Spider Insider: Winter 2022

Spider Insider

For faculty & staff at the UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Winter 2022

From ZOMBIES toBABIESto RACE CARS

Faculty experts inform national narrative in The Conversation

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SAY [GOAT] CHEESE! Josh Briere, social media specialist, will do anything for a great shot. That includes getting up close and personal with the University’s temporary employees from RVA Goats and Honey. The goats returned to campus in October 2021 to clear the overgrown vegetation and invasive plants along the Eco-Corridor. It’s the third time UR has used this environmentally friendly landscape management practice, which decreases the use of herbicides and gas-powered equipment.

Photograph by Gordon Schmidt

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Winter 2022

Vice president for University Communications John M. Barry

Spider Insider

Associate vice president for communications and digital engagement Phillip Gravely Editor Cheryl Spain

Game Changer Graduate student Jacob Gilyard, ’21, became the NCAA Division I men’s basketball career steals leader in December, breaking a record that stood for 19 years.

Director of creative services Samantha Tannich Graphic designer, publications Gordon Schmidt Photographer Jamie Betts Staff contributors: Ashley Bentley, Joshua Briere, Sunni Brown, Sarah Busching, Catherine Amos Cribbs, Chad Devers, Matthew Dewald, Mike Domina, Joedy Felts, Paul Heltzel, Kevin Heraldo, Alicia Hubbard, Brian Ivasauskas, Pamela Lee, Katie McBride, Joe Minick, Nicole Hansen, Cassie Price, Cynthia Price, Cindy Smith, and Andrew Tillman Spider Insider is printed on paper that is FSC® certified, with 10% post-consumer recycled content and certified fiber.

ON THE COVER Since 2018, UR faculty have shared their expertise through The Conversation, an independent news outlet specializing in articles written by academics for a general audience.

Illustration by Mike Domina

We welcome your input.

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

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Witnessing the Commitment of Our Faculty and Staff Message from President Kevin F. Hallock

Diverse Staff, Diverse Class Enrollment management team mirrors students they aim to recruit

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Disaster-Ready

Social Buzz

An all-hazards approach ensures UR is prepared for anything Committee Furthers Efforts To Memorialize Burying Ground

4 Service off the Clock Faculty and staff lend their time and expertise to the local community

6 Driving Rats Learn New Skills and Bring International Fame Media Mentions

7 Making Conversation

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UR faculty expertise reaches across the globe

Leading Leadership New profile-raising campaign equates Jepson with leadership

11 Investment in Innovation $1 million gift bolsters UR’s Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship initiative

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PEOPLE 16 A Decade of Devotion 18 Accomplishments 21 Engage for Change Award Winners 22 2020 and 2021 Custodial Award Winners 23 New Hires, Moves, and Retirements 25 In Memoriam

A Modern Touch

14 Accolades Fostering Well-Being New behavioral health resources address employees’ complete well-being

15 ‘Snake Man’ Gardener Larry Richmond doubles as campus wildlife ‘go-to’

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Witnessing the Commitment of Our Faculty and Staff Dear Colleagues,

SAVE THE DATE Inauguration of Kevin F. Hallock: Friday, April 8 For more information, visit inauguration. richmond.edu.

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It’s hard to believe I’ve already completed my first semester as president of the University of Richmond. My wife Tina and I have loved meeting so many of you.

These encounters have reinforced again and again how grateful, lucky, and proud we feel to be part of this wonderful community.

Writing this letter reminded me of a staff member I ran into while walking across campus last semester. She greeted me as “President Hallock” and then apologized saying, “I know you prefer to be called Kevin.”

I responded that it’s perfectly fine to call me president, but I’m just as happy to be called Kevin; whatever you prefer. I proudly count myself as one of the 1,700 staff and faculty who work at UR. Every single one of us has an important job to do here. We each make significant contributions. And we each share in the success of this amazing institution.

I’ve been blown away by the commitment that our staff and faculty demonstrate to our students and to each other. I’ve worked and studied at other great institutions and have visited scores of others, and there really is something different — and special — about the University of Richmond.

I’ve been especially impressed with our staff and faculty’s commitment to working collaboratively to advance our educational mission. Tina and I saw a terrific example of this last semester at the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement’s Engage for Change Awards. We were so impressed with the many ways in which staff and faculty support students to make an impact in our communities and become active and informed participants of society.

The University of Richmond is truly a remarkable place, but we aren’t perfect and face significant challenges as we work daily to serve our students. I’ve appreciated the opportunity to listen and learn from so many of you, and I share your commitment to remaining steadfast in fostering a community of care, well-being, and belonging. I’ve also heard and observed the need to address division around big issues in our community. And while continuing to learn to live with COVID-19 is our reality, I sympathize with how difficult and exhausting this can be.

There are no perfect ways to meet our daily challenges, but we’re all in this together. From my many interactions with you, I know we have the intellectual power, problem-solving spirit, and determination to help Richmond live up to its core values and become a place where all community members can thrive and feel an enormous sense of belonging.

Thanks so much for everything you do to strengthen our community. I’m so grateful for all your hard work to support our students and one another. We are all part of something special here at UR. I continue to give thanks to be among you and to work alongside you to build a bright future for our university.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and look out for others.

Kevin F. Hallock President

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An all-hazards approach ensures UR is prepared for anything

When a tornado touched down near campus in September 2018, staff, faculty, and students knew where to seek shelter and received timely updates. Annual tornado drills and regular tests of warning systems ensured that everyone on campus remained safe when faced with the real thing.

UR’s significant attention to disaster preparedness and response systems earned it accreditation by the Emergency Management Accreditation Program in July 2021, making it one of only eight higher education institutions to have the designation. To achieve accreditation, the University demonstrated its compliance with 66 industry-recognized standards and underwent a peer-review virtual assessment by a team of EMAP-trained assessors.

“We wanted to create a program for the University that would meet the needs of the Spider community,” said Brittany Schaal, director of emergency management. “Our program is flexible, scalable, and reflective of how our neighboring jurisdictions and the commonwealth are structured.”

The Emergency Management office instills a culture of preparedness while enhancing and improving the disaster resiliency of the University by mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies.

It’s an all-hazards approach.

“We look at everything and our relative risks,” Schaal said. Hazards may be natural such as hurricanes and floods, human-made, or technological, including cybersecurity threats. “The world is changing, and we have to be ready” — even for the unimaginable sudden onset of a global pandemic.

Schaal and the Outbreak Control Team, composed of representatives from across the University, began watching the pandemic in January 2020.

“We pulled together a structure that previously existed and expanded it” to meet the needs of the current crisis, she said.

Schaal has served as the COVID-19 coordinator throughout the pandemic, working in lockstep with the Resilience of Operation Working Group, including leading the Health Promotion and Compliance Team. She values the expertise and ingenuity that everyone brings to the response process.

During an emergency, she said, people are exceptional at recognizing that the crisis takes precedence and working together for the good of the community.

To help prepare for the next crisis to affect campus — no matter what form it might take, Schaal leads annual tabletop exercises where team members from across campus discuss their roles and their responses to a particular emergency. Solid plans and procedures are critical to a successful emergency management program, but the relationships are the real key.

While Schaal is the sole staff member in the Emergency Management office, “it’s a program of many,” she said. “Every office and department across campus contributes to our efforts. It’s about pulling together.”

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AROUND THE LAKE

Disaster-Ready

COMMITTEE FURTHERS EFFORTS TO MEMORIALIZE BURYING GROUND With quiet persistence throughout 2021, the Burying Ground Memorialization Committee made substantial progress toward its goal of developing a plan for the burying ground behind Puryear and Richmond halls and deepening connections with the descendant community.

A University-commissioned report released in 2019 traced the site’s history as a likely burial place for enslaved people before the Civil War and documented its disturbance by the University during construction projects in the 20th century. The report and current efforts to memorialize the site are part of the University’s ongoing efforts to examine its history and work toward greater diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging across the campus community.

Over the spring and summer, the committee hosted 78 likely descendants to share historical information about the burying ground, trace genealogical connections to ancestors who may have been buried there, and seek input about permanent memorialization. Committee consultant Brenda Dabney Nichols, a public historian and the author of African Americans of Henrico County, led the visits, which the committee called “pilgrimages” at her recommendation.

“A pilgrimage is a journey of an unknown length,” Nichols said. “You’re going somewhere.

You’re seeking something. You’re trying to find answers to something.”

