Shafer Court Connections Fall 2017 by VCU Development

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S O F V I R G I N I A C O M M O N W E A LT H U N I V E R S I T Y

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Adventure of a lifetime Alumnus and National Geographic Explorer Trevor Frost captures the world on camera

The VCU School of the Arts and VCUarts Qatar hosted the international art and design conference Tasmeem in March 2017. The biennial event brings designers, artists, academics and industry professionals from around the world to Qatar to present work. This year’s theme, “Analogue Living in a Digital World,” promoted discussion about the coexistence of analog and digital technologies in the 21st century. Exploring the differences between the industrial age and the information age, the event featured lectures, debates and interactive demonstrations as well as workshops covering topics ranging from 3-D printing to geolocation and pixel art. Learn more about Tasmeem and this year’s presenters and exhibits at tasmeemdoha.com.

Photo Raviv Cohen/Courtesy VCUarts Qatar

BIGPICTURE

Fall 2017

Together, we are better Did you know that the VCU Alumni network is nearly 190,000 strong? To count from one to 190,000 would take you one day, two hours, 23 minutes and 20 seconds. Thank goodness connecting with your fellow alumni takes much less time. As a graduate, you can connect with one (or more) of 40 constituent alumni organizations, including the newly formed Asian/Pacific Islander Alumni Chapter and The Commonwealth Times Alumni. These academic, regional and shared interest groups offer opportunities for professional development, networking, volunteering and friendship-building, and thanks to online communities, you can make quick connections no matter where you live. As you’ll see in this issue of Shafer Court Connections, VCU’s reach extends well beyond its Richmond, Virginia, location. Our students, faculty and alumni are studying, researching and working to enrich the lives of those around them and around the globe. Some are far-reaching, such as the Medicines for All Institute that is improving access to affordable, high-quality medicines, while others, like a citizenship course for Richmond’s immigrants, have a more local impact. All, however, are significant and together show the important work the university community is doing to transform lives. I hope these articles will inspire you to make a difference wherever you are in the world. And better yet, I hope you engage with your fellow Rams by joining one of our alumni groups to share what you’re doing. Together, we can make a big difference. Yours for VCU,

James E. Williams (B.S.’84/GPA; M.S.’96/GPA) President, VCU Alumni

Fall 2017 Volume 24, Number 1 vcualumni.org Vice president, development and alumni relations Jay E. Davenport, CFRE Senior director, VCU Alumni Diane Stout-Brown (B.S.W.’80/SW) Executive director, alumni outreach and engagement Amy Gray Beck Senior director, development and alumni communications Melanie Irvin Seiler (B.S.’96/MC) Associate director, development and alumni marketing and communications Kristen Caldwell (B.S.’94/MC) Associate director, creative content Mitchell Moore (B.S.’07/MC; M.S.’08/E)

Editorial, design and photography VCU Development and Alumni Communications The alumni magazine is published semiannually by the Virginia Commonwealth University Office of Development and Alumni Relations. The views and opinions expressed in the alumni magazine do not necessarily represent those of the alumni office or university.

Send address changes or comments to: Development and Alumni Relations Virginia Commonwealth University 111 North Fourth Street Box 842039 Richmond, Virginia 23284-2039 Phone: (804) 828-2586 Email: alumni@vcu.edu vcualumni.org © 2017, Virginia Commonwealth University an equal opportunity, affirmative action university

On the cover While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Trevor Frost (B.S.’06/LS) makes a victory stop at Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. Photo courtesy Trevor Frost

VCU Alumni

Photo Cythnthia Newmark, Newmark Photography

CONTENTS

32 Features 10 World of difference Alumni reflect on their study abroad trips and how the transformative experiences gave them a broader understanding of the world they live in.

16 The big question Why do international scholars come to VCU to study and work? We asked a group of 10 students and faculty what brought them to campus.

18 Solving world problems Faculty and alumni researchers fulfill VCU’s mission to improve human health by taking the lead in innovative global health research.

Departments 24 Worth a thousand words National Geographic Explorer Trevor Frost (B.S.’06/LS) has spent 10 years traveling the globe to capture wildlife and wild places on camera.

32 History in the making A hundred years after the founding of what would become Richmond Professional Institute, alumni reflect on RPI’s role in forming VCU’s foundation.

36 An inspiring example A father and his daughters honor a wife and a mother by creating a scholarship to support students pursuing a degree in social work.

4 University news 9 Presidential perspective 30 Alumni support: Michael P. Stevens, M.D. (M.D.’04/M; H.S.’07/M) and Lillian Flores Stevens, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’10/H&S)

38 Alumni connections 40 Class notes 4 4 Alumni profile: Tarfia Faizullah (M.F.A.’09/H&S)

49 Alumni profile: Anita Nadal (B.A.’05/H&S; Cert.’07/H&S)

53 Datebook

Fall 2017

UNIVERSITYNEWS

Virginia Commonwealth University news and research. For the latest updates, visit VCU News at news.vcu.edu.

RESEARCH

Super stable particle with endless uses

A team in the lab of Puru Jena, Ph.D., a distinguished professor in the Department of Physics in the College of Humanities and Sciences, has created the most stable tri-anion particle currently known to science, and one that could have wide-ranging applications. A tri-anion particle is a combination of atoms that contains three more electrons than protons. This discovery is novel because previously known tri-anion particles were unstable due to their numerical imbalance. The tri-anion could have a number of industrial applications, including the creation of an aluminum ion battery, which is less reactive than the widely used rechargeable lithium ion battery. But, Jena said, the particle’s potential is limitless. “Such particles are very important for many reasons. No. 1, they make salts. Secondly, they are used in all kinds of chemical compounds, such as those in floor cleaners as oxidizing agents that kill bacteria,” Jena says. “They are also used to purify air, which is a billion-dollar industry, and in mood enhancers, similar to what Prozac does. The potential uses are endless.” The researchers’ work, featured on the October 2017 cover of Angewandte Chemie, a world-renowned chemistry journal, was designated a VIP paper by the publication, which means it is considered among the top 5 percent of papers for its contribution to the study of chemistry.

A youth delegate from ENVEST

GRANT

Promoting social change through sports

The Center for Sport Leadership in the VCU School of Education led a delegation of local soccer coaches and youth players to Kazakhstan in August for a program aimed at creating social change through sports. ENVEST (Empowering New Voices through Education and Sport Training) is funded by a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs through its Sports Diplomacy Division and led by Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D. (M.S.’03/E; Ph.D.’07/E), CSL executive director. The Richmond, Virginia-based delegation traveled for a week to Astana, Kazakhstan, where they met with coaches and players from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and participated in programming designed to promote cultural understanding. Groups from all countries created action plans using soccer as a vehicle to address social issues affecting their communities.

VCU Alumni

Photo courtesy Center for Sport Leadership

Wanchun Tang, M.D.

HUMAN HEALTH

One step closer to a Lyme disease vaccine

After successfully developing a Lyme disease vaccine for canines last year, VCU researchers are now closing in on a human vaccine for the disease. Richard T. Marconi, Ph.D., professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, received a $510,000 oneyear grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, to advance the development of a human Lyme disease vaccine. The effort is also supported by the Stephen & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the vast majority of cases occurring in the Northeast and upper Midwest. The human vaccine in development is designed to prevent Lyme disease by stimulating immune responses that can inhibit transmission of the bacteria from ticks to mammals and kill bacteria that enter the body. Marconi said the success of Vanguard crLyme (Zoetis), a canine Lyme disease vaccine that entered the market in 2016, has significantly advanced efforts to develop a human vaccine. “In terms of moving forward with a human vaccine, we have learned an incredible amount from our experience with the canine vaccine. Several million doses of the vaccine have been administered to canines over the past year and a half,” Marconi says.

Photo courtesy VCU News

ACCOLADES

David Baldacci (left); Michelle Baldacci; Montse Fuentes, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences; and VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D.

GIVING

Scholarship, experiential learning fund

Best-selling novelist and VCU alumnus David Baldacci (B.A.’83/H&S; H.L.D.’01) and his wife, Michelle, are making a $1.1 million gift to VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences. As part of the couple’s gift, $1 million will create the Baldacci Student Experiential Learning Endowed Fund, which, starting in fall 2018, will provide academically promising and hardworking students of diverse areas of study and backgrounds with financial support so they can pursue internships, conferences, research, domestic or study abroad, and social entrepreneurship opportunities. Also as part of the gift, $100,000 will establish the Baldacci Political Science Endowed Scholarship, which will provide, also in fall 2018, financial support to an undergraduate student majoring in political science. The scholarship is the first for the Department of Political Science and is one of the largest in the College of Humanities and Sciences. “Our continuing partnership with VCU is incredibly meaningful to us both,” David Baldacci says. “The endowed fund and endowed scholarship will provide direct support to any university’s most important asset: its students.” PATIENT CARE

Breakthrough ALS drug

Three VCU Health patients have become the first in Virginia to receive a newly approved medication to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. Radicava is an ALS-slowing medication that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is the first new ALS-related drug to be available in the U.S. in more than 20 years. “VCU has worked diligently to ensure this new medication will be available to our ALS patients throughout the commonwealth,” says Scott A. Vota, D.O. (H.S.’06/M), director of the VCU’s Neuromuscular and ALS clinics. ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It progresses to involve muscles that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing and breathing. Life expectancy after diagnosis is two to five years. Radicava has been shown to slow decline of physical function by 33 percent and to reduce stress in the body.

LEADING LIBRARY

PUBLISHED EXPERTS

VCU Libraries will become the 125th member of the Association of Research Libraries on Jan. 1. The vote to approve VCU’s membership followed a rigorous review process that included a site visit. ARL membership represents a significant milestone in the emergence of VCU as one of the country’s leading research institutions.

Two School of Medicine faculty members published essays in the New England Journal of Medicine, one of the most prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals in the country. Richard P. Wenzel, M.D., professor emeritus and former chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, published “Medical Education in the Era of Alternative Facts” on Aug. 17. On Aug. 30, Alan Dow, M.D. (H.S.’04/M; M.S.H.A.’05 /AHP), assistant vice president of interprofessional education and collaborative care, published “Interprofessional Education — A Foundation for a New Approach to Health Care.”

HIGH HONOR School of Nursing Dean Jean Giddens, Ph.D., has received the Mary Adelaide Nutting Award for Outstanding Teaching or Leadership in Nursing Education, one of the National League for Nursing’s highest honors. She was also inducted as a Fellow of the NLN Academy of Nursing Education. A nationally recognized expert in nursing education, curricula and evaluation, Giddens joined the VCU School of Nursing in July 2013.

TOP CANCER CENTER VCU Massey Cancer Center has been re-designated by the National Cancer Institute. Massey was Virginia’s first NCIdesignated center and is one of just two in the state today. Of the 1,500 cancer centers in the U.S., only 69 have earned an NCI designation, placing Massey in the top 4 percent nationwide.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY The VCU School of the Arts in Qatar is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has changed its name to VCUarts Qatar to align with the main campus in Richmond, Virginia. The Doha, Qatar, branch enrolled its first students in 1998 in three majors: graphic design, fashion design and interior design. Today, VCUarts Qatar offers five undergraduate degree programs (art history and painting and printmaking were added) and a master’s degree in design.

SHINING BEACON

PREMIER PHYSICIST

VCU Medical Center’s orthopaedic surgery units have been awarded a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The award recognizes hospital units that show exemplary practice in providing the best care. The department also recently ranked among the Nation’s Top 50 Hospitals for Orthopaedic Care in U.S. News and World Report.

Jatinder R. Palta, Ph.D., professor and head of the Division of Medical Physics in the School of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology, has received the William D. Coolidge Award from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The award, AAPM’s highest honor, recognizes Palta’s distinguished career in medical physics and his significant impact on the practice of medical physics.

Fall 2017

UNIVERSITYNEWS

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Top minority degree producer

Photo Tom Kojcsich, VCU University Marketing

VCU has earned a spot as one of the nation’s “Top 100 minority degree producers,” according to a report by the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The data is the only national report on the ability of U.S. colleges and universities to confer degrees to AfricanAmerican, Latino, Asian-American and Native American students and is the only national analysis to use the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. The rankings detail the total number of degrees awarded at every American institution of higher education as well as specific figures in academic disciplines. Overall, VCU was ranked No. 53 for total minority bachelor’s degrees and No. 49 for total minority professional doctoral degrees. The report was published as VCU begins the implementation of a Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Action Plan and progresses to become a national model of diversity and inclusion. W E B E X T R A To learn more about the methodology and rankings of the “Top 100” list, visit diverseeducation.com/top100.

RESEARCH

The School of the Arts launched the Arts Research Institute to support faculty in their creative research and interdisciplinary practices across the university. The institute is one of a few arts research offices in the country to employ a spectrum of artistic practices as rigorous research methods on par with science. “With over 300 working artists and designers, many collaborating with peers in health, science and education, VCUarts needed more than a research office. The institute is a place where faculty work can be supported and celebrated, where surprising and important research outcomes are collected and shared with all of our communities, and where thoughtful coordination can propel innovation and reveal new research possibilities,” says Sarah Bainter Cunningham, Ph.D., director of the institute. The institute is nestled in the university’s Depot building on Broad Street and grounded within the School of the Arts’ broader mission to advance the human experience by generating knowledge through expanded creative practice. It provides research assistance, including identifying funding opportunities and implementing research methodologies, for faculty members and the development of their work while collaborating with national and international cultural institutions on pioneering investigations. 6

VCU Alumni

Photo courtesy VCU News

Advancing arts through research

A VINE workshop at the School of Engineering

EDUCATION

Closing the gender gap in engineering

In just two years, the VCU School of Engineering has boosted the percentage of women enrolled in computer science and electrical and computer engineering by 125 percent and 450 percent, respectively. Armed with a grant from the National Center for Women and Information Technology Extension Services for Undergraduate Programs, Lorraine Parker, Ph.D., director of diversity and student programs for the school, and a faculty-staff committee developed programs to increase female students in the two majors. The percentage of female computer science majors went from 12.6 percent in 2013-14 to 18.7 percent in 201617. Electrical and computer engineering went from 10 percent to 14 percent. One program supporting these gains, Vertically Integrated Networking for Engineers, fostered a sense of community among women in the same discipline and had a 73 percent retention rate following its first year.

UNIVERSITYNEWS RESEARCH

Children of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced when compared with those who grew up in two-parent families — and genetic factors are the primary explanation, according to a new study by researchers at VCU and Lund University in Sweden. The study analyzed Swedish population registries and found that people who were adopted resembled their biological — but not adoptive — parents and siblings in their histories of divorce. “We were trying to answer the basic question: Why does divorce run in families?” says the study’s first author, Jessica Salvatore, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences at VCU, who worked with Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., professor of psychiatry and human and molecular genetics in the School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. The study’s findings diverge from the predominant narrative in divorce literature, which suggests that divorce transmits psychologically. Recognizing the role that genetics play in the intergenerational transmission of divorce might allow therapists to target some of the basic personality traits that previous research has suggested are genetically linked to divorce, such as high levels of negative emotionality, to mitigate their negative impact on close relationships. LEADERSHIP

« Jay E. Davenport, CFRE, joined VCU on Sept. 25 as

vice president for the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. He previously served as associate vice president of individual giving and campaign management at Wake Forest University. As VCU’s chief development officer, Davenport will lead the advancement efforts for the university and the VCU Health System, including the Make It Real Campaign for VCU. Davenport held several other positions at Wake Forest since 2010, including assistant vice president of college development, assistant vice president of major gifts and associate vice president and campaign director. Previously, he was director of development and team leader at Rice University and held fundraising positions as a college development director at the University of Memphis College of Business and Wright State University College of Engineering. Davenport began his higher education career as an assistant dean of admissions at Wittenberg University in 1995.

« Elias Neujahr has been named the first CEO of Children’s

Hospital of Richmond, Virginia, at VCU. Neujahr joins CHoR on Dec. 3 from CHRISTUS Health System where he served as president of The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. As president, Neujahr led successful efforts to significantly improve quality outcomes while supporting operational efficiencies. He was also active in leading the growth of signature programs, including a congenital heart center, maternal/fetal health and expansions in neurosciences, oncology and orthopedics. Neujahr was also responsible for construction projects that transformed the hospital’s main campus and brought outpatient facilities to the surrounding community.

Photo Jud Froelich

Genetic answer to the divorce cycle

VCU alumni with Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (next to Rodney)

COMMUNITY

Food drive for FeedMore

The Fifth Annual Alumni Charity Challenge collected 48,355 pounds of food for FeedMore, the Central Virginia Food Bank. Established in 2013 by VCU Alumni’s RVA GOLD Chapter, the Alumni Charity Challenge engages alumni chapters from all universities in Virginia as well as several out-of-state institutions to support the food bank. Thirty participating schools gathered Sept. 30 at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, Virginia, to collect food from their alumni. FeedMore also accepted online donations. VCU alumni beat out the competition, taking home the trophy for the third consecutive year. “It is a great opportunity for alumni groups to come together to fight food insecurity in central Virginia,” says Joseph R. Stemmle (B.S.’13/B), co-chair of the challenge and a member of the RVA GOLD Chapter’s executive board. “Each alumni chapter tries to collect as many cans as possible in three hours, which are then delivered to FeedMore the following day.” During the past four years, the Alumni Charity Challenge has collected more than 16 tons of food that has benefited 200,000 children, families and seniors in 34 cities and counties across central Virginia. GRANT

Treatment for chemical attacks

With the backing of a five-year award of approximately $4.2 million from the National Institutes of Health, Robert DeLorenzo, M.D., Ph.D., and a team of VCU researchers are studying and developing ways to treat and prevent human fatalities and morbidity that could result from chemical attacks on U.S. soil. DeLorenzo, the George Bliley Professor of Neurology in the VCU School of Medicine, is the principal investigator on the team that received the grant from the NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats program. VCU was one of a select few institutions awarded NIH CounterACT grants. “We’re trying to make it so that more people survive, and the survivors have fewer complications such as cognitive impairment, behavioral abnormalities and the development of epilepsy,” he says. “These treatments are being designed to decrease and prevent these outcomes.”

