Spider Insider
INTEGRATED INCLUSIVE SCIENCE
SMART — shorthand for the introductory course Science, Math, and Research Training — combines biology, chemistry, and math to study topics such as HIV and antibiotic resistance. Taught by faculty from each discipline, the course concludes with a paid summer research experience with a faculty member. Here, students of Shannon Jones, teaching faculty of biology, participate in a weekly biology recitation for an upcoming assessment.
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
Graphic designer
Ashley Gladner
Photographer Jamie Betts
Staff contributors: Lauren Anesta, Rayne Badillo, Sunni Brown, Alexandra Byrum, Sandi Cauley, Megan Condict, Kevin Creamer, Catherine Cribbs, Rachel Dawson, Matthew Dewald, Kourtney Ennis, Phillip Gravely, Terrance Henderson, Kevin Heraldo, Alicia Hubbard, Lee Anna Jackson, Pamela Lee, Rachel Long, Katie McBride, Kyra Molinaro, Cynthia Price, Anne Taylor Rawls, Gordon Schmidt, Sandra Shelley, Cindy Smith, Greg Thompson, and David Vinson
WINTER 2025
AROUND THE LAKE
President Hallock and junior Kate Chasin pose with a cutout of Triceragoose during Gratitude Day.
STAY CONNECTED
Read more of President Hallock’s messages to the University community — or share your thoughts with him at any time — at president.richmond. edu.
Rowing Together
Dear Spiders,
I’m so grateful to begin another year with you. We are fortunate to have many world-class resources at Richmond, but our most precious resource is our people — our Spider community. And the most valuable thing we can do is support one another as we row this boat forward together.
Sometimes, the water gets rough, and it’s all hands on deck. Last September, two unrelated water incidents displaced 70 students from Gray Court and Robins Hall within days of each other. So many staff from Residence Life and Student Housing to Facilities, Risk Management, and Campus Services quickly collaborated to troubleshoot, minimize impact, and provide support. Then on Nov. 1, unexpectedly, a large tree fell on the roof of the law school. Again, our wonderful colleagues from the Landscape team to URPD swiftly responded, demonstrating phenomenal teamwork, agility, and dedication.
In addition, consider our colleagues’ efforts this past year in Enrollment Management. Our Financial Aid team navigated the delayed and unpredictable FAFSA rollout. The work was often tireless but of vital importance, and they just kept on rowing. Our Admission staff also adjusted practices to comply with new federal guidelines, pivoting again and again. They traveled nationwide and worldwide, hosted recruitment and yield events, and welcomed prospective Spiders to campus. While universities struggled with enrollment, our colleagues again ensured that UR would welcome an incredible class and that each Spider would receive the financial support to flourish.
It’s also true that if we align our oars — by listening to and learning from one another — we can build shared momentum. And that’s exactly what I witnessed at the second annual staff and faculty research symposium in September, coor-
dinated again by Elizabeth Outka, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of Humanities and professor of English, and Lidia Radi, professor of French and Italian studies. Building off the success of 2023, about 200 staff and faculty came together to share their books, research, and interests at roundtables, panels, and poster exhibits. I enjoyed moderating a panel in a room packed with curious colleagues. We heard from an interdisciplinary team of faculty working with psychology students to study belonging. We heard from staff and faculty who facilitate international learning trips for students least likely to study abroad. And we heard from colleagues who empower students to identify and solve problems across nonprofit, startup, and corporate settings. It was awesome. And it was just one of 38 such sessions that day!
Finally, as we navigate the waters ahead, we must ensure our vessel is sound and can continue to get us where we want to go. That requires awareness, planning, and openness to change. I am so grateful to everyone who has led one of our most significant universitywide changes — the transition to our new finance, payroll, and HR system: Workday. This is so important and will help support everything we do.
I love Richmond and am grateful to be part of our Spider community. As we embark on this new year together, please remember: Whatever your role at UR, you’re on this boat because you belong here, and I’m honored and excited to row alongside you. Thanks so much for everything you do to strengthen our web.
With gratitude,
Kevin F. Hallock President and Distinguished University Professor of Economics
Spiders Give Back
Spiders Helping Spiders, Gratitude Day strengthen UR’s giving culture
In the fall, the UR Advancement Office hosted two campuswide initiatives to engage the Spider community in philanthropy.
As part of the fifth annual Gratitude Day on Nov. 21, more than 800 students, faculty, staff, and friends gathered on the University Forum to celebrate the generosity of donors. Participants wrote thank you notes and took photos that will be shared with donors. They also wrote words of appreciation on note cards that were displayed on a large web. The messages ranged from gratitude for a faculty member to receiving a donor-funded scholarship.
“This year’s record-breaking success shows how deeply Spiders care for each other.”
“This year, we saw record-breaking participation,” said Rachel Hill, assistant director of donor recognition and experience. “We’re thrilled to see so many Spiders learning about and honoring the incredible impact philanthropy has on our community.”
The seventh annual Spiders Helping Spiders campaign was held Nov. 13–19, raising $410,640 — a 30% increase from last year — 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.
This year, 1,493 people, including 152 current and retired staff and faculty, contributed to the campaign — the highest number of donors ever. Donations arrived from across the country, the U.K., and China. Matching gifts from alumni and families helped drive participation from other Spiders, and volunteer advocates made individual gifts and worked to secure at least two more donors each in a “You+2” effort.
“Spiders Helping Spiders unites our global community in support of students who need a hand, whether that’s helping to buy a plane ticket home to see a sick parent or buying a suit for an internship,” said Morgan Harrell, senior associate director of annual giving. “This year’s record-breaking success shows how deeply Spiders care for each other.”
The 2025 UR Here Giving Day will be held April 9–10 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.
SOCIAL BUZZ
D-hall breakfast is the thing I missed the most after graduation! I have yet to have an omelette better than the 8am egg line omelettes.
—mary.the.contrary via Instagram
As someone who lives in a rural area, highly populated by goats..... trust me these little lawnmowers work overtime and never overheat.
—Ursula Bell via LinkedIn, referring to RVA Goats returning to campus to clear overgrown vegetation
This video ate ... no crumbs … we love our Dean! —urvacollege via Instagram, referring to Richmond College Dean Joe Boehman sharing some of his favorite spots on campus
I do have to say as a Nationally Certified & Licensed Professional Counselor of 27+ years; I have never seen a University Counseling Program, Facility & Staff as phenomenal as yours!
—Melinda Ensley via LinkedIn
Such a beautiful campus - a place of both energizing opportunity and peaceful reflection. If only more of our environs as working professionals could be this beautiful!
—Lindsay Hanson via LinkedIn
I’d go back and do my four years all over again in a heartbeat.
—sanaazem via Instagram
I had no idea that we had a hockey team. Cool!!
—heidikay6 via Instagram
Referring to the Ice Spiders, UR’s Spider Club Ice Hockey team
Stunning campus! Every time we visit, we find yet another beautiful spot.
—Julie Ruighaver via Facebook
Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @urichmond
A Legacy of Excellence
The Robins School of Business celebrates its 75th anniversary
As the Robins School of Business marks its 75th anniversary this academic year, Dean Mickey Quiñones is focused on honoring its legacy of excellence and the achievements of its students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have been instrumental in creating better futures for individuals and organizations.
The legacy traces back to the school’s founding in 1949, when it was formally established by merging Richmond College’s economics and applied economics departments with an evening school of business. F. Byers Miller, a key figure in the establishment of the school, was appointed its first dean. In recounting his memories, Miller said, “I’m a great believer in the fact that business can be taught no more in a vacuum than can medicine, and from a location point of view, I felt there really was no reason that someday the School of Business could not be the outstanding school between Philadelphia and Atlanta.”
Documents from the school’s creation highlight how it has long been connected to and served the needs of the business community. A 1949 prospectus sent to local business leaders noted that while 40% of nationwide college
graduates were entering business, only 6% had any formal education in it. The prospectus went on to outline the many advantages of establishing the School of Business at Richmond, with the hope of securing assistance, which Miller and George Modlin, UR president at the time, did through meetings with area business leaders to garner financial support.
The first classes at the new school began in September 1949 with 151 full-time students — mostly veterans — and eight faculty members in converted World War II Army barracks. At a time when the University divided men and women into Richmond College and Westhampton College academically, the new business school was open to everyone, reflecting an early commitment to inclusion. The school’s initial success and the ease with which it began operating, as noted in the 1950 Annual Report of the President, was attributed to “the splendid spirit of the faculty, the high morale of the student body under able leaders, the careful planning that preceded the move, and the fine cooperation received from the other divisions of the University.”
In 1959, W. David Robbins was named dean,
and the school embarked on an ambitious fiveyear plan to improve facilities, enhance faculty and student recruitment, and revamp the curriculum. Robbins was ambitious and successful. He drove fundraising efforts to complete a new building, instituted an innovative teaching plan that allowed faculty weekly time to consult with local firms, and increased out-of-state enrollment, helping to elevate the school’s national profile.
