WHY I GIVE ... “Twenty-six years ago, because of the guidance and financial support I received from Virginia Commonwealth University, I started on a rewarding career in education that changed the trajectory of my life. I have given in the past and will continue to contribute to VCU because it is an institution that provides opportunities for social and financial mobility for its students, and it is a major positive influence in the Richmond community.” – Jacqueline McDonnough (B.S.’89/E; M.E.D.’99/E) Inaugural Black & Gold Loyalty Society member with nine consecutive years of giving
To learn more about the Black & Gold Loyalty Society, visit support.vcu.edu/loyalty.
Kaestner and Jacqueline McDonnough
Night falls on the city that never sleeps. New York City was home to the 2015 Atlantic 10 Championship in March. Photos page 20.
Features matters 2 Family Inspired by her primary care physician son, grateful alumna
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establishes scholarship with a family medicine focus.
Topping off
Thousands attend the James Branch Cabell Library’s “topping off ” ceremony.
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Teaching moment
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Badge of honor
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Removing barriers
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Friends in deed
Strength in numbers
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Have a seat
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Lifelong educator leads by example with a scholarship designed to encourage educational leadership. A new H&S scholarship aims to smooth the path to success for nontraditional students. A personal tragedy inspires the Watkins family to provide help to others in need.
Fifth-generation jeweler helps commemorate family member and founding dentistry dean with unique gift. Psychiatry professorship supports greater mental-health awareness among primary care physicians. Former president of VCU Libraries board supports Seat-a-Student initiative.
On the cover VCU Libraries held a “topping off” ceremony on March 18 to celebrate the structural completion of the new library building.
Photo VCU University Relations
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Marti K.S. Heil • Development and Alumni Relations Communications Melanie Irvin Seiler (B.S.‘96/H&S), miseiler@vcu.edu, (804) 828-3975 Mitchell Moore (B.S.’07/MC; M.S.’08/E), mooreml3@vcu.edu, (804) 827-3617 • Emma Coates, ekcoates@vcu.edu, (804) 828-2694 • Nan Johnson, nljohnson@vcu.edu Impact is published quarterly by the Virginia Commonwealth University Office of Development and Alumni Relations. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the editorial staff or the university. © 2015, Virginia Commonwealth University, an equal opportunity, affirmative action university support.vcu.edu • 1
Family matters Alumna, husband fund scholarship for medical students
Nader Silver, the inaugural Dr. Rosemarie T. Greyson-Fleg and Dr. Jerome Fleg Fund scholarship recipient in the School of Medicine Photo VCU University Relations
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osemarie Greyson-Fleg, M.D. (M.D.’80/M), credits Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine’s three-year program with jump-starting her career as a physician. “It was great. I was an older student, and the possibility of doing a three-year program was very attractive to me,” said Greyson-Fleg, a diagnostic radiologist in Clarksville, Maryland. “Everything worked out really well. I was very grateful that I was given that chance at VCU.” The three-year option is no longer offered, but the school’s accelerated degree program gave Greyson-Fleg the chance to rotate into internal medicine early, where she thrived. She ultimately made the decision to specialize in radiology, giving her more time with her family. To express her gratitude, Greyson-Fleg and her husband, Jerry, established the Dr. Rosemarie T. Greyson-Fleg and Dr. Jerome Fleg Fund in 2013 through generous gifts of stock. The scholarship is part of the School of Medicine’s 1838 Campaign to help reduce medical student debt. “My husband and I have supported scholarships at other institutions,” GreysonFleg said. “Now it’s my turn to give back to VCU.” The scholarship – awarded for the first time in April to Nader Silver, a student at the VCU School of Medicine Inova Campus – supports a fourth-year student pursuing a career in the primary care fields of family medicine or pediatrics. Silver, who will start residency training in family medicine this summer, met Greyson-Fleg shortly after receiving the award. “We had a nice time sharing thoughts about primary care,” Silver said. “Her son is a family medicine physician in New Mexico,
and we had many similar interests. I hope to connect with him at some point. I look forward to keeping her posted over the years. I’m very thankful.” Greyson-Fleg is thankful, too – not only for the education that she received at VCU but also for the university’s careful stewardship of her gifts. “I know the money is in a good place. The gifts are well-directed,” she said. “The school has done so much for us alumni. We were all given chances to start our careers. Giving back is important to all of us.” As parents of a primary care physician, Greyson-Fleg and her husband know all too well how important it is help keep student debt load to a minimum. “Our son, Anthony, is the reason we created the scholarship for those with a love of primary care and pediatrics,” she said. “Those in primary care don’t earn the same kind of money as other specialists. This scholarship is one way we can help.” Only half of the university’s medical students receive scholarships. The 1838 Campaign helps increase the number and size of scholarships to give the school a competitive edge for recruiting top students, rewarding student excellence and reducing the burden of debt. “I am proud of our school’s longstanding investment in students who are headed into primary care careers, especially in light of projections that continue to warn of a future shortage of primary care physicians,” said Jerry Strauss III, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the School of Medicine. “I am grateful to Rosemarie and Jerry for establishing this scholarship that honors their son Anthony’s commitment to primary care. They understand the importance of providing financial aid to medical students, and their gift will help us attract students to this calling.”
