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tf*Next 

Generation 

VCU  and  the  School  of  Education 
lead  the  way  with  groundbreaking 
programs  designed  to  help  future 
teachers  thrive 


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rjg^g,*  r 


After  graduating  more  than  5'6oo 
students  in  2007  —  with  crowds  filling  the  Alltel  Pavilion  at  the 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University  Stuart  C.  Siegel  Center 
in  December  and  the  Richmond  Coliseum  in  May  —  VCU  set 
an  enrollment  record  for  the  2007-08  academic  year  when  it 
welcomed  more  than  31,000  students  to  campus.  The  number 
includes  the  largest  freshman  class  in  university  history —  3,850 
undergraduates  —  and  I.IOO  international  students. 


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[features] 


^  vZJ  I      L\3 


8  >   Nurturing  the  next  generation 

Innovative  teacher-training  programs  designed  to 
prepare  future  educators  make  the  grade  at  Virginia 
Commonwealth  University's  School  of  Education. 

14  >   First  Fridays 

In  seven  years,  this  festive  arts  event  has  revitalized 
downtown  Richmond,  Va.,  with  VCU  students 
and  alumni  enjoying  the  results. 

l8  >   For  the  love  of  VCU 

For  School  of  Business  alumni  Tom  and  Vickie  Snead, 
co -chairs  of  the  recently  completed  Campaign  for 
VCU,  all  roads  lead  back  to  their  alma  mater. 

22  >  Alumni  Stars 

VCU  honors  alumni  for  their  professional  success 
and  humanitarian,  university  and  community  service 
contributions. 


[departments] 

2  >    Circa 

Student  enrollment:  2008. 

5  >   University  news 

Noteworthy  news  and  research  at  VCU. 

20  >   The  big  picture 

VCU  opens  the  Monroe  Park  Campus  Addition 
for  classes. 

24  >   Face  to  face 

VCU  icon  Grace  E.  Harris,  Ph.D.,  reflects  on  her 
university  career. 

25  >   My  college  town 

After  80  years,  Richmonders  continue  to  embrace 
the  Byrd  Theatre's  unique  character. 

26  >  Alumni  connections 

The  latest  news  from  the  alumni  association. 

30  >   Class  notes 

Updates  from  alumni,  faculty,  staff  and  friends. 

37  >  Then  and  now 

VCU  expands  its  dining  options  to  satisfy 
the  growing  student  population. 

38  >   Datebook 

Upcoming  university  and  alumni  events. 

39  >   Circa 

Student  enrollment:  1947- 


Why  join  your  VCU  alumni  association? 

Since  arriving  in  January,  each  day  brings 
new  discoveries  about  the  critical  role  Virginia 
Commonwealth  University  plays  in  education  and 
economic  development,  locally  and  globally.  While 
I  was  aware  of  our  reputation  as  a  transformational 
university,  conversations  with  students,  alumni  and 
faculty  have  helped  me  understand  even  more  about 
the  history,  depth  and  breadth  of  the  university's 
impact  and  contributions. 

The  most  frequent  question  I  am  asked  is,  "Why  did 
you  join  VCU?"  I  am  sharing  my  response  with  you  in 
hopes  that  it  might  prompt  you  to  reflect  on  your 
decision  to  be  an  active,  dues-paying  member  of  one 
of  our  alumni  associations,  or  (in  the  unfortunate 
case  that  you  have  not  yet  joined  or  have  allowed  your 
membership  to  lapse)  consider  how  you  may  choose 
to  contribute  your  talent,  passion  and  commitment 
as  an  alumni  association  member. 

So.  why  did  I  join  VCU? 

■  To  support  higher  education.  I  believe  that  higher  education  is  the  key  that  unlocks  doors 
to  opportunities.  This  is  particularly  true  at  VCU  where  many  students  are  the  first  in  their 
families  to  receive  college  degrees.  I  view  higher  education  as  a  means  to  address  society  s 
greatest  challenges  rather  than  as  a  competing  resource  priority. 

■  To  grow,  intellectually  and  culturally,  by  partnering  with  other  volunteers  and  staff  in  a  focused, 
positive  alumni  environment. 

•  To  contribute  to  a  responsive  and  effective  alumni  program  that  reflects  the  quality  and  value 
of  our  alumni  and  university. 

To  invest  my  cognitive,  temporal  and  financial  resources  in  support  of  alumni  and  the  future 
of  a  great  university. 

■  To  explore  the  many  opportunities  for  alumni  programs  to  have  a  positive  impact  on  and 
make  a  positive  contribution  to  others'  lives. 

Active,  dues-paying  members  of  our  alumni  associations  have  the  opportunity  to  share  and  realize 
these  goals  through  their  support  and  participation.  I  invite  you  to  join  us. 

I  feel  privileged  and  honored  to  be  offered  the  chance  to  join  the  VCU  family  and  look  forward 
to  trying  to  add  value  to  your  alumni  programs  as  your  alumni  executive. 

Yours  for  VCU. 


Gordon  A.  McDougall 

Assistant  Vice  President.  University  Alumni  Relations 

gamcdougall@vcu.edu 


P.S.    1   look  forward  to   meeting  you   and  hearing  your  thoughts  and   ideas  about  your  alumni 
program.  In  the  meantime,  please  feel  free  to  contact  me  if  I  maybe  of  any  assistance.  Go  Rams! 


On  the  cover 

1     Cover  and  feature  story  illustrations 

1     for  "Nurturing  the  Next  Generation" 

J    by  Katie  McBride  (B.F.A.  '04/A) 

Spring  2008  •  Volume  13,  Number  2 

www.vcu-mcvalurani.  orff 


Assistant  Vice  President. 
University  Alumni  Relations 

Gordon  A.  McDougall 

Executive  Director, 

VCU  Alumni  Association 

Diane  Stout-Brown  (B.S.W.  '8o/SW) 

Editorial 

Kristen  Caldwell  (B.S.  '94./MC) 

Design 
Trina  Lambert 

Photography 
Linda  George 

Contributors 

£cfrYor/&/:Jennifer  Carmean  (B.S.  '98/H&S). 
Kelli  Craig,  Teri  Dunnivant,  Erin  Egan, 
Polly  Roberts,  Melanie  Irvin  Solaimani 
(B.S.  '96/MC),  Kim  Witt 

Design:  Pamela  Arnold  (B.F.A.  '87/A),  Nathan 
Hanger  (B.S.  'Ol/MC),  Haley  Hollenbach 
(B.FA.  '01/A),  Katie  McBride  (B.F.A.  '04./A), 
Matthew  Phillips  (M.F.A.  '87/A),  Shannon 
Williams 

Photography:  VCU  Libraries  —  Special 
Collections  and  Archives,  Allen  Jones 
(B.F.A.  '82/A;  M.F.A.  '92/A),  Tom  Kojcsich, 
Matthew  Phillips  (M.F.A.  '87/A),  Jennifer 
Watson 

Production:  Jessica  Foster 

Shafer  Court  Connections  is  published 
semiannually  by  the  Office  of  Alumni  Relations 
and  VCU  Creative  Services  for  Virginia 
Commonwealth  University's  alumni,  faculty, 
staff  and  friends.  Opinions  expressed  in  this 
magazine  do  not  necessarily  represent  those 
of  the  university  or  magazine  staff. 

Send  address  changes  to  the  Office  of  Alumni 
Relations,  Virginia  Commonwealth  University, 
924  W.  Franklin  St.,  P.O.  Box  843044, 
Richmond,  VA  23284-3044;  telephone 
(804)  828-2586-,  vcu-alum@vcu.edu. 

Letters  to  the  editor  should  be  sent  to  Shafer 
Court  Connections.  Virginia  Commonwealth 
University,  827  W.  Franklin  St..  P.O.  Box 
842041,  Richmond,  VA23284-2041,  ore-mail 
shafercourt@vcu.edu.  Please  include  your 
name,  address  and  a  daytime  phone  number; 
anonymous  letters  will  not  be  published.  Letters 
may  be  edited  for  clarity  or  space. 

Contributions  of  articles,  photos  and 
artwork  are  welcome;  however.  Shafer  Court 
Connections  accepts  no  responsibility  for 
unsolicited  items. 

©  2008,  Virginia  Commonwealth  University. 
An  equal  opportunity,  affirmative  action  university.   071005-02 


4  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


University  news 


News,  research  and  administrative 
changes  at  Virginia  Commonwealth 
University.  For  the  latest  updates, 
visit  the  Web  at  www.news.vcu.edu. 


VCU  Jazz  Orchestra  makes  history 

Antonio  Garcia  saw  something  special 
in  this  year's  VCU  Jazz  Orchestra  I.  Garcia, 
the  director  of  VCU  Jazz  Studies,  wasn't  the 
only  one. 

The  l8-member  big-band  group  joined 
29  other  organizations  from  around  the 
world  in  performing  at  the  6lst  annual 
Midwest  Clinic,  held  Dec.  l8-22,  2007,  in 
Chicago.  The  Jazz  Orchestra  I  becomes  the 
first  VCU  student  ensemble  selected  for  the 
international  band  and  orchestra  conference 
and  the  first  university  jazz  band  in  Virginia 
ever  slated  to  perform. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  20-year  teaching 
career,  Garcia  submitted  music  from  a  univer- 
sity group  to  the  clinics  selection  committee. 
The  return  of  nearly  all  the  members  of  the 
2006  Jazz  Orchestra  I  and  a  strong  incoming 
freshman  class  influenced  his  decision. 

"I  knew  what  we  were  up  against  and  I  felt 
like  this  was  the  year  to  do  it, "  Garcia  says.  "The 
band  is  at  a  real  peak  and  the  challenge  is  to  con- 
tinue to  rise. 


In  addition  to  the  live  performance,  which 
drew  a  crowd  of  I.OOO,  the  Midwest  Clinic's 
Web  site  will  broadcast  excerpts  from  the  per- 
formance for  the  following  year.  Hear  two  VCU 
Jazz  selections  at  www.midwestclinic.org/videos 
/jazz_archive.asp#virginia. 

Trip  abroad  expands  partnerships 

In  November,  VCU  President  Eugene  P. 
Trani,  Ph.D.,  returned  from  meetings  with 
four  universities  in  England  and  Russia  with 
strengthened  partnerships. 

In  England,  VCU  signed  a  formal  partner- 
ship agreement  with  Harris  Manchester  College 
of  the  University  of  Oxford. 

During  meetings  at  Moscow  State  University, 
VCU's  relationship  was  expanded  from  programs 
between  the  VCU  L.  Douglas  Wilder  School  for 
Government  and  Public  Affairs  and  Moscow 
State's  Department  of  Political  History  to  the  rest 
of  Moscow  State  University,  including  medicine 
and  history.  The  trip  also  resulted  in  plans  to 
establish  a  partnership  between  Clare  College, 
Cambridge  University  and  VCU's  Wilder  School. 


VCU's  partnerships  have  been  established  to 
internationalize  VCU's  campuses  and  include 
universities  in  Qatar,  India,  Mexico,  England, 
Russia,  China,  Italy,  Spain,  Brazil,  Ireland, 
Australia  and  South  Africa. 

Engineering  adds  new  M.S.  track 

In  response  to  a  growing  interest  in  nuclear 
energy  for  future  electrical  production,  the 
VCU  School  of  Engineering  has  added  a 
nuclear  engineering  track  to  its  master's  degree 
program. 

The  program,  which  started  in  the  fall  of 
2007.  already  enrolls  25  students  and  has  been 
sponsored  by  Dominion.  Students  will  earn  a 
non-thesis  Master  of  Science  in  Engineering 
with  a  nuclear  engineering  track. 

Nuclear  power  accounts  for  about  20  percent 
of  the  electricity  produced  in  the  U.S.,  and  there 
is  a  renewed  global  interest  in  such  a  source 
of  energy,  according  to  Dominion. 

The  nuclear  engineering  track  will  provide 
the  nuclear  industry  with  a  new  generation 
of  nuclear  engineers  to  support  this  demand. 


Students  make  a  cliff 


erence 


in  Africa 


Last  November,  the  VCU  community  raised 
nearly  $50,000  to  help  build  a  child  development 
center  for  the  children  of  Ghana.  Organized  and 
coordinated  by  Chris  Burnside,  former  assistant 
dean  of  student  affairs  in  VCU's  School  of  the  Arts, 

the  FOR  AFRICA 
benefit  and  cel- 
ebration featured 
three  nights  of 
performances,  a 
v  silent  auction  and 

an  African  market. 
"It's  a  small  mir- 
v  '  M       acle!"  says   Randi 

Buerlein,  assistant 
director    of    field 
instruction  for  the 
VCU     School     of 
-  Social  Work. 
Buerlein  has  led  groups  of  VCU  students,  alumni 
and  supporters  to  Ghana  for  years.  Since  2002, 


she  and  her  students  have  supported  the  work  of 
Sovereign  Global  Mission,  a  nongovernmental  orga- 
nization that  serves  homeless  street  children  and 
rural  children  who  can't  afford  to  go  to  school. 

FOR  AFRICA'S  success  allowed  organizers  to 
donate  $30,000  directly  to  construction  of  the 
child  development  center,  which  will  serve  as  a 
combination  school  and  orphanage  for  impover- 
ished children  in  Ghana. 

Nearly  two  dozen  people  from  VCU  traveled  to 
Ghana  in  late  December  to  help  with  construction 
of  the  center,  which  opened  this  spring.  In  addition, 
the  VCU  group  taught  women  about  health,  dis- 
ease prevention  and  nutrition,  passed  out  clothing 
and  helped  to  serve  food  during  Sunday  commu- 
nity feedings. 

Money  raised  by  FOR  AFRICA  will  also  be  used 
to  sponsor  children  at  the  school  through  the  pur- 
chase of  books  and  uniforms.  Additional  proceeds 
from  the  benefit  will  be  set  aside  to  sustain  the 
effort  in  the  future.  ■  •:■'  m 


[university  news] 

VCU  co-hosts  Capitol  Hill  event 

More  than  80  people  joined  VCU  and 
Virginia  Tech  representatives  for  ajan.  28  recep- 
tion on  Capitol  Hill.  The  annual  event,  held 
prior  to  the  president's  State  of  the  Union 
address,  gives  university  leaders  a  chance  to 
meet  with  House  and  Senate  leaders  as  the  new 
congressional  year  kicks  off.  VCU  President 
Eugene  P.  Trani,  Ph.D.,  and  Virginia  Tech 
President  Charles  W.  Steger,  Ph.D.,  addressed 
the  crowd,  as  did  each  congressional  member. 

Third  dental  building  takes  shape 

VCU  broke  ground  in  October  2007  on  a 
new,  $20  million  addition  to  the  VCU  School 
of  Dentistry. 

The  four-story  building,  named  in  honor  of 
VCU  alumnus  and  former  VCU  Rector  W. 
Baxter  Perkinson  Jr.  (D.D.S.  '70/D),  will  house 
research  laboratories,  classrooms,  conference 
facilities,  dental  clinics  and  faculty  offices,  and 
connect  the  school's  existing  Wood  and  Lyons 
buildings. 

Slated  to  open  in  summer  2009,  the 
55,O00-square-foot  W.  Baxter  Perkinson,  Jr. 
Building  will  increase  the  school's  laboratory 
space,  enabling  faculty  members  to  expand 
their  research  in  oral  cancer.  In  an  entirely 
new  venture,  dentistry  and  engineering  faculty 
will  collaborate  on  research  in  dental  bioen- 
gineering. 

VCU  makes  AARP's  2007  'best'  list 

For  the  third  consecutive  year,  AARP  has 
named  VCU  one  of  the  "Best  Employers  for 
Workers  over  50"  in  the  U.S. 

VCU  ranked  No.  30  on  AARP's  list  of  the 
top  5°  employers  nationwide  for  fairness  of 
policies  and  practices  toward  older  workers. 


VCU  Brandcenter 


The  VCU  Adcenter,  which  has  become  one  of  the  leading  graduate  advertising  programs 
in  the  country  by  adapting  to  the  ever-changing  advertising  industry,  is  evolving  again. 

The  Adcenter  —  ranked  the  No.  1  graduate  advertising  program  in  the  country  by  Creativity 
magazine  in  2005  and  one  of  the  world's  60  Best  Design  Schools  by  BusinessWeek  maga- 
zine in  2007  —  has  changed  its  name  to  the  VCU  Brandcenter.  In  addition,  the  Brandcenter 
has  moved  into  a  striking  new  home. 

"Today's  advertising  industry  has  evolved 
into  the  business  of  developing  a  brand's  total 
communication,  influencing  everything  from 
strategic  plans  and  message  content  to  the 
creation  of  advertising,  the  retail  environment, 
packaging,  Web  sites,  word-of-mouth  messaging 
and  public  relations,"  says  Rick  Boyko,  director 
of  the  VCU  Brandcenter,  founded  in  1996.  "It  is 
this  change  in  marketing  communications  that 
drove  us  to  put  brand  building  front  and  center 
in  everything  we  do." 

The  VCU  Brandcenter's  new  home  —  a  his- 
toric 27,000-square-foot  building  in  VCU's  new 
Monroe  Park  Campus  Addition  —  was  designed 
by  the  internationally  renowned  architect  Clive 
Wilkinson,  who's  designed  spaces  for  Google, 
Disney,  Wolfgang  Puck  and  advertising  agencies 
such  as  TBWA/Chiat/Day  (Los  Angeles),  Mother 
(London)  and  JWT  (New  York).  For  this  project, 
he  partnered  with  Richmond-based  Baskervill. 


Cindy  Andrews,  executive  director  of  human 
resources  for  VCU,  says  older  workers  are  an 
integral  part  of  the  VCU  workforce. 

"VCU  ensures  that  older  workers  not  only 
have  the  right  resources  to  thrive  in  the  work- 
place, but  that  they  have  the  flexibility  they 
need,"  Andrews  says.  "Most  of  the  benefits  that 
AARP  has  cited  for  this  award  are  also  available 
to  our  younger  workers  at  VCU,  but  they  can  be 


Faculty  hnnnr.s 

Professor,  Department  of  Psychology 

.  .  State  Council  of  Higher  Education  for 
Virginia  2008  Outstanding  Faculty  Award 

Professor  and  chair,  Department 

of  Biochemistry  and  Molecular  Biology 

.  .  Virginia  Outstanding  Scientist  of  2008 

Associate  director,  School  of  World  Studies 

.  .  Fulbright  Scholar  grant,  2007-08 

Professor  emerita,  Schoolbf  Education 

.,-.  Fulbright  Scholar  grant,  2007-08 

CJ  Shafer  Court  Connections 

particularly  beneficial  for  workers  who  are  over 
the  age  of  50." 

Dean  ends  16-year  tenure  in  June 

Frank  R.  Baskind,  Ph.D.,  dean  and  profes- 
sor in  the  VCU  School  of  Social  Work,  will  end 
a  16-year  tenure  as  dean  in  June. 

Baskind  will  remain  a  distinguished  faculty 
member  in  the  VCU  School  of  Social  Work  and 
will  engage  in  special  projects  for  the  university. 

Under  Baskind's  leadership,  the  School  of 
Social  Work's  reach  has  grown  throughout  the 
state  and  region.  The  school  developed  a  com- 
munity-based Head  Start  program  in  Richmond 
and  significantly  expanded  the  Master  of  Social 
Work  program  in  Northern  Virginia. 

U.S.  supports  stem  cell  research 

The  VCU  Life  Sciences  Survey  is  the  first  poll 
to  reflect  the  discovery  reported  internationally  in 
November  2007  that  human  skin  cells  can  be  used 
to  create  stem  cells  or  their  near  equivalents. 

Three-quarters  of  the  U.S.  public  supports 
stem  cell  research  that  does  not  involve  human 
embryos.  According  to  the  survey,  majorities  of 
nearly  all  groups  in  society,  including  those  with 
differing  beliefs  about  abortion  and  religious  com- 
mitment, favor  non-embryonic  stem  cell  research. 


The  findings  are  part  of  a  nationwide  survey 
conducted  by  VCU  last  November  via  telephone 
with  1,000  adults.  To  read  more  about  the  sur- 
vey findings,  visit  www.vcu.edu/lifesci/images2 
/survey2  007.pdf. 

Grant  funds  study  on  hearing  loss 

VCU  will  use  a  federal  grant  to  determine  how 
disabilities  that  are  present  at  birth  affect  how 
physicians  identify,  evaluate  and  treat  hearing  loss 
in  infants  and  young  children.  Research  studies  of 
children  with  hearing  loss  typically  have  excluded 
those  who  have  additional  health  problems. 

The  two-year,  $300,000  grant  from 
the  National  Center  for  Birth  Defects  and 
Developmental  Disabilities  at  the  Centers  for 
Disease  Control  and  Prevention  will  fund  a 
research  project  that  will  result  in  a  statewide 
picture  of  the  number  o  f  children  born  with  both 
hearing  loss  and  other  disabilities.  Researchers 
also  will  assess  the  impact  of  hearing  loss  and 
other  disabilities  on  the  child  and  the  family. 

The  study  will  be  implemented  collaboratively 
by  the  Partnership  for  People  with  Disabilities 
and  the  Virginia  Department  of  Health. 

FDA  approves  WoundStat's  use 

A  lightweight,  granular  dressing  compound 
developed  by  VCU  researchers  that  quickly 
stems  high-pressure  bleeding  in  moderate  to 
severe  wounds  has  received  FDA  approval  and 
will  soon  be  used  in  combat. 

VCU  researchers  have  been  studying  the 
compound  —  WoundStat  —  and  say  federal 
approval  is  good  news  for  soldiers  and  civilians 
alike,  since  the  product  is  easy  to  carry  and  can 
be  applied  on  the  spot. 

The  patent-pending  technology  behind 
WoundStat  is  the  result  of  more  than  three  years 
of  study  and  development  by  researchers  in  the 
VCU  Reanimation  Engineering  Shock  Center. 
VCU  licensed  the  technology  behind  WoundStat 
to  TraumaCure  Inc.  of  Bethesda,  Md. 

Both  U.S.  military  and  foreign  military  allies 
have  expressed  interest  in  the  new  product,  but 
WoundStat's  benefits  may  extend  far  beyond  the 
battlefield  to  natural  disasters  such  as  earthquakes. 

Along  with  VCURES  Associate  Director  Kevin 
Ward,  VCURES  researchers  Robert  Diegelmann, 
Ph.D.,  of  the  Department  of  Biochemistry  and 
Molecular  Biology,  and  Gary  Bowlin,  Ph.D.,  of 
the  Department  of  Biomedical  Engineering,  are 
the  inventors  of  the  WoundStat  technology. 