Fall 2017

UNIVERSITYNEWS CAMPAIGN

Campaign inches closer to its target

Building confidence through science

Molly McMahan (M.T.’16/E) received a $1,500 Debbie and Todd House Urban Education Scholarship in Math and Science, which supports Master of Teaching students in the School of Education. “I want to teach because I love it, and I believe in my students!” McMahan says. “I am particularly interested in teaching science because many students have pervasive preconceived notions that science is too difficult, too complex or even too boring for it to be worth their time.”

Working alongside an idol

Ellen Korcovelos (B.S.’16/LS), a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Weinstein Honors Scholarship, spent eight months conducting research with an academic idol. Korcovelos, who earned an undergraduate degree in bioinformatics from VCU Life Sciences’ Center for Biological Complexity, worked alongside Graeme Hirst, Ph.D., a researcher in computational linguistics at the University of Toronto. Computational linguistics uses algorithms to analyze aspects of speech. She was part of a team investigating speech irregularities in dementia patients, with the goal of developing a test to identify and measure progression of the disease.

Memorializing a mentor, spouse

VCU Libraries received a $20,000 gift from Richard Feit, M.D. (H.S.’82/M), who named a study room at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences in memory of his mentor, Richard Lower, M.D. Feit was a resident and fellow under Lower, a longtime faculty member in the School of Medicine. Feit’s wife, Laurie, who passed away a few years ago, was a librarian. Feit made the gift to honor her memory and express his great respect for books, journals and the collection of knowledge held by libraries.

To learn more about the campaign or to make a gift, visit campaign.vcu.edu. You can also make a planned gift to amplify your impact. For more information on planned giving, contact Douglas W. McCartney, J.D., executive director of gift planning, at (804) 828-5563 or dwmccartney@vcu.edu.

VCU Alumni

Photo jaysonhubbard.com; courtesy VCU School of Business

The Make It Real Campaign for VCU is 72 percent of the way toward its $750 million goal. As of midNovember, the campaign total stood at $558.6 million. Campaign gifts made by 87,069 donors, more than a third of them alumni, have enabled 50 new endowed chairs and professorships, 222 new endowed scholarships and student-support funds and 63 new endowed faculty support and research funds. The largest comprehensive campaign in VCU history concludes June 30, 2020. The campaign focuses on three pillars — people, innovations and environments — areas where impacts are already being seen. Here are just a few.

VCU School of Business Dean Ed Grier (left); Laura Kottkamp, executive director of VCU School of Business Foundation and Corporate Relations; Jay E. Davenport, CFRE, VCU vice president for development and alumni relations; and CoStar Group CEO Andrew C. Florance

GIFT

Endowed chair in real estate analytics

A $2.5 million gift from real estate data firm CoStar Group will establish the CoStar Group Endowed Chair in Real Estate Analytics in the School of Business. “In establishing the CoStar Group Endowed Chair in Real Estate Analytics, we aim to bring the intersection of big data and real estate together to bring more transparency, velocity and efficiency to the global commercial real estate market,” says Andrew C. Florance, founder and CEO of CoStar, listed among Forbes magazine’s 2017 list of 100 most innovative growth companies in the world. CoStar moved its global research headquarters to downtown Richmond, Virginia, last year, citing VCU as a key component in its success in the city. Nearly a third of CoStar’s local workforce, 165 associates, earned a degree from VCU. Organizations and individuals fund endowed chairs to build partnerships with a university and its students — who represent the future workforce, says Ed Grier, dean of the School of Business. Increasing the number of endowed positions, and faculty support in general, is one of the pillars of the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history with a $750 million goal. FACILITIES

Construction milestone

In October, the VCU School of Allied Health Professions “topped out” its new building, marking the placement of the highest steel beam on the building’s eight-story structural frame. “It has been a long road to get here, and it is finally happening, so it’s a joyous time,” says Cecil B. Drain, Ph.D., dean of the School of Allied Health Professions. In his 20 years as dean, Drain has made it a personal mission to unite the school’s programs, which have occupied as many as 13 buildings in the past 45 years and are currently scattered among five buildings on two campuses. The new 154,000-square-foot facility, funded by private gifts, will centralize, for the first time, all 11 of the school’s academic units. The LEED Silver-designed building is scheduled to open in 2019.

PRESIDENTIALPERSPECTIVE

Serving the public good From its beginnings, VCU’s mission has focused on advancing the lives of others across the globe By Michael Rao, Ph.D., President, VCU and VCU Health System

We provide students with a variety of ways to engage with the world. One excellent example is our Global Education Office. Through GEO, students develop and hone their skills as leaders Michael Rao, Ph.D. and experts in their chosen fields of study through living-learning environments and academic opportunities across the globe. This is one of the ways VCU changes the world. In this issue, you will read about the amazing work done by B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’00/H&S), and the multidisciplinary team at the Medicines for All Institute. Their unrelenting work to develop affordable treatments for HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other debilitating diseases will save countless lives around the world. I’m proud of our dedication to service. The incredible work VCU faculty, staff, students and alumni perform to contribute to the advancement of others — here and across the globe — is simply amazing. And it is what VCU was created to do.

Photo Allen Jones (B.F.A.'82/A; M.F.A.'92/A), VCU University Marketing

At Virginia Commonwealth University, we face tasks that seem insurmountable and we find solutions. It is part of our mission as a premier public research university, and it is our mission as citizens dedicated to education and the advancement of humanity around the world. We recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Richmond School of Social Economy, later known as Richmond Professional Institute, a forerunner to VCU and a longtime leader in social science. When RPI merged with the Medical College of Virginia — a leader in medical science — to become VCU nearly 50 years ago, the new institution committed to being a public university dedicated to the public good. Today, we remain steadfast in that mission, working to enhance the human experience everywhere. Students from 109 countries come to VCU to live and learn in an engaging environment that is focused on inquiry, discovery and innovation. Their personal experiences and unique perspectives make VCU a place that is attentive to our fast-paced world and its emerging issues and needs.

Fall 2017

WORLD OF Photo Scott Mills, Ph.D. (B.F.A.'89/A; M.F.A.'99/A; Ph.D.'14/H&S)

DIFFERENCE

VCU Alumni

For 20 years, Virginia Commonwealth University students have benefited from the transformative experience of studying abroad. Their international travels take them to far-and-away places such as Australia, China, Peru, Russia and Scotland, where they experience life and learning in different cultures and develop a broader understanding of the world they live in. BY TOM GRESHAM

Fall 2017

hen Jackie Cantwell (B.F.A.’09/A) was an undergraduate painting and printmaking major at VCU, she studied abroad one summer in Peru. She spent most of her time in the city of Cusco and developed a habit of visiting a picturesque square there between classes. Cantwell found the scenery in the square profoundly inspiring, rich with compelling subjects and scenery, and she filled her sketchbook with drawings. Cantwell’s presence one day attracted the attention of some local children. They approached to watch what she was doing and to ask her questions. Cantwell, who speaks Spanish, answered their questions and asked some of her own. She offered them pencils and paper so they could create their own artwork. Out of this, a daily routine developed. Cantwell would bring her art supplies to the town square and share them with any children who approached her. She began to create laidback lesson plans, giving the kids ideas and instruction to help them with their efforts. For Cantwell, a new passion was born. Today, among other projects, Cantwell helps run an after-school art program in Brooklyn, New York. In addition, she has traveled extensively and established art programs in Guatemala and Honduras during extended stays in each country. Even on a recent trip to Egypt for a wedding, she set aside time to volunteer with an art program. “My time in Peru really sparked an inspiration for me to continue with art education,” says Cantwell, who received scholarship support as a VCU student. “It was such a huge experience for me.” Cantwell’s trip to Peru was one of three she took during her years at VCU. She spent a semester in Spain and took a summer trip to Kenya. Her story exemplifies the unique potential of an education abroad program. When students leave their customary surroundings, they enter into a rare atmosphere that stimulates discovery. The experience can add a

VCU Alumni

Jackie Cantwell in Peru

fresh depth to their education or send them in an entirely new direction, revealing interests or purposes that they had not yet explored. Off campus, outside of their home country, the world becomes both larger and smaller at once — encompassing more than they realized, while becoming more accessible and connected than they dreamed. “Most students who go abroad say their goal is to learn about another culture, and most of them do that,” says Stephanie Tignor (B.M.’04/A; M.A.’12/H&S), director of education abroad in the VCU Global Education Office. “But they also come back having learned so much about themselves. What their strengths and weaknesses are, what their interests are, what it means to be an American. And what their identity is in this greater world that we live in.” Last year, 641 VCU students studied abroad through a variety of programs and exchanges offered or coordinated through the Global Education Office. The programs

have influenced students from an array of disciplines and backgrounds over the years, and some of the programs have become beloved and steadfast parts of the curriculum. For instance, Cantwell’s education abroad in Peru was part of an annual trip that has been led for 20 years by Javier Tapia, associate professor of painting and printmaking in the VCU School of the Arts. Peru is one of two VCU education abroad trips celebrating a two-decade anniversary this year, joining a summer program in Barbados spearheaded by Bernard Moitt, Ph.D., professor in the Department of History in the College of Humanities and Sciences. Tignor says part of the joy of working on education abroad programs is encountering stories such as Cantwell’s. “It’s the power of experiential learning,” she says. “Hands-on, high-impact learning experiences can truly be transformative for students. It’s so awesome. We hear these stories every day, and we never get tired of them.”

IN 2016, 641 VCU STUDENTS STUDIED ABROAD THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND EXCHANGES OFFERED OR COORDINATED THROUGH THE GLOBAL EDUCATION OFFICE.

Photo courtesy Jackie Cantwell

FINDING A FOCUS Autumn Barrett (B.S.’97/H&S; B.A.’97/H&S) was a relatively inexperienced international traveler when she signed up for the Barbados trip. Perhaps it was that relative greenness that led to her missing her flight — by an entire day. Fortunately, Moitt and the Global Education Office were quick to help with new arrangements to ensure that Barrett, who had simply written down the wrong date in her calendar for her flight, got to Barbados as soon as possible. “I’m really glad they did because that trip changed my life completely,” Barrett says. Barrett, a history major, embarked on that flight for Barbados still trying to figure out her academic and career path. She was working full time but knew she ultimately wanted to pursue graduate studies. She just couldn’t figure out in what field, despite her concerted efforts to find one that stoked her passion. Soon after she arrived in Barbados, Barrett found herself studying history and culture in new ways, examining the relationship between the country and its diaspora through the lens of identity and studying the ways the histories of those who remained and those who left overlapped and diverged. Guided by Moitt, all of this exploration was happening on the ground, in the field, with tangible objects and people and places. Her purpose became clear. She would study historical anthropology. Today, Barrett is a visiting professor of social and cultural analysis at New York University. Her work focuses on cemeteries of the enslaved as contested sites of reclamation within local, national and diasporan memorial landscapes. She has worked on studies of history, race and identities in Rio de Janeiro and Virginia and a study of childhood, labor and race within Virginia’s system of indentured servitude from the 17th to 19th centuries. Barrett has returned several times to Barbados to serve as a guest lecturer. She also frequently encourages her students to seek out study abroad opportunities to strengthen and alter their worldview. She has maintained friendships with many of the people who were

involved in her Barbados trip — a collection of people who were “transformed because of their experience in Barbados and because of their exchanges with each other,” she says. “I know I would not be doing what I’m doing without my fantastic time in Barbados,” Barrett says. MORE THAN A TOURIST'S VIEW When Gabriel Williams (B.F.A.’07/A) was a freshman at VCU, he decided he wanted to study abroad, but he wasn’t sure where he should go. When he learned of the Barbados trip and the prospect of “beaches and blue water,” he jumped at the opportunity. He didn’t know how influential the trip would be for him. He appreciated from the outset the care that Moitt took to ensure that his students did not solely receive a tourist’s view of Barbados — a key characteristic that Barrett, Cantwell and others frequently cite about faculty-led study abroad programs at VCU. Moitt was forever leading students somewhere new and introducing them to local people and customs with an eye on “a fully immersive experience,” Williams says. Among the biggest highlights for Williams was the Crop Over Festival, an annual harvest festival that dates back more than 400 years and has become a massive national arts and culture carnivallike event that runs for about two months in the summer. “There was a diligent itinerary almost every day,” Williams says. “Every day you’re doing something different — going to a museum, catching a cricket match, eating something new. There’s always something to make sure you get the most out of your experience.” Williams’ time in Barbados did not end with a single summer. Moitt soon tapped him to help run the program, and Williams worked in Barbados with Moitt each of the next three summers. He also helped with year-round planning and preparation duties. “Dr. Moitt gave me a lot of responsibility and helped shape me as a leader,” says Williams, who majored in communications arts and design with concentrations in graphic design

TRIP OFFERS DONORS A CHANCE TO TRAVEL In 1997, painting and printmaking professor Javier Tapia had an idea for a new program. A program that would take VCU School of the Arts students on an exploration of his home country, one that skipped the tourist route and allowed students to see Peru through the eyes of a native. Two decades later, the annual journey is one of the longest-running summer education abroad trips at VCU. “I’ve been going for 20 years, but every year it’s different,” Tapia says. “Every year [there] is an addition to the experience.” Students spend three weeks in Peru, taking classes from VCU faculty while exploring the vibrant culture and natural wonders of Lima, Cusco, Nazca and Machupicchu Pueblo. Initially offered to painting and sculpture students and faculty, the program has expanded since its conception. The 2017 trip not only offered painting classes taught by Tapia but also photography and blogging courses with English instructor Scott Mills, Ph.D. (B.F.A.’89/A; M.F.A.’99/A; Ph.D.’14/H&S), and a Neo-Colombian, colonial and contemporary Latin American art history course taught by Michael Panbehchi, Ph.D. (B.A.’88/H&S; B.A.’94/H&S; Ph.D.’14/A). The summer 2018 trip will continue the tradition while offering something new: the opportunity for donors to participate. “This will be a great way to give our donors an inside look at our wonderful students and faculty,” says Julia Carr, executive director of development for VCUarts. “It will also bring in funds to support scholarships.” A portion of donors’ program fee will go directly toward student travel scholarships. Whether for students, faculty or donors, Tapia says, Peru offers a unique and rewarding experience to everyone. “Peru is great for experiencing life in a different way,” he says. “That feeds something in me, and I think for other people it might, too.” To learn more about supporting or participating in the 2018 trip, contact Julia Carr at (804) 827-4676 or carrj@vcu.edu.

Fall 2017

and kinetic imaging and a minor in AfricanAmerican studies. “He introduced me to some very essential life lessons and really taught me a lot.” Tignor says faculty members such as Moitt and Tapia devote extensive time and energy to education abroad programs, working yearround to make the trip the best it can be. The benefit of all of that hard work goes to the students. “One of the things that is most valuable about these programs is the opportunity to interact with professors in a much more intimate way,” Tignor says. “The opportunity for students to get to know their professors better can build lasting relationships. They get to know each other not just on an academic level but on a personal one. And that can benefit students throughout their careers.” Williams now works as a senior user experience designer for Marriott International, directing digital design projects at Marriott worldwide. Among the perks of the job is frequent travel. Most recently, he visited Thailand and Abu Dhabi. By studying abroad, Williams says he became someone less likely to put a trip off. Instead, traveling is always a priority to him because, in his view, “it will open up your consciousness if you let it.” “Barbados really gave me the momentum and hunger to travel,” Williams says. “It gave me the platform to understand that it was something that I could do. It taught me to be resourceful and to be creative in how I manifested my goals. It gave me so much that I’m grateful for.”

VCU Alumni

A CLOSER VIEW OF THE MIDDLE EAST Ajay Kohli, M.D. (B.A.’01/H&S; M.D.’13/M), was born in India. His mother was from Japan. For a few years while he was young, he lived in the U.K. By the time his family moved to Richmond, Virginia, when he was 9, Kohli was accustomed to a range of cultures and countries. Travel has always been in his DNA. At VCU, Kohli majored in political science and minored in Spanish. He was especially interested in international affairs. Between his junior and senior years, Kohli spent a summer studying abroad — six weeks in Beirut, Lebanon, and four weeks in Sevilla, Spain. Kohli enjoyed Spain, where he immersed himself in the language and culture, but Lebanon left an especially strong impression on him. He enjoyed speaking with people and visiting historic sites, and he journeyed to the Israeli border and visited a Palestinian camp in Beirut — “their own city within the city.” Lebanon in 2001 still showed remnants of the 16-year civil war that had devastated the small country, Kohli says. “One thing that surprised me was the people’s attitude toward life — how happy they were, how they seemed determined to make the best of what they had and what they had been through,” says Kohli, recipient of a 1999 VCU Presidential Scholarship for International Education. “Lots of people had lost family members or their homes in the war, but you could see how resilient they were about it. The experience definitely prompted me to further my study of the Middle East, which had already fascinated me.”