To learn more about the 1838 Campaign, contact Tom Holland, associate dean of development for the School of Medicine, at (804) 828-3800 or tehollan@vcu.edu. support.vcu.edu • 3
Alfred Vann II and Mary Ann Wright, Ph.D.
Teaching moment Scholarship encourages educational administrators
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ary Ann Wright, Ph.D. (M.Ed.’84/E; Ph.D.’97/E), always knew she’d be an educator. From setting up a chalkboard and “teaching” her younger brother while on family vacations to the book reports she’d write as “assignments” for her grandfather, her early experiences prepared her for a lifelong career in the field. “My grandfather would make us read historical fiction, and I didn’t mind writing those book reports at all,” Wright said. “And my brother was great about my teaching!”
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“I’d ask them, ‘Are you going to be an asset or a liability on the world’s balance sheet?’ and I’d close the conversation with, ‘Let’s help others where we can.’ ” – MARY ANN WRIGHT, PH.D.
A former grade school educator, elementary school principal and director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Principals Assessment and Development Center, Wright, now a leadership development consultant, has taken her love of education one step further by endowing a scholarship in 2014 to help shape school leaders. She has also included VCU in her estate plan. “The VCU School of Education had such a profound influence on me 28 years ago and even now,” Wright said. “When I came to VCU as faculty, I was working with 16 school divisions in rural, urban and suburban settings. VCU helped me continue to grow as a professional. So many of the skills I have today – collaborating, leading, networking – all developed as I worked in the School of Education.” She hopes that her two daughters, Emily, a student in the VCU School of Social Work, and Lauren, a Virginia Tech alumna, will learn from her philanthropic examples. “The girls’ eyes would roll whenever I talked with them about legacy accounting,” Wright said with a laugh. “I’d ask them, ‘Are you going to be an asset or a liability on the world’s balance sheet?’ and I’d close the conversation with, ‘Let’s help others where we can.’ ” The Mary Ann Wright Scholarship in Educational Leadership, established in 2014 and available for graduate students focusing on administration and leadership, was
awarded for the first time in April to Alfred Vann II. “This is a breath of fresh air,” Vann said when he learned of the scholarship. “To be acknowledged this way is a joy.” With a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s in social work from Washington University and a master’s of divinity from Virginia Union University, the Richmond native once planned a law career. But as a substitute teacher and the son of a licensed clinical social worker, Leenora Vann, L.C.S.W. (B.S.W.’86/SW; M.S.W.’89/SW), his plans changed. “The light bulb went off for me,” Vann said. “If I were to make an impact on the long-term developmental phase of young people, education is the key.” “Financial aid is critical,” said VCU School of Education Interim Dean Leila Christenbury. “It can be a deciding factor on whether a student is able to successfully complete the program. Alumni generosity, support and encouragement, such as that of Mary Ann Wright, help sustain our programs and our students, like Alfred Vann, whom we are preparing for the future.” For Wright, the gift provided a teaching moment. “One of the values you want to model for your children is leaving the community a little bit better than you found it,” she said. “For me, it’s a positive, enriching opportunity. I get as much out of it as the students.”
Photo Jean-Philippe Cypres
To learn more about the School of Education, contact Jessa Nelson (B.S.’10/MC), development assistant, at (804) 828-3715 or nelsonj@vcu.edu.
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The Goldie S. Zimberg Scholarship in the College of Humanities and Sciences helps nontraditional students balance life, work and school.
Removing barriers New H&S scholarship helps nontraditional students
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Photo VCU University Relations
oldie Zimberg (B.A.’72/H&S) moved back to Richmond in 1951 with her husband, Yale H. Zimberg, M.D. (M.D.’51/M; H.S.’56/M), so he could complete a surgical residency program at the Medical College of Virginia. While he studied and worked, she pursued a degree in English at Richmond Professional Institute. What she found at the institution that would become Virginia Commonwealth University was a culturally and racially diverse community and the chance to engage in small class settings that allowed her to forge close relationships with professors and fellow students. As an older student and parent of three children, Zimberg considered herself to be an especially valuable contributor to class discussions and debates. She went on to earn a juris doctor degree from the University of Richmond in 1980 and built a successful career as an estate attorney. Zimberg is now in her 80s and retired from law practice, but her pride as a VCU alumna is stronger than ever. Her VCU diploma hangs prominently in her home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, as a reminder of her determination and success. Knowing the extra effort required to earn an undergraduate degree as a nontraditional student, Zimberg established a scholarship in December 2014 with a gift of $56,000. Created to support students beginning or returning to school later in life, the Goldie S. Zimberg Scholarship will be
awarded for the first time in fall 2015. The scholarship is open to students of any major within the College of Humanities and Sciences. The award is based on the applicant’s potential for academic success, capacity to graduate and a statement illustrating how the scholarship will make an impact on his or her life. Dean of the VCU College of Humanities Jim Coleman applauds Zimberg’s generosity in providing this special opportunity. “A college education, as it did for me, can open one’s eyes to opportunities they might have never previously imagined and can propel one on a trajectory toward a deeply meaningful life and career,” Coleman said. “Yet the financial cost can be the largest obstacle for so many people to pursue their dreams in college. Scholarships ... are the most effective way to remove the barrier for talented, hard-working and dedicated students to pursue their dreams and experience the transformational power of a university and to take advantage of all a university has to offer.” Zimberg hopes the scholarship will inspire and encourage the pursuit of those same educational goals that she achieved four decades earlier. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to give back and provide other nontraditional, older students with the chance to study at VCU. With the rising costs of tuition, I know scholarships are more important than ever.” To learn more about the College of Humanities and Sciences, contact Bethanie Constant, senior director of development and alumni relations, at (804) 828-4543 or constantb@vcu.edu.
