Spider Insider: Winter 2024 by UR Scholarship Repository

Spider Insider

For faculty & staff at the UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Winter 2024

CELEBRATING THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY Cheers to a remarkable milestone — the 20th edition of Spider Insider! These covers from previous issues stand as a testament to the remarkable faculty and staff who make UR shine. We look forward to spotlighting exceptional stories within our academic community for many issues to come.

Winter 2024

Vice president for communications and chief marketing officer Tom Addonizio Associate vice president for communications and media relations Cynthia Price Editor Cheryl Spain Associate vice president for creative and design services Samantha Tannich

Spider Insider

Graphic designer Ashley Gladner Photographer Jamie Betts Staff contributors: Lauren Anesta, María Badillo, Sunni Brown, Alexandra Byrum, Sandi Cauley, Megan Condict, Kevin Creamer, Catherine Amos Cribbs, Rachel Dawson, Matthew Dewald, Kourtney Ennis, Phillip Gravely, Paul Heltzel, Terrance Henderson, Kevin Heraldo, Alicia Hubbard, Pamela Lee, Rachel Long, Jennifer Lo Prete, Katie McBride, Kyra Molinaro, Cynthia Price, Gordon Schmidt, Sandra Shelley, Cindy Smith, Greg Thompson, 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 A staff member shows off the snowflake she made at Winter Chill, an annual employee appreciation event to celebrate the start of the holiday season.

We welcome your input.

Send your story ideas or comments to spiderinsider @richmond.edu.

Winter Melodies Students provided a symphony of seasonal sounds at an annual employee celebration in December.

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Preparing for the Future

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Practitioners

Message from President Kevin F. Hallock

3 Designing for All Transforming UR’s website for diverse user accessibility

Accolades

4 Scholarly, Practical, Professional

New symposium showcases expertise and creativity of faculty and staff across campus

6 Sharpen Your Media Skills Media Mentions

7 The Conversation

Photograph by Jamie Betts

Beyoncé has a prenup — but do you need one if you’re not a millionaire?

A community of practice creates space for leaders to center the hard questions together

10 Social Buzz Embracing Change

Change ambassadors ensure UR community is ready for Banner HR and Finance replacement

11 A Time of Giving

Spiders Helping Spiders, Gratitude Day celebrate donor support

12 ‘Food Is Culture’

Dining team thinks globally, sources locally for International Education Week

13 Academics Abroad

International Partner Immersion Program allows business school faculty a firsthand look into the study abroad experience

PEOPLE 14 Spider Celebration 16 Accomplishments 18 Custodial Award Winners 21 New Hires, Moves, and Retirements 23 Engage for Change Award Winners 24 In Memoriam 25 Intellectual Matchmaker

A conversation with Joan Saab, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost

Preparing for the Future Dear Spiders, 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.

Consider our beautiful, 350-acre, University of Richmond campus. How is space being used? What’s in just the right spot? What tweaks might make it easier to get around? Now, imagine it’s 2030, 2050, or even 2080. How has our campus evolved so that Spiders of the future can continue to flourish as they live, learn, and work? Following a competitive RFP process this year, UR is partnering with Ayers Saint Gross, an internationally acclaimed design firm that specializes in serving institutions of higher education, to ask these questions and many more as we develop a new University of Richmond Campus Plan (URCP). We are starting from a terrific foundation. In 2011, following a comprehensive process, the University released a campus plan. With a careful eye to the stewardship of our breathtaking grounds and the emerging needs of our campus community, the 2011 plan has served us well. It identified the opportunity to develop the Eco-Corridor and construct new student residences, the Gateway Village Apartments. It led to the creation of our heavily utilized intramural/ sports club fields and the construction of the Queally Center, our state-of-the-art admissions and career services facility close to the River Road entrance.

Much has changed at our university, in the field of higher education, and in the world since 2011. It is now time to revisit how we are utilizing space and preparing our campus for the future. As with our previous plan, the development of the 2025 URCP will be grounded in research and analysis, guided by a dedicated steering committee, and informed by a collective vision. Together, we will identify what shifts, updates, and additions to our physical environment will provide the infrastructure we need to continue to strengthen our educational offerings, foster community, cultivate well-being, become more sustainable, and support campus safety. We are incredibly fortunate that our executive vice president and chief operating officer, Dave Hale, will chair the steering committee overseeing these efforts. I am also grateful that insights from Spiders throughout our web will help inform this process. There will be several opportunities for broad community input as we envision how to best preserve and enrich our campus for the Spiders of today and tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s to another great semester at the University of Richmond — and to countless more. Please remember to take care of yourself and look out for others.

Kevin F. Hallock President

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs named UR a TOP PRODUCER OF GILMAN SCHOLARS for the 2021–22 academic year in the small institutions category. The campaign recognizes U.S. colleges and universities for their dedication to providing global opportunities for American students. During the award cycle, 16 UR students received Gilman scholarships.

Designing for All

Transforming UR’s website for diverse user accessibility When considering enhancing University accessibility for people with disabilities, it’s common to focus on physical elements, such as parking, elevators, and signage. However, the often less visible aspect of website accessibility plays a crucial role in fostering a truly inclusive community. Several years ago, University Communications, Web Services, and the Compliance Office began collaborating on improving website accessibility. Although significant, these improvements were made at the template level and were limited by the scope and scale of the tool the departments were using. They needed a more comprehensive solution. In July, the team procured Siteimprove, a leading software that analyzes and scores all University websites for accessibility concerns — categorizing them as technical issues for the web team or content issues for website editors. “To allow users of all abilities to feel supported and an important part of our community, we need to demonstrate our commitment by providing them the tools necessary to be successful in their academic journey, including a quality experience across our nearly 150 public-facing websites,” said Kris Henderson, director of compliance and Title IX coordinator. Ensuring the website works for everyone involves structuring pages to allow people with visual impairments to use screen readers to navigate headings, text, buttons, and images easily. It also entails creating enough contrast to enhance readability for those with trouble differentiating colors and using more legible fonts for those with dyslexia. These are just a few of the many areas of focus. “Siteimprove will help facilitate our efforts to audit sites more efficiently at scale,” said Terrance Henderson, director of user experience. “Creating accessible websites promotes inclusivity and access to our digital content.” Over the coming year, Siteimprove will integrate into Cascade, the University’s content management system, and allow website content editors to better understand any issues and check their content before publishing — including for broken links and misspellings. Plus, Siteimprove has a library of training materials to teach the whys and hows of web accessibility. More details on training and access will be available in the spring. “Bottom line,” Kris Henderson said, “it is the right thing to do and truly is a shared responsibility of our community.”

“Bottom line, it is the right thing to do and truly is a shared responsibility of our community.”

The U.S. Department of State ranked UR NO. 1 FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDY ABROAD (semester- or quarter-length) participation among baccalaureate colleges in its Open Doors Report. Richmond ranked No. 2 for total number of study abroad students, No. 7 for number of students participating in short-term (one- to three-week) programs, No. 11 for percentage of participation in study abroad, and No. 14 for total number of international students.

AROUND THE LAKE

ACCOLADES

The Princeton Review ranked UR No. 30 in the nation for environmental stewardship in its 2024 edition of the “GUIDE TO GREEN COLLEGES.” UR has been included in the guide for more than a decade and has been ranked among the top 50 schools for two consecutive years. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education ranked UR No. 9 for diversity and affordability in the 2023 SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS INDEX, which recognizes top-performing colleges and universities in several sustainability categories. The Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care awarded the Student Health Center THREE-YEAR REACCREDITATION, recognizing the center’s commitment to high-quality care and patient safety. Southern Living included UR on its list of “THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN THE SOUTH,” citing the campus’s “clean landscaping, 16 flower beds, and Gothic architecture.”

Patrick Martin,  assistant professor of computer science, presents “Creative Human-Robot Teams” at the Faculty and Staff Symposium.

