Spider Insider
We all belong in the web THE INAUGURATION OF KEVIN F. HALLOCK
For faculty & staff at the UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Spring 2022
DOG TIRED Life is anything but rough — er, ruff — for UR’s furriest staff member, Emmett. In March, he celebrated his 4th birthday in the Well-Being Center with his friends from across campus. As a therapy dog, Emmett spends most of his semester days providing comfort — and cuddles — to students, staff, and faculty who need a little pick-me-up, so it’s no surprise the campus community wanted to be part of this good boy’s special day.
Photograph by Jamie Betts
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Spring 2022
Vice president for University Communications John M. Barry
Spider Insider
Associate vice president for communications and digital engagement Phillip Gravely Editor Cheryl Spain Senior director of creative services Samantha Tannich Graphic designer, publications Gordon Schmidt Photographer Jamie Betts Staff contributors: Joshua Briere, Sunni Brown, James Campbell, Catherine Amos Cribbs, Chad Devers, Matthew Dewald, Paul Heltzel, Kevin Heraldo, Alicia Hubbard, Pamela Lee, Katie McBride, Nicole Hansen, Cynthia Price, Cindy Smith, and David Vinson Spider Insider is printed on paper that is FSC® certified, with 10% post-consumer recycled content and certified fiber. ON THE COVER Kevin F. Hallock, University of Richmond’s 11th president, delivers his inaugural address on April 8.
We welcome your input.
Send your story ideas or comments to spiderinsider @richmond.edu.
Spring in Their Step Students head to class on one of the first warm days of spring.
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PEOPLE
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16 Honoring a Legacy
Community Thinking on Display Message from President Kevin F. Hallock
Social Buzz
3 Map It! A new virtual map of campus will enhance navigation and showcase architecture, amenities, and beauty Accolades
4 We All Belong in the Web
6 ‘Know the Code’ Helps Employees Comply with UR’s Code of Conduct Media Mentions
7 Meeting Students Where They Are SPCS responds to evolving needs of students and the market Photograph by Jamie Betts
8 Tailored for the Times Career Services responds to emerging opportunities as job market improves
Hollywood-bound A Jepson professor’s story about an 11-year-old oil tycoon may be headed to a theater near you
11 The Conversation – Tick Bites: Every Year Is a Bad Tick Year
12 ‘No Summer Off’ Faculty and staff support students looking to get ahead during the summer
14 Spider Staff Rally for March Madness Fans unite to cheer on the Spiders in the NCAA tournament thanks to the hard — and fast — work of UR staff
15 Engaging with the Past New American History benefits teachers and students across the U.S.
18 Accomplishments 19 Omicron Delta Kappa Epsilon Circle Inductee 21 Milestones 22 Recent Appointment: Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh 23 2022 Outstanding Service Award Winners 24 International Education Awards New Hires, Moves, and Retirements
Burt Pinnock, principal and chairman of the board at Baskervill, a multidisciplinary engineering and architectural design firm, solicits input from the UR community at a design concepts meeting in November 2021.
Community Thinking on Display Dear Colleagues,
STAY CONNECTED Read more of President Hallock’s messages to the University community — or share your thoughts or ideas with him at any time — at president. richmond.edu.
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As I’ve been getting to know our staff and faculty this year, the one thing that stands out — among the many things I’ve been learning about UR — is what I like to call community thinking. It’s everywhere on this campus. It’s part of what makes UR a great university, and it’s one of many qualities that make me proud to call myself a Spider. But what exactly am I talking about? Community thinking, as I see it, means that as you go about your daily work, you’re mindful of the impact you have on the University and its people and even the wider world. You care about the effect you’re having. You look for opportunities to make things better: • To make students feel at home. • To not only take pride in doing a great job, but also to celebrate the accomplishments of others. • To make processes work more smoothly for everyone. • To participate respectfully in the sometimes tough discussions we have about major issues. • To work in environmentally sustainable ways. • To acknowledge a problem and then throw all your ingenuity, intelligence, and skill at it. I’ve seen community thinking in action countless times this year, including: • In the woodshop staff who take pride in creating beautiful furniture that works well for the people who use it. • In the faculty who stepped up to share their
knowledge as the tragic events in Ukraine were first unfolding. • In the staff and faculty who volunteered their time on the Burying Ground Memorialization Committee and Naming Principles Commission and worked hard to discuss complex and difficult issues and engage our community in the process. • In the caring people of Counseling and Psychological Services and the Student Health Center — who support people coping with stress and illness while facing the added challenges of performing their jobs in a pandemic. • In the entire staff and faculty community, who made countless adjustments and worked to keep all of us safe and support one another as the pandemic evolved. Those are just a few of hundreds of examples of community thinking that you can find across our campus. Richmond staff and faculty really care about the University, our students, and each other. As we approach the end of the academic year, I just want to say that I have enormous respect for the staff and faculty of UR. I’m lucky and honored to work with you, and I look forward to working together to make things better in the years to come. As always, please continue to take care of yourselves and look out for others.
Kevin F. Hallock President
These awards and rankings are a testament to UR’s overall commitment to excellence. For the fourth consecutive year, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named UR one of the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENTS AND FULBRIGHT U.S. SCHOLARS FOR 2021–22. Four UR students were offered Fulbright grants in 2021, and 68 UR students have received Fulbright awards since the program’s inception.
Map It! A new virtual map of campus will enhance navigation and showcase architecture, amenities, and beauty After a significant update to physical campus signage and wayfinding several years ago, the University’s virtual maps are following suit. Static PDFs have served as the main maps for visitors and newcomers finding their way around campus, identifying the most accessible routes, and pinpointing where to park — but an upgrade is coming soon. Reimagining UR’s campus maps provided an opportunity — through improved wayfinding and accessibility — to create a better overall experience for both virtual and in-person visitors seeking to learn more about the University and explore campus. University Communications, partnering with Concept3D, a digital mapping company, has now created a best-inclass web-based — and mobile-device-friendly — digital representation of campus to help showcase and navigate one of the University’s most important assets, its physical space. The new map system is built on a highly detailed illustration of campus that provides a virtual sense of the physical beauty of the campus. As users move around campus on the map, they can click on each location to learn more about it. The map system is powered by a strong backbone of data that includes GPS coordinates, major routes and pathways, images, and descriptions of campus locations. The GPS-enabled map allows users to get directions between two points, highlighting wheelchair-accessible routes and accessible building entrances when needed. A visitor can also search specifically for dining locations, recreation facilities, or residence halls, among other types of destinations. “As the University’s national reputation continues to rise, we are seeing increased traffic on our websites from individuals who are clearly interested in learning more about UR,” said Phillip Gravely, associate vice president for communications and digital engagement. “We believe it’s critical that virtual visitors to our campus have the same quality of experience as those who come in person.” University Communications staff partnered with various campus offices initially to ensure the accuracy of the map design and held feedback sessions with campus partners to introduce and test map components. The team plans to roll out the new map this spring.
The system is powered by a strong backbone of data that includes GPS coordinates.
The Pauley Family Foundation awarded UR a $500,000 GRANT to support programming for the Gary L. McDowell Institute at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. The institute, named for the late professor of leadership studies, hosts a variety of programs, seminars, and lecture series and supports student fellows and visiting research fellows.
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ACCOLADES
Poets&Quants for Undergrads, an online publication for undergraduate business education news, ranked the Robins School of Business No. 18 — up from No. 23 last year and the University’s highest ranking to date — on its 2022 “BEST UNDERGRADUATE BUSINESS SCHOOLS” list. The business school ranked No. 15 on career outcomes, No. 21 on admission standards, and No. 22 on alumni experience. Monsido, a web governance platform, and Hannon Hill ranked UR No. 3 overall on its “TOP U.S. PRIVATE UNIVERSITY WEBSITES 2022” report. The report evaluates websites based on their content quality assurance, performance, response time, SEO, uptime, and web accessibility. UR ranked No. 1 for both web accessibility and content quality assurance. The Joan and Morgan Massey Foundation awarded the Robins School of Business a $50,000 GRANT to support the creation of an Innovation Hub, a unique space and technology that will provide an innovation-based classroom experience. The hub will be part of the new Master of Science in Management program. The Association of International Education Administrators awarded UR its INNOVATION AWARD IN INTERNATIONALIZATION in recognition of the University’s restyled approach to International Education Week during the pandemic. The award highlights institutional programs, projects, or initiatives that strongly impact the institution’s internationalization and global engagement. The R.E.B. Foundation awarded the School of Professional & Continuing Studies a $15,000 GRANT to support the “Integrating Sound: Listening to our Communities” project, which incorporates listening activities, sound art, and music into instruction. 3
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT To view a recording of President Hallock’s inauguration ceremony, visit inauguration. richmond.edu/ livestream.html.
