2023-24 Jepson School of Leadership Studies Dean's Report
DEAN’S REPORT | 2023–24
The Jepson School holds a unique place in academia as the nation’s first undergraduate school of leadership studies. But that is not all that distinguishes the school. Our students, faculty, and alumni all contribute to the school’s outstanding qualities.
First, our students. In this report, you’ll read about those who have taken full advantage of their undergraduate education. They have conducted research with faculty mentors, explored careers through internships, confronted social issues by volunteering in the community, gained international perspectives by studying abroad, and led student organizations. Some have grappled with important questions in ethics, law, and politics through the school’s McDowell Student Fellows Program. Scholarships, fellowships, and grants ensure our students can access these kinds of enriching opportunities.
Second, our faculty. Our interdisciplinary faculty are leaders in their own disciplines as well as in leadership studies. Prolific researchers, they publish in top academic journals and presses. The media often quote our professors on subjects ranging from Native governance and treaties, to the ethics of extreme wealth, to civil rights, and more. Perhaps most important, they take an active interest in their students, engaging them in the classroom, guiding their research, and in some cases, co-publishing with them. Securing faculty fellowships and endowing faculty chairs enable the school to attract and retain exceptional scholars.
Third, our alumni. Our graduates apply leadership expertise in careers as diverse as they are. Outside of their professional work, they are active citizens, serving on boards and volunteering with community organizations and nonprofits. Many donate their time, talents, and resources to the Jepson School, for which I am most grateful.
As the Jepson School continues to innovate and evolve in exciting ways, I am confident that the contributions of our students, faculty, and alumni will ensure we remain the leader in leadership studies.
Sandra J. Peart
Dean and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership
Studies
President, Jepson Scholars Foundation
STUDENT LEADERS
Jepson School of Leadership Studies students take full advantage of their undergraduate education. They conduct research with faculty mentors, explore careers through internships, confront social issues by volunteering in the community, gain international perspectives by studying abroad, and lead student organizations.
SETTING THE BAR IN ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Four Jepson Scholars head to Oxford
Since its founding in 2019, the Jepson Scholars Foundation has offered a limited number of graduating Jepson School seniors all-expenses-paid scholarships to University of Oxford master’s programs. The 2024 Jepson Scholars are Delaney Demaret, Anum Merchant, Lauren Oligino, and Trevin Stevens.
Demaret is pursuing a Master of Science in Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance. A member of Richmond’s Amazon Borderlands Spatial Analysis Team, she completed her Jepson internship with the nonprofit Conservación Amazónica in Peru. In May, she presented her research on the violence associated with the extraction of resources from the Amazon at the Conference of Latin American Geography in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Merchant is earning a Master of Science in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies. As an undergraduate, she volunteered with immigrant communities and wrote her senior thesis on the effects of populism on pluralism, specifically on host countries’ treatment of refugees and immigrants.
Oligino and Stevens are enrolled in the Master of Public Policy program. Oligino explored public policy through internships with a Virginia state senator, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, and the Office of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. Stevens completed his Jepson internship as a Virginia Governor’s Fellow in the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and wrote his senior honors thesis on policy failures that contributed to the opioid epidemic.
From left to right: Jepson Scholars Delaney Demaret, Lauren Oligino, Trevin Stevens, and Anum Merchant.
JEPSON AT CAMBRIDGE
Sixteen undergraduates, including eight Jepson students, participated in Jepson at Cambridge, the school’s signature summer study-abroad program at the University of Cambridge. They took classes in international law and U.K.-U.S. comparative law and enjoyed excursions to London and Edinburgh.
Research Fellow Explores Female Leadership
As the designee of the school’s annual Fredric M. Jablin Award for Undergraduate Research, Eve Ridenhour, ’24, received $5,000 in funding to support her exploration of the female advantage and disadvantage in leadership. The school also awarded her a travel grant to present her research at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Convention in San Diego.
Demonstrated Leadership Potential
Christian Herald, ’25, was selected as a finalist for a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a highly competitive national award for college juniors who have outstanding leadership potential and plan to pursue careers in public service. A passionate advocate for racial equity, particularly in education, she founded and served as editor-in-chief of Counterculture Magazine, the University’s first and only student-led publication to focus exclusively on social justice issues.