This rapid succession of accomplishments culminated in accreditation from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (now the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), a distinction the school has held since 1965. In the decades to come, the school pursued new ventures with vigor, establishing the Richard S. Reynolds Graduate School of Business; integrating international studies into the curriculum and the undergraduate experience; and campaigning for renovations, resources, and innovation.
data analysis; experiential and project-based learning; and sustainability issues. While Quiñones notes that many of the priorities outlined in the first dean’s report — coeducation, a liberal arts foundation, and the use of technology in the classroom — remain relevant today, he uses the metaphor of “widening the aperture” to describe the school’s evolution.
“We have a responsibility for ensuring that the next 75 years are as impactful as the last.”
Today, the Robins School continues to honor its founding principles while adapting to the changing landscape of business education, including artificial intelligence and large-scale
“I would argue that we have always had the same vision, except that we’re now more expansive about how we do it,” he said. “Our students come from everywhere, and they go on to work all over the world. Our positive impact is broader now.”
As the school celebrates its 75th anniversary, it remains steadfast in its commitment to the liberal arts and its mission to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to lead in an ever-changing global business environment.
“We have a responsibility for ensuring that the next 75 years are as impactful as the last,” Quiñones said. “We rest on the shoulders of those who came before us. They adapted to societal changes and the needs of the business community over time. We’re a point in time in an unbroken continuum.”
JOIN THE CELEBRATION
Join the Robins School of Business for a 75th anniversary open house celebration on March 28 at 5 p.m. in the business school. Enjoy food and live music and reconnect with fellow Spiders.
“If the past is prologue to the future, the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business in the year 2000 will be the barracks of the same school in 2050.” —Clarence R. Jung, professor of economics, in a retrospective for the Robins School’s 50th anniversary
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
This article has been updated and adapted for length with permission from the author. A complete list of The Conversation articles, including this one in its entirety, 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).
Why can’t it always be summer? It’s all about the Earth’s tilt
With its long days just itching to be spent by water doing nothing, summer really can be an enchanting season. But all good things must come to an end, and summer cannot last forever. Here’s why:
First, you need to know that the Earth is a sphere — and technically, an oblate spheroid, which means Earth has a round shape a little wider than it is tall.
Every year, Earth travels around its elliptical orbit to make one revolution around the Sun, and there are times when Earth is closer to the Sun and times when it’s farther away. But our distance from the Sun is not why we have seasons.
Picture an imaginary line across Earth, right in the middle, at 0° latitude. This line is called the equator. If you drew it on a globe, the equator would pass through countries including Brazil, Kenya, Indonesia, and Ecuador.
Now think of the Earth’s axis as another imaginary line that runs vertically through the middle of the Earth, going from the North Pole to the South Pole.
North Star, and it’s this tilt that causes seasons.
In June, (when we’re farthest from the sun in our orbit), the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. That tilt means more sunlight, more solar energy, longer days — all the things that make summer, well, summer. At the same time, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. So, countries such as Australia, Chile, and Argentina experience winter.
To say it another way: As the Earth moves around the Sun throughout the year, the parts of the Earth getting the most sunlight are always changing.
“Chin up, though, as we have passed the winter solstice (Dec. 21), and every day after the solstice means we are gaining minutes of sunlight and inching our way toward summer again.”
As it revolves around the Sun, the Earth also rotates, which means it spins on its axis like a top. The Earth takes 24 hours to do one full rotation on its axis. This axis is why we have day and night.
But the Earth’s axis does not go directly up and down. Instead, its axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees in the exact same direction, toward the
Fast-forward to December, and Earth is on the exact opposite side of its orbit as where it was in June, still tilted toward that North Star. Now, it’s the Southern Hemisphere’s turn to be tilted toward the Sun, which means its summer happens in December, January, and February.
If Earth were not tilted at all, there would be no seasons. If it were tilted more than it is, there would be even more extreme seasons and drastic swings in temperature. Summers would be hotter, and winters would be colder.
Chin up, though, as we have passed the winter solstice (Dec. 21), and every day after the solstice means we are gaining minutes of sunlight and inching our way toward summer again.
By Stephanie Spera, assistant professor of geography and the environment
BUILDING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS TO SHOWCASE SCHOLARS
Elevating faculty expertise and extending the academic reputation of the University is the primary goal of the University Communications media relations team. A key tool in that work is a partnership with The Conversation, an independent news source specializing in articles by academics for a general audience. All articles are distributed by The Associated Press and available to news outlets worldwide. Pieces written by UR faculty have appeared in top-tier outlets, including CNN, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Scientific American, and Fast Company
Since the partnership began in September 2018, more than 75 UR faculty, including 13 this academic year, have authored more than 160 articles. Nearly 8 million people globally have read these articles on The Conversation’s website — and that doesn’t include readership from pickups by other outlets.
In late September, The Conversation’s editorial staff visited campus for information sessions. During the daylong event, 16 faculty, including five new to UR this year, learned about this opportunity to share their research and expertise.
The Conversation team will return in March when the University hosts the first regional members meeting. Media relations professionals from UR and other member institutions will meet with editors, discuss processes and challenges, and share marketing tips.
“Hosting this meeting is a great opportunity to strengthen our partnership with The Conversation and share best practices among other members,” said Sunni Brown, director of media and public relations.
The Conversation team said asking UR to host this opportunity was the obvious choice.
“The UR media relations team has been one of our top go-to partners since their first year of membership,” said Eric Zack, The Conversation’s senior director of university relations. “Their creativity to involve and celebrate their scholars has made them a great resource for us when we look for panelists, webinars, and as a sounding board for new ideas.”
MEDIA MENTIONS
KELLY LAMBERT, behavioral neuroscientist and psychology professor, authored “I taught rats to drive, but they taught me to enjoy the ride.” “These rats offer insights into the neural principles guiding everyday behavior,” Lambert wrote. “Instead of pushing buttons for instant rewards, they remind us that planning, anticipating, and savoring the journey may be essential for a healthy brain.”
Political science professor DAN CHEN was quoted in “Can Men in China Take a Joke? Women Doing Stand-Up Have Their Doubts.” “Emphasis on personal stories [in Chinese comedy] has also helped to keep references to gender inequality alive in pop culture, even as more overt activism has been crushed,” she said. “Government censors are less likely to see such stories as political statements.”
History professor GRAEME MACK was quoted in “Will liberal-leaning women sway the U.S. election? And other looming questions.” “This is a hugely critical moment … the repercussions of this election may determine the course of the century,” Mack said. “I’m not sure there have been many junctures like this in Canadian history.”
Accounting professor ASHLEY AUSTIN was named one of “The Favorite Business Professors of the Class of 2024.” “Ashley Austin has deep passions for accounting and teaching,” said student Foster Lyman. “She is dedicated to her students’ successes inside and outside of the classroom while always keeping it fun and positive.”
JESSICA FLANIGAN, leadership studies professor and expert on the ethics of extreme wealth, is quoted in “Billionaires aren’t all bad — and taxing them more may backfire.” “Marketmade billionaires get rich by offering people goods and services,” she explained. “Often, they become successful because they invented a cool new product or they found a way to make a more affordable product. In other words, people become billionaires by making the rest of us better off.”
Human resource management professor LINDA FISHER THORNTON is quoted in “Utah among states where employers struggle the most with hiring.” “Job candidates want flexibility, a high-trust workplace, and transparent, caring leadership, and they are typically very good at spotting red flags that indicate otherwise during the application and interview process,” she said.
TODD ADAMS, vice president for student development, is quoted in “Halloween Costume Tips to Stay Out of Trouble at College.” “This is a campus-wide effort with engagement from students and the support of many departments and offices,” he said. “We appreciate the involvement of the Spider community in promoting a healthy Halloween for all. The campaign intends to inspire the UR community to be thoughtful and intentional as they plan for the holiday.”
AROUND THE LAKE
BEYOND RECRUITING
Commissioning officers is the primary goal of the ROTC program, and Turner emphasizes the significance of community outreach and collaboration in that process, especially during a time when U.S. military recruitment is at an all-time low. He highlights the importance of engaging with civilians, many of whom may not fully understand the Army’s role and many offerings.
“It all circles back to us being better about telling our story,” he said. “If you look across our society as a whole, there’s not a whole lot of interaction with the military, especially since we’ve gone to an all-volunteer force. People are not aware of the opportunities afforded to them in the U.S. Army. We want people in the greater Richmond area to understand what the Army does for the nation and can do for them.”
A Pathway to Service
ROTC program prepares students from UR and partner institutions for success in the U.S. Army
From May to August, 28 Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) cadets from the University of Richmond Spider Battalion gathered beneath the sun at Fort Knox, Kentucky, for an intense 35-day summer training program. Here, the performance — GPA, physical fitness, and leadership — of about 5,000 cadets is evaluated, ultimately determining their placement on the national order of merit list and influencing their future choices within the U.S. Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard across its 17 branches. It’s a pivotal moment that marks the climax of a cadet’s junior year, and one they’ve spent years preparing for.