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Health Administration students receive a boost Bequest supports Allied Health opportunities outside the classroom
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amuel “Sam” F. Lillard (M.H.A.’65/ “Because health administration is a AHP) was close to his employees at professional program, a lot of what matters Richmond Memorial Hospital, where he is the practical application of knowledge to served in administration for 28 years. He was the field of practice. Things go on outside the on a first-name basis with many, according classroom for our students, such as national to his RMH colleague and fellow Virginia conferences, presentations and Leaders on Commonwealth University Leadership sessions, where industry alumnus John Simpson executives share their knowledge (M.H.A.’59/AHP). and experiences. Mr. Lillard’s “He was well liked and fund was created to support those respected,” Simpson said. “He opportunities. We expect to make the had an understanding of the first awards later this year.” complex business of health Bequests are a critical component of administration.” the school’s fundraising efforts. He also had an “We’ve all had a life-turning understanding of the needs event, and for Sam, it was the of students and included the M.H.A. program,” said Cecil B. VCU School of Allied Health Drain, Ph.D., dean of the School of Samuel “Sam” F. Lillard Professions’ Department of Allied Health Professions. “Bequests Health Administration in his estate plan. such as his are terribly important to us. People After Lillard’s death in January 2013, the of his generation − and mine − have asked me department received a $100,000 undesignated how to go about remembering the school in bequest. their wills, and we’re very appreciative. Sam “We spoke with his friends and colleagues recognized where his roots were, and that’s and we learned that funding student activities very special to us.” would best represent his generosity,” said Drain points out that gifts of cash, stock, Carolyn A. Watts, Ph.D., chairman of the insurance and more can be included in the Department of Health Administration. estate plans. To learn more about the School of Allied Health Professions, contact Jessica F. Gurganus, assistant dean for development and external affairs, at (804) 828-3269 or jfgurganus@vcu.edu.
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GRACRE leadership and scholarship recipients proudly present the organization’s gift in support of the Kornblau Real Estate Program student scholarships to the VCU School of Business Foundation.
Real estate scholarship gets an upgrade The Greater Richmond Association for Commercial Real Estate has increased its endowed scholarship fund for students in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business Kornblau Real Estate Program. The additional backing brings the endowment’s total to $100,000, resulting in the largest scholarship for VCU’s real estate students. Awardees are selected based on GPA. Robert Taylor, executive director of the Kornblau Real Estate Program at the VCU School of Business, and Bob Hughes, the 2015 president of GRACRE, announced the news in February at a meeting of VCU’s Real Estate Circle of Excellence. This group is made up of real estate executives who advise on the quality and relevance of the school’s real estate program and offer student internships and scholarships – bringing practical, real-world experience to the program. “VCU is an excellent source of new talent for the next generation of real estate leaders, and we are very proud of our partnership,” said Hughes, adding that GRACRE values its special relationship with the Kornblau Real Estate Program, which dates back to when the scholarship was established in 2003. GRACRE – an advocate for commercial property owners, developers and related professionals, comprising more than 450 area members – established the scholarship in 2003 with a $25,000 gift. Since then, the organization has maintained an ongoing relationship with the VCU School of Business, most notably sponsoring the annual Real Estate Trends Conference.
Twenty years of women’s cancer research was celebrated during the 20th Annual Women & Wellness Forum Series on Feb. 3 at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. A record $330,000 was raised to benefit women’s cancer research at Massey, bringing the 20-year total to more than $2.8 million. Meg Ryan, director, actor and producer, participated in an onstage interview for the sold-out luncheon crowd of 650, during which she discussed working in Richmond as a filmmaker as well as her early years as a television actress. A new video was unveiled, giving a unique look at what 20 years of Women & Wellness has meant for Massey and for progress in the fight against women’s cancers. Founded in 1995 by Adrienne Maxwell, emeriti member of VCU Massey Cancer Center’s advisory board, the Women & Wellness Forum Series brings the community together to support breast cancer research. In 2010, the event’s purpose was broadened to support all women’s cancers; 20 years later, Maxwell’s vision continues to inspire and unite the community. To learn more about the Women & Wellness Forum Series, contact Matthew J. Lovisa, development communications coordinator, VCU Massey Cancer Center, at (804) 827-2232 or mlovisa@vcu.edu.
