Distinctly Richmond.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2020
Innovation. Ambition. Courage.
The University of Richmond occupies a distinct place among leading liberal arts institutions and in American higher education. How we’re built, the way we think, the range of academic programs we offer, and what our students and faculty accomplish together — in our classrooms, in our labs, in our studios, and well beyond — fulfill and extend the promise of a liberal arts education. This report on our past year offers numerous examples of our progress, from innovative research and scholarship that make critical contributions of knowledge to stories of students fueling their curiosity, cultivating their creativity, and championing change to grow intellectually and make the world a better place for all of us. A common thread runs through these stories: they show that Spiders have the courage to lead. We are committed to creating new knowledge and understanding to address some of our nation’s greatest challenges; we welcome the opportunity to confront complicated aspects of our history; and we embrace our responsibility to anchor the institution to a foundation of inclusive excellence that allows students of all backgrounds and perspectives to thrive. As this report demonstrates, we continue to enhance our programs and curricula. In so doing, we ensure that we are providing the very best education to students who recognize that the spark within them will be nurtured here, that they will grow amidst a vibrant intellectual community, and that the education they receive will allow them to make a difference everywhere. I hope this report offers to readers of all kinds — both those first learning about Richmond and those already familiar — a deeper understanding of the remarkable University we are today and the ambitious ways in which we are working to shape and prepare the University for the future.
Richmond.
Sincerely,
Ronald A. Crutcher President
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2020
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2020
6 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Intellectual partners Richmond faculty are true teacher-scholars and intellectual partners to our students. Their unrelenting passion and support empower and embolden our students, propelling them to maximize their talents and realize their fullest ambitions. This year, our faculty and students partnered on intellectual pursuits ranging from environmental biology to Cold War grant funding. The strength of our faculty as teachers and mentors was evident in a number of professional commendations, but more importantly in the achievements of their students.
8 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Awards for Excellence MULTIPLE GRANTS Funded by new grants from the Rockefeller Archive Center and the University’s newly established Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship initiative, Tim Barney is collaborating with fellow Richmond faculty member Nicole Sackley, associate professor of history and American studies, the University’s Digital Scholarship Lab, and two students to develop a tool that traces every international grant given by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations during the Cold War. The map will examine the foundations’ philanthropic priorities compared to U.S. foreign policy during that period.
Tim Barney, associate professor of rhetoric and communication studies, is being widely recognized as an outstanding teacher and scholar. In May, he received the Ecroyd Teaching Excellence Award from the Eastern Communication Association, which is given annually to recognize faculty with a heightened commitment to teaching excellence in the field of rhetoric and communication. Two months later, Barney was awarded the Rhetoric Society of America Fellows’ Early Career Award. The award honors a current member of the Rhetoric Society of America who has established an innovative and strong research record within eight years of having earned a Ph.D. and for the potential to contribute significantly to the field of rhetorical studies. “Dr. Barney is an important influence on rhetorical education, an outstanding classroom instructor, and an excellent mentor to scores of students at the University of Richmond,” said Trevor Parry-Giles, a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland and Barney’s longtime mentor, who nominated him for the award.
TOP FULBRIGHT PRODUCER
University of Richmond was among the select group of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright U.S. Students and Fulbright U.S. Scholars in 2018–19 — one of only 11 institutions in the country to be honored in both categories. Biology professor Amy Treonis received a Fulbright Scholar award to support 10 months of teaching and research at the University of Namibia. Treonis is researching nematodes, an understudied group of microscopic organisms found in soils and sediments. She also is teaching courses in the institution’s Department of Integrated Environmental Science. Four recent graduates were offered immersive international experiences thanks to Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grants. Griffin Trau, ’18 and C’19 — who also was the place kicker for the football team — will pursue a youth lacrosse development project in the Czech Republic; Emily London, ’18, will spend a year teaching in Tajikistan; Thomas Vanderbeek, ’19, will be an assistant English teacher in a German school in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz; and Justine Guan, ’19, will spend a year in Kazakhstan exploring the country’s growing geopolitical significance.
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“The United States has a lot of problems, but not on the same scale as El Salvador. Most Salvadorans live in dangerous, impoverished conditions. How do I use my education to make things better in my country?” Sabrina Escobar Miranda, ’19, was named the inaugural Jepson Scholar in a master’s program at the University of Oxford, where she plans to build on her independent study on the effects of colonization in her home country of El Salvador, as well as in Guatemala. Launched this year, the Jepson Scholars Program provides up to three scholarships annually for graduating Jepson School of Leadership Studies seniors to pursue a one-year master’s degree program at the University of Oxford. The scholarship covers room, board, tuition, and fees.
10 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
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butterflies raised and released by Sevin’s students
Protecting populations GOVERNOR’S FELLOWS Sean Clair, ’19, and Taylor Hoogsteden, ’19, were two of 28 Virginia students selected for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2019 Governor’s Fellows Program, which offers rising college seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students an opportunity to gain experience working in the Office of the Governor. “This fellowship was a great way to complement my science background with policy experience,” Clair said.