Research  report 


Online  magazine  showcases  the  scope  of  VCU's  research  program 


gazine  snowcasing 
the  scope  of  VCU's  nearly  $230  million  research  program  across  both  of  its  campuses. 

The  inaugural  issue  includes  two  in-depth  features,  one  on  cardiac-related  research  at  the 
VCU  Pauley  Heart  Center;  and  the  second,  an  overview  of  the  research  being  conducted  in 
the  field  of  homeland  security,  including  using  insects  as  reconnaissance  agents. 

Additionally,  readers  learn  about  the  latest  in  cancer  research,  the  global  impact  of  the 
media  and  fashion  industry  on  body  image  and  how  VCU  is  taking  research  from  the  laboratory 
bench  to  the  patient's  bedside. 

VCU  Across  the  Spectrum  is  available  at  www.spectrum.vcu.edu. 


Genes  play  an  important  role  in  risk  for  drug  abuse  and  dependence 


dependence  on  legal  substances  like  alcohol  and  nicotine,  according  to  a  study  led  by  Kenneth 
S.  Kendler,  M.D.,  a  professor  of  psychiatry  and  human  genetics  in  VCU's  School  of  Medicine. 
Additionally,  caffeine  addiction  appears  to  be  genetically  independent  of  all  the  others. 

Supported  by  grants  from  the  National  Institutes  of  Health,  researchers  examined  the 
degree  to  which  genetic  and  environmental  risk  factors  for  dependence  were  shared 
between  illicit  and  the  more  commonly  used  licit  psychoactive  drugs  among  men  and  women. 
Heritability  was  estimated  to  be  more  than  70  percent  for  cocaine,  cannabis  and  nicotine 
abuse  and  dependence,  nearly  60  percent  for  alcohol  and  around  35  percent  for  caffeine. 

These  findings  may  guide  efforts  by  researchers  to  use  molecular  genetic  tools  to  localize 
genes  that  influence  risk  for  psychoactive  drug  abuse  or  dependence. 


VCU  establishes  the  Center  for  Clinical  and  Translational  Research 


nee  and  medicine  to  work  across  campuses  to  create  new  therapies 
„.  .d  get  them  to  patients  quickly. 

Through  the  center,  researchers  from  the  schools  of  Allied  Health  Professions,  Dentistry, 
Education,  Engineering,  Medicine,  Nursing,  Pharmacy  and  Social  Work,  as  well  as  VCU  Life 
Sciences  and  the  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences,  will  have  the  opportunity  to  collabo- 
rate across  disciplines  and  strengthen  VCU's  research  infrastructure. 

The  center,  directed  by  John  Clore,  M.D.,  a  professor  in  the  VCU  School  of  Medicine,  will 
be  supported  in  part  by  a  National  Institutes  of  Health  initiative.  The  NIH  last  year  began  to 
expand  its  currently  funded  infrastructure  to  build  a  national  consortium  of  academic  health 
centers  to  more  broadly  support  clinical  and  translational  science  research.  By  2012,  the 


Frontal  crash  tests  predict  driver  fatality  risk  in  cars  but  not  in  trucks 


recent  VCU  study. 

The  study,  co-authored  by  David  Harless  and  George  Hoffer,  both  professors  of  eco- 
nomics at  VCU's  School  of  Business,  examined  the  frontal  crash-test  ratings  that  vehicles 
received  from  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration  and  .compared  them  to 
fatality  rates  in  the  vehicles.  It  also  compared  a  smaller  sample  of  test  ratings  given  by  the 
— ivately  funded  Insurance  Institute  for  Highway  Safety  with  the  vehicles'  fatality  rates. 

The  results  indicate  that  the  crash  tests  held  by  NHTSA  and  the  IIHS  are  successful  in 
predicting  real-world  crash  outcomes  for  passenger  cars.  However,  the  ratirigs  for  trucks  did 
not  match  real-world  outcomes.  For  example,  in  the  case  of  both  NHTSA  and  IIHS,  trucks 
that  received  the  worst  possible  crash-test  rating  had  on  average  lower  driver  fatality  rat 
lan  trucks  that  received  the  best  possible  crash-test  rating. 


■ 


"%i' 


Generation 


Innovative  training  programs  designed  to  prepare  and  support  teachers  earn  high  marks 


by  Erin  Egan 


Lauree  Morgan  (B.S.  '05/H&S;  M.T.  '05/E)  felt  confident  when, 
as  a  first -year  biology  teacher,  her  principal  at  Hermitage  High 
School  in  Richmond,  Va.,  asked  his  new  teachers  to  create  lesson 
plans  for  the  entire  semester.  While  her  fellow  first-years  groaned 
about  the  amount  of  work  that  lay  ahead  of  them,  Morgan  smiled 
to  herself.  As  part  of  her  teacher  education  training  in  Virginia 
Commonwealth  University's  School  of  Education.  Morgan  was 
required  to  come  up  with  a  viable  portfolio  of  lesson  plans.  She  was 
ready  for  the  assignment. 

"All  my  lesson  plans  were  done.''  Morgan  says.  With  a  few  tweaks, 
she  was  good  to  go. 

VCU  and  the  School  of  Education  work  to  ensure  all  education 
graduates  feel  as  prepared  in  the  classroom  as  Morgan  does.  The 
university  and  the  school,  along  with  faculty  from  various  disci- 
plines, have  implemented  several  innovative  and  instructive  programs 


to  better  train  and  support  today's  education  students  to  become 
tomorrow's  brightest  teachers. 

Dedicated,  quality  educators  are  always  in  demand,  but  soon  the 
need  will  grow.  Because  of  teacher  attrition  and  retirement  and 
increased  student  enrollment,  it's  estimated  that  in  the  next  decade 
U.S.  schools  will  need  between  2  million  and  2-5  million  new  teachers, 
according  to  the  National  Commission  on  Teaching  and  America's 
Future.  Many  of  these  teaching  vacancies  will  be  in  the  sciences. 

Focused  on  staying  ahead  of  the  curve,  VCU  is  committed  to  meet- 
ing the  demand  for  excellent  teachers  in  the  sciences  and  all  subjects. 

"There  is  nothing  more  important  to  our  country's  future 
than  providing  a  quality  education  for  all  children,"  says  School 
of  Education  Dean  BeverlyJ.  Warren,  Ed.D.,  Ph.D..  FACSM.  "That 
means  we  must  prepare  competent  and  highly  qualified  teachers  and 
school  leaders  who  are  capable  of  meeting  the  needs  of  all  children. 


Spring  2008  I  9 


"There  is  nothing 
more  important 
to  our  country's 

future  than 
providing 
a  quality 
education 

for  all 

children." 


-  School  of  Education 
Dean  Beverly  J.  Warren 
Ed.D.,  Ph.D.,  FACSM 


Laying  a  more  solid  foundation 

Teacher  training  begins  appropriately  enough   in  the 
classroom.  Aside  from  preparing  students  to  pass  the 
necessary  stan- 
dardized exami- 
nations, Jacqueline 
McDonnough, 
Ph.D.,  (B.S.  '89/E; 
M.Ed.    '99/E)  ,    an 
assistant   professor 
of  science  education  in 
the  School  of  Education's 
Department  of  Teaching 
and  Learning,  makes  sure 
her   students   know   their 
subject  inside  and  out  and 
are  proficient  in  the  latest 
technology,  from  software 
to    hardware.    She    wants 
them    to    be    ready    for 
anything  in  case  they  go  into  a  school  that      As  an  assistant  professor 

is  not  the  most  up-to-date.  In  terms  of     i»  the  VCU  School  of 

Education's  Department 
technology,   "some  schools  have  caught      0f  Teaching  and  Learning, 
up   fast,    others   not   so   fast."   she   says.      Jacqueline  McDonnough, 

,,  ,  ,  ,  Ph.D.  (above  right),  makes 

so  students   must  learn   to   be  .  .   ™ 

sure  her  students  stay 

flexible   and   be   able   to      on  top  of  current  trends 
teach  no  matter  what      and  incorporate  them  into 
their  lesson  plans. 

the   facilities  are  like. 

For  example,  McDonnough  says,  "one  student  had 
to  do  a  chemistry  lab  virtually  because  the  school  lab 
was  50  years  out  of  date." 

In  addition  to  being  techno-sawy,  McDonnough's  students 
write  numerous  practical  —  not  theoretical  —  lesson  plans. 
She  exposes  her  students  to  different  curricula  and  encourages  them 
to  be  aware  of  current  trends  and  news  stories  and  incorporate  them 
in  their  lessons.  "I  try  to  hammer  home  that  the  world  is  changing 
rapidly  and  science  teachers  need  to  be  ready  to  incorporate  those 
changes  into  their  instruction,"  McDonnough  says. 

Eve  O'Connor  (B.S.  '03/H&S;  M.T.  '06/E)  says  that  message 
came  through  loud  and  clear.  O'Connor  teaches  biology  at  Atlee  High 
School  in  Mechanicsville,  Va.,  and  is  pursuing  her  master's  in  biology 
atVCU.  "Dr.  McDonnough  instilled  in  us  that  science  is  a  process  and 
constantly  changing,"  O'Connor  says.  "We  have  to  stay  up  on  it." 

VCU  education  students  examine  and  debate  the  hot  topics  of  the 
day,  including  stem  cells,  genetics  and  the  environment.  Not  only 
are  these  subjects  relevant,  but  more  kids  are  interested  in  them, 
especially  at  the  high  school  level. 

Morgan  says  those  discussions  helped  her  when  she  was  teaching 
evolution  and  her  students  balked  at  the  topic.  Because  she  had 
talked  the   issue  over  with  her  fellow  teachers  in  training,    "I   felt 


comfortable   talking  about   it  with   my   students  without   getting 
emotional,"  Morgan  says. 

O'Connor  sometimes  puts  a  lesson  on  hold  if  a  news  event  relates 
to  her  class.  "My  students  like  to  talk  about  current  things,"  she  says. 
"I  break  it  down  for  them.  Then  they  may  hear  about  it  later  and 
it  will  click." 

Keeping  teachers  in  the  classroom 

Both  of  these  young  teachers  see  themselves  staying  in  the  field  for 
the  long  haul.  That's  good  news  for  the  education  profession.  Hiring 
quality  teachers  may  be  difficult,  but  retaining  them  is  even  more  of  a 
challenge.  According  to  the  National  Commission  on  Teaching  and 
America's  Future,  up  to  one-third  of  all  teachers  leave  the  profession 
within  the  first  three  years  and  an  astounding  50  percent  are  no 
longer  teaching  by  the  fifth  year.  This  is  especially  true  in  high- 
need  schools. 

Terry  Dozier,  Ed.D.,  director  of  the  Center  for  Teacher  Leadership 
at  the  VCU  School  of  Education,  is  closely  acquainted  with  these 
statistics.  She  also  chairs  the  Metropolitan  Education  Training 
Alliance,  or  META,  a  partnership  between  VCU  and  the  four  local 
school  districts  —  Richmond  and  Chesterfield,  Hanover  and  Henrico 
counties.  The  partnership  identifies  training  needs  of  these  local 
school  systems  and  works  to  meet  those  needs. 

VCU's  School  of  Education  was  awarded  a  $5-9  million  five-year 
grant  to  develop  and  retain  teachers  by  improving  student  learning 
and  supporting  teachers  for  the  first  two  years  of  their  careers.  Under 
this  U.S.  Department  of  Education  grant,  awarded  in  2004,  several 
META  Teacher  Development  and  Retention  Project  goals  are  already 
producing  positive  results. 

The  first  grant  objective  was  to  redesign  the  major  for  elementary 
teachers  at  VCU.  Prior  to  getting  this  grant,  about  70  percent  of  ele- 
mentary education  students  at  VCU  majored  in  psychology.  Psychology 
is  a  fine  degree,  Dozier  says,  but  it  doesn't  help  a  person  teach  math, 
science,  social  studies  and  English.  The  new  interdisciplinary  major, 
liberal  studies  for  early  and  elementary  education,  or  LSEE,  is  evenly 
balanced  among  the  four  core  subjects.  "That's  going  to  strengthen 
the  content  knowledge  of  elementary  teachers  because  now  they  are 
going  to  have  a  balanced  content  preparation,"  Dozier  says. 

Robert  Fisher,  Ph.D.,  directs  the  Extended  Teacher  Preparation 
Program  in  the  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences.  An  associate 
professor  of  biology,  he's  one  of  many  VCU  faculty  members  involved 
in  the  grant  to  make  sure  its  goals  are  being  met.  In  his  role  as  director 
of  teacher  education,  Fisher  has  seen  the  number  of  students  enrolled 
in  the  LSEE  major  expand  from  200  just  18  months  ago  to  close 
to  5°°  today.  He  believes  that  the  redesigned  major  will  furnish  new 
teachers  with  the  knowledge  to  connect  with  each  of  their  students 
and  succeed  in  the  classroom. 

"We  want  to  give  pre-teachers  enough  depth  so  they'll  have  enough 
experience  to  pick  up  on  what  excites  their  students,  whether  it's  math, 
science  or  history,"  Fisher  says. 


Pairing  students  with  role  models 

Working  in  the  classroom  with  teachers  gives  students  that  extra 
edge  of  real-world  experience.  At  VCU,  the  Clinical  Faculty 
Placement  Program,  part  of  the  META  grant,  ensures  that  the 
student-teacher  partnership  isn't  left  to  chance.  Dozier  created  the 
placement  program  because  she  heard  faculty  members  mention  that 
the  student-teacher  match  wasn't  always  a  good  fit.  In  the  past, 
VCU  relied  on  the  school  systems  to  place  its  student  teachers  and 
the  process  was  often  hit  or  miss.  The  Clinical  Faculty  Placement 
Program  identifies  excellent  teachers  who  want  to  work  with  student 
teachers  and  trains  them  to  do  so. 

"That's  been  a  huge  step  forward,"  Dozier  says.  "It's  a  win-win  for 
everybody  because  we  ensure  that  our  students  are  placed  with  the  best 
teachers  and  the  school  systems  no  longer  have  the  burden  of  trying 
to  find  placements." 

ToryHendelman(B.A.  '06/H&S;  Cert.  '06/H&S)  teaches  eighth- 
grade  language  arts  at  Liberty  Middle  School  in  Ashland,  Va.  He  says 
the  placement  program  primed  him  for  his  own  classroom.  "It  was 
a  positive  experience,"  he  says.  "The  first  two  weeks  I  just  observed  [the 
other  teacher],  which  was  great.  You're  not  expected  to  teach  right 
away  so  it  eases  you  into  it." 

The  program  results  in  better  prepared  teachers,  and  the  school 
divisions  are  taking  note.  In  fact,  the  four  local  school  divisions  hire 
more  than  90  percent  of  VCU  teacher  education  graduates  each  year. 
The  program  not  only  helps  student  teachers,  it's  also  a  successful 
retention  tool  for  experienced  teachers.  "You're  honoring  their 
knowledge,  skill  and  experience,"  Dozier  says.  You're  saying  to  them, 
You  have  something  of  value  and  we  see  you  as  equal  partners 
in  preparing  future  teachers.  " 


The  Clinical  Faculty  Placement  Program  matches  experienced  educators  with 
student  teachers  such  as  Tory  Hendelman  (above),  an  eighth-grade  language 
arts  instructor  at  Liberty  Middle  School  in  Ashland,  Va.,  and  prepares  them 
to  lead  their  own  classrooms. 


Spring  2008  [  11 


Supporting  up-and-coming  teachers 

The  Beginning  Teacher  Adviser  Program,  the  last  piece  of  the 
META  grant  puzzle,  offers  yet  another  opportunity  for  experienced 
teachers  to  share  their  knowledge  and  a  unique  way  to  support  teachers 
throughout  the  community  who  are  just  embarking  on  their  careers. 
Previously,  a  mentoring  system  was  the  standard.  A  new  teacher  would 
be  paired  with  another  teacher  in  the  same  school  at  the  same  grade 
level  and  check  in  with  him  or  her  from  time  to  time.  Under  the  new 
program,  a  highly  trained  beginning  teacher  adviser  works  with  IO  to 
15  new  teachers  exclusively  for  two  years.  The  advisers  provide  practical 
and  emotional  support  to  their  new  teachers  so  that  they  become 
the  best  teachers  they  can  be  as  quickly  as  they  can.  "It's  really  focused 
on  instruction."  Dozier  says,  "not  just  helping  them  survive,  but 
thrive,  in  those  first  two  years." 

Zorion  Rinaldi  III  is  in  his  first  full  year  of  teaching  world  history 
and  government  at  John  Marshall  High  School  in  Richmond,  Va. 
Mr.  Z,  as  he's  known  to  his  students,  meets  with  his  adviser  at  least 
a  few  times  a  month.  "It's  been  wonderful  for  me."  he  says.  "I  just  go 
to  her  with  my  questions  and  she  has  all  the  answers." 

Mr.  Z's  adviser  has  made  him  aware  of  additional  tests  he  can  take 
to  qualify  for  teaching  special  education.  "She  introduces  me  to  things 
I  didn't  even  know  I  needed  to  know,"  he  says.  Prior  to  teaching  full 
time,  Mr.  Z  worked  as  a  substitute.  He  sees  the  advising  program 
as  a  welcome  advantage.  "It's  nice  to  have  the  support  system  there." 
he  says. 

Not  surprisingly,  the  program  is  highly  competitive  and  selective. 
In  the  first  pilot  stage,  220  teachers  applied  for  12  slots.  "We  have  the 
best  of  the  best."  Dozier  says.  The  program  is  now  in  its  second  pilot 
stage  in  the  highest-need  schools  in  the  four  local  school  districts. 

"We  believe  that  rigorous  preparation  of  school  personnel  culmi- 
nating in  a  closely  supervised  and  meaningful  capstone  experience, 
as  well  as  ongoing  professional  support  for  young  professionals,  are 
critical  components  to  ensure  that  we  provide  and  retain  good  teach- 
ers and  school  leaders  in  all  schools,  particularly  those  located  in  our 
most  challenged  environments,"  Warren  says. 


■<^       '*i 


In  2007,  VCU  received  a  grant  from 
the  Howard  Hughes  Medical  Institute 
that  will  fund  five  new  videos  for 
"Secrets  of  the  Sequence"  (right), 
a  series  of  free  videos  and  lesson 
plans  covering  various  scientific 
topics  available  to  teachers  nation- 
wide. The  grant  also  will  finance 
additional  courses  for  VCU's  Summer 
Workshop  Series  (far  right),  a 
continuing  education  program 
for  teachers,  begun  in  the 
2001-02  academic  year. 


Offering  extra  educational  resources 

Central  Virginia  schools  will  soon  have  even  more  resources,  thanks 
to  a  prestigious  grant  from  the  Howard  Hughes  Medical  Institute  that 
VCU  received  in  2007.  The  $750,000,  five-year  grant  will  help 
develop  programs  for  students  in  the  region  to  increase  proficiency 
in  math  and  science,  enhance  research  and  life  sciences  knowledge 
for  K-I2  science  teachers  and  expand  an  already  successful  series 
of  Web-based  life  sciences  videos  and  lessons  for  teachers  and 
students  nationwide. 

"The  grant  allows  us  to  do  some  things  that  we  very  much  want 
to  do."  says  Richard  Rezba.  Ph.D.,  director  of  VCU's  Center  for  Life 
Sciences  Education  and  program  director  for  the  grant. 

The  HHMI  grant  has  several  components,  including  the  produc- 
tion of  five  new  videos  for  "Secrets  of  the  Sequence,"  a  series  of  free 
videos  and  lesson  plans  covering  topics  such  as  anatomy,  biotechnology, 
botany,  forensic  science  and  genetics.  Teachers  can  download  the 
videos  from  a  Web  site  (www.vcu.edu/secretsofthesequence)  and  use 
the  eight-  to  IO-minute  films  in  their  classrooms.  "They've  got  a  lot 
of  punch,"  Rezba  says,  "and  are  very  easy  for  a  teacher  to  infuse  into 
their  existing  lessons." 


"[The  Summer  Workshop  Series  course]  really 

formalized  my  knowledge  and  filled 
in  the  gaps  of  my  education." 


David  Allen,  King  George  High  School  teacher 


"Secrets  of  the  Sequence"  began  in  2001-02  and  since  then  nearly 
70,000  copies  of  the  videos  have  been  downloaded.  The  five  new  topics 
will  include  family  health  history,  student  research,  human  health  and 
performance,  biological  complexity  and  systems  biology. 

The  HHMI  grant  also  will  fund  development  of  additional  summer 
teacher  workshops.  VCU  started  its  Summer  Workshop  Series  for 
teachers  in  2002  with  one  course  and  16  local  teachers.  The  series  has 
grown  exponentially  since  then. 

"Each  of  the  last  two  years  we've  had  more  than  IOO  teachers  from 
IO  different  states  taking  any  of  seven  different  courses,"  Rezba  says. 
When  the  program  originated,  the  courses  were  all  science-related. 
The  model  has  been  so  successful  that  courses  in  art,  economics  and 
foreign  language  are  now  offered. 

Each  Summer  Workshop  Series  course  offers  intensive  instruction 
for  one  week  in  June  or  July.  A  follow-up  independent  study 
application  occurs  in  the  fall  in  order  for  teachers  to  receive  final 
credit;  teachers  must  provide  evidence  that  they  are  using  what  they 
learned  in  their  classrooms. 

David  Allen  teaches  earth  science,  biology,  geology  and  marine 
biology  at  King  George  High  School  in  King  George,  Va.  He  took 
"Entomology:  Terrestrial  and  Aquatic  Insects"  for  credit  in  2007- 
Allen  loved  the  experience  and  was  impressed  with  his  instructors, 
whom  he  calls  top  notch.  "It  really  formalized  my  knowledge  and  filled 
in  the  gaps  of  my  education,"  he  says.  "I  want  to  do  it  again  for  fun  — 
even  if  I  don't  get  the  credit." 

Allen's  reaction  is  typical  of  summer  workshop  participants.  Ninety- 
five  percent  of  teacher  participants  choose  the  highest  rating  for  these 
courses  and  have  since  2002.  Rezba  says.  "We  have  a  nice,  successful 
model  of  recognizing  that  teachers  today  don't  have  the  time  or 
finances  to  come  to  a  university  and  spend  a  summer,"  he  says.  "They 
need  to  come  here,  work  hard  for  a  week,  then  take  what  they've 
learned  and  apply  it." 


