses.
David L. Wiltshire, B’78, of Midlothian, Virginia, May 31, 2024. He worked in sales for Westvaco and Forbo Flooring before opening his own company, Wiltshire Flooring. He enjoyed the beach and golf and rooted for and coached his kids on the ballfield.
Sachiko “Sachi” Tokuyasu Baber, W’79, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Jan. 26, 2025. She was born and raised in Japan. She was the heart of her family and was always ready to offer encouragement, wisdom, and a listening ear.
C.H. “Sandy” Geiger III, R’79, of Rogersville, Tennessee, Nov. 28, 2024. He retired from International Playing Card & Label Co. after 25 years of service.
Vernon Keeve Jr., ’79, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, May 20, 2020.
Bruce A. Miller, R’79, of Hopewell, Virginia, Dec. 28, 2024. He dedicated 33 years to practicing medicine and served as managing partner of the Hopewell and Colonial Heights, Virginia, medical centers. He was chief of staff at John Randolph Medical Center and a member of its board of trustees. He was an Eagle Scout, a boater, and a collector. He was a past president of the Hopewell Saltwater Anglers Club and a member of the Hopewell Optimist Club and the Tar Bay Gun Club.
Martha Sulzycki McSweeney, W’79, of Miami, Florida, March 18, 2022. Her career at Dominion Energy spanned decades, and she retired as a senior human resources specialist. She believed in philanthropy, the power of the mind, and the practice of positive thinking. She avidly watched the news and loved sports and theater.
Victor P. “Peter” Serodino III, R’79, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dec. 6, 2023. After college, he entered the family business and led Southern Marine Construction as president, building commercial docks and managing marine construction projects throughout the Southeast and the Midwest. He was a pilot and volunteered with Angel Flights for those with emergency medical needs. Airlift Hope recognized him as Pilot of the Year in 2011.
Willie J. Mitchell, G’79, of Tappahannock, Virginia, Jan. 4, 2025.
’80s
Mary Ellen McManaway, G’80, of Dublin, Virginia, Jan. 8, 2025. Her passion for science led her to a career as a scientist, performing cancer research at the National Institutes of Health. Howard University awarded her its Outstanding Research Scholar award, and the National Institutes of Health presented her the Outstanding Performance Award. She wrote 24 research articles and presented 11 research abstracts at national meetings. A gifted artist, she often did her own illustrations in her articles.
Thomas E. Newman, C’80, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Feb. 11, 2025. He worked for 30 years for Philip Morris USA/Altria, retiring as a group supervisor. He was a fan of Spider athletics and Major League Baseball. He sang with the Joyful Voices Choir at Salisbury Presbyterian Church.
Mary Kegley Bucklen, L’81, of Wytheville, Virginia, Feb. 22, 2025. She taught business law at Virginia Tech and practiced law in Wytheville. After retirement, she obtained a pilot’s license, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She authored more than 67 books, including family and church histories, and had more than 100 articles published in local and regional publications. She taught genealogy and
received many awards, including placement on the Wall of Honor in Wytheville.
John W. Warner, H’81, of Alexandria, Virginia, May 25, 2021. He was the longest-serving Republican senator in Virginia’s history. He served in the U.S. Navy and then the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. President Richard Nixon named him undersecretary of the Navy. Married for several years to the actress Elizabeth Taylor, Warner spend 30 years in the U.S. Senate, where he became a leading Republican voice on military policy.
Philip W. Eberly, R’82, of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, Jan. 17, 2023.
Cynthia L. Mikelaites Belden, W’83, of Providence Forge, Virginia, Dec. 29, 2024. She worked in banking, human resources, and government contracting. She kept in close contact with three friends from Westhampton, and the foursome remained devoted friends for more than 40 years. In 2020, she and her siblings opened Jolene Family Winery in New Kent, Virginia.
Andrew H. Wolfe, R’83, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania, Dec. 26, 2022. He was co-owner and president of Wolfe Dye & Bleach Works and was the fourth generation of his family to own the 120-year-old business. He was an avid golfer, with two holes-in-one and multiple tournament wins. He spent time hunting, trapshooting, and fishing. He traveled in Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean.
John F. Rudin, GB’84, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Jan. 17, 2025. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and worked for 29 years for Reynolds Aluminum Supply Co./ALCOA in various positions, including national sales manager, vice president, and chief information officer. He was director of the local YMCA board and assisted the organization with information systems counseling. The Greater Richmond Technology Council and Virginia Commonwealth University presented him the Information Technology Education Achievement Award.
Temple Forsberg Martin, G’85, of Richmond, Virginia, Dec. 31, 2024. She worked in fashion and as a “ski-bum” in Vermont and Colorado before settling in Richmond and raising her family. She earned a master’s degree in humanities and helped mature women find their passions through UR’s Women’s Resource Center. She discovered a talent for sculpture and began carving birds, otters, other animals, and abstracted human forms. She hiked all of Virginia’s portion of the Appalachian Trail and visited glaciers and rainforests.
Leslie Brown Zedd, G’85, of Williamsburg, Virginia, Dec. 6, 2024.