Photo courtesy Gabriel Williams

Gabriel Williams in Barbados

While at VCU, Kohli had studied in a B.A./M.D. program that streamlined his route to the VCU School of Medicine. Kohli’s interest in international affairs, however, led to a detour. He suspended his pursuit of a career as a doctor after receiving his undergraduate degree to study at Columbia University for a master’s degree in international affairs with a focus on the Middle East. He later also earned a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and practiced law in New York. Kohli eventually made his way back to medicine, however, and received his M.D. from VCU in 2013. He now serves as an emergency medicine physician at Duke University Hospital. His work doesn’t require international travel, but he says, “I meet patients from all over the world and I’m ready to talk to them.” “Even on a day-to-day basis, having spent a lot of time abroad can have an influence on me,” Kohli says. “I meet people all the time who are from the Middle East or from Europe, and it’s a great conversation starter.” AN ARTIST OVERSEAS In addition to the after-school art program Cantwell oversees in New York today, she helps run an art gallery and serves as executive director and founder of SHIM, which helps artists and groups present exhibits. She points to Peru as a critical catalyst for her work, especially the art education efforts that have stretched from Brooklyn to Guatemala and Honduras. “The reason I feel so comfortable traveling, and the reason I feel so confident going somewhere and believing I can make a difference, is because of that trip,” she says. In the end, that sense of empowerment might be the most important lesson students bring home with them, Tignor says. Alumni such as Cantwell, Barrett, Williams and Kohli show that it’s a lesson that sticks. “You see these students come back and they stand a little bit taller and they speak with a little more confidence in their voices,” she says. “They have more direction and they are more independent and they are more adaptable. They’re more comfortable with who they are.” – Tom Gresham (M.F.A.’15/H&S) is assistant director, news, VCU University Public Affairs. This article was originally published at news.vcu.edu.

brought to you by VCU Alumni

THEWORLD

Take an adventure with your fellow Rams!

As a VCU Alumni traveler, you can discover fascinating places around the world while enjoying exclusive perks, such as preferred access to popular attractions, specially arranged cultural experiences and perspectives from faculty experts and knowledgeable local guides. Let VCU Alumni make your next journey one to remember. Learn more at (804) 828-2586 or vcualumni.org/travel.

le with Travel in sty d luggage. VCU-theme at Order online cs.com/vcu faithfulfanati promo code and use the receive “gorams” to mni a special alu discount.

2018 TRIPS JAN. 20-30 ��Israel (eight-day trip highlighting rich history and spiritual milestones) FEB. 10-28 ��Rainforests to Relics (luxury cruise touring rainforests and archaeological sites) FEB. 13-23 ��Cruising Tahiti and French Polynesia (South Pacific cruise) FEB. 17-25 ��Amazon River Expedition (Amazon River Basin cruise) MAY 1-9 ��Amalfi Coast (excursions along the Mediterranean Sea coastline) MAY 1-9 ��Dutch Waterways (Amsterdam to Antwerp or Antwerp to Amsterdam) MAY 2-10 ��Timeless Beauties (cruise from Barcelona to Monte Carlo) MAY 9-17 ��Springtime in Provence, Burgundy and Beaujolais (cruise through France’s wine regions) MAY 14-24 ��Gems of the Danube (Danube River cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest) JUNE 12-27 ��Romantic Rhine and Moselle (cruise from Basel to Amsterdam) JUNE 19-27 ��Reims (highlighting France’s Champagne country) JUNE 27-JULY 5 ��Odyssey of Ancient Civilizations (cruise from Venice to Athens) SEPT. 5-14 ��Symphony on the Blue Danube (custom-designed, music-themed journey) SEPT. 8-16 ��Spain-Basque Country (cultural excursions and lectures) SEPT. 16-24 ��Wines of the Pacific Northwest (cruise from Portland, Oregon, to Clarkston, Washington) SEPT. 30-OCT. 11 ��Wonders of Peru (featuring an Amazon cruise) OCT. 13-24 ��Glorious Greece (luxury cruise touring Grecian islands)

THE BIG QUESTION

What drew you to VCU as an international scholar?

QA &

With students and faculty hailing from more than 100 countries, VCU strives to create a diverse and inclusive environment that adapts and nurtures people of all life experiences and cultural backgrounds. i n t e r v i e w s b y a n t h o n y l a n g l e y ( b . s .' 1 6 / m c)

VCU Alumni

Tatenda Ndambakuwa

CLASS OF 2018 COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SCIENCES HOME COUNTRY: ZIMBABWE “I came to VCU because we don’t just have diversity, we embrace it in every way, and it’s been the best decision of my life! Through the da Vinci Center, math department and Global Education Office, I’ve gone to professional and educational conferences around the country. The more time I spend on campus talking to people with different cultures, the more I’ve come to appreciate the values we all share.”

Sandro da Rocha

PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF PHARMACY HOME COUNTRY: BRAZIL Copyright © Free Vector Maps.com “Before I settled in the U.S., I lived in several continents and visited a great number of countries. When I arrived at VCU, the people in the Department of Pharmaceutics made me feel at home instantly. I have great colleagues, many friends and outstanding students. I love it here! Sometimes, you have to get out of your comfort zone, recognize what’s around you and realize your unique perspective and at VCU I’ve been able to do that.”

Mohammad Ahangari

Kateryna Korobka

Fabrizio Cena

Yan Gao

“I was born in Iran, grew up in Dubai and continued my higher education in Ireland before coming to the U.S., which made me appreciate the importance of diversity. One of the reasons I chose VCU was because of the great emphasis on fostering an interdisciplinary environment that embraces multiculturalism. I believe that we can create an environment that encourages the pursuit of knowledge through communication and dialogue.”

“VCU was always my No. 1 one choice because it has one of the best nursing programs in Virginia. I believe that being surrounded by others from all different parts of the world has made me a more well-rounded individual. I remember how happy I was that I was accepted into the School of Nursing, and now I’m looking forward to walking across the stage and graduating in May!”

“I chose VCU because we do an outstanding job embracing diversity, and I appreciate being at a university that gives international students the opportunity to be included, understood and treated equally. Whether I’m studying or going out to sing karaoke with my classmates, I think the university has created a welcoming culture that enriches our lives and helps us be more tolerant, sympathetic, compassionate and resourceful.”

“When I first came to America as an international student, it opened up a whole new world. I came to VCU to pursue my Ph.D. while experiencing a different culture and getting the best higher education in the country. The skills I’ve gained from interacting with so many professors, students and friends from different countries are invaluable. Without them, I wouldn’t have such a solid foundation for being a language teacher.”

Yasaman Ataei

Sunny Shin

Meera Mehtaji

Paul McArdle

“VCU stood out to me from the beginning due to its supportive and collaborative environment, and it’s been a privilege to work alongside such a diverse and amazing group of people in the School of Medicine. As future physicians, we’ll be taking care of people from all walks of life, and being surrounded by students from different social, economic and cultural backgrounds makes us better prepared to take care of our future patients.”

“I came to Richmond partly for the weather and partly because VCU has a reputation for landmark research in addiction and trauma and a vision for community-engaged research. I think about the impact my students will have on the families, communities and individuals they work with. As professors, we must prepare them for a global experience and help them be open to new ideas, issues and solutions.”

“My husband and sister-in-law are both graduates of VCU, so I knew when it was my turn to further my education I wouldn’t have to look far. As an international student, I’ve had the opportunity to compare, contrast and think from different perspectives. I’ve seen how the university goes above and beyond to foster a sense of belonging and community within its student population. Studying abroad here has been a dream come true!”

“I came to VCU from Dublin, Ireland, in 2015 because I wanted to be a part of a best-in-class M.B.A. program that I could take in person. Being on campus, surrounded by different cultures and perspectives, has enriched my learning experience and changed the way I’m able to innovate, assist others and connect with the world.”

CLASS OF 2022 LIFE SCIENCES HOME COUNTRY: IRAN

CLASS OF 2020 SCHOOL OF MEDICINE HOME COUNTRY: IRAN

CLASS OF 2018 SCHOOL OF NURSING HOME COUNTRY: UKRAINE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK HOME COUNTRY: SOUTH KOREA

CLASS OF 2021 SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY HOME COUNTRY: ITALY

M.ED.'12/E, PH.D.'17/E SCHOOL OF EDUCATION HOME COUNTRY: INDIA

PH.D. 2011 SCHOOL OF WORLD STUDIES HOME COUNTRY: CHINA

CLASS OF 2020 SCHOOL OF BUSINESS HOME COUNTRY: IRELAND

Fall 2017

SOLVING WORLD PROBLEMS Remember asking your teachers, “But will I really need to know how to solve these equations in the real world?” For these four faculty and alumni researchers, the real-world applications of their work are unquestionable. Their work writing clinical trials, applying for grant research money and studying chemical equations equals lives saved. With impact areas from AIDS to addiction, discover how these researchers are fulfilling the university’s mission to promote translational applications to improve human health.

BY sarah lockwood

VCU Alumni

PROVIDING MEDICINE FOR ALL

b. frank

gupton, ph.d.

Once a new production process is developed, Gupton works with implementation partners such as the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to transfer methods to manufacturers to ensure optimal uptake of the process.

Case Study The first drug M4ALL tackled was Addressing the issue According to the United

Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), more than 35 million people around the world are living with HIV and AIDS, and 30 percent of all childbearing women in South Africa have AIDS. Through his leadership of the Medicines for All Institute (M4ALL), B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’00/H&S), the Floyd D. Gottwald Chair and chair of the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering in the School of Engineering, works to dramatically reduce production costs of the latest AIDS therapies, effectively increasing global access to lifesaving drugs.

How it Works Headquartered at the VCU School

Photo Daniel Wagner

B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D.

of Engineering, the M4ALL is a multidisciplinary partnership with several higher education institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Alabama, University of Graz, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. The teams, composed of chemistry and chemical engineering researchers and students, derive new synthetic and pharmaceutical manufacturing methods for AIDS therapies. One of the cost drivers is expensive raw materials, so the researchers find new or alternative ways to synthesize the active ingredients. This often means finding a cost-effective and efficient process that will allow multiple reactions in a drug’s creation process to run simultaneously. Pharmaceutical production also typically yields high waste levels. To cut costs, the team works to create high-yielding reactions with few byproducts, improving a product’s process mass intensity (PMI), which is the ratio of the mass of required materials to the mass of the finished product.

nevirapine, which the World Health Organization considers a first-line therapy for the treatment of AIDS. The drug also prevents mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In six months, the M4ALL team developed and streamlined the chemistry to cut nevirapine’s raw materials cost by 40 percent, bringing the marketplace cost down 20 percent. The researchers also cut nevirapine’s PMI from 60 to 4. This allowed the drug to be produced in China, where the pharmaceutical industry is under pressure to reduce waste. CHAI brought the improved procedures to existing pharmaceutical manufacturers, and within six months, the team’s process was in commercial production. With production costs minimized, public health groups can make their money go farther and can bring this AIDS treatment to more people, particularly those in developing countries.

Funding The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

began funding M4ALL in 2014 with an individual grant allocated to work on nevirapine. Within 2½ years, the foundation had awarded M4ALL three grants totaling $14.4 million for work on specific medicines. In August 2017, M4ALL received a $25 million grant from the Gates Foundation — the largest private grant in VCU history — to formally establish the institute and to fund its work on a range of essential global health treatments.

Looking Ahead With this new grant, M4ALL

can look at multiple drugs in parallel. Over the course of the next five years, M4ALL will work on increasing access to 13 global health drugs, eventually expanding its capacity to work on four drugs simultaneously. The team will also widen its scope from HIV/AIDS medications to include drugs that treat malaria, tuberculosis and other disease states.

Fall 2017

Emma Fields, M.D.

treating pancreatic cancer

emma

fields, m.d. Addressing the issue About 53,600 people

will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. The National Cancer Institute reports that 4 out of 5 diagnoses are expected to result in death. Emma Fields, M.D., a member of the Developmental Therapeutics research program at VCU Massey Cancer Center and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the VCU School of Medicine, is one of many doctors breaking the traditional treatment model for pancreatic cancer, performing clinical research in search of innovative ways to increase survival.

Breaking the status quo Surgery is the only

long-term chance pancreatic cancer patients have for survival. Typically, patients with operable pancreatic cancer receive surgery to remove all or part of cancerous tissue, followed by chemotherapy, often in combination with radiation

VCU Alumni

therapy. Fields’ recent research, a retrospective study analyzing past medical records and published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology, however, showed that postoperative therapy is not enough for successful treatments. Instead, Fields supports an ongoing paradigm shift toward presurgery chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Testing new therapies Fields suggests that

combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, or chemoradiation, before surgery, reduces tumors and allows for better assessment of treatment response. In fact, Fields is a co-investigator in a phase one clinical trial testing a combination of targeted therapy with standard chemotherapy and radiation given before surgery in patients with nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer. The team activated the trial in January 2015 and has treated 14 patients. This preliminary phase to test the safety of this treatment plan should be complete in six to 12 months, if all goes as planned. And so far so good. In some cases, this treatment regimen increases a surgery’s potential success. In other cases, it makes surgery possible for previously inoperable cases. “I’ve been really impressed with how patients tolerate the regimen,” Fields says. “People seem to be doing really great, and we’re getting people

to these surgeries that they wouldn’t have been a candidate for initially.”

Cutting-edge technology implant Fields and

her colleagues were also the first to successfully implant CivaSheet, an internal radiation device. Inserted during a patient’s surgery to remove cancerous tissue, the sheet provides targeted, directional internal radiation therapy. Now the group has successfully administered these implants to three patients, which have showed positive results so far.

Comprehensive treatment Fields’ innovative

work is all part of VCU Massey Cancer Center’s Pancreas and Biliary Neoplasm Program. The first of its kind in the area, this multidisciplinary, integrated treatment program aims to give the most efficient, patient-centered treatment program possible. “The gist is that our pancreas approach has become, one, more multidisciplinary. Everybody weighs in before any treatment is given,” Fields says. “And, two, more aggressive. For people whose surgery is even a consideration, not only do we give them more aggressive treatment, but we are measuring the benefit in regards to toxicity and quality of life of what we’re doing. We’re always trying to get them to that surgery that’s really the only cure to pancreas cancer.”

stemming the opioid crisis

yan

zhang, ph.d. Addressing the issue Prescription opioid

overdose deaths in the U.S. have quadrupled since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2016, Virginia declared opioid addiction a public health emergency. Yan Zhang, Ph.D., a medicinal chemistry professor in the VCU School of Pharmacy, is part of one of many VCU efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

How it Works Zhang is the principal investi-

gator for the multidisciplinary research project that began in his lab in 2005. Three opioid receptors trigger the brain’s rewards system and are thought to contribute to addictive behaviors. Instead of targeting all three, Zhang’s team specifically targets the mu opioid receptor, avoiding the typical opioid therapeutics side effects, such as itchiness, sedation, nausea, respiratory depression and constipation. The lab is working to develop a drug that will lessen the effects of addiction to opioids and a drug that will lessen the effects of stimulants. Zhang and his researchers have identified a series of lead compounds and are studying their effectiveness with large animal model studies. Because later-stage cancer patients often need to use opioids to treat pain, Zhang is also working to develop a compound that will treat opioid-related constipation.

All in the brain In recent years, researchers

have observed that a significant number of opiate addicts carry HIV, which can develop into NeuroAIDS even if the HIV is treated with medicine. NeuroAIDS can damage the brain’s synapses and cause early onset dementia. Zhang found a link between opiates and neural HIV infection. Now he and his peers are seeking an explanation of the link between the virus and addiction. The team found part of their answer

Yan Zhang, Ph.D.

when they discovered that the activation of the mu opioid receptor causes an increase in CCR5, a white blood cell receptor, which allows HIV to enter the nervous system. Understanding this relationship could help develop drugs to prevent this brain infection. The team is currently testing whether blocking the mu opioid receptor and CCR5 simultaneously will create a synergistic effect in preventing HIV viral invasion in the nervous system and, eventually, treat NeuroAIDS.

Looking ahead Zhang received a 10-year, $3.5

million grant in 2009 from the National Institute

on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health and, recently, received another $2.72 million grant with his peers from the same institute to continue his work. A lot of work awaits, he says. He hopes to move some of the lab’s compounds into clinical trials and see them directly benefit suffering patients. The team aims to achieve its current research goals within five years. “As the opioid epidemic is getting more and more serious in the U.S. and around the world,” Zhang says, “we wish our research will benefit the research community, then eventually the patient population in large.”

Fall 2017

vaccinating against disease

Myron M.

Levine, M.D., D.T.P.H. A burgeoning field When Myron M. Levine,

M.D., D.T.P.H. (M.D.’67/M), entered the Medical College of Virginia at age 19, vaccinology, the discipline to which he would dedicate his life’s work, didn’t exist. In fact, few opportunities existed in global health or tropical health, which had already garnered his interest. But Levine found ways to travel and to feed this passion for studying tropical diseases, especially those in children. In 1963, the measles vaccine, one of the first routinely administered vaccines, was introduced in the U.S. In the 1970s and 1980s, a technological revolution began that would ultimately allow for the creation of many new vaccines. But, Levine realized, big pharmaceutical companies had no financial incentive to develop vaccines to prevent severe infectious diseases that disproportionately or exclusively afflicted people residing in the poorest, least developed regions of the world. In 1974, one year after Levine joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he founded the Center for Vaccine Development to help address this gap.

VCU Alumni

Through CVD, Levine worked in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America on the epidemiology, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, in particular addressing cholera, bacillary dysentery (shigellosis), typhoid fever, Escherichia coli diarrheal disease and invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella infections, among others. He applied this field experience to studies of the pathogenesis of these infections and development and testing of candidate vaccines.

Case study One of Levine’s accomplishments

is a cholera vaccine. Interest in cholera was stimulated during his final externship through MCV, when Levine spent a week at the Cholera Research Laboratory in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). “That was a life-changing experience,” Levine says. “I became fascinated with cholera. And that is something that stayed with me my whole career.” In the 1980s, Levine co-invented a singledose live oral vaccination for cholera. And after years of trials, Vaxchora was approved for licensure by the Food and Drug Administration in 2016 and is the only U.S.-approved vaccine available for protection against cholera. The FDA approval allows U.S. travelers, humanitarian aid workers and the military to protect themselves from the disease when visiting or deployed to areas where cholera is epidemic or endemic.