Sean Clair and his classmates in Jennifer Sevin’s ecology and environmental biology class raised and released monarch butterflies in 2019 as part of a collaborative effort to increase survival rates for the species, now under consideration for protection through the Endangered Species Act. Each butterfly was tagged so Monarch Watch — a national cooperative network of students, teachers, volunteers, and researchers dedicated to the study of the monarch butterfly — can track the population. This data then helps the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assess whether monarchs will be listed as threatened or endangered. “People think about monarchs as the classic butterfly but don’t realize how threatened they are,” said Clair, a chemistry major. “It’s been wonderful to see the life cycle in person and then apply what we are doing inside the classroom to the outside world.”
Intellectual Partners 11
ADVANCING MOLECULAR DATA
Chemistry professor Carol Parish is partnering with colleagues at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Florida for a nearly $1 million National Science Foundationfunded project — one of the first in the United States selected for a new NSF pilot project — the Convergence Accelerator. The team will use machine learning, design thinking, and data analytics to build a centralized, open network for users to access molecular sciences data from academia, industry, and government. One of Parish’s former students and Goldwater scholar Adam Luxon, ’16, now in grad school, is assisting with this research, which he began as an undergraduate. Luxon is one of more than 100 students Parish has closely mentored in her lab at Richmond. She has published more than 40 research publications with 60 undergraduate coauthors. Her students have won numerous nationally recognized scholarships, including Goldwater, ACS, Rhodes, Marshall, Gates, and Fulbright awards. “The most rewarding part of my job is mentoring undergraduates and training the next generation of scientists,” Parish said.
‘Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ Shortly after graduating in the spring, Zack Cain, ’19, left for Indonesia, first for a summer language immersion thanks to a 2019 Critical Language Scholarship, then on a yearlong scholarship from the Indonesian Ministry of Education to study language, art, and culture in Java. This isn’t Cain’s first experience in Indonesia. After seeing Richmond’s gamelan ensemble perform at the end of his first year, he immediately signed up. That’s also where he was introduced to his mentor Andy McGraw, a music professor and ethnomusicologist who specializes in Indonesian music and culture. Since then, with strong support from McGraw, Cain has received University funding to research gamelan traditions in Bali, Indonesia, and has studied and performed with master Indonesian artists at the Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center, and the Indonesian Embassy. “Being able to spend two months focusing on language skills before spending a year researching in Indonesia feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Cain says. “The thing I look forward to most is being able to connect with the performing arts community in Surakarta and share my own musical identity as well.”
12 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Intellectual Partners 13
Beinecke Scholar brings history to life HUMANITIES IN PRACTICE Joanna Hejl, ’20, will have the chance to build on her undergraduate experiences as Richmond’s first Beinecke Scholar. This prestigious award grants recipients $34,000 to support graduate studies in the arts, humanities, or social sciences.
Joanna Hejl worked closely with professors Patricia Herrera and Laura Browder in the production of The Spirit of Armstrong, a documentary drama highlighting the history of Richmond’s Armstrong High School as part of a community-based learning course. Armstrong was the first public school in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, for African American students. The performance concluded months of archival research, scriptwriting, and collaborating with Armstrong students. As a double major in American Studies and political science and a history minor, Hejl recognizes the power of the humanities to engage diverse populations to reflect on their histories and draw throughlines to current civic and cultural life. “I believe that by finding ways to share the legacies of racist practices that mar our communities,” Hejl says, “I will help others understand why there are still problems that must be addressed.”
14 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Scholarship for the greater good Richmond faculty are the heart and soul of our academic community, but they’re equally engaged with — and endlessly curious about — their fields of study. They regularly contribute their expertise to help answer the questions of our time. This year, Richmond faculty lent their scholarship to advance anti-corruption reform, to contextualize the history of the moon landing, and to recover the voices of the women of ancient Rome — among many other contributions. With every question comes new possibilities to create, apply, and share learning.
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24%
of Richmond faculty
contributed comments or authored pieces in thousands of national news articles resulting in a potential readership of nearly
8 billion
“Charisma matters now more than ever for two reasons. First, politicians are now packaging themselves as Instagram-ready personal brands. And second, people in more individualistic cultures value leaders’ charisma more, and America is becoming increasingly individualistic. This means that charisma, rather than performance, may play an increasing role in how leaders are evaluated.” Jess Flanigan, associate professor in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, in a Fast Company piece about the role of charisma in political elections
EXPLORING ROMAN-ERA GRAFFITI
With support from IES Abroad, Professor Erika Zimmerman Damer traveled with undergraduates to Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy, in the summer of 2019 to conduct first-ofits-kind research on women in Roman graffiti. The classics and women, gender, and sexuality studies professor also is involved with the Ancient Graffiti Project, a public digital resource effort that involves University of Richmond undergraduates and includes collaboration with faculty from Associated Colleges of the South. The research, she said, “gives voice to the silences we have tended to put in our writing of Roman history.”