Collaborating  on  program  creation 

The  ultimate  goal  of  the  HHMI  grant  is  to  expose  students  and 
teachers  to  the  concepts  of  systems  biology,  an  approach  in  which 
all  the  molecular  interactions  in  a  system  —  pathway,  organelle,  cell, 
organism  or  ecosystem  —  are  examined  to  understand  function. 
Systems  biology  is  being  incorporated  in  VCU's  undergraduate  and 
graduate  curriculum  through  another  HHMI  grant  awarded  in  2006. 
That  $1.5  million  grant  is  headed  by  Gregory  Buck,  Ph.D.,  director 
of  VCU's  Center  for  the  Study  of  Biological  Complexity.  "I've  bought 
in  to  the  idea  that  systems  biology  is  what  students  need  to  know  how 
to  do,"  Buck  says.   "It's  competitive  for  our  students  and  our  country." 

Some  of  the  best  scientists  in  the  world  are  supported  by  the  Howard 
Hughes  Medical  Institute,  Buck  says.  So  VCU  is  in  good  company. 
"The  image  of  a  scientist  is  one  with  his  head  in  a  beaker,"  he  says. 
"That's  not  entirely  accurate."  Buck  says  it  may  surprise  people 
to  know  that  there  are  a  lot  of  scientists,  including  many  at  VCU, 
who  are  very  interested  in  students  and  creating  programs  specifically 
for  them. 

What  impresses  Fisher  about  the  grants  and  programs  being  imple- 
mented at  VCU  is  the  cooperation  across  the  university.  "It's  exciting 
to  see  the  partnerships  that  are  taking  place  between  the  different  units 
within  VCU  —  the  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences  and  the  School 
of  Education,  and  VCU  and  the  community,"  he  says. 

Teaching  is  often  called  the  hardest  job  in  the  world.  Hopefully, 
with  generous  grant  funding  and  faculty  commitment  and  dedication, 
the  resources  VCU  offers  its  future  teachers  will  make  the  job  a  bit 
easier.  At  the  very  least,  these  programs  will  ensure  that  future  educators 
are  prepared  when  they  leave  their  university  classrooms  and  walk  into 
their  own. 

Erin  Egan  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shajer  Court  Connections. 


: 


f 


Seven  years  after  the  inaugural  First  Fridays  event,  Christina  Newton  still  marvels 
at  the  throngs  of  people  who  spill  onto  Broad  Street  on  the  first  Friday  of  each  month. 

"I'm  always  shocked  at  how  many  people  are  on  the  street  —  and  in  the  street, 
blocking  traffic,"  says  Newton,  the  organizer  and  marketing  director  for  the  monthly 
artwalk  program  she  helped  found  in  downtown  Richmond,  Va. 

The  success  of  First  Fridays  shouldn't  surprise  her,  Newton  says.  The  idea  origi- 
nated in  2000  when  the  five  existing  galleries  on  Broad  Street  pooled  their  resources. 
The  galleries  were  already  holding  individual  openings  on  the  first  Friday  of  every  month, 
but  nothing  was  coordinated.  Newton  knew  that  artwalk  programs  were  popular  in  other 
cities  and  suggested  that  Richmond  start  one  of  its  own. 

"I  knew  that  Charlottesville  had  First  Friday  openings  and  Fredericksburg  and 
Washington,  D.C.,"  she  says.  "It  was  kind  of  like,  we  have  to  be  able  to  do  something  in 
Richmond  with  our  amazing  arts  community." 

With  the  support  of  Artspace,  where  Newton  worked  at  the  time,  the  five 
galleries,  the  Richmond  Public  Library,  the  Virginia  Fire  and  Police  Museum,  the 
Valentine  Richmond  History  Center,  and  The  Black  History  Museum  and  Cultural 
Center  of  Virginia  formed  a  steering  committee.  The  group  put  together  a  scheduled 
artwalk  on  the  first  Friday  of  every  month,  called  "First  Fridays  On  and  Off  Broad" 
from  October  to  June.  "That  was  really  where  we  got  our  start,"  Newton  says.  "Just 
formalizing  what  was  already  happening  and  joining  forces." 

Concept  takes  off 

The  idea  was  an  immediate  hit,  with  nine  venues  participating  and  17.OOO  people 
attending  in  2001-02.  The  next  year,  the  nonprofit  organization  Curated  Culture 
was  formed  to  oversee  First  Fridays  with  Newton  at  the  helm.  Since  then,  First  Fridays 
has  more  than  tripled  in  size  with  30  diverse  sites  participating.  These  locations 
include  galleries,  restaurants,  shops  and  cultural  venues,  such  as  The  Black  History 
Museum  and  Cultural  Center  of  Virginia,  Theatre  IV  and  the  Richmond  Public  Library. 

Sculptor  Roberley  Bell  of  New  York  recently  showed  her  series  "Flower  Blobs"  (left  and  right)  at  ada  Gallery. 


* 


y 


• 


Large  crowds  spill  into  venues  such  as 
1708  Gallery,  ada  Gallery  and  Quirk  Gallery 
to  soak  up  art  on  First  Fridays. 


Attendance  rates  vary,   but  it's  estimated  that  between   2,000   and   5-000   people  turn  out 
for  First  Fridays,  which  since  2007  occurs  monthly. 

The  success  of  First  Fridays  has  encouraged  numerous  new  businesses,   including  restau- 
rants and  coffee  shops,  to  open  in  the  downtown  area.  That  has  had  a  huge  impact  on  the  program, 
Newton  says.    "You  can  come  downtown,  you  can  have  dinner,  you  can  have  a  drink,  you  can  go  see 
the  openings,  go  to  the  theater  and  see  a  performance,"  she  says.   "It's  not  just  coming  down,  seeing 
one  show  and  leaving  as  much  as  it  used  to  be." 

It  wasn't    too    long   ago   that    downtown    Richmond   was   more    deserted   than 
a   destination.   Today,   people   feel   safer  about   heading  to   the  area  and   First 
Fridays  has  helped   change   that  mindset.    "We   feel  that  we   have   made   a 
gigantic  dent   in  economic  development  and  community  development 
particularly  for  downtown,"  Newton  says. 

Curated  Culture  has  worked  with  the  Richmond  Police  Department 
to  enhance  the  experience  for  visitors.  In  the  past  year,  more  police  offi- 
cers have  patrolled  the  area  during  the  artwalks  and  bright  work  lights  now 
illuminate  the  neighborhood,  especially  parking  lots.  "One  of  the  early 
problems  we  had  was  a  perception  of  safety  downtown,"  Newton  says.  "Now 
the  problem  is  more   I  can't  find  parking!'  Things  have  really  changed." 

Opportunities  abound 

First    Fridays    was    already    in    full    swing    when    longtime 
Richmond  native  Kathy  Emerson  opened  Quirk  Gallery  two 
years  ago  two  doors  down  from  1708  Gallery,  a  leader  in 
the  city's  art  scene,   and  near  six  other  galleries.    "First 
Fridays  is  a  lot  busier  than  in  the  past,"  she  says.  "It  has 
certainly  grown  immeasurably." 

Quirk  has  a  line  out  the  door  on  First  Fridays.  The 
crowd  buzzes  with   excitement  and  crosses  all   demographics 


Today,  more  than  30  diverse  sites  -  including 
galleries,  restaurants,  shops  and  cultural 
venues  —  open  their  doors  for  First  Fridays 
every  month. 

10* 


from  VCU  students  to  suburban  families.  While  the  event  has  seen 
steady  growth,  it  has  seemed  organic  in  its  expansion,  Emerson  says. 
"When  you  have  an  arts  community,  it  feeds  off  itself,"  she  adds. 
"It's  a  very  healthy  thing  for  Richmond.  It's  busy,  bustling  and  full 
of  visitors." 

Given  Quirk's  proximity  to  VCU,  the  gallery  has  a  close 
relationship  with  the  university's  craft  and  material  studies  depart- 
ment. Quirk  shows  artwork  of  VCU  graduates,  students  and  some 
faculty.  Other  galleries  do  the  same. 

"Students  have  a  future  here," 
Sally  Bowring  (M.F.A.  '83/A) 
says.  Bowring  has  taught  in  the 
VCU  painting  and  printmaking 
department  for  23  years  and  has 
worked  in  the  university's  Anderson 
Gallery.  "They  are  supposed  to  be 
professional  artists  when  they  leave 
here  —  and  they  can  be,"  she  says. 

Bowring  familiarizes  her 
students  with  many  of  the  down- 
town galleries  and  encourages  them 
to  go  to  First  Fridays.  "It's  like  being 
in  art  heaven,"  she  says. 

The  success  of  First  Fridays  amazes  and  delights  Bowring. 

People   line   up   to   get   into   galleries!"    she   says.     "You'd   think 

they    were    giving    away    free    paintings."    But    the    overwhelming 

response    comes   as    no    surprise.    "This    is    a   visual    arts    town," 


"When  you  have 
an  arts  community, 
it  feeds  off  itself. 
[First  Fridays]  is  a 
very  healthy  thing 
for  Richmond.  It's 
busy,  bustling  and 
full  of  visitors." 

—  Kathy  Emerson,  co-director 
of  Quirk  Gallery 


Bowring  says.  "Other  mediums  might  struggle  but  not  visual 
arts.  It's  fabulous." 

Andras  Bality  (B.F.A.  '86/A)  is  another  Richmond  native 
and  a  celebrated  local  artist  whose  paintings  have  been  shown  in  New 
York  and  Hungary,  as  well  as  in  galleries  on  First  Fridays.  As  a  kid, 
he  remembers  downtown  as  a  vibrant  place.  First  Fridays  has  brought 
needed  life  back  to  the  area.  "It's  meant  a  lot  to  me  to  see  Broad 
Street  reborn,"  he  says. 

As  a  member  of  the  Richmond  arts  community  for  more  than 
20  years,  Bality  is  pleasantly  surprised  to  see  how  the  First  Fridays 
crowd  has  expanded.  "It  used  to  be  those  who  knew  the  artists,"  he 
says.  "Now  it's  people  outside  of  the  arts  community.  It's  so  exciting 
that  so  many  Richmonders  are  drawn  to  the  art." 

Performers  engage 

Visitors  come  to  First  Fridays  to  experience  art,  but  music 
and  live  performances  also  draw  big  audiences.  Taylor  Barnett 
(B.M.  '02/A;  M.M.  '04/A)  has  been  at  VCU  for  the  past  10  years 
as  an  undergraduate  and  graduate  student  and,  since  2004,  as  an 
adjunct  professor  of  music.  He  has  seen  First  Fridays  evolve  first- 
hand, performing  on  the  trumpet  with  the  No  B.S.  Brass  Band  at 
several  of  the  monthly  events. 

"I  think  it's  fantastic,"  Barnett  says  of  First  Fridays.  "It  might 
be  one  of  the  coolest  artistic  things  in  Richmond.  When  I'm  playing 
there  it  makes  me  feel  like  I'm  in  a  bigger  city." 

Barnett  tells  a  story  of  what  he  says  epitomizes  First  Fridays. 
At  the  October  2007   event,    Barnett's  band  was  playing  Michael 


16  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


'   ,7J 


Up 


'■;■'  'VI J 


Jackson's  "Thriller."  the  band's  big  finale.  As  they  were  playing,  a 
young  guy  walked  by  and  began  dancing  a  la  Jackson.  The  interaction 
between  the  crowd  and  the  band  was  infectious.  People  cheered  and 
the  band  loved  the  impromptu  performance. 

The  spontaneity  of  the  event  is  what  makes  it  so  enjoyable  for 
spectators  and  performers.  "First  Fridays  is  different  every  time," 
Barnett  says.  "It's  multimedia,  which  is  perfect  for  our  music.  It 
helps  to  have  people  engage." 

Barnett  encourages  his  students  to  attend  First  Fridays  because 
the  crowd  has  an  understanding  of  what's  on  display.  "You're  playing 
to  people  who  appreciate  the  art  and  the  music,"  he  says.  "They  get  it. 
And  it  makes  them  feel  good." 

Barnett  is  just  waiting  for  organizers  to  close  down  Broad  Street 
to  the  hordes  of  First  Fridays  attendees  as  the  event  continues  to  grow. 
"I'm  looking  forward  to  more  revitalization,"  he  says.  "There  is  so 
much  stuff  going  on." 

Now  the  trick  is  to  get  as  many  people  downtown  on  other  nights 
of  the  week  and  not  just  on  First  Fridays. 

"We've  got  the  people  here,  we've  got  the  arts  and  culture  here, 
we've  got  the  businesses,"  Newton  says.  What's  still  needed  are  more  retail 
shops  such  as  dry  cleaners  and  grocery  stores,  businesses  that  make  up  a 
viable,  24/7  neighborhood.  "That  will  take  us  to  the  next  step,"  she  says. 
"And  I  won't  be  so  surprised  when  I  see  people  on  the  street." 

For  more  information  about  First  Fridays,  including  a  schedule  and  list  of  partici- 
pating venues,  visit  www.firstfridaysrichmond.com. 

Erin  Egan  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


In  an  effort  to  encourage  more  people  to  come 
downtown  at  times  other  than  First  Fridays,  Curated 
Culture  has  launched  another  monthly  program  called 
Second  Saturdays.  First  Fridays  is  a  great  event  with  a  fun, 
party  atmosphere,  but  because  of  the  huge  crowds  it's 
often  difficult  for  serious  art  lovers  to  view  the  work.  The 
idea  behind  Second  Saturdays  is  to  give  people  a 
quieter,  more  intimate  experience  at  the  galleries. 
"People  can  talk  with  the  gallery  owners  and  directors 
about  the  art  and  really  see  the  work,"  says  Christina 
Newton,  organizer  and  marketing  director  of  the  event. 

Some  participating  venues  have  scheduled  activ- 
ities on  Second  Saturdays.  One  gallery  may  have  an 
artist  talk  or  there  may  be  a  musician  playing  at  the 
Richmond  Public  Library.  Curated  Culture  also  is  con- 
sidering the  idea  of  offering  guided  tours  for  groups 
interested  in  a  more  personal  experience  at  the  venues. 

Second  Saturdays  is  part  of  a  plan  to  inform  the 
community  that  downtown  is  a  lively  place  on  other  days 
of  the  week.  Newton  says  more  development  on  the 
program  is  expected  in  spring  2008.  But  she  is  hopeful 
the  word  will  get  out  and  draw  a  larger  audience. 

"I  think  the  continued  developments  downtown  will 
bring  more  businesses  and  encourage  people  to  think 
of  downtown  as  a  destination  other  than  just  on  First 
Fridays,"  Newton  says. 

For  the  latest  information  on.  Second  Saturdays, 
visit  www.secondsaturdaysrichmond.com. 


by  Melanie  Irvin  Solaimani 


I 


• 


After  visiting  a  buddy  at  Virginia  Commonwealth  University,  l8-year-old  Tom  Snead  Jr.  (B.S.  76/B)  knew  he  was 
ready  to  say  goodbye  to  the  Halifax  County,  Va.,  tobacco  farm  he  called  home.  He  yearned  for  the  big  city. 

In  sleepy  Chester,  Va.,  Vickie  Miller  (B.S.  76/B)  followed  the  advice  of  her  mother,  Mildred,  and  enrolled  at  VCU, 
instead  of  attending  Richard  Bland  Community  College. 

Tom  and  Vickie  were  trailblazers  —  they  both  were  the  first  in  their  families  to  attend  college. 

At  VCU,  they  fell  in  love  with  their  university  and  with  each  other,  marrying  three  weeks  after  graduation. 

More  than  30  years  later,  they  say,  they  are  still  reaping  the  benefits  of  their  education.  And  they  are  still  blazing  new  trails. 

"Here  we  were  [after  graduation],  poor  as  church  mice,"  Tom  says.  "When  we  look  back,  we  never  could  imagine  being 
where  we  are  today,  and  it  all  started  at  VCU." 


The  fall  of  1972  was  a  blur  as  both  students 
adjusted  to  college  life.  Their  paths  crossed 
one  December  day  in  the  Hibbs  dining  hall. 
Vickie  spotted  Tom  and  asked  a  hallmate 
about  him.  Her  friend  invited  Tom  to  a  "party" 
(actually  four  boys  and  four  girls)  the  next  night 
at  their  place  in  Rhoads  Hall. 

After  the  10  p.m.  curfew  at  Rhoads,  they 
moved  to  Tom's  dorm,  Chalkley  House,  which 
had  24-hour  coed  visitation  in  the  lobby,  to 
continue  their  intense  conversation. 

The  next  morning,  Vickie  rolled  out  of 
bed,  late  for  her  8  a.m.  class.  She  pulled 
on  clothes  and  scurried  to  Hibbs.  As  she 
sat  down,  she  looked  across  the  room  and 
directly  at ...  Tom  Snead.  Neither  knew  they 
shared  a  class.  She  slid  down,  hoping  he 
wouldn't  see  her. 


"I  was  certain  if  he  saw  me  like  this,  he 
would  never  call  me  again,"  she  says. 

She  didn't  need  to  worry.  Two  nights 
later,  they  had  their  first  "real"  date,  and 
they've  been  inseparable  since. 

Soon  they  were  thriving  in  the  class- 
room, too  —  Vickie  pursuing  a  marketing 
degree  and  Tom  focusing  on  accounting. 
The  couple  worked  throughout  college 
and  took  summer  classes. 

"I've  been  here  39  years  and  I've  taught 
about  16,000  students.  There  are  not  a  lot 
of  students  you  can  remember  from  day 
one.  I  remember  them  [Tom  and  Vickie]," 
says  economics  professor  George  Hoffer. 
"They  were  bright,  young  and  energetic." 

Vickie  earned  a  scholarship  from  Miller 
&  Rhoads  and  landed  a  job  there.  She  rose 


through  the  ranks,  eventually  becoming 
vice  president  for  merchandise  planning 
and  stock  control. 

As  a  self-described  "long-haired  hippie" 
student,  Tom  was  hired  by  VCU  alumnus 
Donald  B.  Dodson  (B.S.  64/B)  as  an  "office 
boy"  at  Peat  Marwick  Mitchell.  "It  was  great 
discipline,  learning  to  allocate  your  time 
for  working,  studying,  going  to  class.  And 
it  offered  peer  pressure,"  Tom  says.  "Here 
were  all  of  these  young,  successful  people, 
and  I  really  wanted  to  be  one  of  them." 

Another  VCU  alumna,  Phyllis  Cothran 
(B.S.  '71/B),  recruited  Tom  for  a  job  at 
Blue  Cross  and  Blue  Shield.  After  helping 
take  the  company  (then  Trigon)  public,  he 
retired  in  2006  as  president  and  CEO  of 
the  Southeast  Region  for  WellPoint  Inc. 


I  think  if  people  would  just  come  back  and  look, 
that  would  invite  involvement  right  there. 
It  feels  good  to 


Now  both  retired,  they  stay  plugged  into 
their  community  and  their  alma  mater. 

In  2003,  VCU  President  Eugene  P.  Tram, 
Ph.D.,  invited  the  Sneads  to  dinner.  He  asked 
them  to  serve  as  co-chairs  of  the  $330.5 
million  Campaign  for  VCU. 

The  Sneads  were  honored  to  be  asked, 
they  say,  but  nervous,  too. 

"I  told  Tom,  'This  could  be  the  biggest 
embarrassment  of  our  lives  or  the  most 
wonderful  moment.'  And  it  was  one  of  the 
most  wonderful,"  Vickie  says. 

Under  the  leadership  of  the  Sneads  and 
Charlotte  and  Jim  Roberts  representing 
the  MCV  Campus,  the  Campaign  for  VCU 
raised  $410.3  million,  including  $160  million 
for  the  Monroe  Park  Campus. 

With  the  campaign  complete,  Vickie  and 
Tom  are  back  to  enjoying  life  as  alumni, 
attending  as  many  men's  basketball  games 
as  possible  and  otherwise  staying  involved. 
On  the  first  day  of  classes  this  spring,  they 
greeted  students  in  the  new  home  of  the 
School  of  Business,  Snead  Hall. 

"It  is  so  humbling  to  have  a  building 
named  after  you  while  you  are  still  alive," 
Tom  says. 

Hoffer  is  among  the  many  who  think  the 
Sneads  are  quite  worthy.  "They  are  the 
epitome  of  what  VCU  stands  for,"  he  says. 


"It  is  so  heartwarming  to  now  see  how  they 
have  given  back  to  their  university." 

Among  their  other  community  commit- 
ments, Tom  serves  on  the  VCU  Board  of 
Visitors  and  the  board  of  directors  for  the 
VCU  Health  System.  He  also  is  a  found- 
ing trustee  of  the  VCU  School  of  Business 
Foundation  Board.  Vickie  is  a  member  of  the 
Massey  Cancer  Center  Advisory  Board  and 
the  VCU  Alumni  Association  Board. 

"Vickie  Snead's  participation  in  the  VCU 
Alumni  Association  is  nothing  less  than 
inspirational.  Vickie  embodies  the  variety 
of  ways  an  individual  can  make  a  lasting 
impact  on  her  fellow  alumni,"  says  VCUAA 
President  Dan  Massey  (B.S.  '92/ B).  "Vickie's 
goal  is  to  take  an  active  role  in  expanding  and 
promoting  the  excitement  of  VCU  with  all 
alumni,  and  her  reward  is  having  a  front-row 
seat  to  see  it  come  to  fruition.  This  opportu- 
nity exists  for  all  alumni  who  want  to  make 
a  difference." 

The  Sneads  heartily  agree,  say- 
ing all  it  will  take  for  alumni  to 
want  to  get  involved  is  a  cam- 
pus visit. 

"It's  a  whole  new  VCU," 
Vickie  says.  "It's  just  so  great 
to  see  the  kids  on  campus, 
to  see  how  the  campus  has 


grown.  I  think  if  people  would  just  come 
back  and  look,  that  would  invite  involvement 
right  there.  It  feels  good  to  give  back." 

Give  back  however  possible  -  big  or 
small,  time  or  resources,  Tom  agrees. 

"When  you  get  to  an  age  and  stage  in  your 
life  and  your  career,  you  think,  'Gosh  how  did 
I  get  here?'  Then  you  start  reflecting  back  on 
what  made  all  of  this  possible,"  Tom  says.  "And 
it  all  comes  back  to  VCU." 