What’s next? After 40 years as director of

CVD, Levine stepped down in 2015. A member of the National Academy of Medicine, he has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to medicine. Most recently, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases honored Levine with the 2017 Maxwell Finland Award for Scientific Achievement for his outstanding contributions to infectious disease research and vaccinology. The recognition also acknowledged his excellence in research and training, noting that his impact on global public health will continue to pay dividends for millions of individuals in the future. But he’s not done yet. Though he is no longer director of CVD, he remains on faculty and has a few more goals to hit before he’ll consider full retirement. One is field-testing a new vaccine his team has created against strains of invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella bacteria that cause severe, often fatal, infections among children younger than 3 living in subSaharan Africa. “Working in global health is not a way to amass a good retirement fund,” Levine says. “But I don’t think you could put a dollar amount on the fun I’ve had and on the gratification in working to prevent disease among children in disadvantaged situations.” – Sarah Lockwood is a contributing writer for the alumni magazine.

Photo courtesy University of Maryland

Myron M. Levine, M.D., D.T.P.H. (center)

THIS IS MY REAL.

Catherine Viverette, Ph.D. (M.S.´04/LS; Ph.D.´16/LS)

Assistant professor, VCU Center for Environmental Studies

“I’ve been drawn to the water since I was a child. But it wasn’t until I was 58, when I got my Ph.D. thanks to four years of scholarships, that I could make it my calling. My work studying river birds teaches us about habitat conservation, so that future generations can enjoy the water, too.” At VCU, making an impact is what we do. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we launched the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, our most ambitious fundraising initiative in the university's history. How will you help us support people, fund innovations and enhance environments?

Make your impact at campaign.vcu.edu. an equal opportunity/affirmative action university

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS Trevor Frost (B.S.’06/LS) tells stories. Not in words but in pictures. A photographer, filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer, the Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus has spent the past 10 years touring the globe. His adventures have taken him to places most people won’t ever visit, but through his photography, they can view the world in its purest form. Photos by Trevor Frost | Article by Anthony Langley (B.S.´16/MC)

VCU Alumni

An adult male gelada, always vigilant, keeps an eye out for threats as the sun sets on another day on the Guassa plateau in Ethiopia.

Fall 2017

Trevor Frost (seated left) and his father travel to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya to see the annual migration of wildebeest.

IT STARTED AT AN EARLY AGE »

Whether it was his biologist parents bringing back photos of howler monkeys from their travels or growing up with the James River in his backyard, Trevor Frost (B.S.’06/LS) constantly found himself enamored with how wildlife makes its way in a very human world. Frost, a photographer and filmmaker working with National Geographic, credits his time at Virginia Commonwealth University as the “secret weapon” to his success. As a college freshman at the early age of 16, Frost says his professors and the university environment offered him the flexibility and freedom to shape his path and learn the way he wanted to.

VCU Alumni

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Frost packed his bags, camera in tow, for Africa and South America. On those trips, he realized that it wasn’t enough to explore for himself; he wanted to tell stories that would change the world. More than a decade later, he remains focused on the ways wildlife and wild places intersect with humans, and his belief that the best stories come from obsession is as strong as ever. “If you go to bed dreaming about it and wake up thinking about it, then you’re on the right path,” Frost says. “That passion will result in stories that are meaningful and will resonate with people around the world.”

(Top) A lone elephant walks across the savannah in Masai Mara reserve, Kenya. (Middle) Senior songman and aboriginal elder Terry Gandadilla walks along the monsoon-swept coast of northern Australia, home to some 17,000 aboriginal people collectively known as the Yolgnu. (Bottom) As darkness falls on Guassa, Ethiopia, geladas break into a run down a slope toward their sleeping cliffs.

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(Top) A 14-foot, male saltwater crocodile breaches the waters of Mary River National Park in Australia. (Middle) Berber nomads walk across the dunes in Morocco. (Bottom left) An aboriginal father and son traverse the Arafura Swamp in northern Australia. (Bottom right) Male geladas use their outsize canines when fighting or defending themselves against predators.

VCU Alumni

Play fighting helps juvenile geladas develop and learn the limits of their own strength.

A NEW STRATEGY PAYS OFF »

On Frost's first trip to Africa, his plans to work as a field assistant fell through, but during his trip to South America he worked with a wildlife conservation society helping with camera trap studies of jaguars at a new nature preserve, taking pictures as he went. When he returned to the States, he began to think about how he could combine his love of traveling and telling stories. By chance, he stumbled across National Geographic’s Young Explorer grant program, which connects people with experts who can help their project reach the world. Frost submitted a proposal to find, explore, map and photograph caves in the country of Gabon in west-central Africa.

“I tried to think about what would interest [National Geographic],” he says. “In my research, I learned that the two least explored places on the planet were the deep oceans and the underground caves.” Working with spelunkers in Virginia, Frost gained experience by exploring caves in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Upon receiving the grant, he set off for Gabon and explored 14 caves, 11 of which were undiscovered. He also helped further map a previously discovered cave which turned out to be the longest cave in the country. W E B E X T R A Read more about Trevor and his adventures at go.vcu.edu/trevorfrost.

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ALUMNISUPPORT Michael Stevens, M.D., and Lillian Flores Stevens, Ph.D., on a 2008 HOMBRE trip to Olanchito, Honduras

MISSION CRITICAL Scholarship gives medical students ‘eye-opening’ opportunities to provide patient care abroad BY JANET SHOWALTER

VCU Alumni

ALUMNISUPPORT

iurka Monteserin was 14 years old when she took her first mission trip to the Dominican Republic. “I knew right away I didn’t want it to be my last,” she says. “It opened my eyes to so much.” From that moment on, Monteserin committed herself to helping the underserved. “It was such a shock to see people living like that,” she says. “They were in shacks, had no running water or electricity. All those things we take for granted here, they don’t have there.” Monteserin wanted to return to the Dominican Republic but could not afford the trip. When she applied to the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, she learned about HOMBRE (Humanitarian Outreach Medical Brigade Relief Effort), and her optimism grew. Started in 2006, this medical mission trip is organized by first-year medical students and takes place the summer before their second year. What began with trips just to Honduras has grown to include four sites: Honduras del Norte, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Los Pinares, Honduras. Dozens of medical students participate each year. “HOMBRE is one of the reasons I chose VCU,” says Monteserin, a second-year medical student and co-student director for HOMBRE. Traveling through HOMBRE can still be expensive. That’s why Michael P. Stevens, M.D. (M.D.’04/M; H.S.’07/M; M.P.H.’11/M), associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the VCU School of Medicine, and his wife, Lillian Flores Stevens, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’10/H&S), established the Mary Virginia Stevens Global Health Scholarship. Started in March 2016, the scholarship honors Michael Stevens’ grandmother, whose financial generosity provided him with global health experiences as a student to travel to such places as Kenya and Honduras. “I would not have had the experiences I had without the love and support of my grandmother,” Michael Stevens says. “We want to honor her by giving other students the same opportunities.” The scholarship covers the site fee expense for one medical student a year. Fees range from $900 to $1,100, depending on the site. Monteserin applied for the scholarship in October 2016 and was awarded $950 to travel to the Dominican Republic in June 2017. She spent 11 days at two sites, working side-by-side with physicians. “In class you can read the textbooks, but you lose sight of the bigger picture,” she says. “It was so inspiring to be there. This firsthand knowledge is so critical.”

Monteserin helped register and interview patients to get their medical backgrounds and symptoms, took vitals and offered counseling. She also traveled to patients’ homes to provide medical screenings and deliver medications. She observed doctors as they treated about 100 patients a day. Since Monteserin is fluent in Spanish, she also served as a translator. Most patients had chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and arthritis. Others were fighting infections caused by parasites, poor nutrition and a lack of clean water. “It was incredible to be part of something that fills such a need in the community,” Monteserin says. “The patients are so grateful. The experience solidified the reasons I chose to become a doctor in the first place — to provide international medical care to those in need.” That is one of the main reasons Michael Stevens chose a career in medicine as well. He and his wife took their first trip together to Honduras in 2006 as part of HOMBRE. He was a medical resident at the time traveling with the medical students, and she accompanied her husband when she was a doctoral student. “Oftentimes going abroad and seeing a community very different than one’s own provides a totally different perspective,” says Lillian Stevens, who is a research psychologist at Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center. “It’s a great opportunity for everyone to have, especially in the field of medicine.” Lillian Stevens grew up in a middle-class neighborhood of Honduras, but as a child was not exposed to the poorer areas of the country. Returning as an adult, she says, has been “eye-opening.” She served as a translator in 2006 and 2008. Her husband continues to travel there two times a year through VCU’s Global Health and Health Disparities Program, which he co-directs. He has helped lead more than 15 outreach trips since 2006. “To have students there working alongside the physicians is incredible,” says Michael Stevens, who also serves as Global Health Pathway director and as associate program director for global health for VCU’s internal medicine residency program. “They are so fired up. They can’t get that in the classroom. By getting these experiences, they can see where their career could go. I know because it opened up a whole new world for me.” Just as it is for Monteserin. “Having this opportunity has been incredible,” she says. “It gave me insight into who I want to be. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I truly am.” – Janet Showalter (B.S.’87/MC) is a contributing writer for the alumni magazine.

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History in the making Richmond Professional Institute alumni reflect on the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in forming VCUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bedrock By J a net Sho wa lter

Richmond professional Institute, 1917-1968

1917 city school

1925 college affiliation

1933 art school

1939 Officially RPI

The Richmond School of Social Economy opens at 1112 Capitol St., sharing a cityowned building with the Richmond Courts. There are seven students in social work and 23 in public health nursing.

The school becomes the Richmond Division of the College of William & Mary and moves to 827 W. Franklin St., now Founders Hall. Enrollment is 52 fulltime and 393 part-time students.

The School of Art formally organizes and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is offered. Twenty art scholarships are awarded.

The school is renamed Richmond Professional Institute of the College of William & Mary. The student newspaper name changes to The Proscript.

VCU Alumni

IF THIS WALL COULD TALK, what stories it would tell. Stories of hope, determination and lasting friendships. Stories that make us laugh out loud one minute or cry the next. For decades, the brownstone wall around Ginter House, the administration building at 901 W. Franklin St., has served as the gathering place for students at Virginia Commonwealth University. They come to swap stories about their weekend adventures, complain about tough professors or simply catch up with a friend. It also serves as a reminder of VCU’s proud history. The wall that students sit on today is the same one their predecessors relaxed on soon after the Richmond School of Social Economy was founded. The school, which opened its doors in 1917, trained young, middle-class women for service-oriented careers in social welfare. The first of its kind in the South, the school name changed to the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health in 1918 when a few dozen students were taking classes in a shared, city-owned building. Today’s VCU School of Social Work can trace its roots to these humble beginnings. So, too, can the university as a whole. The social welfare program formed the nucleus of what would become Richmond Professional Institute in 1939 and, in 1968, VCU. “When I go down to the campus today, it reminds me of the old days,” says Joe Lowenthal (B.F.A.’55/A). “I see the students sitting on the same wall I sat on. The genesis of VCU is the old RPI. That makes me proud.” Lowenthal remains connected to his alma mater by serving as the chair of VCU Alumni’s RPI Alumni Council. Formed about 10 years

ago to plan class reunions, the council has evolved into much more. Members meet regularly to organize projects and events. The most recent project is the RPI History Wall inside the University Student Commons. “We don’t want it to seem like we want to go back in history to what the school once was,” Lowenthal says. “Far from it. I am so pleased with the university and what it has become today. We just want to be remembered.” The wall, dedicated in April, includes a photo display of leaders and professors who taught at RPI and helped build the school’s legacy, the students who realized their dreams on campus and the activities that laid the groundwork for the future. A timeline showcases the milestones in RPI’s history, from its beginnings 100 years ago as the Richmond School of Social Economy to its merger in 1968 with the Medical College of Virginia to form VCU. “Back then, people had a sense we were going places,” says Ed Peeples, Ph.D. (B.S.’57/E), a featured speaker during the dedication of the wall. “We felt part of the movement that was making the university great.” But for Peeples, who grew up in Richmond, Virginia, college once seemed like a long shot. After barely graduating from high school, he says, he moved to Cleveland to strike it rich as a factory worker. Unable to find a job, he hitchhiked home and, with strong encouragement from his mother, enrolled in the drafting program at RPI. He also played on the basketball team. “The drafting program was only one year, but I wanted to keep playing basketball,” Peeples says. “The only way to do that was to major in something. I chose physical education. It was the best decision of my life.” By staying in school longer, Peeples says, he learned the importance of hard work and responsibility.

View the full RPI timeline at go.vcu.edu/RPItimeline.

1944 GI bill

1946 basketball

1962 independence

1968 new university

Veterans begin to enroll through the GI Bill. The male student population increases from 30 in 1940 to 805 in 1947, including 650 veterans.

The men’s basketball team is established. Also, Virginia Polytechnic Institute’s School of Engineering establishes a branch at RPI for freshman and sophomore work.

RPI separates from the College of William & Mary and operates as an independent state institution.

On July 1, 1968, RPI and the Medical College of Virginia officially become Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU opens with an enrollment of more than 10,000 students.

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“I was immature and a low achiever,” he says. “But my professors straightened me out. They mentored me and helped guide me. I owe them a lot.” Peeples went on to earn a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in medical behavioral science from the University of Kentucky. He began his teaching career at MCV and RPI in 1963, remaining on campus for 30 years. He retired in 1995 as associate professor of preventive medicine for the VCU School of Medicine. “I became a successful graduate and had a wonderful career at a medical school that became a renowned institution,” he says. “RPI played a huge part in that. The school transformed the lives of so many people.” RPI graduates have become successful physicians, Broadway performers, nurses, artisans, humanitarians, social workers, teachers and business leaders. “I received an outstanding education and couldn’t be happier,” says Alice Taylor (B.F.A.’66/A). “RPI exposed me to so much through the classes I took and the people I met. It opened so many doors for me.” Taylor, who grew up in Blackstone, Virginia, chose RPI because it was close to home and offered a strong program in the arts. While she loved the curriculum, student life took some getting used to, she says. “Things were strict back then,” says Taylor, who majored in fashion design and after graduation, worked in drafting for the highway department, architects and engineers. “They had boys’ dorms and girls’ dorms, and never should the two meet.” While dorm moms regularly made spot checks to ensure all students were following the rules, Taylor says, she and her classmates did their best to break them.

“We pulled a lot of pranks, like gluing sheets together,” she says with a chuckle. “We thought we were big stuff! We had some fun times, but in all seriousness, my education paved the way to so much in my life.” Lowenthal, too, can’t help but beam when he reminisces about his time at RPI. “It prepared me for just about everything I did in life,” he says. After earning his degree in theater, Lowenthal taught high school English and drama, then worked in radio. He spent much of his career, 22 years, in public relations. “RPI was special,” he says. “When I went there, it was still pretty small so you got to really know everyone.” The small size, about 3,000 students during Lowenthal’s tenure, meant inconveniences as well. Few social activities were available in those days. Instead of fraternities and sororities, the men joined the German Club and the women participated in cotillions. Dances were held in the basement of the Mosque and theater productions in Franklin Street Gym. “We didn’t know we didn’t have much,” Lowenthal says. “We didn’t care. We loved what we were doing.” After living in Smithfield, Virginia, for years, Lowenthal returned to the Richmond area in 2005. Since reconnecting with the university in 2007 through the RPI Alumni Council, he now feels like he never left. “It’s wonderful to be a part of such a special institution,” he says. “To think how far we have come is overwhelming.” When the Richmond School of Social Economy opened its doors a century ago, enrollment stood at 30 students. Today, VCU has more than 31,000 students in 220 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Fifty-two of the programs are unique in Virginia. VCU has been recognized as one of the nation’s premier urban, public research universities. “For students today, it might be hard to imagine what this school looked like so long ago,” Lowenthal says. “From humble beginnings, it has grown into a well-respected and honored institution. To think that all grew out of RPI is awe-inspiring. I hope we never forget.” – Janet Showalter (B.S.’87/MC) is a contributing writer for the alumni magazine.

Historic marker memorializes RPI Alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered Oct. 4 at Founders Hall on West Franklin Street for the dedication and unveiling of a historic marker honoring the founding of the Richmond School of Social Economy.

» WEB

VCU Alumni

E X T R A Learn more about RPI’s history at go.vcu.edu/RPIhistorywall.

Find your fit! As a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, you had a multitude of possibilities for getting involved with the many groups on campus. As a graduate and a member, you have even more opportunities to stay connected! VCU Alumni sponsors more than 40 groups, offering opportunities for professional development, networking, volunteering and friendship-building. Select your affiliations, or update them, at vcualumni.org. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see a group that fits your interests? Email alumni@vcu.edu to learn how you can start a group. ACADEMIC

GEOGRAPHIC

SHARED INTEREST

MCV Alumni Association of VCU* RPI Alumni Council* Accounting Alumni Association Business Alumni Society Education Alumni Council Engineering Alumni Board Health Administration Alumni Association Honors College Alumni Association Information Systems Alumni Association M.P.A. Alumni Association Music Alumni Association Nursing Alumni Association Political Science Alumni Society Public Health Alumni Association VCUQatar Alumni Network

Atlanta Chapter Austin Chapter Charleston Chapter Charlotte Chapter Chicago Chapter Dallas Chapter Denver Chapter DMV GOLD Chapter Hampton Roads Chapter Los Angeles Chapter Lynchburg Chapter New York City Chapter Philadelphia Chapter Portland Chapter RVA GOLD Chapter San Diego Chapter San Francisco Chapter Seattle Chapter St. Louis Chapter Triangle, N.C., Chapter

African-American Alumni Council Asian/Pacific Islander Alumni Chapter The Commonwealth Times Alumni Jewish Alumni Association Latino Alumni Council Military Veterans Alumni Council Rainbow Rams Riding Rams

*eminent organization

LEGACYFAMILY

An inspiring example Daughters lead lives of service in their mother’s honor By Sarah Lockwood “If I can stop one heart from breaking / I shall not live in vain”

So begins the poem of the same name by Emily Dickinson that portrays how Carmen Stagg (B.A.’05/H&S) says she likes to think her mom, Pamela Beth Nystrom (B.S.W.’77/SW), approached life. To her, it’s about her mother’s compassion and devotion to social justice, the same devotion demonstrated by social workers, social workers like her mother and those whom a scholarship in her mother’s memory now supports. It’s also about the devotion to service that Carmen and her family members practice every day. Carmen’s parents, Pam Nystrom and Ben Stagg (B.A.’78/H&S), met at VCU. After graduation, they married and moved to Tidewater, Virginia, where they started a family that grew to include three daughters: Jesse, Carmen and Meg.