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18 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
‘UNUSUALLY AMBITIOUS’
Fighting Olympic corruption
EXPERTISE THAT TRAVELS In the spring, Professor Andy Spalding traveled to Bhutan to serve as a visiting scholar at the recently opened Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law, the country’s first law school. Spalding studied anti-corruption reform in the small Himalayan country, which transitioned from a monarchy to a democracy in 2008, and he is lending his expertise to assist with government reform.
Law professor Andy Spalding, whose expertise focuses on corruption in mega sporting events, was named chair of the Olympics Compliance Task Force. He has assembled a team of scholars from around the world to develop a framework of legal standards for the Paris 2024 compliance program that will set a precedent for future host cities. In July, Spalding also received an Olympic Research Grant from the International Olympic Committee to examine France’s initial efforts to implement anti-corruption and human rights provisions. “This research can identify new ways for sports to promote social development,” he said, “and will build the foundation for a legacy of governance promoting accountability, transparency, and human rights that go beyond sport and will last after the games are over.”
Professor Julietta Singh recently received a Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowship for Recently Tenured Scholars, which supports scholars in the humanities and social sciences who are pursuing long-term, “unusually ambitious” projects. For nine months, Singh is stepping away from the classroom and into Columbia University’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality, where she is writing the book On the Verge: Experiments in Extinction. The book examines feminist and queer artists and their artistic representations of human extinction. “Most of these artists I study refuse the common construction of the human as the top of a species chain,” Singh said. “Instead they represent us as deeply integrated and deeply vulnerable creatures whose relationships to each other and the environments that sustain us need to be urgently reconfigured if our collective aim is a future that sustains human life.”
Scholarship for the Greater Good 19
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murals analyzed for
data points including thermal emittance, solar exposure duration, air temperature, and mural colors
“Presenting science alone is less likely to result in long-term changes in feelings and behaviors.” Eugene Maurakis, who also received funding this year from the Virginia Academy of Science for a publication and documentary project that aims to increase awareness and inspire behavior change toward aquatic fauna
Research that radiates Richmond research was on display from May through October at See the Heat, an exhibition at the Science Museum of Virginia that explored the correlation between street murals and the urban heat island effect in Richmond, a city known for having a high concentration of murals. An urban heat island refers to a pocket of a city that is significantly warmer than surrounding areas due to human activity. “[We wanted] to use this information to make recommendations for color and location of wall murals as an alternative and cost-friendly way to mitigate the effects of urban heat islands,” said Sarah Kwon, ’19, who worked with Eugene Maurakis, a professor in the University’s biology department and chief scientist at the museum, to curate the exhibition. As cities introduce new public art, this research will provide valuable insights into helping those locales minimize the heat island effect.
20 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
“[The conspiracy theory that the moon landing didn’t happen] is an atypical one for the reason that most conspiracy theories provide an explanation for a tragic event or some sort of randomness in the world.” Physics professor and astrophysicist Jack Singal was featured in an ABC News story in June about the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and its enduring conspiracy theories.
Scholarship for the Greater Good 21
FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTISE In 2019, media outlets around the world repeatedly turned to political science professor Jenny Pribble for her perspective on Latin American politics as major news stories have emerged in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay. An expert on foreign policy, Pribble has been featured in dozens of news stories, including eight Associated Press articles; quotes in Bloomberg and Newsweek; and an authored piece in Financial Times. Pribble is part of an international team advancing research on Latin American social policy through a grant from the University of Costa Rica.
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An instinct for innovation Richmond is a leading liberal arts institution, but our faculty’s research pursuits are on par with major research universities. Our faculty are combining their expertise with innovative research methods and tools to pursue cutting-edge ideas that have global influence and cross-disciplinary applications. This year, our faculty received funding from government agencies and national and international foundations to investigate and innovate on many fronts. They used computer science to better match organ donors, developed a digital toolkit to understand how images shape cultural norms, and studied how undergraduate research can reshape higher education STEM curricula — just to name a few. And in work that was showcased across the globe, they even taught rats to drive.
24 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
CROSS-CULTURAL DISCOVERY
Working with scholars from Chile, Argentina, and the United States, Professor Mariela Mendez began a two-year international project that aims to solidify the study of Latin American magazines and better understand their role in social, political, cultural, and economic projects. She was recently awarded a collaborative grant from the Chilean National Commission on Scientific and Technological Investigation to research feminist contributions in Latin American and American magazines. In August, Mendez also received an international book award from the Association for Gender and Sexuality Studies for her book exploring influential South American women.
Lauren Tilton received an
NEH-Mellon Fellowship
to map how oral histories collected during the Great Depression reflect American culture.