The Army seeks to commission 5,000 to 5,500 new officers for entry-level positions each year, including platoon leaders and staff roles. The Richmond ROTC program plays a crucial role in this process, commissioning a required 25 2nd lieutenants each May. Since its establishment in 1951, the program has commissioned approximately 2,500 officers, with alumni in all ranks of the U.S. Army, from entry-level to a three-star lieutenant general.
“Everything we talk about and teach during their ROTC experience is giving these students the knowledge, skills, and attributes to walk into any job after they commission and be successful platoon leaders or staff officers in whatever branch they’ve been selected to serve in,” said
Lt. Col. Jake Turner, professor of military science and head of the Richmond ROTC program since August 2023.
The Spider Battalion comprises 165 cadets from UR (the host university) and partner institutions that feed into the program: Virginia Commonwealth University, Longwood University, Randolph-Macon College, Hampden-Sydney College, and Virginia Union University. Cadets from the six schools engage in military classes together, participating in a weekly leadership lab that reinforces their classroom learning through practical exercises such as land navigation, tactical operations, field maneuvers, and weapon handling — all vital skills assessed during summer training at Fort Knox.
Balancing a demanding schedule is essential for these cadets. In addition to their military classes and lab, they juggle undergraduate coursework, early morning physical training, and a variety of evening and weekend extracurricular activities and fundraising opportunities. It’s a heavy load but one Turner feels particularly knowledgeable about.
Originally from Lubbock, Texas, Turner joined ROTC at Texas Tech University, compelled to enlist in the U.S. Army after the 9/11 attacks. He graduated in 2006 as an armor officer in the active-duty force. With 18 years of military experience in positions ranging from platoon
Cadets conquered the 64-foot rappel tower during Army Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
leader to battalion executive officer, he understands the journey of his cadets firsthand.
“I know what it’s like to try to juggle ROTC and school and extracurriculars,” Turner said. “I’ve walked that path. They’re not officers yet, and they’re going to make some of the college student mistakes. It’s part of the process.”
To help with that balance, in 2024 Turner and cadets led an initiative that resulted in a significant improvement for UR ROTC cadets: priority registration for scholarship students, those who receive financial support in exchange for a future service obligation.
“In the ROTC, we talk a lot about leadership excellence — it’s our hallmark. It’s the same here at the University of Richmond.”
Eleven of UR’s 13 cadets are currently on scholarship. This initiative facilitates a more manageable balance between their academic and military commitments.
“We want to get to where ROTC and undergrad requirements work in concert,” he said.
Turner is now advocating for the establishment of a military science minor at UR. If it’s approved, cadets will earn a minor upon completing the required 18 hours of military science courses and an additional required history course.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about student support and how we are not only setting our cadets up for success in the Army but also for success in life,” he stated.
It’s something Turner feels the ROTC — and the University — do remarkably well.
“In the ROTC, we talk a lot about leadership excellence — it’s our hallmark. It’s the same here at the University of Richmond. Our cadets lead in the classroom and in the community, and they go on to serve with distinction.”
LEARN MORE
For more information about the Military Science and Leadership Program at UR, visit military. richmond.edu.
Turner encourages those looking for a firsthand experience to contact him directly.
“I have an open-door policy,” he said. “If you are a professor or a department chair and you want to see what the ROTC is all about — sit in a classroom, come to a lab, or check out field training — let me know.”
ACCOLADES
U.S. News and World Report ranked UR No. 22 among national liberal arts colleges in the 2024–25 “BEST COLLEGES” guide. UR has been ranked by U.S. News as a top 25 liberal arts school for eight consecutive years. U.S. News also ranked UR No. 13 on the “MOST INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS” list, which highlights colleges that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, and facilities.
The U.S. Department of State ranked UR NO. 1 among baccalaureate colleges awarding credit for study abroad in its 2024 Open Doors Report. Richmond ranked No. 2 for number of students studying abroad for a quarter- or semester-long program; No. 12 in short-term duration of study abroad (one to three weeks); No. 13 in enrolling international students; and No. 20 in undergraduate study abroad participation.
The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded UR more than $700,000 IN GRANT SUPPORT to establish the Center for Liberal Arts and AI. CLAAI will open in the fall and bring together researchers, students, and educators from 15 Associated Colleges of the South institutions to explore pressing social, cultural, and legal dimensions of artificial intelligence.
The Princeton Review recognized UR as one of the top 50 schools in the nation for environmental responsibility in its 2025 edition of the “GUIDE TO GREEN COLLEGES.” UR has been ranked among the top 50 for three consecutive years and has been included in the guide for more than a decade.
University Communications received five EDUCATION DIGITAL MARKETING AWARDS a national competition that recognizes the best educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media, and social media. The division won gold in the categories of Total Digital Marketing Program for “Student Duality” campaign; Digital Video Ad for “Student Duality” 30-second spot; and Social Media Content for the Paige Delsa video. They received silver in the Digital Publication – Single category for “101 Things We Love About the University of Richmond” and a Merit Award in the Social Media Content – Campaign category for UR Here Giving Day.
Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, awarded UR’s ODK chapter its PRESIDENTIAL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE. The award celebrates meeting ODK’s standards of excellence for five or more years.
Workday Goes Live
With a strong support network in place, users make the move to Banner’s replacement
Workday, the University’s new enterprise resource planning system for human resources, payroll, and finance, launched Jan. 2 following more than two years of preparation. The move to Workday after 30 years in Banner marks a significant step forward by enabling users to work more efficiently and effectively in a system tailor-made for UR’s unique needs. However, as with any major change, it will take time for users to adjust.
“There will be a learning curve,” said Julie Farmer, director of change management. “Let’s remember to extend patience to each other, to ourselves, and with the system as we transition.”
“And remember, there is a strong support network behind you each step of the way.”
For guidance on getting started in Workday, a Workday go-live checklist is available on the Workday website at workday.richmond. edu. For on-the-go access, downloading the Workday mobile app is recommended.
At any time, help is available. The Workday website is a hub for on-demand support, including technical assistance, training registration, and answers to frequently asked questions. Many users participated in Workday demonstrations and training sessions at the end of the fall semester. For those who didn’t — or those who need a refresher — the training page offers a wealth of resources, including training materials; recorded sessions on key topics; and short, stepby-step instructional guides for specific tasks. Live training is also available in person and via Zoom.
Change Ambassadors from each division across campus are also available to provide support during the transition by answering questions and offering guidance on navigating the system. A list of all Change Ambassadors can be found on the website. For personalized assistance, a help ticket can be submitted through workday.richmond.edu.
“I hope users enjoy exploring the new tools and capabilities in Workday,” Farmer said. “And remember, there is a strong support network behind you each step of the way.”
Teaching Beyond Campus
Course support grants enable faculty to expand their classrooms
In today’s evolving educational landscape, traditional classroom instruction alone often isn’t enough to prepare students for the complexities of the modern world.
“By getting into the community, learning comes alive for students and bolsters a sense of affective engagement, empathy, and critical thinking in real-world settings,” said Janelle Peifer, assistant professor of psychology, who taught one of 184 community-based learning (CBL) courses reported during the 2023–24 academic year..
Faculty from all five schools integrate CBL into their courses. It’s a high-impact teaching practice that includes collaborative projects with community partners, service learning, and study trips. Course support grants from the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) cover expenses, including transportation fees, honoraria for guest speakers, and materials.
“Museums are one of the most trusted sources of historical knowledge, so it’s important that scholars support, contribute to, and engage with them,” Yellin said.
David Giancaspro, associate professor of Spanish, received a grant to provide transportation for his Spanish for Heritage Speakers students to volunteer weekly at Broad Rock Elementary, a Richmond public school. The first graders benefit from mentors who understand the Latino student experience in U.S. elementary schools, and the UR students gain new experiences and deepen their learning through reflection, an important element of CBL.
“Museums are one of the most trusted sources of historical knowledge, so it’s important that scholars support, contribute to, and engage with them.”
In the fall term, Peifer and Kylie Korsnack, assistant director for the Teaching and Scholarship Hub, received a grant for their EnCompass class, Introduction to Community-Engaged Work in Richmond and New Zealand. With CCE support, they organized a study trip to Goochland Cares, a free clinic and family services nonprofit, to explore how academic research can impact local communities.
The same Saturday in November, associate professor of history Eric Yellin’s American Identities students explored the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
“My students’ mentoring experiences at Broad Rock enrich our classroom discussion of bilingual education, race, racism, and many other cornerstone topics of the course,” Giancaspro said. “When the Latino students in my class serve as mentors for the Latino first graders, everyone wins.”
Every year, more faculty teach CBL classes, with the CCE awarding 122 course support grants for the 2023–24 academic year alone.
“We tend to reflexively divide the scholarly or university world from ‘the real world,’” Yellin said. “As a historian, everything I write about, discuss, and teach really happened. The ‘real world’ is the subject in my classroom, so it’s critical that we step outside the classroom through community-based learning to remind ourselves that the lines are not so clear or impermeable.”