During the fall 2021 semester, the committee hosted six open forums to engage a range of stakeholders in discussions about memorializing the burying ground and the history of the land on which campus is located, including its sustained intersections with enslavement. At the sessions, an architectural firm presented possible design concepts and solicited feedback. The committee submitted design recommendations to President Kevin Hallock in December.

The permanent installation will replace temporary steps to mark the site. Facilities erected small chain fencing to mark its contours, and the committee installed signage and banners to explain its significance.

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Public historian Lauranett Lee, adjunct assistant professor of liberal arts, delivered the keynote address at the unveiling of the Emancipation and Freedom Monument on Brown’s Island.

TEAMING UP TO FIGHT HUNGER UR’s Dining Services team has had a long relationship with Feed More, a hunger relief organization serving Central Virginia. In addition to regularly donating food and hosting food drives, members of the team — sometimes up to 30 at a time — volunteer twice a year to pack meals on weekends.

It’s been a Dining Services tradition for nearly a decade.

“It’s a great reminder of how lucky most of us are to be foodsecure,” said Maya Vincelli, assistant director of retail operations. “It feels great to use our professional skills outside of work to benefit a cause we are all so familiar with.”

While the onsite work paused at the onset of the pandemic, Vincelli hopes to pick back up as soon as it’s safe to do so.

“It’s one of my favorite things to do with our staff each year.”

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Service off the Clock

Faculty and staff lend their time and expertise to the local community Ethical, meaningful engagement with our local and global communities is a core value at UR. Through the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, students, faculty, and staff connect with organizations across the region as part of community-based learning and research, summer fellowships, volunteering, and more. But faculty and staff lend their time and expertise to all manner of organizations across the city. Richmond is, after all, part of the University’s name.

For Monti Datta, associate professor of political science, local service comes in the form of addressing what he calls “the needs of the carceral state.”

Since 2018, Datta has volunteered with REAL Life, a nonprofit that addresses challenges faced by men and women transitioning out of incarceration in Central Virginia. Each week, Datta sits with participants — virtually since the onset of the pandemic — for an hour of meditation.

“A lot of people in the REAL Life program are still struggling to stay clean and sober,” Datta said. “There are many temptations to use recreational drugs or alcohol again, and meditation is just simply one tool out of many for these people in the program to find more grace and sobriety in the present moment.”

Datta’s involvement with REAL Life — REAL stands for Recovering from Everyday Addictive Lifestyles — is an offshoot of his previous work with the Richmond City Jail, now the Richmond City Justice Center, where he led current events discussions with inmates. He hopes to partner with other faculty to offer coordinated programming between UR and incarceration facilities.

Through it all, Datta says the experience has impacted him as much as he hopes it has benefited the lives of the inmates and formerly incarcerated people he’s coached.

“I think all of this has made me a better person,” Datta said.

For public historian Lauranett Lee, adjunct assistant professor of liberal arts, serving our local community is practically in her DNA. “Service has always been a part of our family legacy,” Lee said. “This is my purpose — to move people toward positive change.”

Much of Lee’s service is aimed at shaping the way others embrace and interact with Virginia’s history.

In September 2015, Lee was appointed by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to the Capitol Square Preservation Council (CSPC), and she

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— areas prone to reflect and exacerbate racial injustice — and identified suggestions for repeal.

It has also made recommendations for “laws or approaches that should help alleviate the disparate outcomes that Virginia law has created or perpetuated regarding its minority citizens,” Chambers said.

Chambers, who said the commission’s work dovetails with his academic work on discrimination and equality, recognizes, like his colleagues, the impact that his work is having on the Virginians he serves and his own professional growth.

“My service on the commission has been very fruitful,” Chambers said. “I have learned from my fellow commissioners and, I hope, provided them a bit of wisdom from the academic vineyards. The experience has reinforced my appreciation for the work that has been done to create a more equitable Virginia and the work that remains to be done to create a Virginia in which all can thrive.”

“This is my purpose — to move people toward positive change.”

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AROUND THE LAKE

has chaired it since September. The CSPC is revamping the Capitol Square visitor experience to make it more inclusive and holistic. Lee is also an appointee to the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission, which promotes King’s legacy and the continuation of his work.

On Sept. 22, she delivered the keynote address at the unveiling of the Emancipation and Freedom Monument on Brown’s Island, constructed as part of the commission’s commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the abolition of slavery.

“I spoke from the heart,” Lee said. “I think more than anything I wanted people to feel the pain of the past but also share in the joy of the moment. Because with the monument itself, it’s so triumphant. It’s uplifting out of something that was so hurtful and horrific.”

Like Lee, Hank Chambers, Austin E. Owen Research Scholar and professor of law, has also been appointed by governors to public service positions. He serves as vice chair of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and is a member of the Governor’s Commission to Examine Racial and Economic Inequity in Virginia Law. The latter commission has reviewed laws in areas such as voting, education, housing, and criminal law

BALANCING ARCHAEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT Derek Miller, archaeologist and assistant director of community relationships and community-engaged learning in the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, is a founding member of RVA Archaeology. The group — formed in 2014 as a response to the proposed ballpark in Shockoe Bottom that jeopardized the Devil’s Half-Acre/ Lumpkin’s Slave Jail archaeological site — is composed of archaeologists, historians, preservationists, and residents dedicated to advancing the protection and interpretation of Richmond’s archaeological history.

“Archaeological resources are a resource that our community should consider when deciding who we want to be and where we want to go,” Miller said. “This does not mean we privilege archaeology over development. Far from it. There are many justifiable reasons for building on an archaeological site. But it is important to have the conversation and to know what is potentially being lost.”

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MEDIA MENTIONS “Lil Nas X’s defiant pride is essential to hip-hop — and the DaBaby debacle is one reason why” “There’s still that general sentiment that this type of rapper, a gay, male rapper, isn’t representative of masculinity,” said Irving May Professor of Human Relations MATTHEW OWARE, who researches race and gender identities in pop culture. “What Lil Nas X is doing by upping the ante is no different than what we see a stereotypical, heterosexual rapper do by upping the ante in their lyrics.”

DRIVING RATS LEARN NEW SKILLS AND BRING INTERNATIONAL FAME In 2019, a team of researchers led by Kelly Lambert, professor of behavioral neuroscience, published its research about teaching rats to drive, which has important implications for mental health treatments. The work caught the attention of thousands of news outlets. Now, it’s the subject of a new documentary.

Oxford Scientific Films (OSF), based in the United Kingdom, will feature the driving rats in “The Secret Life of Pets,” a scientific look at some of the most interesting abilities of animals people keep as companions.

The rats trained in Lambert’s lab are not pets, of course, but the film will highlight the extraordinary capabilities of rats generally.

“Rats are amazingly intelligent,” Lambert said.

“Our investigations of rodent behavior and their brains help us learn more about human behavior and neural functions.”

The OSF crew first reached out about visiting the University of Richmond to film the driving rats in December 2020, but travel and campus COVID-19-related restrictions prevented filming until the summer of 2021. In the meantime, Lambert furthered her research with new cars and components ahead of the crew’s arrival and even taught the rats to race each other in a small arena.

“The attention is a great way to educate more people about science,” Lambert said. “It’s fun to see a rat driving a car, but in the context of sharing that with an audience or writing about it, I have an opportunity to talk about the impact of training healthy brains throughout the lifespan.

So it’s become a great springboard to talk about some of our laboratory research.”

The documentary is slated for release early this year.

“Our investigations of rodent behavior and their brains help us learn more about human behavior and neural functions.”

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“Millennial Money: Be ready to work for Labor Day bargains” “We have consumers who are believed to have quite a bit of money in their pockets, but the retailers do not have a lot of product,” said TOM ARNOLD, Joseph A. Jennings Chair in Business. This article first appeared in Nerd Wallet and was picked up by more than 200 outlets.

“This firm is partnering with law students for new business ideas” “Students will take the lead in identifying areas for potential development or improvement,” said JOSH KUBICKI, director of legal innovation and entrepreneurship, about the legal business program at the law school.

“What It’s Like to Start Your First Faculty Job in a Pandemic” “The unprecedented times allowed us to try new things without as much fear of negative repercussions,” wrote LAUREN HENLEY, assistant professor of leadership studies. “And our experiences may be instructive.”

“What Do the UFO Videos Really Show?”

“These videos … lack good context such as readily identifiable objects for scale such as buildings or trees, and other moving objects to gauge speeds,” said JACK SINGAL, astrophysicist and associate professor of physics.