Melame  Irvin  Solmmani  (B.S.  g6/MC)  is  a  contributing 
writer jor  Shajer  Court  Connections. 


is.  LJ 


/ 


THE  ©0(§  PICTURE 

CONCRETE  COLLABORATION  >  The  January  2008  opening  of  the  $228 
million  Monroe  Park  Campus  Addition  finally  answers  an  age-old  question:  Is 
two  of  something  really  better  than  one?  Virginia  Commonwealth  University's 
new  II-acre  residential  campus,  located  east  of  Belvidere  Street,  brings  together 
two  schools  —  Business  and  Engineering  —  in  one  joint  space  designed  to 
foster  greater  collaboration  among  their  students.  The  125,000-square-foot 
School  of  Business  —  named  Snead  Hall  —  and  the  School  of  Engineering's 
115,000-square-foot  East  Hall  share  an  atrium  and  career  center,  while 
providing  students  and  faculty  with  innovative  facilities  such  as  enhanced 
laboratory  and  research  space  and  a  team-building  room .  And ,  the  new  da  Vinci 
Center  —  housed  in  East  Hall's  Pauley  Pavilion  —  creates  a  central  location 
where  the  schools  of  the  Arts,  Business  and  Engineering  will  partner  on  product 
design  and  development.  With  a  projected  enrollment  increase  of  2,000 
students  in  business  and  engineering,  the  innovative  complex  moves  two  schools 
into  one  cohesive  complex.  The  final  outcome?  Unlimited  opportunities. 


11 

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11 

u 

umni 
tars 


I  recognizes  alumni 
or  success  and  service 


At  Virginia  Commonwealth  University's  Commencement  in  May,  the  alumni 
associations  will  honor  14  of  the  university's  most  accomplished  alumni. 

The  now-annual  event  honors  VCU  alumni  who  have  enjoyed  notable 
professional  success  or  who  have  made  significant  humanitarian,  university 
or  community  service  contributions.  Honorees  are  selected  through  faculty 
recommendations  and  alumni  committees  from  across  the  university. 

"Recognizing  and  honoring  these  Alumni  Stars  for  their  outstanding 
achievements  is  a  marvelous  way  to  highlight  our  graduates  and  the  breadth 
and  depth  of  their  leadership  and  contributions,"  says  Gordon  McDougall, 
assistant  vice  president  for  university  alumni  relations.  "The  Alumni  Stars 
program  is  a  distinctive  opportunity  to  assemble  alumni  leaders  with  their 
peers,  before  a  universitywide  audience,  to  celebrate  alumni  leadership, 
pride  and  unity." 


Golden  Bethune-Hill 

Schoot  of  Nursing  -  Professional  Achievement 
Bethune-Hill  received  her  Master  of  Science 
degree  from  the  School  of  Nursing  in  1985-  As 
executive  vice  president  and  administrator  of 
Riverside  Regional  Medical  Center  in  Newport 
News,  Va.,  she  is  the  highest-ranking  black 
woman  in  the  history  of  Riverside  Hospital 
System.  Prior  to  joining  Riverside,  she  was  senior  vice  president  of 
patient  care  services  at  Centra  Health  Care  and  led  the  organization 
to  Magnet  status,  nursing's  highest  recognition.  + 


Donwan  Harrell 

School  of  the  Arts  -  Professional  Achievement 
Harrell  received  his  Bachelor  of  Fine  Arts 
degree  from  the  School  of  the  Arts  in  1992. 
The  Murfreesboro,  N.C.,  native,  who  spent 
endless  weekends  and  summers  as  a  youth  work- 
ing with  his  mother's  Singer  sewing  machine,  is 
the  president  and  creative  director  of  Kemistre 
8  LLC.  Based  in  New  York  City,  Kemistre  8  houses  the  Akademiks 
brand,  a  line  of  urban  clothing  popular  with  hip-hop  music  fans,  as 
well  as  PRPS  jeans,  which  are  sported  by  professional  athletes.  * 


Mark  Crabtree 

School  of  Dentistry  -  Community  Service/ 
Professional  Achievement/University  Service 
Crabtree  received  his  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery 
degree  in  1985  from  the  School  of  Dentistry. 
As  president  of  the  Piedmont  Virginia  Dental 
Health  Foundation,  he  spearheaded  the  orga- 
nization's effort  to  bring  a  dental  clinic  to  serve 
low-income  individuals  in  Martinsville,  Va.  Begun  in  2006,  the 
Community  Dental  Clinic  preceptorship  program  is  staffed  by 
fourth-year  VCU  dentistry  students.  * 


Sheila  Hill-Christian 

College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences  -  Professional  Achievement 
Hill- Christian  earned  her  Bachelor  of  Arts 
degree  from  the  College  of  Humanities  and 
Sciences  in  1981.  As  chief  administrative 
officer  for  the  city  of  Richmond,  she  is  respon- 
sible for  the  day-to-day  management  of  city 
departments  and  agencies.  With  16  years  of 
management  experience  to  her  credit,  Hill-Christian  has  worked 
in  various  capacities  for  the  state  lottery  and  in  housing  and  trans- 
portation for  the  city  government.  + 


John  Cragin 

School  of  Social  Work  -  Professional  Achievement 
Cragin  received  his  Master  of  Social  Work 
degree  from  the  School  of  Social  Work  in  1979- 
He  serves  as  senior  director  of  Commonwealth 
Care  for  Boston  Medical  Center's  Health- 
NetPlan.  As  Massachusetts'  largest  and  only 
statewide  Commonwealth  Care  program  —  a 
state-subsidized  insurance  program  for  the  previously  uninsured 
—  HealthNet  provides  its  75-000  members  with  free  or  low-cost 
health  services.  + 


Stephen  Offenbacher 


School  of  Medicine,  Basic  Health  Sciences  - 
Professional  Achievement 

Offenbacher  received  his  Doctor  of  Dental 
Surgery  from  the  School  of  Dentistry  in  197^  and 
his  doctorate  in  biochemistry  in  1977  from  the 
School  of  Medicine.  An  international  expert  in 
periodontal  disease,  his  work  has  been  continu- 
ously funded  by  the  National  Institutes  of  Health.  He  is  a  distinguished 
professor  in  the  School  of  Dentistry,  Department  of  Periodontology, 
at  the  University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill.  * 


22  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


** 


Mary  Perkinson 


School  of  Engineering  -  Professional  Achievement/ 
University  Service 

Perkinson  received  a  Bachelor  of  Fine  Arts  from 
the  School  of  the  Arts  in  1991  and  her  second 
VCU  degree,  a  Bachelor  of  Science  from  the 
School  of  Engineering,  in2003-  She  works  as  an 
engineer  with  Northrop  Grumman  in  Newport 
News,  Va.  In  2004,  she  received  the  company's  Model  of  Excellence 
Award  for  her  work  in  helping  improve  retention  and  provide  a 
more  supportive  environment  for  entry-level  employees.  * 


Thomas  Silvestri 

School  of  Business  -  Professional  Achievement/ 
University  Service 

Silvestri  received  his  Master  of  Business 
Administration  from  the  School  of  Business  in 
1986.  He  began  his  career  with  Media  General 
Inc.  as  a  copy  editor  at  the  Richmond  Times- 
Dispatch,  the  city's  daily  newspaper,  and  now 
serves  as  its  publisher.  Silvestri  recently  finished  a  two-year  stint  as 
president  of  the  VCU  School  of  Business  Alumni  Board  and  will 
become  chairman  of  Leadership  Metro  Richmond  in  late  2008.  * 


Jonathan  Perlin 

School  of  Medicine  -  Humanitarian  Achievement/ 
Professional  Achievement 

Perlin  earned  two  degrees  from  the  School  of 
Medicine,  a  doctorate  in  pharmacology  and 
toxicology  in  I991  and  a  medical  degree  in 
1992.  In  1997.  he  earned  a  master's  degree 
from  the  School  of  Allied  Health  Professions. 
After  serving  as  undersecretary  of  health  in  the  U.S.  Department  of 
Veterans  Affairs,  Perlin  was  appointed  in  2006  by  HCA  as  its  chief 
medical  officer  and  president  of  its  clinical  services  group.  + 


^^  Patricia  Slattum 

School  of  Pharmacy  -  Community  Service/ 
University  Service 

Slattum  received  two  degrees  from  the  School 
of  Pharmacy:  a  bachelor's  in  1982  and  a  doc- 
torate in  1992.  She  also  earned  a  certificate  in 
gerontology  from  the  School  of  Allied  Health 
Professions  in  1992.  As  an  associate  professor 
in  VCU's  pharmacy  school,  Slattum  focuses  her  research  on  the 
effect  of  medications  on  cognitive  functioning  in  older  adults.  She 
was  selected  as  the  school's  2005  Teacher  of  the  Year.  * 


Mark  Raper 


School  of  Mass  Communications  -  Community  Service/ 
Professional  Achievement 

Raper  received  a  Bachelor  of  Science  degree  in 
1982  from  the  School  of  Mass  Communications. 
Under  Raper's  leadership  as  chairman  and 
CEO,  CRT/tanaka  has  become  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  decorated  independent  public 
relations  firms  in  the  country.  Based  in  Richmond,  Va. ,  with  offices 
in  New  York,  Los  Angeles  and  Norfolk,  Va.,  the  company  has  twice 
been  named  the  "Best  PR  Agency  to  Work  for  in  America."  * 


Robert  Wittman 

L.  Douglas  Wilder  School  of  Government  and  Public 
Affairs  -  Professional  Achievement 
Wittman  received  his  doctorate  in  2002 
from  the  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences. 
From  2005  to  2007,  he  served  in  the 
Virginia  House  of  Delegates  before  voters 
in  the  state's  First  District  chose  him  as  their 
U.S.  representative.  When  not  on  Capitol  Hill.  Wittman  works  as 
an  environmental  health  specialist  for  local  health  departments 
in  Virginia's  Northern  Neck  and  Middle  Peninsula  areas.  + 


Cathy  Saunders 


School  of  Allied  Health  Professions  -  Professional 
Achievement/University  Service 

Saunders  earned  her  Bachelor  of  Social  Work 
degree  in  1976  from  the  School  of  Social  Work 
and  in  1982  received  a  Master  ot  Science  degree 
from  the  School  of  Allied  Health  Professions.  A 
real  estate  agent  with  Long  and  Foster  Realtors, 
Saunders  doubles  as  a  professional  gerontologist  and  has  served  as 
past  president  of  the  Greater  Richmond  Alzheimer's  Association 
and  as  vice  chair  of  the  Virginia  Alzheimer's  Commission.  * 


Patricia  Wright 

School  of  Education  -  Professional  Achievement 
Wright  received  her  Master  of  Education  from 
the  School  of  Education  in  1984.  A  33-year 
veteran  in  the  education  profession  as  a  teacher 
and  administrator,  Wright  serves  as  a  member 
of  the  National  Governor's  Association  Task 
Force  on  Graduation  and  Dropout  Rates.  She 
also  is  the  chief  deputy  superintendent  of  public  instruction  with 
the  Virginia  Department  of  Education,  appointed  by  Gov.  Tim 
Kaine  in  2006.  * 


•       * 


To  read  more  about  these  Alumni  Stars,  go  online  to  Www.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 


[face  to  face] 


a  university 


e: 


A  VCU  ICON  REFLECTS  ON 
HER  DISTINGUISHED  CAREER 


Meeting  Grace  E.  Harris  for  the  first  time,  her  gentle  voice  belies  a  strong,  confident  demeanor  that  has  served  her 
well  throughout  her  40-year  career  at  Virginia  Commonwealth  University.  She  has  held  positions  as  social  work  pro- 
fessor, dean  of  the  School  of  Social  Work  and  vice  provost  for  continuing  studies  and  public  service.  When  Harris 
retired  in  1999  as  tne  provost  and  vice  president  for  academic  affairs,  she  had  twice  served  as  acting  president  of  the 
university,  in  1995  and  1998.  Currently,  she  is  a  distinguished  professor  in  the  Center  for  Public  Policy  and  head 
of  the  Grace  E.  Harris  Leadership  Institute. 

Harris'  many  roles  at  VCU  required  determination  and  resolve,  yet  she  carries  herself  with  all  the  poise  and 
dignity  her  name  suggests.  In  December  2007,  VCU  dedicated  the  former  School  of  Business  building  in  her  honor, 
a  tribute  that  humbles  her.  "It's  not  just  the  name  on  the  building,  it's  the  recognition  that  I  did  make  contributions," 
Harris  says.  But  at  the  same  time,  she  admits  that  "the  name  on  the  building  is  very  nice.  Very  nice  indeed." 

Harris  recently  sat  down  to  talk  about  her  storied  career. 


How  did  your  VCU  career  begin  and  how 
has  it  shaped  who  you've  become?  Elaine 
Rothenberg  was  the  associate  dean  of  the 
School  of  Social  Work  and  I  had  known  her 
through  some  community  work.  She  recruited 
me  to  come  and  teach.  The  university  seemed 
appealing  and  was  something  different. 

I've  often  said  that  I  didn't  plan  any  of  this. 
A  lot  of  it  happened  because  of  opportunities 
that  I  decided  to  take  advantage  of.  I  think  it's 
a  willingness  to  try  new  things  and  a  kind  of 
spirit  that  I  ve  always  had  of  believing  that  it 
was  OK  to  change  and  try  new  things. 

What  obstacles  have  you  had  to  overcome 
over  the  course  of  your  career?  Making 
certain  that  the  people  with  whom  I  worked 
respected  my  ability  and  my  credentials 
and  supported  my  goals.  There  were  always 
people  who  did  respect  my  goals  and  ambitions 
and  supported  me  —  not  only  within  the  uni- 
versity, but  my  family  and  friends  and  other 
professionals  outside  the  university.  I've  had  a 
very,  very  positive  support  system  throughout 
my  career  that  continues  to  this  day. 


What  has  been  the  biggest  change  to  the 
university  during  your  tenure?  The  growth 
in  so  many  ways  —  not  only  physically,  but 
in  terms  of  programs  and  outreach  in  the 
community.  Programmatically,  we've  seen 
many  new  interdisciplinary  programs,  the 
emphasis  on  life  sciences  and  tremendous 
growth  in  international  education.  We've 
reached  people  from  other  parts  of  the  state 
as  well  as  other  parts  of  the  country  who 
were  not  attending  VCU  when  I  first  came 
here.  It  was  very  much  a  university  that  had 
local  ties  but  had  not  expanded  to  the  national 
and  international  level  that  it  has  today. 

Is  there  one  accomplishment  that  stands 
out  in  your  career?  As  an  administrator 
I've  been  able  to  work  with  so  many  people, 
especially  faculty  when  I  was  provost.  I  believe 
the  Office  of  the  Provost  really  became  a 
place  where  faculty  and  students  could  feel 
comfortable  and  talk  about  their  issues, 
and  that  I  had  some  impact  on  policies 
and  procedures  that  made  a  difference  in 
their  lives. 


The  other  piece  of  what  I've  done  that  I'm 
proud  of  has  been  involving  others  in  helping 
define  VCU  as  a  university  that  is  very  much 
a  part  of  the  community.  With  Dr.  Trani's 
leadership,  I  was  able  to  support  many  of  the 
initiatives  he  had  in  mind  and  played  a  role  in 
making  sure  that  faculty,  students,  community 
representatives  and  other  administrators  were 
involved  in  the  process. 

What  would  you  like  your  legacy  to  be? 
Commitment  to  education,  to  service,  a  belief 
in  those  things  as  values.  A  commitment  to 
sharing  one's  knowledge  with  others,  and  a 
willingness  to  explore  new  ways  of  thinking 
and  doing  things. 

As  a  teacher  and  administrator,  I  always 
thought  it  was  important  to  make  sure  we 
provide  the  best  educational  experience  for  the 
students.  The  building  is  certainly  symbolic 
of  that  in  the  sense  that  it  is  a  building  for 
teaching  and  learning.  And  I  taught  in  that 
building.  That's  nice  to  remember. 

Intermew  conducted  by  Enn  Egan,  a  contributing  writer 
forShajer  Court  Connections. 


24  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


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In  a  time  when  "new"  means  better  and 
strip  mall  stores  come  and  go  as  quickly  as 
the  next  Starbucks  arrives,  Carytown's  his- 
toric Byrd  Theatre  still  finds  its  seats  full,  an 
organist  playing  the  Wurlitzer  on  Saturday 
nights  and  an  eclectic  crowd  taking  in  an 
affordable  show. 

As  the  vintage  movie  palace  nears  its 
8oth  birthday  in  December,  Richmonders 
continue  to  embrace  the  Byrd's  unique  char- 
acter and  French  Empire-inspired  decor  - 
not  to  mention  its  discount  $1.99  features. 

Like  many  Richmond  couples,  Philip 
Perrine  (B.F.A.  93/A)  and  his  girlfriend  often 
frequent  the  Byrd  Theatre  on  date  night. 
But  unlike  the  occasional  moviegoer,  they've 
seen  a  movie  at  the  Byrd  nearly  every  week 
for  10  years  and  counting. 

"The  Byrd  is  a  real  treat,"  Perrine  says.  "It's 
not  just  inexpensive  entertainment.  It's  a  trip 
back  in  time.  There  is  no  substitute  for  style, 
and  the  Byrd  has  it  in  spades." 

It  also  invokes  a  sense  of  nostalgia  for  those 
who  have  grown  up  at  the  Byrd  Theatre. 

"People  that  remember  being  taken  to  the 
Byrd  as  a  child  can  later  go  back  when  they 
start  dating,  and  later  on  when  they  have 
kids  of  their  own,"  says  Todd  Schall -Vess,  the 
Byrd's  general  manager.  "People  come  full 
circle  -  three  to  four  generations." 


Countless  couples  tell  Schall-Vess  that 
the  Byrd  has  served  as  the  milestone  for 
each  step  of  their  relationship:  the  first  date, 
the  proposal  and  for  some  -  including  at 
least  two  in  2008  —  the  wedding. 

"It's  sort  of  like  the  Byrd  has  been  part  of 
their  whole  life,"  he  says. 

No  doubt  that  many  of  those  couples 
include  Virginia  Commonwealth  University 
students,  who  Schall-Vess  says  bring  a  youth- 
ful energy  to  the  Byrd. 

"Because  of  our  proximity  to  VCU,  we've 
always  had  an  important  relationship  with 
the  university,"  he  says.  "It  became  more  for- 
mal when  we  became  home  of  the  French 
Film  Festival." 

Recognized  as  the  largest  French  film 
festival  in  the  country,  the  three-day  event  — 
founded  in  1993  -  brought  more  than  20,000 
patrons  to  the  Byrd  this  past  March. 

"The  French  delegation  always  raves  about 
what  an  elegant  venue  it  is,"  says  Jennifer 
Gore  (B.A.  97  /H&S),  assistant  director  of  the 
VCU  French  Film  Festival.  "For  some  direc- 
tors, their  films  have  their  North  American 
premiere  at  the  Byrd,  so  they're  thrilled  for  it 
to  be  in  such  a  beautiful  theater." 

The  Byrd  continues  to  expand  its  offer- 
ings -  hosting  concerts,  comedians  and 
other  film  festivals  -  as  well  as  its  role 


in  the  community.  It  has  already  staked 
its  claim  in  one  of  Richmond's  newest 
traditions,  Carytown's  New  Year's  Eve, 
by  serving  as  the  location  where  the 
ball  rises  before  a  crowd  of  more  than 
3,000  revelers. 

"We  like  to  think  that  we're  right  at  the  heart 
of  everything  that  happens  in  Richmond," 
Schall-Vess  says. 

For  many  people,  the  Byrd  Theatre  is. 
Although  Perrine  recently  moved  from  the 
Carytown  area,  he  returns  each  week  for 
a  visit  to  the  Byrd. 

"That's  a  habit  I'm  not  willing  to  give  up," 
he  says.  "The  Byrd  is  my  hometown  the- 
ater. It  is  a  fixture  in  my  life." 

As  a  fixture  in  Richmond,  the  Byrd  has 
proved  its  mass  appeal  to  generation 
after  generation.  And  while  it  may  join 
the  masses  for  an  annual  party  or  put  on 
a  concert  or  two,  its  primary  role  remains 
the  same. 

"We  want  to  be  a  vintage  movie  the- 
ater that  gives  a  sampling  of  other  things," 
Schall-Vess  says.  "It's  difficult  to  be  an  inde- 
pendent movie  theater  in  a  business  that's 
ruled  by  change.  But  it's  possible  because 
the  Byrd  is  such  a  unique  individual." 

Polly  Roberts  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court 
Connections. 


Spring  2008  I  25 


Alumni 


^"n      Alumni 

Connections 


News,  highlights  and  event  photos  from  the 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University  Alumni  Association 
and  the  African-American  Alumni  Council. 


Alumni  associations  launch  new  Web  site 

Have  you  seen  the  new  Web  site  for  the  VCU  Alumni  Association 
and  the  MCV  Alumni  Association  of  VCU? 

Go  to  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org  and  check  out  the  latest  news  and 
information  about  your  alma  mater.  The  new  site  features: 

•  A  career  center. 

•  Calendar  of  events,  online  membership  and  event  registration. 

•  Alumni  magazines. 

•  University  and  alumni  association  news  and  information. 

•  Popular  links. 

Currently,  the  site  is  available  to  all  users  with  no  registration  pro- 
cess. Some  features  will  be  added  soon,  including  a  searchable  alumni 
directory,  permanent  e-mail  forwarding,  a  business  card  exchange, 
personal  Web  pages  and  social  networking.  After  June  "^O,  2008, 
the  site  will  be  restricted  to  registered  users  only,  with  some  features 
—  including  the  career  center  and  online  directory  —  available  only  to 
active  dues-paying  members. 

Thousands  take  part  in  alumni  survey 

More  than  4,000  VCU  alumni  made  their  voices  heard  by 
completing  our  recent  alumni  survey.  We  are  poring  over  the  results 
to  determine  how  we  can  adapt  the  VCU  Alumni  Association  to  bet- 
ter meet  your  needs  and  expectations.  We  will  share  the  results  with 
you  soon. 

In  the  meantime,  if  you'd  like  to  offer  additional  feedback,  we'd 
love  to  hear  from  you!  E-mail  vcu-alum@vcu.edu. 


Board  member  makes  UK  connections 

Last  fall,  VCU  Alumni  Association  Board  member  Patricia  Green 

(M.S.W.  '74/SW)  traveled  to  Kent,  England,  home  of  the  British 
Committee  for  Jamestown  2007.  Her  aim  was  to  strengthen  VCU's 
profile  abroad,  particularly  in  the  United  Kingdom,  where  VCU 
already  enjoys  a  strong  alumni  presence. 

"Kent,  England,  is  much  more  than  a  community  with  architec- 
tural reminders  of  Jamestown  and  Williamsburg.  It  is  also  the  home 
of  the  British  Committee  for  Jamestown  2007  and  the  burial  site 
for  Virginia's  Pocahontas,"  Green  says.  "Just  as  important,  VCU  has 
an   ambassador'  in  Kent,  Alex  King." 