Photo VCU University Relations/Allen Jones
Photo Clement Britt
20th Women & Wellness Forum sets fundraising record for cancer research
Stacey Marchetti, Shelly Arthur, Riley Arthur (B.F.A.’12), Doug Arthur, M.D. (H.S.’94), and Ellen Bonbright, 2015 Women and Wellness chair
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STRENGTH
in NUMBERS A family’s tragedy inspires help for others
John Henry Watkins II, Lee Lee Watkins and Rosalind Watkins
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enry Watkins was successful in achieving most everything he set his mind to. His father, John Henry Watkins II, proudly shares details of his son’s accomplishments. Henry was an Eagle Scout, a multisport athlete, a business student at James Madison University and a Kappa Sigma fraternity brother. He also lived with addiction. Before the disease took his life in 2010, when he was 21, Henry was attending classes at Virginia Commonwealth University and living in a “sober house” in South Richmond. “The first time we knew he had the disease was after his
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first year at JMU,” his father said. “When the fall semester came around, he told us he had a problem and needed help. Unlike his friends, he couldn’t stop [abusing drugs and alcohol].” As an athlete, Henry underwent surgery in high school to correct a football injury. That’s when his stepmother, Rosalind Watkins, suspects he started abusing prescription drugs. “His death was a result of alcohol and anti-anxiety medication,” she said. “Any time opiates, or benzodiazepine, known as ‘benzos,’ are used in combination with alcohol, there’s a greater chance of death. We’re way more familiar with this than most people should be.”
Photo Watkins family
Out of the tragic death of their son, the Watkinses chose to recovery programs at more colleges in Virginia, so they can touch many more students. do something positive in his memory. For VCU students with addiction, Rams in Recovery Through a gift of $10,000, made possible by the JHW shows that the university cares about their disease and is there Foundation established in Henry’s honor, the couple created to help. the John Henry Watkins Endowed Fund to benefit Rams in Lee Lee Watkins, Henry’s sister and a VCU student Recovery. The student-run organization offers personal and pursuing her master’s in social work, encourages students to social support to VCU students in recovery. The foundation help one another. helped establish the group in 2013 with a gift of $3,000, which “Reach out to Rams in Recovery and provide support in any provided food for meetings, a welcome event for incoming way possible,” she said. “It’s an amazing program. If you suspect freshmen and group activities. someone may be struggling with abuse or addiction, don’t let it An additional foundation gift of $10,000 created the John go unnoticed. Reach out and offer a helping hand.” Henry Watkins Scholarship, which will be awarded Her brother’s experience helped shape her decision to in 2017 to a full-time student from any degree study social work. “I want to be able to support, program, in good academic standing, who empower and provide hope to people who is an active participant in Rams in About addiction are going through struggles, much like Recovery. “Addiction is a chronic medical disorder with Henry went through,” said Lee Lee, who “VCU has so many great things genetic and environmental influences similar to graduated in 2015. going on in terms of research and diabetes and hypertension, but many in the public do “VCU attracts all types of addiction,” Rosalind Watkins not see addiction as a medical condition. For many years, students, and we do a great job of said. “Rams in Recovery is a VCU has been a national leader in addictions research. being inclusive. Supporting students piece of what VCU is hoping With recent grants and commitments for improved access in recovery is one more part of that to accomplish in treating to treatment and the recruitment of faculty, VCU is poised to inclusivity, and the Watkinses are addiction. It’s truly an be the top addiction research program in the country.” so instrumental in this effort,” said integrated way of thinking, Linda Hancock, Ph.D., CFNP, — F. Gerard Moeller, M.D. where all the schools are R.N. (M.S.’85/N; Ph.D.’01/E), Professor and chair of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry partnering. director of VCU’s Wellness Resource “Rams in Recovery provides Center, which houses the Rams in To learn more about Rams in Recovery, visit support for students if they are www.thewell.vcu.edu/recovery.html. Recovery program. in recovery or considering being “Students recovering from in recovery. Providing undergraduate ramsinrecovery addiction are just one of many students with a safe, supportive subpopulations at VCU,” Hancock said. environment at school is a relatively new “VCU supports all types of students – those with way of thinking.” learning differences, those with disabilities and those Collegiate Recovery Communities have formed with chronic illnesses. If a person fails to process sugar, we on campuses across the country during the past 10 years, call that diabetes, and we don’t judge. Nobody would willingly based on the success of the program at Texas Tech University choose to be diabetic or to have a chronic medical condition. in Lubbock, Texas. As of 2011, 21 CRCs in 13 states were Addiction is a chronic medical condition, but the recovering serving 625 students. student can function at amazingly high levels as long as they Rosalind Watkins’ goal is to help make the program are supported in their recovery. Rams in Recovery wants to be at VCU sustainable. “Our hope is that other people in the that support.” community will donate so that we can build the program to have a regular meeting space and dedicated faculty,” she said. To learn more about making gifts to support student programming, “We’d love to have on-campus housing, too.” contact Chad Krouse, regional major gifts officer, at (804) 828-2346 or The couple’s ultimate goal, she said, is to create collegiate cmkrouse@vcu.edu. support.vcu.edu • 11
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TOPPING OFF Cabell Library
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On March 18, thousands gathered on the Compass, the geographic heart of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park Campus, to celebrate a major milestone: the topping off, or structural completion, of the new and muchneeded building currently being constructed beside James Branch Cabell Library. A 20-foot-long steel beam painted in VCU gold that was destined for the top of the new building – which will connect to and be integrated with the existing library building – was placed on the Compass. Members of the extended VCU family, including community supporters, were invited to sign their names and write their best wishes for the library’s future. In just four hours, about 3,000 signers visited the beam. The library’s Innovative Media department created a green-screen photo booth beside the beam, and signers stopped to have their pictures taken in front of renderings of the new building, with the message “Greetings from your future library!” At a concluding ceremony, the crowd watched as the beam was lifted and bolted into place, and the VCU-based Broad Street Brass Quintet played a fanfare. The official completion date is December 14 this year, with a grand opening celebration scheduled for spring semester. Speaking on behalf of the student body, Carley Langley, vice president of the Monroe Park Campus Student Government Association, underscored that “soon, we students will have a library that reflects [our] current and future accomplishments.” The same afternoon, University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider gave an extensive behind-the-scenes hard-hat tour to a small group. Attendees noted the impressive scale of the new building and its breathtaking views of the surrounding area. A special thank-you luncheon was held at the Scott House for longtime library supporters, board members and representatives from the VCU administration and architecture firms Shepley Bulfinch and Moseley Architects, who have been instrumental in the construction process.