Scholarly, Practical, Professional New symposium showcases expertise and creativity of faculty and staff across campus

In September, UR held its first Faculty and Staff Research Symposium at Boatwright Memorial Library. More than 140 individuals shared their stories and research in interdisciplinary sessions that covered a spectrum of topics from “Making 21st-Century Richmond” to “New Ways to Think” to “Authority, Diplomacy, and Espionage.” The concept for the symposium emerged from discussions between co-organizers Elizabeth Outka, professor of English and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of Humanities, and Lidia Radi, professor of French and Italian studies. Having observed through meetings and committee work the remarkable endeavors happening across campus, they sought to create a platform for knowledge sharing and crossdepartmental learning. They imagined a one-day, low-stress event where presenters could talk about their research, work, and creative projects. “We wanted more opportunities for intellectual exchange and conversation with colleagues and knew others felt the same,” Outka said. “Faculty and staff are engaged in amazing projects, but it’s hard to find the time and opportunity to hear about what others are doing.” Recognizing the challenge of capturing the attention of faculty and staff inundated with emails, Outka and Radi took a personal approach

and embarked on a listening tour across campus to individual offices and Richmond’s five schools. They shared their ideas and sought input on shaping the event to be inviting for faculty and staff. Through this approach, they identified the need for a variety of presentation formats — poster sessions, panels, roundtables, and workin-progress presentations — to accommodate the needs of presenters and to best showcase individual work. They also gained valuable insights into the varied demands on time and expectations of faculty and staff, influencing every aspect of symposium planning — from the application process to program design. The co-organizers were hoping for 60 presenters. They received far more than they could have imagined. “When we received over 140 submissions, we were thrilled,” Radi said. “The response shows the hunger people have to share ideas and hear about the work going on all over campus. We made a deliberate effort to define research in a broad and inclusive manner. Research encompasses much more than journal articles and laboratory experiments, vital as they are. Some presenters even shared remarkable projects they were involved in outside their roles at UR.”

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Presentations were organized around themes such as bodies; information and creativity in the classroom; and transnational spaces. Symposium attendees could learn about new research into procrastination from a psychology professor; watch a video of robots learning how to dance with students; and explore how Career Services is integrating job readiness into the Arts & Sciences curriculum. “Creating the symposium was a labor of love and respect for all the remarkable people who bring their ideas, energy, and talents to this place,” Outka said. “Witnessing and experiencing their work in tangible ways during the symposium left a profound impact on us as organizers and we hope on everyone who participated.” The event received positive feedback, with many expressing the desire to participate in future events. Outka and Radi credit the program’s success to the widespread support they received from others across campus, emphasizing that “it takes a university to create such a symposium.”

The School of Arts & Sciences sponsored the event, contributing essential funding and operational and logistical support. University Communications brought design expertise to the table, while the print shop ensured highquality materials. Boatwright Memorial Library provided the central location for the event, and the Faculty Hub hosted the breakfast and many sessions throughout the day. The Provost Office hosted the reception, and the Modlin Center offered its space for the occasion. Dining Services and Catering served up delicious food at the lunch and the reception, and Information Services delivered invaluable tech support. “Elizabeth and Lidia envisioned a forum where faculty and staff from all five schools could come together to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and foster a sense of community within our University,” said Jennifer Cavenaugh, dean of Arts & Sciences. “This symposium is a shining example of our UR’s commitment to intellectual exchange and collaboration. I look forward to next year’s event.”

LEARN MORE For more information on the inaugural Faculty and Staff Research Symposium, including the symposium program and abstracts, visit as.richmond.edu/ events/facultystaff-symposium.

“Witnessing and experiencing their work in tangible ways during the symposium left a profound impact on us as organizers and we hope on everyone who participated.”

SHARPEN YOUR MEDIA SKILLS University Communications’ Media Relations team connects faculty and staff experts with media to elevate the national reach and academic reputation of the University. From vetting media opportunities and coordinating interviews to tracking and sharing media placements, the team provides a variety of resources. MEDIA TRAINING Offered each semester, the three-hour interactive workshop includes tips for working with reporters, methods for developing message points about academic research, and the opportunity to participate in a mock television interview. Next workshop: March 26, 1:30–4:30 p.m. Contact Sunni Brown to attend this or a future session. INTERVIEW PRACTICE Media interviews provide an opportunity for faculty and staff to share their research and expertise with a wider, nonacademic audience. The Media Relations team is available to help individuals best explain their research in everyday language to have wide appeal and garner media attention. The team also provides one-on-one coaching sessions in advance of reporter interviews. THE CONVERSATION The University partners with The Conversation, an independent news outlet specializing in articles written by faculty for a general audience. All articles are distributed by The Associated Press and available to hundreds of news outlets for republishing. Articles authored by UR faculty have appeared in Newsweek, Scientific American, Fast Company, and more. The Media Relations team will share potential writing opportunities and proactively pitch ideas. MEET THE TEAM LAUREN ANESTA Media relations manager, lauren.anesta@richmond.edu

SUNNI BROWN Director of media and public relations, sbrown5@richmond.edu CYNTHIA PRICE Associate vice president for communications and media relations, cprice2@richmond.edu

Visit news.richmond.edu to view the University’s expert guides, media releases, and media mentions. Additional resources, including an interview checklist, are also available. 6

MEDIA MENTIONS Geography professor STEPHANIE SPERA was quoted in “How climate change disrupts fall foliage” related to her latest research on climate change and fall leaves in Maine’s Acadia National Park. “The whole season is being jeopardized,” Spera said. “I think it’s getting a lot shorter. Spring is starting earlier. Everything is shifting.” ERNEST MCGOWEN, professor of political science, was quoted about a GOP debate in “Trump seeks to steal attention from GOP debate.” “Trump can’t lose by not going to the debate,” McGowen said. “He can only lose by going to the debate because if he goes … then the whole debate becomes about picking at not only just policy but picking at things that he said in the media.” The article was republished by The Miami Herald and The Charlotte Observer. Law professor CORINNA LAIN was quoted in “Alabama Death-Row Inmate Fights Looming Use of New Execution Method.” “What you see now is a host of problems, really a tsunami of problems, that are hitting the states,” said Lain on the state of lethal injection in the U.S. “They can’t get the drugs. They can’t insert an IV into the vein. They can’t get qualified people to do it.” “How Video Games Can Teach Social Values Through Realistic Play” quoted leadership studies professor KRISTIN BEZIO. “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,” Bezio said. CAROL PARISH, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry and associate provost for academic integration, authored “Diversifying the Workforce for Data-Related Jobs Starts with Inclusivity in Research.” “Research is an effective on-ramp to data-driven careers, especially when research mentors make an intentional effort to foster supportive and inclusive environments in their labs and research groups,” Parish wrote. Marketing lecturer BILL BERGMAN was quoted in “By Seizing @Music, Elon Musk Shows He Doesn’t Know What Made Twitter Good.” “Has he intimidated and upset all of the advertisers? Absolutely. Has he intimidated and upset all of our users that have been with this platform for 20 years? Absolutely,” said Bergman on Elon Musk’s rebranding strategy. “But he doesn’t seem to care about that.” KATE CASSADA, professor of education and assistant chair of graduate education, authored “Lack Of Policy Regarding Generative AI Use In Schools Places Students At Risk.” “At this early stage, schools are unsure what to do with generative AI and what it means for learning and teaching,” Cassada wrote. “It is safe to say that K-12 schools across the country are considering the impact of generative AI, but there has not been enough time for coherent policies to be in place.” Visit news.richmond.edu to view additional media mentions or connect with University Communications’ Media Relations team, Cynthia Price, Sunni Brown, and Lauren Anesta.

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THE CONVERSATION

Beyoncé has a prenup — but do you need one if you’re not a millionaire? A prenuptial agreement can seem like something only high-profile people like Jeff Bezos actually need, but prenups — contracts entered into before marriage that detail how assets will be divided in the case of divorce — can be a good idea for anyone going into a marriage. A recent poll showed that the percentage of couples with prenups has risen from 3% in 2010 to 15% in 2022. Nearly 40% of married or engaged couples between the ages of 18 and 34 have signed prenups, while just 13% of couples between 45 and 54 have done so. A shield from unwanted debt and state laws Millennials have accumulated more debt than previous generations, and prenups can help millennial couples navigate some of the concerns about debt in marriage. For example, couples can agree to allocate student loan debt to the person who took out the loan. If executed correctly, prenups can also take precedence over state laws. When you get divorced, you can either follow the terms in a prenup or be at the mercy of a divorce court’s estimation of who should get what. State rules that generally divide all assets and debt equally were initially created for divorcing couples with conventional and gendered household patterns, for example, a stay-at-home mother and working father. Younger couples are likely to organize their households much differently. Both spouses generally work, and

expectations about who is responsible for child rearing are more varied. Prenups are a helpful way to address these emergent work-life arrangements. For example, one spouse can choose to keep their income as separate property, not to be divided upon divorce. New ways to draft a prenup New platforms like Hello Prenup can be helpful for younger couples. The company aims to make the prenup process more accessible and less costly — think TurboTax but for prenups. Online platforms like Rocket Lawyer or Legal Templates also offer a prenup template.