During  her  visit,  Green  met  with  King,  deputy  leader  of  the  Kent 
County  Council  and  chairman  of  thejamestown  UK  Foundation  Ltd., 
to  discuss  a  unique  academic 
partnership.  Plans  are  under 
way  to  form  an  alliance 
between  the  University  of 
Kent  and  the  VCU  School 
of  Social  Work,  and  King  is 
integral  to  this  development. 

His  office  arranged  for 
Green  to  meet  with  alumnus 
Jonathan  Fish  (B.S.  '93/B) 
while  in  the  U.K.  Fish  has 
fond  memories  of  VCU 
and  his  Richmond  stay, 
including  a  summer  intern- 
ship at  McGuireWoods.  He  is 
now  a  successful  technology 
investor  and  strategy  consul- 
tant in  London. 

"Making  connections  with 
alumni     across     the     pond 
broadens  the  university's  reach  and  creates  a  unique  opportunity 
to  solidify  its  mission  globally,"  Green  says. 


Calling  all  APB  members 

Did  you  serve  on  the  Activities  Programming  Board  as  a  stu- 
dent? If  so,  we'd  like  to  get  your  input  as  VCU  moves  forward 
in  planning  future  celebrations  and  special  events.  Please 
e-mail  Cynthia  Schmidt,  director  of  University  Marketing, 
at  caschmid@vcu.edu. 


VCU  Alumni  Association  board  member 
Patricia  Green  meets  with  VCU  alumnus 
Jonathan  Fish  while  in  the  U.K.  to  pursue 
an  academic  partnership  with  the  University 
of  Kent. 


26  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


[alumni  connections] 


Emeriti  group  takes  shape 

More    than    60    alumni    and    friend 

i 
attended  the  Oct.  12,  2007,  VCU'  A 

Association   Emeriti   Directors   Rece, 

at  the  Scott  House. 

Alumni  who  have  served  as  mer 

of  the  board   of  directors  of  either 

Richmond    Professional    Institute    or    the      President  Eugene  P.  Trani,  Ph.D.  Dan  Massey 

VCU  alumni  associations  were  invited  to      (B.S.  '92/B),  current  president  of  the  VCU 

join  this   new  group  of  emeriti   directors      Alumni    Association,    also    spoke,    updat- 


photo  by  Marsha  Grossman 


and  asked  to  return  to  campus  to  hear 


the  former  leaders  on  the  increasingly 


rks  and  a  university  update  from  VCU      responsible  role  of  the  association. 


Fete  welcomes  awardees 

The  VCU  Alumni  Association  hosted  an 
Oct.  13,  2007,  barbecue  for  more  than  130 
students  and  parents  during  VCU's  Fall  Fest. 

Freshman  recipients  ol  presidential,  pro- 
vost and  dean's  scholarships  and  their  parents, 
as  well  as  alumni  parents  and  their  currently 
enrolled  students,  attended  the  event. 

VCUAA  President  Dan  Massey  (B.S.  '92/ 
B)  welcomed  the  crowd,  and  board  members 
Donna  Dalton  (M.Ed.  OO/E),  Stephanie 
Holt  (B.S.  '74/E),  David  Dennier  (B.S. 
'75/B),  Peter  Blake  (B.A.  '80/H&S;  M.S. 
•88/MC)  and  Shirley  McDaniel  (B.G.S.  '99/ 
H&S)  spoke  about  the  importance  of  remain- 
ing involved  with  VCU  after  graduation. 

Fans  rally  at  'Hoops'  event 

The  VCU  Alumni  Association  "Hoops  "event, 
held  Feb.  2  during  the  weeklong  homecoming 
celebration,  drew 
more  than  30O 
attendees.  Pre- 
game  fun  included 
best-dressed  fan 
and  trivia  contests 
plus  appearances 
by  Rodney  the 
Ram,  the  VCU 
cheerleaders  and 
the  dance  team. 
Athletic  Director 
Norwood  Teague 
pumped  up  the  crowd  as  they  headed  into  the 
Alltel  Pavilion  at  the  Stuart  C.  Siegel  Center, 
where  the  Rams  shut  out  Towson  in  a  65-42 
win  before  a  crowd  of  7,59°- 


Richard  Patrick  Proffitt  (right),  recipient  of  the  Legacy 
Scholarship,  with  his  parents.  Pamela  and  Richard. 

VCUAA  taps  legacy  scholar 

Richard  Patrick  Proffitt,  a  15-year-old 
first-year  engineering  student  from 
Richmond,  Va.,  received  the  inaugural  VCU 
Alumni  Association  Legacy  Scholarship, 
a  $1,000  award,  which  will  be  given  to  two 
students  annually. 

Proffitt  was  home-schooled,  completed  27 
semester  hours  of  dual-enrollment  credit 
at  J.  Sargeant  Reynolds  Community  College 
and  then  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  sister 
Kate,  a  Goldwater  Scholar,  to  enter  the  VCU 
School  of  Engineering  in  the  fall  of  2007- 

Proffitt  is  the  son  of  alumni  Pamela 
Proffitt  (B.S.  '7I/H&S;  M.Ed.  '79/E)  and 
Richard  Fowler  (M.B.A.  '78/B).  Both  par- 
ents became  lifetime  members  of  the  VCU 
Alumni  Association  in  January  2005- 

The  Legacy  Scholarship  is  available  to  the 
dependents  of  active,  dues-paying  mem- 
bers of  the  VCU  Alumni  Association.  For 
an  application  or  additional  information, 
visit  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org  and  click  on 
"Join"  and  then  "Benefits." 


The    Hoops'  event  draws 
spirit-clad  Rams  fans. 


,erVCUAlurai 

Crowder  (B.S.G.  '86/H&S),  Ernest  Evans  and  wife, 
ms  (B.S.G.  '87/H&S),  and  Ben  Brown  (B.S. 
5   'fK/¥tY'an;nvthe  Emeriti  Directors  ReceDtion. 


VCUAA  emeriti  directors 


Peggy  C.  Adams 
Peter  H.  Aiken,  Ph.D. 
Beth  W.  Ayers 
Kathleen  B.  Barrett 
Sally  L.  Bowring 
David  B.  Bradley 
BY.  Brown 
Marika  L.  Byrd 
Edward  G.  Canada  Jr. 
Rejena  G.  Carreras 
Linnie  S.  Carter 
Ann  Chenoweth 
Donna  E.  Coghill 
Claire  A.  Collins 
John  R.  Cook 
O.William  Coon  III 
Gale  Lee  Crowder 
William  L.  Davis 
Sherran  E.  Deems 
Randolph  D.  Eley  Jr. 
Frederick  D.  Facka 
Eleanor  Rumae  Foddrell 
Marilyn  Garlick 
William  M.  Ginther 
Robert  E.  Henley  Jr. 
Andrew  C.  Hulcher 
Mary-Ellen  A.  Kendall 
Hugh  D.  Keogh 
Thomas  R.  King  Jr. 
Thomas  B.  Lawrence 
Juanita  B.  Leatherberry 


James  C.  Lester 
Robert  Lindholm 
M.  Kenneth  Magill,  Ph.D. 
Connie  E.  McHale 
Thomas  L.  Mountcastle 
Carol  O.  Negus 
Dick  Nelson 
David  S.  Norris 
Jan  R.  Parrish 
Sharon  E.  Peterson 
Timothy  S.  Pfohl 
Thomas  E.  Phillips  Jr. 
Joan  F.  Rexinger 
John  G.  Slaughter 
Anthony  E.  Smith 
E.  Garrison  Steffey  Jr. 
J.  Southall  Stone 
Jacqueline  T.  Thornton 
Susan  M.  Trulove 
Bruce  A.  Twyman 
Linda  B.  Vines 
Jean  von  Schilling,  Ph.D. 
Michael  L.  Wade 
Dana  R.  Ward 
Linda  M.  Warren 
Norman  P.  Wash 
Michael  D.  Whitlow 
Robert  Paul  Wiedemer 
Jerome  L.  Williams 
Charles  H.  Wood 
William  H.  Young  IV 


Spring  2008  I  27 


[alumni  connections] 

VCU  fans  show  their  Rams  spirit  at  pre-game  receptions 


Rams  fans  turned  out  in  Northern  Virginia 
and  Hampton  Roads  to  cheer  on  the  men's 
basketball  team  in  their  run  for  the  Colonial 
Athletic  Association  championship  title. 

Alumni  joined  the  VCU  Hampton  Roads 
Area  Alumni  Chapter  Jan.  19  at  the  Ted 
Constant  Convocation  Center  in  Norfolk, 
Va..  for  pre-game  and  halftime  events, 
as  the  VCU  Rams  took  on  state  rival  Old 
Dominion  University  Monarchs.  Junior 
Eric  Maynor  and  senior  Jamal  Shuler  com- 
bined for  52  points  and  VCU  silenced  a 
sold-out  Constant   Center  crowd  of  8,424 


with  a  stunning  early  run  on  the  way  to  a 
78-68  victory  —  the  Rams'  first  in  Norfolk 
since  2004. 

On  Jan.  29,  the  VCU  D.C.  Metro  Area 
Alumni  Chapter  hosted  a  pre-game  social 
at  Brion's  Grille  in  Fairfax,  Va.,  before 
the  VCU  Rams  took  on  the  George  Mason 
University  Patriots.  The  game  was  billed  as  an 
opportunity  for  the  Rams  to  separate  them- 
selves from  GMU;  however,  GMU,  the  CAA 
preseason  No.  I  pick,  used  a  20-4  burst  mid- 
way through  the  second  half  to  take  control, 
winning  the  game,  63-5!- 


Graduation  celebration 

Graduates  celebrated  their  achievements 
with  family  and  friends  at  the  winter  2007 
Commencement  breakfast.  The  event,  spon- 
sored and  staffed  by  members  of  the  VCU 
Alumni  Association,  was  held  Dec.  9,  2007, 
at  the  University  Student  Commons. 


RPI  alumni  dedicate  sculpture  at  reunion 

In  April,  at  the  Richmond  Professional 
Institute  reunion,  alumni  gathered  to 
dedicate  "Tableith,"  an  RPI  commemo- 
rative sculpture  being  built  to  the  west 
of  Ginter  House. 

Created  by  artist  Charles  Ponticello 

(M.F.A.  '94/A),  the  sculpture  consists  of 

51  cast  discs  —  each  representing  a  year 

in  RPI's  life  —  stacked  atop  one  another 

and  spiraling  upward. 

"This  has  been  quite  the  collaborative  effort,"  Ponticello  says.  "RPI 

alumni  spent  several  months  gathering  specific  material  required  for 

this  work  of  art.  Each  corresponding  disc  is  inscribed  with  information 

that  highlights  achievements,  events  and  hallmarks  in  RPI's  history. 

"The  sculptural  aspect  embodies  numerous  potential  meanings.  The 
text  adds  intrigue  and  coloration  from  a  distance. ...  The  viewer  finds 
an  abundance  of  information  referencing  the  historic  past  of  RPI." 


Charles  Ponticello 


RPI  alumni  raised  $40,000  to  build  and  install  the  monument,  and 
many  alumni  honored  former  faculty  members  with  their  donations. 

•  Kathleen  Burke  Barrett  (B.S.  '71/B;  M.S.  '73/B):  "Dr.  Colin 
Bushway  inspired  my  interest  in  international  business  affairs 
and  I  will  remember  him  always." 

•  B.  Forace  Hill  (B.S.  '60/H&S;  M.S.  '70/AHP):  "Lois  Washer  was 
a  wonderful  adviser  and  had  a  great  influence  on  many  students 
who  passed  through  her  door." 

•  Martha  Coleman  Myers  (B.A.  46/A):  "I  owe  to  [Dr.  Alice  Davis] 
the  path  I  have  taken  in  life.  She  was  supportive  and  encouraged 
not  just  in  words,  but  in  character  and  action." 

•  Alice  Newman  Murphy  (B.F.A.  '55/A):  "Hazel  Mundy  was  an 
enthusiastic  teacher  who  exuded  confidence  and  passed  it  on  to 
all  her  students  gladly.  To  be  in  her  fashion  class  was  exciting." 

•  Ashlin  Wyatt  Smith  (B.F.A.  '55/A;  M.F.A.  60/A):  "Theresa  Pollak 
was  my  guiding  light  and  greatest  critic  in  my  graduate  studies  in 
the  School  of  Arts  at  RPI." 


RPI  sculpture  donors 


Barry  and  Elaine  Ackman 
David  Alexick 
Shirley  Arrington 
Gwynn  Epps  August 
Bedros  Bandazian 
Edgar  Barnhill 
Kathleen  Barrett 
June  Bass 
Frances  Beringer 
William  O.  and  Sarah 

Beville 
Jean  B.  Biscoe 
Arlene  Blaha 
Ben  Henry 

Blankenship  Jr. 
Charles  Boardman 
Henry  Boshen 
Betty  Bowles 
John  E.  Bowles 
Bobby  Buchanan 


Lawrence  Bussard 
Anne  S.  Butler 
Mary  Grace  Cain 
Mary  Catherine  Calvert 
Rejena  Carreras 
Hilton  E.  Carter 
Maureen  Cassada 
Edward  W.  Coffman 
W.E.  Cross  Jr. 
Jo  Lynne  DeMary 
Marie  Dimatties 
W.  Lester  Duty 
James  T.  Francis 
Harry  B.F.  Franklin 
Jeanne  Frayser 
Jeanne  A.  Gill 
Harmon  Gordon 
Joan  Gossage 
Gail  Grandis 
Gretchen  Grimaud 


Geri  Jones  Grindle 
Nancy  and  W.  Roy 

Grizzard 
Robert  L.  Groves 
Janice  Haag 
John  T.  Hardy  Jr. 
Dennis  Heaster 
B.  Forace  Hill 
Robert  Hill 
Stephanie  Holt 
Eugene  Hunt 
Inge  Windmueller 

Hurowitz 
Shelly  Benhein  Janus 
Barbara  Jones 
John  William  Jordan 
John  D.  Lambert 
Ann  K.  Leake 
James  C.  and 

Katherine  Lester 


Bernard  Levey 
Robert  F.  and  Lois 

Gustkey  Lindholm 
William  W.  Little 
Earl  Locklear 
Betsy  Lottman 
H.  Joseph  Lowenthal 
Kenneth  and  Cheri 

Magill 
Mary  Lee  Maiden 
Frances  S.  Mallon 
William  McCracken 
John  McLean 
Robert  Meacham 
Alice  C.  Newman 

Murphy 
Martha  Coleman  Myers 
Carol  Negus 
William  Charles  Nelson 
Dave  Norris 


William  R.  O'Connell  Jr. 
Raymond  Pace 
Ambrose  Parker 
John  L.  Patterson 
Eugene  Payne 
Edward  Peeples 
Elizabeth  Pendleton 
Ann  L.  Perkins 
Ronald  and  Mary 

Petricka 
Gardner  Phillips 
Barbara  Cox  Polen 
Anthony  Punccinelli 
Richard  C.  Ramsburg 
E.  Harris  Reade 
Mary  Jane  Sale 
Mary  G.  Saunders 
John  Jay  Schwartz 
Arline  M.  Shafer 
Norma  Simpson 


Ashlin  Wyatt  Smith 
George  Stone 
Alice  Taylor 
Grace  Walker  Taylor 
Rosemary  Tennant 
Gene  Monahan  Thomas 
Sam  Treger 
Margaret  Uberti 
Susie  Van  Pool 
Thomas  W  Walton 
Norman  Wash 
Fred  Wayne 
G.  Harrison  Whitten 
Marsden  Williams 
Peggy  Fowler  Williams 
McCauley  F.  Willis 
Mary  and  John  Wilson 
Nancy  Witt 
Elizabeth  Wright 


t's  a  great  time 
oka  member: 


Membership  in  the  VCU  Alumni  Ass. 

Yearly  subscription  to  Shafer  Court  Connections. 

■   Low-cost  Internet  service  through  online@VCU,  VCU's 
hardware  and  software  store. 

•  Alumni  association  window  decal  and  membership  card. 
■<   Nationwide  car  and  hotel  discounts. 

•  International  auto,  hotel  and  air  reservation  service. 

•  Annual  VCU  Recreational  Sports  membership  including 
use  of  university  gyms  and  pools,  equipment  rentals 
and  Outdoor  Adventure  Program  trips  (reduced  fee). 

»   Playing  privileges  for  the  Thalhimer  tennis  courts. 

•  Opportunities  to  network  with  alumni  at  association- 
sponsored  events. 


*  Discount  on  VCU  merchandise  at  campus  bookstores. 

*  Discount  on  tickets  to  VCU  Athletics  home  events. 

*  Discount  on  event  or  meeting  space  rentals  in  the 
Richard  T.  Robertson  Alumni  House  (life  members  only). 

*  Discounts  on  alumni  association-sponsored  events. 

*  VCU  Alumni  Association  MasterCard. 

*  Participation  in  chapters. 

*  Group  rates  on  medical  insurance,  life  insurance 
and  long-term  care  insurance. 

»  Customized  VCU  apparel. 


Start  your  annual  membership  in  the  VCU  Alumni  Association  or  African-American  Alumni  Council  (includes 
VCUAA  membership)  today  for  just  $35,  or  think  big  with  a  lifetime  membership  for  $350  (payment  plans  available). 
VCUAA  and  AAAC  membership  dues  help  support  the  alumni  associations,  which  are  funded  by  private  donations. 


Renew  or  join  for  lift 
VCU  I  v 


r     g     i     n 


Commonwealth  University 


CI 


ass  notes 


Send  information  about  your  professional  and  personal 
accomplishments  to  shafercourt@vcu.edu.  Or,  mail  your  news 
to  Shafer  Court  Connections.  Virginia  Commonwealth  University, 
827  W.  Franklin  St.,  P.O.  Box  842041,  Richmond,  VA  23284-2041. 


Updates 
1960s 


Donald  Blake  (B.S.68/E).  president  of  Blake  Management 
Group  in  Richmond,  Va.,  was  reappointed  to  a  second 
four-year  term  on  thej.  Sargeant  Reynolds  Community 
College  board  and  a  second  three-year  term  on  the 
Family  Foundation  of  Virginia  board. 

Robin  Eddy  (B.S.  67/ E),  marketing  coordinator  at  Clarke 
County  High  School  and  career  and  technical  admin- 
istrator for  Clarke  County  Public  Schools,  has  been 
named  to  The  Barns  of  Rose  Hill  Board  of  Directors. 

Charles  Wood  (B.S  m/B)  lives  in  Lake  Wylie,  S.C., 
where  he  works  as  general  manager  of  Anchor  Self 
Storage. 

1970s 

Lynne  Cannoy  (B.F.A.  '72/A}  authored  and  chaired  the 
IOth  anniversary  exhibit  of  the  Pittsburgh  Society  of 
Illustrators,  honoring  the  city's  250th  anniversary. 


Stephen  G.  Carroll,  CPA*  (B.S.'79/B)  is  a  partner  at 
Harris,  Hardy  andjohnstone  P.C.  in  Richmond,  Va., 
and  serves  on  the  School  of  Business  Alumni  Board. 

Don  Goff  (B.S   77/H&S)  received  his  M.S.  in  Management 
from  Albertus  Magnus  College  in  2002  and  is  assistant 
director  at  Connecticut's  Beardsley  Zoo  in  Bridgeport. 

Stephen  Hill*  (B.F.A. '79/A)  lives  in  Manassas,  Va..  and 
is  a  visual  information  specialist  for  the  Marine  Corps. 

Rob  Hunter  (B.S.  '78/H&S),  editor  of  "Ceramics  in 
America.''  was  inducted  as  a  Fellow  of  the  Society 
of  Antiquaries  of  London. 

William  E.  Johnson  (B.S.  '75/B)  is  director  of  finance 
for  the  city  of  Colonial  Heights.  Va. 

Jody  L.  Korman  (B.S.  '79/ B),  an  associate  broker  with  ReMax 
Commonwealth  in  Richmond,  Va.,  earned  the  profes- 
sional designation  of  Certified  Residential  Specialist. 

Elizabeth  Lankes  (B.F.A.  '76/A)  is  the  art  director  for 
ASIS  International  and  received  an  award  from  the 
Washington  Metropolitan  Art  Director's  Club  for  a 
layout  in  the  ASIS  magazine,  Security  Management. 


Marcus  Rediker,  Ph.D.*  (B.A.  77/H&S)  published  "The 
Slave  Ship:  A  Human  History"  in  October  2007- 

Christine  Saum  (B.F.A.  '79/A)  is  a  2008  Loeb  Fellow 
at  the  Harvard  University  Graduate  School  of  Design. 

Robert  T.  Sparkman  (B.S.  '76/ B)  lives  in  Montclair,  Va., 
where  he  works  for  the  NAVSEA  Headquarters  Fast  Attack 
and  Trident  Nuclear  Submarine  Program  Office. 

Mary  Skudlarek  Sudzina,  Ph.D.*  (B.S.  '70/E)  was 

promoted  to  professor  emerita  of  education 

psychology  at  the  University  of  Dayton. 
Alice  Talmadge*  (B.S.  75/MC)  is  a  business  systems 

specialist  with  Dominion  Resources  Services. 
Howard  Taylor*  (B.S.  '78/H&S)  retired  in  April  2007 

after  28  years  serving  as  a  criminal  justice  practitioner. 
George  W.  Thomas  (M.S.  75/B)  received  his  D.Min. 

in  Leadership  at  Liberty  University  in  December 

2007.  He  is  currently  an  associate  pastor  and  lives 

in  Chesapeake,  Va. 
Bill  Warren  (B.S.'78/MC)  is  vice  president  of  public 

affairs  for  Walt  Disney  Corp. 


Spotlight 


SETTING  THE  STAGE.  Though  he  won't  be  seen  on  the  big  screen, 
Jeremy  Conway  (B.F.A.  '78/A)  plays  a  pivotal  role  in  the  much  antici- 
pated "Sex  and  the  City:  The  Movie,"  which  hits  theaters  this  May. 

"When  I'm  working  on  a  movie,  I'm  doing  all  the  stuff  I  want  to  do," 
says  Conway,  the  movie's  production  designer. 

Over  the  years,  Conway  has  enjoyed  a  distinguished  career  of 
designing  sets  for  theater,  TV,  movies  and  even  the  Olympic  Games. 

"I  happened  to  be  at  the  right  place  at  the  right  time,"  he  says  of  the 
opportunity  to  design  sets  for  the  1992  Barcelona  Olympic  Games. 
That  experience  led  to  a  steady  gig,  with  Conway  designing  sets  for 
the  following  four  summer  and  winter  games. 