We All Belong in the Web “Today is a celebration of our university and our community and all that makes it both distinctive and distinguished.” —Kevin F. Hallock
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he inauguration of Kevin F. Hallock, the University of Richmond’s 11th president, brought Spiders together for festivities that included a formal ceremony; community festival; conversations on mentored research and the future of higher education; and an evening of music, food, and fireworks.
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MEDIA MENTIONS Professor of Liberal Arts ERIK NIELSON, an expert on hip-hop culture and author of Rap on Trial, cowrote a bill with Jay-Z’s lawyer that would protect artists and content creators from having their lyrics used as evidence against them by prosecutors in New York state. Coverage of this story appeared in “JAY-Z and Meek Mill Urge New York Lawmakers to Stop Rap Lyrics from Being Used in Court” via People and more than 100 other media outlets, including Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and HipHopWired. “By presenting rap lyrics as rhymed confessions of illegal behavior, they are often able to obtain convictions even when other evidence is lacking,” Nielson and his coauthor wrote.
‘KNOW THE CODE’ HELPS EMPLOYEES COMPLY WITH UR’S CODE OF CONDUCT Five years after the launch of the University’s compliance program, Kris Henderson, director of compliance and Title IX coordinator, is making it easier to understand and comply with the University’s guiding values and expectations by changing the way faculty and staff interface with the Code of Organizational Ethics and Integrity. “I’m doing a number of activities regarding compliance, including reexamining the basic components of our program,” Henderson said. “The backbone of every compliance program is the Code of Organizational Ethics and Integrity, so it made sense to start there.” The code is a set of guiding principles that promote compliance with applicable laws and regulations and ensure faculty and staff act with honesty and integrity. In short, it is a public statement of the University’s commitment to high standards and appropriate conduct. Until now, Henderson said, UR’s code was an online PDF that was hard for employees to digest. In March, Henderson launched “Know the Code,” a web-based guide to support employees’ day-to-day decision making, such as whether it’s OK to accept a gift from a vendor or serve on a hiring committee for which a relative is an applicant. “Know the Code” breaks the code down into 11 principles and for each one provides core expectations; concrete examples; and links to corresponding policies, statements, and guidelines. “Expectations weren’t always clear to people,” Henderson said. “The vast majority of compliance problems are not due to malfeasance. It’s not someone doing the wrong thing for the wrong reason. It really is someone doing the wrong thing because they don’t know what the right thing is.” Henderson encourages anyone who has questions about compliance and the University’s Code of Organizational Ethics and Integrity to reach out to her or visit richmond.edu/ compliance. “My office really is a resource,” Henderson said. “I’m here to help educate people.” 6
ELLEN SAYLES, associate dean and director of education abroad, was quoted in “Study Abroad Programs Resume After Pandemic Hiatus” about how the pandemic has affected the University’s study abroad programming. During the spring 2022 semester, more than 100 UR students studied abroad. “It’s a big increase for us in the spring,” Sayles said. “And I think the reason for that is because of pent-up demand. We’ve seen more seniors who are going this year, when it’s more traditionally a junior semester abroad.” Law professor ALLISON TAIT, whose research and teaching focuses on trusts and estates, was featured as an expert in “The ‘Cowboy Cocktail’: How Wyoming became one of the world’s top tax havens.” “Wyoming is advertising itself as the new onshore offshore [financial center] — it’s going to get the clientele,” Tait said. “It’s like a wrapped gift inside a wrapped gift. The more wrapping you put on, the harder it is to figure out if there has been tax avoidance or evasion or even financial crime.” CAMILLA NONTERAH, assistant professor of health psychology and a counseling psychologist, is featured for her expertise throughout “The Case for Not Making a New Year’s Resolution.” Nonterah said the social pressure around New Year’s resolutions can create situations where people may not be wanting to make a change for the right reasons. “It may just be this sense of, ‘Oh, this is something I should do,’” she said. KRISTINE NOLIN, associate professor of chemistry, authored “What’s the difference between sugar, other natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners? A food chemist explains sweet science,” which originally appeared in The Conversation and was republished by about 50 outlets. “While a sweet dessert may be a simple pleasure for many, the chemistry of how your taste buds perceive sweetness is not so simple,” Nolin wrote. “Only molecules with the perfect combination of atoms taste sweet, but bodies deal with each of these molecules differently when it comes to calories.” Pipelines expert MARY FINLEY-BROOK, associate professor of geography and the environment, was quoted in “Mountain Valley Pipeline’s Up-And-Down Legal Journey: Explained.” “I feel strongly, no, it won’t be completed,” Finley-Brook said about the Mountain Valley pipeline project. “It has not been doing well for a long time, so I feel strongly that this is the beginning of that final end.”
Visit news.richmond.edu to view additional media mentions or connect with University Communications’ Media and Public Relations team, Cynthia Price and Sunni Brown.
professor of education and assistant chair of SPCS’ Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program, helps develop Virginia’s future school leaders.
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Kate Cassada, associate
Meeting Students Where They Are SPCS responds to evolving needs of students and the market Changing dynamics of the adult learner population, market needs, and the pandemic are affecting colleges and universities everywhere, including Richmond. Jamelle Wilson, dean of the School of Professional & Continuing Studies, and SPCS faculty and staff are responding, reshaping the school’s enrollment strategy and providing more online opportunities that align with today’s needs and expand access to the University. In spring 2021, SPCS launched an online twoyear bachelor’s degree completion program called IDST Online. It builds on the curriculum of Weekend College — an accelerated interdisciplinary studies bachelor’s degree program that allows students to complete their degree through one or two courses per semester in about two years. SPCS will also move its post-bachelor’s certificates in data analytics, information security, and information systems to an online delivery format beginning in fall 2022. “Shifting these programs to an online format meets adult students where they are,” Wilson said. “Online degrees also allow us to reach outside the Richmond region and help thousands of Virginians acquire the skills, knowledge, and a credential to make themselves more competitive in the job market.” These aspects, combined with the flexibility and convenience of online learning, are especially important as the economy and employment market continue to evolve. “Our online certificates help meet the increasing demand for a data- and technology-capable workforce by offering opportunities for nontraditional students to upskill and reskill,” said Lionel Mew, information systems program chair. Market needs have driven the development
of other SPCS programs. For example, the PluS program was developed to help address current teacher shortages across central Virginia. More and more teachers have provisional licenses, which allow anyone with a non-education undergraduate degree to begin teaching, and they have three years to complete required licensure coursework. The PluS program includes multiple initiatives to assist inexperienced teachers in Richmond region schools who serve high populations of students from low-income families. “We have inexperienced teachers with no formal foundation of teacher preparation courses in our classrooms,” said Laura Kuti, assistant chair of teacher education, who oversees the program with Deborah Napoli, director of clinical practice. “Our program encourages retention in the teaching profession through a combination of professional learning, mentoring support, and financial assistance.” SPCS also revised its alumni discount policy. The Spider Spirit alumni discount now offers UR alumni a 25% discount when they enroll in a post-bachelor’s degree or certificate program through SPCS. Alumni from all five academic schools are eligible for the discount, and the savings are significant, with master’s degree students saving about $5,000. “Many of our current initiatives are focused on access, affordability, and community engagement,” Wilson said. “When students come to SPCS, we want them to know that we’ll be here for them over the life of their careers with flexible, affordable, and relevant continuing education programs.”