Nearly 40% of married or engaged couples between the ages of 18 and 34 have signed prenups, while just 13% of couples between 45 and 54 have done so.

Photograph by Kevin Mazur via Getty Images

A valuable conversation Prenups make the news because of celebrity agreements and sensational provisions, like fidelity clauses or sobriety requirements. However, most couples draft prenups to feel financially safe and know what will happen if they divorce. One of the most significant benefits of prenups is that they get couples to talk about their financial lives and what it might look like to merge or separate finances as a part of marriage. And, considering conflicts around money are one of the biggest causes of divorce, prenup conversations may be the best kind of wedding planning you can do. By Allison Anna Tait, associate dean for faculty development and professor of law

JOIN THE CONVERSATION A complete list of The Conversation articles, including this one by Tait, is available at news.richmond.edu/ placements/ conversation.html. Faculty interested in writing for The Conversation can contact Sunni Brown, director of media and public relations, at sbrown5@ richmond.edu, or Lauren Anesta, media relations manager, at lauren.anesta@richmond.edu. Reprints of The Conversation articles appear frequently in Spider Insider, University of Richmond Magazine, and UR Now (urnow.richmond. edu).

The DEIB (Diversity,  Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Community of Practice brings together UR staff members whose roles include a significant focus on diversityrelated matters.

AFFINITY GROUPS FOR STAFF AND FACULTY BELONGING Three new staff and faculty affinity groups — UR Mosaic Collective (formerly known as Staff and Faculty of Color), Women in Leadership, and UR Proud (for LGBTQ+ staff and faculty) — play an important role in nurturing a supportive and welcoming environment for all on campus. Piloted in 2022–23 by Human Resources in collaboration with the Office for Institutional Equity & Inclusion, the groups continue to grow. Anyone interested in learning more about each group’s mission and how to get involved can visit hr.richmond.edu/ current-employees/ affinity-groups.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Practitioners A community of practice creates space for leaders to center the hard questions together In June 2019, the Making Excellence Inclusive report laid out a visionary blueprint for the University of Richmond, aspiring to transform it into a model diverse community. The report identified crucial action steps and emphasized the need for better coordination of the many initiatives, committees, programs, and offices dedicated to making UR an inclusive community for all students, staff, and faculty. In response to the report, two pivotal groups emerged to address the call for better alignment. The Interim Coordinating Council for Thriving, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, an instrumental force behind the Making Excellence Inclusive report, evolved into the Inclusive Community Council (ICC). Comprising faculty, staff, and students, the ICC is committed to shaping and sharpening UR’s focus on the systemic changes necessary for achieving its long-term vision of

an antiracist institution in which every member is fully embraced. Simultaneously, the DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Community of Practice was established to unite University of Richmond staff members whose roles and responsibilities substantially focus on diversityrelated matters. Co-chaired by Glyn Hughes, director of institutional equity and inclusion, and LaRee Sugg, deputy director of athletics for policy and sports management, senior woman administrator, and chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion for athletics, the group convenes regularly to align and bolster individual efforts toward institutional commitments. They share best practices, identify and troubleshoot challenges, engage in professional development, and provide mutual support.

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“I’m interested in a change where we aren’t thinking about DEIB as a check box kind of situation, but instead, it’s a set of questions that we all struggle with all the time,” Hughes said. “That’s part of what it means to do DEIB well as an institution or a community. You have ways of centering the hard questions and dealing with them together.” Membership in the DEIB Community of Practice has continued to grow with the establishment of new roles, creating a space where campus leaders can come together to learn from one another. “I’ve been in DEIfocused roles before, but the community of practice is the first time I’ve even been able to share stories and challenges with other DEIB leaders on campus,” said Sara Tandy, assistant dean for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the School of Law, who joined the group in the summer. “It’s awesome to feel so connected.” The 19 community of practice members represent departments across campus, including Admissions, Alumni Relations, Disability Services, Human Resources, the Office of the Chaplaincy,

the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion, Athletics, the School of Arts & Sciences, and the School of Law. “It has been my great privilege and honor to serve alongside my DEIB Community of Practice colleagues,” Sugg said. “Community of practice members work individually and collectively toward creating programming and initiatives that enhance our campus community and are the engine that is driving the University toward its stated goals surrounding inclusion and belonging for students, faculty, and staff.” For more information on the University’s DEIB efforts, including institutional commitments, ongoing initiatives, and available resources, visit equity. richmond.edu. A search for a new vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is currently underway.

“I’m interested in a change where we aren’t thinking about DEIB as a check box kind of situation.”

ONGOING LEARNING Human Resources and various campus offices regularly provide professional development and learning opportunities with a focus on DEIB. Hosted by the Faculty Hub and the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusion, “Talking the Talk” is a new forum to share, discuss, and practice equity-minded skills for navigating difficult discussions in and outside the classroom. The Community Dialogue Network offers a comprehensive training series on equity-minded group facilitation skills and is now available as a WELL 100 class for students. For details on these programs and more, visit equity. richmond.edu/ resources/index.html.

SOCIAL BUZZ A roundup of reactions to posts on @urichmond: What a fine professor and an even finer human. I still remember the first time [Dean Simpson, professor of classical studies] read the first lines of The Iliad in Greek to my class. It was a class that studied The Iliad and The Odyssey in English. Because of him and the passion of his teaching, I became a Greek major. —Tanya Toivonen Morrisett via Facebook

You can draw a direct line from Ralph Adams Cram’s original vision in the early 1900s through to Andrew McBride and Chuck Rogers leadership of Architectural Services in the beginning of this century. The entire team from Architecture to Facilities Management is among the best we have working today, and it shows in their considered improvement of the campus year after year. —Shane Oberholtzer via LinkedIn What an incredibly generous gift and selfless gesture. UofR really does crank out some incredible people. Congratulations to all the future students benefiting from this gift, and to that successful RSB alum with the gigantic heart! —Stephen Payne via LinkedIn, referring to the $10 million gift to support scholarships for students in the Robins School of Business

Every season is more beautiful than the last at UR! —Carole Ann via Facebook [UR] was the first school I toured and the barometer by which I measured every tour that followed. In the end, it was the University Scholars program that made my decision for me, but the setting sure was nice! —Ann Elizabeth Hedges via Linkedin

Connect with us on Facebook, X, and Instagram: @urichmond

Embracing Change

Change ambassadors ensure UR community is ready for Banner HR and Finance replacement The Workday@UR initiative marks a significant transformation of the University’s enterprise resource planning by replacing Banner Finance, Human Resources, and Payroll with the dynamic capabilities of Workday. This sweeping change affects every University community member, necessitating adopting a change management strategy that places communication and training at its core. Driving the strategy is Julie Farmer, director of change management, who joined the University in August. A Prosci-certified change practitioner, Farmer brings extensive experience to the project team. “We all have a role to play in supporting ourselves, our teams, and the University through these changes.” Farmer said. “Our project’s success hinges on how well we support our people to move through the series of changes in processes, tools, systems, roles, etc., and to learn new behaviors needed to do our jobs and utilize Workday effectively.” To orchestrate a seamless move to Workday, Farmer is spearheading a Change Ambassador Network (CAN), comprising 50 to 75 staff and faculty from across the University. The program is a grassroots effort to facilitate communication between departments and the Workday@UR team. CAN will play a pivotal role in testing the Workday system throughout summer and fall, paving the way for a smooth transition when Workday goes live in January 2025. CAN will also serve as a resource for departments seeking guidance on the new Workday system and processes. The Workday@UR team will unveil changes to business processes, policies, systems, and roles in the coming months. Change ambassadors will play a crucial part in disseminating this information and collecting department feedback. Later in the year, the team will offer end-user training and develop comprehensive job aids to ensure everyone is prepared to navigate the new system. “My hope is that when Workday launches, all system users feel well prepared and excited about the possibilities that Workday brings to their day-to-day job functions,” Farmer said. For more information on engaging with the Change Ambassador Network and to stay abreast of Workday@UR updates, please visit the project website at workday.richmond.edu.