The U.S. Department of State selected three leadership studies students to receive competitive Gilman scholarships to study abroad. Yamir Chapman, ’25, studied in Italy, Sogona Cisse, ’25, in the Czech Republic, and Christopher Mitchell, ’24, in the United Kingdom.
ENRICH LEARNING AND BUILD COMMUNITY
Banking on NYC internships
Jepson internships at New York City banks netted three seniors return job offers. Sofia Zinzi worked as a security services and digital intern at BNY Mellon, Tyler Concaugh as a compliance analyst intern at Barclays, and Cheney Williams as a financial analyst intern at Citigroup. All three are returning to the Big Apple to work full-time at the banks where they interned.
“My leadership studies major prepared me with the critical thinking and writing skills needed to think on my feet and synthesize and distill complex information into a few sentences.”
— Tyler Concaugh, ’24
— Christopher Mitchell, ’24 VOLUNTEERISM,
PAYING IT FORWARD
The first in his family to go to college, Christopher Mitchell, ’24, received a scholarship to attend University of Richmond
and a Gilman scholarship to participate in the Jepson School’s summer study-abroad program at the University of Cambridge. As co-president of the University chapter of the nonprofit Scholars Latino Initiative (SLI), he paid it forward by mentoring Latino teens who needed guidance in accessing a college education and good career opportunities.
“The most rewarding part of my work with SLI has been helping high school students figure out what they want to do.”
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY
A native of Serbia, Nina Sretenović, ’25, gained firsthand experience in international diplomacy during her summer internship in New York City with the Serbian delegation to the United Nations. With the support of a Jepson School travel grant, she returned to New York City in mid-September to assist the Serbian delegation during the U.N. high-level week when leaders of each U.N. member state address the General Assembly. The aspiring diplomat met the Serbian president and minister of foreign affairs and heard President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine address the Security Council.
“ My internship was a dream come true. It was a great honor to represent my country at the United Nations.”
— Nina Sretenović, ’25
Oral health advocacy
Kiran Saini, ’24, developed a fervent interest in oral health after completing her Jepson internship with the Maryland State Dental Association Foundation, researching oral health legislation, and volunteering at a free dental clinic for low-income, uninsured patients. The 2024 graduate is pursuing a Master of Public Health at the University of North Carolina and plans to earn her doctorate in dentistry several years later.
“I want to work in both the policy and clinical sides of public dentistry, providing services that make people smile.”
— Kiran Saini, ’24
EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLARS
The 16 tenured and tenure-track members of the Jepson School faculty approach the study of leadership through their 10 academic disciplines, including anthropology, economics, philosophy, political science, social psychology, and more. They publish their research in top academic journals and presses, employ innovative teaching strategies, and mentor their students.
Faculty honored for academic achievements
Sandra Peart
The History of Economics Society awarded its 2024 Distinguished Fellow Prize to Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School since 2007. The award recognizes her substantial contributions to the study of economics history. She has written, edited, or co-authored 13 books; written more than 100 articles; and is a past president of two major academic societies focused on economics — the International Adam Smith Society and the History of Economics Society.
Volha Chykina
Assistant professor of leadership studies Volha Chykina was selected as a 2023–24 Mellon/Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Fellow. During her fellowship, she has been investigating whether an increase in populism leads to a decrease in academic freedom.
Professor David E. Wilkins, a member of the Lumbee Nation, researches and teaches Native politics and governance. He is the author or editor of 22 books, including two published in 2024. Indigenous Governance (Oxford University Press, 2024) offers a comprehensive, critical evaluation of Native political systems. Of Living Stone (Fulcrum Publishing, 2024), co-edited with Shelly Hulse Wilkins, is a collection of new essays on the legacy of Vine Deloria Jr., one of the most influential Native scholars and activists of the 20th century.
David E. Wilkins
Leadership in international contexts
The school’s newest faculty members bring international perspectives to the study of leadership.
Assistant professor of leadership studies Vladimir Chlouba, a political scientist from the Czech Republic, researches traditional leadership in sub-Saharan Africa. “When you visit a rural African village, you might see a traditional model of leadership where chiefs, many quite old, govern. Their leadership derives much of its legitimacy from tradition.”