Students in Professor of Africana Studies Jillean McCommons’ AFST
201: The Rumors of War seminar, visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to explore the work of Kehinde Wiley — both his 2019 Rumors of War sculpture, for which the seminar is named, and his 2016 portrait of Willem van Heythuysen.
AROUND THE LAKE
LEARN MORE
For more information on community-based learning opportunities and applying for a course support grant, visit engage.richmond. edu/coursesscholarship/ community-basedlearning.html.
First-year students ride the James River rapids during Endeavor’s pre-orientation experience.
BLENDING ACADEMIC AND RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCES
The Richmond Endeavor isn’t the only hallmark living-learning program offered on campus. This year, about 100 sophomore students are participating in one of eight themed communities within the Sophomore Scholars in Residence program. A signature element of SSIR is a fully funded short-term trip within the U.S. or globally that directly connects to what students are studying in the classroom. Students in “Amazonia Connected,” for example, traveled to the rainforest during fall break.
Making First-year Connections
The Richmond Endeavor helps first-year students form bonds and excel academically
The first year of college marks a significant transition as students adjust to a new environment, forge friendships, and navigate academic choices. UR has long had orientation programs and special courses targeted at helping students through this period of change. But in 2019, the Richmond Endeavor began as an intentional yearlong experience designed to help first-year students excel academically and make the most of their time at the University.
A cornerstone of the program is a threeday pre-orientation experience held before New Spider Orientation. Students connect with faculty, staff, administrators, and orientation advisors, who offer valuable guidance and establish relationships that continue throughout the year.
programs for the cohort. In addition, out-ofclassroom experiences introduce students to the opportunities and resources on campus, in the city, and around the region.
“It allows students to connect with a faculty member and better understand what this relationship can look like.”
“Research has proven that living-learning programs increase student retention and foster a sense of belonging, which is critical for first-year students,” said Sage Ober, director of livinglearning and new student programs. “Every year, we hear from students who say that the Endeavor pre-orientation experience set them up for success and allowed them to find friends and a community before classes even started.”
Once on campus, groups of first-year students live together as a cohort in Lora Robins Court and enroll in a series of courses taught by faculty who serve as academic advisors, helping students plan their courses until they declare a major. Upper-class peer mentors, known as navigators, provide insights into life at Richmond, assist with academic planning, and organize
In its first year, 64 Endeavor students participated in four themed communities: civic journalism, astrobiology, genetics in the environment, and cross-cultural storytelling. For 2024–25, the program expanded to 10 communities with about 175 students. Themes range from “Societal Impact Through Business” and “Why Equality is Controversial” to “Slavery in Contemporary Imagination” and “Food, Identity, and Social Change.” Some students apply to a community because they want a leg up in their expected major, while others want to delve more deeply into a topic they’re curious or passionate about while completing required firstyear seminar courses.
The expansion in the number of communities and students reflects Endeavor’s growing influence in fostering meaningful academic and social connections. Ober believes those relationships are central to Endeavor’s impact.
“Endeavor creates a special bond,” Ober said. “It allows students to connect with a faculty member and better understand what this relationship can look like, belong instantly to a community on campus, and gain access to a number and variety of resources that will be valuable to them as they transition to UR. Learning how to develop those relationships is going to have an impact on where students end up.”
Scholarly Exchange
Second annual research symposium highlights diverse faculty and staff expertise
“It’s a knowledge feast, so be ready to have your curiosity fed.”
With those words, organizers Elizabeth Outka, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of Humanities, and Lidia Radi, professor of French and Italian studies, kicked off the second annual Faculty and Staff Research Symposium at Boatwright Memorial Library in September.
During the daylong event, about 200 faculty and staff presented or chaired nearly 40 sessions on topics including “Food Systems and Sovereignty — Past and Present” and “Cultural Narratives and Artistic Expression: Music, Theatre, and Politics.” They spoke about their books, research, and interests at roundtables, panels, poster exhibits, and Let’s Talk About forums, a new type of session allowing informal discussions around topics such as effective teaching and ChatGPT.
such as “Pathways to Wellness,” where music professor Jennifer Cable led qigong breathing and stretching exercises, and biology professor Laura Runyen-Janecky shared samples of Camembert cheese while discussing its healthy microbes. The symposium also offered an opportunity for personal connections.
“The symposium was a great way to connect people across campus who may have similar passion and curiosity on subjects but may not know each other,” said Larry Richmond Jr., who attended biology professor Carrie Wu’s presentation on invasive wavyleaf basketgrass.
“It’s a knowledge feast, so be ready to have your curiosity fed.”
A call for proposals generated 143 submissions from across the University and all five schools. Outka and Radi organized them into sessions that blended different disciplines, approaches, and perspectives.
“One of the defining features of the symposium is the interdisciplinary nature of the sessions, bringing people from different fields together around a central topic,” Outka said. “A session on democracy might have folks from leadership, political science, law, the Bonner Center, and the Chaplaincy, all weighing in on different aspects.”
In addition to traditional presentations, attendees participated in interactive sessions
“I’m a gardener on campus, passionate about the environment, and enjoy learning about new things. I’m always on the lookout for new invasive species, and this talk educated me on that subject.”
It was the type of environment that Outka and Radi envisioned when they conceived the event in 2023 and the kind of programming that underscores the University’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, interconnected academic community.
“The variety of topics presented at this year’s symposium reflects the breadth of expertise and intellectual curiosity among our faculty and staff,” Radi said. “From groundbreaking research to creative endeavors, these presentations showcased the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Many of these collaborations have already extended to teaching partnerships, enriching our students’ learning experiences, and we are confident this dynamic exchange of ideas and expertise will continue to thrive.”
Kylie Korsnack, assistant director of the Teaching and Scholarship Hub, (pictured) and Gabriel Matthews, post-baccalaureate fellow for inclusive pedagogy and the humanities, presented “Alternative Assessment: Student Perspectives” during the 2024 Faculty and Staff Research Symposium.
AROUND THE LAKE
LEARN MORE
For more information on the Faculty and Staff Research Symposium, including the 2024 program and presentation abstracts, visit as.richmond.edu/ events/facultystaff-symposium.
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
A record number of Spider community members attended the fifth annual Gratitude Day, including students, faculty, staff, and friends. Participants were encouraged to fill out Spider-themed note cards with personalized messages of gratitude for the many ways donors support the University, such as student scholarships, endowed faculty positions, facility improvements, and more. More than 500 cards were mailed to individual donors.
“This is my second year in a row participating in Gratitude Day,” said gardener Stephen Ridpath (pictured left with gardeners Drew Parker and Larry Richmond).
“It felt awesome to say thank you to the donors for their contributions and support.”
AROUND THE LAKE
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.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ELIZABETH BAUGHAN, associate professor of classics and archaeology, presented “Repurposed furniture-top markers at African American cemeteries in Richmond, Virginia” at the Association for Gravestone Studies annual conference.
KRISTIN BEZIO, professor of leadership studies, published “Playing at Being Human: Finding Leadership and Empathy Through Digital Games” in the Journal of Leadership Studies
COURTNEY BLONDINO, assistant professor of health studies, co-published “Utilizing natural language processing to analyze student narrative reflections for medical curriculum improvement” in Medical Teacher
TED BUNN, E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in the Liberal Arts and professor of physics, and a student published “Cosmological inflation in N-dimensional Gaussian random fields with algorithmic data compression” in The Open Journal of Astrophysics
DAN CHEN, associate professor of political science, and Gengsong Gao, associate professor of Chinese studies, published “Fan Engagement with Chinese Celebrities’ Political Signaling on Weibo” in the Journal of Contemporary China
JERRY CLEMMER, executive director of campus business services, received the National Volunteer of the Year Award from the National Association of College Auxiliary Services in recognition of his work at the regional and/or national level that supports the NACAS mission.
STACEY CRISWELL, director of microscopy and imaging; Amy Treonis, associate professor of biology; and students published “Description of Panagrolaimus namibiensis n. sp. (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae), an anhydrobiotic nematode from the Namib Desert of Namibia” in the Journal of Nematology
ERIKA ZIMMERMANN DAMER, associate professor of classical studies and women, gender, and sexuality studies, published a new translation of Ovid’s Dido from the Heroides in Women in Power: Classical Myths and Stories, from the Amazons to Cleopatra (Penguin Classics).
KELLING DONALD, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences, published the chapter “Sigma Hole Supported Interactions: Qualitative Features, Various Incarnations, and Disputations” in Exploring Chemical Concepts Through Theory and Computation (Wiley). Donald; Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry; Martel Zeldin, visiting research scholar; and undergraduate students published “Dative
Bonding in Quasimetallatranes Containing Group 15 Donors (Y = N, P, and As) and Group 14 Acceptors (M = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb)” in Inorganic Chemistry
WADE DOWNEY, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in Natural Sciences, and undergraduate students published “Friedel-Crafts alkylations of indoles, furans, and thiophenes with arylmethyl acetates promoted by trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate” in Synthetic Communications
MAZIE ELLERBE, custodial team leader, received the 2024 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s Spider Athletics Service Award in appreciation of outstanding dedication and service to Richmond athletics.