“What would take a human years to process, this automated toolkit can do in minutes.” Statistics professor Taylor Arnold, along with digital humanities professor Lauren Tilton, received grant funding in 2019 from the National Endowment for the Humanities to analyze how moving images such as film, television, and news broadcasts shape cultural norms.
Arnold and Tilton are developing an open-source software library — the Distant
Viewing Toolkit — that can analyze faces in moving images to determine patterns of gender, age, and race. The insights gained through the tool offer a lens into how sociological representation shifts over time. The tool will be available to scholars, librarians, students, and the general public.
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DRIVING SCIENCE FORWARD
Behavioral neuroscience professor Kelly Lambert garnered worldwide attention in the fall when she and a team of UR researchers taught rats to drive. Published in the journal Behavioural Brain Research, Lambert’s research explores how performing complex tasks, like driving, may further inform the scientific community about treatment for mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. The team included Richmond alumna Olivia Harding, Lambert’s former student and now lab assistant. The research showed that rats housed in a complex, enriched environment were able to learn the driving task, but rats housed in standard laboratory cages failed their driving tests. “That means the complex living environment led to more behavioral flexibility and neuroplasticity,” Lambert said. “This reminds us that our brains are constantly changing in response to our environments — and that we’re accountable for maintaining our brains moment-to-moment.” More than 1,500 news outlets from more than 40 countries shared the story of Lambert and the driving rats.
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“I have been so fortunate to conduct research with a phenomenal professor. I hope this award pays homage to the time and energy my mentors have given me over the last few years.” Adrian Matthews, a research assistant for chemistry professor Miles Johnson, was one of three Richmond juniors to receive Goldwater Scholarships in 2019. Johnson can now support five undergraduate summer researchers, like Matthews, thanks to a recent grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. Johnson is investigating nickel as a metal catalyst to develop new chemical compounds. These cross-coupling reactions play a pivotal role in producing new pharmaceuticals.
FORGING NEW GROUND IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH In August, Biology professor Kristine Grayson received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to apply her research on eastern red-backed salamanders to further educational strategies in STEM disciplines. Working with a team of collaborators — including scientists and education researchers from five universities — Grayson is using Course-based Undergraduate Research (CURE) models to develop curricula that engage undergraduates in meaningful classroom research. “Recent evidence suggests CURE models are excellent examples of active learning that engage students in the practice of science and lead to increased persistence of students in STEM disciplines,” Grayson says. One of Grayson’s former students, Nana Banahene, ’18, is proof of the value of undergraduate research. Banahene worked with Grayson and other researchers to co-author a paper on gypsy moths that received a 2019 journal award from the Royal Entomological Society.
An Instinct for Innovation 27
28 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Multiple grants fuel bone disease research A BREED APART Zebrafish are ideal subjects for bone disease research because the embryos are transparent, making it possible to see what is occurring inside the body. Professor Isaac Skromne also is breeding a special type of zebrafish called caspers, which remain transparent into adulthood.
In the summer of 2019, biology professor Isaac Skromne was awarded a combined $600,000 from two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants. Both grants support his research using zebrafish — one exploring the development and evolution of cells in the central nervous system, the other studying possible solutions for targeted treatment to reverse bone diseases. “Currently, medications for bone diseases are not targeted and therefore impact other parts of the body,” Skromne says. “For example, a medication for osteoporosis might cause a patient side effects such as nausea. Administering medication directly to bones may help.” At least two UR undergraduates will have the opportunity to work with Skromne on his bone disease research, which also is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health.
An Instinct for Innovation 29
IMPROVING FINANCIAL WARNING SYSTEMS
With the help of a new international grant from the Foundation for Auditing Research, accounting professor Marshall Geiger is studying the factors that influence how auditors evaluate financially distressed companies. The goal of studying these human factors is creating more accurate audits that better signal when companies are failing. “Declaring a GCO [going concern opinion] is a statement by the auditor that a company is at serious risk of going bankrupt in the next 12 months,” Geiger says. “It’s a declaration no company wants.”
Saving lives through computer science With this year’s award from the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust, computer scientist Prateek Bhakta is improving practices for liver donations. The United States is currently divided into 11 districts, and donated livers — which aren’t viable for long after procurement — go to the neediest person within that district. However, this approach is rife with geographic disparities, from differences in population and physical size to issues of racial or socioeconomic inequality. Bhakta wants to develop allocation strategies that improve fairness. “Individuals shouldn’t gain an advantage by moving,” he says. “We want people to receive livers based only on how sick they are, not where they live.”
“Math is an important part of balancing speed, accuracy, and security in so much of what we do on a daily basis from texting to shopping online to streaming video.” Mathematics professor James Davis was awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation in 2019 to support a conference series that explores mathematics critical to modern communication. The funding includes a focus on underrepresented and early-career researchers.