Born in Russia, political scientist and assistant professor of leadership studies Guzel Garifullina researches comparative politics, authoritarianism, and political behavior, with a focus on municipal and regional politics in Russia and the post-Soviet sphere. “I do comparative research on the politics of the 83 regions and over 20,000 municipalities that comprise Russia. I want to understand the behavior of individual political leaders — how the environment and the way they are selected, by appointment or by voters, affects the policy choices they make.”
The school’s 2023–25 Zuzana Simoniova Cmelikova Visiting International Scholar in Leadership and Ethics, Ekrem Mus holds a doctorate in public policy and administration. He researches democratic backsliding and security governance in developing countries, including his native Turkey. “Nationalism and populism contribute to democratic backsliding. We need strong democratic institutions in the U.S. and around the world to reverse this trend.”
“My research explores how African traditional leaders govern their communities and why ordinary citizens follow their leadership.”
— Vladimir Chlouba
ALUMNI LEADING THE WAY
Whether working in corporate America, government, or the nonprofit sector, Jepson alumni drive real change in their organizations and communities. Our graduates apply leadership expertise in careers as diverse as they are. Outside of their professional work, they are active citizens, serving on boards and volunteering with community organizations and nonprofits.
A Colorful Return: Jepson Grad
Selected as Commencement Speaker
Global business leader Heidi Petz, ’97, offered some excellent leadership advice to the Class of 2024 during her University of Richmond Commencement address: Practice self-awareness to determine what you do well and what others do better. It is advice she has followed herself as she assumed roles of increasing responsibility in her corporate career. In March 2022, Petz became president of the global paint-andcoatings firm Sherwin-Williams, and in January 2024, its 10th CEO.
“Lean into your strengths … and lean on others for theirs. I am one of 64,000 [Sherwin-Williams] employees. The other 63,999 employees are truly helping me drive the success of this company.”
— Heidi Petz, ’97
TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES
As vice president of advancement for the United Way of Roanoke Valley (Virginia), Kianna Price Marshall, ’00, is laser focused on raising funds to support early childhood education, childcare, access to health care, and financial stability for underserved families. In 2023, her United Way gave $4.15 million to community collaborations and impact programs.
“I tell feel-good stories about the strides the Roanoke Valley has made with the help of the United Way. I also tell stories about where we need more help.”
— Kianna Price Marshall, ’00
BRIDGING THE GAP
A Spanish teacher and instructional leader for the humanities at Joel Barlow High School in Redding, Connecticut, Christopher Poulos, ’97, was the 2007 Connecticut Teacher of the Year and a 2022 National Teachers Hall of Fame inductee. Since January 2023, in addition to teaching, he has served in the Connecticut House of Representatives, where he is helping bridge the gap between educators and policymakers.
“I believe no one should get involved in government without first gaining knowledge and experience within a sector. For me, that sector is education.”
— Christopher Poulos, ’97
SWEET SUCCESS
Conor Flanagan, ’12, senior brand manager for Hershey’s, leads the team responsible for marketing products that include Hershey’s in their names, such as Hershey’s bars and Hershey’s Kisses. These products account for some $2.5 billion of the multinational candy giant’s $11 billion in global revenues.
“As a marketer, it’s intrinsically rewarding to go from an idea to the production of high-quality brand messaging that reaches millions of consumers.”
— Conor Flanagan, ’12
EXPLORING LEADERSHIP
Jepson School programs extend the exploration of leadership topics beyond the classroom, reaching students, faculty, and the greater community.
Programs delve into leadership topics
Founded in 2020 at the Jepson School, the Gary L. McDowell Institute serves as a hub where faculty and students from across campus exchange diverse views on the most important questions in ethics, law, and politics. This year, the institute hosted three public lectures. A record 36 McDowell Student Fellows, drawn from the Jepson School, Robins School of Business, and School of Arts & Sciences, read about and discussed the rewards of pursuing an intellectual life. The Endeavour Legacy Foundation awarded the institute a $500,000 grant to amplify its existing programs, including guest speakers, seminars, and conferences.
The school hosted six scholars and experts who shared their perspectives on “Masculinity in a Changing World,” the theme of the 2023–24 Jepson Leadership Forum. Forum topics included why modern men and boys are lagging academically and professionally, the psychology underpinning the high-risk behavior of many young men, the effect of testosterone on male behavior, and more.
Above: McDowell Student Fellows with guest speaker Dr. Angel Adams Parham, an associate professor of sociology at University of Virginia.
