2022-23 Jepson School of Leadership Studies Dean's Report

Robert S. Jepson Jr. had a vision: the creation of the nation’s first undergraduate school of leadership studies at his alma mater, the University of Richmond. The school, as the businessman and philanthropist imagined it, would take an innovative, interdisciplinary, integrative, international, and impactful approach to educating future leaders. With the help of Mr. Jepson’s $20 million gift and the support and hard work of countless individuals, his vision became a reality when the Jepson School of Leadership Studies opened its doors in 1992.

During our 30th anniversary year, we have celebrated the ways the Jepson School has lived into these “I” principles. Our founding faculty created an innovative curriculum designed to educate students for and about ethical, effective leadership. Ongoing innovation keeps us at the forefront of the leadership studies field.

The 17 tenured and tenure-track professors who comprise our core faculty bring their 11 disciplines to bear on the study of leadership, providing students with a truly interdisciplinary education. Through community-based learning, research, and credit-bearing internships, Jepson students apply theory to practice in integrative ways. They explore leadership in international contexts by interacting with our visiting international scholars or by studying, interning, or researching abroad. Ultimately, our students graduate with the knowledge and experience to become impactful leaders of their local, national, and global communities.

Our success during our first 30 years arose from the creative thinking, drive, and passion of students, faculty, alumni, and friends. So too will our success during our next 30 years. Please read this report to learn more about how and why the Jepson School is leading the way!

Warmest regards,

Sandra J. Peart Dean and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies

President, Jepson Scholars Foundation

Leading the way for 30 years

The Jepson School celebrated its 30th anniversary year on Sept. 17, 2022, with a gala on Stern Plaza. School benefactor Robert S. Jepson Jr. — who holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business and is the former head of The Jepson Corporation, a Fortune 500 diversified-manufacturing conglomerate — gave the keynote remarks.

He recalled his vision for the creation of the nation’s first undergraduate school of leadership studies, which would educate ethical, effective leaders. Noting that the Jepson School has fulfilled that vision since opening in August 1992, he urged students, faculty, and administrators to continue innovating to ensure the school remains at the forefront of higher education.

1st THE NATION’S FIRST UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES AND THE LEADER IN THE DISCIPLINE FOR 30 YEARS

Hands-on education at home and abroad

The Jepson School of Leadership Studies is a pioneer of high-impact experiential education. This year, students in the innovative Justice and Civil Society course applied classroom learning by volunteering in public schools and nonprofits. Dr. George Goethals’ Presidential Leadership class grappled with Thomas Jefferson’s connection to slavery during a visit to Monticello, the third president’s Charlottesville, Virginia, plantation.

Participants in Jepson at Cambridge, the school’s signature summer study-abroad program, got a taste of British culture while studying comparative U.S. and U.K. law at the University of Cambridge.

“A lot of our learning happened outside the classroom. We got tea together and discussed our thoughts on the class material or current events. Participating in Jepson at Cambridge allowed me to grow as both a person and student.”

— Lauren Oligino, ’24

“We want to provide an education that awakens in our students a desire to lead and the skills to lead. The students who leave here will be special by virtue of that.”

— Robert S. Jepson Jr., B’64, GB’75, and H’87

TAKING A DEEP DIVE THROUGH RESEARCH

Guided by dedicated faculty advisors, students explored leadership studies topics of their choosing through independent, collaborative, and honors research.

Emma Kennedy, ’23, the school’s 2022–23 Fredric M. Jablin Undergraduate Research Fellow, received $5,000 to support her honors thesis research on the health benefits of sports participation on immigrant youth.

“My research combines my identities as an athlete, a secondgeneration immigrant, and a prehealth student,” she said.

McDowell Fellows debate enduring questions

Nineteen McDowell Student Fellows brought their diverse perspectives to age-old debates about governance and civil society. Hosted by the Jepson School and representing all class years and seven majors, the fellows read and discussed Rescuing Socrates, a book about the continued relevance of Western Civilization’s greatest philosophical and literary works. They met book author Roosevelt Montás before attending his on-campus public lecture on the same topic.