“Fred, Henri, and Ida might add color to foliage season around Philly and in the East” The research of STEPHANIE SPERA, assistant professor of geography and the environment, is highlighted in the article, which describes autumn as “the scientific ugly duckling” among the seasons. It is “the most understudied,” says Spera, who is involved in a yearslong foliage-monitoring project.

“Get to know University of Richmond’s Terry Baker” “I want to listen to what the students are saying about what’s important to them, so we can interpret that into the dining program,” said TERRY BAKER, executive director of dining services.

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

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From ZOMBIES toBABIESto RACE CARS

Faculty experts inform national narrative in The Conversation

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Making Conversation

UR faculty expertise reaches across the globe From the physics of NASCAR to the popularity of zombies, University of Richmond faculty have shared their expertise on a wide range of topics through The Conversation since 2018.

The Conversation is an independent news outlet specializing in articles written by academics for a general audience. University Communications has partnered with the organization to increase exposure to faculty expertise in the news media. All The Conversation articles are available via the Associated Press to hundreds of news outlets worldwide.

Since the partnership began, 47 UR faculty have authored 80 articles. Their work has been republished more than 2,500 times — an average of about 30 times each — for a potential readership of nearly 6 billion.

Newsweek, The Washington Post, Fast Company, U.S. News & World Report, and more have picked up faculty essays. The pieces are also often shared in major trade publications. Modern Farmer, for example, which has a readership of nearly 500,000, recently republished a piece by biology professor Kristine Grayson on invasive forest pests.

Faculty say they value writing for The Conversation for a variety of reasons.

“My work with The Conversation has been beneficial in my scientific outreach and my career at the University,” said Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry and three-time author for The Conversation. “One of my articles was picked up by Scientific American, which is a holy grail-type publication for many science faculty.”

An article on candy tax written by Hayes Holderness, associate professor of law, was republished by Time.

“It’s great to share our specialized expertise with a broader audience than we might find in our academic circles,” Holderness, another repeat author, said. “I get calls from reporters following up on the articles I’ve written, which leads to more connections.”

An essay written by Bob Spires, associate professor of education, was read more than 100,000 times — which, he noted, is many more times than a typical journal article.

That increased visibility provides a powerful opportunity for academics to provide quality information and combat misinformation, which is especially important in times of crisis.

“Without the scholarly community taking a more proactive approach to engaging with the public more productively, I expect us to continue seeing the issues of the post-truth era negatively impact our society for the long term,” Spires said.

While the University has reaped the benefits of the partnership with The Conversation, staff at The Conversation have been equally impressed with the University and the quality and range of its faculty contributors.

“I’m really impressed with the diversity of the scholars,” said Emily Costello, deputy editor for The Conversation. “UR has authors across disciplines — not just one department or school — which is really nice to see.”

Eric Zack, director of university relations at The Conversation, agrees. “When other institutions ask ‘Who’s doing it best?’ I always mention Richmond as the gold standard.”

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Faculty interested in writing for The Conversation can contact Cynthia Price, associate vice president for media and public relations, at cprice2@richmond. edu or Sunni Brown, director of media and public relations, at sbrown5@richmond. edu. Additional information is available at news.richmond.edu under the Faculty and Staff Toolkit.

Faculty from all five schools have written for The Conversation. A complete list of their articles for The Conversation is available at news. richmond.edu/placements/conversation.

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

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The diversity among  Enrollment Management staff members allows them to relate to the very students they recruit.

(From left: Hillary Kuhn, Michael Pina, and Reggie Barnette)

AVATARS Ristow uses the term “avatar” as a metaphor for why it is important for the admissions staff to mirror the diversity that the University seeks in its applicant pool.

“It’s important for people from different backgrounds, and particularly from marginalized backgrounds, to be able to see avatars of themselves,” she said. “It creates an amazing opportunity to talk more deeply about some of the very specific and unique opportunities, but also some of the struggles.”

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Diverse Staff, Diverse Class

Enrollment management team mirrors students they aim to recruit Stephanie Dupaul has some surprising thoughts about what her staff is capable of. Yes, she and her enrollment management colleagues are charged with shaping each new class of firstyear Spiders, but in a whimsical moment, she can see other possibilities.

“I think we could run a band out of our staff,” she said. “We could certainly field athletic teams.”

The conversation that led her to this joking observation focused on the rich diversity of that staff. Dupaul, vice president for enrollment management, has shaped it over the last several years to provide Richmond with a deft strategic advantage in the competitive world of college admissions. The team’s multifaceted diversity is its not-so-secret strength.

“I look at what we value at Richmond,” she said. “What do we consider high-impact practices that our students experience here, and have our staff experienced those? Were they a student-athlete? Did they work on campus? Did they study abroad? Did they work in student life?

All of those experiences increase retention.”

The staff members also come from a wide variety of personal backgrounds. They attended public and private schools and grew up in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Some were first-generation students or eligible for Pell Grants, and some were first-generation immigrants to the United States. They represent a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and speak multiple languages.

This collective dexterity gives the admissions team both empathy when they’re reading admission files and the vision necessary for bringing in the kinds of students who will make our community stronger, said Michael Pina, director of admission for diversity outreach and partnerships.

“Having a diverse staff allows ideas to come together differently,” he said. “It sharpens us to have different viewpoints, perspectives, and backgrounds. If we look like who we’re trying to recruit — and that means in our attitudes, like we care that you’re first-generation, we care that you’re low-income or a student-athlete — we can demonstrate our care each step of the way.”

Rachel Ristow has seen that care play out in specific ways. As associate director of admission

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AROUND THE LAKE

WELCOME!

COLLABORATION IS KEY “People may underestimate the value of having an outstanding catering staff when you have events,” said Pina, but he doesn’t. He knows that collaborations with people across campus are critical to his team’s success.

for visitor experience, she oversees the experiences prospective students have when they come to campus and is part of the committee that reviews applicants and makes admission decisions.

Every admission cycle, she and her colleagues read thousands of essays, so certain topics recur.

One well-worn trope is the sports injury essay, as in, a prospective student overcame an injury suffered while playing a varsity sport. It’s a form that most admission professionals have read over and over again, a repetition that can transform it into cliché in some readers’ eyes.

Ristow shares an empathetic perspective when that sentiment surfaces. It comes from her experience having been a high school soccer player who suffered an injury.

“We all come to the table with biases, but our diverse and experienced staff is able to have open conversations and challenge each other respectfully to make sure we are shaping a diverse class,” she said.

Everyone around the table in enrollment management brings unique experiences, backgrounds, and preferences, and these are, in turn, reflected across a variety of interactions with high school students considering Richmond. The ultimate success of the team lies in members’ individual professional excellence and the team’s diversity as a group.

“We’re competing, quite frankly, with some schools that we weren’t competing with five or 10 years ago,” Pina said. “We have to come with everything we have as we talk about what makes this community special.”

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“We all come to the table with biases, but our diverse and experienced staff is able to have open conversations and challenge each other respectfully to make sure we are shaping a diverse class.”

This roster of partners includes administrators enacting policy, professors meeting with prospective students and teaching mock classes, student workers greeting them at the visitors desk, and everyone else on campus.

Whether front-facing or working behind the scenes, everyone plays an important role in creating positive impressions of the Richmond community.

“We all have to be recruiting students,” he said.

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SOCIAL BUZZ A roundup of reactions to posts on @urichmond:

Dr. [John] Hayden was the first faculty member I met when I visited UR as a high schooler, he spontaneously took me into his office and sat and talked about the Bio program with us for half an hour! It was a big deciding factor in my coming to UR (class of 96) and he ended up being my Biology major advisor. Thanks, Dr. H! —Katherine Laning via Facebook Spider staff worked so hard to take care of our students and keep them safe last year … and continue to do a fabulous job!! I’m a very appreciative parent! Thank you!!!

—Debbie Halla via Twitter D Hall is the best cafeteria I’ve ever been to! Was lucky to eat there for 4 years, back when calories had fewer consequences.

—Lora Marie via Facebook Brilliant! So glad UR is into nature-based climate solutions and actively promoting this zero carbon emissions option through social media. This is how change happens. Makes me proud to be an alum.

—Noreen Wise via LinkedIn Referring to the more than 40 goats used to clear out invasive plant species on campus My future wife, Debbie Tuttle, and I met almost every day in the Dry Dock for lunch. And walked around the lake (and later with our kids!). An important place.