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The courage to confront the past As an institution of higher education, we are committed to understanding the complexities of our past and learning from them. Our community — past, present, and future — deserves no less. We are pushing ourselves to probe the depths of our own complicated history in an effort to achieve deeper cultural understanding. Our faculty and staff include thought leaders who embrace the opportunity to share their perspectives and shape tough conversations on our campus and well beyond.
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Taking the lead “My overriding goal is to continue to get at the lack of understanding that Americans of all races have about the aftermath of slavery, segregation, and lynchings. We as a country, at a subconscious and group level, have never emotionally dealt with that.” — Crutcher, as quoted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Last year, a purported yearbook photo of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam in blackface fueled a national conversation, compelling colleges and universities around the country to grapple with their own histories and images surrounding race relations. That was particularly acute at Richmond when a troubling photo surfaced from one of our own past yearbooks. Rather than shy away from the necessary debate, President Ronald A. Crutcher leaned in to not only join the conversation, but also help lead it.
The Courage to Confront the Past 33
“No one should have to experience the pain caused by such vile images, or evidence of such behavior, either at the time the incident occurs or thereafter.” — Crutcher, as quoted in The Washington Post
“ We do not intend to forget or erase these moments. Rather, we must examine and understand our history so that we may become the more inclusive community we aspire to be.” — Crutcher, as quoted in Inside Higher Ed
“These racial conversations are deeply uncomfortable at times. But they are just as necessary as they are difficult, if colleges are to match the aspiration of our mission statements: to be a welcoming place for young people of every background. Those of us who lead in higher education have no higher calling than to embrace this challenge head on.” — Crutcher, as quoted in “When a Black Student Plays Along With the K.K.K. Joke, What’s a College to Do?,” an opinion piece he penned for The New York Times
“SUCH IMAGES REFLECT A PAST THAT MUST BE RECONCILED AND UNDERSTOOD.”
— Crutcher, as quoted in The Wall Street Journal
34 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
ADDRESSING CHALLENGES
In 2018–19, the School of Arts & Sciences organized a series of programs around the theme “Contested Spaces: Race, Nation, and Conflict,” encouraging conversations about ethnic, racial, and cultural differences both locally and globally. “One of our main goals,” says Patrice Rankine, dean of the school, “is to demonstrate how our disciplines address societal challenges and how together, as a community, we have the tools to heal ourselves and the world around us.” The yearlong series included sessions on race, media, and journalism; legacies of national and international racial violence and anti-colonialism in 1919; and the immigrant experience in the Mediterranean region.
The Courage to Confront the Past 35
Enacting change As part of our Making Excellence Inclusive initiative, we issued a series of comprehensive reports and recommendations in 2019 aimed at ensuring all students, faculty, and staff can thrive at Richmond. Included in this work was the formation of the Institutional Coordinating Council for Thriving, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, a group of faculty and staff that aligns and integrates the University’s inclusive excellence efforts. We also created the Presidential Commission for University History and Identity, led by renowned public historians Lauranett Lee and Edward Ayers, who also is Richmond’s president emeritus. The commission has identified three key areas of opportunity: commemoration and memorialization of campus spaces; examining previously excluded dimensions of our history; and establishing processes and support for an inclusive and accessible University archive. Through projects that included a ground-penetrating radar study of a possible burial ground of enslaved people on our campus and a pilot faculty cohort leading courses about our institutional history and legacies, we are working to tell a fuller, more inclusive story of who we were, who we are, and who we aspire to be.
36 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
A holistic approach to thriving We believe that creating pathways to welcome students of all backgrounds and perspectives is only the first step in creating an inclusive and engaged campus community. We must also ensure they have the resources to thrive in every way — from health and well-being to academic success to having the necessary financial resources. Richmond has long been a leader in providing generous student support, and this year we have furthered that commitment by expanding access to signature Richmond initiatives — like study abroad and leadership development — to even more students, while creating programs that propel all students to realize their greatest aspirations.
38 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
A LEADER IN RESILIENCE As we seek to be a national leader in teaching resilience, Richmond has focused this year on integrating wellness education throughout the academic curriculum. Faculty members are incorporating meditation and mindfulness to facilitate deeper connections with both course content and classmates. Others are exploring subjects such as healthy food access and the business, legal, and sociopolitical aspects of health care. This curricular infusion builds on our existing wellness graduation requirements that instill positive, healthful habits.
Integrating wellness A new Well-Being Center, scheduled to open in fall 2020, will establish a fully integrated space dedicated to student learning and well-being. The new facility reflects a comprehensive and integrated approach to wellbeing, bringing together offices such as the Student Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Center for Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, as well as wellness education and nutrition services. Programming will emphasize positive habits — such as proper sleep, stress management, and sexual health — that prevent or lessen the need for “downstream” intervention and rescue services. The center will also include a health food café and patio, mindfulness and meditation facilities and services, and a venue for speakers and interactive learning focused on wellness. The Well-Being Center is the latest step in Richmond’s efforts to be at the forefront of enabling students to develop a holistic approach to wellness.