LEARN MORE For more information about SPCS’s offerings, including resources for UR faculty and staff, visit spcs.richmond.edu/ staff/richmond-staff. html.
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HOW STAFF AND FACULTY CAN HELP Career Services recognizes that career advising happens in a variety of settings and that staff and faculty are critical partners in preparing students for career success. Academic departments and many administrative departments have dedicated Career Services liaisons to work with them to understand student and alumni career needs, promote relevant career education events, share career opportunities, and help students articulate their UR experience. Liaisons also deliver presentations on career- and job search-related topics, even covering a class session if needed. Stevenson encourages staff and faculty to reach out to the office to learn more. “Please contact your liaison to discuss additional ways you can work with Career Services to support students’ career development.” For more information, including resources and FAQs for successful career conversations with students, visit careerservices. richmond.edu/ faculty-staff.
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Tailored for the Times
Career Services responds to emerging opportunities as job market improves Recent Spider graduates are entering an improving job market, a distinct change since the pandemic initially led to uncertainty for students moving on from the University. This spring’s employment outlook is the best since 2008, according to the Collegiate Employment Research Institute. UR Career Services staff are pivoting to address emerging opportunities in the current environment — as well as the challenges students and alumni still face. Denise Dwight Smith, assistant vice president for alumni and career services, said students in 2021 were facing hiring freezes and rising unemployment rates, but the current hiring climate is altering the way UR’s office prepares students entering the workforce. “We worked with students on how to be creative when finding opportunities, how to interview virtually, and more,” Dwight Smith said of last year. “Now our focus has shifted to making them stand out through preparation and opportunities to network.” Some services have remained constant. That includes one-on-one career and academic advising to help students develop a job search
strategy and goals that align with their interests and abilities and resume workshops offered throughout the semester that ensure students are putting their best foot forward right from the start. Students can also participate in networking programming, including the Deconstructing Series, where students get the opportunity to make connections with employers from a variety of functional areas within an industry, and Career Chats, which offer students the opportunity in small, intimate settings to learn from Spider alumni and friends about career paths in a variety of industries. However, as the employment environment shifts, the office modifies its points of emphasis with it. For example, Richmond’s career advisers are seeing unusually long timelines for closing deals on new jobs. “It’s taking as long as — or longer — than searches prior to COVID,” said Leslie Stevenson, director of career development. “We continue to advise students about search strategy, weighing the pros and cons of various offers, and ethical decision-making and notification.”
resentatives from a variety of industries to answer students’ questions and recruit them for internships and employment opportunities.
Graduating students and alumni may see an impressive number of new job openings, but the interview process alone is taking more than a month in some cases, said career adviser Beth Chancy. “Companies are understaffed trying to replace retirees and staff members who have left, so the job seeker may not hear back from the company quickly,” she said. Through meet and greets with specific employers and regularly scheduled career expos that often feature more than 50 employers, the Career Services team helps expedite the process for students and “promote the value of UR candidates to prospective employers in an array of fields and locations,” Stevenson said. Though the application process has slowed, employers are eager to get new hires started. Frank Allen, director of employer relations, said hiring managers may offer signing incentives and push for shorter acceptance deadlines, but he advises the Spiders he consults to proceed cautiously. “Even during a normal job market, students should take the time to weigh their options and resist the pressure to make a quick decision.”
Allen encourages students to focus on the best job and organizational fit for their planned career trajectory. “These factors will have a greater impact on long-term success, including earning potential that will far exceed an initial bonus,” he said. “Also, high demand for workers has prompted some employers to raise starting salaries.” He tells students to discuss a below-market offer graciously and appreciatively rather than simply declining it. From one-on-one career advising to application and resume completion to interviewing and negotiating, the Career Services staff helps students navigate the job search process. And the numbers show how effective the office has been at supporting new grads. Six months out from graduation, the number of graduates who have reported outcomes is 11 percentage points higher than last year, said Erin Lowery, assistant director of assessment for Alumni and Career Services. “The Class of 2020 fared surprisingly well in the pandemic, and their employment rate did not dip,” Lowery said. “The class of 2021 maintains that high employment rate.”
“Even during a normal job market, students should take the time to weigh their options and resist the pressure to make a quick decision.”
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Career Expos attract rep-
NATIONAL RECOGNITION The support, services, and programs offered by the dedicated staff of the Career Services team aren’t just witnessed by students here on campus; they’ve been recognized on a national scale. The Princeton Review included UR on its “Great Career Services” list in the 2022 edition of The Best 387 Colleges. UR career advisers are also regularly invited to lend their expertise to regional and national benchmarking groups in career development and college recruiting fields, and UR’s Career Services is one of fewer than 150 worldwide invited to attend the Global Career Services Summit, an event for heads and directors of college and university career services to facilitate learning, best practice sharing, and collegial dialogue.
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SOCIAL BUZZ A roundup of reactions to posts on @urichmond: This digital swag page is great. :) Thank you. —Joshua M. Pucci via LinkedIn Referring to richmond.edu/digital-swag, where users can download an array of UR digital swag to show their Spider Pride
Dr. [Andrea] Simpson is a fantastic human being, mentor, teacher, and community leader. I feel honored to have taken 2 of her classes. So great to see her gaining recognition, well deserved! —Caroline Schiavo via LinkedIn Referring to Simpson being named the inaugural associate dean of Thriving, Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Thank you Tina. My daughter was impacted positively by you. All institutions need a Tina Cade. —Jennifer Murphy via Facebook Referring to Cade’s legacy at UR following her retirement in February My fiancé and I met as UR students with a lot of date nights studying late at Boatwright. We are looking forward to celebrating our wedding in April! —Radha Zanzal via Facebook
This shot is Stunning, the photographers at this school know how to show off the university in all its glory. —@urspidershop via Instagram Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @urichmond
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Hollywood-bound? A Jepson professor’s story about an 11-year-old oil tycoon may be headed to a theater near you When historian Lauren Henley was fresh out of grad school, she said yes to a story assignment from a digital magazine. At the time, it didn’t seem like a big deal. It would be a quick summer project, she thought, a little extra money before starting her first tenure-track position as an associate professor in the Jepson School two years ago. “It ended up being about six months’ worth of research,” she said, stretching into her first semester at UR. “Here I am doing something that’s not even my book project. It worked out well, obviously, in the end.” Henley’s research for the assignment unearthed a complex, absorbing, only-in-America tale of money, race, and power. At its center is 11-year-old Sarah Rector, a poor farmer’s daughter who instantly became an oil tycoon in early 20th-century Oklahoma. During the Jim Crow era, she outwitted scammers and ne’er-do-wells, secured her fortune, and took control of her future. She became, in the words of Henley’s article title, “The Richest Black Girl in America.” The remarkable story that Henley unearthed is poised to reach a much wider audience. In fall 2021, Amblin Partners, Steven Spielberg’s film and production company, acquired its rights. Azia Squire, a writer for the Netflix show Bridgerton, will adapt Henley’s article into a feature script, according to Henley and published reports. Amblin’s decision to acquire film rights “was shocking and not what I imagined being an academic would be,” Henley said. It has also given her, she admits, a certain cool factor with her students. “I’ve never told them,” she said. “They find out on their own accord. Sometimes when they say congrats or tell their buddies, I see this spark in their eye: ‘This is what historical could be,’ which I think is really refreshing. They also want to do a movie screening. That’s what they told me yesterday.” In her academic research, Henley examines youthfulness, race, gender, religion, and crime in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her current book project considers how media representations, cultural contexts, and ideological beliefs created narratives about a Black female serial killer and her motivations. Henley’s article on Sarah Rector was commissioned by Truly*Adventurous and published in February 2021 by Medium.com.