LINDA FAIRTILE, head of the Parsons Music Library, participated in a panel discussion about composers Giacomo Puccini and Arnold Schoenberg at “The Schoenberg-Puccini Connection: A Centennial Celebration in Music and Dialogue” in New York.
LAURA FERNÁNDEZ, assistant professor of Latin American, Latino, and Iberian studies, published “Under the guise of Latinidad: Latinx ambiguity and ethno-racial identifications in Switched at Birth” in Latino Studies
SYLVIA GALE, executive director for the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, was selected to serve on the Democracy Inventory Design Team. Part of the Higher Education Democracy Initiative, a joint effort between the American Association of Colleges & Universities and Campus Compact, the national team is focused on supporting and advancing democracy on college campuses.
GENGSONG GAO, associate professor of Chinese studies, and Dan Chen, associate professor of political science, published “Fan Engagement with Chinese Celebrities’ Political Signaling on Weibo” in the Journal of Contemporary China
DAVID GIANCASPRO, associate professor of Spanish, and a former student published “First things third? The extension of canonically third-person singular inflections to first-person singular subjects in adult heritage Spanish” in Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics
ANDREW GRACE, assistant professor of journalism, received the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Podcast for his work on the second season of the NPR podcast White Lies. The Murrow Awards, presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association, are major awards for broadcast journalism.
RHIANNON GRAYBILL, Marcus M. and Carole M. Weinstein & Gilbert M. and Fannie S. Rosenthal Chair of Jewish Studies, co-published Narrating Rape: Shifting Perspectives in Biblical Literature and Popular Culture (SCM Press).
STEFAN GREENFIELDCASAS, visiting assistant professor in music theory, published the chapter “Video Games Alive: Ludic Liveness and (Re)playful Listenings in Video Game Music Concerts” in The Oxford Handbook of Video Game Music and Sound (Oxford University Press) and the chapter “From the Screen (to the Screen) to the Concert Hall: Arrangement as a World-Building and WorldBridging Device in the Kingdom Hearts Series” in The Oxford Handbook of Arrangement Studies (Oxford University Press).
MANNY HAINES, custodial team leader, received the 2024 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s Spider Athletics Service Award in appreciation of outstanding dedication and service to Richmond athletics.
SARA HANSON, associate professor of marketing and director of the Spider Business Hub, received the 2024 H. Hiter Harris III Excellence in Instructional Technology Award from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.
ELODIE HARDT, systems analyst and project manager of enrollment and student CRM systems, received the Slate Icon award for Best Slate Spirit — presented at the 2024 Slate Summit. Awardees are nominated and voted on by Slate users from more than 1,600 institutions.
JOHNATHAN HARRIS, adjunct assistant professor of liberal arts, published “Redefining High School Education: The Journey of a Progressive Education School Embracing Learning in the Modern Era” in the Journal of Transformative Learning
SARAH HARTVIGSEN, Trawick Postdoctoral Fellow in Psychology, co-published “Mini-Symposium: Training the Trainers of the Next Generation of Neuroscience Advocates” in the Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education
AURORA HERMIDA-RUIZ, associate professor of Spanish, published “El ruiseñor justiciero: El ‘antimenendezpelayismo’ de María Rosa Lida en la filología española del medio siglo” in eHumanista: Journal of Iberian Studies. Hermida-Ruiz presented “El profesor de español y el sur: el epistolario de Charles de la Peña (Williamsburg, 1828–1830)” at the 43 Congreso Internacional de ALDEEU (Asociación de Licenciados y Doctores Españoles en Estados Unidos).
PATRICIA HERRERA professor of theatre, was elected to a three-year term as president of the American Society for Theatre Research.
JAVIER HIDALGO, professor of leadership studies, published “Parfitian or Buddhist Reductionism? Revisiting a Debate about Personal Identity” in the Asian Journal of Philosophy
2023 Custodial Award Winners
These annual University Facilities awards recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating the custodial commitments — safety, hospitality, quality, and efficiency.
CUSTODIAL SAFETY AWARD
Champions safety through their actions and commitment to themselves, their fellow staff, and the entire UR community
SAYED HUSSAINI, CUSTODIAL SUPPORT ASSOCIATE
CUSTODIAL HOSPITALITY AWARD
Demonstrates a positive attitude and an ability to build lasting relationships
KAY ANDERSON, CUSTODIAN
CUSTODIAL QUALITY AWARD
Displays exemplary attention to detail and exceptional service
NYADENG AROP, CUSTODIAN
CUSTODIAL EFFICIENCY AWARD
Displays creative thinking, provides innovative suggestions, and continually seeks ways to improve the operation
SEJIDA TURANOVIC, CUSTODIAN
CUSTODIAL COMMITMENT AWARD
Most exemplifies all four commitments of the custodial department
JONATHAN LAPRADE, TEAM LEADER
CUSTODIAL LEADERSHIP AWARD
Demonstrates dedication to the team’s success, develops those around them, and serves those they lead
TERRELL CLARKE, TEAM LEADER
CUSTODIAL HERO AWARD
Performs decisively in the face of adversity. Their acts of selfless service demonstrate the highest form of respect and gratitude.
MERVEILLE APANGA, CUSTODIAN
From left: Nyadeng Arop, Kay Anderson, Merveille Apanga, Sejida Turanovic, and Jonathan LaPrade
OMICRON DELTA KAPPA
SPRING & FALL 2024
Epsilon Circle Inductees
This national leadership honor society recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary character and leadership achievements in one of the five phases of campus life: scholarship, athletics, service, communications, and arts.
SPRING 2024
DELLA DUMBAUGH
Robert Edwin Gaines Chair in Mathematics School of Arts & Sciences
MARIA LAPINS
Administrative Specialist Richmond College Dean’s Office
NICOLE MAURANTONIO
Professor of Rhetoric and Communications and Associate Provost of Academic Affairs School of Arts & Sciences
LORI SCHUYLER
Vice President for Planning and Policy Office of Planning and Policy
RAY TRAC
Associate Dean Richmond College
FALL 2024
ERIC BEATTY
Police Major University of Richmond Police Department
LAURA THOMPSON
Assistant Dean, Undergraduate Student Services
Robins School of Business
ANDREA VEST
Assistant Director
Academic Advising Resource Center
DANIEL HOCUTT, SPCS web manager and adjunct professor of liberal arts, published “SEO as Audience Analysis: Accounting for Algorithms in Content Strategy” in Technical Communication, the journal of the Society for Technical Communication. Hocutt co-published “Data Analytics for TPC Curriculum” in Programmatic Perspectives, the journal of the Council for Programs in Technical & Scientific Communication.
JEREMY HOFFMAN, adjunct lecturer of geography and the environment; Todd Lookingbill, professor of geography, environment, and sustainability; and Beth Zizzamia, geographic information system operations manager in the Spatial Analysis Lab, co-published “A Heat Emergency: Urban Heat Exposure and Access to Refuge in Richmond, VA” in GeoHealth
CRYSTAL HOYT, Colonel Leo K. & Gaylee Thorsness Endowed Chair in Ethical Leadership, published “Gender and Heroism” in the Encyclopedia of Heroism Studies (Springer) and co-published “The role of health campaigns in stigma toward those with anorexia nervosa” in Stigma and Health
CARLOS HURTADO, assistant professor of economics; Kyle Redican, teaching faculty of geography, environment, and sustainability and director of the Spatial Analysis Lab; and an undergraduate student published “A New Urban Center/Subcenters Identification Approach Based on Open Street Map in Polycentric Urban Landscapes in the US” in the Journal of Transactions in GIS
KATHRYN JACOBSEN, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, co-published “Planetary health learning objectives: foundational knowledge for global health education in an era of climate change” in The Lancet Planetary Health
MILES JOHNSON, associate professor of chemistry, received a 2024 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation.
MICHELLE KAHN, associate professor of history, received the 2024 Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award from the School of Arts & Sciences at the A&S Honors Convocation and was appointed editor of Contemporary European History, an international peer-reviewed journal that publishes scholarship on European history from 1914 onward. Kahn published Foreign in Two Homelands: Racism, Return Migration, and Turkish-German History (Cambridge University Press).
PETER KAUFMAN, George Matthews & Virginia Brinkley Modlin Chair in Leadership Studies, published Safety First: Imperium, Discontent, and Augustine (Cascade Books).
KELLY LAMBERT, MacEldin Trawick Professor in Psychology, published Biological Psychology: Brain in Context (Oxford University Press).
DANA LASCU, professor of marketing, co-chaired the 20th Congress of the Academy for Global Business Advance in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Academy for Global Business Advancement – Vietnam University (International University) Conference on Business and Entrepreneurship Development Across Vietnam in a Globalized and Digitalized Era in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
JEREMY LECRONE, associate professor of mathematics, presented “Envelope Generators and Clearance Irregularities in State Constrained Control Systems” at the 2nd American Mathematical Society – Unione Matematica Italiana International Joint Meeting in Pisa, Italy.