His  most  recognizable  job,  however,  was  as  production  designer 
for  the  hit  HBO  series  "Sex  and  the  City." 

Set  in  New  York  City,  the  cable  show  followed  the  lives  of  four 
women  in  the  late  1990s  and  tackled  many  socially  relevant  issues  not 
previously  discussed  on  TV. 

Conway  designed  many  of  the  sets  during  the  show's  six  seasons  as 
well  as  the  four  main  characters'  apartments  -  focal  points  throughout 
the  series.  Now,  he's  bringing  his  New  York  City  designs  to  the  big  screen 
and  sharing  his  behind-the-scenes  insights  with  VCU  students. 

In  2006,  at  the  invitation  of  associate  professor  Elizabeth  Hopper, 
Conway  brought  "Sex  and  the  City"  to  VCU  theater  students  through 
a  master  class. 

"I  met  with  a  lot  of  students  interested  in  design,"  he  says.  "Over  the 
week,  we  broke  down  a  typical  script  and  they  presented  their  ideas 
of  how  it  should  look  —  only  in  Richmond,  Va." 

The  VCU  Department  of  Theatre's  "guest  artists"  program  gives 
alumni  the  opportunity  to  share  their  real-world  experiences  with 

30  ,  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


students.  In  addition  to  deconstructing  "Sex  and  the  City"  set  designs, 
Conway  spoke  about  how  he  got  his  start. 

After  graduation,  Conway  headed  to  New  York  City,  working  ini- 
tially as  a  freelance  art  director.  He's  also  served  as  the  set  designer 
and  art  director  for  "Late  Night  with  David  Letterman"  and  lent  his 
creative  talents  to  the  movies  "School  of  Rock,"  "Up  Close  and  Per- 
sonal" and  "Jacob's  Ladder."  His  designs  for  the  NBC  News  Olympics 
studio  earned  him  two  Emmy  awards,  in  2000  and  2002,  and  he's 
received  other  Emmy  nominations  for  his  TV  work. 

Maybe  "Sex  and  the  City:  The  Movie"  will  earn  him  the  next  award 
to  put  on  his  shelf. 


1980s 


Neal  Azrolan  {M.S.  "ai/H&S)  lives  in  Newtown,  Pa.,  and  is 
employed  by  Merck  &  Co.  Inc.,  determining  publica- 
tion strategies  and  creating  manuscripts  for  Merck's 
clinical  trials  of  its  HIV  drug  ISENTRESS. 

Rudolph  Burwell*  (B.S.  '86/ MC)  has  been  promoted 
to  colonel  in  the  U.S.  Army  and  will  be  working  at  the 
Pentagon  as  the  chief  of  planning  support  for  Army 
Public  Affairs. 

Sergio  R.  Bustos*  (B.S  m/MC)  published  his  first  book, 
"Miami's  Criminal  Past  —  Uncovered,''  which  he  co- 
authored  with  a  colleague  at  The  Miami  Herald. 

Kathy  H.  Catlett*  (B.S.  'ao/B;  Cert.  '89/B)  is  assistant  vice 
president  with  Wachovia  Insurance  Services. 

Anthony  Earles  (B.S.  '85/H&S;  M.S.  'fl7/H&S)  is  an  evidence 
specialist  with  Maui's  Criminal  Investigation  Division. 

William  Flynn  (B.F.A  8l/A),  president  and  founder  of 
Franklin  Street  Marketing,  announced  the  opening 
of  the  company's  new  office  —  a  7. 3^0 -square -foot 
Baskervill-designed  building  in  Richmond,  Va. 

Ronnie  Greene*  (B.S.  86/MC),  an  urban  affairs  editor 
at  The  Miami  Herald,  is  finishing  his  first  book.  "Night 
Fire:  Big  Oil.  Poison  Air,  and  One  Woman's  Fight  to 
Save  Her  Town,"  which  will  be  published  this  year. 

Tim  Gresham*  (B.S.  84/MC),  president  and  CEO  of 
Prevent  Blindness  Mid-Atlantic,  was  recently  elected  to 
the  Powhatan  County  School  Board  in  Powhatan,  Va. 

Gail  P.  Hardy  (B  S  '33/H&S)  was  recently  appointed 
Connecticut's  first  African-American  state's  attorney. 

Paul  J.  Hussar,  Ph.D.  (B.S.87/H&S)  recently  returned 
after  two  years  serving  as  the  regional  security  officer  at 
the  U.S.  Embassy  in  Cotonou,  Benin.  He  is  currently 
assigned  as  a  special  agent  at  Diplomatic  Security's 
world  headquarters  and  lives  in  Spotsylvania,  Va. 

Michael  J.  Kent  (B.S.'89/MC),  solution  content  devel- 
oper at  Electronic  Data  Systems  in  Houston,  recently 
achieved  the  first  level  of  proposal  management  certifi- 
cation from  the  Association  for  Proposal  Management 
Professionals. 

Jim  'Gusto'  Mattocks*  (M.S.  '86/AMP;  M.PA.  96/M&S) 
has  retired  from  the  Virginia  Health  Department  and 
moved  to  Greensboro,  N.C.  He  will  receive  a  philoso- 
phy degree  from  the  University  of  North  Carolina  at 
Greensboro  this  spring. 

Marcy  McDonald*  (B.F.A.  82/A)  received  her  M.A.  in 
English  and  American  Studies,  with  a  concentration  in 
digital  media,  from  the  University  of  Virginia  in  2005. 
She  was  recently  promoted  to  director  of  academic 
content  at  The  Teaching  Co. 

Rhonda  Patricia  Keyes  Pleasants  (B.S .  aa/B)  earned 
a  Master  of  Disaster  Science  from  the  University  of 
Richmond  and  was  promoted  to  assistant  professor 
at  John  Tyler  Community  College. 

Cindy  Reagan  (B.S  "ao/B)  is  senior  lead  software 
application  developer  for  the  Enterprise  Information 
Systems  project  at  Texas  A&M  University. 

Barbie  Wilson  Roundtree  (B.S.  '87/ B)  is  a  program 

technician  for  The  Improvement  Association  in 
Emporia,  Va. 

Daniel  Rudge*  (M.U.R.P.'ea/H&S)  was  recently  named  as 
the  first  manager  of  strategic  planning  for  die  Department 
of  Rail  and  Public  Transportation. 

Michael  A.  Scruggs  {B.S.  'si/MO  M.S.  '37/M&S)  directs 
the  public  sector  division  of  Microsoft's  U.S.  Pursuit 
Services  team  and  is  in  his  second  term  as  president  of 
the  National  Capital  Area  Chapter  of  the  Association 
of  Proposal  Management  Professionals.  He  was  awarded 
the  Steven  Shipley  Award  in  June  2007  by  the  chapter. 

Benjamin  D.  Sillmon  III*  (B.S  '36/ B)  is  a  financial 
adviser  with  Mullins,  Gordon,  Norman  and  Hill 
Financial  Consulting  and  Wealth  Management 
of  Wachovia  Securities  in  Richmond,  Va. 


PRODUCING  CREATIVE  COLLABORATIONS.  Joseph  Cortin?  (B.F.A.  '76/A) 
and  Jeffrey  Blount  (B.S.  '81/MC)  graduated'  four  years  apart  and  with  different 
degrees  but  found  themselves  in  the  same  field  —  broadcast  journalism  —  where  they've 
been  able  to  pool  their  respective  talents. 

After  receiving  his  art  degree,  Cortina  took  a  part-time  film  editor  position  at  WTVR 
in  Richmond,  Va.  Three  years  later,  he  headed  for  Washington,  D.C.,  and  landed  a  job 
at  NBC  News. 

Blount  narrowly  missed  working  with  Cortina  when  he  got  a  job  after  graduation  as 
a  director  at  WTVR.  Blount  eventually  made  his  way  north  to  the  nation's  capital  as  well, 
getting  a  job  at  WRC,  the  NBC  affiliate  where  Cortina  worked. 

"Joe  and  I  became  very  good  friends  working  at  WRC,"  Blount  says.  "He  was  moving 
up  the  ladder  and  I  was  just  starting  out." 

The  pair  first  started  working  together  on  "Meet  the  Press,"  where  Blount  served  as 
Cortina's  associate  director.  When  Cortina  left  NBC,  Blount  took  over  as  director  of  the 
political  newscast.  He  also  currently  directs  "The  Chris  Matthews  Show"  and  the  Washington 
portions  of  "NBC  Nightly  News." 

Soon  after  leaving  NBC,  Cortina  started  his  own  company,  Cortina  Productions,  a  media 
design  firm  that  works  in  film,  video,  interactive  exhibits  and  on  the  Web.  When  he  had 
the  opportunity  to  produce  a  media  project  for  the  Muhammad  Ali  Center  in  Louisville,  Ky, 
Cortina  called  on  Blount  "to  bring  an  eloquence  to  the  story." 

"He  respects  my  outlook  and  recognizes  that  I  can  capture  his  vision  in  words,"  Blount 
says.  "He  pulled  me  in  right  from  the  beginning.  I  was  passionate  about  Muhammad  Ali  and 
what  he  meant  historically  to  the  African-American  community." 

The  Ali  Center  opened  in  2005  and  serves  as  a  testimonial  to  Ali's  life  as  a  boxer  and  a 
humanitarian.  Cortina  produced,  while  Blount  wrote  the  scripts  for,  more  than  30  digital 
videos  and  a  dozen  interactive  displays. 

"It  was  the  culmination  of  our  professional  friendship  while  strengthening  our  personal 
friendship,"  Blount  says. 

The  duo's  most  recent  collaboration  involves  writing  a  script  for  the  "Newseum  4-D 
Experience,"  an  interactive  museum  in  Washington,  D.C.,  dedicated  to  the  history  and  tech- 
nology of  news  reporting. 

Who  knows  what  the  next  project  will  be  for  the  talented  pair,  but  one  thing  they're  sure 
of  is  that  there  will  be  plenty  of  opportunities  to  work  together  again. 

"It  is  such  a  pleasure  to  collaborate  with  someone  who  is  so  creative  and  brings  in  other 
points  of  view,"  Cortina  says. 

Blount  agrees. 

"It  is  a  huge  help  for  me  professionally  to  have  these  outside  influences,"  he  says.  "I  give 
him  a  reliable  talent  of  writing  and  it  is  special  to  me  that  he  looks  to  me  for  that." 


Jeffrey  Blount  arid  Jc 


■•■^::SI1;'1 


VCU  Alumni  Association 


VCU  A  A  officers 

C.  Dandridge  Massey  (B.S.  '92/B),  president 
Donna  M.  Dalton  (M.Ed.  bo/E),  president-elect 
Patricia  E.  Green  (M.S.W.  '74/SW),  secretary 
Kenneth  "Ken"  A.  Thomas  (B.S.  WB),  treasurer 
Jo  Lynne  S.  DeMary  (M.Ed.  '72/E),  immediate 

past  president 
Thomas  H.  Beatty  (B.A.'93/H&S),  officer- 

at- large 

School  alumni  board  chairs 
Steven  B.  Brincefield,  C.P.M.,  (M.S.  '74/B), 

School  of  Business 
Stephanie  L.  Holt  (B.S.  '74/H&S),  School 

of  Education 
Mary  E.  Perkinson  (B.F.A.  '9i/A;  B.S.  '03/En), 

School  of  Engineering 

Board  of  Directors 

Term  expiring  2008 

Elizabeth  J.  Moran  (M.P.A.  'Oo/GPA) 
Jacqueline  Tunstall-Bynum  (B.S.  '82/H&S) 

Term  expiring  2009 

Robert  A.  Almond  (B.S.  '74/E;  M.S.  '85/E) 
Peter  A.  Blake  (B.A.  '80/H&S;  M.S.  '88/MC) 
Suzette  P.  Denslow  (B.S.  '79/H&S) 


Charles  H.  Smith  (M.P.A.  81/H&S)  is  currently  sailing  aboard 
a  Military  Sealift  Command  replenishment  ship  as  the 
third  cargo  mate,  where  he  supervises  flight  deck  opera- 
tions during  underway  replenishment  with  Navy  ships. 

Michael  Stock  (B.S.  96/MC)  is  the  area  director  for 
the  Richmond/Capital  Region  of  the  Fellowship 
of  Christian  Athletes. 

David  A.  Stosch,  CPA  (B.S.  '82/ B:  M.Tax.  84/B)  is  a  prin- 
cipal at  Stosch,  Dacey  &  George  P.C.  and  serves  on  the 
School  of  Business  Alumni  Board. 

Mike  Wade  (B.S.  '06/H&S;  M.S.  90/AHP)  was  awarded 
Caron's  Law  Enforcement  Professional  Award  for  his 
efforts  in  fighting  chemical  and  alcohol  dependency 
through  education,  prevention  and  treatment. 

Todd  Woofenden  (B.A.  '86/H&S)  is  the  author  of 
"Hunters  of  the  Steel  Sharks:  The  Submarine  Chasers 
ofWWl,"  published  in  December  2006  by  Signal  Light 
Books. 

1990s 

Rebecca  Shelton  Askew  (M.P.A.  '94/H&S)  lives  in 
Chesterfield  Co..  Va..  with  her  husband  Rodney 
Askew  (B.S   93/E)  and  their  two  children.  She 
is  a  senior  policy  analyst  with  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  and  Consumer  Services. 

Lesley  Howson  Bruno  (B.S  '99/MC)  is  director  of  com- 
munications at  George  Washington  University's  School 
of  Education. 

Susan  Ciconte  (B.S.  93/H&S)  is  employed  by  Hennepin 
County.  Minn. ,  where  she  determines  eligibility  for 
new  and  current  public  assistance  clients. 

Jennings  D.  Dawson  III  'B.S.  95/B)  is  chief  financial 
officer  of  the  MCV  Foundation. 


Irvin  "Jack"  Farmer  (B.S.  69/B),  presidential 

appointment 
William  R.  O'Connell  Jr.  (B.E.M.  '55/A) 
Thomas  A.  Silvestri  (M.B.A.  '86/B) 
Patricia  I.  Wright  (M.Ed.  '84/E) 

Term  expiring  2010 

Rejena  G.  Carreras  (B.F.A.  '70/A;  M.A.E. 

'80/A) 
William  L.  Davis  (B.S.  '74/B;  M.S.  '79/H&S) 
David  R.  Dennier  (B.S.  "75/ B) 
Gary  M.  Inman  (M.A.  '93/A) 
Stephen  H.  Jones  (B.S.  '75/B) 
Shirley  R.  McDaniel  (B.G.S.  WH&S) 
Mary  E.  Perkinson  (B.F.A.  '91/A;  B.S.  '03/En) 
John  J.  Schwartz  (B.S.  '69/B) 
Vickie  M.  Snead  (B.S.  '76/B) 

African-American  Alumni 
Council 

Franklin  Wallace  (B.F.A.  '87/A),  president 
Joseph  Tyner  (M.S.  '92/B),  treasurer 
Mary  Francis  (B.S.  '95/H&S),  secretary 
Rodney  Harry  (B.S.  '90/H&S),  parliamentarian 
Edward  Robinson  Jr.  (B.G.S.  'oo/H&S; 
M.S.W.  '03/SW),  VCUAA  representative 

Young  Alumni  Council 

Gaurav  "G"  Shrestha  (B.S.  03/B) 


Evelyn  Frasure  (B.A.  97/I-I&S)  recently  earned  an  LL.M. 
in  Environmental  Law  at  George  Washington  University 
and  is  serving  as  a  major-select  judge  advocate  at  the 
U.S.  Air  Force's  Environmental  Law  Headquarters 
in  Washington,  D.C. 

James  "Jim"  Gleason  (MM.  95/A)  lives  with  his  wife. 
Dana,  in  Apalachin,  N.Y.,  where  he  teaches  music 
and  serves  as  minister  of  music  in  a  United  Methodist 
church.  He  also  recently  performed  as  a  tenor  soloist 
with  New  York's  "Basically  Bach"  ensemble  and  will 
play  Thomas  Jefferson  in  a  2008  performance 
of  "1776." 

Melody  King*  (B.S.  93/ B)  is  the  controller  for  The 
Federal  Club,  an  Arnold  Palmer  Signature  golf 
course  in  Hanover  County,  Va.  She  is  also  southeast 
regional  director  for  the  American  Society  of  Women 
Accountants  and  president  of  the  local  chapter  for 
2007-08. 

Jennifer  Lewis  Kuchno  (B.S.  '93/H&S;  MX  '93/E)  was 
selected  as  a  2007-08  Rotary  Ambassadorial  Cultural 
Scholar  in  Quito,  Ecuador,  where  she  is  studying  the 
Spanish  language  and  Ecuadorian  culture  and  serving 
as  a  bilingual  translator. 

Keith  W.  Laskey  {B.A.  92/H&S)  is  a  program  executive 
at  the  UJA-Federation  of  New  York. 

Karen  Betardo  Lee  (B.A.  '94/M&S)  lives  in  Frederick, 
Md. ,  and  is  the  educational  outreach  director  with 
Recording  for  the  Blind  and  Dyslexic. 

James  A.  McGee*  (M.S.  96/H&S)  recently  retired 
from  the  FBI  and  is  currently  serving  on  the  faculty 
in  the  University  of  Southern  Mississippi  School  of 
Health's  Department  of  Human  Performance  and 
Recreation.  Center  for  Spectator  Sport  Security 
Management. 


Brand!  Hunter  McKeating  (B.S.  '99/H&S)  is  employed 
byT.  Rowe  Price's  Retirement  Plan  Services  where  she 
manages  4-Ol(k)  client  relationships. 

Mark  Moskal  (B.S.  92/MC)  lives  in  Seattle  where  he  is 
employed  as  executive  creative  director  at  Ascentium. 

David  Renner  (B.S.  '97/H&S)  is  senior  pastor  at  New 
Hope  Community  Baptist  Church  in  Ashland,  Va., 
and  works  in  sales  for  Southern  RV. 

Prudence  Roberts-Milligan  (B.S.  '94/MC;  M.S.  bo/MC) 
is  a  senior  account  executive  at  Pulsar  Advertising 
in  Richmond.  Va. 

Ramin  Saadat*  (M.A.  94/A)  is  teaching  in  Yorba  Linda, 
Calif. 

Kelli  Miller  Stacy  (B.S.  '91/MQ  is  a  freelance  medical 
writer  and  editor  in  Atlanta  and  passed  the  certification 
exam  for  the  Board  of  Editors  in  the  Life  Sciences  in 
October  2007. 

Kathy  Lee  Storie  (B.S.  '92/H&S)  works  for  United  Space 
Alliance,  a  prime  contractor  to  NASA  for  the  space 
shuttle  and  Ares  programs. 

Amy  Strite  (M.S.W.  90/SW)  has  been  promoted  to  exec- 
utive director  of  Children's  Health  Involving  Parents 
of  Greater  Richmond. 

Doug  Sutton  (B.F  A.  90/A)  has  launched  MoveMyMom 
LLC,  which  arranges  and  project  manages  relocations 
.  to  aid  boomers  with  their  parents'  transitions. 

Holly  Womack  Walker  (B.S.  vl/MC)  is  a  PR  and  mar- 
keting specialist  at  John  Tyler  Community  College. 

Eric  Williams  (B.G.S.  95/M&S)  was  recently  appointed 
director  of  the  Multicultural  Academic  Opportunities 
Program  at  Virginia  Tech. 

2000s 

Robert  Washington  Anderson  (B.S.  03/MC), 
a  photographer  at  WJLA-TV  in  Washington,  D.C, 
was  awarded  a  regional  Emmy  Award  in  June  for 
his  work  on  a  weather  story.    "Our  Newsroom  is 
Flooding." 

Kim  Baranowski  (M.F.A.  bo/A)  is  participating  in 
a  two-month  expedition  to  Antarctica  to  work  with 
scientists  and  install  sculptures. 

Chris  Beauregard*  (B.F.A.  bs/A)  will  receive  a  master's 
degree  from  Carnegie  Mellon  University  this  spring. 

Robert  A.  Blackwood  IV  (B.F.A.  02/A)  is  the  manager 
of  Bear  Forge  in  Brevard.  N.C. 

Rachel  Wine  Buhse  (B.S.  06/MC)  is  an  assistant  PR 
specialist  with  VCU  Health  System. 

Tami  F.  Carsillo  (MX  04/E)  is  a  legislative  education  and 
development  media  specialist  for  the  Virginia  House 
of  Delegates. 

Rochelle  Y.  Clarke  (B.S.'oo/B)  is  the  director  of  infor- 
mation systems  technology  for  VCU. 

Janet  L.  Clements  (M.Ed.  bo/E),  chief  deputy  coordi- 
nator of  the  Virginia  Department  of  Emergency 
Management,  has  been  appointed  to  the  Virginia 
Public  Safety  Memorial  Commission. 

Angela  Erale  (B.S.  04/MC)  is  a  first  lieutenant  and  com- 
munications platoon  leader  in  the  U.S.  Army  and  was 
recently  deployed  to  Iraq. 

Lisa  Figueroa  (B.S.  07/MC)  is  a  senior  producer  with 
VCUTV/HD. 

Christian  K.  Finkbeiner  (B.S.  bi/MC)  is  employed  as  a 
copy  editor  and  page  designer  at  The  Progress- Index 
in  Petersburg,  Va. 

Louis  Florio*  (M.S.  04/H&S)  has  been  called  as  pastor 
to  Messiah  Lutheran  Church  in  Mechanicsville,  Va. 

Stuart  Glaser  (B.S  04/B)  is  a  project  manager  for 
DATAllegro  Inc. 

Dan  Grazier  (B.S.  bo/MC)  is  a  first  lieutenant  in  the 
U.S.  Marine  Corps  and  recently  served  in  Iraq. 


32  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


[class  notes] 


Toni  D.  Green  (B.A.  05/H&S)  is  pursuing  a  master's 
degree  in  education,  with  a  concentration  in  curri- 
culum and  instruction,  while  teaching  for  Henrico 
County  Public  Schools. 

Jovan  M.  Hackley  (B.S.  05/MC)  is  employed  by  the 
Virginia  Association  of  Realtors  as  a  marketing  manager. 

Altimese  Hamlin  (B.S  07/MC)  is  employed  as  a  payroll 
specialist  at  Paychex  in  Georgia. 

Brent  Harrison  (B.S-  04/MC)  is  a  corporate  communications 
manager  at  Surgical  Information  Systems  in  Atlanta. 

Jennifer  Henson  (B.A.  02/H&S)  graduated  from 
the  Wake  Forest  University  School  of  Law  in  2007 
and  is  working  for  Anderson,  Jones  and  Gengo  as 
an  associate  in  their  personal  injury  and  real  estate 
sections. 