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A Time of Giving Spiders Helping Spiders, Gratitude Day celebrate donor support The UR Advancement Office hosted two campuswide initiatives in the fall to engage the Spider community in philanthropy. The sixth annual Spiders Helping Spiders campaign was held Nov. 1–7, raising more than $312,000 to support students with financial need. Gifts are directed toward financial aid; the Student Emergency Fund, which helps students who experience urgent and unforeseen expenses; and the Career Opportunity Fund, which provides students financial assistance to pursue internships, job interviews, or graduate school. Leslie Stevenson, director of career development in Career Services, oversees the Career Opportunity Fund and distributes resources to qualifying student applicants. As a result of funds raised last year, 148 students received more than $27,000 in aid, with an average award of $235. Top funding requests were for professional attire, travel for interviews, and graduate and professional school application fees. “These resources can make all the difference for helping a student start the next phase of their journey,” Stevenson said. “Whether it’s making a great first impression for an interview or having the means to travel, the impact on students is substantial. We are helping them do something they might not be able to do otherwise.”

Stevenson said she is also proud to support the fund as a donor. “Being at UR has helped me understand the importance of giving back to the place where I work,” she said. “So much of my experience is made possible by gifts that others have made before me, and it’s my responsibility to maintain that tradition.” The Spider community came together to celebrate the generosity of donors like Stevenson as part of the fourth annual Gratitude Day on Nov. 9. Students, faculty, and staff gathered on the University Forum. They participated in various activities to thank donors, such as writing down their words of appreciation on notecards that were displayed on a large web and recording video messages. Spiders not on campus were invited to submit their words of gratitude online. “Gratitude Day is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the impact that donor giving has had on all facets of the University,” said Rachel Hill, assistant director, donor recognition and experience. “We are thrilled that the Spider community has joined us in embracing this new tradition on campus.”

As a result of funds raised last year, 148 students received more than $27,000 in aid, with an average award of $235.

Save the date: The 2024 UR Here Giving Day will be held April 3–4 to support funds that help make Richmond affordable for all students and enable UR to offer students the personal care, experiences, and academic excellence for which Richmond is known.

ENDURING GENEROSITY UR was fortunate to receive three transformational gifts in 2023. Alumni and longtime supporters Carole and Marcus Weinstein donated $25 million in March to fund the new Carole and Marcus Weinstein Learning Center and $3 million in May to support Jewish life on campus. In September, an anonymous alumnus committed a $10 million planned gift to create an endowed scholarship for Robins School of Business students.

A SURPRISING TASTE OF HOME Dining Services, in its commitment to excellence during International Education Week, endeavors to craft culinary creations that capture the essence of the featured region — and accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions. During Chile Week in 2021, a Chilean visitor was moved to the brink of tears upon being served a vegan version of cazuela, a national dish traditionally made with meat — an ingredient incompatible with her vegetarian lifestyle. “She savored every bite,” Merritt said.

‘Food Is Culture’

Dining team thinks globally, sources locally for International Education Week Executive Chef Tyler Betzhold and the Dining Services team have dished out authentic culinary fare for International Education Week since 2017, starting with a spotlight on Denmark. Since then, South Africa, East Asia, India, Chile, and New Zealand have been at the center of the celebrations, challenging the team to authentically represent the diverse histories and cultures of the featured countries and regions. “The biggest event of every International Education Week is the international dinner, which allows our campus community to embark on a culinary journey along with the Ecochallenge and other learning activities,” said Martha Merritt, dean and the Carole M. Weinstein Chair of International Education. “Dining Services is devoted to creating foods that will please students and others from these regions — and doing it on a very large scale.” This year, however, feeding the roughly 2,000 who attend the annual international dinner — and those who partake of the week’s worldly lunch specials — posed a unique challenge for the Dining Services team, as programming explored local and global sustainability. Unlike previous years that focused on a single country, “Braided Knowledge for a Sustainable Future: Rivers, Indigenous Communities, Justice” brought scholars and activists from Denmark, Japan, South Africa, and New Zealand back to campus to serve as ambassadors for a more sustainable future.

“They’re not only different countries, but different continents with different flavor profiles,” Betzhold said. “It’s pretty intensive, the research and development that goes into these specific meals, because we know we’re representing not only the University but also the students from these areas.” Betzhold and his team taste-tested a variety of foods to create menu items with flavor profiles that reminded UR’s international students and others of home. The team also strove to balance authenticity with sustainability, identifying locally sourced alternative meats, cheeses, and produce to minimize the reliance on imports. They used native Virginia fish in the noodle bowls of Japan, sausage from Alexandria, Virginia, in the Gatsby sandwich of South Africa, and cheeses from throughout the state that are variations of those produced in the partner countries. “We wanted to minimize importing items in from the four countries because it doesn’t make sense to be sustainable and then ship everything in from around the world,” he said. Betzhold said the International Education Week dining experience offered attendees a deeper understanding of different cultures and communities. “Food is culture,” he said. “Breaking bread is the essence of community.”

“Breaking bread is the essence of community.”

AROUND THE LAKE

Academics Abroad

International Partner Immersion Program allows business school faculty a firsthand look into the study abroad experience The Robins School has a long tradition of excellence in international business education, preparing students to navigate and succeed in a global business landscape. More than half of business school students partake in enriching study abroad experiences, while others pursue their interests in this area through the international business concentration. In 2023, the Robins School of Business launched the Faculty International Partner Immersion Program to deepen connections with its 53 international partner institutions representing some of the top business schools in the world. The aim was to gain firsthand insights into the transformative experiences awaiting Robins students studying abroad at these establishments. The inaugural cohort included 14 business school faculty members representing all six academic departments. The group visited two universities in Barcelona, Spain (Esade Barcelona Pedralbes and Universitat Pompeu Fabra), two in Madrid (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and St. Louis University Madrid), and one in Lisbon, Portugal (ISEG-Lisbon School of Economics and Management). These universities hosted 32% of the 178 Robins School students who studied abroad in the fall of 2023. Faculty learned about the institutions’ degree and course offerings, toured facilities, attended faculty presentations, discussed research collaboration opportunities, and gained a glimpse into the exchange student experience.

“Our delegation set out to engage with our partners to learn from one another, promote collaboration, and better the experiences of our exchange and international students,” said Joe Farizo, assistant professor of finance. “I believe that in our short time there, we’ve fulfilled that purpose. A beautiful experience indeed.” Planning for the summer 2024 program is underway, with Patricio Duran, associate professor of management and an international business and global strategy expert, leading the charge. The trip will take faculty to Milan and to Copenhagen, Denmark, to visit four programs, including Bocconi University and the University of Copenhagen, two internationally acclaimed business schools. Faculty interested in joining the cohort must share how the program will impact their research and pledge to serve as ambassadors of the study abroad experience. “The extraordinary outcome of the IPIP experience surpassed even my most ambitious expectations,” said Mickey Quiñones, dean of the Robins School. “Not only did we learn far more about each school than I anticipated, but we also forged a strong camaraderie among our diverse group. What may have started as a faculty development program was an organizational culture-building exercise. Furthermore, the experience strengthened our commitment to international business education.”

“Our delegation set out to engage with our partners to learn from one another, promote collaboration, and better the experiences of our exchange and international students.”

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS The Robins School partners with 53 international institutions in countries ranging from Argentina, Brazil, and Sweden to South Korea, Singapore, and New Zealand. During the 2022–23 academic year, 166 business school students studied abroad, and the school was host to 75 international exchange students, the majority from these partner institutions. For more information about international business, visit robins.richmond. edu.

PEOPLE SPIDER CELEBRATION Gabriel Lewis and Elizabeth Reed, utility associates at the Heilman Dining Center, dished out popcorn — and a generous serving of joy — on Spider Day 2023. Faculty, staff, and students dined on Spider favorites to kick off the daylong event. As the sun set, alumni joined in as the celebration continued on Millhiser Green, where everyone gathered under the lights for the evening festival, featuring games, food trucks, and three Spider bands. “Spider Day was a lot of fun,” Lewis said. “Everyone came out and had a good time. I loved interacting with the students — they had great energy.”