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President Michael Rao, Ph.D., is the first to sign the beam.
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Students take snapshots of signatures and messages.
3 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Gail Hackett (right) with Student Government Association Vice President Carley Langley (center) and her mother, Lisa (left). 4 Randy Hall of W.M. Jordan Co. (left), Jay Verspyck of Shepley Bulfinch, University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider and Kenny Van Hook of Moseley Architects. 5 John Jay Schwartz (B.S.’69/B), Friends of VCU Libraries Board Fundraising Committee chair (left); Stephanie Holt (B.S.’74/E), Friends of VCU Libraries Board member; outgoing Friends of VCU Libraries Board President John Mahoney; and Judy Lewis, library supporter. 6 A green-screen photo of James Branch Cabell Library Associates Board Treasurer Bucci Zuegner and Board member John Zeugner. 7 Carol Hampton, incoming Friends of VCU Libraries Board president, signs the beam. 8 & 9 A crowd of 300 watches the lifting of the beam while the Broad Street Brass Quintet plays. 10
The beam is bolted into place.
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Every inch of the beam is covered with signatures and messages.
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11 Photo credits: 1-2, 9-11 VCU University Relations; 3-4, 5, 8 Joe Mahoney; 6 VCU Libraries Innovative Media; 7 Gregory Kimbrell
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Badge of honor Jeweler helps commemorate family member, founding dentistry dean
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t didn’t take long for L. Taylor Cowardin (B.S.’03/B) The pins are made in gold, silver and bronze finishes. to say “Yes” when asked to support his alma mater in Each pin represents an annual-giving level. “We wanted a unique way. to give back and saw this as an effective way to encourage His great-great-grand-uncle, Lewis M. Cowardin, more giving from alumni,” Cowardin said. “I enjoyed M.D., D.D.S., was the founding dean of what is now the my experience [at VCU] and want to help make the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. school the best that it can be. VCU is doing wonders for To answer that call, the alumnus’s family business, Richmond. It helps the whole city.” Cowardin’s Jewelers, Gifts in kind are designed and significant to the school, fabricated three lapel said David C. Sarrett, pins for the School D.M.D., dean of the of Dentistry’s Deans School of Dentistry and Society, each featuring associate vice president a likeness of three for VCU Health visionary leaders from Sciences-Faculty Affairs. the school’s history. “We share a special, The first batch of historic link with the pins has already been Cowardin family, which Picturing the School of Dentistry’s visionary leaders, three lapel pins crafted and distributed to members donated by Cowardin’s Jewelers represent the school’s levels of annual giving. makes their in-kind gift of the society. in honor of our school’s “Lewis was the brother of Cowardin’s Jewelers’ founding deans so meaningful,” Sarrett said. founder,” Cowardin said. “We try to support [VCU] “Through the Cowardins’ generosity, our Deans when we can and are proud about the School of Society donors will receive beautiful commemorative Dentistry’s ties to one of our family members.” expressions of our thanks to wear proudly in support of Taylor and Cowardin’s Jewelers are strong VCU their alma mater.” benefactors, with gifts supporting the Ram Athletic To learn more about the VCU School of Dentistry, contact Gloria F. Fund, the Highlands Massey Classic golf event and Callihan, J.D., associate dean of development and alumni affairs, at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. (804) 828-8101 or gfcallihan@vcu.edu.
Online extra: Learn more about the School of Dentistry’s visionary deans at https://www.support.vcu.edu/give/DentistryDeansSociety.
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Alumnus L. Taylor Cowardin, a fifth-generation jeweler, has connections to both campuses.
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Donors Neil November, Rhona Arenstein, Sara Belle November and Ric Arenstein at the 2013 National Alliance on Mental Illness fundraising walk.