OVIDIU LIPAN, associate professor of physics, copublished “Optimizing bilayered periodic structures: A closed-form transfer matrix method based on Pendry-MacKinnon’s discrete Maxwell’s equations” in the Journal of the Optical Society of America B and “Tuning the conductance topology in solids” in the Journal of Applied Physics
TODD LOOKINGBILL, professor of geography, environment, and sustainability; Jeremy Hoffman, adjunct lecturer of geography and the environment; and Beth Zizzamia, geographic information system operations manager in the Spatial Analysis Lab, co-published “A Heat Emergency: Urban Heat Exposure and Access to Refuge in Richmond, VA” in GeoHealth
ROB MCADAMS, director of Partners in the Arts, presented “Partners in the Arts Consortium: Year 30” at the Arts Education Partnership Annual Convening in Pittsburgh.
SAIF MEHKARI, associate professor of economics, received the Distinguished Advisor Award — given by the Academic Advising Resource Center — in recognition of his commitment to his students’ academic and personal development as demonstrated through his work as a support resource and advocate.
CAMILLA NONTERAH, associate professor of psychology, and Janelle Peifer, assistant professor of psychology, co-published “Collective selfesteem and well-being among college students in Ghana” in International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation
MALCOLM OGDEN, visiting assistant professor of rhetoric and communication studies, published “Perfumed platforms, or the common scents of post-Fordism” in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies
CAROL PARISH, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry; Kelling Donald, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences; Martel Zeldin, visiting research scholar; and undergraduate students published “Dative Bonding in Quasimetallatranes Containing Group 15 Donors (Y = N, P, and As) and Group 14 Acceptors (M = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb)” in Inorganic Chemistry. Parish, Zeldin, and undergraduate students published “Conformational Analysis of Oligomeric Models of Siloxane, Silazane and Siloxazane Ladder Polymers” in the Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials. Parish and undergraduate students published “Multireference Averaged Quadratic Coupled Cluster (MR-AQCC) Study of the Geometries and Energies for ortho-, metaand para-Benzyne” in The Journal of Physical Chemistry A
JON PARK, associate professor of computer science, co-published “LifeTox: Unveiling Implicit Toxicity in Life Advice” in Proceedings of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics and “DADA: DistributionAware Domain Adaptation of PLMs for Information Retrieval” in Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics
SANDRA PEART, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, co-published “Temas de igualdad en Adam Smith y sus sucesores. Progreso, improvement y reforma social” in Estudios Públicos
JANELLE PEIFER, assistant professor of psychology, copublished “An interdisciplinary approach to studying academic success in STEM” in Contemporary Mathematics and Science Education and “Longitudinal growth in college student self-efficacy and intercultural competence attenuated by anxiety/depression” in Frontiers in Education-Higher Education. Peifer and Camilla Nonterah, associate professor of psychology, co-published “Collective self-esteem and well-being among college students in Ghana” in International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation Peifer presented “Twice as hard for half as much rest: Reclaiming rest for healing trauma in women faculty of color” at the 36th National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in Higher Education in Honolulu; “Identity mapping as part of symposium on class assignments, projects, and papers that enhance undergraduate psychology courses: Part 2” at the 70th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association in Orlando, Florida; and “Findings from a racially informed longitudinal study of student development outcomes of colleges focused on global learning” at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges & Universities in Washington, D.C.
OMAR QUINTEROCARMONA, associate professor of biology, was named a 2024 American Society for Cell Biology Fellow.
KYLE REDICAN, director of the Spatial Analysis Lab and teaching faculty of geography, environment, and sustainability; Beth Zizzamia, geographic information system operations manager in the Spatial Analysis Lab; and an undergraduate student published “Assessing ChatGPT for GIS education and assignment creation” in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Redican; Carlos Hurtado, assistant professor of economics; and an undergraduate student published “A New Urban Center/Subcenters Identification Approach Based on Open Street Map in Polycentric Urban Landscapes in the US” in the Journal of Transactions in GIS
LAURA RUNYEN-JANECKY, professor of biology, was awarded more than $400,000 in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health to support her microbiology research.
ANDREW SCHOENEMAN, associate professor of nonprofit studies, presented “The Industrialization of Nonprofit Labor,” a paper co-authored with Bob Spires, associate professor of education, during a panel at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems in Montreal. The panel, “The Neoliberal Nonprofit-Trapped in a Conundrum of Care,” was chaired by Spires.
JACK SINGAL, associate professor of physics, copublished “Redshift Prediction with Images for Cosmology Using a Bayesian Convolutional Neural Network with Conformal Predictions” in The Astrophysical Journal
BOB SPIRES, associate professor of education, chaired the panel “The Neoliberal Nonprofit-Trapped in a Conundrum of Care” at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems in Montreal. During the panel, Andrew Schoeneman, associate professor and chair of nonprofit studies, presented “The Industrialization of Nonprofit Labor,” a paper co-authored with Spires.
CAROL SUMMERS, Samuel Chiles Mitchell-Jacob Billikopf Professor of History and Global Studies, presented “Housewives and Thrift in the 1940s, from Britain to Australia” at the Making, Spending, Saving: Women and Money in Australasia Symposium in Sydney and “‘No One Else Can Do Your Duty’: War Savings Propaganda and Practices of Australian Citizenship, 1939–46” at the 43rd Australian Historical Association Conference in Adelaide, Australia.
AMY TREONIS, associate professor of biology; Stacey Criswell, director of microscopy and imaging; and students published “Description of Panagrolaimus namibiensis n. sp. (Rhabditida: Panagrolaimidae), an anhydrobiotic nematode from the Namib Desert of Namibia” in the Journal of Nematology
THE
UNIVERSITY OF
RICHMOND
IS
A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE
CHRIS VON RUEDEN, associate professor of leadership studies, received the 2024 Human Behavior & Evolution Society Fellow Award.
JOANNA WARES, associate professor of mathematics, co-published “Assessing the Role of Patient Generation Techniques in Virtual Clinical Trial Outcomes” in the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
DAVID WILKINS, E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, presented “Apart and Akin: Indigenous Peoples and African-Americans—Similarities and Differences in Historical/Legal Experiences” as part of the University Forum Lecture Series at Appalachian State University.
SANDY WILLIAMS, assistant professor of art, was named a 2024 Joan Mitchell Fellow for their work in socially engaged sculpture and performance art. Williams published “Dawoud Bey: ‘Elegy’,” a review of the Elegy exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, in CAA.reviews.
MARTEL ZELDIN, visiting research scholar; Kelling Donald, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences; Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry; and undergraduate students published “Dative Bonding in Quasimetallatranes Containing Group 15 Donors (Y = N, P, and As) and Group 14 Acceptors (M = Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb)” in Inorganic Chemistry. Zeldin, Parish, and undergraduate students published “Conformational Analysis of Oligomeric Models of Siloxane, Silazane and Siloxazane Ladder Polymers” in the Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials
BETH ZIZZAMIA, geographic information system operations manager in the Spatial Analysis Lab; Jeremy Hoffman, adjunct lecturer of geography and the environment; and Todd Lookingbill, professor of geography, environment, and sustainability, co-published “A Heat Emergency: Urban Heat Exposure and Access to Refuge in Richmond, VA” in GeoHealth. Zizzamia; Kyle Redican, teaching faculty of geography, environment, and sustainability and director of the Spatial Analysis Lab; and an undergraduate student published “Assessing ChatGPT for GIS education and assignment creation” in the Journal of Geography in Higher Education
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Race runs through the UR campus.
Don’t wait. Register now and save 20% with code Spiders2024. sportsbackers.org/events/rivercityhalf
2024 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
Recognizes a faculty member who has consistently demonstrated excellence in community-engaged teaching at the University of Richmond
KRISTIN BEZIO
Professor of Leadership Studies and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Jepson School of Leadership Studies
COLLEEN CARPENTER-SWANSON
Assistant Professor of Biology
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
TOM SHIELDS
Associate Professor of Education and Leadership Studies
STEPHANIE SPERA
Assistant Professor of Geography, Environment, and Sustainability
CONTRIBUTION TO THE INSTITUTION AWARD
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 students
ROB MCADAMS
Director, Partners in the Arts
BILL COLEMAN AWARD
Recognizes a staff member who is dedicated to supporting meaningful engagement with our local and global communities
BETH ZIZZAMIA
Geographic Information System Operations Manager, Spatial Analysis Lab
LEARN MORE
For a complete list of winners, visit engage. richmond.edu/events/ awards.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Craig Kocher worked as a sportscaster in college and graduate school but felt it wasn’t his true long-term vocation. Being at UR means he doesn’t have to choose.
In addition to his job as the University’s chaplain, he assists Bob Black, director of broadcast and news content for Athletics, with broadcasting several home women’s basketball and baseball games and some home soccer matches on ESPN+ each year.