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 Elizabeth Kissling, associate professor of Spanish and applied linguistics, published “Preliminary Evidence that Applied Cognitive Linguistics is Effective for Novice Learners Regardless of their Individual Differences” in Language Teaching Research. BILL BERGMAN, instructor in marketing, received

the universitywide Distinguished Advisor Award from the Academic Advising Resource Center. The award seeks to recognize an advisor’s deep commitment to academic advising. PRATEEK BHAKTA, associ-

ate professor of computer science, and Heather Russell, associate professor of mathematics, co-published “Block symmetries in graph coloring reconfiguration systems” in Advances in Applied Mathematics. CHRIS BISCHOF, associate professor of history,

presented “Teaching the Hungry: The Politics of School Meals, Philanthropy, and Land in a Rural Scottish Community, 1893–1930” at the History of Education Society Conference. ASHLEY BLOUNT, Tyler’s Grill cook, placed

second in the 2023 Dole Jack(fruit) of All Trades Foodservice Chef Recipe Contest with “Local Sweet Heat Peach BBQ Jackfruit Naan Pizza and Soft Tacos.” LINDA BOLAND, associate provost for faculty

and professor of biology, co-authored “Harnessing the Power of the Sabbatical: Providing Strategic Guidance to Faculty Developers” in the Journal of Faculty Development. JENNIFER BOWIE, associate professor of political

science, co-published “Hierarchical Interactions and Compliance in Comparative Courts” in Political Research Quarterly. DAN CHEN, assistant pro-

fessor of political science, received a grant from the American Political Science Association’s Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs to support her research trip to China to study the political and cultural power of stand-up comedy in China.

OLGA CHYKINA, assistant professor of leader-

ship studies, published “Expecting to achieve against the odds: Anti-immigrant sentiment and immigrants’ educational and occupational expectations in Europe” in the European Journal of Education: Research, Development and Policy. RYAN COPPAGE, director of introductory lab-

oratories in chemistry, and an undergraduate student published “Degradation (and Mechanism) of Kanthal APM Heating Elements through Electric Kiln Firing” in Informit. JANAE DRIVER, associate director for employer

relations, received the New Professional Award from the Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers. The award honors a VACE member who has made notable contributions in their current professional role.

ART DURNEV, Patricia A. and George W. Wellde

Jr. Distinguished Chair in Finance, presented his research on climate and the financial markets at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Durnev was invited to serve as editor of a special issue of the Journal of Risk and Financial Management on politics and investment. DANA EL KURD, assistant professor of political

science, published “Elusive decolonisation of IR in the Arab world” in Review of International Studies. DEBORWAH FAULK, assistant professor of

sociology and Africana studies, was awarded the 2023–24 Innovations in Pedagogy and Teaching Fellowship by The HistoryMakers. CATHERINE FITZGERALD, senior budget and

planning analyst, was selected to participate in the National Association of College and University Business Officers 2023–24 Emerging Leaders Program. GENGSONG GAO, associate

professor of Chinese studies, co-authored the chapter “Exploring L2 Chinese Learners’ Connective Usage in Writing: An Error Analysis Approach” in Developing Writing Competence in L2 Chinese Classrooms: Research and Application (Multilingual Matters). Gao co-published “Strategies-based Chinese as a Second Language Reading Instruction: Effects and Learners’ Perceptions” in Reading in a Foreign Language. GUZEL GARIFULLINA, assistant professor of lead-

ership studies, published “The best among the connected (men): Promotion in the Russian state apparatus” in Post-Soviet Affairs. KRISTINE GRAYSON, associate professor of biol-

ogy, received a $162,438 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture Invasive Pest Insect program for her research on invasive insect control.

sor of sociology, received the 2023 Mirra Komarovsky Book Award from the Eastern Sociological Society for Wartime Suffering and Survival: The Human Condition under Siege in the Blockade of Leningrad, 1941–1944 (Oxford University Press).

JULIA KELLY, accessibility specialist in Disability

Services, earned the designation of Disability Resource Specialist through Northern Arizona University.

ELIZABETH KISSLING, asso-

ship studies, published “Reimagining Resistance: The Voting Rights Act’s Immediate Resistance” in the Liberty University Law Review.

ciate professor of Spanish and applied linguistics, and Taylor Arnold, associate professor of statistics, published “Preliminary Evidence that Applied Cognitive Linguistics is Effective for Novice Learners Regardless of their Individual Differences” in Language Teaching Research.

DANIEL L. HOCUTT, web manager in the School

DAVID KITCHEN, associate dean of professional

JULIAN HAYTER, associate professor of leader-

of Professional and Continuing Studies, was among co-authors who received the Computers and Composition Ellen Nold Article Award for “Metaphors, Mental Models, and Multiplicity: Understanding Student Perception of Digital Literacy.” CRYSTAL HOYT, Colonel Leo

K. and Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, and Kristjen Lundberg, associate professor of psychology, co-published “When Coupled With Anti-Egalitarianism, Colour Evasion Predicts Protection of the Status Quo During a University-Wide Movement for Racial Justice” in the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. Hoyt also co-published “Mindsets of poverty: Implications for redistributive policy support” in Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, and “Growth mindsets of people can promote interracial contact intentions among White Americans via positive expectations and reduced anxiety” in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. KATHRYN JACOBSEN, William E. Cooper Distin-

guished University Chair and professor of health studies, co-published “Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Related to Antimicrobial Resistance Among Undergraduate Students at a Large Public University in 2020” in the Journal of American College Health. SANDRA JOIREMAN, Weinstein Chair of Inter-

national Studies, co-published “Post-conflict Restitution of Customary Land: Guidelines and Trajectories of Change” in World Development. YUCONG JIANG, assistant professor of computer

science, and students published “An Interactive Tool for Exploring Score-Aligned Performances: Opportunities for Enhanced Music Engagement” in the proceedings of the Audio Mostly 2023 conference and presented their work at the conference in Edinburgh. Jiang was awarded a $75,000 Digital Humanities Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her project “Prototyping a Digital Tool for Computer-Assisted Annotation and Analysis of Music Performance.”

PEOPLE

JEFFREY HASS, profes-

education and special programs and associate professor of geology, released the second edition of Global Climate Change: Turning Knowledge into Action (Routledge).

LAURA KNOUSE, professor

of psychology, and undergraduate students published “Avoidant Automatic Thoughts are Associated with Task Avoidance and Inattention in the Moment” in Cognitive Therapy and Research. Knouse co-published Thriving in College with ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Skills Workbook for Students (Routledge) and Thriving in College with ADHD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Skills Manual for Therapists (Routledge). KYLIE KORSNACK, assistant director of the

Faculty Hub; Michael Norris, associate professor of chemistry; and an undergraduate student presented “Partnership-in-Progress: Early Snapshots of a Pedagogical Partnership Program” at the Conference on Engaged Learning at Elon University. LAURA KUTI, assistant professor of education;

Deborah Napoli, director of clinical practice in the education department; and Bob Spires, associate professor of education, co-authored the chapter “Leveraging Existing Policy for a University/K–12 Partnership: Using a Teacher Residency and Induction Model to Address a Teacher Shortage in Virginia, USA” in International Perspectives on School-University Partnerships: Research, Policy, and Practice (Springer). MICHAEL LEOPOLD, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S.

Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, served as a collaborating investigator on a grant through the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program awarded to High Point University (HPU) for a maskless photolithography instrument. The grant will provide UR faculty and students with access to a state-of-the-art direct writing lithography instrument for creating microstructure and strengthen interaction with HPU, one of the most prominent undergraduate-focused institutions in the region. Leopold and undergraduate students published “Nanomaterial-Doped Xerogels for Biosens17

ing Measurements of Xanthine in Clinical and Industrial Applications” in Gels. The paper was selected as the cover article for the journal. MATTHEW LOWDER, associ-

ate professor of psychology, co-published “Emotionality Effects in Korean Visual Word Recognition: Evidence from Lab-Based and Web-Based Lexical Decision Tasks” in Acta Psychologica. KRISTJEN LUNDBERG, associate professor of

2023 Custodial Award Winners These annual University Facilities awards recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating that the custodial commitments — safety, hospitality, quality, and efficiency — make an impact in our communities. CUSTODIAL SAFETY AWARD

Champions safety through their actions and commitment to themselves, their fellow staff, and the entire UR community JOE FARAG, CUSTODIAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATE

CUSTODIAL HOSPITALITY AWARD

Demonstrates a positive attitude and an ability to build lasting relationships SAMMY BLOUNT, CUSTODIAN

psychology, and Crystal Hoyt, Colonel Leo K. and Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, co-published “When Coupled With Anti-Egalitarianism, Colour Evasion Predicts Protection of the Status Quo During a University-Wide Movement for Racial Justice” in the Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. RICK MAYES, professor of

health policy, co-published “Not What We Signed Up For: Nurse Shortages, Physician Scarcity, and Time for Collective Bargaining?” in World Medical & Health Policy. Mayes delivered a research presentation to the Richmond Academy of Medicine on the burnout crisis among physicians and other front-line health care workers and the growing consideration of unionization in the health care sector for the purpose of health system reform. NATALIE MCCAULEY, director of Russian studies,

Displays exemplary attention to detail and exceptional service

published “Televising the Gulag in Putin’s Russia: Dekabristka, Melodrama, and Russia’s National Narrative” in the Slavic and East European Journal.