—Ken Edwards via Facebook

Just booked flights for Family Weekend! We are excited to see this beauty again!

—@pattybeechdziuk via Instagram Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @urichmond 10

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Leading Leadership New profile-raising campaign equates Jepson with leadership At UR, Jepson means leadership. Just ask any Spider who has attended since the Jepson School of Leadership Studies admitted its first class in 1992. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to better understand this association, too.

In September, the Jepson School launched a profile-raising campaign in partnership with its Executive Board of Advisors and University Communications and with the support of many alumni donors. The new campaign is an extension of the universitywide branding initiative.

In the initial phase, the Jepson campaign targets those in leadership positions within the Washington, D.C., and New York City markets. This audience will see campaign-driven digital ads on the websites of prominent media outlets.

“Jepson is not just the nation’s first undergraduate school of leadership studies,” said Jepson School Dean Sandra Peart. “We are also the best. We want everyone from C-suite executives to top government officials to nonprofit executive directors to equate Jepson and our alumni with leadership excellence.”

The campaign’s digital ads highlight the School’s logo, the University’s signature blue-and-red graphics, and succinct messages: “Jepson, leadership for change”; “Jepson, leadership for impact”; and “Jepson, leadership with purpose.”

When users click the digital ads, they are directed to a landing page with stories of Jepson alumni who are leaders in fields as varied as health care, sport management, workforce development, banking, and international human rights. The page also includes media placements that highlight the expertise of the School’s multidisciplinary faculty.

“With our 30th anniversary coming up in 2022, it is time to tell our story more broadly,” Peart said. “Jepson educates students about leadership and graduates alumni who know how to lead. Our alumni succeed as leaders in the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.

“Simply put, we want top employers to think of our graduates first when they look to hire leaders. A Jepson education equips leaders for success.

The record speaks for itself.”

“Jepson is not just the nation’s first undergraduate school of leadership studies; we are also the best.”

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Challenge workshop in October helped participants develop the skills needed to address big and complex problems like those identified in the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.

Investment in Innovation $1 million gift bolsters UR’s Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship initiative A recent $1 million gift from the Jason and Jaime Brown Family Foundation and the RB Charitable Foundation will accelerate the development of UR’s Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship initiative, helping to launch pilot programming and significantly expand faculty, staff, and student opportunities.

The Brown family, through Brown Distributing Co., has been operating businesses in the Richmond area for four generations and wanted to contribute to the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Because they have strong familial ties to the University — their father and grandfather are alums — brothers Jason and Reid wanted their first philanthropic gift in this space to be at UR. “We are so grateful to the Brown family for their early and generous support of this growing program,” said Martha Callaghan, vice president for advancement. “Philanthropy from our community supports everything we do at Richmond, and for new programs and initiatives like CIE, it can be a real catalyst for growth.”

The CIE initiative has helped Spiders on campus embrace and develop their creativity since its launch in 2017. The gift will further strengthen its curricular and co-curricular offerings — which currently include a lecture series; Spider Ventures, the student entrepreneurship club; and an entrepreneurship minor and concentration.

“The Brown family understood that it was critical for us to determine what Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship looks like long-term at the University of Richmond,” said Somiah Lattimore, CIE’s inaugural director. “They want to not only be a thought partner in that, but also

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want their funds to be freely used to experiment, which is truly incredible.”

The CIE has introduced several pilot opportunities this year. This summer, student-founded startups will have access to space, mentorship, and seed funding through a partnership with Startup Virginia’s Idea Factory in a first offering of the Summer Incubation Experience. UR’s first Design Thinker-in-Residence, Geof Hammond, is teaching the course Introduction to Design Thinking as well as reimagining the University Innovation Fellows program. Students, faculty, and staff even went on an entrepreneurial journey using the UN’s sustainable development goals through a Social Innovation Challenge workshop.

And then there’s the Bench Top Innovations course Creating and Commercializing Culinary Magic, taught by entrepreneur-in-residence Shane Emmett and marketing lecturer Joel Mier.

The course lets students create, develop, and, thanks to funding from the gift, commercialize innovative food and beverage products.

“We are excited to support the Richmond entrepreneurial ecosystem now and in the future, and we are looking forward to seeing how the CIE program builds over the next few years in capabilities, resources, and programs,” the Browns said.

AROUND THE LAKE

 The Social Innovation

FACULTY AND STAFF, TOO The CIE is aimed at helping every student on campus — undergraduate, graduate, law, and SPCS. Lattimore emphasizes that its offerings are available to faculty and staff, too. She will be working with the Faculty Hub in the spring on training in design thinking and has already partnered with several faculty on their class needs.

“It doesn’t matter what you’re teaching or what you’re studying,” Lattimore said.

“Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship — those skills and those mindsets transcend discipline and industry.”

For more information on the CIE initiative, including a list of all curricular and co-curricular offerings, visit cie.richmond.edu.

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New stairs provide an  egress from the Great Hall and open up the area, providing natural light to the first-floor student study area.

Restrooms were added in  several locations throughout the building, and existing restrooms were refurbished. (left).

A Modern Touch Ryland Hall reopened to faculty, staff, and students in fall 2021 after extensive renovations. The project created a centralized home for the humanities; an archaeology lab; a new display space for the Ancient World Gallery and Ti Ameny Net, UR’s resident ancient Egyptian mummy; a lactation room; and a courtyard with a beautiful view of Boatwright Tower. Interior upgrades included the installation of the building’s first elevator. It’s the most comprehensive renovation since the building was constructed in 1914 to house the original campus library.

Modern lighting  and lighter wood give the Humanities Commons a contemporary look and feel (right).

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bished wood flooring is paired with modern stools in the third-floor study lounge for a striking juxtaposition of old and new (left).

 A locally made custom

iron staircase with glass inserts in the Great Hall adds a unique element to the space (right).

AROUND THE LAKE

 Reclaimed and refur-

“One of our goals in the renovation and addition to the building was to preserve the historical architecture while upgrading it with current technologies and contemporary fixtures.”

—Chuck Rogers, director of design and construction  The courtyard provides

a tranquil outdoor space to study or gather — and a beautiful new view of Boatwright Tower.

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ACCOLADES These awards and rankings are a testament to UR’s overall commitment to excellence.

The Jason and Jaime Brown Family Foundation and the RB Charitable Foundation, affiliates of Brown Distributing Co., awarded UR a $1 MILLION GIFT to accelerate the development of the Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship initiative. The early-stage investment will allow UR to launch new programming and significantly expand student, faculty, and staff opportunities (see story on Page 11).

The R.E.B. Foundation awarded the School of Professional & Continuing Studies a GRANT OF UP TO $386,322 over two years to fund the Provisional License Support Program, consisting of the School-Based Teacher Education Program (STEP) and Teacher Licensure Completion initiatives. Grant funding will allow faculty to study, improve, and share the STEP model statewide and provide provisionally licensed teachers a reduced rate on coursework.

The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation awarded the Modlin Center for the Arts a $60,000 GRANT to support the 2021–22 performance season. This is the Modlin Center’s 26th year of funding from the Carpenter Foundation, making total support for the annual concert series nearly $2 million.

The Associated Colleges of the South awarded UR $40,900 for a project focusing on the importance of public transportation in Richmond. The project is part of a larger collaboration, which includes Centre College, Rollins College, Washington and Lee University, and Sewanee: The University of the South.

U.S. News and World Report ranked UR No. 22 among national liberal arts colleges for the second year in a row in its Best Colleges 2022 guide.

UR also ranked No. 25 for “BEST VALUE,” No. 16 for “MOST INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS,” No. 27 for “STUDY ABROAD,” No. 84 for “UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS PROGRAMS,” and No. 29 for “INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.” The Princeton Review recognized UR’s commitment to environmentally conscious practices and programs in its “GUIDE TO GREEN COLLEGES.” It’s the 12th consecutive year UR has been cited as a top school for environmental stewardship.

The Princeton Review also recognized UR in its 2022 edition of The Best 387 Colleges and included UR on its lists of “GREAT CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE,” “GREAT-RUN COLLEGES,” “MOST BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS,” “GREAT CAREER SERVICES,” “GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE,” “GREAT ATHLETIC FACILITIES,” and “GREAT CAMPUS FOOD.”

Fostering Well-Being New behavioral health resources address employees’ complete well-being Organizations across the country are experiencing employee burnout and staff shortages brought on by the lingering impact of COVID-19. The University of Richmond, which is not immune to these dynamics, is making efforts to support staff and faculty during the ongoing pandemic.