“Bob graciously invited me to call games a few years back,” Kocher said. “I love telling the story of our Spider student-athletes, especially when we win.”
Reaching Across Difference
A
conversation with Craig Kocher, dean of religious and spiritual life and university chaplain
Craig Kocher has served as university chaplain for more than 15 years. In this role — and alongside the rest of the Chaplaincy staff — he works to bring the campus community together, helping us realize that we are more alike than different.
What does it mean to reach across difference?
To me, learning across difference begins with a posture of curiosity and openness, assuming everyone has something to share and something to learn. I also believe learning from others requires the assumption of good intent and a desire to discover shared values, even with those with whom we disagree strongly. At the end of the day, we often have more in common with others than we might first imagine.
How does the Chaplaincy’s Interfaith Dialogues programming support that?
The Chaplaincy is structurally interfaith, with staff and programming representing a variety of different backgrounds and traditions. I have found that interfaith dialogue works best in small groups where trust can be established and maintained over time. Within such relationships, speaking openly about our most deeply held beliefs becomes easier. Interfaith dialogue honors the particularities that each person and tradition bring to the table. We are not seeking sameness; we are seeking understanding. Learning is central to our mission as a university, and we only learn when confronted with new ideas or life experiences. That’s the real gift of a community like ours.
How do we ensure UR is welcoming and create a sense of belonging?
We want to create communities where people feel they belong from the moment they arrive on campus. In the Chaplaincy, that means identifying barriers to religious or spiritual belonging that need to be removed. For example, food represents culture and belonging, and thus we have a wonderful partnership with Dining Services to provide more offerings for students who have religious dietary needs.
I think each of us should strive to be the kind of person that others want to be around. Doing so goes a long way to create a sense of belonging and community.
What does the chaplaincy have to offer the nonreligious?
More and more students come to the University from nonreligious backgrounds. One of the largest Chaplaincy communities is SBNR (spiritual but not religious), where students explore a variety of spiritual practices and discover what is most meaningful to them. We have a devout and diverse campus, and the wider we can draw the circle of community and engagement the better.
The pilgrimage program is a great example of helping young people form relationships with those who are different from them. Pilgrimage teams travel to various places in the world, often to locations where hope and heartache are present. Such opportunities are fertile ground for understanding the world, themselves, and others more deeply.
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, 2024.
NEW HIRES
FACULTY
SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES
ART AND ART HISTORY
Francheska Alcantara Visiting Lecturer of Art
Kymberly Newberry Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History
BIOLOGY
John Peters Assistant Professor of Biology
CLASSICAL STUDIES
Nicholas Baker Visiting Assistant Professor of Classical Studies
Jorge Wong Assistant Professor of Classical Studies
COMPUTER SCIENCE
M Charity Visiting Assistant Professor of Computer Science
ENGLISH
Erik Fredner Visiting Assistant Professor of Data Science
HEALTH STUDIES
Nigel James Assistant Professor of Health Studies
LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES
Caity Giustiniano Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian Studies
Luca Peretti Assistant Professor of Italian Studies
LATIN AMERICAN, LATINO, AND IBERIAN STUDIES
Karen de Melo Visiting Assistant Professor of Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies
MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
Allison Plaxco Visiting Assistant Professor of Data Science
Shruthi Sridhar Director of Mathematics
Boya Wen Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
Tianyuan Xu Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
MUSIC
Bruno Alcalde Assistant Professor of Music
PHILOSOPHY
Kelley Annesley Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy
PSYCHOLOGY
Jessica Bourdon Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Allan Collins
Trawick Post-Doctoral Fellow
Arella Gussow Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology
Adam Stanaland Assistant Professor of Psychology
RHETORIC AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Malcolm Ogden Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies
Ignatius Suglo Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies
Yijun Sun Visiting Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies
SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
Corey Payne Assistant Professor of Sociology
Bailey Troia Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology
ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MARKETING
Patricia Torres Assistant Professor of Marketing
SCHOOL OF LAW
Lauren Clatch Assistant Professor of Law
Tom Donnelly Assistant Professor of Law
Cassie Powell Assistant Professor of Law
JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Sam Director Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING STUDIES
Grant Rissler Assistant Professor of Organizational Studies
STAFF
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Ismar Alickovic Post-Baccalaureate Fellow, Biology
Eric Eckhart Manager, Time-Base Media Production and Post-Production, Art and Art History
Jaime Rung
Academic Administrative Coordinator, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Thando Tsela Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Chemistry
Jamie Wagner Animal Care Specialist, Biology
Olivia Wilkinson Academic Administrative Coordinator, Dean’s Office
Lindsay Wrigley Assistant Science Stockroom Manager, Chemistry
Jillian Yates Post-Baccalaureate Research Assistant, Biology
ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Heather Mitchell Administrative Coordinator
SCHOOL OF LAW
Ericka Black Program Manager
Jessica Fonseca-Nader Seasonal Application Assistant
Rebecca Robison Assistant Director of Law Admissions
Jennifer Tobin Operations Specialist, Career Development
JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Heidi Thompson Administrative Coordinator
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING STUDIES
Dan Jablow Program Specialist
PROVOST
Jacci Banegas
Associate Director of Student Engagement and the Bonner Scholars Program, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement
Leslie Bohon Director of English Language Learning, Weinstein Learning Center
Orianna Cacchione Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions, University Museums
Ryan Cales
Technology Consultant, Pedagogy and Scholarship, Teaching and Scholarship Hub
Connie Dye Senior Manager for Communication and Programming, Career Services
Hayley Mathews Assistant Director, Career Services
Gabriel Matthews Post-Baccalaureate Fellow, Teaching and Scholarship Hub
Marco Ortiz Executive Director, Weinstein Learning Center
Judy Pryor-Ramirez Senior Fellow, Bonner Center for Civic Engagement
Kayla Solsbak Museum Engagement and Administrative Coordinator, University Museums
Damon Yarnell Associate Provost and Executive Director of Career Development
ADVANCEMENT
Eric Hunter Senior Associate Director, Alumni Networks, Alumni Relations
Christin Jones Gift Planning Officer
Matt Kane Director of Advancement Data and Analytics, Advancement Systems
Katherine Mansfield Administrative Assistant, Alumni Relations
Morgan Miller Administrative Coordinator, Advancement Systems
Sara Morrow Gift Planning Operations Coordinator
Connor Wilson
Associate Director of Advancement Communications, Advancement Systems
ATHLETICS
Devin Best
Athletics Marketing Graduate Assistant, Game Day Experience
Billy Caldwell Associate Head Coach, Cross Country and Track and Field
Michael Childress Assistant Coach, Men’s Golf
Ariana Daley Academics Graduate Assistant
Georgia Davidson-Erwin Equipment Operations Assistant
Charles Geho
Spider Athletic Fund Graduate Assistant
Madison Gregory Athletics Public Relations Graduate Assistant
Stephen Houser Ticket Office Assistant
Jack Kearney Assistant Coach, Men’s Lacrosse
Madison Lockamy Staff Counselor – Health and Well-Being
Addie Wright Athletics Leadership Intern, Academics
McKenzie Yi Assistant Director, Athletics Public Relations
BUSINESS AFFAIRS
Joseph Day Natural Areas Steward, Sustainability
Jenna Owens Senior Director for Workday Support and Operations
CAMPUS OPERATIONS
Chris Bradshaw Project Manager, Design and Construction
Rylie Brumfield Floater Manager, Heilman Dining Center
Cameron Buzzard Budget and Accounting Coordinator
Milagros Chiong Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Elliot Delroba Café Associate, 8:15 at Boatwright
Merle Doughten Groundskeeper
Nathan Dyer Cook II, Heilman Dining Center
Arielle Erickson Baker II, Heilman Dining Center
Christine Forker Catering Support Coordinator
Bailee Hall Groundskeeper
Corey Harris Cook I, Tyler’s Grill
Roger Harris Events and Projects Technician, Events, Conferences, and Support Services
Santa Hickman Custodian
Doug Horton Groundskeeper
Thomas Hunter Cook I, Tyler’s Grill
Lamont Johnson
Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Bonnie Keller Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Jonathan LaPrade Custodial Team Leader
Bobby Lotempio Catering Cook I
Upen Malani Executive Director of Dining Services
Ashley Marsh Administrative Assistant, Heilman Dining Center
Lincoln Martin Catering Driver
Mikal Muhammad Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Andrew Newman Cook II, Heilman Dining Center