LEADER-IN-RESIDENCE
Each year, the school invites a local, state, or national leader to serve as leader-in-residence.
During a luncheon with students, 2023–24 leader-in-residence Dr. Danny TK Avula, at the time the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services, discussed ways to improve public health outcomes. A public health physician himself, he also gave a public presentation on his leadership of Virginia’s highly successful COVID-19 vaccination efforts in 2021.
The Jepson School in the news
Highlighting the Jepson School in the national media extends the academic reach and reputation of the school and helps amplify our profile across the United States and the world. Leadership studies faculty are sought-after experts, who are frequently quoted in national and local media and major industry trade publications about their research, adding perspective to the news of the day.
Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, was quoted in “The economic luminary who loved solar eclipses.”
“He spent time in the slums of Manchester and London studying the decisions of the poor,” Peart said about William Stanley Jevons, an economist and logician. Peart, a Jevons scholar, said he “came to understand that individual human beings can’t be modeled as perfectly foresighted, rational calculators of their self-interest. That led him to move away from a laissez-faire attitude.”
Leadership studies professor Kristin Bezio was quoted in “How video games can teach social values through realistic play.”
“As artifacts of popular culture, video games are just as capable of exerting influence as other media, such as novels or films — in fact, they may even be more capable of doing so by virtue of their immersive interactivity,” said Bezio, who researches leadership lessons in video games.
Leadership studies professor and philosopher Jessica Flanigan was quoted in “Does Taylor Swift deserve to be a billionaire? Scholars debate the thorny ethics of extreme wealth.”
“If anyone deserves to be a billionaire, it would be Taylor,” argued Flanigan, who has studied the ethics of extreme wealth. “That’s because Swift, like anyone, has
done a risk-reward calculus in deciding how to allocate her work and resources and is therefore free to be highly productive and innovative in a quest to build wealth, as are her fans who are free to consume everything she produces and sells.”
Leadership studies professor Thad Williamson authored “Democracy in the real world.”
“Such is the work of co-creating justice,” wrote Williamson as part of his review of the book Justice by Means of Democracy. “In many of these efforts, there is no established rule book to go by, no clear authority to point to for guidance. There is only a group of people thrown together by a shared interest in addressing a problem, using dialogue and discussion to try, together, to find a path forward,” he penned, related to committee work and community groups focusing on justice issues.
Leadership studies professor Vladimir Chlouba authored “Belief in democracy is on the decline in Africa. Traditional institutions can help restore its importance.”
“Could African traditional leaders be good for democracy?” Chlouba posed. “The answer is complicated. Relatively democratic traditions could help keep a young democracy alive even when formal institutions are weak. But hereditary traditional monarchies could serve as a potent reminder of how undemocratic a political system can be.”
1st UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES IN THE NATION
4
SENIORS AWARDED JEPSON SCHOLARSHIPS TO MASTER’S PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD 16 10 DISCIPLINES
3,500 REGISTRANTS 12 PUBLIC PROGRAMS PRESENTED BY SCHOLARS AND EXPERTS TO TENURED AND TENURE-TRACK FACULTY REPRESENTING
$500,000
ENDEAVOUR LEGACY FOUNDATION GRANT TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMING AT THE SCHOOL’S GARY L. MCDOWELL INSTITUTE
271 DECLARED LEADERSHIP STUDIES MAJORS AND MINORS
21,400
JEPSON INTERNSHIP HOURS LOGGED BY
61 MAJORS IN THE CLASS OF 2024
$160,535 RAISED FOR THE SCHOOL BY 257 DONORS DURING UR HERE GIVING DAY, A
19% INCREASE IN DOLLARS AND A 42% INCREASE IN DONORS OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR
THANK YOU for supporting the Jepson School. Your contributions ensure that we can provide exceptional curricular and co-curricular opportunities to our students, attract and retain top-tier faculty, and offer intellectually engaging programming to campus and public audiences alike.
Give today at uronline.net/givetoJepson.
Jepson
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Sept. 12, 5 p.m. Danielle Allen presents “Justice by Means of Democracy”
Oct. 1, 7 p.m. Christopher Bail presents “Bridging Divides with Generative AI”
Nov. 13, 5 p.m. Barton Swaim presents “The Lost Art of Muddling Through”