LEADING INCLUSIVITY Carthene Bazemore-Walker joined the School of Arts & Sciences as its first assistant dean for diversity, inclusivity, and thriving. This new position adds to Richmond’s capacity for training and assessment of equity and inclusion efforts. Building on initiatives like the award-winning Integrated Inclusive Science program — which promotes interdisciplinary study and research in STEM disciplines and careers, particularly among those traditionally underrepresented in those fields — Bazemore-Walker’s work at Richmond is leveraging the school’s achievements toward equity and inclusion goals across the liberal arts.
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Equipping advocates When Lina Tori Jan, ’20, was named the University’s second Newman Civic Fellow in 2019, she took another step toward her dream of becoming a U.N. human rights ambassador and promoting liberty. Tori Jan came to Richmond in August 2016 from Kabul, Afghanistan, where the Taliban entered her elementary school and burned every book in sight. “The Taliban stripped many people of their rights to participate in society — they shut down schools, burned books, falsely accused and imprisoned individuals, and prohibited women and minority groups from public appearance,” she says. Her experiences ignited a desire to fight for her education and to advocate for the rights of others. At Richmond, she is a leadership studies and political science double major and a Bonner Scholar. She has volunteered with the International Rescue Committee, supporting refugees from across the globe, and interned with the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, where she supported efforts to restore civil rights to individuals who are released from incarceration. As a Newman Civic Fellow, she’ll benefit from a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional, and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems.
40 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Study abroad for all TAKING MODERN SLAVERY HEAD ON
One of the first groups to participate in the new EnCompass program traveled to Southeast Asia. Under the direction of political science professor Monti Datta and education professor Bob Spires — both experts on human trafficking and modern slavery — six students spent the beginning of summer break in Cambodia and Thailand meeting with activists, visiting NGOs, and immersing themselves in the regional culture. “They had studied these topics in class, but then to apply that knowledge by being able to see for yourself what human trafficking looks like and meet some of the people who are fighting it is lifechanging,” said Martha Merritt, dean of international education. Throughout the trip, Datta encouraged the students to be thoughtful and self-aware and suggested that the real meaning of the trip would develop in the coming weeks, months, and years. This gradual reflection is why Merritt, whose office oversees the EnCompass program, believes study abroad is so valuable — and why the University invested in EnCompass to ensure even more students have access to international study. As experiences abroad accumulate, Merritt adds, students can begin to “know the vastness of what they didn’t know.”
Richmond is ranked No. 2 nationally for study abroad, with nearly two-thirds of students graduating with an international experience. We can’t settle, though, when nearly a third of our students don’t get the same opportunity for global enrichment. Our signature new EnCompass program is filling that gap. Launched in the spring of 2019, EnCompass eliminates common barriers — like finances, academic and athletic schedule conflicts, and lack of travel experience — and enables more students to travel abroad by offering full financial support for short-term, faculty-led experiences that are grounded in academic pursuits. In the program’s first year, students learned about inequality in South Africa, theater performance in Cuba, and politics in Latin America. One group even traveled to India to teach science to Tibetan monks. EnCompass focuses on students who are historically less likely to study abroad — such as first-generation students, for whom such experiences may be daunting, and student-athletes, for whom competition schedules may be challenging — to ensure that all Spiders have the chance to gain global perspective as part of their Richmond education. Twenty-nine students in categories that are traditionally “at risk” to miss out on study abroad participated in international experiences in 2019 through EnCompass, including 13 student-athletes, 8 firstgeneration students, 13 students of color, 4 science majors, and 14 male students. They traveled to Chile, Cuba, India, South Africa, Thailand, and Cambodia.
2/3 of Richmond students graduate with an international experience; EnCompass targets the remaining
1/3
A Holistic Approach to Thriving 41
“I never thought I would be able to have an experience like this while in college, and it certainly did not seem real until I put my feet on the ground in Thailand.” Chance Evans, ’20, on the blog students kept during a three-week trip to Thailand led by professors Monti Datta and Bob Spires as part of the new EnCompass program
42 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
DEVELOPING STUDENTATHLETE LEADERS
At Richmond, we aim to provide one of the best student-athlete undergraduate experiences in the country. Our newly launched Spider Athletics Leadership Initiative is our latest step in realizing that vision. The program includes several tracks for student-athletes to hone their leadership skills: wellness courses for first-year students, professional-transition workshops for seniors, cohorts of nominated “rising leaders,” a “champion leaders” program for team captains, and opportunities for coaches and athletic department staff. Through the initiative, Richmond student-athletes also participate in immersive learning experiences — ranging from academically grounded trips abroad to visiting historic sites in downtown Richmond — designed to help participants deepen understanding and reflect on the meaning of leadership. “Some athletes will have a chance at playing professional sports,” says Lauren Wicklund, associate athletic director for leadership development, “but far more of them will have a chance at becoming doctors and lawyers and running big organizations.”