KRISTINA MARICIC, CUSTODIAN

ANDY MCGRAW, associate professor of music,

CUSTODIAL QUALITY AWARD

CUSTODIAL EFFICIENCY AWARD

Displays creative thinking, provides innovative suggestions, and continually seeks ways to improve the operation IRENE TERRY, CUSTODIAN

CUSTODIAL COMMITMENT AWARD

Most exemplifies all four commitments of the custodial department MATBIEN DENG, TEAM LEADER

received a 2024 Fulbright teacher grant to teach two courses at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Surakarta. KEITH “MAC” MCINTOSH,

vice president and chief information officer, was named to the list “30 Higher Ed IT Influencers to Follow in 2023” in EdTech: Focus on Higher Education.

CUSTODIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD

Demonstrates dedication to the team’s success, develops those around them, and serves those they lead MANNY HAINES, TEAM LEADER

CUSTODIAL LEGACY AWARD

Presented to an individual whose vast contributions and immense care have fundamentally impacted the team by setting an example and leaving a lasting impression JERMAINE MASSENBURG, CUSTODIAL MANAGER SHERMAN JOHNSON, TEAM LEADER 18

KYRA MOLINARO, assistant director of donor

communications, presented “Because of You: Communicating Impact through People-Focused Storytelling” at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Annual Conference for Donor Relations Professionals.

rector of clinical practice in the education department; Laura Kuti, assistant professor of education; and Bob Spires, associate professor of education, co-authored the chapter “Leveraging Existing Policy for a University/K–12 Partnership: Using a Teacher Residency and Induction Model to Address a Teacher Shortage in Virginia, USA” in International Perspectives on School-University Partnerships: Research, Policy, and Practice (Springer).

es Created Through Human-Machine Collaboration” in the Proceedings of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL), which was nominated for the Best Paper Award. SANDRA PEART, dean of the Jepson School

of Leadership Studies and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, co-published “Harriet Martineau: Economist as Storyteller and Traveler” in The Independent Review: A Journal of Political Economy. JULIE POLLOCK, associate

istry; Kylie Korsnack, assistant director of the Faculty Hub; and an undergraduate student presented “Partnership-in-Progress: Early Snapshots of a Pedagogical Partnership Program” at the Conference on Engaged Learning at Elon University.

professor of chemistry, gave the keynote address, “The Power of Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Research: Strategies Towards the Development of Selective Drug-Like Molecules,” during the Duke Graduate Chemistry Council’s eighth annual Chemistry Research Symposium.

LILLA ORR, assistant professor of data science

OMAR QUINTERO-CARMONA, associate profes-

MICHAEL NORRIS, associate professor of chem-

and statistics, was awarded a $22,855 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the impacts of public policy on immigrant family well-being.

sor of biology, co-published “Building the Next Generation of Virtual Cells to Understand Cellular Biology” in Biophysical Journal.

MATTHEW OWARE, Irving May Professor of Hu-

Richardson Chair in Mathematics, received a $30,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to host the annual Virginia Operator Theory and Complex Analysis Meeting at UR.

man Relations and professor of sociology, published the chapter “Battle Rap: An Exploration of Competitive Rhyming in Hip Hop” in African Battle Traditions of Insult: Verbal Arts, Song-Poetry, and Performance (Palgrave Macmillan). CAROL PARISH, associ-

ate provost for academic integration and Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, will serve as a co-principal investigator on a $300,000 grant through the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation Program to support young chemists. The three-year grant will purchase a high-performance computer cluster, providing the opportunity to increase undergraduate-focused research. Parish published “Diversifying the Workforce for Data-Related Jobs Starts with Inclusivity in Research” in Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Parish, along with an undergraduate student co-author and in collaboration with Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann, published “Variations on the Bergman Cyclization Theme: Electrocyclizations of Ionic Penta-, Hepta-, and Octadiynes,” in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. JON PARK, assistant pro-

fessor of computer science, co-published “Memory-Efficient Fine-Tuning of Compressed Large Language Models via Sub-4-bit Integer Quantization” in the Proceedings of the Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) and “SQuARe: A Large-Scale Dataset of Sensitive Questions and Acceptable Respons-

PEOPLE

DEBORAH NAPOLI, di-

BILL ROSS, Roger Francis and Mary Saunders

HEATHER RUSSELL, asso-

ciate professor of mathematics, and Prateek Bhakta, associate professor of computer science, co-published “Block symmetries in graph coloring reconfiguration systems” in Advances in Applied Mathematics. Russell received an American Mathematical Society–Simons Research Enhancement Grant for Primarily Undergraduate Institution Faculty to develop web bases for problems in algebraic geometry and combinatorial representation theory. JEFF SEEMAN, visiting

research scholar in the chemistry department, published “Revolutions in Chemistry: Assessment of Six 20th Century Candidates (The Instrumental Revolution; Hückel Molecular Orbital Theory; Hückel’s 4n + 2 Rule; the Woodward–Hoffmann Rules; Quantum Chemistry; and Retrosynthetic Analysis)” in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and co-published “Guest Editorial: Celebrating Carl Djerassi” in Chemical & Engineering News. WILL SEMONCO, line service associate in the Heilman Dining Center, was selected by Food Management magazine for its “68 College & University Staffers Who Made a Difference Over the Past Year” feature. 19

TOM SHIELDS, associate dean of academic and student affairs and associate professor of education and leadership studies, presented “The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Leadership of Congressman Bobby Scott” at the Oxford Education Research Symposium at St. Hilda’s College of Oxford University.

JOÃO TONINI, postdoctoral research associate, co-published “Multilocus environmental adaptation and population structure in the Cerrado gecko Gymnodactylus amarali (Sauria, Phyllodactylidae) from Serra da Mesa Hydroelectric Plant, Central Brazil” in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

JACK SINGAL, associate professor of physics, co-published “Diffuse Sources, Clustering, and the Excess Anisotropy of the Radio Synchrotron Background” in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Singal and his research partner from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory received a $589,939 grant from the National Science Foundation to support first-of-its-kind radio sky brightness mapping research.

CHRISTOPHER VON RUEDEN, associate professor of leadership studies, co-published “Fatherhood and Child-Father Attachment in Two SmallScale Societies” in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology and “Reproductive inequality in humans and other mammals” in PNAS.

JULIETTA SINGH, Stephanie Bennett-Smith Chair

of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, received an honorable mention in the creative writing/ prose category for The Breaks (Coffee House Press) in the 2023 writing competition of the Association for Asian American Studies. NATHAN SNAZA, assis-

tant professor of English, published the chapter “Why This? Affective Pedagogy in the Wake” in The Affect Theory Reader 2: Worldings, Tensions, Futures (Duke University Press). BOB SPIRES, associate professor of education;

Laura Kuti, assistant professor of education; and Deborah Napoli, director of clinical practice in the education department, co-authored the chapter “Leveraging Existing Policy for a University/K–12 Partnership: Using a Teacher Residency and Induction Model to Address a Teacher Shortage in Virginia, USA” in International Perspectives on School-University Partnerships: Research, Policy, and Practice (Springer). LAREE SUGG, deputy director of athletics for policy and sports management; senior woman administrator; and chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion, was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame during the organization’s 37th-anniversary celebration. RANIA SWEIS, associate professor of anthropology, presented “Paradoxes of Care: Children and Global Medical Aid in Egypt” at the Yale MacMillan Center’s Council on Middle East Studies Colloquium.

SANDY WILLIAMS, assistant professor of art, has been awarded three grants for public art projects in Richmond; Washington, D.C.; and New York City. Williams received funding from CulturalDC and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to create a 6-foot wax replica of the Lincoln Memorial and through The Shed’s Open Call to create a skywriting display for the Weeksville Heritage Center’s Juneteenth celebration in Brooklyn. JAMELLE WILSON, dean of the School of Professional & Continuing Studies, was elected board secretary of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.

DAVID WILKINS, E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, published an afterword in the 50th-anniversary edition of God Is Red: A Native View of Religion (Fulcrum Publishing). Wilkins gave the keynote address, “Savage Justice: The Foundational Myths That Legitimized Federal Indian Law,” at the annual meeting of the Organization of Educational Historians. DOUGLAS WINIARSKI, professor of religious studies, was awarded a $50,000 Fritz and Claudine Kundrun Open-Rank Fellowship from the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies to support work on his next book, Shakers and the Shawnee Prophet: Making and Breaking Religious Communities on the Jeffersonian Frontier, 1805–1825.