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THE CONVERSATION
Tick Bites: Every Year Is a Bad Tick Year By Jory Brinkerhoff, associate professor of biology We are approaching summer — a time to hike, garden, vacation — and to be on the lookout for ticks. From Lyme disease to lesser-known illnesses like Heartland virus disease, ehrlichiosis, and Colorado tick fever, tick-borne disease cases are increasing rapidly in the United States. A recent report estimated nearly a half-million Lyme disease cases per year in the U.S., with numbers more than doubling from 2004 to 2016. As a biologist who studies tick-borne disease, I am asked each spring and summer whether it will be a bad year for ticks. The answer: It is never a good year for ticks, and every year, the time to be most vigilant is spring and summer. There are at least seven tick species in North America that commonly bite and infect humans and animals with numerous diseases. Some regions are home to multiple human-biting species, each with its own suite of pathogens and habitat preferences. Black-legged ticks, which spread Lyme and other diseases, are common in deciduous forests across Eastern North America. The bite of an infected American dog tick, which prefers grassy areas, can infect people and dogs with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Aggressive
Lone Star ticks, which can transmit ehrlichiosis and tularemia, thrive in many habitats across the eastern U.S. and can survive hot, dry conditions. Human-biting ticks typically feed on mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles. Predicting tick numbers grows harder as many species expand their ranges. Altered ecosystems play a substantial role. Changing climate, with shorter, milder winters, may increase tick survival, creating larger populations. Shorter, warmer winters have allowed some species to move northward; however, warming trends may have mixed impacts. Ticks need moisture as well as blood to survive; hot, dry weather kills some species, but not others. While researchers have identified why their numbers change over space and time, predicting risk is difficult. But we do know that tick-borne diseases will continue to be a human and veterinary health threat. Ancient ticks may have once fed on dinosaurs. Scientists discovered fossilized ticks, some 15 million years old, that carried bacteria similar to the one that causes Lyme disease, suggesting that the disease may have existed long before humans. From a public health perspective, the most important question about ticks is not whether a given year will be particularly bad in terms of tick numbers, but what can be done to reduce the risk of encountering these parasites to avoid illness.
A recent report estimated nearly a half-million Lyme disease cases per year in the U.S., with numbers more than doubling from 2004 to 2016.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION Faculty interested in writing for The Conversation can contact Cynthia Price, associate vice president for media and public relations, at cprice2@richmond. edu or Sunni Brown, director of media and public relations, at sbrown5@richmond. edu. Additional information is available at news.richmond.edu under the Faculty and Staff Toolkit. More than 50 faculty representing all five schools have written for The Conversation. A complete list of their articles for The Conversation is available at news. richmond.edu/placements/conversation. Reprints of The Conversation articles frequently appear in Spider Insider, University of Richmond Magazine, and in UR Now (urnow.richmond. edu).
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Biology major Julian Starks, ’22, participated in URISE and conducted research with Shannon Jones, director of biological instruction and program coordinator for URISE, investigating the impact of wood smoke on immune cells.
CARING FOR THE BODY AND MIND The direct link between wellbeing and academic performance doesn’t evaporate in the summer heat. For this reason, the Health Promotion team is active year-round with programs and services that foster a culture of well-being on campus. “We will open this summer with our amenities available to our students, staff, and faculty,” said Heather Sadowski, director of health promotion. These offerings include salt therapy; yoga and mindfulness classes within the Mind-Body Studio; meditation, chromotherapy, and reflexology within the Meditation Garden; and use of the relaxation lounge with massage chairs, salt chair, and nap pods. Massage therapy services will resume in the upcoming summer months. For more information and to see a complete list of services offered, visit urwell.richmond. edu.
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‘No Summer Off ’
Faculty and staff support students looking to get ahead during the summer During a typical summer, the University of Richmond is abuzz with academic energy for as many as 450 students. The students live in apartments and residence halls while participating in local internships, conducting research, working on campus, and taking summer classes. The onset of COVID-19 in spring 2020 upset the normal patterns, but typical campus summers are now back in sight. “When the pandemic hit in March [2020], we did our best to de-densify campus as fast as possible,” said Patrick Benner, director of housing and residence life. In summer 2021, campus started to look a little more normal, due largely to an ongoing, collective commitment to the health and safety of the campus community and changes to the CDC recommendations for fully vaccinated people. For summer 2022, with a steep decline in COVID-19 cases and the easing of protocols and restrictions, housing is getting closer to pre-pandemic numbers. Benner expects approximately 400 students in campus housing this summer. Twenty of the students here this summer
will take part in the University of Richmond Integrated Science Experience, or URISE. The program, launched in 2013, increases the number of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in science and math disciplines by removing barriers to success. Its director, Shannon Jones, creates projects that expose students to fundamental science practices such as how to grow cells and conduct experiments. She says it is “basically a crash course in toxicology,” her area of expertise. The students also meet with staff from the Academic Skills Center, Career Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, and others, and they participate in faculty-led workshops that offer an idea of what their first college classes might be like. “The idea is that if the students want to major in science at the University, they come and get a head start over the summer — building community with other incoming students, working in labs, and getting comfortable seeing themselves as scientists,” Jones said. “When they come back in August, they aren’t anxious about leaving home. It takes the pressure away.”
of UR’s student-athletes are doing something academically this summer,” said Bruce Matthews, associate athletics director for academic support and student services. For many, those academic endeavors include faculty- and staff-led leadership programs and diet and nutrition courses that will help them sustain their energy throughout the demanding days ahead of practice and classes. Many incoming student-athletes will also participate in Bridge to Success, a firstyear student program that jump-starts the transition from high school to college. BTS students live on campus while participating in workshops, field trips, mentoring, and community building. “The summer is a really important time for our student-athletes,” said Lauren Wicklund, senior associate athletic director for leadership and student-athlete development. “We’re getting them ready for the fall — making sure they maintain their physical fitness and stay on top of their classwork. It’s a rigorous environment.” That dedication holds for all of the students spending some or all of their summer break on campus, whether they are part of a fall readiness program, conducting research with a faculty mentor, or pursuing another goal. As Wicklund puts it, “There’s no summer off around here for sure.”
Benner expects approximately 400 students in campus housing this summer.
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The program is working. According to Jones, most students who complete URISE and continue through the Science Math and Research Training, SMART, persist in a science or math major. “Dr. Jones is a phenomenal mentor who cares deeply about her students in the classroom and in the research lab,” said biology major Anna Liu, ’23, who participated in the program in summer 2019. “URISE gave me the opportunity to make a supportive network that I can rely on.” Liu spent summer 2021 working in Jones’ lab and will return this summer using Richmond Guarantee funding to investigate the effects of prolonged exposure to particulate matter, such as wood smoke, on immune response. She’s one of nine students working with Jones and one of approximately 225 who will live on campus while participating in summer research and fellowship opportunities. The summer “allows me to spend more time dedicated to research than during the school semester where I have to juggle between classes, homework, volunteering, and research,” Liu said. UR’s student-athletes are another group taking full advantage of the summer months on campus — not only to practice for competition, but also to prepare for fall classes. “Between enrollment in classes, research, and internships, more than half — or about 150 —
UR SUMMER FELLOWSHIPS The Richmond Guarantee ensures eligibility for every continuing, full-time, degree-seeking University of Richmond undergraduate student in good standing in the School of Arts & Sciences, Robins School of Business, or Jepson School of Leadership Studies to receive up to $5,000 to support a summer internship or faculty-mentored research project. Last summer, more than 550 students received fellowships to support on-campus and off-campus opportunities, totaling more than $2 million. Numbers are expected to be about the same this year. Richmond Guarantee funding allows students “to pursue interests that will enrich their time on campus and benefit their plans after graduation,” said Brendan Halligan, associate director of experiential learning, exploration, and assessment. “[It] enables students to engage in these beneficial opportunities without the added worry of how they will afford to participate.” Learn more about the UR Summer Fellowship program at ursf. richmond.edu.
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Laura Dietrick, director of compensation and benefits, hands out T-shirts during the first of two NCAA watch parties in the Robins Center.