Reginald M. McDonough, H’88, of Crossville, Tennessee, Dec. 24, 2024. He became one of the world’s top Southern Baptist leaders, traveling the globe teaching Christian churches the importance of planning in building and maintaining congregations. Among his leadership roles were executive
vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s executive committee and executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.
Steven W. Tolman, R’88, of Needham, Massachusetts, Oct. 6, 2023.
’90s
John P. Bridges, R’90, of Waxhaw, North Carolina, Jan. 19, 2025. After receiving an MBA from George Washington University, he worked in financial forecasting with a focus on performance management solutions and planning, budgeting, and forecasting for life sciences. He played rugby and lacrosse at UR.
James E. Hayes, R’90, of Waves, North Carolina, Feb. 17, 2025. Alongside his wife, whom he met in preschool, he cofounded Spotlight Dance in Manassas, Virginia, and a government contracting firm. He provided information technology, audio, and media services to local businesses and residents throughout Northern Virginia. He divided his time between Rodanthe, North Carolina, and his home in Virginia. He was a member of the Hatteras Island Community Emergency Response Team.
Anthony Pinelli Jr., C’90, of Appomattox, Virginia, Feb. 24, 2025. He was a banker for 36 years and retired as executive vice president from the Farmers Bank of Appomattox. A U.S. Navy veteran, he volunteered with several community organizations, including the Appomattox County High School band boosters and athletic boosters. He shared his love of bluegrass music by having the clubs host fundraising concerts, for which he brought in well-known bluegrass bands.
Kimberly Sims-Staley, B’91, of Naples, Florida, June 7, 2024. She died as a result of a bicycle accident. Friends described her values as “humility, hard work, deep faith, compassion for others, and above all, a sanctity of family.” She was known to have an “innate ability to connect with people,” and her warmth “was authentic.”
David J. Harkins, B’92, of Salisbury, Maryland, March 25, 2025. At UR, he was an outfielder for the Spiders. After graduation, he returned to Salisbury to build and grow the family’s business. He was president and owner of a group of construction, concrete, contracting, and real estate businesses. He served many community organizations and was a coach for numerous baseball teams and leagues.
James M. Rudd, C’92, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, March 8, 2025. A Marine Corps veteran, he retired as a detective from Chesterfield County Police Department after 29 years of service. He then taught criminal justice at Southside Community College and did background checks for the Virginia State Correctional System. He was lead docent at the Poe Museum, a member of the
Civil War Roundtable, and a founding member of the American Revolutionary War Roundtable in Richmond.
Meredith Sanderlin Thrower, ’94 and L’03, of Henrico, Virginia, Jan. 18, 2025. She was a securities lawyer, first at McGuireWoods and later at Dominion Energy. She was a lifelong member of Centenary United Methodist Church and an active volunteer and supporter of Make-A-Wish Greater Virginia.
Charles W. Reed Jr., ’95, of Hoover, Alabama, Dec. 15, 2024.
Benjamin L. Williams, ’96, of Jacksonville Beach, Florida, Jan. 3, 2025. After receiving a law degree from New York Law School, he settled in Jacksonville and established his own firm, Williams Law, and specialized in personal injury and class action lawsuits. Before his legal career, he worked in television production as a sound and lighting engineer. He contributed to Sesame Street and served as the lighting board operator for The Howard Stern Show He was an avid golfer and loved scuba diving trips in the Florida Keys.
Robert R. McNeer, C’98, of Eugene, Oregon, Dec. 18, 2024. Employed as an underwriter by the Pentagon Federal Credit Union, he was a member of Reveille United Methodist Church and its Boy Scout Troop 444, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arms.
’00s
Jessica “Jess” D. Aber, ’03, of Alexandria, Virginia, March 22, 2024. She was a U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. As a champion of rehabilitation, she played a key role in shaping the Richmond Drug Court program into a national model. The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her in 2021.
Kirby Green Grochal, attd.’07, of Newton, Massachusetts, May 19, 2023. She is remembered as a strong, brave, fiery, hilarious, sweet, brilliant, tenacious, caring, and inspiring woman.
’10s
Francis A. “Alex” Sutherland III, L’15, of Greensboro, North Carolina, Dec. 26, 2024. He was employed by Emerald Homes in Richmond, Virginia, and created and managed his own Airbnb business. He enjoyed cooking, music, and playing sports.
FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS
Mary Rives Ogilvie Black of Henrico, Virginia, May 10, 2020. She was an active member of Reveille United Methodist Church, where she taught
Sunday school. She was past president of her garden club and a volunteer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She was born on Mother’s Day, died on Mother’s Day, and met her husband of 68 years, Robert P. “Bob” Black, on her 19th birthday, also Mother’s Day. Together, they were supporters of the university.
Robert P. “Bob” Black of Henrico, Virginia, Dec. 5, 2024. A U.S. Army veteran, he spent his career with the Federal Reserve system. He was the fifth president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the first economist to hold the position. He served on committees and boards for local businesses, educational institutions, hospitals, and nonprofit organizations. He also was a visiting instructor at the University of Virginia, University of Richmond, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and several others. He was a member of Reveille United Methodist Church for 70 years and served on numerous committees and led the Boy Scout troop for 10 years.