The following highlights employment status changes for full- and part-time faculty and staff — including temporary to full- or part-time positions — from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2023.

FACULTY SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES BIOLOGY Yunke Wu Senior Research Scientist CHEMISTRY Jake Tan Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry COMPUTER SCIENCE David Balash Assistant Professor of Computer Science Patrick Martin Assistant Professor of Computer Science ENGLISH Rachel Beanland Writer in Residence Stephen Brauer Visiting Associate Professor Casey Ireland Visiting Assistant Professor of English HEALTH STUDIES DEPARTMENT Margaret Tait Assistant Professor of Health Studies

SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY Deborwah Faulk Assistant Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies THEATRE AND DANCE Emmy Weldon Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS John Reifsnider Executive in Residence ACCOUNTING Paul Edelman Entrepreneur in Residence for M.S. in Management Program ECONOMICS Neeraja Gupta Assistant Professor of Economics Kayleigh McCrary Assistant Professor of Economics Mishita Mehra Assistant Professor of Economics FINANCE Art Durnev Professor of Finance Michel Robe Professor of Finance

HISTORY Juan Ardila Falla Visiting Assistant Professor of History

MANAGEMENT Alex Hamrick Assistant Professor of Management

Oksana Kis Visiting Professor of History

SCHOOL OF LAW Krishnee Coley Associate Professor of Law, Legal Practice and Director of the Academic Success Program

Geoffrey Traugh Visiting Assistant Professor of History JOURNALISM Andrew Grace Assistant Professor of Multimedia Journalism LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES Kurt Beals Visiting Associate Professor of German Studies MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS Vic Bednar Visiting Lecturer of Mathematics POLITICAL SCIENCE Ana Petrova Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science RELIGIOUS STUDIES Rhiannon Graybill Professor of Religious Studies

Riley Keenan Assistant Professor of Law Anne Toomey McKenna Visiting Professor of Law JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES Vladimir Chlouba Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies Guzel Garifullina Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies Ekrem Mus Cmelikova Visiting International Scholar

Brianna Charlton Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Psychology

Robyn Bumbry Assistant to the Senior Administrative Officer for Equity and Community

Veronica Clinton Academic Administrative Coordinator, Dean’s Office

Nick Dease Humanities Librarian, Boatwright Memorial Library

Stacey Criswell Director of Microscopy and Imaging, Biology Sarah Forkin Audio-Visual Equipment Manager, Journalism Elizabeth Forrey Integrated and Inclusive Sciences Post-Baccalaureate Fellow, Biology Weston Gray Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology Mags Mullican Visitor Engagement Coordinator, University Museums Joshua Pandian Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Chemistry Rob Redfearn Wood Metal Tech Lab Technician, Art and Art History Ash VanWinkle Chemistry Lab Manager Khanh Vu Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Chemistry Mary Watson Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology SCHOOL OF LAW Maggie Graff Digital Communications Manager Amy Mangione Associate Dean of Law Admissions Sara Tandy Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING STUDIES Karen Baker Student Recruitment Coordinator

STAFF

Dan Jablow Program Specialist

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Christien Ayers Music Technology Specialist

PROVOST Emily Ball Administrative Coordinator, Weinstein Learning Center

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NEW HIRES

Aileen Echelberger Administrative Specialist, International Education Libby Germer Interim Assistant Director, Student Engagement and the Bonner Scholars Program, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Andrew Ilnicki Director of Experimental Education and Emerging Technologies Adrienne Lee Administrative Coordinator Adrian Lore Administrative Assistant, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Erica Modeste Director of the Quantitative Resource Center, Weinstein Learning Center My Linh Nguyen International Education Fellow for International Student Engagement Ei Noe Assistant Director for Student Engagement and the Bonner Scholars Program, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement Paul Rosenstein Social Sciences Librarian, Boatwright Memorial Library Joan Saab Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost ADVANCEMENT Dana Andalis Administrative Assistant, Office of Alumni Relations Emily Griffey Ewees Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations, Foundation, Corporate and Government Relations Charlotte Pfamatter Assistant Director, Student and Young Graduate Programming, Alumni Relations Malcolm Pittman Employer Relations Coordinator, Career Services

Carson Raymond Major Giving Officer Sandy Turnage Director, Major and Leadership Giving Jessica Will Director, Gift Planning ATHLETICS Nia Adams Academics Graduate Assistant Cooper Albright Marketing Assistant, Game Day Experience Matthew Clark Director of Baseball Operations Mark Gad Athletics Public Relations Graduate Assistant Johnathan Harris Academic Adviser Melissa Hassen Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing, Game Day Experience Caden Highfield Ticket Office Game Day Assistant Brianna Kropinack Associate Director of Academic Support and Director of Football Academic Performance Erika Latta Academics Assistant Alex Louin Director, Women’s Basketball Operations Mio Popovic Assistant Men’s Tennis Coach Ariel Stephenson Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Ian Walker Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine Kiana Walker Athletics Leadership Intern Connie Wang Assistant Athletic Trainer, Sports Medicine BUSINESS AFFAIRS Julie Farmer Director of Change Management Haley Herrmann Sustainability Communications and Engagement Specialist Cary Jamieson Natural Areas Steward, Sustainability

Alex McWhorter Senior Budget and Planning Analyst

Corbrina Robinson Café Associate, Passport Café

CAMPUS OPERATIONS Jerome Abernathy Utility Associate, Organic Krush

Taylor Robson Baker II, Heilman Dining Center

Faron Addison Budget and Accounting Coordinator, Campus Services Ayesha Bowe Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center John Bradley Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Shannell Carter Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center Patrick Dezii Baker II, Heilman Dining Center Dominique Evans Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Eugene Fortune Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center Ethan Herron Concessions Lead Keeshaun Hutcherson Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill

Selina Savery Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Christa Soulia Cook I, Heilman Dining Center Dean Sowell Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Prince Usrango Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center Jevon Washington Cook II, Heilman Dining Center Nizeyimana Janette Custodian Denise Marshall Contract and Project Administration, University Facilities Deja Middleton Custodial Supervisor Besida Nuhanovic Custodian Dave Petway Plumber

Precious Jenkins Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Megan Salters Rethink Waste Representative Coordinator

Avery Knight Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center

CONTROLLER Nell Bodine Senior Accountant

Tajuan Little Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Christine Clement University Accounts Payable Specialist

Faith McKenney Administrative and Events Scheduling Coordinator, Events, Conferences, and Support Services

Catherine Schmitt Payroll Assistant

Tory Miller Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center Michael Owens Catering Sous Chef Samantha Proffitt Assistant Director of Events, Events, Conferences, and Support Services James Prosise Cook, The Cellar Kurtis Pullman Cashier, ETC Maryjane Rieske Event Manager, Events, Conferences, and Support Services Operations

HUMAN RESOURCES Jillian Zemp Manager, Human Resources Operations COMMUNICATIONS Lauren Anesta Media Relations Manager María Badillo Senior Writer/Editor ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Parker Armstrong Admission Counselor, Undergraduate Admission Ben Bentley Senior Assistant Director of Admission, Undergraduate Admissions Leeann Neely Financial Aid Adviser

De’Sean Pair Content Manager and Marketing Specialist, Undergraduate Admissions Julia Trachtenberg Financial Aid Adviser INFORMATION SERVICES Svetla Walsh Information Security Analyst PLANNING AND POLICY Jessica Clatterbuck Business Analyst SPIDER MANAGEMENT Alex Gan Analyst, Data and Reporting STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Emma Gleckel Staff Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services Miriam Gonzales Assistant Director, will Jason Honesto Assistant Director, New Student and Transition Programs Alecia Lawhorne Administrative Coordinator, will Antwain Salvatto Manager Intramurals and Facilities, University Recreation Hans Slechta Testing Center Proctor, Disability Services Aesha Uqdah Associate Vice President, Health and Well-Being

MOVES FACULTY SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES ART AND ART HISTORY Najung Kim Assistant Professor of Art History Brittany Nelson Associate Professor of Photography and Extended Media BIOLOGY Jory Brinkerhoff Professor of Biology Dan Pierce Associate Professor of Biology Jennifer Sevin Director of Biological Instruction Isaac Skromne Associate Professor of Biology