SPIDER PRIDE, FAR AND WIDE Off campus, fans gathered at venues across the country to cheer on their Richmond Spiders, thanks to the swift efforts of the Advancement and Alumni Relations teams. Watch parties and pregame gatherings in locations such as Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Richmond, and Washington — 15 in all — brought together more than 1,000 alumni during the Spiders’ two rounds of the NCAA tournament. “It was beyond exciting to be a part of the March Madness magic, planning events and then cheering alongside alumni,” said Mary Alice Wallmeyer, senior associate director of alumni engagement. “We saw Spider Pride on full display!” 14
Spider Staff Rally for March Madness
Fans unite to cheer on the Spiders in the NCAA tournament thanks to the hard — and fast — work of UR staff When the men’s basketball team won the Atlantic 10 tournament on March 13, director of student involvement Andy Gurka leapt into action. Partnering with multiple departments, Gurka organized a watch party in the Robins Center so students, staff, and faculty could be part of the excitement when, in four days, the Spiders would take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. “We knew we had to do something special,” Gurka said. “Staff from all across campus — Dining Services, Human Resources, SpiderShop, Print Shop, Athletics, Communications, Facilities, and Student Development — all came together in order to pull off an incredible opportunity for our University community to gather and cheer on the Spiders.” In the SpiderShop, director Liz St. John and her team felt the excitement as they ordered Atlantic 10 Championship T-shirts for fans. “When the idea of the watch party was mentioned, we jumped at the chance to get 2,000 shirts ordered to give out at the door and ensure that everyone was able to share pride in the team’s major win,” St. John said. Fans lined up before the doors opened. “The watch party was the perfect event to see smiling faces back together,” St. John said. “It was such a pleasure to work with others around campus to distribute those shirts in under 30 minutes.” Dining services staff provided attendees hot
dogs, chips, and drinks. Staff from the campus print shop printed and handed out more than 1,000 posters to fans in the arena. “We were glad to do it,” Karen Pierce, director of print and postal services, said. “Most of our job requests are quick turnarounds. I loved seeing all of the excitement. The students were really appreciative of everything we did.” Throughout the Robins Center, the energy of the fans — estimated at about 2,000 — was palpable as they jumped and screamed for every basket, rebound, and steal. The celebration rivaled that of a live game. When the Spiders beat Iowa to advance, staff rallied again, hosting a second Robins Center watch party just 48 hours later. This time, more than 3,000 attended. For both events, Steve Bisese swapped his role as vice president for student development with T-shirt cannon operator, launching A-10 championship shirts into the exuberant crowd. When those ran out, he grabbed any T-shirt he could find, even children’s sizes, because they were so popular. “The crowds were astonishing because of so much dedication to making these events memorable for the Spider community,” Bisese said. “It was so wonderful how staff from many departments and student leaders came together on such short notice to create two awesome watch parties. It’s just another example of why UR people are so special.”
harnesses content from digital sources to create free learning resources for teachers of American history.
AROUND THE LAKE
New American History
Engaging with the Past New American History benefits teachers and students across the U.S. As an American historian and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities, former University of Richmond President Ed Ayers has helped connect people with America’s past. His latest project, New American History, focuses that effort on educators and is changing the way America’s students engage with the nation’s history. New American History is an interactive tool that explores America’s past, harnessing the power of digital media, curiosity, and inquiry. It pools the resources of four projects — American Panorama, an interactive digital historical atlas of the United States out of UR’s Digital Scholarship Lab; Bunk, a curated remix of contemporary online content; The Future of America’s Past, Ayers’ PBS show; and Backstory, a wide-ranging podcast — to create free learning resources for teachers everywhere. The project is supported by Ayers, the executive director; Annie Evans, director of education and outreach; Tony Field, managing editor of Bunk; and Rob Nelson, Justin Madron, and Nathaniel Ayers of UR’s Digital Scholarship Lab. “I want people to know that this is something UR is doing to help students,” Ayers said. “It’s so important that we try to help teachers of American history. When we do, we can improve the education of students all across the country.” New American History is useful for teachers
LEARN MORE To learn more about New American History, visit newamericanhistory.org.
of U.S. history at all levels, everywhere “as they seek to educate our nation’s youth on the untold stories and missing pieces of what we know or thought we already knew about America’s past,” Evans said. “That somebody created these incredible tools that I wished I had when I was in the classroom is just amazing.” Evans engages with teachers and students across the U.S., providing educational outreach and supporting teachers in integrating New American History tools and resources — interactive maps, video, audio, and stories — into their classrooms. “Teachers want and need things that work digitally,” Evans said, which is why the tools are freely accessible with no paywalls or logins. “Students are hooked when they can interact with the information, and their engagement level goes up.” In 2021 the American Association of School Librarians named New American History one of the “Best Digital Tools for Teaching and Learning.” The annual recognition honors electronic resources that provide enhanced learning and curriculum development for school librarians and their educator collaborators. “New American History is a trusted place to learn about the complexities of American history,” Ayers said. “In the best way, it’s an endless project. There’s always new American history.”
“Students are hooked when they can interact with the information, and their engagement level goes up.”
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HONORING A LEGACY Members of the University of Richmond Black Alumni Network (URBAN) gathered in February to celebrate the legacy of Tina Cade, associate vice president for student development and director of the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion. Cade, who co-founded and helped lead URBAN, retired in February after more than 35 years with UR. To honor her years of service as a mentor, advisor, counselor, and leader, a group of alumni raised funds to establish an endowed scholarship in her name. “There are truly no words to convey what Dr. Tina Cade has meant to me and countless others,” said Danielle Stokes, assistant professor of law and a UR alum. “She has nurtured a generation, and while we carry her legacy with us, her presence is sorely missed on campus.” Seated: Tina Cade. From left: Natasha Jones Davis, ’96 and GB’98; Valerie Brown Wilkins, ’06; Morgan Russell, dean for student equity and inclusion and director of the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion; Erin Bagley Lai, ’05; Kimberly Bowers Rollins, ’05; Xavier Belcher, ’07; Kaushalya Heendeniya, ’99; David Randolph, ’07; Duane Brickhouse, ’98; Tamisha Williams, ’06; Barry Green, R’72; Jaime Carter Walls, ’98; Rasheeda Fleming Perry, ’03; Danielle Stokes, ’13, assistant professor of law; and Marilyn BranchMitchell, W’78.
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OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS We celebrate the accomplishments of UR’s talented faculty and staff. See more accomplishments and submit your own grant, publication, or honor at richmond.edu/ faculty-staff.
TAYLOR ARNOLD, associate professor of statistics, and Lauren Tilton, assistant professor of digital humanities, received a $324,693 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support a project to build open-source software for collecting and analyzing digital images. ASHLEY AUSTIN, assistant professor of account-
ing, received a grant from KPMG for her project “Walk the Walk and Talk the Talk: Improving Auditors’ Fraud Detection with Coaching in a Culture of Challenge,” which she is co-authoring with a colleague at the University of Georgia. TYLER BETZHOLD, executive chef, received the designation of Certified Culinary Administrator (CCA) from the American Culinary Federation. The CCA is one of the highest certifications by the ACF and recognizes expertise in culinary skills, management, and leadership in the food industry.
KRISTIN BEZIO, associate professor of leadership
studies, co-edited Religion and the Early Modern British Marketplace (Routledge). JENNIFER BOWIE, associ-
ate professor of political science, with an undergraduate political science major, published the chapter “Jones v. Mississippi on Life Without Parole for Youth Offenders” in SCOTUS 2021: Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court (Palgrave Macmillan). STEVEN BROWN, adjunct professor of human
resource management, has been named to the board of governors of the Virginia Bar Association, representing the Capitol region.
DAN CHEN, assistant professor of political science, co-authored “Policy Stringency, Political Conditions, and Public Performances of Pandemic Control: An International Comparison” in Public Performance and Management Review. RONALD CRUTCHER, University Professor and president emeritus, participated on the panel “Harmonizing DEI, Free Expression, and Academics” at the SXSW EDU 2022 conference in Austin as a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Academic Leaders Task Force on Campus Free Expression.