“The Great Books are a source of personal enlightenment. Two millennia ago, Marcus Aurelius had the same anxieties I have today. What did he learn and what can I learn from him?”

— Ben Mathios, ’23

7 SENIORS RECEIVED FULL SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD MASTER’S PROGRAMS THROUGH THE JEPSON SCHOLARS PROGRAM

24% OF SENIOR LEADERSHIP STUDIES MAJORS PRESENTED AT THE JEPSON RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

7PRESENTED HONORS RESEARCH

65% OF THE JEPSON CLASS OF 2023 STUDIED ABROAD

277 LEADERSHIP STUDIES MAJORS AND MINORS

17 TENURED AND TENURE-TRACK FACULTY REPRESENTING

11 DISCIPLINES

30 Years

SINCE THE SCHOOL OPENED AS THE NATION’S FIRST UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES

$49,600 AWARDED TO SUPPORT STUDENT RESEARCH AND INTERNSHIPS

642M JEPSON FACULTY-GENERATED MEDIA IMPRESSIONS

28,239 TOTAL HOURS LOGGED BY ALL 80 SENIOR LEADERSHIP STUDIES MAJORS AT THEIR ACADEMICALLY GROUNDED JEPSON INTERNSHIPS

1,900 ATTENDEES AT 8 PUBLIC PROGRAMS HOSTED BY THE JEPSON SCHOOL

Applying theory to practice

Credit-bearing Jepson internships gave seniors the chance to observe and apply leadership theories while exploring their career interests in fields as diverse as health, consulting, finance, education, government, and nonprofit human services.

PICTURED

• Oona Elovaara, ’23, production intern, Whatevergroup, a Finnish TV and film production company

• Christopher Wilson, ’23, human resources intern, Capital One

• Bond Magevney, ’23, Virginia Governor’s Fellow, Virginia Transportation Secretariat

• Madyson Fitzgerald, ’23, metro news intern, Richmond TimesDispatch

“My leadership studies classes taught me how to communicate with others in a way that respects their identities and stories. At Jepson, we talk about morals, ethics, and justice. That’s a lot of what goes into good journalism.”

— Madyson Fitzgerald, ’23

Jepson Journey

THE UNIVERSITY DEDICATES THE NATION’S FIRST UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES

INAUGURAL CLASS OF 38 STUDENTS GRADUATES

JEPSON LEADERSHIP FORUM IS ESTABLISHED AS A FORMAL PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES

JEPSON AT CAMBRIDGE LAUNCHES AS A SIGNATURE STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAM

JEPSON ALUMNI CORPS IS FOUNDED

THE SCIENCE LEADERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM IS CREATED TO INTEGRATE THE STUDY OF LEADERSHIP AND SCIENCE

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF ADVISORS IS FORMED

INAUGURAL JEPSON SCHOLAR RECEIVES FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD MASTER’S PROGRAM

GARY L. MCDOWELL INSTITUTE IS CREATED TO FOSTER THE SHARING OF DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM

30TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CELEBRATES THE SCHOOL’S PAST AND ANTICIPATES ITS FUTURE

Jepson Scholars head to Oxford

The Jepson Scholars Foundation, founded in 2019 by school benefactors Robert S. Jepson Jr. and Alice Andrews Jepson, typically funds up to four all-expenses-paid scholarships each year for graduating leadership studies seniors to pursue one-year master’s degree programs at the University of Oxford. Due to the unprecedented number of Jepson students accepted into Oxford graduate programs in 2023 and the generosity of Jepson Scholars Program benefactors, the foundation made an exception and awarded scholarships to seven 2023 Jepson School graduates.