Rose Nan-Ping Chen of Washington, D.C., Jan. 9, 2025. She founded the Rose Group in 2002 to fulfill a lifelong commitment to promote multiculturalism and foster understanding and harmony between cultures. The organization’s flagship program for the past 20 years, ChinaFest, is an annual event at the University of Richmond and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that draws more than 20,000 visitors over three days.
Robert P. “Bob” Foley of Richmond, Virginia, April 29, 2024. He coached women’s basketball at University of Richmond for six years. He previously coached at University of Colorado, Boulder, and led Providence College to five NCAA tournament berths, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 1990. After retiring from coaching, he started Next Level Basketball, a series of skill clinics and summer camps in the Richmond area.
Gwen Jacoby Hauser of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Aug. 26, 2024. She was a teacher dedicated to early childhood education and literacy, spending 40 years in the Philadelphia school district. She volunteered at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center, the Pennsylvania Ballet (now Philadelphia Ballet), and other organizations. She was an active parishioner at the Church of St. Asaph and a supporter of Richmond athletics.
Karla J. Lacey of Los Altos, California, Nov. 7, 2023. She was the parent of a current student and a successful business executive, leading teams in Portugal, Argentina, and Costa Rica for Colgate-Palmolive before taking on senior leadership positions at other organizations. She served on the Los Altos Stage Company board and volunteered in many roles at her church.
Marie Newcomb Massey of Richmond, Virginia, May 9, 2024. She was a supporter of the university
and gave many volunteer hours to the Junior Woman’s Club, the Richmond Symphony League, and the Symphony League’s Designer House event. She was an avid gardener.
Kent B. Monroe of Glen Allen, Virginia, Feb. 23, 2025. He was the John M. Jones Distinguished Professor of Marketing emeritus at the University of Illinois, taught at Virginia Tech, and was a visiting distinguished scholar at the University of Richmond from 2004 to 2018. Throughout his career, he directed 40 doctoral dissertations, and his passion for discovery led to research on how the brain influences decision-making processes.
R.C. “Cliff” Poole of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Dec. 2, 2024. He joined the University of Richmond faculty in 1975 as an assistant professor and later became a professor, interim dean, and associate dean of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business. He twice earned the Distinguished Educator Award from UR. He later became vice president for academic affairs and college dean at the Citadel, his alma mater. He was a retired brigadier general of the U.S. Army Reserve.
John A. Stringfield Jr., of Richmond, Virginia, Feb. 26, 2025. He worked for 33 years at University of Richmond in dining services, where he received many awards. He missed only two days of employment during that time, both to attend his parents’ funerals. He loved children and enjoyed reading, television, and collecting electronics. He was devoted to his family and never forgot a birthday or holiday.
Sara R. Unetic of North Chesterfield, Virginia, Dec. 28, 2024. She taught middle and high school English in Little Rock, Arkansas, and then part time at University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Christian University, and University of Hawaii. She also taught high school English at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot.
Diane D. Weinstein of Mechanicsville, Virginia, Jan. 28, 2025. She spent her early years dancing with Elinor Fry School of Dance and the Richmond Ballet. She later taught water aerobics at University of Richmond and Burkwood Swim & Racquet Club.
Frances D. Wessells of Crozier, Virginia, Dec. 31, 2024, at age 104. She dedicated her life to the art of dance and taught at University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Haley Herrmann, a communications and engagement specialist in UR’s sustainability office, is also a highly trained artist. She dashed off these images when her team needed a few sketches for a presentation. Their unrefined feel gives them their charm.
“I think part of our job is envisioning how everyone can connect with sustainability,” she said. “It takes time and intentionality.”
Food for thought
In a mostly dull novel with the spectacular name Martin Chuzzlewit, Charles Dickens writes of “those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels.” Campus has new such jewels with the installation of the Eco-Corridor Orchard and Food Forest. It came about through a collaborative effort that included the geography capstone research of Maddie Hitching, ’25, and a sustainability class that helped with plant selection. The space promotes native species and offers ongoing hands-on learning experiences. “We want to make it available to anyone, whether you want to pick some herbs to make dinner that night or snack on a piece of fruit,” said Rob Andrejewski, UR’s director of sustainability.
Precision minded
ESTEBAN RODRIGUEZ KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER. The Miami native graduated from Richmond in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He also closed a successful final season as a starting pitcher for the Spider baseball team.
He’s now setting his mind on a career in professional baseball. Mental and physical training, access to state-of-the-art technology, and customized workouts with athletics staff have all helped prepare him. Esteban says that all-around support is what he has appreciated most about being a student-athlete at Richmond.
“My time at Richmond has been nothing short of life-changing,” he says. “The people here are like family to me now. The support and love I’ve felt from this community are beyond anything I ever expected.”
Learn more about Esteban and other remarkable Spiders at RICHMOND.EDU/SPIDERS.