Steve  Hertzler  (B.S.  OO/En)  is  a  patent  attorney  with 
Nixon  Peabody  LLP  in  Washington,  D.C. 

Travis  A.  Holmes  (BS.O6/M&S)  graduated  from  the  U.S. 
Coast  Guard  Recruit  Training  Center  in  Cape  May,  N.J. 

Jeremy  Hughes  (B  S.  OO/B)  is  president  of  Hughes 
Logsdon  Contracting  Group  Inc.,  in  Arlington,  Va. 


Jeremy  L.  Jones  (B.S  03/B)  lives  in  Houston  where  he 
works  in  higher  education  and  is  working  on  two  book 
projects  to  be  released  in  2008. 

LaToya  Jones  (B  S  Oi/B)  is  senior  external  QC  special- 
ist for  Bostwick  Laboratories  in  Glen  Allen.  Va. 

Demetrios  J.  Melis  (B.S.  '03/H&S;  M.P.A.  05/GPA)  was 

promoted  to  assistant  director  of  investigations  with  the 
Virginia  Department  of  Professional  and  Occupational 
Regulation,  where  he  oversees  the  Northern  Virginia 
Field  Division. 

Derek  Meyer  {B.S.  07/MC)  was  selected  to  produce 
a  50-second  film  as  a  finalist  for  the  Coca-Cola 
Refreshing  Filmmaker's  Award.  He  is  pursuing  an 
M.F.A.  in  filmmaking  at  Florida  State  L'niversity. 

Matthew  Ryan  Murphy  {B.S.  O6/B)  is  a  manufacturer's 
representative  with  S.E.  Burks  Sales  Co.  in 
Richmond,  Va. 

Tim  Niemczyk  (B.S  03/En)  is  a  senior  systems  engineer  with 
Technology  Management  Group  in  King  George,  Va. 

Leslie  Orebaugh  {B.S.  O6/H&S)  is  a  forensic  scientist 
trainee  with  the  Virginia  Department  of  Forensic 


Science.  Upon  completion  of  the  training  program 
in  May  2008,  she  will  be  a  forensic  biology  examiner. 

Christina  Powell  (B.S  02/MC)  is  employed  as  a  produc- 
tion designer  for  RTC  Relationship  Marketing  in 
Washington,  D.C. 

Margaret  Rogliano  (B.S.  05/B)  is  a  recruiter  for 
LandAmerica  Financial  Group  in  Richmond,  Va. 

Katie  Hertel  Sanner  (B.S.'cWMC)  received  the  Rising 
Star  Award  from  the  D.C.  chapter  of  Society 
of  Marketing  Professional  Services. 

Tuana  Z.  Smith  (B  S.  06/En)  is  an  Army  knowledge 
leader  intern/IT  management  specialist  with  the 
Department  of  the  Army  in  Arlington,  Va. 

Jahn  Torres  (B.S.  Oi/En)  is  a  mechanical  design  engineer 
at  Sensata  Technologies  Inc.  in  Massachusetts. 

Travis  Townsend  (M.F.A.  OO/A)  received  third-place 
recognition  in  the  National  Young  Sculptors  Competition. 
Townsend  has  also  been  accepted  into  a  two-person 
exhibit  at  Second  Street  Gallery  in  October  2008 
and  a  solo  show  at  the  Southwest  School  of  Art  and 
Craft  in  San  Antonio,  Texas. 


luil 


BREAKING  DOWN  BARRIERS.  Lifetime  athlete  Kristen  Lessig 

(B.S.  '05/E)  and  physical  education  teacher  Jenni  Yocco  (B.S.  '05/E) 
share  a  love  of  sports  and  a  commitment  to  bringing  their  passion  to 
everyone  around  them. 

Together  they  founded  Sportable,  a  nonprofit  organization  focused 
on  providing  recreation  and  sports  opportunities  for  individuals  with 
physical  disabilities  in  the  Greater  Richmond  area. 

"We  feel  like  everybody  should  have  the  right  to  play  sports,"  Yocco 
says.  "We're  charged  with  putting  activities  out  there  and  doing  what- 
ever we  can  to  make  people  aware  of  who  we  are." 

Lessig  and  Yocco  research  how  to  modify  sports  and  bring  in  coaches 
when  necessary.  Through  Sportable,  they  offer  biweekly  clinics  in 
power  wheelchair  soccer,  tennis  and  basketball,  as  well  as  organize 
other  recreational  outings  including  kayaking,  skiing  and  rock  climbing. 

"You  learn  a  lot  when  you  participate  in  sports,"  says  Lessig,  who 
works  full  time  as  a  therapeutic  recreation  specialist  in  the  spinal  cord 
injury  unit  at  the  Hunter  Holmes  McGuire  Veterans  Affairs  Medical 
Center.  "That's  what  is  most  beneficial  in  the  long  run 
—  cooperative  communication  and  socialization." 

In  addition  to  her  job  as  a  P.E.  teacher,  Yocco  aisp 
works  part  time  as  a  recreational  therapist  at  Poplar 
Springs  Hospital.  But  she  found  a  common  thread  with 
Lessig  when,  as  VCU  students,  they  attended  a  March 
2005  therapeutic  recreation  conference  that  showed 
them  the  possibilities  of  adaptive  sports  and  recreation. 

The  idea  for  Sportable  was  born. 

"We  thought,  'We  have  to  bring  this  to  Richmond,'" 
Lessig  says. 

Eight  months  later,  they  hosted  Spprtable's  first  clinic. 
Today,  Sportable  enjoys  65  members  ages  5  and  older. 

"This  opens  up  a  door  for  them,"  Lessig  says.  "The 
goal  is  for  independence.  Activity  changes  their  lives,"  . 


Yocco  recalls  the  transformation  of  one  middle  school  student  with 
muscular  dystrophy  who  began  playing  power  soccer  through  Sportable. 

"In  gym  class,  he  was  able  to  get  out  of  his  chair  but  he  wasn't  into 
sports,"  she  says.  "Now  he's  a  star  on  the  court.  He's  awesome  at  it  and 
his  self-esteem  rose.  Finding  his  niche  is  what  he  needed." 

Local  athletes  view  Sportable  as  the  go-to  source  for  adaptive 
sports  and  recreation.  Thanks  to  their  requests,  the  organization  plans 
to  introduce  quad  rugby,  fencing  and  sled  hockey  in  2009- 

Lessig  and  Yocco  also  dream  of  sending  a  team  to  the  Paralympics 
one  day. 

"We  all  have  the  innate  desire  to  compete,"  Lessig  says.  "There's 
a  misconception  that  people  with  disabilities  don't  want  to  and/often- 
times, they  just  get  the  medal  for  participating.  But  in  Sportable,  they 
find  someone  they're  competitive  with  who  has  that  instinct,  too.  That's 
what  it's  really  all  about." 

To  learn  more  about  Sportable,  or  to  support  the  organization  or  one 
of  its  athletes,  visit  www.sportable.org. 


■■■■•■ 

■■■1«B 

~  •  >«■■ 

«i«*a 
till 

*■*'" 
■  ■r 


Did  you 'know?. 


Virginia  Commonwealth  University  counts  among  its  alun 
bestselling  authors  and  on-  and  off-screen  TV  talents.  He 
university's  notable  graduates. 
David  Baldacci  (B.A.'83/H&S),  author  of  "Absolute  Power,"  "The  Collectors,"  "Simple 

and  numerous  other  New  York  Times  bestsellers. 
Jay  Fitzgerald  (B.S.  '75/E),  international  swimming  coach  and  Olympic  trainer. 
Stephen  Furst  (B.F.A.  '76/A),  TV  producer  and  actor,  whose  well-known  characters  ir 

Flounder  from  the  hit  comedy  classic  "National  Lampoon's  Animal  House,"  Dr.  Elliot  Axelrbd 

in  the  long-running  TV  drama  "St.  Elsewhere"  and  Vir  in  the  Warner  Bros.  seienee-fict:- 

"Babylon  5." 
Anita  M.  Josey-Herring  (B.A.  '82/H&S),  associate  judge,  Superior  Cour 

of  Columbia. 
Sheri  Reynolds  (M.F.A.  '92/H&S),  author  of  four  critically  acclaimed  novels,  including  "Rapture 

of  Canaan,"  which  was  selected  by  Oprah  Winfrey  for  her  book  club. 
Thomas  E.  Robbins  (B.S.  '59/MQ,  author  of  "Even  Cowgirls  Get  the  Blues,"  "Another  Roadside 

Attraction"  and  other  underground  classics. 
Richard  T.  Robertson  (B.A.  '67/B),  senior  adviser  to  the  Warner  Bros. 


Allison  Varmer  (B.S.  04/En)  and  Alex  Vaughan  were 
married  in  November  2006.  Varmer  is  a  process  engi- 
neer in  the  Innovation  Center  at  DuPont  Teijin  Films. 


Gay  Donna  Vandergriff*  (M.B.A.  02/B)  is  a  marketing 

professor  at  the  Henrico  Campus  of  Strayer  University. 
Lindsey  Ward  (B.S.  O6/MC)  is  a  news  reporter  at  WCAV 

in  Charlottesville,  Va. 
Donna-Jo  Webster*  (B.S.  06/MC)  was  named  branch 

manager  of  the  Cochrane-Rockville  Library,  in 

Rockville,  Va. 
Adam  Welch  (M.F.A.  03/A)  is  assistant  director 

at  Greenwich  House  Pottery  in  New  York. 
Adam  Whitney  (B.F.A.  06/A)  is  the  metals  coordinator 

at  Penland  School  of  Crafts. 
Kendra  Williams-Giles  (B.S.  bo/B)  is  the  human 

resources  manager  for  a  nonprofit  credit  union 

in  Northern  Virginia. 
Nathan  Winslow  (B  S  Ol/En)  has  published  four 

patents  and  works  for  Biomet  Inc.  in  Indiana. 
Karmen  Yu  (B.S.  Ol/En)  is  a  project  manager  at  Capital 

One  in  Richmond.  Va. 

Faculty  and  staff 

Dan  Currier  (M,F  A.  07/A),  a  photography  and  film 
adjunct  professor  at  VCU,  was  interviewed  on  National 
Public  Radio  with  David  Brancaccio  about  his  thesis 
film.  "Labeled."  which  focuses  on  the  North  Carolina 
Eugenics  program  of  the  1950s. 

Tyler  Darden,  a  communication  arts  faculty  member, 
was  awarded  the  Gold  Medal  for  Art  Direction  by  the 
New  York  Society  of  Illustrators  in  2007  and  2008. 

Susie  Ganch  will  have  her  work  featured  in  the  Japan 
Jewelry  Biennial. 

Sonali  Gulati.  an  assistant  professor  in  VCU's  photography 
and  film  department,  has  been  accepted  to  screen  her 
film,  "24  frames  per  day."  at  the  Slamdance  Film  Festival 
in  Park  City,  Utah. 

Arthur  Hash  is  showing  in  the  Society  of  Arts  and  Crafts 
exhibit,  "From  Minimal  to  Bling:  Contemporary  Studio 
Jewelry,"  in  Boston  and  is  slated  for  a  solo  show  at  the 
Shelbourne  Museum  in  June/July  2008.  His  work  was 
also  featured  in  "500  Brooches,"  published  by  Lark 
Books,  and  in  an  advertisement 
for  the  Sienna  Gallery  in  American  Craft  magazine. 

Tarne  Kendell  Hudson,  an  adjunct  instructor  in  the 
School  of  Education,  competed  in  the  Ilth  annual 
World  Championships  of  Performing  Arts  in  Los 
Angeles.  She  won  gold  medals  in  spokesmodeling  and 
comic  acting;  silver  medals  in  classical  acting,  Broad- 


way singing  and  variety  singing*,  and  bronze  medals  in 
country  singing  and  an  open  vocal  category. 

Sterling  Hundley  (B.F.A.  9&/A),  a  faculty  member  in  the 
communication  arts  department,  received  two  gold  med- 
als from  the  New  York  Society  of  Illustrators  in  2008. 

Todd  Raviotta  (B.F.A.  'Ol/A:  M.F.A.  04/A),  a  photography 
and  film  adjunct  professor  at  VCU,  has  been  selected 
to  present  his  film,  "At  the  River,"  at  the  Outfest  Film 
Festival  25th  Anniversary  Program. 

Jack  Wax's  "Surviving  on  the  Quality  of  Listening" 
was  selected  as  a  finalist  in  the  Bombay  Sapphire  Prize 
2008.  the  world's  largest  annual  award  for  artists. 
designers  and  architects  working  with  glass. 

Weddings 
2000s 

Gerty  Fernandez  (B.S.  03/En}  and  Shawn  Johnson 
(B.S.  02/En)  were  married  in  December  2006  and 
currently  reside  in  Washington.  D.C.  Fernandez  is 
employed  as  a  mechanical  engineer  at  the  Federal 
Energy  Regulatory  Commission  and  Johnson  is  an 
electrical  engineer  with  the  Department  of  Defense. 


Births 
1980s 


Loney  G.  Nunemaker  Jr.*  (B.S.  '64/ MC)  and  his  wife,  Olga, 
welcomed  their  second  child,  Emily  Claire,  in  May. 

Sandra  Parker  (B.S.  '89/ MC)  gave  birth  to  a  baby  boy, 
Parker  Michael  Sancilio,  in  May. 

1990s 

Aimee  T.H.  Kessler*  (B.A.  '96/H&S)  welcomed  the  birth 
of  her  first  child,  Leia  Eden  Rose,  in  February  2007. 

Mary  Beth  Joachim  Long  (B  S.  91/MC)  and  her  husband 
welcomed  their  first  child,  Ada  Hilliard,  on  Aug.  I.  2007- 

Cindy  (Shaub)  Murray*  (B.S.  '95/H&S)  gave  birth  to 
a  daughter,  Grace  Anne,  on  July  23,  2007-  She  lives 
in  Locust  Grove,  Va.  with  her  husband,  Pete  Murray 
(B.A  '95/H&S). 

2000S 

Christel  Spiers  Laxton  (B.S.  04/En)  and  her  husband, 
Larry,  welcomed  a  son,  Liam  Eli,  in  March  2006. 

Obituaries 
1940s 

Elizabeth  C.  Mitchell  (B.F.A.  42/A),  of  Lynchburg.  Va., 

April  29,  2007. 
Jeane  Boehling  O'Brien  (48/SW),  of  Richmond,  Va.. 

May  30.  2007,  at  age  80. 

1950S 

John  R.  Booth  (Cert. '50/B;  B.S. '52/B),  of  Petersburg,  Va.. 

Jan.  7,  2008,  at  age  80. 
John  Joseph  Erdman*  (B.S  59/B),  June  29.  2007. 

at  age  73.  He  retired  from  AMF  in  1989,  where  he 

worked  in  human  resources,  specializing  in  labor 

negotiations. 
William  R.  Gaines  (B.F.A.  50/A),  of  Cape  Canaveral, 

Fla..  Oct.  21.  2007,  at  age  80. 
Oscar  S.  Hastings  Jr.,  (B.S.'52/B),  of  Midlothian,  Va., 

Nov.  22.  2007. 
William  F.  Heywood  (B.F.A.  '52/A),  of  Richmond,  Va., 

March  9,  2007,  at  age  79. 


Planned  Hivin; 


RECOGNIZING  ESTATE  DONORS. Virginia  Commonwealth  University  is  fortunate 
to  have  many  generous  and  loyal  alumni  and  friends.  Gifts  from  our  donors  profoundly  affect 
the  university,  our  students  and  our  faculty, 

The  VCU  Heritage  Society  is  a  special  group  of  alumni  and  friends  who  have  included 
VCU  in  their  estate  plans.  These  gifts  include  charitable  remainder  trusts,  charitable  gift 
annuities,  charitable  lead  trusts,  life  insurance  and  bequests. 

Members  of  the  society  have  the  opportunity  to  share  in  the  university's  success  through 
special  publications  and  correspondence  as  well  as  invitations  to  presidential  and  campus 
events.  Donors  should  speak  with  a  tax  adviser  about  the  possibility  of  specific  tax  benefits. 

For  information  on  how  you  might  make  a  bequest  to  VCU,  please  contact  Thomas  Burke, 
executive  director  of  the  VCU  Foundation,  at  (804)  828-3958  or  tcburke@vcu.edu. 


34  !  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


Anne  Wilson  Houmes  (B.S.'55/H&S),  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  May  31.  2007,  at  age  81. 

Betty  Moss  (Cert.'53/A).  of  Richmond,  Va..  Dec.  28,  2007. 

Ann  B.  Tubbs  (B.S.51/SW),  of  Dutton.  Va.,  Sept.  19, 
2OO7,  at  age  85. 

James  "Jim"  Kirk  Ward  (BRA  55/A),  ofTrinity,  N.C., 
June  30,  2007.  at  age  74.  Averaging  more  than  20 
points  a  game  in  the  1954  anJ  *955  seasons,  Ward 
was  a  building  block  for  VCU's  basketball  program. 

Fred  Andrew  Williams  (B.S.  '57/ E).  of  Richmond,  Va., 
Dec.  31,  2007,  at  age  81.  Williams  had  retired  after 
more  than  40  years  serving  the  City  of  Richmond  in  a 
variety  of  positions,  including  bureau  chief  of  recre- 
ation and  acting  director  of  recreation  and  parks. 

1960s 

Christi  Biswanger  (B.F.A.  68/A),  ofCazenovia,  N.Y., 
Jan.  12.  2007. 

William  Edwin  Clarke  Sr.  (M.S.W.'60/SW), 
of  Midlothian.  Va..  June  IO,  2007.  at  age  85. 

William  Howard  Crone  (B.S.  WB),  of  Richmond.  Va., 

June  II,  2007.  at  age  69. 
Ralph  H.  Gardner  (B.S.  WW&S).  of  Richmond.  Va.. 

June  21,  2007. 

Elizabeth  Houseman  (B.S.  67/E;  M.Ed.  '78/E).  Oct.  12,  2007, 
at  age  75  She  served  as  a  sixth-grade  teacher  in  Virginia's 
Hanover  and  Henrico  counties  for  28  years. 

Leah  T.  Robinson*  (B.S  63/H&S;  M.S.  ta/H&S;  PkD.  74/ 
H&S),  of  Virginia  Beach,  Va.,  Dec.  6,  2007,  at  age  79. 

Robert  Hitter  Shackelford  Jr.  (B.S.  67/B:  M.P.A.  '91/ 
H&S).  of  Newtown,  Va..  July  7-  2007,  at  age  61.  He  was 
a  retired  assistant  commissioner  for  the  Department  of 
Mental  Health  and  Retardation,  as  well  as  a  part-time 
employee  for  the  Virginia  Department  of  Veterans 
Services  andJ.M.  Fogg  Farms. 

Rebecca  M.  Tarumoto  (B.S.  67/B).  of  Carmel  by  the  Sea. 
Calif.,  Oct.  29,  2007,  at  age  62. 

Mary  Rosalie  West  (B.S  67/E),  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Jan. 
8,  2008,  at  age  63. 

1970S 

Kathryn  Furgurson  Atkins  (M.Ed. '78/E),  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  Jan.  IO,  2008.  at  age  57. 

Leona  L  Bailey  (M.Ed.  '79/E).  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Apri] 
8.  2007. 

Doris  L.  Bazzichi  (B.FA.'74/A),  ofRichmond,  Va.,  Oct. 

3.  2007,  at  age  82. 

Thomas  Head  Clarke  (B.M.E.  71/A),  July  1,  2007,  at  age 
59-  He  served  as  choir  director  at  both  New  Bridge  and 
Black  Creek  Baptist  churches. 

Evelyn  P.  Collins  (B.S.  '79/H&S),  of  Emporia,  Va..  Nov. 
12,  2007,  at  age  61. 

Florence  C.  Davis  (M.Ed.  '79/E),  ofRichmond,  Va.,  Jan. 

4,  2008,  at  age  79. 

Anthony  J.  DeMary  Sr.*  (MS  '75/B),  of  Midlothian, 
Va.,  Nov.  12,  2007,  at  age  60. 

Richard  G.  Engels*  (B.A  '72/H&S),  ofRichmond.  Va., 
Dec.  I,  2007. 

Jeffrey  L.  Fetta  (BF  A.'75/A),  ofRichmond.  Va..  Nov. 
21.  2007,  at  age  59. 

Ruth  Helen  Chambers  Little  (M.Ed.  '74/E),  of 
Tappahannock,  Va.,  June  22,  2007,  at  age  85.  She  was 
formerly  a  high  school  and  elementary  school  teacher 
and  reading  supervisor  for  Essex  County  Public  Schools. 

Frank  B.  Lotts  Jr.  (B.A  71/H&S),  ofRichmond.  Va., 
Nov.  16,  2007.  at  age  63. 

Virginia  Talley  Mitchell  (B.S  '74/H&S),  of  Mechanicsville, 
Va.,  Sept.  13,  2007,  at  age  55. 

Phyllis  Moyer  (M.S.W.  76/SW),  of  Mechanicsville.  Va.. 
Nov.  6,  2007,  at  age  60. 


Peggy  C.  Adams 

New  i 

Michael  S.  Hancock 

ifet 

ime  members 

Patricia  A.  Prout 

Ann  L.  Ahearn 

Stephen  C.  Harvey 

William  C.  Prout 

Daniel  J.  Arbogast 

Virginia  W.  Harvey 

Jodi  B.  Reid 

Carlton  J.  Bagley  Jr. 

Jodie  L.  Hayob 

Michele  F.  Richards 

Jean  Clary  Bagley 

Katherine  R.  Hendrixson 

Scott  S.  Richards 

Melanie  B.  Becker 

Dr.  Betty  A.  Howe 

Shawn  R.  Sampson 

Janice  F.  Bell 

John  W.  Johnson  II 

Ellis  A.  Sasser 

Stewart  W.  Bell 

Dale  Christina  Kalkofen 

,  Ed.D. 

Georgeann  Schmied 

Joanne  L.  Bluhm 

Paige  L.  Larson 

Harry  E.  Seals 

Bonnie  J.  Burton 

Calvin  B.  LaSmith 

Louise  Seals 

T.Neal  Burton  II 

Caroline  M.  Lee 

Pamela  A.  Somma 

Alison  L.  Cain 

Shruti  A.  Manek 

Alison  C.  Spencer 

Diane  A.  Chandler 

Robert  E.  Marchant,  Ph.D. 

Paul  T.  Steucke 

Donna  M.  Dalton 

Anne  G.  Marean 

Dr.  Marjorie  Anne  Stuckle 

Jeanne  E.  Decker,  Ph.D. 