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ERIKA ZIMMERMANN DAMER, associate professor
of classical studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies, published the chapter “What’s in a Name? Mapping Women’s Names from the Graffiti of Pompeii and Herculaneum” in Women’s Lives, Women’s Voices: Roman Material Culture and Female Agency in the Bay of Naples (University of Texas Press). JONATHAN DATTELBAUM, professor of chemis-
try, received $1.96 million in funding from the National Science Foundation to support biochemistry research experiences for undergraduate students. Dattelbaum is the co-principal investigator for the five-year project, which involves collaboration among faculty at nine schools. MARIAMA REBELLO DE SOUSA DIAS, assistant pro-
fessor of physics, published “Machine Learning Roadmap for Perovskite Photovoltaics” in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.
MEGAN DRISCOLL, assistant professor of art history, published “The Technicity of Blackness: On Failures and Fissures in the Art of Sondra Perry” in Art Journal. DELLA DUMBAUGH, professor of mathematics, co-edited Count Me In: Community and Belonging in Mathematics (American Mathematical Society). LINDA FAIRTILE, head librarian of the Parsons
Music Library, was named to the editorial board of The Works of Giuseppe Verdi, the critical edition of that composer’s works.
DONELSON FORSYTH, Colonel Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, published “Recent Advances in the Study of Group Cohesion” in Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. GENGSONG GAO, assistant professor of Chinese studies, published “Post-Tiananmen Chinese Liberal Intellectuals’ Political Uses of Confucian Tradition and Chinese History” in the Journal of Contemporary China. MARSHALL GEIGER, CSX Chair in Management
and Accounting, received funding from the Foundation for Auditing Research in the Netherlands for his project “Auditors’ Going Concern Decisions: Insights from Practice.” The project interviews audit partners and senior managers regarding the difficult decision to render financially stressed companies a “going concern.”
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DAVID GIANCASPRO, assistant professor of Spanish, co-published the chapter “The Development of Person and Number Agreement in Child Heritage Speakers of Spanish Learning English as a Second Language” in Language in Development: A Crosslinguistic Perspective (MIT Press). Giancaspro and an undergraduate student published “(Ir)regular Mood Swings: Lexical Variability in Heritage Speakers’ Oral Production of Subjunctive Mood” in Language Learning. ELISABETH GRUNER, professor of English, was elected president of the Children’s Literature Association, an international academic organization dedicated to high standards of criticism, scholarship, research, and teaching in children’s literature. DIETER GUNKEL, assistant professor of historical
linguistics, co-published “Vedic Sanskrit vocatives in -an: The case for restoring two endings” in Ha! Linguistic Studies in Honor of Mark R. Hale (Reichert).
BRIAN HENRY, professor of English and creative writing, published Things Are Completely Simple: Poetry and Translation (Parlor Press), translations of Aleš Šteger’s The Book of Bodies (White Pine Press), and Written on Site: Costa da Morte and Santiago de Compostela, Spain (Beletrina Publishing). Henry also published “In and Out of Order” in The Georgia Review and translations of over 50 poems by Tomaž Šalamun, which have appeared in Agni, Blackbird, Guernica, Iterant, Mississippi Review, Missouri Review, Poetry Daily, Poetry Northwest, and Poetry Review (UK), among other places. CRYSTAL HOYT, Colonel Leo K. & Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, co-published “Growth Mindsets of Anxiety: Do the Benefits to Individual Flourishing Come with Societal Costs?” in the Journal of Positive Psychology and “Harnessing Growth Mindsets to Help Individuals Flourish” in Social and Personality Psychology Compass.
OMICRON DELTA KAPPA
SPRING 2022 Epsilon Circle Inductee The national leadership honor society inductions recognize individuals who have demonstrated exemplary character and leadership achievements in one of five phases of campus life: scholarship, athletics, service, communications, and arts. KAREN TURNER Assistant to the Vice President for Student Development Student Development
KATHRYN JACOBSEN, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair, published “Global Health Education for the Post-Pandemic Years” in Global Health Research and Policy, “Impact of COVID-19 on the Vector-Borne Disease Research and Applied Public Health Workforce in the United States” in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and “Physical Inactivity and Sedentariness: Languorous Behavior Among Adolescents in 80 Countries” in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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JULIA KELLY, accessibility
specialist, completed the Association on Higher Education and Disability Start Academy, a foundational experience for disability resource professionals.
ERIK LAURSEN, adjunct professor of education,
co-published with a graduate student “Strengthening Experiential Learning: Innovative Virtual Engagement Strategies of Community Education Organizations” in Curriculum and Teaching.
MICHAEL LEOPOLD, Floyd D. and Elisabeth
S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, has been named an Outstanding Faculty Award recipient by the State Council of Higher Education. The awards are the highest honor for faculty at Virginia’s public and private colleges and universities. Leopold; Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry and associate provost for academic integration; Jeffrey Simpson, director of nuclear magnetic resonance and computational support; and an undergraduate student published “Evaluating Halogen-Bonding Strength as a Function of Molecular Structure Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Computational Analysis” in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. STEPHEN LONG, associate professor of political science and global studies, co-published “Disparity and Diversion: Domestic Economic Inequality and MID Initiation” in Foreign Policy Analysis.
RICK MAYES, professor of health policy, co-authored the chapter “Problem Identification and Agenda Setting: What Rises to a Policymaker’s Attention” in Health Policy & Politics (Jones and Bartlett Learning). LIONEL MEW, assistant professor of information
systems, and Laura Poe, adjunct assistant professor of information systems, published “The Effects of Using the Agile Methodology as an Instructional Format for Software Development Courses” in Industry and Higher Education. MARI LEE MIFSUD, pro-
fessor of rhetoric and women, gender, and sexuality studies, published the essays “Appendix: Atelēs” and “Atechnē” in the edited collection A New Handbook of Rhetoric (Penn State University Press).
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ELENA MILEVA, custodial manager, received
University Facilities’ Leadership Award for 2021.
Assistant Professor of Photography BRITTANY NELSON’s solo exhibition “Beam Us Home”
showed at the Reynolds Gallery in Richmond Nov. 5 through Dec. 23, 2021.
ELIZABETH OUTKA, profes-
sor of English, received the 2021 Transatlantic Studies Association-Cambridge University Press Book Award for Viral Modernism: The Influenza Pandemic and Interwar Literature. The book was also short-listed for the Modernist Studies Association Book Prize. JIMMY NEWCOMB, plumber apprentice, received
University Facilities’ CHEERS (Co-workers Honoring Excellent Employees with Rewards) Award. Winners are selected from a pool of peer-submitted nominees. MATTHEW OWARE, Irving
May Professor of Human Relations, published “Text mining and the examination of language used to report child maltreatment: How language impacts child welfare intake reports” in the Children and Youth Services Review. CAROL PARISH, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gott-
wald Professor of Chemistry and associate provost for academic integration; Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry; Jeffrey Simpson, director of nuclear magnetic resonance and computational support; and an undergraduate student published “Evaluating Halogen-Bonding Strength as a Function of Molecular Structure Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Computational Analysis” in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. Parish, with Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry, students, and off-campus collaborators, published “Investigating novel thiazolyl-indazole derivatives as scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 MPro inhibitors” in European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports. SANDRA PEART, dean
of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, published “On Making and Remaking Ourselves and Others: Mill to Jevons and Beyond on Rationality, Learning, and Paternalism” in Review of Behavioral Economics and “Economists on Private Incentives, Economic Models, and the Administrative State: The Clash Between Happiness and the So-Called Public Good” in Social Philosophy and Policy.
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Milestones
Congratulations to these UR staff and faculty who celebrated major service anniversaries of 25 years and more in 2021.