Top: Jesse, Carmen and Meg as young girls. Right: Jesse Goodrich (left); Carrie Stuckey (B.S.W.’17/SW), a recipient of the Pamela B. Nystrom Memorial Scholarship; and Ben Stagg at the VCU Endowed Scholarship Dinner

Photo Chris Ijams

VCU Alumni

LEGACYFAMILY

“All three of us work in fields where we feel like we are giving back, and that makes us feel like we are continuing [our mother’s] legacy of kindness as well.” Pamela Nystrom with her daughters

Ben embarked on a career as a land surveyor and now serves as director of shellfish aquaculture leasing and mapping at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. With her degree in social work, Pam worked as director of social work at a nursing home. In 1983, during her last pregnancy, Pam developed cardiomyopathy, an incurable disease that affects the heart muscle. She lived a primarily healthy life for several years until the late ’80s when her condition deteriorated. She received a heart transplant in 1991, but her body rejected the heart and she died. With the help of his and Pam’s families, Ben began raising his 7-, 8- and 10-year-old daughters on his own. When it came time for his daughters to make decisions about college and careers, Ben says he never pushed for VCU. Still, Carmen was drawn to the university. “I felt a sense of pride in going to my parents’ alma mater,” she says. “What was also unique to me, and felt special, was that they met there. That made me feel more connected to them.” Carmen’s younger sister, Meg Stagg Atkins (B.S.’07/N), was next to enroll at VCU where she earned a nursing degree. Meg says her mother’s illness sparked an interest in medicine. “When she would go to the doctor or the hospital for tests, I would always go along and wanted to know everything that was happening,” Meg says. “The kind and loving care she got at [VCU Medical Center] during her illness left a lasting impression.” Meg was an oncology nurse for eight years and now works in nursing informatics at Riverside Doctors’ Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia. Her oldest sister, Jesse Goodrich, is director of human resources in the same hospital. “All three of us work in fields where we feel like we are giving back, and that makes us feel like we are continuing [our mother’s] legacy of kindness as well,” Meg says.

– Meg Stagg Atkins (B.S.’07/N)

Carmen, who double majored in political science and religious studies, is a service-learning coordinator for the Rueckert-Hartman College of Health Professions at Regis University in Denver. There, she coordinates learning experiences for student volunteers, while helping meet the needs of community organizations. Carmen says she is proud to work for an institution whose mission begins with “Men and women in the service to others.” “I attribute a lot of my daughters’ characteristics to their mom,” Ben says. “I see their mom [in them] all the time.” In 2013, the Stagg family found another way to honor Pam’s memory when they established the Pamela B. Nystrom Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides need-based financial assistance to a full- or parttime, upper-level B.S.W. student. “Many people go into social work because they have lived experiences of trauma and struggle and want to help others through those challenges,” Carmen says. “Regardless of the reason for choosing to pursue a degree in social work, economic status can be a barrier. I know the scholarship isn’t solving this problem, but I do think it’s making a difference for at least one person each year. And that person goes on to make a difference for many more.” Pam’s friends and family have supported the fund, and as her daughters have grown up and started their own careers, they, too, have contributed to it. Carmen says she dreams of starting a social enterprise that would support the scholarship. “We really wanted something that would endure,” Ben says. “If it helps somebody or a couple of people every year or two, then that’s what my wife would have wanted.” – Sarah Lockwood is a contributing writer for the alumni magazine.

Fall 2017

ALUMNICONNECTIONS

News, highlights and event photos from VCU Alumni. Stay connected at vcualumni.org.

VCU recognizes 15 shining Alumni Stars at November ceremony From leading medical innovations that allow for face transplantation to commanding the Middle East’s largest manufacturer of military vehicles and establishing a program to meet the needs of local refugees, VCU alumni are making their marks on the world around them. VCU honored 15 of its most accomplished alumni in November at the 2017 Alumni Stars ceremony. The biennial event, hosted by VCU Alumni, honors alumni from across the university’s academic units for their extraordinary personal and professional achievements. Read more about the 2017 Alumni Stars at vcualumni.org/News/Awards/alumnistars.

1 Judith B. Collins, RN, WHNP, BC, FAAN (Cert.’75/N), School of Nursing 2 Anne M. Cooper-Chen, Ph.D. (M.S.’79/MC), Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture 3 Fahad Saif Harhara, Ph.D. (B.S.’00/En), School of Engineering 4 Emerson Hughes (B.M.E.’65/A), School of the Arts 5 Jess N. Judy (M.H.A.'77/AHP), School of Allied Health Professions 6 Gerald M. “Jerry” Kluft, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’73/D), School of Dentistry 7 Harvey B. Morgan (B.S.’55/P), School of Pharmacy 8 Robert W. “Bob” Peay (M.S.W.’74/SW), School of Social Work 9 Elizabeth Prom-Wormley, Ph.D. (M.P.H.’99/M; Ph.D.’07/LS), VCU Life Sciences 10 Eduardo D. Rodriguez, M.D., D.D.S. (M.D.’99/M), School of Medicine 11 Amy T. Rose, M.D., FACS (B.S.’90/H&S), VCU Honors College 12 Anna Lou Schaberg (B.S.’66/H&S; M.Ed.’70/E), School of Education 13 Linda M. Warren (B.S.’75/B), School of Business 14 Gregory H. Wingfield (B.S.’75/GPA; M.U.R.P.’76/GPA), L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs 15 Peter J. Zucker, Ph.D. (M.S.’81/H&S; Ph.D.’84/H&S), College of Humanities and Sciences

VCU Alumni

ALUMNICONNECTIONS

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Alumni Month April 2018

Keep your calendar open in April for VCU Alumni Month. The monthlong celebration offers a variety of activities, events and programs to help alumni reconnect with one another and with current faculty, staff and students. Look for more details in early 2018 at vcualumni.org/Events/Alumni-Month.

Summer send-offs welcome Class of 2021

Reunion Weekend

VCU Alumni and VCU New Student and Family Programming hosted five send-offs this past summer for incoming VCU students and their families. The send-offs, held in Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads, Lynchburg and Richmond, Virginia, and in Washington, D.C., offered an opportunity for local alumni to share their VCU experience and postgrad life with VCU’s Class of 2021 and their parents. If you’re interested in learning more about the summer send-off program or participating at one of the locations next summer, email alumni@vcu.edu.

April 20-22, 2018

The MCV Campus Reunion welcomes back classes ending in 3 or 8 from the schools of Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy; all grand alumni; and all dental hygiene alumni. Registration opens Jan. 12, but make your travel plans early as NASCAR coincides with Reunion Weekend. Book your room at the Omni Richmond Hotel by calling (888) 444-6664. Identify yourself as a Reunion attendee. The RPI Alumni Council and the African-American Alumni Council also host reunions that weekend. Details on all Reunion Weekend events will be posted online at vcualumni.org/Events/Reunion.

Chapters host social, volunteering events From July 2016 to June 2017, VCU Alumni’s more than 40 constituent organizations held 165 alumni events that brought together more than 2,500 people. Members of the Engineering Alumni Board spent one June morning cleaning up the James River’s edge at Ancarrow’s Landing in Richmond, Virginia. Afterward, the group ventured to nearby Legend Brewing Co. for lunch and live music. The recently charted Information Systems Alumni Association held Create, Compile & Connect, a kickoff event, in September at The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing, where info systems alumni in Richmond, Virginia, gathered to socialize and network.

New groups offer connections for alumni VCU Alumni welcomes its newest groups, the Asian/Pacific Islander Alumni Chapter and The Commonwealth Times Alumni. You can affiliate with these groups or with any of the other 40-plus geographic, academic or shared interest groups. Go to vcualumni.org, click “Select affiliations” at the top of the page and complete the form. For information on all of VCU Alumni’s constituent organizations, visit vcualumni.org/organizations.

Thanks for sharing your opinions! All alumni for whom VCU has a valid email address received an email in October asking them to participate in a survey. VCU contracted the Southeastern Institute of Research to administer the first comprehensive all-alumni survey since 2009. The survey asked alumni about their engagement with VCU, and the responses will help the university and the alumni organization assess alumni engagement with and support for VCU, identify ways to increase engagement among VCU alumni and ensure alumni from all eras can connect with VCU — and one another — most effectively. Look for the survey results this winter on the VCU Alumni website.

Fall 2017

CLASSNOTES

Can’t wait to see what’s happening with your fellow alumni? View archived and expanded class notes online at vcualumni.org/classnotes.

UPDATES

Geraldine Scalia (B.F.A.’73/A) had two juried national art exhibits in New York, one in June 2017 and the second in August 2017.

1960s

Donna Watsky (M.S.’71/M), a consultant and mentor, has worked with various organizations in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

John Sawicki, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’68/D), retired from the U.S. Army and private dental practice. Ed Starr (B.F.A.’66/A) is married to Victoria SheppardStarr. He is a Fellow in the American Society of Interior Designers and serves as the historic district commissioner for Gastonia, N.C. Milton Woody (B.S.’67/E) retired from St. Louis Community College in 2003. He is married to Esra Woody, an electrical engineer. The couple has one son, Aaron. L

1970s Stephen Althouse (M.F.A.’76/A) had a solo exhibit in spring 2017 at the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg, Pa. Patricia Brincefield (B.A.’76/MC) was named director of communication and marketing at St. Margaret’s School in Tappahannock, Va. Janet Chenoweth (B.F.A.’76/A) wrote “The Green Bathroom,” a play produced in Richmond, Va., by the Bifocals Theatre Group in conjunction with the Chamberlayne Actors’ Theatre. She also worked on the feature film “Juanita” and the AMC TV series “Turn” with Beatrice Bush (B.F.A.’69/A). Donald L. Fox, M.D. (M.D.’73/M), retired from his position as clinical professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina after 43 years. He and his wife, Nancy Hastings Fox (B.S.’72/N), reside in Charleston, S.C. Their daughter, Jennifer, teaches chemistry at the College of Charleston, and their son, Adam, is a resident at VCU Medical Center. L Jaquelin Gotlieb, M.D. (M.D.’72/M; H.S.’76/M), and her husband, Ed, practice medicine at the Pediatric Center of Stone Mountain in Georgia, which they established in 1976. They see many immigrant and refugee families and report that they love providing primary care in a patient-centered medical home. Hanns Haesslein, M.D. (M.D.’70/M), semi-retired after 39 years of practicing maternal-fetal medicine. He does intermittent consulting for health care systems and groups and is a consultant for the Medical Board of California, reviewing offshore medical school applications for California licensing. Jeanne Hening (B.F.A.’74/A; M.F.A.’83/A) taught art for 33 years in Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia and is now retired. Jonathan Roberts (B.S.’79/P) has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of CVS Health Corp. In his new role, he oversees operations for CVS Caremark and CVS Pharmacy.

VCU Alumni

Michelle Whitehurst-Cook, M.D. (M.D.’79/M; H.S.’82/M), senior associate dean of admissions and associate professor of family medicine and population health in the VCU School of Medicine, was inducted into the Student National Medical Association’s Hall of Heroes. The hall honors administrators, physicians and others who advocate for a diverse physician workforce. L

1980s Susan DiGiovanni, M.D. (H.S.’89/M), was named in May 2017 associate dean for graduate medical education in the VCU School of Medicine. She had served in an interim role since 2015. Daphne Glover (B.S.’89/AHP) sells flags, garden decor, jewelry and apparel to boutiques, hospital gift shops and hardware stores. Ronnie Greene (B.S.’86/MC) edits investigative articles for Reuters and teaches graduate writing at Johns Hopkins University, where he received a master’s in nonfiction writing in 2013. His second book, “Shots on the Bridge: Police Violence and Cover-up in the Wake of Katrina,” received the Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award in 2016. M Keith Harper (B.S.’82/P) retired from Sentara Leigh Hospital Pharmacy in December 2014. Anne-Marie Irani, M.D. (H.S.’86/M; H.S.’87/M), professor in the Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Allergy and Immunology in the VCU School of Medicine, was elected secretary-treasurer for the American Board of Medical Specialties, the leading not-for-profit organization overseeing physician certification in the U.S. The ABMS establishes the standards its 24 member boards use to develop and implement educational and professional evaluation, assessment and certification of physician specialists. John C. Moyles (B.S.’86/H&S) was named a partner of Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture in Cambridge, Mass. Jane Olson (B.S.’84/H&S) is a clinical specialist/intensive foster care and clinical services manager at the South Carolina Department of Social Services. L Jeannie Stephenson, Ph.D. (M.S.’88/AHP), graduated in 2014 with a doctorate in biomedical science from the University of South Florida. Alex B. Valadka, M.D., FAANS (H.S.’88/M; H.S.’93/M), professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery in the VCU School of Medicine,

was named president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. His appointment was announced in April 2017 at the 85th AANS Annual Scientific Meeting.

1990s Dawn M. Adams, PND, ANP-BC, CHC (Cert.’99/N), director of the Office of Integrated Health at the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, won the Democratic nomination in June 2017 for the Virginia House of Delegates 68th District. David Sanchez Burr (B.F.A.’93/A) joined Lake Forest College in Chicago in fall 2017 as assistant professor of sculpture and extended media. Patricia Crocker (M.S.’95/H&S) retired after 34 years of teaching math. She most recently was an associate professor of mathematics at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Va., where she worked for 11 years. L Katherine Dec, M.D. (H.S.’93/M), physician in the VCU Sports Medicine Clinic, was named president of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the first physical medicine and rehabilitation-trained physician to serve in the role. Dec previously served on the AMSSM board of directors from 2003-07 and as secretary/treasurer from 2011-15 before being elected second vice president in 2015. Jeffrey Ferguson, M.D. (B.S.’97/H&S), associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine in the VCU School of Medicine, received the 2017 Old Dominion Emergency Medical Services Alliance’s Outstanding EMS Physician of the Year award. His work was instrumental in VCU Health earning a contract to provide medical coverage for NASCAR races at Richmond Raceway. Chandak Ghosh, M.D. (M.D.’95/M), was honored with the U.S. Public Health Service’s Meritorious Service Medal for sustained breakthrough policy research and effective leadership. Ghosh is senior medical adviser for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a captain in the USPHS. L Beth Hylton (B.F.A.’92/A) has been cast in two upcoming productions by Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. She is a resident of the theater’s company and will star as Marie Antoinette in the “Revolutionists,” running Dec. 6-Jan. 7, 2018, and as both Klara and Felicia in the “Book of Joseph,” running May 9-June 10, 2018. David Jones, M.D. (M.D.’96/M), was promoted to chief of pediatrics for the Southeast Permanente Medical Group/Kaiser Permanente of Georgia. Karen Kimsey (M.S.W.’96/SW) won the Governor’s Agency Star Award at the 2017 Virginia Governor’s Awards for Public Service for her commitment to the low-income Medicaid population in Virginia throughout her more than 20-year career. Under her

M Member of the alumni association

L Life member of the alumni association

CLASSNOTES

leadership, as deputy director for complex care and services for the Department of Medical Assistance Services, Virginia was the third state in the country to develop a fully integrated and coordinated health care service model.

What´s new? Send us your news — promotion, relocation, wedding, baby or other good tidings — and we’ll share it in the alumni magazine and online. Drop us a line at classnotes@vcu.edu. Or, update your information and view archived and expanded class notes from your fellow alumni at vcualumni.org/classnotes.

Krishna Kishor, M.D. (B.S.’96/H&S; M.D.’01/M; H.S.’05/M), was elected president of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology and will lead the 500-member nonprofit in legislative advocacy as well as patient and physician education. Kishor also serves as assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Miami’s Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Micah McCreary, Ph.D. (M.S.’90/H&S; Ph.D.’93/ H&S), was appointed in June 2017 president of New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey. McCreary and his wife, the Rev. Dr. Jacqueline E. Madison-McCreary, have pastored the Spring Creek Baptist Church in Moseley, Va., for 16 years. They are the parents of one adult daughter. McCreary has received a number of fellowships including the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship, State Council of Higher Education in Virginia Fellowship and the American Council on Education Presidential Fellowship. Deborah Raines, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’92/N), was interviewed on “Top of the Mind with Julie Rose” on BYU Radio about her research on using simulation with parents preparing to bring a baby home from the NICU. Raines’ research was originally published in MCN: The American Journal of Maternal-Child Nursing in March 2017. Kathy Reilly (B.S.’95/N) achieved national recognition as a board certified wound specialist and certified foot care nurse. She retired in 2016 and spends her time equally between the U.S. and Dublin as an Irish citizen. M William Simpson (M.B.A.’98/B) retired from AstraZeneca as a senior commercial director July 1, 2016, and joined Heartland Hospice as manager of business development Feb. 10, 2017.