Friends in deed Psychiatry professorship educates primary care physicians in mental health
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Photo Adrienne Winkleman
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hona Arenstein, a Virginia Commonwealth University volunteer, mental health advocate and community fundraiser, knows all too well what it feels like to struggle with issues surrounding mental illness. She watched her older brother, who lived with manic depressive disorder, struggle throughout their childhood. As she aged, she, too, struggled with anxiety and depression. A doctor who did not have psychiatric training prescribed antidepressants, which worsened the symptoms. “It was a traumatic situation; I had real difficulty in coping,” Arenstein said. So when friends Sara Belle and Neil November’s son Scott, who also had depression, passed away, Arenstein suggested they honor his memory with a gift to the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. The idea was to help train medical students to better understand the medications available for treatment and the proper protocols to follow. “I understand a lot of the issues, and I found myself getting more and more involved with developing ways in which to help people recognize the importance of gaining access to treatment,” Arenstein said. “When my dear friends lost their son, it was a tremendous shock. He had been given an antidepressant that made his symptoms worse and led to his death.” In 2013, the Novembers agreed to make a $250,000 gift to help primary care physicians understand depression and other aspects of mental illness. With their gift, the couple chose to honor their friend and steadfast supporter of mental health and wellness efforts at VCU, Rhona Arenstein. A year later, Arenstein’s friend and former VCU rector, Thomas Rosenthal, along with his wife, Wendy, and father, Gilbert, made a gift to support the effort. “We believe mental health is important for people in our society. There’s a compelling need to have trained practitioners familiar with how to best help their patients,” Thomas Rosenthal said. “We wanted to help.”
The Rhona Arenstein Professorship in Psychiatry is held by James Levenson, M.D., chair of the division of consultation-liaison psychiatry and vice chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine. He specializes in psychiatric problems in the medically ill. “We’re in a period of transition in this country in how care is delivered,” Levenson said. “When it comes to general medicine versus mental health care, they’re in separate silos, and that’s a very ineffective way to deliver care. There is a need to integrate medical and mental health care. Because there are not enough psychiatrists, most psychiatric medications are prescribed by primary care providers.” The professorship is devoted to helping bridge that gap by enhancing the psychiatric knowledge and skills of nonpsychiatric health care providers to care for patients who are part of their practices. “The Arenstein Professorship represents an important commitment by the November and Rosenthal families to foster the teaching of psychiatry to our colleagues in primary care,” said Joel S. Silverman, M.D. (H.S.’73/M), chairman of the Department of Psychiatry in the VCU School of Medicine. “Because a very high proportion of children and adults with emotional problems will first contact their primary care physicians, it is so important that these caring doctors remain current on the advances in psychiatric care. Having consultation with a skilled psychiatrist available to them enhances patient safety and treatment.” Arenstein is confident the next generation of physicians will be more familiar with depression, and patients will be more open to seeking help. “Your brain is the most important organ you have; if it is not functioning properly, you should seek help,” she said. “If you don’t have your mental health, you don’t have your health!” For more information about the Department of Psychiatry, contact Tom Holland, associate dean of development for the School of Medicine, at (804) 828-3800 or tehollan@vcu.edu.
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Have a seat VCU Libraries board leader supports Seat-a-Student
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im Moore’s roots at Virginia Commonwealth University run deep. That’s not because he’s an alumnus, though he did take night courses in the ’60s and developed a longstanding love for the university’s diverse urban environment and its people. His mother, Martha Riis Moore (B.S.W.’37/H&S), was the oldest alumna of the Richmond Division of the College of William and Mary, VCU’s precursor, when she died in 2008, and his brother John R. T. Moore (B.A.’73/H&S) studied English at VCU. His wife, Betty Moore (B.S.’65/E), celebrated her 50th reunion this year and is a steadfast partner in his VCU philanthropy. The Moore family created an endowment in 1989 in honor of John Riis, who was a well-known journalist at the Richmond News Leader. He was the son of acclaimed photographer Jacob Riis, Jim Moore’s great-grandfather. 18 • Impact
But Moore’s engagement with the VCU Libraries can also be traced to its Special Collections and Archives, where many of his family papers are now housed. Moore’s late mother, a newspaper reporter and social activist, donated her personal papers as well as the John Riis Collection, which reflects the courtship of her parents. Moore, too, has given family papers to Special Collections and Archives. Over the years, Jim Moore has demonstrated his allegiance to VCU through hundreds of volunteer hours as a member of the Friends of the Libraries Board. Most recently, as immediate past president of the board, he made a gift to the new Seata-Student initiative, which will add about 1,500 seats to the new library building under construction on the Monroe Park Campus. “The VCU Libraries has done a stellar job of providing
Jim Moore and his wife, Betty, in whose name he made a surprise Seata-Student gift to support VCU Libraries
services to students,” he said. “When you see what they’ve done with a 40-year-old building, it makes it even more exciting to see it come into the 21st century. The emphasis is on making the facility student-friendly. It’s 100 percent different than when I was in college, going to the card catalog. Everyone was quiet. Today, there’s so much interaction among and between students and so many opportunities for learning right in the library. It’s the energy of VCU generally but of the library in particular.” Gifts of any size can help make a world of difference to the student experience, Moore says. “People of modest means help make this university great,” he said. “VCU is appreciative of each and every gift. And it shows. University Librarian John Ulmschneider sends handwritten notes of thanks, and that mindset carries through all staff. It makes you want to give.”