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Years of Service MIKE DAVISON Arts & Sciences faculty (Music)
RAY DOMINEY Arts & Sciences faculty (Chemistry)
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Years of Service ART CHARLESWORTH Arts & Sciences faculty (Math and Computer Science)
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Years of Service
JOHN EARL Robins School faculty (Finance) JANETTE MORGAN Law Library BOBBY WALTON University Facilities — Plumbing
BLAKE WIDDOWSON Dining Services
MICHAEL MILLER University Facilities — HVAC DYWANA SAUNDERS Boatwright Memorial Library KARL SCHMITZ Campus Telecommunications
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WALTER SCHOEN Arts & Sciences faculty (Theatre and Dance)
JANE BERRY Arts & Sciences faculty (Psychology)
ORLANDA STEVENS User Services Specialists
MICHELE COX International Education
CAROL SUMMERS Arts & Sciences faculty (History)
TANICE FENNER Printing Services
HOPE WALTON Academic Skills Center
Years of Service
CHRIS HARRISON University Facilities — HVAC YVONNE HOWELL Arts & Sciences faculty (Languages, Literatures, and Cultures) DANA LASCU Robins School faculty (Marketing)
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Years of Service LORI CATES Accounting
KIMBERLY CHRISTIAN Heilman Dining Center ROSE CHRISTIAN University Facilities — Custodial
SHARON CONDREY Controller’s Office
ADDITIONAL HONOREES For a complete list of staff service award honorees, visit hr.richmond.edu/ current-employees/ employee-appreciation/ service-awards/ honorees.html.
JOHN DOUGLASS Law School faculty MICHAEL GILLIAM University Facilities — Custodial GEOFF GODDU Arts & Sciences faculty (Philosophy) MITCH HANLEY Data Centers SCOTT JOHNSON Arts & Sciences faculty (Rhetoric and Communication Studies) RON KOSER University Facilities — Carpentry JULIE LASKARIS Arts & Sciences faculty (Classical Studies) TRACI WENZEL University Facilities — Architectural
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JEPPE VON PLATZ, associate professor of philos-
ophy, published “The Principle of Merit and the Capital-Labour Split,” in Economics and Philosophy and “The Injustice of Alienation” in Social Theory and Practice.
LAURA POE, adjunct assistant professor of
information systems, and Lionel Mew, assistant professor of information systems, published “The Effects of Using the Agile Methodology as an Instructional Format for Software Development Courses” in Industry and Higher Education. JULIE POLLOCK, associate
RECENT APPOINTMENT
JENNIFER JONES CAVENAUGH Dean, School of Arts & Sciences Jennifer Jones Cavenaugh will join the UR community as the dean of the School of Arts & Sciences on July 1. Cavenaugh is currently dean of the faculty at Rollins College and the Winifred M. Warden Endowed Chair of Theatre & Dance. She previously served for four years at Rollins as an associate dean of Arts & Sciences and three years as producing artistic director of the Annie Russell Theatre. Cavenaugh’s areas of teaching and research include gender and performance, theater history, script analysis, and American musical theater. Her book Medea’s Daughters: Forming and Performing Women Who Kill examines representations of women criminals in plays and television. She is a member of Actor’s Equity and has performed and directed for over 25 years. She is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards. “Having a long history of being a strong proponent of faculty development and an active participant in shared governance, Dr. Cavenaugh will be a great addition to the University,” said Jeff Legro, executive vice president and provost. “She has deep experience in recruiting, hiring, and retaining an outstanding diverse faculty and in strengthening an academic community, which are also priorities at UR.” Cavenaugh holds a bachelor’s degree in policy studies from Dartmouth College, a master’s in dramaturgy from Brooklyn College, and a doctorate in theater history and dramatic criticism from the University of Washington. Her husband of 20 years, Gregory, will join the Department of Rhetoric and Communication Studies as a visiting assistant professor. “The University of Richmond’s teacher-scholar model and its commitment to a liberal arts education and to undergraduate research drew me in immediately,” said Cavenaugh. “I look forward to working with such a vibrant community.”
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professor of chemistry, with UR undergraduate research students and collaborators from High Point University, published “Identification and evaluation of brominated carbazoles as a novel antibiotic adjuvant scaffold in MRSA” in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. Pollock, with Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, students, and off-campus collaborators, published “Investigating novel thiazolyl-indazole derivatives as scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 MPro inhibitors” in European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Reports. TERRY PRICE, Coston Family Chair in Leadership
and Ethics, published the chapter “Feeling and Dirty Hands: The Role of Regret Experienced by Responsible Agents” in Judgment and Leadership: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Concepts, Practice, and Development (Edward Elgar). OMAR QUINTEROCARMONA, associate pro-
fessor of biology, received the 2021 Prize for Excellence in Inclusivity from the American Society for Cell Biology.
CHRIS VON RUEDEN, associate professor of leadership studies, co-authored “Where They Sing Solo: Accounting for Cross-Cultural Variation in Collective Music-Making in Theories of Music Evolution” in Behavioral and Brain Sciences and “Niche Diversity Predicts Personality Structure Across 115 Nations” in Psychological Science. JEFFREY SIMPSON, director of nuclear magnetic resonance and computational support; Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry; Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry and associate provost for academic integration; and an undergraduate student published “Evaluating Halogen-Bonding Strength as a Function of Molecular Structure Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Computational Analysis” in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A.
BOB SPIRES, associate professor of education, published the chapter “Human Trafficking, Antitrafficking, and Contemporary Theory” in Human Trafficking: Global History and Perspectives (Lexington Books).
2022
Outstanding Service Award Winners
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STEPHANIE SPERA, assistant professor of geography and the environment, received the H. Hiter Harris III Award for Excellence in Instructional Technology from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. The award highlights a faculty or staff member who has incorporated technology in innovative ways in the undergraduate educational experience.
These awards, given annually, honor staff members for exemplary commitment and service to the University in the following categories: clerical support, dining services, administrative, service/maintenance, and sustainability. Outstanding Service Award winners are nominated by their colleagues and supervisors and receive $1,000 and a personalized plaque.
LAUREN TILTON, assistant professor of digital humanities, and Taylor Arnold, associate professor of statistics, received a $324,693 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support a project to build open-source software for collecting and analyzing digital images. JOANNA WARES, associate professor of math-
ematics, published “Predicting the Impact of Placing an Overdose Prevention Site in Philadelphia: A Mathematical Modeling Approach” in the Harm Reduction Journal. Wares received a grant from the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics to support research with UR undergraduates and collaborating faculty at Rollins College to use mathematical models to understand opioid crisis interventions.
Dining Services ERINN BROWN Banquet Captain Catering
Service/Maintenance DREW PARKER Groundskeeper II University Facilities/ Landscape
JAMELLE WILSON, dean of
the School of Professional & Continuing Studies, facilitated the Eighth Annual Executive Briefing on “The Economics of Early Childhood: Smart Beginnings for Virginia’s Workforce Pipeline,” co-hosted by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the Virginia Chamber Foundation.
Sustainability TERRY DOLSON Associate Director, Community-Engaged Learning Bonner Center for Civic Engagement
Administrative CHRIS JONES Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine and Student-Athlete Welfare Sports Medicine
PAUL SANDMAN Integrated Pest Management Specialist University Facilities/ Landscape
Clerical Support JUNE WISE Administrative Coordinator Languages, Literatures, and Cultures 23
NEW HIRES FACULTY
We offer a warm welcome to our new colleagues and congratulations to colleagues taking their next steps.
International Education Awards These annual awards recognize faculty, staff, students, and alumni who perform exemplary acts of internationalization to benefit the University of Richmond and communities beyond.
The following highlights employment status changes for full- and part-time faculty and staff — including temporary to full- or part-time positions — from Nov. 1, 2021, to Jan. 31.
SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES ART AND ART HISTORY Nicholas Baker Visiting Associate Professor of Art History BIOLOGY Stacey Criswell Interim Director of Microscopy PSYCHOLOGY Maruti Mishra Trawick Post-Doctoral Fellow JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES Hadley Rahrig Visiting Lecturer STAFF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Perrin Turner Wood, Metal, and Technology Lab Technician ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Channing Gibb Graduate Program Event Coordinator, MBA Programs
For a complete list of award winners, visit international.richmond.edu.