2000s Megan Clancy (M.S.’01/M) completed her first film, “Deafbot,” as part of the Easter Seals Disability Film Challenge. The film follows a doctoral student who is hired to build the Deafbot, a robot that acts as a mechanical sign language interpreter in exchange for free room and board. The film is in American Sign Language and English with captions. Ryan Corbitt (B.M.’04/A) moved his music lesson and piano-tuning business, Grove Avenue Piano, into a new storefront at 5705 Grove Ave. in Richmond, Va. Ronald Fix (B.M.’08/A) is a D’Addario Woodwinds artist and has been endorsed by the brand for his use of a D’Addario saxophone since 1997. Fix also serves as an adjunct music teacher at Woodberry Forest

M Member of the alumni association

School in Woodberry, Va., and directs sectionals for the school’s jazz ensemble. Kristina Hash, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’01/SW), professor and director of the gerontology certificate program at West Virginia University, received the 2017 Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching from the WVU Foundation for her contributions to numerous national projects in social work and gerontology. Oscar Holmes, Ph.D. (B.S.’02/H&S), was appointed Jan. 1, 2017, as director of access and outreach for business education for the Rutgers University School of Business. L Ahmed Ibraheem, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’04/M), is serving as vice dean for quality assurance and academic development at the University of Hail in Saudi Arabia. Donna Jackson, Ed.D. (M.Ed.’01/E; Ed.D.’15/E), assistant dean of admissions and director of student outreach programs in the VCU School of Medicine, was inducted into the Student National Medical Association’s Hall of Heroes. The hall honors administrators, physicians and others who advocate for a diverse physician workforce. Tracey McGregor Mason, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’01/H&S), was promoted to full professor at Stevenson University in Maryland. She was also selected as the 2O17 Braude Award winner by the American Chemical Society Maryland Section in recognition for her research work with undergraduates. L Aine Norris (B.A.’08/H&S; M.A.’16/H&S) graduated in December 2016 with an M.A. in English from VCU. M

L Life member of the alumni association

Christopher J. Parker (M.S.’06/E) was named executive director of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Joan Pellegrini, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’08/E), associate professor in the Department of Oral Health Promotion and Community Outreach in the VCU School of Dentistry, received the School of Dentistry Professional Achievement Award from Women in Science, Medicine and Dentistry in May 2017. L Rebecca Moon Ruark (B.A.’00/H&S; M.F.A.’04 /H&S) wrote short fiction that appears in the spring 2017 issues of Sou’wester and DASH Literary Journal. La’Leatha Spillers (M.S.’02/MC) was promoted from senior marketing director to vice president of marketing at Bethany Christian Services, a global nonprofit based in Grand Rapids, Mich., and received the organization's Mentor/Developer of Leaders Award in 2017. Fatima Syed, M.D. (B.S.’08/H&S; M.D.’13/M), is an endocrinology fellow at Thomas Jefferson University and the chair of the Council of Resident and Fellow Members of the American College of Physicians. Alyssa Ward, Ph.D. (M.S.’04/H&S; Ph.D.’07/H&S), returned to Richmond, Va., in fall 2017 to join the VCU School of Medicine faculty where she is a pediatric psychologist within both the gastroenterology and neonatology units at VCU Medical Center. In summer 2017, she started two practicum placements for VCU doctoral students within her divisions. She lives with her family in the northside of the city.

Fall 2017

CLASSNOTES

Dayanjan “Shanaka” Wijesinghe, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’08/M), assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Sciences in the VCU School of Pharmacy, was named the first da Vinci Center Faculty Fellow, which highlights faculty who champion cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the Virginia Attorney General.

2010s

Nikolas Sirs, M.D. (M.D.’14/M), presented a poster judged Best of Meeting at the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine’s annual meeting in April 2017. His abstract compared three forms of nerve blockages that can result from rotator cuff repair.

Gonzalo Aida (B.A.’11/H&S) began working in October 2016 for NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. in the organization’s public and government affairs department. M

Della Sigrest (B.F.A.’15/A) organized her second annual Full STEAM Ahead conference aimed at inspiring middle school girls to consider careers in science, technology, engineering, architecture and math in combination with art.

Camille Brenke (B.S.’17/N) is participating in this fall’s Clinton Global Initiative University, which brings together more than 1,000 innovative students from around the world who are committed to solving societal issues. Brenke, a leader of the social justice student organization Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society at VCU, plans to expand the group’s UndocuAlly trainings to increase the number of VCU faculty and students and Richmond teachers certified to support undocumented immigrant student populations.

Christine Stoddard (B.A.’12/A; B.A.’12/H&S; Cert.’12/B) was named the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center summer artist-in-residence. During her Summer 2017 residency in Dowell, Md., Stoddard created recycled collage artworks depicting Chesapeake wildlife that will be on display for guests of the Smithsonian-affiliated center year-round.

Courtney Darlington (B.F.A.’17/A) had her capstone dance choreography project, “Disparity,” presented in the American College Dance Association Performance Highlights program in Jacob Pillow’s Inside/Out series.

Births

Derek Fiedler (M.S.’15/M) completed his residency training in therapeutic radiologic physics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s Montefiore Medical Center and began his post-residency career with CROPS Inc., working as a radiation oncology physicist at Berwyn Radiation Oncology in Berwyn, Ill. Erin Geraghty (B.A.’16/H&S) was accepted into the Peace Corps and will serve as an English teacher for two years in Madagascar. Erica Ingram (B.A.’15/H&S) was accepted into the Peace Corps and will serve in China, spending two years working with local residents and partner organizations on sustainable, community-based development projects.

Shannon Wright (B.F.A.’16/A) was profiled in Ebony Magazine for her pop-art illustrations that feature black hairstyles.

Chelsea Greer, Ph.D. (M.S.’11/H&S; Ph.D.’14/H&S), and her husband welcomed their second daughter, Coralynn Juanita, in February 2017. The couple reports that Coralynn’s big sister, Cece, is happy in her new role. Greer spent this past year working as director of counseling services in the Wellness Center at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala., and returned to full-time teaching for the 2017-18 academic year.

Marriages Stacey Blair (B.S.’98/B) married Sean K. Robertson on May 13, 2017. L Katie Bowman (M.S.’16/H&S) married Alvin Palmer on Oct. 16, 2016, and started the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Lynchburg College in June 2017.

Shawn Joshi (B.S.’12/H&S; B.S.’12/En) received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to conduct research in the U.K. as part of a project to augment physical therapy for children with motor learning disabilities through the use of portable neuro-imaging.

Kelly Roenker (B.S.’07/MC) married Andrew Cordova II on Dec. 31, 2016.

Malorie Mackey (B.F.A.’10/A) released a new edition of her book, “My Playboy Story: Hopping from Richmond to Hollywood,” which recounts her journey from Richmond model to the Playboy Mansion.

Brian Cassel, Ph.D., assistant professor and palliative care research director in the Department of Internal Medicine in the VCU School of Medicine, was interviewed by NPR about the growing trend of homebased palliative care. He highlighted the lower health care costs patients receive that can save upward of $4,200 per month in the final two months of life.

Amanda Rhoades (M.S.’17/GPA) was promoted in June 2017 to case manager at Geoff McDonald & Associates, a Richmond, Va., law firm. Ashley Rivera (B.S.’16/H&S; B.S.’16/GPA) started a new position as an e-discovery technician in the

VCU Alumni

New releases

Faculty and staff

Tressie McMillan Cottom, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Sociology in the College of Humanities and Sciences, was selected as the 2017

M Member of the alumni association

L Life member of the alumni association

CLASSNOTES

Alumni and faculty books To the skies

Doomsday salesman

HENRY LOWENSTEIN, PH.D.

MEGAN JAMES

In “The Rescue Man: A Snafu Snatching Rescue Pilot’s Extraordinary Journey through World War II,” Lowenstein (B.S.’75/B) chronicles the life of WWII rescue pilot 1st Lt. Frank Philby “Bud” Hayes and his squadron who saved more than 700 men throughout the war. Told through personal letters and records, the book also tells stories of the day-to-day workings of the U.S. military and events of the war.

James’ (B.F.A.’17/A) first comic book, “Innsmouth,” riffs on the classic works of American author H.P. Lovecraft who achieved posthumous fame through his works of horror fiction. Set in the Lovecraftian town of Innsmouth, inhabited by a community of fish people in disguise, the comic follows fictional door-to-door doomsday cultist Randolph Higgle, diving into his psyche and change of heart about activating the apocalypse.

Green light

Looking back

SACHI SHIMOMURA, PH.D., AND

ANAND PRAHLAD, PH.D.

JOHN BRINEGAR, PH.D.

Prahlad (B.A.’77/H&S) chronicles the trials and tribulations of growing up with an undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder in rural Virginia during segregation in his memoir, “The Secret Life of a Black Aspie.” Winner of the Permafrost Prize for Nonfiction, the book addresses race, gender and disability while following historic American social movements.

In “Luminous Pursuit: Jellyfish, GFP, and the Unforeseen Path to the Nobel Prize,” Shimomura and Brinegar narrate the life and scientific career of Shimomura’s father, Osamu Shimomura, Ph.D. Sachi Shimomura is associate chair and Brinegar is teaching assistant professor in the Department of English in the College of Humanities and Sciences. Their book details Osamu Shimomura’s travels around the world to research and collect more than 15 bioluminescent species. He was the first person to isolate green fluorescent protein, an important tool for studying biological processes within cells, winning him the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2008. The book also covers his time growing up in wartime Japan and his eyewitness account of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.

Olympic avenger CAROLYN GRANDIS

Grandis’ (B.A.’72/H&S) “The Games” fictional Olympic athletes Helmut Schmidt and Samuel Goodman are set to compete in the shot put event before Goodman is banned because of his Jewish heritage as Hitler wanted an Olympic team free of “undesirables.” Years later as an officer in the German Army, Schmidt begins on the path of revenge. Now leading a double life, he draws the attention of a Nazi lieutenant who believes that Schmidt is helping Jewish refugees to freedom.

Smoke and mirrors RONALD “RONNIE” GREENE

In “Shots on the Bridge,” winner of the 2016 Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award, Greene (B.S.’86/MC) takes us to the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in New Orleans, where NOPD officers opened fire on a group of civilians on the Danziger Bridge while responding to a call. Greene’s detailed reporting of the events earned the book the 2016 Investigative Reporters and Editors Book Award.

Calling alumni authors Send us your latest novel, mystery thriller, memoir, poetry collection, nonfiction or other published work! Last two years only, please. Mail to VCU Alumni magazine, P.O. Box 842039, Richmond, VA 23284-2039. Please note, works will not be returned.

Fall 2017

ALUMNIPROFILE

Stretching into full bloom Fulbright was the right thing at the right time for a world-class poet By Drew Vass

hen Tarfia Faizullah (M.F.A.’09/H&S) was 7, she handed her second-grade teacher a set of poems she’d written. He was impressed, until he caught her copying them from an Encyclopedia Britannica. “I still thought of writing as just handwriting,” she says, now laughing about the experience. And while those copied poems didn’t exhibit her early talents, they did foreshadow a lifelong love of language. Faizullah’s mother, a native of Bangladesh, had her memorize poems in both Bengali and English, then recite them back to her. Her father, she says, had her read the Quran to him. As a result, she says, she was “surrounded by poetry and the written word as well as the idea of and the sounds of language.” Faizullah started working on the makings of her first book of poetry by the time she was in her mid-20s. The book, which she began while pursuing her M.F.A. in Creative Writing at VCU, included a sequence of poems labeled “Interview with a Birangona.” “Birangona” is a term the Bangladesh government awarded women who were raped or sexually enslaved amid the conflicts of its 1971 war for independence, denoting them war heroines. As Faizullah tried to fictionalize the perspectives of those 200,000-400,000 women, somewhere along the way, she says she shelved the effort. “I felt like I was encountering my own moral boundaries, because I wasn’t sure if it was OK that I was writing these poems imaginatively,” she says. But then an opportunity surfaced — one that she says felt lofty but compelling — when Jeff Wing, director of the VCU National Scholarship Office, walked into her class to discuss the Fulbright Program, an international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government that fosters international goodwill through the exchange of students and scholars in countries around the globe. “I’d heard of the Fulbright, but it seemed like one of those remote things that didn’t apply to me,” she says. At the same time, she found the idea of the scholarship irresistible because it offered the possibility of being immersed in the lives and stories she sought to humanize through her poetry. “When I first met Tarfia, I knew her background, interests and future plans had Fulbright written all over them,” says Wing, who also serves as Fulbright program adviser and assistant dean of the VCU Honors College. “Even though she seemed a bit reluctant, I knew that we just needed to help her craft her Fulbright vision.” In 2010, through a Fulbright scholarship, Faizullah traveled to Bangladesh, where she met and interviewed birangonas. “I don’t think I came back the same person I was when I left,” she says. “I felt like I was pressed against something that brought out of me a new way of writing that I never had before because I had to find the right words to describe what I was experiencing.” With her experiences in tow, Faizullah finished and published “Seam” in 2014, which has garnered numerous awards, including a GLCA New Writers Award, a Binghamton University Milton Kessler First Book Award, a VIDA Book of the Year Award and the Drake University Emerging Writer Award. Her poems have appeared in periodicals such as Poetry Magazine, Oxford American and Ploughshares as well as numerous anthologies. In 2016, she was recognized by Harvard Law School as one of 50 Women Inspiring Change, and today she serves as the Nicholas Delbanco Visiting Professor in Poetry for the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers Program. Her second book, “Registers of Illuminated More than 50 VCU students and alumni have been offered Villages,” is slated to publish in 2018. Fulbright awards since the VCU National Scholarship Office “I feel like the Fulbright changed the way I not only experienced the world, but experience other was created in 2005. The office offers a range of services to people,” Faizullah says. “Sometimes, when I’m teaching, I’m not just thinking about the point I VCU alumni interested in applying for competitive national want to get across, but I’m also really looking at them. I’m looking at my students, noticing things and international scholarships and fellowships, including the about them and wondering what’s going on with them.” Fulbright Scholarship. For more information, visit nso.vcu.edu.

Scholarship assistance for alumni

– Drew Vass (B.S.’02/H&S) is a contributing writer for the alumni magazine.

VCU Alumni

CLASSNOTES Tarfia Faizullah in Bangladesh

Distinguished Feminist Activist by Sociologists for Women in Society. The award is presented annually to a member of the society who has notably and consistently used sociology to improve conditions for women in society. Toni-Leslie James, associate professor and director of costume design in the Department of Theatre in the School of the Arts, was nominated for a Tony Award in the category Best Costume Design in a Play for her work on “Jitney.” The play takes place in a 1977 Pittsburgh gypsy cab station and centers on a group of men who try to make a living driving unlicensed cabs. Brooke Newman, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of History in the College of Humanities and Sciences, received the Georgian Papers Programme Fellowship, which will allow her to conduct research at the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle in the U.K. Guy B. Roberts, adjunct faculty in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, has been nominated to work as assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs in the U.S. Department of Defense. Roberts has taught for the past four years in the Wilder School’s homeland security and emergency preparedness program. Jerome Strauss, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the School of Medicine, received the 2017 Arnaldo Bruno Prize for Gynecology, one of the highest international honors conferred by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, the oldest scientific academy in the world. The prize recognizes distinguished investigators and clinicians from around the world.

IN MEMORIAM

Photo courtesy Tarfia Faizullah

M Member of the alumni association

Helen M. Duley (’43/H&S), of Mount Pleasant, S.C., July 30, 2017. Cornelia F. Giesen (B.M.’49/A), of Blacksburg, Va., March 14, 2017. Martha C. Gilliam (B.S.’47/N), of Wise, Va., June 29, 2017. Ethyl M. Groves (B.S.’47/AHP), of Eustis, Fla., May 8, 2015. Elizabeth P. Hancock (Cert.’47/N; B.S.’52/N), of Rocky Mount, Va., Oct. 28, 2016. Frances H. James (B.S.’41/AHP), of Richmond, Va., April 25, 2017. Lola M. Kirkland (B.F.A.’49/A), of McGaheysville, Va., June 23, 2017. Sanford W. Kirshen, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’45/D), of Delray Beach, Fla., Feb. 22, 2007. Louisa C. Littleton (H.S.’48/M), of Charlotte, N.C., May 26, 2017. John E. Marks (B.S.’49/P), of Richmond, Va., June 2, 2017. Lorene H. Newman (Cert.’49/N), of Blacksburg, Va., June 1, 2017. M Samuel P. Oast, M.D. (M.D.’48/M), of New York City, April 1, 2017. Frank N. Perkinson (B.S.’48/B), of Roanoke, Va., June 24, 2017. Unity M. Powell, M.D. (M.D.’45/M; H.S.’46/M), of Covington, Va., May 11, 2017. L Frank R. Reynolds, M.D. (H.S.’45/M), of Wilmington, N.C., Aug. 5, 2017. William H. Robison, M.D. (M.D.’45/M), of Roanoke, Va., April 24, 2017. Anne J. Saunders (B.S.’48/E), of Richmond, Va., July 7, 2017.

1930s

Phyllis A. Taylor (B.S.’48/H&S), of Richmond, Va., June 11, 2017.

Albert J. Early (B.S.’36/P), of Dayton, Ohio, Dec. 18, 2001.

Elizabeth N. Vaiden (B.S.’46/N), of Williamsburg, Va., March 26, 2017.

H.J. Hancock, M.D. (M.D.’37/M; H.S.’38/M), of Sedley, Va., Jan. 1, 2010.

Marvin E. Walker, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’45/D), of Chapel Hill, N.C., Feb. 10, 2015.

Vivian L. Keiser (Cert.’35/N), of Selma, N.C., Nov. 17, 2009.

Katherine C. Wilson (’47/AHP), of Chincoteague Island, Va., July 16, 2017.

Helen S. Rogers (B.S.’38/N), of Grants Pass, Ore., Feb. 6, 2017.

Susie A. Zapffel (B.S.’42/N), of New Bern, N.C., July 13, 2017.

1940s

1950s

Mary P. Baker (B.S.’44/N), of Saint Augustine, Fla., March 20, 2017.

Frank S. Anderson (B.S.’59/P), of Emporia, Va., June 21, 2017.

Virginia B. Brown (Dipl.’48/N; B.S.’57/N), of Fort Collins, Colo., June 25, 2017.

Emerson D. Baugh, M.D. (H.S.’55/M), of Kenbridge, Va., May 9, 2017.

L Life member of the alumni association

Fall 2017

CLASSNOTES

Bernetha P. Blalock (Cert.’51), of Richmond, Va., June 7, 2017. L

Barbara P. King (Dipl.’55/N), of Olney, Md., Aug. 14, 2016.

Dina S. Boettcher (M.S.’62/H&S), of Richmond, Va., July 12, 2017.