Mireille Nyiraga Custodian
Jessie Pascarelli Administrative Coordinator, University Facilities, Support Services
Catherine Poston
Assistant Director of Events, Events, Conferences, and Support Services
Alex Prillaman
Technical Specialist, Print, Printing Services
Rosa Ramirez de Meza Custodian
Taylor Rushin Stores Clerk, University Facilities, Support Services
Jacob Sequeira Rethink Waste Representative
Gerald Skeeter Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Kyle Stewart Cook II, Heilman Dining Center
Sarah Sweeney Marketing Assistant, Dining Services
Jnai Venable Custodian
Paul Westbury Plumber
Manori Wimalagunasekara Custodian
CONTROLLER
Ian Chance Budget and Planning Analyst
Janessa Lawton Senior Accountant
Forrest Spaits Senior Accountant
HUMAN RESOURCES
Ari Clayton Talent Development Specialist
Melissa Farmer Human Resources Representative
Ilana Lavine Assistant to the Chief Human Resources Officer
Lindsay Wainwright Benefits Specialist
SECURITY
Kevin Agee Police Officer
Christopher Walz Emergency Management Fellow
COMMUNICATIONS
Lee Anna Jackson Editor, UR Now
ENROLLMENT
MANAGEMENT
Grace Clarke
Admission Counselor, Undergraduate Admission
Ashanti Cuthrell
Admission Counselor, Undergraduate Admission
Kyle Meadows
Admission Counselor, Student Employment and Visit Manager, Undergraduate Admission
Martha Pittaway Special Projects Assistant
Chris Sullivan Financial Aid Adviser
INCLUSION AND BELONGING
Monica Smith Vice President for Inclusion and Belonging, Institutional Equity and Inclusion
INFORMATION SERVICES
Emmanuel Chum Operations Specialist, Data Centers
Thomas Farrar Procurement Coordinator, User Services
Jeremiah Nelson Technical Support Consultant, User Services
Ryan Peloquin
Learning Management System Administrator, Academic Computing Services
Alex Szymanski Senior Programmer/ Analyst, Enterprise Applications
PLANNING AND POLICY
Steven Brown Senior Transfer and Curriculum Analyst, Registrar’s Office
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Todd Adams Vice President for Student Development
Ashley Curtis Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Counseling and Psychological Services
Ashley Daly Assistant Dean, Westhampton College
Kelly Fugate Prevention and Recovery Support Coordinator, Health Promotion
Joy Heinzman Associate Director of Residence Life, Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Housing
Jennifer Horton Assistant Medical Director, Student Health Center
Myles Johnson Program Coordinator, Student Center for Equity and Inclusion
Stephanie Kauffman Area Coordinator, Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Housing
Owen Ludlow Licensed Professional Counselor/Post-Doctoral Resident, Counseling and Psychological Services
Kay MacDonald Experiential Learning Coordinator, Living-Learning and New Student Programs
Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth Associate Director, First-Generation and Limited Income Student Support, Student Center for Equity and Inclusion
Olivia Rosenblum Multifaith Program Manager, Office of the Chaplaincy
Ayanna Santiago Operations Coordinator, Health and Well-Being
Hannah Staats Staff Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services
Amala Thomas Area Coordinator, Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Housing
Kaitlyn Van Dyk Assistant Director, Living-Learning and New Student Programs
Jill Woodward Manager, Outdoor Adventure and Leadership, University Recreation
MOVES
FACULTY
SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES
ART AND ART HISTORY
GM Keaton Visiting Lecturer of Art
Agnieszka Szymanska Associate Professor of Art History
CHEMISTRY
Cemile Kumas Teaching Faculty in Chemistry
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Jon Park
Associate Professor of Computer Science
HISTORY
Michelle Kahn Associate Professor of History
JOURNALISM
Brian Palmer Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism
LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND CULTURES
Hilary Raymond Teaching Faculty in French
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Luai Allarakia
Teaching Faculty in Political Science
Dan Chen
Associate Professor of Political Science
RHETORIC AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Timothy Barney Professor of Rhetoric and Communication Studies
THEATRE AND DANCE
Erica Hughes Teaching Faculty in Theatre and Dance
ROBINS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Olivia LaFont
Associate Professor of Management
MARKETING
Randy Raggio Professor of Marketing
SCHOOL OF LAW
Robin Meier
Assistant Professor of Law, Legal Practice
JEPSON SCHOOL OF LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Jessica Flanigan Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law
Javier Hidalgo Professor of Leadership Studies
Thad Williamson Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law
STAFF
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES
June Wise
Academic Administrative Coordinator, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
SCHOOL OF LAW
Anne Wroniewicz
Assistant to the Dean
SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND CONTINUING STUDIES
Romney Beebe
Program Coordinator, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
ADVANCEMENT
Dana Andalis
Administrative Coordinator, Alumni Relations
Katie Bell Director of Advancement Operations, Advancement Systems
Charlotte Haneke Assistant Director of Annual Giving
Kim Lebar Assistant Vice President for Advancement Systems
Hannah Rhodes Assistant Director, Donor Reporting and Operations, Donor Relations
ATHLETICS
R.D. Montgomery Associate Director of Student-Athlete Success, Leadership Development
BUSINESS AFFAIRS CAMPUS OPERATIONS
Jay Artis Cook II, Heilman Dining Center
Adam Bartlett Manager, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing
Ashley Blount Custodian
Ayesha Bowe Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Trenton Butler Cook II, Heilman Dining Center
Tishelle Cosby Line Service Associate Lead, Heilman Dining Center
Eric Estes Assistant Director, Utilities Distribution and Control
Dominique Evans Line Service Associate Lead, Heilman Dining Center
Teddy Johnson Lead Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Hamilton Jones Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill
Avery Knight Utility Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Nicole Michalick Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill
Dylan Moore Sous Chef, The Cellar
Teale Phillips Line Service Associate, Heilman Dining Center
Samantha Proffitt Director of Events and Support Services, Events, Conferences, and Support Services
Ally Reid Café Lead, 8:15 at Boatwright
Kay Rudolph Café Associate, Tyler’s Grill
Will Semonco Line Service
Associate Lead, Heilman Dining Center
David Smith Lead Cook, Heilman Dining Center
Robert Smith
Support Services Supervisor, Events, Conferences, and Support Services
Caroline Stabile Floater Manager, Heilman Dining Center
Ryan Strotman HVAC Mechanic II
Josephine Wiskman Café Lead, FlavUR
HUMAN RESOURCES
Caitie Hoeckele
Talent Acquisition Specialist, Student Employment
ENROLLMENT
MANAGEMENT
Geneva Knight Operations Coordinator, Undergraduate Admission
Ashley Kuemmerle Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment Management
INCLUSION AND BELONGING
Aretha Harris
Assistant to the Vice President for Inclusion and Belonging
INFORMATION SERVICES
Matt Duesing
Multimedia Team Lead and Project Manager, Telecom and Media Support Services
SPIDER MANAGEMENT
Greg Ciaverelli Chief Operating Officer
Daniel Coyle Senior Analyst, Investments
Caroline Crawford
Associate Director, Investor Relations
Rebecca Fender
Managing Director, Investor Relations
Jeff Hires
Managing Director, Public Markets
Tripp Taliaferro
Managing Director, Private Markets
Karen Welch
Deputy Chief Investment Officer
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
Kayla May
Associate Director, Student Engagement, Center for Student Involvement
Mary Anne Messer Staff Counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services
Emily Paradise Coordinator for Training and Development, Residence Life and Undergraduate Student Housing
RETIREMENTS
44 YEARS
CHERYL GENOVESE School of Professional & Continuing Studies
27 YEARS
LARRY RICHMOND University Facilities –Carpentry
26 YEARS
STEPHANIE CHARLES Information Services –User Services Specialists
KEITH MITCHELL University Facilities –Electrical
24 YEARS
SHARON KROL Law School
22 YEARS
STEVE BISESE Student Development
MARTHA PITTAWAY Enrollment Management
IN MEMORIAM
REMEMBERING THOSE WE LOST IN 2024
RICHARD LEATHERMAN
May 17, 2024
Associate Professor of Human Resources Management (retired July 2004); Adjunct Faculty, School of Professional & Continuing Studies
VIVIAN MARCOCCIO
May 23, 2024
Graphic Design Coordinator, School of Professional & Continuing Studies
410 Westhampton Way
University of Richmond, VA 23173
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FEBRUARY
Feb. 14
Preview Richmond
Open house for prospective students and their families
Feb. 22, 8 a.m.
Spider Dash
MARCH
March 6, 2 p.m.
Employee Service Awards
Booker Hall of Music, Camp Concert Hall
March 8–16
Undergraduate Spring Break
March 21
Experience Richmond Open house for admitted students and their families
APRIL
April 4
Experience Richmond
April 17–18
Experience Richmond Overnight Overnight program for admitted students
April 18
Experience Richmond
April 25
Last Day of Undergraduate Spring Classes
USAC
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.
Meetings* Feb. 11
March 11 April 8 1–3 p.m.
Visit usac.richmond.edu for meeting locations.
FACULTY SENATE
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.
Meetings* Feb. 21
March 21 April 11 3–4:30 p.m.
Visit facultysenate. richmond.edu for meeting locations.
*Unless otherwise noted, meetings are open to all faculty and staff.
Road to Repeat Head coach Aaron Roussell talks strategy with members of the Spider women’s basketball team, who are defending their 2024 Atlantic 10 championship this season.