CHEMISTRY Cemile Kumas Visiting Lecturer CLASSICAL STUDIES Dieter Gunkel Associate Professor of Historical Linguistics COMPUTER SCIENCE Prateek Bhakta Associate Professor of Computer Science ENGLISH Julietta Singh Professor of English and Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Nathan Snaza Assistant Professor of English GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, AND SUSTAINABILITY Todd Lookingbill Professor of Biology and Geography, Environment & Sustainability HEALTH STUDIES DEPARTMENT Courtney Blondino Assistant Professor of Health Studies HISTORY Graeme Mack Visiting Lecturer of History LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES Natalie McCauley Director of Russian Studies Hilary Raymond Visiting Lecturer PHYSICS Mariama Rebello de Sousa Dias Associate Professor of Physics PSYCHOLOGY Laura Knouse Professor of Psychology Matthew Lowder Associate Professor of Psychology Camilla Nonterah Associate Professor of Psychology RHETORIC AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES Lauren Tilton Professor of Digital Humanities ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ACCOUNTING Ashley Austin Associate Professor of Accounting Jordyn Farizo Visiting Lecturer of Accounting

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2023 Engage for Change Award Winners These awards, given annually by the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, celebrate and acknowledge faculty, staff, students, and area leaders working together to make an impact in our communities. COMMUNITY-ENGAGED TEACHING AWARD

CONTRIBUTION TO THE INSTITUTION AWARD

Recognizes a faculty member who has consistently demonstrated excellence in community-engaged teaching at the University of Richmond

Recognizes faculty or staff whose communityengaged teaching, scholarship, and/or service made a significant contribution to the University of Richmond, furthering opportunities for faculty engagement, community collaboration, and the learning and thriving of our students

CAMILLA NONTERAH

Associate Professor of Psychology

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP AWARD Recognizes a faculty member — or members — whose scholarly and/or other creative activity emerges from a mutually beneficial partnership with a community and creates new knowledge that contributes to positive social change ANDY MCGRAW

LEARN MORE For a complete list of winners, visit engage. richmond.edu/events/ awards.

KERSTIN SODERLUND

Associate Dean for Student and External Affairs

BILL COLEMAN AWARD Recognizes a staff member who is dedicated to supporting meaningful engagement with our local and global communities LAUREN LIGHTFOOT

Administrative Coordinator, Parking and Transportation Services

Associate Professor of Music DAVID SALISBURY

Associate Professor of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability

COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE AWARD Honors a collaborative community-based partnership between campus and community stakeholders SARA HANSON

Associate Professor of Marketing and Director of the Spider Business Hub

ECONOMICS Tom Zylkin Associate Professor of Economics MANAGEMENT Dave Soule Lecturer of Economics SCHOOL OF LAW Janice Craft Associate Professor of Law, Legal Practice and Director of Professional Identity Formation Ali Silva Associate Professor of Law, Legal Practice and Director of Externships SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING STUDIES Andrew Schoeneman Associate Professor and Chair of Nonprofit Studies

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Michelle Trent Administrative Specialist, Undergraduate Admission

RETIREMENTS

IN MEMORIAM

42 YEARS

REMEMBERING THOSE WE LOST IN 2023

INFORMATION SERVICES Fess Khan Academic Computing Services Project Manager and Team Lead

SAMUEL A. ABRASH February 16, 2023 Associate Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Studies

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Kristen Day Director, Counseling and Psychological Services

BOBBY WALTON

JOHN C. KING September 19, 2023 Banquet Server, Catering

40 YEARS

ROSELYN N. TIMON August 31, 2023 Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center

Gina Flanagan Assistant to the Vice President for Student Development

University Facilities – Plumbing

STAFF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS PROVOST Aaliyah McLean Assistant Director, Communications and Special Projects, Student Engagement ADVANCEMENT Janae Driver Associate Director, Employer Relations, Alumni and Career Services

JERMAINE MASSENBURG

University Facilities – Custodial

Alexandra Neal Major Giving Officer BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS OPERATIONS Anesa Alickovic Cook II, Passport Café Herb Allen Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center Kay Anderson Custodian

KAREN PIERCE

Printing Services

26 YEARS DOUG WEST

Nyreng Dut Custodial Manager

Information Services – Campus Telecommunications

Joel Hagman Manager of Print Services

25 YEARS

Philip Knight Cook II (Special Diets), Heilman Dining Center Everett Winston Groundskeeper Team Leader

PAUL LOZO

University Facilities – Support Services

22 YEARS RUSS COLLINS

Chemistry

21 YEARS PETER LEVINESS

Counseling and Psychological Services

10 YEARS LINDA SMALLEY

Music 24

PEOPLE

Intellectual Matchmaker A conversation with Joan Saab, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost Prior to joining UR this past summer, Joan Saab served as Susan B. Anthony Professor of Art History and executive vice provost of academic affairs at the University of Rochester. She is an experienced administrator and a distinguished art history and visual culture scholar. What drew you to UR? The No. 1 thing that attracted me is the excellence of the school. There are so many resources and the potential to do fabulous stuff. I was in a job that I liked, and I wasn’t going to leave for just any school. UR is an outstanding institution, and it has all the pieces to be one of the top leaders not just in liberal arts, but in higher education. Has anything surprised you? I’ve been surprised by how siloed UR is based on its size. People have suggested it’s this way because of all the resources. But sometimes that leads to a duplication of effort or others not knowing about what is happening elsewhere. There are so many opportunities for collaboration. It’s exciting. I’ve been doing something called asset mapping, or creating an inventory of services. I’m looking for points of collaboration. I’m looking for things that intuitively make sense to go together. I am looking at what we have already, how to best use what we have, and how to deploy the people to reach the next level. I’m looking for affinities and intellectual and creative possibilities.

What does the provost office do? Certain operations need to take place in the provost’s office, such as tenure and promotion and hiring. But the provost’s office should also be a place where people go for the resources to be better teachers and scholars. We provide a service akin to intellectual matchmaking. I’m trying to create opportunities and bridges between the schools, units, and community. I want the provost office to be a central service for resources, collaboration, and connections. How does your background as a distinguished art history and visual culture scholar influence your role? I do a lot of work on murals and monumental works of public art. To understand them in their entirety, you often have to toggle between the big picture and the tiny details. There are so many things you need to be aware of simultaneously. It’s not that dissimilar to being an administrator. You need to look closely at things and then diagnose them. I have both a bird’s eye view and an on-the-ground view. And then figure out what it all means!

PORCH CULTURE Saab and her husband, Stephen, live in the Fan with a front porch where they like to sit and watch the world walk by. “My neighborhood is really friendly,” she said. “People talk back and forth from porch to porch, and people stop to pet my dog, to comment on my Buffalo Bills flag. I love the community that just sitting on the porch builds.” Children also love to visit and pet her dog, Violet, a mini Bernedoodle. “It’s the highlight of my day when they do that,” she said, adding, “I’m definitely a dog person, and Violet is definitely a ... Fan favorite!”

What are your thoughts on AI? AI is here. We need to learn how to use it and control it so it doesn’t control us. We need to train our students to use it ethically and responsibly. As a small liberal arts college, I think we can take the lead in learning how to deploy new technologies in interesting and innovative ways. 25

410 Westhampton Way University of Richmond, VA 23173

We welcome your input. Send your story ideas or comments to spiderinsider @richmond.edu.

FEBRUARY

Feb. 14

Employee Appreciation Day at the Robins Center

March 9–17

Undergraduate Spring Break

Men’s Basketball vs. University of Massachusetts; limited free tickets for faculty and staff

March 22

Feb. 17

APRIL

Open house for prospective students and their families

Experience Richmond

Preview Richmond

Feb. 24, 8 a.m. Spider Dash MARCH

Experience Richmond

Open house for admitted students and their families April 5

April 19–20

Experience Richmond Overnight

Overnight program for admitted students

March 7, 2 p.m.

April 20

Booker Hall of Music, Camp Concert Hall

April 26

Employee Service Awards

Experience Richmond Last Day of Undergraduate Spring Classes

USAC

FACULTY SENATE

Meetings* Feb. 13 March 12 April 9 1–3 p.m.

Meetings* Feb. 16 March 22 April 19 3–4:30 p.m.

The University Staff Advisory Council represents the needs of staff to senior administration and works to make the University of Richmond an employer of choice.

Visit usac.richmond. edu for meeting locations.

The University of Richmond Faculty Senate represents 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 locations. *Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all faculty and staff.