David W. Blanchard (Cert.’56/A), of Richmond, Va., May 12, 2017.

Peggy L. Lebo (B.S.’55/N), of Lawrenceville, Ga., Jan. 31, 2017.

Stephen M. Bowles, M.D. (M.D.’66/M), of Atlanta, Nov. 20, 2016.

Margaret V. Bonham (B.S.’50), of Bristol, Va., June 19, 2017.

Fredrick H. Michel (B.S.’51/B), of Naples, Fla., March 15, 2017.

Henry P. Bozard, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’67/D), of Manning, S.C., July 17, 2017.

Henry C. Brown (B.S.’56/P), of Gretna, Va., April 24, 2017. L

Edwin W. Monroe, M.D. (H.S.’52/M), of Greenville, N.C., April 16, 2017.

Dollie S. Bray (M.S.W.’61/SW), of New Bern, N.C., March 21, 2017.

Elizabeth R. Carmichael, M.D. (M.D.’57/M), of Rixeyville, Va., June 28, 2017.

Janet L. Morris (B.S.’54/N), of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., May 26, 2017.

Frank C. Britt (B.S.’64/MC), of Lynchburg, Va., May 23, 2017.

Nora E. Comunale (B.S.’53/E), of Kings Park, N.Y., April 10, 2017.

Charlene A. Nelson (B.S.’51/AHP), of Apex, N.C., May 11, 2017. L

Dale H. Bruce, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’60/D), of Stuarts Draft, Va., Aug. 7, 2017.

George R. Criswell, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’55/D), of Amherst, Va., July 3, 2017. L

Ralph D. Pritchard (B.S.’59/H&S), of Hartfield, Va., May 31, 2017.

Charles R. Bryant (B.S.’62/MC), of Santa Barbara, Calif., July 12, 2017.

Herbert P. Rager (B.S.’59/AHP), of Windber, Pa., March 3, 2016.

Gordon T. Bryce, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’63/D), of Florence, S.C., May 6, 2017.

Joanne F. Reynolds (B.S.’53/N), of Missoula, Mont., May 6, 2017.

James H. Caldwell (M.H.A.’61/AHP), of Lynn Haven, Fla., July 23, 2017.

Julie C. Sanford, M.D. (M.D.’53/M; H.S.’55/M), of Milwaukee, Feb. 10, 2017. L

Marjorie L. Dandridge (M.S.W.’69/SW), of Glen Allen, Va., July 26, 2017.

Martha A. Sawtelle (B.S.’50/N), of Richmond, Va., March 31, 2017.

Jane S. Dennis (’62/B), of Greenville, S.C., May 6, 2017.

William W. Sessoms, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’52/D), of Stuart, Fla., June 12, 2017.

William R. Fields, M.D. (H.S.’69/M; H.S.’70/M), of Midlothian, Va., April 4, 2017.

Jack O. Sheppe, M.D. (M.D.’57/M), of Huntington, W.Va., July 20, 2017.

Robert Y. Fidler, M.D. (M.D.’61/M; H.S.’64/M), of Punta Gorda, Fla., May 17, 2017.

Hattye N. Stanley (Cert.’51/A), of Farmville, Va., July 1, 2017.

Skottowe B. Fishburne, M.D. (H.S.’66/M), of Columbia, S.C., May 31, 2017.

Grace S. Strong (B.S.’58/AHP), of Pittsford, N.Y., April 28, 2017.

Blanche H. Gaitor (M.S.W.’63/SW), of Petersburg, Va., April 6, 2017. M

George S. Tate, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’52/D; Cert.’66/D), of Salem, Va., July 18, 2017. L

Patricia E. Garey (Cert’69/N), of Mechanicsville, Va., July 23, 2017.

Pendleton E. Thomas, M.D. (M.D.’54/M), of University Place, Wash., May 27, 2017.

Nelson T. Gray, M.D. (M.D.’62/M; H.S.’65/M), of Virginia Beach, Va., April 24, 2017. L

William A. Thurman, M.D. (M.D.’56/M), of Midlothian, Va., March 6, 2017.

Richard K. Green, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’60/D; H.S.’64/D), of Henrico, Va., March 28, 2017.

Melvin Ticatch (B.S.’58/P), of Yorktown, Va., June 30, 2016.

William R. Haley (B.S.W.’64/SW), of Richmond, Va., March 14, 2016.

Russell R. Cromwell (Cert.’54/AHP), of Pawleys Island, S.C., May 22, 2017. Herman L. Daniels (B.S.’52/H&S), of Richmond, Va., April 22, 2017. Richard Dooley (B.S.’58/P), of Gloucester Point, Va., Jan. 6, 2007. James L. Ferrell, M.D. (M.D.’58/M), of Paris, Ky., Sept. 18, 2016. L Nancy C. Flowers, M.D. (B.S.’50/H&S; Cert.’52/ AHP), of Los Ranchos, N.M., March 15, 2017. L Gerald M. Frampton (B.S.’55/AHP), of Milton, Del., March 11, 2017. Albert A. Fratrick, M.D. (M.D.’58/M), of Estero, Fla., Aug. 3, 2017. William H. Hark, M.D. (M.D.’57/M), of Alexandria, Va., April 6, 2017. M John Q. Hatten, M.D. (H.S.’50/M), of Newport News, Va., June 15, 2017. Frank H. Hill (B.S.’59/P), of Richmond, Va., July 9, 2017. Lula G. Hinson (B.S.’52/N), of Lilesville, N.C., June 5, 2017. Barry T. Holbert (B.S.’57/P), of Petersburg, Va., Feb. 27, 2016. Thomas R. Holleran (M.S.W.’50/SW), of Newington, Conn., Nov. 18, 2015.

Howard S. Tugwell, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’56/D), of Norfolk, Va., March 16, 2017.

Rebecca P. Jones (B.S.’66/N), of Lynchburg, Va., May 5, 2017.

Kenna B. Holt (Dipl.’54/N), of Miami, May 8, 2017.

Hoyle S. Walters (B.S.’50/B), of Henrico, Va., June 11, 2017.

Joe E. Hood (B.S.’57/P), of Richmond, Va., March 6, 2017.

James H. Wiley, M.D. (M.D.’53/M; H.S.’54/M), of Morgantown, W.Va., June 21, 2017.

Mary S. Hudson (B.S.’53/N), of Richmond, Va., March 4, 2017. L

Mary E. Wright (B.S.’57/AHP), of Fairfax, Va., May 30, 2017.

Annie H. Jordan (Dipl.’51/N), of Fredericksburg, Va., June 29, 2017.

1960s

Stanley H. Legum, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’65/D), of Virginia Beach, Va., July 27, 2017.

Mary H. Kelley (B.S.’55/N), of Hampton, Va., July 3, 2017.

Stanley X. Berent, Ph.D. (M.S.’68/H&S), of Ann Arbor, Mich., Aug. 25, 2015. L

Carole J. McGregor (B.S.’60/N), of Covington, Va., June 9, 2017.

VCU Alumni

John L. Jorstad (’65/H&S), of South Hill, Va., May 16, 2017. Gilbert L. King (B.S.’63/H&S), of Rockingham, Va., April 30, 2017. David A. Kovach, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’69/D), of Bluefield, W.Va., June 28, 2017.

M Member of the alumni association

L Life member of the alumni association

CLASSNOTES

Snap and share! Here’s your chance to take Rodney the Ram with you! Snap a picture with Rodney wherever you go … on vacation, at work or at the grocery store. Then share it on Instagram or Twitter with #flatrodney. Don’t forget to wear your black-and-gold gear to show your school spirit. We can’t wait to see all the places Rodney goes!

Fall 2017

CLASSNOTES

Read past editions of the magazine online at vcualumni.org/News/Magazines.

William R. Grigsby, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’70/M), of Denver, Jan. 1, 2017.

Linda L. Spinelli (B.F.A.’69/A), of Glen Allen, Va., April 4, 2017. L

Claudia C. Hubbard (B.S.’79/H&S; ’81/AHP), of North Chesterfield, Va., Oct. 25, 2015. L

Richard F. Steele, M.D. (M.D.’60/M), of Petersburg, Va., March 21, 2017.

James P. Jennings (B.S.’77/MC), of Hume, Va., March 6, 2017.

Michael E. Stredler (B.S.’64/P), of Norfolk, Va., May 30, 2017. L

Edward J. Jesneck, M.D. (B.S.’73/H&S; M.D.’76/M; H.S.’78/M), of Collinsville, Va., April 11, 2017.

Betty A. West (B.S.’66/N), of Troutville, Va., May 1, 2017.

Michael L. Jones, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’76/D), of Patrick Springs, Va., April 9, 2016.

Sandra L. Wright-Bonner (M.S.W.’68/SW), of Richmond, Va., July 21, 2017.

Pamela R. Klinger (B.S.’71/H&S; M.Ed.’81/E), of Midlothian, Va., May 11, 2017. Linda H. Lewis (B.S.’79/MC), of Portsmouth, Va., March 10, 2017.

1970s

Elizabeth A. March (M.S.W.’76/SW), of Williamsburg, Va., June 3, 2017.

Albin L. Meisel (B.S.’62/B), of Henrico, Va., Feb. 10, 2017.

Beverly J. Bagan (M.Ed.’70/E), of North Chesterfield, Va., May 13, 2017.

Julien H. Meyer, M.D. (M.D.’69/M), of Roanoke, Va., June 17, 2017.

James J. Basl (M.B.A.’78/B), of Midlothian, Va., June 6, 2017.

Douglas B. Nuckles, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’60/D), of Gig Harbor, Wash., March 19, 2017.

Sister Mary P. Beard (M.S.W.’76/SW), of Halethorpe, Md., June 7, 2017.

Roger W. Oakes (B.S.’64/MC), of Burlington, N.C., July 16, 2017.

Richard A. Bonelli (B.S.’75/B), of Amelia Court House, Va., Aug. 9, 2017.

Mary T. O’Brien, M.D. (M.D.’65/M; H.S.’66/M), of Staunton, Va., July 11, 2017. M

Mary L. Brockenbrough (B.A.’74/H&S), of Richmond, Va., July 10, 2017.

Patricia H. Palmer (B.S.’66/N), of Batesville, Ark., May 3, 2016.

Donald J. Cobb (A.A.’72/H&S), of Richmond, Va., May 22, 2017.

Donald E. Patterson (M.H.A.’69/AHP), of Washington, Iowa, May 3, 2017.

Kenneth M. Coleman (B.S.’77/H&S), of Richmond, Va., April 5, 2017.

John L. Patterson (B.S.’65/B), of Richmond, Va., July 6, 2017. L

Ruth A. Davis (M.Ed.’78/E), of Richmond, Va., April 13, 2017.

Crispin W. Paul, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’66/D), of Atlanta, Aug. 7, 2017.

Sharon K. Douthitt (B.S.’77/E), of Chester, Va., April 28, 2017.

Felix A. Pesa, M.D. (H.S.’64/M), of Columbus, Ohio, April 29, 2017.

Carol S. Farino (M.S.’77/H&S), of Naples, Fla., Jan. 29, 2017.

E.R. Petrea (M.S.’63/AHP), of Euclid, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2016.

Carrie L. Fleshood (M.Ed.’71/E), of Henrico, Va., May 24, 2017.

Bob H. Philbeck (M.S.’69/AHP), of Raleigh, N.C., Dec. 10, 2016.

Jack D. Fletcher (B.S.’72/B), of Richmond, Va., July 29, 2017.

James H. Rucker, D.D.S. (B.S.’74/H&S; D.D.S.’79/D), of Rocky Mount, Va., March 15, 2017.

George E. Pritchard, M.D. (M.D.’60/M), of Manakin-Sabot, Va., May 22, 2017.

George H. Flowers (M.B.A.’76/B), of Richmond, Va., March 24, 2017.

David C. Rust (M.S.’79/B), of Hockessin, Del., March 14, 2017.

Edith G. Ritchie (B.S.’69/E), of Midlothian, Va., June 20, 2016.

Douglas A. Fravel (B.S.’70/E), of Mechanicsville, Va., April 15, 2017.

Janet P. Sabo (B.S.’78/N), of Annandale, Va., March 1, 2017.

Louise W. Robertson, M.D. (M.D.’60/M; H.S.’63/M), of Richmond, Va., June 26, 2017. L

Stephen Fuerstein (B.F.A.’76/A), of Moorpark, Calif., June 17, 2017.

Barbara M. Savage (B.S.’78/E), of Chesterfield, Va., April 11, 2017.

Ernest R. Sanders (B.S.’65/H&S), of Richmond, Va., July 27, 2017.

Anthony J. Gintout (B.S.’72/B), of Mechanicsville, Va., June 21, 2015.

David P. Small (B.S.’76/E), of Fredericksburg, Va., July 2, 2017.

Manuel O. Seda, M.D. (M.D.’64/M), of Phoenix, July 27, 2017.

Steven S. Graham (B.S.’79/P), of Roanoke, Va., April 21, 2017.

Johnny B. Smith (B.S.’73/B), of Newport News, Va., June 11, 2017.

VCU Alumni

Paul E. Meitz (B.S.’73/E; M.Ed.’77/E), of Zuni, Va., June 6, 2017. Kathleen D. Mosby, Ph.D. (B.S.’73/H&S; M.S.’76 /H&S; Ph.D.’79/H&S), Johnstown, Pa., June 5, 2017. Edward D. Mulvanity (B.S.’73/B), of Westerville, Ohio, May 17, 2017. William C. Nelson (B.S.’71/H&S; M.S.’72/AHP), of Red Oak, Iowa, May 5, 2017. L Jesse K. Newman (M.S.’73/B), of Midlothian, Va., April 24, 2017. Donna G. Nixon (M.S.W.’72/SW), of Wilkesboro, N.C., May 25, 2017. Alice W. Patterson (B.S.’76/N), of Raphine, Va., March 30, 2017. William D. Prince, M.D. (M.D.’77/M), of Martinsville, Va., June 23, 2017. Stanley A. Robinson (B.S.’78/H&S; M.S.’80/H&S), of Richmond, Va., July 26, 2017. L Virginia G. Robinson (M.Ed.’75/E), of ManakinSabot, Va., May 26, 2017. L Robert A. Rodgers (M.S.’74/AHP), of Wilmington, Del., April 12, 2017.

M Member of the alumni association

L Life member of the alumni association

Photo courtesy VCU News

Missing an issue?

JoAnne S. Smith (B.S.’66/N), of Atascadero, Calif., March 1, 2017. L

ALUMNIPROFILE

An inspiring influence Professor helps immigrants achieve citizenship By Drew Vass

Anita Nadal preparing local immigrants for a citizenship test

nita Nadal (B.A.’05/H&S; Cert.’07/H&S) has never walked away from someone in need. Furthermore, she’s passionate about diversity, which she says produces a kaleidoscope effect in America’s culture. So when she discovered that cost was prohibiting some residents of Richmond, Virginia, from pursuing their dreams of becoming U.S. citizens, she took action. For Nadal, assistant professor of Spanish and Spanish instruction community liaison for the VCU School of World Studies in the College of Humanities and Sciences, that awareness started with a class. While enrolled in a doctoral program at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, she took a course on immigration, led by associate professor Saltanat Liebert, Ph.D. Through the course curriculum, she discovered how language barriers, needs for educational assistance and application fees upward of $650 per person were closing the door on citizenship to hard-working families. Having received previous grants from VCU sources, she knew that the university was willing to help. And so, in 2015, she paired up with Liebert to apply for another $20,000 grant — this time aimed at helping local refugees obtain citizenship. “There are just certain courses, or certain experiences in life, that show us what we really want,” Nadal says. “And when you really want it, you’re totally engaged in those experiences, absorb them, then make them your own. This course just broadened my understanding of immigration and made me want to take action.”

The resulting program, “A Welcoming Richmond,” paired VCU students with Richmond-based organizations to provide lessons and funding for local refugees and immigrants, preparing them for citizenship fees and exams. Many of the immigrants had been waiting for as long as decades for the opportunity. “Finally, after 20 years of living here, I’m becoming a citizen,” says Letcia Flores, who discovered the class through her church. Flores, who emigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, says she’s been working toward this moment for 10 years. Without Nadal’s assistance, she says, she would have been waiting longer yet. As a service-learning instructor in the VCU School of World Studies, Nadal leans on programs such as “A Welcoming Richmond,” to culminate life-changing educational experiences like the one she had in Liebert’s class. Those moments are so infectious, she says, that even after meeting course requirements, her students often continue volunteering with her programs. She’s also inspired the support of local organizations to further students’ efforts. The Virginia Historical Society, for example, provided funding for additional immigrants and hosted a citizenship ceremony, and Nadal is teaching a new class, "Becoming Citizens," offered by VHS. “I think the lesson is, if you see a need, do something about it,” Nadal says. “It can start with one thing, one simple idea.”

– Drew Vass (B.S.’02/H&S) is a contributing writer for the alumni magazine.

Fall 2017

CLASSNOTES

William C. Smith (B.S.’74/E), of Lynch Station, Va., March 25, 2017.

Keisby P. Clayton (B.S.’82/H&S), of Drewryville, Va., June 22, 2016.

Eugene C. Portwood (B.F.A.’81/A), of Mechanicsville, Va., Dec. 8, 2016.

Sally A. Sterling (Cert.’73), of Dunellen, N.J., April 29, 2017.

Deborah D. Cousins (B.S.’89/GPA), of Richmond, Va., May 31, 2017.

Walter D. Rye, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’81/D), of Olympia, Wash., May 7, 2017.

Raymond Swiderski (B.S.’76/MC), of Glen Allen, Va., of June 29, 2017.

Andrew W. Davis (B.S.’89/H&S), of Kenbridge, Va., May 25, 2017.

Vivian Z. Scoles (B.S.’80/MC), of Lynchburg, Va., July 26, 2017.