Moore’s years of service to VCU are much appreciated by all who have worked with him over the years. “Jim Moore demonstrates every day that energy and dedication to a cause is just as important and effective as financial contributions,” Ulmschneider said. “Jim provided formative leadership to the board as president, and as a member, he has conscientiously attended virtually every event and gathering sponsored by the Friends of the Library. It’s hard to imagine more effective service on behalf of VCU than those many individual acts of kindness and outreach – or a better example for all of us to follow.” To learn more about the VCU Libraries, contact Kelly Gotschalk (B.F.A.’90/A; M.A.’97/A), director of development and major giving, at (804) 827-1163 or kjgotschalk@vcu.edu.
support.vcu.edu • 19
HAVOC RULES
AT THE 2015 A-10 CHAMPIONSHIP
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Rams by the hundreds rolled into New York City in March for the 2015 men’s basketball championship of the Atlantic 10 Conference. From Tribeca’s Rooftop to the Friars Club and the Macy’s boardroom to the Barclays Center, Rams fans assembled, cheered and engaged with former classmates, loyal friends and incoming students. In the end, the Rams brought home VCU’s first A-10 men’s basketball tournament win. 2 1
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Night falls on the city that never sleeps. New York City was home to the 2015 A-10 Championship in March. Macy’s Inc. Chairman and CEO Terry Lundgren with Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU, at the March 12 Golden Needle Awards ceremony celebrating the School of the Arts’ Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising President Rao with VCUarts faculty and award recipients at the Golden Needle Awards ceremony at Macy’s Alumni gather at the March 12 VCU VIP Friars Club reception: Steven Marcus, M.D. (M.D.’67) (left) and Edward McCormick (B.S.’91) with Kenny Melvin (B.S.’12), assistant director of development at the School of Medicine President Rao with longtime VCU benefactor and alumnus Bill Royall. Bill and his wife, Pam, hosted an A-10 party at their Manhattan home March 14.
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Jarvis Jefferson (B.F.A.’82), of Macy’s Office of Special Events and Promotions and a member of the VCU Fashion Design and Merchandising Advisory Board, at the Golden Needle Awards
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Alumni at the March 11 Tribeca Rooftop Rally
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President Rao at the VCU VIP Friars Club reception for nearly 30 alumni, where he presented a gift of appreciation to event cochair Dan Oshinskie (B.S.’86).
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At the buzzer as the VCU Rams take the 2015 A-10 men’s basketball championship at the Barclays Center
Guests listen as the Peppas perform at the Tribeca Rooftop Rally.
support.vcu.edu • 21
ICA sets exhibit at Depot
Photo Nir Evron
The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University may not be due to open until 2016, but ICA Curator Lauren Ross is not letting a small detail like that stop her. The institution is curating various projects throughout the city and beyond while its building is under construction in Richmond’s downtown arts district. First up is “Nir Evron: Projected Claims,” which runs Nov. 6-Jan. 17 at the university’s Depot Gallery. An opening reception will be held 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. The exhibition of work by photographer and filmmaker Evron examines the
Work of Nir Evron, whose exhibit opens at the university’s Depot Gallery on Nov. 6.
architecture and built environment of Israel and the broader region. “Projected Claims” will also serve as a springboard for classes that Evron will teach in the Department of Photography and Film as the fall 2015 Artist in Residence at the School of the Arts. Evron’s residency at VCU is made possible by the Israel Institute, which is dedicated to enhancing knowledge and study of modern Israel, and by the VCU Global Education Office through a 2015-16 Quest Impact Award. “I am incredibly excited to bring Nir Evron’s work to Richmond,” Ross said. “The strange beauty of the work is immediately captivating, but it is Nir’s subtle yet powerful engagement with complex subjects that truly resonates.” The ICA – now under construction thanks to a capital campaign, which has $2.6 million left to raise – will be a combination exhibit and performance space, laboratory and incubator for the presentation of visual art, performance and film by nationally and internationally recognized artists. Designed by Steven Holl Architects, the ICA is a noncollecting institution that will present an array of different media and practices, mirroring the VCU School of the Arts’ crossdisciplinary approach. To learn more about the ICA, contact Carol Anne Baker Lajoie (B.S.’99), director of development, at (804) 828-2777 or bakerca@vcu.edu.
The 16th annual Monroe Park Campus Endowed Scholarship Dinner was held in February at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. More than 300 donors and students had the chance to meet and share their VCU experiences. Twenty-two new scholarships were created since last year’s scholarship dinner, according to Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Marti K.S. Heil. “We now have more than 390 endowed scholarships available for students on the Monroe Park Campus,” she said. “We are so very appreciative of the donors who made these new scholarships possible. One of our goals is to encourage other donors to make these types of meaningful investments in our students.” 22 • Impact
Photo Chris Ijams, CSI Studios
Donors, students unite at scholarship dinner
Students and supporters at the Monroe Park Campus Endowed Scholarship Dinner.