“We recognize that the University’s faculty and staff are dealing with pandemic fatigue, stress, and increased workloads,” said Laura Dietrick, director of benefits and compensation. “In 2020, we added new benefits including paid COVID-19 leave, child care funds, and enhanced health insurance. But we also wanted to address employees’ complete well-being.”

UR Well Employee, a partnership between Human Resources and Health Promotion, launched a behavioral health program in spring 2021 to promote faculty and staff mental health, resilience, and well-being and to support those who experience depression, anxiety, relationship issues, and substance use disorders.

Through the program, all staff and faculty can now make free, confidential short-term counseling appointments with an onsite Cigna behavioral health counselor. University medical plan members also have access to a variety of virtual care options that address behavioral health, including Talkspace, which connects clients with a licensed therapist via text or live video, and Ginger, which provides coaching via text-based chats, self-guided learning activities, and video-based therapy. Meru Health provides a 12-week virtual counseling program for people suffering from depression, anxiety, or burnout, and MAP Care Solutions provides peer support for substance use disorders.

All faculty and staff continue to have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which has added an option for virtual counseling in addition to its in-person sessions. Full-time employees also have access to the new Well-Being Center.

“I encourage employees to take time this semester to stop by the Well-Being Center if they haven’t yet had a chance,” said Heather Sadowski, director of health promotion. “Try out the massage chairs, salt therapy room, meditation garden, and use what works best for you.”

Visit hr.richmond.edu/benefits/work-life/behavioral-health.html to download the Behavioral Health Toolkit and learn more about all virtual care options, including Happify, iPrevail, Sondermind, MDLive, and more.

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AROUND THE LAKE

‘Snake Man’

Gardener Larry Richmond doubles as campus wildlife ‘go-to’ Biology professor Peter Smallwood, an ecologist who researches conservation and wildlife, recently wondered whether there were any cicada killer wasp nests on campus. And he knew just whom to ask — gardener Larry Richmond.

Gardener is just one of the many titles that could apply to Richmond. Aquarist. Outdoorsman. Animal enthusiast.

“Snake man,” landscape services supervisor Karen Williams said with a laugh.

“We call him our snake man.”

Richmond has worked at the University for about a decade, and while his main responsibility is maintaining the gardening beds near the Gottwald Science Center, he’s also widely known as the “goto” for all things wildlife.

“Facilities knows if they get a call about any sort of wildlife issue on campus, Larry is the guy,” Williams said.

With his shift beginning at 6:30 a.m., Richmond says he sees the “transition from night to day animals,” providing him the opportunity to study — and occasionally interact with — a variety of campus creatures.

“Larry is observant, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about wildlife, and he’s the kind of person I can ask questions of because he’s so familiar with the rhythms of campus,” Smallwood said.

“He’s the boots on the ground, and I consider him to be my ecological eyes and ears when I’m in my office or teaching class.”

Richmond is self-taught and says he watches documentaries and reads extensively to study the wildlife he encounters. His years of experi-

ence have paid off many times. He has relocated nonpoisonous black and brown snakes to quieter areas of campus, rescued opossums from trash cans, and helped turtles who have traveled too far from the lake find their way back home. In fact, he and Smallwood first met during an animal rescue after a black snake became trapped in sod netting.

“I needed some assistance, and I knew about Peter’s expertise, so I took the snake to his office,” Richmond said.

Together, they freed the snake, and Richmond returned it to a safe location.

Since then, they routinely keep in touch and discuss animals.

“He has the same enthusiasm I do, and we both have a vested interest in the wildlife on campus,” Richmond said.

Richmond’s passion doesn’t apply just to campus fauna. He also works part time at a private pet store and has nearly 50 freshwater and saltwater fish and four geckos at home. Being around animals and nature recharges his batteries, he said, and he encourages others to take a moment to appreciate the nature right here on campus.

“We have the beautiful eco-corridor, but campus itself is like an eco-corridor,” Richmond said.

“I’ve seen people walking around looking at their phones and not notice a deer standing 10 feet away from them. People would be amazed at what they might see if they took the time to notice.”

“He’s the boots on the ground, and I consider him to be my ecological eyes and ears when I’m in my office or teaching class.”

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KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY Larry Richmond was familiar with the University of Richmond long before he became an employee.

His father, also Larry Richmond, works here, too. Larry Sr. has been a maintenance technician in the carpentry shop for more than 20 years.

“I spent a lot of time on this campus fishing and hiking the trails long before I worked here, especially in the summer,” the younger Richmond said.

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PEOPLE

A DECADE OF DEVOTION Virginia Lawyers Weekly recently named Wendy Collins Perdue, Richmond Law dean, to its 2021 class of “Influential Women of Law,” and Virginia Business included her on its “Virginia 500” list of influential leaders across the state.

Perdue has been at the helm of Richmond Law for more than a decade now, making her the 11th-longestserving dean among the 200 law schools in the U.S. Under her leadership, Richmond Law has seen an unprecedented 33-place rise in its U.S. News rank.

“Dean Perdue has been an epoch-making leader of the law school,” Jeffrey Legro, executive vice president and provost, said. “She has overseen the building of a first-rate faculty, the recruitment of significantly more qualified and diverse students, a curriculum that has been adapted to a changing profession, and impressive growth in alumni engagement and support. And she was the red wizard on the school’s extraordinary holiday celebration float — so as they climb in the rankings, the legal eagles seem to be having fun, too.”

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OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS We celebrate the accomplishments of UR’s talented faculty and staff.

See more accomplishments and submit your own grant, publication, or honor at richmond.edu/ faculty-staff.

MIGUEL DÍAZ-BARRIGA,

professor of anthropology, and Margaret Dorsey, professor of anthropology, received the 2021 New Directions Award from the General Anthropology Division of the American Anthropological Association for their research on border walls and citizenship.

ELIZABETH BAUGHAN, associate professor

of classics and archaeology, co-published “Hacımusalar Höyük in the Early Bronze Age” in the American Journal of Archaeology.

KRISTIN BEZIO, associate

professor of leadership studies, co-edited Religion and the Medieval and Early Modern Global Marketplace (Routledge).

JENNIFER BOWIE, associate professor of political

science, received a $28,218 supplemental grant from the National Science Foundation to continue her research on judicial decision making.

Associate Professor of Law JUD CAMPBELL’s scholarship was cited by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in his concurring opinion in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia.

DAN CHEN, assistant professor of political

science, was selected as a Public Intellectuals Program Fellow for 2021–23 by the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations. Chen and Gengsong Gao, assistant professor of Chinese studies, published “The transgressive rhetoric of standup comedy in China” in Critical Discourse Studies.

OLGA CHYKINA, assistant

professor of leadership studies, published “Trying to excel in the Golden State: Anti-immigrant sentiment and immigrant educational achievement in California” in Globalisation, Societies and Education.

RYAN COPPAGE, director of introductory lab-

oratories, and Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, co-published “Sintering-Based In-Situ Synthesis and Characterization by TEM of Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Ceramic Glaze Color Control” in Nanomaterials, “Copper Red Nanoparticles” in Ceramics Monthly, and, along with an undergraduate student, “Silver and Gold” in Ceramics Monthly.

RONALD CRUTCHER,

University Professor and president emeritus, was named a senior fellow of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, which aims to advance higher education practices and leadership that significantly improve student learning, completion, and employment after college — especially for students of color and low-income students on American campuses.

Crutcher was elected to serve a six-year term on the Phi Beta Kappa Senate. The Phi Beta Kappa Society is a national academic honor society with chapters at 290 colleges and universities in the U.S. and more than half a million members worldwide.

ERIKA ZIMMERMANN DAMER, associate professor

of classical studies, published Travel, Geography, and Empire in Latin Poetry (Routledge).

KELLING DONALD, professor of chemistry,

co-published “From Molecules to Solids: A vdWDF-C09 Case Study of the Mercury Dihalides” in the Journal of Physical Chemistry A and “Group 14 Central Atoms and Halogen Bonding in Different Dielectric Environments: How Germanium Outperforms Silicon” with undergraduate students in ChemPlusChem.

MARGARET DORSEY,

professor of anthropology, and Miguel Díaz-Barriga, professor of anthropology, received the 2021 New Directions Award from the General Anthropology Division of the American Anthropological Association for their research on border walls and citizenship.