A Holistic Approach to Thriving 43
First-gen champions The University of Richmond was selected as one of an inaugural cohort of First Forward institutions by the Center for First-generation Student Success in 2019. The designation recognizes institutions with a demonstrated commitment to improving the experiences and advancing outcomes of first-generation college students. The recognition specifically highlights Spider Firsts, a program dedicated to helping first-generation students navigate college, as well as supporting career planning, financial concerns, and emotional needs. “We launched Spider Firsts five years ago to develop a sense of community and pride among our first-gen student population and point these students toward high-impact practices like study abroad and living-learning programs,” said Lisa Miles, coordinator of first-gen student support. “This opportunity allows Richmond to tell our story of first-gen student support more boldly and learn from other high-performing peer institutions.”
“You’re not indicating that you’re weak or that you’re not well prepared or that you don’t belong here when you ask for help. Everybody needs help of some sort.” Richmond President Ronald A. Crutcher, sharing his advice for firstgeneration college students — which he learned from personal experience — with U.S. News & World Report
.
SPIDERS HELPING SPIDERS
Through the inaugural Spiders Helping Spiders giving campaign, our community raised funds to help students who find themselves in an unanticipated moment of need. The weeklong campaign created a pool of financial assistance to help students respond to a personal emergency or to cover career-related costs such as travel expenses or business attire. Alumni from 1949 to 2019 stepped up to help students weather the unexpected.
44 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
More moments in our year At the University of Richmond, we are honored to be recognized as one of the best liberal arts institutions in the nation. As we reflect on the past year, we celebrate and share even more of the moments that have inspired us and made us proud to be Spiders.
More Moments in Our Year 45
Honoring our own In May, we celebrated the accomplishments of alumnus Tim Finchem at his 50th reunion, where he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. For more than 20 years, Finchem guided the PGA Tour — and in many ways, the game of golf itself — through a period of explosive growth and popularity.
Gold standard Richmond earned a STARS Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education in recognition of its sustainability achievements, such as developing a plan to become the first institution of higher education in the Southeast to match 100 percent of its electricity needs with solar energy. In addition, the U.S. Green Building Council awarded three more University buildings LEED Gold Certification, bringing the campus total to 15 LEEDcertified buildings.
Rhodes finalist Nia Cambridge, ’20, was selected as a Rhodes scholarship finalist for her academic achievements, as well as her leadership and commitment to the common good. Cambridge, whose hometown is Nassau, Bahamas, is studying environmental studies, global studies, and geography, and she plans to pursue a career in sustainable development.
An indelible mark The University mourned the
passing — and celebrated the legacy — of Chancellor E. Bruce Heilman, who led Richmond through an era of profound transformation as president from 1971 through 1986 and again from 1987 to 1988. Heilman was the
Judicial decision-makers
steward of a $50 million gift to the
Jennifer Bowie, associate professor of political science,
University by E. Claiborne Robins
received a National Science Foundation grant to study
in 1969 — the largest gift ever to
judicial decision making in the United States, Canada,
an institution of higher education
and the United Kingdom. Bowie and Ali Masood, a
at that time. During Heilman’s
professor at Rhodes College, are the first to research
presidency, the University expe-
how lower courts in countries outside the United States
rienced significant advances in
implement or avoid decisions made by their country’s
national reputation, substantial
Supreme Court.
growth in the endowment and overall philanthropic support,
A study of public health in Jordan Sara Hyman, ’19, was selected to spend a year in Jordan as part of the Boren Scholarship program. She will study intensive Arabic at the Qasid Institute in Amman and volunteer with a public health nonprofit. Hyman is Richmond’s ninth Boren Scholar.
and unprecedented creation of campus facilities and programs.
46 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
Outstanding student-athletes Last year, 45 Spider athletes received All-Conference honors; three were conference Player of the Year award winners; and three were named AllAmericans. Three teams won their conference championships. Our student-athletes were equally accomplished in the classroom. Eight different teams established new records for team GPA, including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, field hockey, football, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, men’s lacrosse, and women’s track and field. Among our 375 student-athletes, the average GPA was a 3.17 — the highest in program history.
A new record
Advancing DNA research
Nine Richmond students — the
Chemistry professor Michelle Hamm is researching one
most in the University’s history —
of the most common types of DNA damage, which
received Gilman scholarships in
has been linked to aging and diseases like cancer,
2019. The scholarships supported a
thanks to a three-year grant from the National Science
range of international experiences,
Foundation. The grant includes support for nine under-
from a health, culture, and devel-
graduate research students and one post-baccalaureate
opment project in South Africa,
fellow or technician.
to a marine biology program in Turks and Caicos, to an internship focusing on human rights issues of indigenous peoples in Chile. Richmond has had 33 Gilman Scholars since the program started in 2001.
Goldwater producer Physics major Michael Wyatt is one of three Richmond juniors who received Goldwater Scholarships in 2019. He works closely with astrophysics professor Jack Singal on algorithms that advance key aspects of space research. Wyatt presented his research at the 2019 American Astronomical Society meeting.