Endowed scholarship boosts Life Sciences
Photo VCU University Relations
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hough Virginia Commonwealth University lost a beloved and respected leader in February, Thomas F. Huff, Ph.D., the inaugural vice provost for VCU Life Sciences, left a legacy of vision and energy for cross-disciplinary scholarship. In March 2015, the Thomas F. Huff Graduate Scholarship in Integrative Life Sciences was established by Burt Adelman and Lydia Rogers to provide financial support for graduate students conducting interdisciplinary research relevant to the mission of the VCU Rice Rivers Center. Adelman, a hematologist, worked alongside Huff on the medical campus long before Huff was charged with putting VCU at the forefront of U.S. universities preparing students in the new fields of biological sciences. “Years ago, during a meeting at VCU on systems biology, Tom told me that until we fully understood the complexity of living organisms, he was happy to be a scientist who believed in God,” Adelman said. “We can easily see how Tom’s deep faith and determination to know the natural world would have brought him to the Rice Rivers Center. The James River flows through the heart of Virginia to the ocean. At the Rice Rivers Center, it is wide, wild and teeming with life – as it has been for thousands of years. We loved Tom as a friend and cherish his memory. We see him in this special place and are glad to help keep it as he intended.” VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., added, “Those who knew Tom could not help but be swept up in his energy, intelligence and passion for the life sciences. From the labs on our campuses to the living laboratory of the Rice Rivers Center, Tom shepherded a new, holistic way of looking at science.” To learn more about the Rice Rivers Center and the Huff scholarship, contact Catherine Dahl, director of development and special projects, at (804) 827-7372 or ccdahl@vcu.edu.
support.vcu.edu • 23
Photo Chris Ijams, CSI Studios
MCV event celebrates student support More than 300 students, alumni, faculty and friends gathered on February 22 at the 10th annual MCV Foundation Scholarship Brunch to celebrate the outstanding financial support given to students across Virginia Commonwealth University’s MCV Campus each year. About 125 donors and 140 students from the MCV Campus attended the event, which provided an opportunity for socializing and sharing. The scholarship recipients thanked donors for their generosity, and donors heard about the difference their gifts have made. Ben Lindsey (M.D.’15/M), thenholder of the Kinloch Nelson Scholarship, spoke on behalf of his fellow students. He told the assembled donors, “Your confidence in us is an incredibly inspiring Lindsey gift and we hope to one day be in your shoes, giving back.” Lindsey’s scholarship is named after Kinloch Nelson, M.D., the dean of the School of Medicine who is credited with starting the school’s Department of Family Practice and for whom the Nelson Clinic is named. The scholarship, Lindsey said, gave him a sense of tradition, power and confidence that he would continue to carry even after he left the MCV Campus. More than $1.8 million was given in scholarships and awards to 431 students, and three dozen new scholarships were established this fiscal year.
‘Team’ players support Massey Challenge During the past nine years, Massey Challenge participants have raised more than $4.5 million to support Massey’s cancer research mission. But there’s always a need for more. Join #teammassey and be a part of the new, ongoing Massey Challenge, a statewide opportunity to support lifesaving cancer research, honor a loved one who has battled cancer and unite the community to put cancer on the run … for good. Register for #teammassey (it’s free!) and help fundraise and friendraise for VCU Massey Cancer Center. Visit www.masseychallenge.com for more information and to register your own challenge event.
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Development team welcomes new members Alexandra Anderson Development coordinator School of Engineering Foundation (804) 828-2909 aeanderson@vcu.edu Elizabeth Bunting Director of special programs MCV Foundation (804) 628-0358 ebunting@vcu.edu Louie Correa Associate director of development School of the Arts (804) 828-6081 lacorrea@vcu.edu Kelly Gotschalk (B.A.’90/A; M.A.’97/A) Director of development and major gifts VCU Libraries (804) 827-1163 kjgotschalk@vcu.edu Loren Hatcher Senior director of development School of Social Work (804) 828-7166 hatcheral@vcu.edu Magnus Johnsson (M.P.A.’10; Cert.’10) Senior associate vice president for development Office of the Vice President (804) 827-1363 johnssonm@vcu.edu Carol Anne Baker Lajoie (B.S.’99/H&S) Senior director of development Institute for Contemporary Art (804) 828-2777 bakerca@vcu.edu
Our students need your support.
62% 11,804
of VCU undergraduate students took out a loan (not including parent loans) to pay for tuition in 2014.
of VCU’s 20,294 full-time undergraduates in 2014 showed need for financial aid.
$32,411 is the average loan debt at graduation for a VCU student earning an undergraduate degree.
Online extra: Watch our Invest in VCU video online at investinvcu.org. Source: VCU Office of Planning and Decision Support
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To learn more or to support any area of VCU or the Fund for VCU, please visit support.vcu.edu or contact Michael P. Andrews (M.S.’05/E), director of annual giving, at (804) 828-0236 or andrewsmp@vcu.edu.
Virginia Commonwealth University Development and Alumni Relations
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“I am a full-time student pursuing a degree in social work and a mom to five sons. Meeting the cost of tuition and books is a challenge each semester, and I’m grateful that at VCU I am surrounded by people who genuinely care about my success. The Virginia Council on Social Welfare Scholarship has been a financial blessing as I work to reach my future goals. Receiving the scholarship is also an excellent recognition for my academic achievements and has truly inspired me to one day give back financially in the same way the donors have given to me.” — Jennifer Jones (B.S.W.’16/SW)
Photo VCU University Relations
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