DELLA DUMBAUGH, professor of mathematics,

launched Count Me In, a podcast dedicated to broadening the understanding of what it means to be a mathematician.

GENGSONG GAO, assistant professor of Chinese

studies, and Dan Chen, assistant professor of political science, published “The transgressive rhetoric of standup comedy in China” in Critical Discourse Studies.

JERRY GILFOYLE, Robert

Edward and Lena Frazer Loving Chair of Physics, received a $278,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to support his ongoing nuclear physics research. His project “Medium Energy Nuclear Physics at the University of Richmond” has been funded by the DOE since 1990, bringing the total funding to nearly $2.3 million.

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PEOPLE

KRISTINE GRAYSON, asso-

ciate professor of biology, received a $74,011 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to fund a research project focusing on the box tree moth, an invasive pest that in its caterpillar phase is detrimental to boxwoods.

President KEVIN F. HALLOCK co-authored Modern Labor Economics: Theory and Public Policy, 14th edition (Routledge).

JOEL HANEL, accreditation and assessment spe-

cialist in the School of Professional & Continuing Studies, was selected to represent the Association of Teacher Educators in Virginia, for which he serves as secretary, on the Virginia Education Assessment Collaborative.

JAVIER HIDALGO, associate

professor of leadership studies, published “Empty or Emergent Persons?

A Critique of Buddhist Personalism” in Comparative Philosophy and “An Abhidharmic Theory of Welfare” in Asian Philosophy.

DANIEL HOCUTT, web manager in the School

of Professional & Continuing Studies, with a colleague at George Mason University received a Council for Programs in Technical and Scientific Communication research grant to study use and teaching of data analytics in technical communication classes.

PLEASE SAVE THE DATE FOR THE

Inauguration of Kevin F. Hallock

KATHRYN JACOBSEN, William E. Cooper Dis-

tinguished University Chair, received the 2021 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Journal Best Paper Award from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health for “Loneliness and friendlessness among adolescents in 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Friday, April 8 INAUGURATION.RICHMOND.EDU

SANDRA JOIREMAN, Wein-

stein Chair of International Studies, was selected as a research fellow for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Joireman is part of an international team that will investigate how communities are impacted by the intersection of climate change and violent conflict.

JOANNE KONG, director of accompaniment,

published Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers (Lantern Publishing and Media) as the volume’s editor.

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DANA KUCHEM was elected to a four-year term

as treasurer of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors.

KURT LASH, E. Claiborne

Robins Distinguished Chair in Law, was recognized on the blog Brian Leiter’s Law School Reports as one of the 10 most-cited legal history faculty (in law schools) in the U.S. based on the latest Sisk data. Lash’s paper “The Second Adoption of the Free Exercise Clause: Religious Exemptions Under the Fourteenth Amendment” was quoted by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in his concurring opinion in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia.

MICHAEL LEOPOLD, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S.

Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, and Ryan Coppage, director of introductory laboratories, co-published “Sintering-Based In-Situ Synthesis and Characterization by TEM of Noble Metal Nanoparticles for Ceramic Glaze Color Control” in Nanomaterials, “Copper Red Nanoparticles” in Ceramics Monthly, and, along with an undergraduate student, “Silver and Gold” in Ceramics Monthly.

TODD LOOKINGBILL, associate professor of

biology and geography and the environment, co-authored the chapter “Riverscapes” in The Routledge Handbook of Landscape Ecology (Routledge).

JOANNA LOVE, associate

professor of music, and Andrew McGraw, associate professor of music, received a $47,357 Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for “America’s Music Scenes in the Age of Social Media.”

KRISTJEN LUNDBERG, assistant professor of

social psychology, co-published “Critique of the Bias-of-Crowds Model Simply Restates the Model: Reply to Connor and Evers (2020)” in Perspectives on Psychological Science and “Economic Inequality and Socioeconomic Ranking Inform Attitudes Toward Redistribution” in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

MATT MCCOLLESTER,

assistant athletics director for communications, was elected president of Virginia Sports Information Directors.

ANDREW MCGRAW, associate professor of music,

and Joanna Love, associate professor of music, received a $47,357 Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for “America’s Music Scenes in the Age of Social Media.”

DEREK MILLER, assistant director of community

relationships and community-engaged learning in the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, is part of a collaborative team awarded $38,500 from Associated Colleges of the South for a project focusing on designing more inclusive and equitable archaeology courses.

CAMILLA NONTERAH, as-

sistant professor of health psychology, received a $100,000 grant from the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust for research on access to organ transplants.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science JON PARK’s co-authored paper “Analyzing Cultural Assimilation Through the Lens of Yelp Restaurant Reviews” was published in the proceedings of the 8th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Conference on Data Science and Advanced Analytics.

SANDRA PARK, adjunct assistant professor of

paralegal studies and senior staff attorney for the ACLU Women’s Rights Project, received the 2021 Sharon L. Corbitt Award from the American Bar Association in recognition of exceptional service and leadership in improving the legal response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking.

TERRY PRICE, Coston Family Chair in Leadership

and Ethics, received a grant from the Institute for Humane Studies to support a lecture by Jonathan Rauch, “The Constitution of Knowledge,” as part of the programming in the Jepson School’s Gary L. McDowell Institute.

JONATHAN RICHARDSON, assistant professor

of biology, received a $100,000 grant from the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust for his research on rodents and zoonotic disease risk in Richmond.

CHRIS VON RUEDEN, associate professor of

leadership studies, co-authored “An evolutionary explanation for the female leadership paradox,” in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

WENDY SHEPPARD, assistant director of sports

and risk management, received the Virginia Recreational Sports Association’s 2021 Award of Merit in recognition of her outstanding contribution, involvement, and performance in her role in campus recreation as well as on a state or national scale within the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.

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Civic Engagement staff celebrate the 2021 Engage for Change Award winners. (From left: Sylvia Gale, Adrienne Piazza, Anthony Crenshaw, Alexandra Byrum, Cory Schutter, Terry Dolson, Derek Miller, Georgia Osborne, Blake Stack, and Michael Smart)

2021 Engage for Change Award Winners

PEOPLE

 Bonner Center for

LEARN MORE For a complete list of winners, visit engage. richmond.edu/events/ awards.

These awards, given annually by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, celebrate and acknowledge students, faculty, staff, and area leaders working together to make an impact in our communities.

Faculty and staff award recipients:

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED TEACHING AWARD

Recognizes a faculty member who has consistently demonstrated excellence in community-engaged teaching at the University of Richmond OLIVIER DELERS Associate Professor of French TREY SUTTON Associate Professor of Management

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Recognizes a faculty member — or members — whose scholarly and/or other creative activity emerges from a mutually beneficial partnership with a community and creates new knowledge that contributes to positive social change LAURA BROWDER Tyler and Alice Haynes Professor of American Studies PATRICIA HERRERA Associate Professor of Theatre

COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE AWARD

Honors a collaborative community-based partnership between campus and community stakeholders VIRGINIA POVERTY LAW CENTER TARA CASEY Director of the Carrico Center for Pro Bono and Public Service

CONTRIBUTION TO THE INSTITUTION AWARD

Recognizes faculty or staff member(s) whose community-engaged teaching, scholarship, and/or service made a significant contribution to the University of Richmond, furthering opportunities for faculty engagement, community collaboration, and the learning and thriving of our students THAD WILLIAMSON Associate Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law

BILL COLEMAN AWARD

Recognizes a staff member who is dedicated to supporting meaningful engagement with our local and global communities MAYA VINCELLI Assistant Director of Retail Operations

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CUSTODIAL LEGACY During this year’s Custodial Awards ceremony, Allison Steele, associate director of employee experience and professional development, was surprised with the Custodial Legacy Award for 2015–21.

It’s the first time the award has been given.

Of Steele, her team said, “Your vast contributions and immense care have fundamentally impacted this team.

Your passion for us has set an example and left a lasting impression. We are successful because of you. We are who we are because of you.”

2020 and 2021 Custodial Award Winners These annual University Facilities awards recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating the custodial commitments — safety, hospitality, quality, and efficiency.

CUSTODIAL HERO AWARD

Performs decisively in the face of adversity.

Their acts of selfless service demonstrate the highest form of respect and gratitude.