William H. Talbot, M.D. (M.D.’74/M; H.S.’77/M), Anniston, Ala., June 11, 2017.

Richard A. Davis (M.B.A.’81/B), of Quinton, Va., March 23, 2017.

David B. Slotoroff, M.D. (H.S.’86/M), of Linwood, N.J., July 12, 2017.

William E. Thompson (M.S.W.’79/SW), of Taylors, S.C., July 17, 2017.

Roger T. Doyel, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’81/D), of Annapolis, Md., April 22, 2017.

Mary R. Strode (B.G.S.’88/H&S), of Williamsburg, Va., June 10, 2017.

Katherine R. Turpin (B.A.’72/H&S), of Alexandria, Va., May 7, 2017.

Mary H. Edmonds (M.S.’88/N), of Portsmouth, Va., May 16, 2017. L

Joanne L. Vernon (M.F.A.’81/A), of Winston-Salem, N.C., May 9, 2017.

Ted D. Varnier (B.S.’70/B), of Chester, Va., May 24, 2017. M

Warren B. Foster (B.S.’84/MC), of Richmond, Va., July 19, 2017.

William A. Wallace, Ph.D. (B.S.’82/H&S; M.S.’85/ H&S; Ph.D.’90/H&S), of Wilson, N.C., July 28, 2017. L

Elnora D. Walker (B.S.’73/N), Martinsville, Va., May 28, 2017.

Michael S. Griffin (B.S.’87/B), of Midlothian, Va., April 16, 2017.

John C. Young (B.S.’89/AHP; M.S.W.’91/SW), of Greencastle, Pa., Aug. 6, 2017.

Michele L. Williams (B.F.A.’77/A), of Richmond, Va., June 8, 2017.

Brian P. Johnson, M.D. (M.D.’82/M), of Jackson, Miss., May 28, 2017.

Margaret I. Zander (M.S.W.’84/SW), of Marysville, Wash., April 24, 2017.

Charles H. Wilson, M.D. (M.D.’73/M), of Summerfield, N.C., May 25, 2017. L

George E. Nelson (B.S.’88/B), of Richmond, Va., May 27, 2017.

1980s

Douglas N. Pace (B.S.’80/AHP), of Richmond, Va., June 15, 2017.

David B. Cummings (M.S.’91/GPA), of Colonial Heights, Va., June 5, 2017.

Jeffrey W. Bowden, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’84/D; Cert.’89/D), of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., May 2, 2017.

Kathleen O. Petty (B.G.S.’86/H&S; M.Ed.’88/E; Cert.’89/AHP), of Savannah, Ga., June 9, 2017.

George D. Ford, Ph.D. (Cert.’90/B), of North Chesterfield, Va., March 31, 2017.

Elizabeth V. Bradford (M.A.’81/H&S), of Richmond, Va., June 6, 2017.

Benjamin Pope, M.D. (H.S.’86/M), of Pasadena, Calif., May 29, 2017.

Martha C. Gorman (B.S.’93/N; M.S.’95/N), of Roswell, N.M., March 15, 2017.

1990s

ABBREVIATION KEY College and schools

Degrees

H&S A AHP B D E En GPA GS LS M MC N P RI St.P SW WS

A.A., A.S. Associate degree Cert. Certificate B.A. Bachelor of Arts B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts B.G.S. Bachelor of General Studies B.I.S. Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies B.M. Bachelor of Music B.M.E. Bachelor of Music Education B.S. Bachelor of Science B.S.W. Bachelor of Social Work D.D.S. Doctor of Dental Surgery Dipl. Diploma D.N.A.P. Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice D.P.A. Doctor of Public Administration D.N.P. Doctor of Nursing Practice D.P.T. Doctor of Physical Therapy H.L.D. Doctor of Humane Letters H.S. House Staff M.A. Master of Arts M.Acc. Master of Accountancy M.A.E. Master of Art Education M.B.A. Master of Business Administration M.Bin. Master of Bioinformatics M.D. Doctor of Medicine

College of Humanities and Sciences School of the Arts School of Allied Health Professions School of Business School of Dentistry School of Education School of Engineering L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Graduate School VCU Life Sciences School of Medicine Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture School of Nursing School of Pharmacy Office of Research and Innovation St. Philip School of Nursing School of Social Work School of World Studies

Alumni are identified by degree, graduation year and college or school.

VCU Alumni

M.Ed. M.Envs. M.F.A. M.H.A. M.I.S. M.M. M.M.E. M.P.A. M.P.H. M.P.I. M.P.S. M.S. M.S.A.T. M.S.C.M. M.S.D. M.S.H.A. M.S.N.A. M.S.O.T. M.S.W. M.T. M.Tax. M.U.R.P. O.T.D. Pharm.D. Ph.D.

Master of Education Master of Environmental Studies Master of Fine Arts Master of Health Administration Master of Interdisciplinary Studies Master of Music Master of Music Education Master of Public Administration Master of Public Health Master of Product Innovation Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences Master of Science Master of Science in Athletic Training Master of Supply Chain Management Master of Science in Dentistry Master of Science in Health Administration Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Master of Social Work Master of Teaching Master of Taxation Master of Urban and Regional Planning Post-professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate Doctor of Pharmacy Doctor of Philosophy

M Member of the alumni association

L Life member of the alumni association

CLASSNOTES VCU ALUMNI BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS AND UNIVERSITY ALUMNI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL PRESIDENT: James E. Williams (B.S.’84/GPA; M.S.’96/GPA) PRESIDENT-ELECT: Dale C. Kalkofen, D.Ed. (M.A.E.’76/A) IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: W. Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S.’70/D) TREASURER: Vacant MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR: Michael D. Whitlow (B.S.’74/MC) OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR: Mary Ann Steiner (B.S.’98/B) AUDIT COMMITTEE CHAIR: Linda M. Warren (B.S.’75/B) SECRETARY: Samantha Wheeler Marrs PRESIDENT, MCVAA: Michelle R. Peace, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’05/M) BOARD OF VISITORS REPRESENTATIVE: Vacant VCU PRESIDENT: Michael Rao, Ph.D. (ex-officio) VCU VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS: Jay E. Davenport, CFRE (ex-officio) Gokhan Yucel (M.S.’02/B; M.B.A.’04/B) AT-LARGE GOVERNORS Joseph E. Becht Jr. (M.B.A.’80/B) Steven B. Brincefield (M.S.’74/B) Aaron R. Gilchrist Jr. (B.S.’03/MC) John Kelly (B.S.’87/H&S) Peter K. Kennedy (M.H.A.’10/AHP) Kelly Knight (M.S.’08/H&S)

Kenneth W. Kolb, Pharm. D. (Pharm.D.’82/P), Riding Rams Adele McClure (B.S.'11/B) Jibran Muhammad (B.A.'06/H&S) Timmy Nguyen (B.S.’11/B) Cathy Saunders (B.S.W.’76/SW; M.S.’82/AHP) Paula B. Saxby, Ph.D. (M.S.’85/N; Ph.D.’92/N) Vickie M. Snead (B.S.’76/B) Gabriel A. Walker (B.S.’10/B) CONSTITUENT SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES Michael Adu-Gyamfi (B.S.’08/B; M.B.A.’13/B), DMV GOLD Chapter Fabiola Argandona (B.S.’16/B), Information Systems Alumni Association Steven Burkarth (B.A.’14/H&S), Political Science Alumni Society Katie Buzby (B.S.’10/B), Charleston Chapter Joe Damico (M.P.A.’97/H&S), M.P.A. Alumni Association Juliet Daniels (B.S.W.’13/SW), Lynchburg Chapter Quynh Do (B.S.’01/H&S; M.P.H.’05/M), Public Health Alumni Association Todd Emerson (B.A.’93/H&S), Seattle Chapter Veronica Garabelli (B.S.’10/MC; M.S.’11/MC), The Commonwealth Times Alumni Billy Gifford (B.S.’92/B), Accounting Alumni Association Andrew Hobson (B.S.’12/En), Engineering Alumni Association Jennifer Homer (B.F.A.’96/A), Portland Chapter Igor Jekauc (B.S.’01/H&S; B.S.’01/En; M.B.A.’04/B), Dallas Chapter Saif Khan (B.A.'07/H&S), Military Veterans Alumni Council Joseph Lowenthal (B.F.A.’55/A), RPI Alumni Council Andrew Merchant (B.S.’06/B), Hampton Roads Chapter

Skye Mullarkey (B.S.’09/H&S), Atlanta Chapter Jessa Nelson (B.S.’10/MC) and Michael Hughes (B.A.’03/H&S), Triangle, N.C., Chapter Pejmon Noor (B.S.’11/B), Philadelphia Chapter Kimberly M. Ogden, D.Ed. (B.A.’94/H&S; M.Ed.’10/E; D.Ed.’14/E), Education Alumni Council Mason Packard (B.S.’04/B), Charlotte Chapter Michelle R. Peace, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’05/M), MCV Alumni Association of VCU David Phan (B.S.’06/B), St. Louis Chapter Carol M. Schall, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’03/E), Rainbow Rams John Jay Schwartz (B.S.’69/B), Jewish Alumni Association Paul Seward (B.F.A.’96/A), Austin Chapter Joseph R. Stemmle (B.S.’13/B), RVA GOLD Chapter Laura E. Tanger (B.F.A.’91/A), Los Angeles Chapter Michelle Turner (B.S.’93/H&S), New York City Chapter Steve Tzikas (B.S.’09/GPA), San Francisco Chapter Duoc “Dewey” Vo (B.S.’16/B), Asian/Pacific Islander Alumni Chapter Latonya Waller (B.S.’01/H&S; M.T.'01/E), African-American Alumni Council Dan Walsh (M.B.A.’02/B), Business Alumni Society Vacant, Latino Alumni Council UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES Alexis Gilmore, STAT president (ex-officio) Shawn Hakim, Graduate Student Association president (ex-officio) Destinee’ Moragne, Joint Student Government Council president (ex-officio) Scott Street, Faculty Senate (ex-officio)

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To learn more about our partnership, call 1-888-231-4870 or visit nationwide.com/VCUAlumni

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Fall 2017

CLASSNOTES

James E. Keaton (B.S.’93/B), of Doswell, Va., April 18, 2017. Carolyn S. Kingman (B.S.’98/B), of Whitsett, N.C., April 10, 2017. Mark W. Kofford, M.D. (M.D.’98/M; Ph.D.’98/M), of Dana Point, Calif., Nov. 21, 2016. Richard J. Mayer (M.B.A.’95/B), of Mobile, Ala., June 14, 2017. Sandra P. McKown (B.S.W.’95/SW), of Charlottesville, Va., June 1, 2017. Suzanne R. Miller (B.S.’93/B), of Manassas, Va., June 28, 2017. Thomas A. Naumowicz (B.S.’99/AHP), of Midlothian, Va., March 16, 2017. Phillip E. Perdue (M.B.A.’98/B), of Richmond, Va., June 16, 2017. Jamie S. Pocklington (B.F.A.’92/A), of White Stone, Va., March 24, 2016. Sharyn G. Robins (B.S.’90/B), of Gloucester, Va., May 13, 2017. George J. Stukenborg, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’95/AHP), of Earlysville, Va., July 21, 2017. Gale V. Tanner (M.S.’91/AHP), of Forsyth, Ga., April 9, 2017.

2000s Katrina M. Banks (B.S.’04/N), of Richmond, Va., Nov. 21, 2016. Thomas L. Buckner (Cert.’06/B), of Lexington, S.C., March 29, 2017. Richard A. Collie, Pharm.D. (Pharm.D.’00/P), of Radford, Va., April 30, 2017. Michele F. Hannah (M.S.’01/M), of Minneapolis, July 28, 2017. David M. Ibrahimi, M.D. (M.D.’05/M), of Baltimore, July 19, 2017. Lauren M. Reinstein (B.S.’04/MC), of Henrico, Va., Aug. 14, 2017. Scarlett A. Sams (B.A.’06/H&S), of Glen Allen, Va., June 29, 2017. Megan F. Senty (B.F.A.’08/A), of Arlington, Va., March 21, 2017. Stephanie M. Soucy (B.S.’02/B), of Fredericksburg, Va., March 17, 2017.

» View archived and expanded class

notes online at vcualumni.org/classnotes.

VCU Alumni

Douglas L. Squire, D.D.S. (H.S.’05/D), of Longmont, Colo., Aug. 3, 2017.

2010s Amy K. Isley (B.A.’16/A), of Richmond, Va., May 29, 2017. Melissa A. Prestosa (B.S.’10/LS), of North Chesterfield, Va., Nov. 15, 2016. Scott C. Solomson (B.S.’16/B), of Richmond, Va., Aug. 14, 2017.

Faculty and staff Dina Bangdel, of Henrico, Va., July 25, 2017. An internationally acclaimed art historian, Bangdel began her work at the School of the Arts in 2005 as an assistant professor of art history and moved to Doha, Qatar, in 2012 as associate professor and director of the art history department at VCUarts Qatar. She published more than half a dozen literary works focusing mostly on Asian and Buddhist arts but putting Nepali art at the heart of her effort. She dedicated her career to exploring art and its role as a spiritual tool. Having lived abroad for long stretches of time, she planned to return home to Nepal to create a hub for artists, cultural personalities and youth. Carol Brooks, D.D.S. (B.S.’75/D; D.D.S.’94/D), of Richmond, Va., Oct. 2, 2017. She was an associate professor in the School of Dentistry for 10 years, teaching and mentoring dental students until her retirement in June 2017. She helped start the Missions of Mercy outreach initiative, which provides free dental care for the uninsured and underserved populations of Virginia. She traveled the state with dental students and faculty to staff the two- and three-day clinics. Because of the success of the first MOM project in 2000, it is now commonplace to see MOM projects being conducted across the nation. Donations in her memory to support students to attend the MOM project can be made to the MCV Foundation at support.vcu.edu/give. Margaret Grimes, M.D. (H.S.’80/M; M.Ed.’08/E), of Richmond, Va., May 15, 2017. Grimes joined the School of Medicine in 1990 where she stayed for nearly 30 years before retiring in March 2017 as professor of pathology and vice chair for pathology education. Grimes was nationally recognized for her professional excellence and received numerous teaching awards including the Enrique Gerszten Faculty Teaching Award, the highest teaching award conferred by the School of Medicine. Memorial donations can be made to the Grimes Family Fund for immuno-oncology research at Massey Cancer Center. Go to support.vcu.edu/massey and type Grimes in the search field to make a donation.

James Curtis Hall, Ph.D., of Chesterfield, Va., July 22, 2017, at age 91. Hall became the School of Business’ first dean when the Medical College of Virginia and the Richmond Professional Institute merged to form VCU in 1968. He spent 26 years in the role, before retiring to return to teaching. During his tenure at VCU, the school’s enrollment grew from 400 to more than 4,500. In 1969, Hall founded the Virginia Council on Economic Education, a nonprofit that supports economic education in K-12 schools and continues to operate today in Snead Hall, home of the business school. An avid Rams fan, Hall was a regular at men’s basketball games and traveled out of state to see the team play. Hall earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke University, which he attended after serving for three years in the U.S. Navy. He earned a master’s degree from Virginia Tech and a doctorate from Columbia University, both in business. Memorial contributions can be made to the Virginia Council on Economic Education, 301 W. Main St., Box 844000, Richmond, VA 23284-4000. Wanda S. Mitchell, Ed.D., of Richmond, Va., July 31, 2017. Mitchell, former vice president for inclusive excellence, served as VCU’s founding chief diversity officer. As vice president, she led the development, implementation and assessment of strategic initiatives supporting VCU’s core mission of fostering a climate that embraces differing perspectives, cultures, experiences and people. Mitchell spent more than three decades in higher education and served as an affiliate professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education in the School of Education. In addition to her work at VCU, she was involved with various professional associations including the board of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities’ Commission on Access, Diversity and Excellence, and faculty for the Higher Education Resource Services Leadership Institute. Barbara Tisserat, of Longmont, Colo., Oct. 1, 2017. A lithographer, she joined the Department of Painting and Printmaking in the School of the Arts in 1978. In conjunction with the department’s visiting-artist program, she printed editions for Richard Artschwager, James Drake, Rainer Gross, Theresa Pollak, Keith Sonnier, Francesc Torres and William Wegman, among others. Tisserat’s prints were included in group exhibits nationally and internationally, including solo exhibits at the Genkan Gallery in Tokyo; Galeria ICPNA Miraflores in Lima, Peru; Hunt Gallery at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Va.; and Reynolds Gallery in Richmond, Va. In 2005, her prints were the subject of a retrospective, “Lessons: 30 Years of Printmaking,” at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. Her work is represented by Reynolds Gallery and is in the collections of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Art Institute of Chicago and the New York Public Library.

M Member of the alumni association

L Life member of the alumni association

Check out more university and alumni events at vcualumni.org and events.vcu.edu.

DATEBOOK

Alumni bike ride Suit up and sign up for the 2018 Alumni and Community Bike Ride, April 28, 2018. The annual event, sponsored by VCU Alumniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Riding Rams group, takes cyclists on a 28-mile (or optional 50-mile) round-trip bike route that leaves from the Cary Street Gym and travels through Varina on Route 5. The popular ride is a signature event held as part of Aprilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s VCU Alumni Month, which provides a variety of intellectual, cultural, recreational and leadership events to celebrate the university and alumni. Details and registration available in early 2018 at vcualumni.org/Events/Alumni-Month.

Fall 2017

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid RICHMOND, VA Permit No. 869

Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Alumni 111 North Fourth Street Box 842039 Richmond, Virginia 23284-2039

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The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Engineering received a $25 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to establish the Medicines for All Institute. Turn to Page 19 to see how Frank Gupton, Ph.D., and his research team are increasing access worldwide to lifesaving medications for those who need them most.

B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D. (Ph.D.'00/H&S) Floyd D. Gottwald Chair Chair, Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering VCU School of Engineering

Photo Dan Wagner

Making medicine affordable for all