2023 JEPSON SCHOLARS

Consistent with the interdisciplinary nature of the leadership studies major, the Jepson Scholars will pursue diverse master’s programs:

• Nicolas Ellis, ’23, Master of Science in comparative social policy

• Sophia Hartman, ’23, Master of Science in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation

• Ana Sofia Martinez, ’23, Master of Science in Latin American studies

• Sophia McClellan, ’23, Master of Science in visual, material, and museum anthropology

• Eileen Pomeroy, ’23, Master of Public Policy

• Kathryn Reda, ’23, Master of Science in pharmacology

• Sarah Schalkoff, ’23, Master of Science in Japanese studies

“These scholarships offer top-achieving students the chance to continue exploring leadership issues as they relate to a broad range of disciplines.”

— Dean Sandra J. Peart

AWARD RECIPIENTS

Isabela Keetley, ’23, Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach high school in Madrid

Ana Sofia Martinez, ’23, Gilman International Scholarship to study in England

Anum Merchant, ’24, Newman Civic Fellowship to support her personal, professional, and civic growth

Helen Xia, ’24, Goldwater Scholarship to support her synthetic organic chemistry research

Setting a standard of excellence

Sarah Schalkoff, ’23, thrives on intercultural communications. The daughter of a Japanese mother and American father, she grew up in rural Japan. “I chose University of Richmond for its strong study-abroad program and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies as the place I could best examine intercultural communications,” she said. Her choice did not disappoint. She studied abroad in Jordan and Indonesia and completed her Jepson internship at the United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo. This summer finds her back in Indonesia, where she is continuing her study of the Bahasa Indonesia language after receiving her second critical language scholarship from the U.S. Department of State. Recently named a Jepson Scholar, she will receive an all-expenses-paid scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in Japanese studies at the University of Oxford.

“My study-abroad experiences have enhanced my views of how people work with each other and what they expect from leaders and followers. I want to promote youth literacy and cross-cultural education in an international context.”

— Sarah Schalkoff, ’23

Visiting faculty and speakers bring new perspectives

The Jepson School invites leadership scholars and practitioners to campus to share diverse perspectives with the campus community and the broader public. Nigerian political philosopher Frank Abumere, an expert on the global ethics of immigration, served as the school’s 2021–23 Cmelikova Visiting International Scholar.

This year, the Jepson Leadership Forum focused on what can be learned from leadership failures. Among the five forum speakers were award-winning author and journalist Clint Smith discussing historical memory and racism and Marine veteran and U.S. Congressman Seth Moulton discussing the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Philip “Sam” Deloria, the school’s 2022–23 Leaderin-Residence and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, gave a public lecture on his advocacy for Native Americans.

To review our 2023–24 Jepson Leadership Forum schedule, visit jepson.richmond.edu/signature-programs/ forum.

WARM WELCOME

Sociologist Bo Yun Park joined the faculty as an assistant professor of leadership studies. Her current research examines how political operatives craft narratives for presidential candidates in the digital age.

FOND FAREWELL

For 17 years, Dr. George Goethals applied a social psychology lens to teaching Jepson classes, such as Presidential Leadership and Civil War Leadership. Field trips to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park brought learning to life for his students. He retired in May as professor emeritus of leadership studies.

181 donors, an increase of 15% over the previous year, gave the Jepson School $135,060 during the University’s annual UR Here Giving Day.

Alumni leading the way

The March 29 C-Suite Conversations event, a public program sponsored by the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business, featured Jepson and Robins alumna Heidi Petz, ’97.

The Sherwin-Williams Company president and chief operating officer said she gained an understanding of organizations, cultures, and leadership through her Jepson classes and service-learning.

“Many of my Jepson experiences [were] formative. I’m proud to be part of something that was cutting-edge.”

— Heidi Petz, ’97

THANK YOU for supporting the Jepson School’s mission to draw upon the liberal arts to advance the understanding of leadership and the challenges of ethical and effective engagement in society. With your support, we can continue to #LeadTheWay in leadership studies for the next 30 years and beyond!

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