ALL FRONTLINE CUSTODIAL STAFF (2020–21)

CUSTODIAL EFFICIENCY AWARD

Displays creative thinking, provides innovative suggestions, and continually seeks ways to improve the operation HENNIE APANGA, CUSTODIAN (2020) KADEFA SPAHIC, CUSTODIAN (2021)

CUSTODIAL SAFETY AWARD

Champions safety through their actions and commitment to themselves, their fellow staff, and the entire UR community

CUSTODIAL COMMITMENT AWARD

SAMIDA MESIC, CUSTODIAN (2020) MAZIE ELLERBE, TEAM LEADER (2021)

BARBARA JOHNSON-COLEMAN, CUSTODIAN (2020) MAURICIO LOPEZ, RETHINK WASTE SUPERVISOR (2021)

CUSTODIAL HOSPITALITY AWARD

Demonstrates a positive attitude and an ability to build lasting relationships

Most exemplifies all four commitments of the custodial department

CUSTODIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD

HIRUT GETACHEW, CUSTODIAN (2020) PATRICIA VASQUEZ, CUSTODIAN (2021)

Demonstrates dedication to the team’s success; develops those around them; and serves those they lead

CUSTODIAL QUALITY AWARD

SLAVI MILEV, RETHINK WASTE ASSOCIATE (2020) PAUL JUST, CUSTODIAL SUPERVISOR (2021)

Displays exemplary attention to detail and exceptional service NELI METODIEVA, CUSTODIAN (2020) KIM JACKSON, CUSTODIAN (2021) 22

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professor of biology, with undergraduate students published “In vivo characterization of carbon dots-bone interactions: toward the development of bone-specific nanocarriers for drug delivery” in Drug Delivery.

LINDA FISHER THORNTON, adjunct associate

professor of human resource management, headlined the Center for Ethics in Society’s Ethics in Governance Forum at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire. The title of her talk was “7 Ethical Lenses: Through the Kaleidoscope.”

CARL TOBIAS, Williams Chair in Law, was

recognized on Virginia Business’ annual list of influential leaders for his expertise in federal judicial selection, including his op-ed and essay contributions to media outlets.

Professor of Law KEVIN WALSH’s 2010 NYU Law Review publication, “Partial Unconstitutionality,” was cited by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch in his opinion in United States v. Arthrex Inc. SANDY WILLIAMS, assistant

professor of sculpture, was featured in “Killer Cute,” a group exhibition presented by the De Boer Gallery in Los Angeles.

MELINDA YANG, assistant professor of biology,

co-published “Human population history at the crossroads of East and Southeast Asia since 11,000 years ago” in Cell.

CAROL YEATTS, director of employer outreach

in the law school, received the Phoebe P. Hall Mentorship Award from the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association in recognition of her “kind, caring, and exceptional commitment to the personal, professional, and intellectual development of others.”

FACULTY

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

The following highlights employment status changes for fulland part-time faculty and staff — including temporary to full- or part-time positions — from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2021.

SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES ART AND ART HISTORY Najung Kim Visiting Assistant Professor of Asian Art History BIOLOGY Priscilla Erickson Assistant Professor of Biology CHEMISTRY Chris Shugrue Assistant Professor of Chemistry HEALTH STUDIES Kathryn Jacobsen Professor of Health Studies HISTORY Brian Fennessy Visiting Lecturer of U.S. History Manuel Morales Fontanilla Visiting Assistant Professor of History LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES Momoka Mizoguchi Teaching Fellow in Japanese MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCES Mmachi Obiorah Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Science PHILOSOPHY Sean Driscoll Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Erica Hughes Visiting Lecturer and Production Manager ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Roben Farzad Business Adjunct Faculty ACCOUNTING Rob Pawlewicz Assistant Professor of Accounting ECONOMICS Melissa Spencer Assistant Professor of Economics MANAGEMENT Mary Lynn Lunn Visiting Lecturer SCHOOL OF LAW Susan Dudley Applied Linguistics Specialist Robin Meier Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Danielle Stokes Assistant Professor of Law JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES Frank Abumere Zuzana Simoniova Cmelikova Visiting International Scholar STAFF

POLITICAL SCIENCE Luai Allarakia Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Sabrina Anderson Academic Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office

Dana El Kurd Assistant Professor of Political Science

Evelyne Baratelli Post-Baccalaureate Research, Biology

PSYCHOLOGY Janelle Peifer Assistant Professor of Psychology

Paul Brohan Executive Director, Modlin Center for the Arts

Kevin Webster Visiting Lecturer of Psychology RHETORIC AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES Helen Cho Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY Ryan Steel Visiting Lecturer of Sociology Eileen Walsh Visiting Lecturer of Anthropology

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THEATRE AND DANCE Vicki Davis Visiting Lecturer of Theatre and Dance Scenic Design

PEOPLE

NEW HIRES

ISAAC SKROMNE, assistant

Quan Chau Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Justina Choo Post-Baccalaureate Research, Biology Lesly Corado-Santiago Integrated Inclusive Science Post-Baccalaureate Fellow, Biology Kyrah Holland Study Coordinator, Psychology Erin Hugee Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Psychology

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Jay-Anne Johnson Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Chemistry Andrew Landis Post-Baccalaureate Research, Biology Scott LaRocca Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Geography Jennifer Lo Prete Communications Manager, Dean’s Office Erica Martin Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology

Kathryn Ostrofsky Digital Archive Coordinator, American Studies

Brent Norford Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Eric Richmond Café Associate, Organic Krush

Heather Power Assistant to Dean, International Education

Jasmine Pinder Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine

Ryan Sims Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Michael Smart Assistant Director, Student Engagement and the Bonner Scholars Program, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement

Lindsey Ronbeck Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach

Rachel Singer Café Manager, Organic Krush

Kristian Santos Head Diving Coach

ADVANCEMENT Becca Hyatt Assistant Director of Employer Relations, Career Services

Twon Thomas Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

John Schmidt Assistant Business Manager

Karen Moyers Academic Employment Coordinator, Dean’s Office

Maggie Johnson Assistant Director of Regional Initiatives, Alumni Relations

Emily Peebles Academic Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office

Ashley Kuemmerle Administrative Coordinator, Alumni Relations

Sarah Helen Studebaker Academic Administrative Coordinator, Dean’s Office

Kyra Molinaro Assistant Director of Donor Communications

Addison Swackhammer Post-Baccalaureate Research, Biology

ATHLETICS Maria Acosta Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

Liza Williams Academic Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office Patrick Williamson Set Builder, Theatre and Dance Susan Wolski Academic Administrative Specialist, Dean’s Office SCHOOL OF LAW Sam Cabo Digital Resources Librarian Alex Hutchings Research and Student Services Librarian Heidi Puckett Seasonal Application Assistant Will Thompson Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING STUDIES Kirstin Stacia Manager of Administrative and Technical Services Garrett Stern Program Manager, Professional Education Kris Waikart Administrative Coordinator PROVOST Ana Paula Alvarado Jaar International Education Fellow

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Colleen Brown Assistant Director of Creative Services, Sports Promotion David Corley Assistant Football Coach Joshua Epstein Assistant Baseball Coach Abby Erlemeier Ticket Office Assistant Abby Forsyth Intern Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Kady Glynn Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach Jaide Hinds-Clarke Coordinator of Student-Athlete Development and Engagement Ryan Konotopskyj Marketing Assistant, Sports Promotion

Janelle Silver-Martin Director of Women’s Basketball Operations Tarron Williams Assistant Football Coach BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS SERVICES Herb Allen Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Dacia Thompson Floater Manager, Heilman Dining Center Javon Tillery Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Whiskey Wiskman Cook II, Organic Krush Pharoah Wynn-Floyd Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill

Fehima Vjestica Custodian Zach Wenzel Design and Construction Helper Everett Winston Groundskeeper FINANCE/ ADMINISTRATION Meghan Coates Associate Vice President, Financial Planning and Budget HUMAN RESOURCES Catherine Lyon Talent Acquisition Specialist Karen Shelton Benefits Analyst SECURITY Thomas Martin Police Officer Diego Rayas Police Officer

Chinahnahn Anantseehakool Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill

CONTROLLER Hugh Elwood Purchasing Agent, Procurement and Strategic Sourcing

Jay Artis Cook I, Heilman Dining Center

Crystal Lang Director of Financial Accounting and Reporting

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Reggie Barnette Admission Counselor, Undergraduate Admission

Sal Balsamo Cook II, Heilman Dining Center

FACILITIES Blake Akridge Groundskeeper

Daesha Hordge Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admission

Michelle Burton Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Rashel Amuda Custodian

Kyah Stewart Admissions Counselor – Communication and Marketing, Undergraduate Admission