More Moments in Our Year 47
Correspondent of the year While studying abroad in Granada, Spain, Emily Churchill, ’19, authored a blog that earned her the title of Correspondent of the Year from the Institute for the International Education of Students.
Distinguished student researchers The School for Field Studies awarded six Distinguished Student Research Awards recognizing complex research performed while studying abroad — and two of the recipients were from Richmond. Colby Prokop, ’19, worked with a team in Australia to develop a non-invasive tool for identifying a threatened species of marsupial, while Andrew Reeder, ’19, and his partner collaborated on climate change migration policies in Cambodia.
New business dean Miguel “Mickey” Quiñones, an internationally recognized expert in individual and organizational development and strategic management of human capital, joined UR in July 2019 as the dean of the Robins School of Business. Quiñones was previously the O. Paul Corley Distinguished Chair
Best sellers Lily Howlett, ’19, Paige Moynihan, ’19, Torey Walsh, ‘19, Dejon Brissett, ’19, and Xavier McCormick, ’20, represented Richmond against 23 schools in the National Team Selling Competition. The team prepped three different business presentations to pitch to judges and prevailed against Michigan State and Indiana universities to take the top spot.
in Organizational Behavior and Administration at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business.
“Given our size and position within a world-class liberal arts University, we are well-positioned to provide the opportunities our students need to thrive. Our challenge is to take the great potential they bring and turn it into action.”
48 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
ACADEMICS
60
More than undergraduate majors
400
Approximately full-time undergraduate faculty
8:1 student-faculty ratio (undergraduate)
Zero classes taught by teaching assistants
75
Approximately study-abroad programs around the world
ADMISSION & AID
Need-blind in admission for
Private, highly selective liberal arts university founded in 1830 Suburban campus located six miles from downtown Richmond, Virginia, and 90 miles from Washington, D.C.
Five schools offering undergraduate, master’s, and law degrees: • • • • •
School of Arts & Sciences Robins School of Business Jepson School of Leadership Studies University of Richmond School of Law School of Professional and Continuing Studies
U.S. citizens and permanent residents and meet
100%
of demonstrated need regardless of citizenship
Cost:
$67,590
(tuition, room, and meals)
$52,060 Average need-based
3,161 undergraduates from 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 62 countries Highlights from the 2019 incoming class: • 12,356 applicants • 832 enrolled (24% yield) • 28% students of color
• 8% international citizens • 14% first-generation students • 17% receiving Pell Grants
3,914 total University enrollment
aid award for the 2019 entering
Approximately 51,000 alumni residing in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and more than 60 countries
class
Admitted Virginians with parental income of
$60,000 or less
receive full tuition, room, and board scholarships.
Endowment: $2.5 billion
Proudly one of a kind At Richmond, we take pride in our distinction as the only Spiders in the nation. And it’s about far more than a mascot. It’s about a particular type of shared resolve — an unyielding determination to excel. Spiders are found all over the world, working tirelessly and achieving mightily.
ATHLETICS DIVISION I athletic program offering 17 varsity sports Major conference affiliation: ATLANTIC 10 in most sports; COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION in football; PATRIOT LEAGUE in women’s golf; SOUTHERN CONFERENCE in men’s lacrosse School mascot: SPIDERS
48 University of Richmond • President’s Report 2020
ACADEMICS
60
More than undergraduate majors
400
Approximately full-time undergraduate faculty
8:1 student-faculty ratio (undergraduate)
Zero classes taught by teaching assistants
75
Approximately study-abroad programs around the world
ADMISSION & AID
Need-blind in admission for
Private, highly selective liberal arts university founded in 1830
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Suburban campus located six miles from downtown Richmond, Virginia, and 90 miles from Washington, D.C.
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U.S. citizens and permanent residents and meet
100%
of demonstrated need regardless of citizenship
Cost:
$67,590
(tuition, room, and meals)
$52,060 Average need-based
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3,161 undergraduates from 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 62 countries Highlights from the 2019 incoming class: • 12,356 applicants • 832 enrolled (24% yield) • 28% students of color
NOITAICOSSA CITELHTA LAINOLOC ni EUGAEL TOIRTAP ;llabtoof ni NREHTUOS ;flog s’nemow essorcal s’nem ni ECNEREFNOC
Approximately 51,000 alumni residing in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and more than 60 countries SREDIPS :tocsam loohcS
class
Admitted Virginians with parental income of
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• 8% international citizens strops ytisrav 71 gnireffo • 14% first-generation students :noitailffia ecnerefnoc rojaM • 17% receiving Pell Grants ;strops tsom ni 01 CITNALTA
3,914 total University enrollment
aid award for the 2019 entering
SCITELHTA
$60,000 or less
receive full tuition, room, and board scholarships.
Endowment: $2.5 billion
RICHMOND.EDU