Zoe Peters Digital Content Coordinator, Dean’s Office
STEPHEN LONG Associate Professor of Political Science and Global Studies
SCHOOL OF LAW Kristina Bergey Administrative Assistant
For his promotion of a global mindset and helping others see themselves as part of a global community
PASSPORT CAFÉ TEAM: KELLEY BROWN, Café Lead MATT CHUBB, Café Associate LILY EVENSTAR, Cook II KAREN KOURKOULIS, Manager MARIE CHANTAL PHAKA, Café/Stores Associate LITA TUCKER, Café Associate For its resiliency throughout the pandemic and creating an extraordinary experience for all who dine there
JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES Samantha Leggett Director of Budget and Operations, Dean’s Office PROVOST Sarah Adams Assistant Director, Community-Engaged Learning, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Emily Bradford Resource Sharing Specialist, Boatwright Memorial Library Selah Coleman Outreach Coordinator, Boatwright Memorial Library Emilia Hodal Administrative Coordinator, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Jessica Rogers Access Services Specialist, Boatwright Memorial Library
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ADVANCEMENT Janae Driver Employer Relations Coordinator, Career Services Suzanne Keller Assistant to the Vice President of Advancement Tabia Matthews Assistant Director, Career Services Ashley Pinney Associate Director of Employer Relations, Career Services Hannah Rhodes Administrative Coordinator, Major Gifts Elizabeth Soady Assistant Director, Career Services ATHLETICS Katherine Bulifant Assistant Athletic Director for Annual Giving, Spider Club Billy Cosh Assistant Football Coach Rebecca Furth Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Christian Gravius Assistant Director of Athletic Public Relations Scott Letts Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach R.D. Montgomery Coordinator for Student-Athlete Success Winston October Assistant Football Coach Alexa Ostoich Assistant Field Hockey Coach BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS SERVICES Kay Anderson Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Mara Beatnick Café Associate, Organic Krush Richard Bollinger Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Johnny Cornish Technical Specialist, Equipment, Printing Services Frankie Davis Daniels Service Associate, Mail Services Timothy Dorsey Assistant Director, Mail Services
Rosario Fox Accounts Payable Specialist, Dining Services Melita Harding Cold Food Production Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Catherine Hash Cashier, ETC Jordan Hayes Café Associate, 8:15 at Boatwright Adrian Hutcherson Cook II, The Cellar Liz Imsick Concessions Lead Keisha Jefferson Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Jacob Lafoon Events and Project Technician, Events, Conferences, and Support Services Desiree Landron Graphic Designer, Printing Services JD McGrann Cook II, Heilman Dining Center
FACILITIES Rob Thomas Stores Clerk, Support Services
Jake Reiman Manager, Outdoor Adventure and Recreation, University Recreation
Jake Wilson Boiler Plant Operator — REACT
Daniel Dho Roberts Assistant Director for Asian, Pacific Island, Desi, and West Asian Student Support and Multicultural Programs, Student Center for Equity and Inclusion
FINANCE/ ADMININSTRATION Jack Cornwell Financial Analyst, Planning and Budget Catherine Fitzgerald Financial Analyst, Planning and Budget HUMAN RESOURCES Anne Taylor Rawls Communication and Events Specialist SECURITY Shiyah Avent Communications Officer John Carter Police Officer INFORMATION SERVICES Patrick Gallagher Multimedia Specialist, Telecom and Media Support Services PLANNING AND POLICY Erica Jackson Senior Associate Registrar for Curriculum and Scheduling
Kirsten McKinney Director of Marketing for Campus Operations, Dining Services
Bryan Moyer Senior Associate Registrar for Technology and Operations
Haley Morse Cook I, Heilman Dining Center
SPIDER MANAGEMENT Caroline Crawford Investor Relations Manager
Elena Patino Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill Morgan Peterson Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Sara Richmond Utility Associate, Organic Krush Will Rigsby Lead Cook, Heilman Dining Center Kayla Sparks Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Lindsey Wagoner Catering Cook I, Heilman Dining Center Carter Walton Director, Events, Conferences, and Support Services CONTROLLER Milja Stefanovska Accounting Analyst, Treasury Services
Rob Stephens Investment Manager STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Tiffany Abdullah Staff Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services Sean Callinan Assistant Director, New Student and Transition Programs Shandra Daniels Administrative Coordinator, Office of the Chaplaincy Reiley Franklin Fitness Trainer, University Recreation Leslie Jacobs Logistics Coordinator, Vice President’s Office Karen Morrissey Administrative Assistant, Health and Well-Being
Tiffany Whitehead Administrative Assistant, Health and Well-Being UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS David Vinson Motion Graphics Editor
MOVES FACULTY SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE Racheal Cooper Visiting Lecturer of Mathematics ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Dale Fickett Instructor of Entrepreneurship STAFF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Miriam Blackmon Academic Administrative Specialist, Art and Art History Pat Coleman Administrative Coordinator, Chemistry Christina Quinones Academic Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Dan Durant Director of Budgeting and Operations, Dean’s Office
Christy Fontana Operations Assistant, Bookstore Sharitka Giles Cashier, Heilman Dining Center Nathan Nero Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center Christopher Quinones Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center FACILITIES Terrell Clarke Custodial Team Leader Damyan Damyanov Rethink Waste Associate, Recycling Joseph Farag Custodial Support Associate Mauricio Lopez Rethink Waste Supervisor, Recycling Slavi Milev Rethink Waste Associate, Recycling INFORMATION SERVICES Andy Southworth System Administrator, Data Centers
Physics
23 YEARS
MICKIE CAMPOS
Career Services
17 YEARS
ALLISON VOGLER
Gift Planning
16 YEARS MARTIN SULZERREICHEL
Arts & Sciences faculty (Languages, Literatures, and Cultures)
15 YEARS
ERIC PALMER
Web Services
13 YEARS
CINDY HOLMA
Campus Safety
11 YEARS KATY TAM
Heilman Dining Center
Karen Turner Assistant to Vice President for Student Development
RETIREMENTS 40 YEARS
GLENICE COOMBS
Law School, Instruction
36 YEARS
ALISON KELLER
Center for Student Involvement
Jenika Simmons Law Library Administrative Coordinator
SCOTT ALLISON
BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS SERVICES Kelley Brown Café Lead, Passport Café
MARY ANN STEWART
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Julia Kelly Accessibility Specialist, Disability Services
SCHOOL OF LAW Meredith Martin Director of Development, Dean’s Office
PROVOST Kathryn Ostrofsky Digital Archive Coordinator, American Studies
24 YEARS
PEOPLE
Fred Fitzgerald Service Associate, Mail Services
34 YEARS
Arts & Sciences faculty (Psychology)
32 YEARS PAUL BIRCH
Law Library
25 YEARS
SUSAN TAYLOR
Jepson School, Dean’s Office
25
410 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
MAY May 6–8 Commencement
JUNE June 3–5 Reunion
May 9, 9–11 a.m. University Faculty Meeting Tyler Haynes Commons, Alice Haynes Room
June 16, 3–5:30 p.m. SummUR Sounds: Bio Ritmo Millhiser Green
May 19, 8:30–10:30 a.m. Spiders in the Know Modlin Center for the Arts, Camp Concert Hall May 19, 3–5:30 p.m. SummUR Sounds: En’Novation Millhiser Green May 30 Memorial Day
June 20 Juneteenth (observed) JULY July 4 Independence Day July 21, 3–5:30 p.m. SummUR Sounds: No BS! Brass Millhiser Green
AUGUST Aug. 17, 3–4:30 p.m. Colloquy Modlin Center for the Arts, Alice Jepson Theatre Aug. 22 First Day of Undergraduate Fall Classes SEPTEMBER Sept. 5 Labor Day Sept. 10 Employee Appreciation Day at Robins Stadium Football vs. St. Francis University Limited free tickets for faculty and staff
USAC The University Staff Advisory Council represents the needs of staff to senior administration and works proactively to make the University of Richmond an employer of choice. Meetings* May 10 June 14 July 12 Aug. 9 Sept. 13 1–3 p.m. Visit usac.richmond. edu for meeting locations. *Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all faculty and staff.
FACULTY SENATE The University of Richmond Faculty Senate is the body authorized by both the University faculty and the Board of Trustees to represent the faculty in the University’s governance process on matters that impact the University or affect more than one school. Visit facultysenate. richmond.edu for meeting times and locations.