Eva Chaisson Event Manager, Catering Matt Chubb Café Associate, Passport Café Billy Davis Café Lead, Organic Krush Ronan Dwight Utility Associate, Organic Krush Karen Hicks Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center Krystle Jordan Cook I, Organic Krush

Codie Kunstmann Assistant Director of Athletic Public Relations

Phillip Lee Service Associate – Mail Delivery Driver

Caleb Lawrence Assistant Women’s Swimming Coach

Tracy Lewis Cook II, Heilman Dining Center

Bryant Marks Facilities And Events Assistant

Flor Munoz Leatherman Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Andy McPherson Associate Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine

Kyle Nance Cook I, Tyler’s Grill Fikreta Redzic Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Caitlin Brusoski Groundskeeper Matbien Deng Custodian Patrick Doggett Locksmith I Chris Gee Brick Mason Matt Long Manager, Energy Management and Controls

Elena Tsvetanova Communications Officer

INFORMATION SERVICES Drew Charron Senior Programmer Analyst, Administrative Systems Carlos Flores-Melgar Technical Support Consultant, User Services Specialists

Tina Lowman Custodial Support Associate

PRESIDENT Dara Gocheski Chief of Staff to the President

Joseph Marion Gardener

Kevin Hallock President

Dusty McChristian Groundskeeper

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Jesse Brookins Assistant Director of Programming, Center for Student Involvement

Bobi Metodiev Custodian Randy Moore Custodian Aiyda Shiferwe Custodian Gordana Siposov Custodian

Sarah Franklin Registered Nurse, Student Health Center Ali Mayer Assistant Director, Center for Student Involvement

Ryan Strotman HVAC Mechanic I

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MANAGEMENT Mary Lynn Lunn Visiting Lecturer

Justin Tall Facility Supervisor, University Recreation

James Morrison Visiting Lecturer

Rachel Turk Staff Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services Maya Weekes COVID Support Specialist, University Recreation

Trey Sutton Associate Professor of Management SCHOOL OF LAW Robin Meier Visiting Assistant Professor of Law

UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS Joshua Briere Social Media Specialist

SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING STUDIES Erik Nielson Professor and Assistant Chair of Liberal Arts

MOVES

STAFF

FACULTY SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES ART AND ART HISTORY Sandy Williams Assistant Professor of Art BIOLOGY Jennifer Sevin Visiting Lecturer of Biology HISTORY Christopher Bischof Associate Professor of History Samantha Seeley Associate Professor of History LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES Hilary Raymond Visiting Lecturer of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Jeremy LeCrone Associate Professor of Mathematics PHILOSOPHY Jeppe Platz Associate Professor of Philosophy PSYCHOLOGY Brandon Ng Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology RELIGIOUS STUDIES Will Kelly Visiting Lecturer of Religious Studies SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY Margaret Dorsey Professor of Anthropology ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ECONOMICS Andrea Waddle Associate Professor of Economics

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BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS SERVICES Pietra Balsamo Catering Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Matt Grosse Senior Catering Chef Jennifer Hallatt Sous Chef, Heilman Dining Center Alix Hidalgo Administrative Coordinator, Dining Services

HUMAN RESOURCES Kelly Cecil Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

10 YEARS

SECURITY Randall Baran Lieutenant, Campus Safety

TERRY SYLVESTER

Aubrey Blizzard Lieutenant, Campus Safety Craig Buchbinder Sergeant, Campus Safety

Nathan Hucks Catering Chef

Timothy Mihalcoe Sergeant, Campus Safety

Andy Kerscher Chef de Cuisine, Heilman Dining Center

Renee Walcott Sergeant, Campus Safety

Jennifer Mihalcoe Outreach Coordinator, Bookstore

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Shani Buchholz Financial Aid Advisor

David Morones Stores Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Brian Wiora Admission Counselor, Undergraduate Admission

Emily Phaup Academic Administrative Specialist, Dean’s Office

Ethan Riddle Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill

Nancy Propst Academic Administrative Specialist, Dean’s Office

Peter Torneo Production Manager, Heilman Dining Center

INFORMATION SERVICES Valerie Caminiti Senior Programmer Analyst, Administrative Systems

PROVOST Johneisha Taylor Administrative Coordinator

FACILITIES Cody Arbaugh Landscape Team Leader

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Liza Carpenter Academic Administrative Specialist, Dean’s Office

ADVANCEMENT Nick Minnix Assistant Director of Regional Initiatives, Alumni Relations ATHLETICS Emily Brode Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Madison Carter Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach Katelyn Grimes Health Insurance Coordinator, Sports Medicine Nicole Lovejoy Associate Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Adam Richardson Business Manager CJ Roth Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Schaefer Associate Athletic Director for Development, Spider Club Kate Sirc Associate Athletic Director for Business Operations Marc Warchol Senior Associate Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine

Blake Carter Gardener David Donaldson Rethink Waste Manager, Recycling Nyreng Dut Custodial Supervisor Paul Just Custodial Supervisor Jermaine Massenburg Custodial Manager Rayon McFarlane Custodian Elena Mileva Custodial Manager Branka Odic Custodial Team Leader Eric Preston Gardener Wayne Robinson Custodial Floor Technician Mihreta Selimovic Custodial Team Leader John Shines Custodial Team Leader Allison Steele Associate Director, Employment Experience and Professional Development, Custodial and Environmental Services

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Sarah Mercer Operations Coordinator, Counseling and Psychological Services

RETIREMENTS 33 YEARS

SHERMAN JOHNSON

University Facilities — Custodial

CAROL ESPOSITO

Biology

Gift Planning

IN MEMORIAM Remembering those we lost in 2021

B. LEWIS BARNETT III

January 21, 2021 Associate Professor of Computer Science Emeritus, School of Arts & Sciences 30 YEARS OF SERVICE

BETTIE L. CLARKE

May 15, 2021 Executive Director of Campus Dining, Campus Services (retired June 2019); President’s Home Coordinator, Campus Services 37 YEARS OF SERVICE

WILLIAM J. COLEMAN January 22, 2021 Groome Transportation 8 YEARS OF SERVICE

TIMOTHY W. CROWDER January 16, 2021 Boiler Plant Operator — REACT, Facilities 21 YEARS OF SERVICE

BERNICE E. CRUMP

June 3, 2021 Custodian, Facilities 39 YEARS OF SERVICE

GARY L. MCDOWELL

TOM CAMPAGNOLI

August 6, 2021 Professor of Leadership Studies Emeritus, Jepson School of Leadership Studies 15 YEARS OF SERVICE

29 YEARS

DEAROLD L. SHERMAN

30 YEARS

Boatwright Memorial Library LYNNE DEANE

Student Health Center

22 YEARS

PEOPLE

Hannah O’Neil Facility Supervisor, University Recreation

September 8, 2021 Boiler Mechanic, Facilities 20 YEARS OF SERVICE

LIZ BUEHLER

Events, Conferences, and Support Services

20 YEARS MIKE HULL

Campus Safety

13 YEARS

JEANNE HOLLISTER

Journalism

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410 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

It takes a facilities team of more than 20 to raise the three wreaths — each 14 feet wide and weighing 100 pounds — on Boatwright Tower.

FEBRUARY Feb. 2, 6 p.m.

Employee Appreciation Day at the Robins Center — Women’s Basketball vs. VCU Limited free tickets for faculty and staff MARCH March 4, 2–4 p.m.

Employee Service Awards Booker Hall of Music, Camp Concert Hall March 5–13 Undergraduate Spring Break

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March 18–19 Experience Richmond Overnight and Experience Richmond Overnight experience for admitted students followed by an open house for admitted students and their families March 25 Preview Richmond Open house for prospective students and their families APRIL April 1 Experience Richmond Open house for admitted students and their families

April 8 Inauguration of Kevin F. Hallock 11th president of University of Richmond April 15 Experience Richmond April 22 Last Day of Undergraduate Spring Classes April 22–23 Experience Richmond Overnight and Experience Richmond

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

Meetings* Feb. 8 March 8 April 12 1–3 p.m.

FACULTY SENATE The University of Richmond Faculty Senate is the body authorized by both the University faculty and the Board of Trustees to represent the faculty in the University’s governance process on matters that impact the University or affect more than one school.

Visit usac.richmond. edu for meeting locations.

Meetings* Feb. 11 March 11 April 8 3–4:30 p.m.

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

Visit facultysenate. richmond.edu for meeting locations.

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