Kenneth  W.  Martin 

Brian  Taylor 

Deborah  P.  Ellis 

Ashleigh  K.  McCabe 

Lisa  L.  Taylor 

Monique  Farrington 

Jeanmarie  McGowan 

Dee  Thomas 

Germaine  S.  Fauntleroy,  Ph.D. 

Neil  C.  McLaughlin  III 

Norman  R.  Tingle  Jr.,  M.D. 

Amy  R.  Frith 

Pamela  S.  McLaughlin 

Mary  Ellen  Tisdale 

Edward  R.  Gammon 

Amy  Rybar  Menefee 

Laura  A.  Travis 

Gary  W.  Garland 

Andrew  R.  Merchant 

Lonni  E.  Trykowski 

Montrese  L.  Garner-Sampson 

Bruce  M.  Miller 

Claudia  Duck  Tucker 

Donald  J.  Gee 

Donald  L.  Newcomb 

Jeffrey  D.  Vaughan 

Scott  Gibbs 

Judy  K.  Newcomb 

Mark  P.  Vergnano 

Rose  E.  Gilliam 

Thomas  P.  Oakley 

Robert  C.  Vogler 

Martin  W.  Goehle 

William  R.  O'Connell  Jr. 

D.Ed. 

Robert  Paul  Wiedemer 

James  W.  Gruenhagen 

Erin  O'Toole-Lyon 

Patricia  1.  Wright,  Ed.D. 

Linda  K.  Gruenhagen 

Stephen  H.  Parham 

Iwanna  Zawhorodny 

Serita  V.  Hamilton-Edloe 

Joshua  Pretlow  III 

Daisy  Liu  Zhang,  Ph.D. 

List  includes  individuals  who  joined  the  VCU  Alumni  Assoc 

ation  or  the  African-American 

Alumni  Council  as  lifetime  members  between  July  1,  2007,  an 

d  Dec.  31,  2007. 

James  C.L.  Muzik  (B.S.'78/H&S),  of  Richmond.  Va., 
Dec.  23.  2007,  at  age  6l. 

Martha  Hill  Newell  (B.FA  '79/A).  of  Mechanicsville, 
Va.,  Nov.  I,  2007,  at  age  52- 

Karen  Stumpf  Nuckols  (BS.'79/B),  ofRichmond,  Va., 

Jan.  5.  2008.  at  age  57. 
Brenda  S.  Quinby  (M  A.'78/A;  M.S.'93/AMP),  ofRichmond, 

Va.,  Oct.  2.  2007,  at  age  60. 
Eleanor  S.  Sturgis  (B.S/77/H&S:  M.Ed.'so/E),  ofEastville. 

Va..  Feb.  2.  2008. 
Nancy  D.  Truitt  (B.F.A.  79/A),  of  Annandale,  Va..  Oct. 

5.  2007,  at  age  52. 
Margaret  Reid  Watkins  (M.Ed.  79/E).  ofRichmond. 

Va.,  Sept.  9,  2007,  at  age  58. 
Douglas  C.  Watson*  (B.S. '75/B),  ofRichmond,  Va.. 

Sept,  25.  2007.  at  age  60. 
Margaret  Edith  Wingfield  (B.F.A. '76/A),  of  San  Francisco. 

Calif.,  Dec.  27,  2007.  at  age  52. 

1980S 

Virginia  S.  Daughtrey  (B.S  86/ E)  ,  ofRichmond,  Va., 

Nov.  3,  2007,  at  age  67. 
Frederick  D.  German  (B.S.'83/H&S),  ofRichmond,  Va., 

Oct.  I,  2007,  at  age  52. 

Martha  M.  Hall  (M  A.  ei/H&S),  of  Farnham,  Va.,  Sept. 
29,  2007,  at  age  60. 


1990s 

Carlton  C.  Candler  (M.T.'94/E),  ofNewYork,  N.Y.. 

Jan.  6,  2008,  at  age  46. 
Hylan  Q.  Carter  Jr.  (Cert  97/H&S),  ofRichmond.  Va., 

Oct.  I,  2007.  at  age  59. 

Mary  C.  Dunn  (B.S.  92/H&S).  of  McLean.  Va.,  Sept.  22. 
2007.  at  age  40. 

Anita  R.  Foster  (B.S.W.  '96/SVV;  M.S.W.  gs/SW),  of 
Richmond,  Va.,  Dec.  30,  2007,  at  age  48. 

Charles  P.  Liesfeld  (BS.  95/B).  ofRichmond.  Va., 
Sept.  8,  2007,  at  age  52. 

Courtney  L.  Sheap  (B.A  90/H&S),  of  North  Wales.  Pa.. 
Sept.  9.  2007,  at  age  44. 

Martha  M.  Shelton  (B.S.WMC),  of  Chester.  Va..  Oct. 
I.  2007,  at  age  37. 

Paul  E.Smith  (B.A.  92/H&S),  of  River  Edge.  N.J..  Oct. 
6,  2007,  at  age  37. 

Catherine  S.  Turner  (Cert  '90/B:  M.S.'07/B).  of  Maidens. 
Va.,  Sept.  2.  2007,  at  age  55. 

Michael  Lance  Wieringo  (B.F.A.  WA),  of  Durham,  N.C., 
Aug.  12.  2007,  at  age  44-  He  was  a  comic  artist  who 
drew  for  "Doc  Savage:  The  Man  of  Bronze."  "Robin," 
"Superman"  and  "Spiderman."  as  well  as  DC  Comics' 
"The  Flash"  and  Marvel  Comics'  "The  Fantastic  Four." 
In  1999-  Wieringo  also  created  his  own  comic,  "Tellos," 
with  comic-book  writer  and  friend  Todd  DeZago. 


Spring  2008  I  35 


■?':■  Alumni  are  identified  by  degree,  year 
and  college  or  school. 

College  and  schools 

H&S  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences 

A  School  of  the  Arts 

AHP  School  of  Allied  Health  Professions 

B  School  of  Business 

D  School  of  Dentistry 

E  School  of  Education 

En  School  of  Engineering 

GPA  L  Douglas  Wilder  School 

of  Government  and. Public  Affairs 

GS  Graduate  School 

LS  VCU  Life  Sciences 

M  School  of  Medicine 

MC  School  of  Mass  Communications 

N  School  of  Nursing 

P  School  of  Pharmacy 

SW  School  of  Social  Work 

WS  School  of  World  Studies 

Degrees 

A.S.  Associate  Degree 

Cert.  Certificate 

B.F.A.  Bachelor  of  Fine  Arts 

B.G.S.  Bachelor  of  General  Studies 

B.I.S.  Bachelor  of  Interdisciplinary  Studies 

B.M.  Bachelor  of  Music 

B.M.E.  Bachelor  of  Music  Education 

B.S.  Bachelor  of  Science 

B.S.W.  Bachelor  of  Social  Work 

D.D.S.  Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery 

D.N. A. P.  Doctor  of  Nurse  Anesthesia  Practice 

D.P.A.  Doctor  of  Public  Administration 

D.P.T.  Doctor  of  Physical  Therapy 

M.A.  Master  of  Arts 

M.Acc.  Master  of  Accountancy 

M.A.E.  Master  of  Art  Education 

M.B.A.  Master  of  Business  Administration 

M.Bin.  Master  of  Bioinformatics 

M.D.  Doctor  of  Medicine 

M.Ed.  Master  of  Education 

M.Env.  Master  of  Environmental  Studies 

M.F.A.  Master  of  Fine  Arts 

M.H.A.  Master  of  Health  Administration 

M.I.S.  Master  of  Interdisciplinary  Studies 

M.M.  Master  of  Music 

M.M.E.  Master  of  Music  Education 

M.P.A.  Master  of  Public  Administration 

M.P.H.  Master  of  Public  Health 

M.P.S.  Master  of  Pharmaceutical  Sciences, 

M.S.  Master  of  Science 

M.S.A.T.  Master  of  Science  in  Athletic  Training 

M.S.D.  Master  of  Science  in  Dentistry 

M.S.H.A.  Master  of  Science  in  Health 

Administration 

M.S.N.A.  Master  of  Science  in  Nurse  Anesthesia 

M.S.O.T.  Master  of  Science  in  Occupational 

Therapy 

M.S.W  Master  of  Social  Work 

MX  Master  of  Teaching 

M.Tax.  Master  of  Taxation 

M.U.R.P.  Master  of  Urban  and  Regional  Planning 

O.T.D.  Post-professional  Occupational 

Therapy  Doctorate 

Pharm.D.  Doctor  of  Pharmacy 

Ph.D.  Doctor  of  Philosophy 

*  Member  of  the  VCU  Alumni  Association     . 


Mary  M.  Willis  (B.G.S.  97/H&S),  of  Richmond,  Va..  Oct. 
I.  2007,  at  age  38. 

2000S 

Eric  J.  Clark  (B.I.S.  03/H&S),  of  Richmond.  Va..  Oct.  1, 
2007,  at  age  30. 

Mudiwa  S.  Dotson  (B.S.W. '07/SW),  of  Richmond.  Va.. 

Dec.  I.  2007,  at  age  24. 
Sue  S.  Keener  (B.S.  02/B).  of  Richmond,  Va..  Oct.  9. 

2007.  at  age  55. 
Juston  L.  Rose*  (B.S.06/B),  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Sept., 

21,  2007.  at  age  24. 

Deborah  M.  Smith  (B.S.  03/H&S).  of  Richmond.  Va., 
Sept.  8,  2007.  at  age  31. 

Antonina  Vitale  (M.S.W  06/SW).  of  Gloucester,  Va., 
June  2,  2007,  at  age  66. 

Faculty  and  staff 

William  Dobbie,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Sept.  7,  2007, 
at  age  67-  He  graduated  from  St.  Lawrence  University 
in  1963  with  a  B.A.  in  English  and  went  on  to  earn 
master's  degrees  from  Columbia  University  and 
California  State  University  and  a  Doctor  of  Education 
degree  from  the  University  of  Virginia.  He  came  to 
VCU  in  1978  as  an  assistant  dean  for  student  services 
in  the  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences,  a  position 
he  held  until  1983.  He  returned  to  VCU  in  1985  and 
worked  for  12  years  in  the  financial  aid  office. 

W.  Avon  Drake,  Ph.D..  associate  professor  of  politi- 
cal science  in  VCU's  L.  Douglas  Wilder  School  of 
Government  and  Public  Affairs,  March  14.  2008, 
at  age  6l.  Drake  joined  VCU  in  1986  as  an  assistant 
professor  of  political  science  and  director  of  African- 
American  studies,  a  role  in  which  he  continued  until 
1993.  He  served  as  an  associate  professor  of  political 
science  until  his  retirement  injanuary  2008.  Drake 
co-authored  "Affirmative  Action  and  the  Stalled 
Quest  lor  Black  Progress,"  which  received  the  annual 
Outstanding  Book  Award  from  the  National 
Conference  of  Black  Political  Scientists  in  1997. 

Francis  Merrill  Foster  Sr..  of  Richmond,  Va.,Jan. 
6,  2008.  Foster  practiced  dentistry  in  thejackson 
Ward  neighborhood  of  Richmond  from  1948  until  his 
retirement  in  1989  and  served  as  an  assistant  professor 
of  general  practice  dentistry  at  VCU. 

John  Mahoney.  of  Richmond.  Va.,  Dec.  23,  2007. 
An  associate  professor,  he  joined  the  VCU  Department 
of  Psychology  in  rg7l .  He  had  served  on  the  VCU 
Libraries  Advisory  Committee,  the  College  of  Humanities 
and  Sciences  Faculty  Council  and  the  college's  honors 
board.  The  college  has  established  a  scholarship  in 
Mahoney's  name.  Contributions  to  the  scholarship  fund 
can  be  made  online  at  www.has.vcu.edu. 

Paul  D.  Minton,  of  Roanoke,  Va.,  July  IO,  2007,  at  age 
88.  Minton  was  a  retired  professor  of  statistics  at  VCU 
and  Southern  Methodist  University,  as  well  as  the  for- 
mer dean  of  the  School  of  Arts  and  Sciences  at  VCU. 

Christina  Turner,  of  Richmond.  Va.,  Jan.  13.  2008. 
An  associate  professor  of  anthropology,  she  joined 
VCU  in  1994  and  helped  in  the  establishment  of  the 
School  of  World  Studies  in  2003.  She  was  a  Fulbright 
Scholar  and  editor  of  the  Middle  Atlantic  Council  of 
Latin  American  Studies  Essays  from  2003  to  2006. 
She  and  her  husband.  Brian,  served  as  Peace  Corps 
volunteers  in  Paraguay  from  1984  to  1986.  The  School 
of  World  Studies  has  established  the  Dr.  Christina 
Turner  Writing  Award.  Contributions  to  the  fund  can 
be  made  online  at  wwTA.has.vcu.edu. 

Friends  of  VCU 

Virginia  Clare  Hobson.  of  Dover,  N.H.,  July  4, 
2007.  at  age  81.  A  supporter  of  VCU.  Hobson  taught 
kindergarten  at  Woodland  School  in  Gurnee,  111., 
until  her  retirement. 


WHAT'S  NEW? 

Shafer  Court  Connections  wel- 
comes updates  on  job  changes, 
marriages,  relocations  —  whatever  is 
newsworthy.  Help  us  keep  track  of 
you  by  sending  your  news  to: 

shafercourt@vcu.edu 


Show  spirit! 

VCU  black  and  gold 

Quality  polos,  Tommy  Hilfiger 
apparel,  sweatshirts,  oxfords, 
outerwear,  hats,  ladiesapparel, 
bags  and  fan  packs  are  now 
available  online.  Buy  for  your- 
self or  give  to  a  friend;  shop 
the  Virginia  Commonwealth 
University  merchandise  store 
at  www.clubcolors.com/vcu. 

VCU  Alumni  Association  mem- 
bers receive  10  percent  off  all 
orders.  Call  (804)  828-2586  to 
get  your  online  promotion  code. 

The  online  merchandise  store 
is  brought  to  you  by  a  part- 
nership between  VCU  Alumni 
Association  and  Campus 
Casuals  by  Club  Colors. 


University  food  measures 

*Upper  Cut 


[then  and  now] 


by  Kelli  Craig 


above  the  rest 


Restaurant-inspired  dining  centers  are  surfacing  on  campuses  the  upstairs,  students  can  choose  from  stir-fry,  sushi,  fresh  salads, 
across  the  country,  including  here  at  Virginia  Commonwealth  turkey  burgers  or  pizza.  Shafer  also  offers  an  inclusive  vegetarian 
University.  But  many  alumni  haven't  forgotten  about  cafeteria-style        menu,  something  Hibbs  did  not.  For  a  few  more  meal  swipes,  or  extra 


eateries,  which  cemented  their  own  place  in  college  history. 

Lois  Lindholm  (B.F.A.  '54/A)  says  she  loved  the  food  served  in 
the  cafeteria  —  located  in  the  basement  of  Founders  Hall  along  Franklin 
Street  —  during  her  college  years  at  Richmond  Professional  Institute, 
now  VCU. 

That's  if  she  could  recognize  it. 

"All  the  food  was  really  Southern  and  the  ladies  behind  the  counter 
used  to  laugh  at  me  because  I  didn't  know  what  it  was,"  says  Lindholm, 
who  considers  herself  a  Yankee.  Over  the  years  she  came  to  love  the 
popular  Southern  side  dish  of  grits,  a  staple  at  every  meal. 

The  dimly  lit  dining  center  moved  to  the  first  floor  of  the  Hibbs 


money,  students  can  dine  on  crab  cakes,  calamari  or  steak  —  options 
known  as  Upper  Cuts. 

"We  wanted  to  create  a  beautiful  facility  with  state-of-the-art 
equipment  and  'Upper  Cut'  options  so  that  students  would  reflect 
on  their  student-life  dining  experiences  as  great  ones,"  says 
Diane  Reynolds  (B.S.  '79/B;  M.B.A.  '04/B),  director  of  VCU's 
Department  of  Business  Services,  which  oversees  university  dining. 

From  Founders  to  Hibbs  and  now  Shafer  Court,  VCU's  dining 
options  have  expanded  through  the  years  to  satisfy  the  growing  student 
population. 

The  choices  and  food  variety  have  come  a  long  way  since  Lindholm's 


Building  in  the  fall  of  1967,  The  university  saw  the  need  for  more        days  of  fried  chicken  and  grilled  cheese.  She  even  remember 


paying 


space  —  with  the  growing  enrollment  —  and  more  food  options. 

When  Christal  Holmes  (B.S.  '05/B),  an  admissions  coun- 
selor with  the  VCU  Office  of  Undergraduate  Admissions,  was  a  VCU 
student,  she  says  "the  dining  rooms  were  set  up  much  like  those 
in  a  high  school  cafeteria  —  l°ng  tables  with  chairs  squeezed 
together  side  by  side." 

The  longevity  of  Hibbs  spanned  more  than  three  decades.  But  as 
college  campuses  changed,  so  did  the  dining,  and  VCU  wanted 
to  be  at  the  forefront  of  the  new  trends. 

The  newest  VCU  dining  facility,   Shafer  Court  Dinin 
Center,  opened  in  the  fall  of  2OO4.  The  $18  million, 
56,000-square-foot,   state-of-the-art  facility  contains 
Market  8lO,  a  large  dining  area,  located  on  the  second 
floor  atop  a  spiraling  staircase. 

The  award-winning  design  represents  the  next  step 
in  college  dining,  marche.  This  cutting-edge,  market- 
style  concept  brings  the  kitchen  in  front  of  the  students 
to  individual  kiosks,  providing  for  made-to-order  dishes. 

VCU    student    Courtney    McCullough,     19,    lives    in 
Ackell  Residence  Center  and  isn't  required  to  have  a  mea 
plan  but  does.  The  sophomore  sees  "the  Shaf  as  a  great  meet 
ing  place  for  friends. 

"I  get  excited  about  beef  brisket  day,"  McCullough  says. 

Other  than  the  food,  Shafer  has  a  different  ambience  than  past 
VCU  dining  centers.  Holmes  says. 

Compared  to  Founders'  basement  and  the  first  floor  of  the  old 
Hibbs  Building,  Market  8lO  offers  brightly  colored  walls  and  surround- 
ing windows  that  allow  for  more   natural  light.  Wandering  around 


VCU  dining  evolves  with  societal  trends  and  students'  ever-changing  taste  buds. 

[then]  In  the  early  1970s,  students  lined  up  for  cafeteria-style  meals  at  the  dining 
center  located  in  the  Hibbs  Buildipg. 

[now]  Today,  a  myriad  of  different  fare  —  including  vegetarian,  Mongolian  and  Ameri 
—  are  created  and  served  in  front  of  the  students  at  the  award-wining,  56,000-sqi 
foot  Shafer  Court  Dining  Center. 


extra  for  the  iced  tea. 

"But  it  was  worth  it,"  she  says.  "I  remember  the  iced  tea  was  wonderful 
absolutely  wonderful.  We  used  to  get  two  glasses  at  a  time." 


Kelli  Craig  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court 
Connections. 


op  photo:  Special  Collections  and  Archives,  VCU  Libraries;  Bottom  photo:  Robert  Benson 


Spring  2O08  I  37 


Datebook 


Mark  your  calendars  for  these  Virginia  Commonwealth  University 
and  VCU  Alumni  Association  events.  For  more  alumni  activities, 
go  to  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org  or  www.vcu-aaac.org,  or  visit 
http://events.vcu.edu  for  campus  happenings. 


MAY 

May  9-18 

Master  of  Fine  Arts  Thesis  Exhibition, 
Round  2 

Anderson  Gallery 
(804)828-1522 

May  IO 

VCU  Music:  Greater  Richmond  Bands 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 

(804)828-1169 

May  17 


Spring  Commencement 

Alumni  Stars  reception* 

Snead  Hall 
(804)828-2586 

Commencement  Breakfast* 
Location  TBD 
(804)  828-2586 

Spring  Commencement 
Richmond  Coliseum 
(804)828-1917 

May  22 

VCUAA  Board  of  Directors  Meeting* 

University  Student  Commons 
(804)  828-2856 

TBD 

African-American  Alumni  Council 
Meeting* 

Robertson  Alumni  House 
(804)828-2586 


JUNE 

June  4-13 

Alumni  Campus  Abroad  Trip:  French 
Riviera* 

(804)828-2586 

June  14 

African-American  Alumni  Council 
Meeting* 

Robertson  Alumni  House 
(804)828-2586 

JULY 

July  2-15 

Alumni  Campus  Abroad  Trip:  Ukraine 
on  the  Dnieper  River* 

(804)828-2586 

SEPTEMBER 

Sept.  13 

The  Daedalus  Quartet 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)828-1169 

Sept.  17-29 

Alumni  Campus  Abroad  Trip:  China 
Discovery* 

(804)828-2586 


The  Daedalus  Quartet 

Sept.  16 

26th  Opening  Faculty  Address  and  Convocation 

Hermes  A.  Kontos  Medical  Sciences  Building 
(804)828-6162 


OCTOBER 

Oct.  20-24 

Friends  of  the  Library  Annual  Book  Sale 

James  Branch  Cabell  Library 
(804)828-1105 


Friends  of  the  Library  Annual  Book  Sale 

Oct.  24-26 
Fall  Fest 

Various  events/locations 
(804)828-6500 

Oct.  25 

Awadagin  Pratt,  piano 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-1169 


*VCUAA  events 


38  !  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


jHSmsRGIIsHI 


Student  enrollment:  1947 

Grove  Avenue  Baptist  Church  served 
as  the  location  for  the  1947  Richmond  Professional  Institute 
commencement  where  Provost  Henry  H.  Hibbs,  Ph.D., 
addressed  fewer  than  250  graduates.  In  the  midst  of  a  spike 
in  enrollment,  RPI  grew  from  450  full-time  students  in 
1940  to  I.IOO  in  1952.  By  RPFs  June  i960  commencement 
ceremony,  more  than  400  students  graduated  from  what  is 
now  Virginia  Commonwealth  University. 


frail 


Bin 


i 


Wt 


/  Web  site  at 

www.vcu-mcvalumni.org 

for  all  alumni  news,  events,  online  membership  and  more! 


O    BE    A 


vcu 


Virginia  Commonwealth  University 

Office  of  Alumni  Relations 

924  West  Franklin  Street 

P.O.  Box  843044 

Richmond,  Virginia  23284-3044 

Address  Service  Requested 


Non-profit  Organization 

U.S.  Postage  Paid 

Permit  No.  869 

RICHMOND,  VA