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Campus  concerts:  2008 

Grammy  Award-winning  artist  Sheryl  Crow  plays 
to  Virginia  Commonwealth  University  students 
and  Richmond  community  members  at  Monroe  Park  as  part  of  the  20o8 
Rock  the  Vote  tour  with  Jack  Johnson  and  the  Beastie  Boys.  Later  that  night, 
the  performers  urged  a  crowd  of  5.300  at  tne  Richmond  Coliseum  to  get 
out  and  vote. 


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Contents 


[FEATURES] 

8     >     Welcome  to  the  family 

Virginia  Commonwealth  University's  fifth  president, 
Michael  Rao,  Ph.D.,  joins  the  campus  community. 

12     >     Smart  pick 

After  a  summer  of  recruiting,  Shaka  Smart  prepares 
to  take  the  floor  as  VCU's  new  men's  basketball  coach. 

14     >     Lights,  camera,  action 

Peep  This  helps  young  African-American  males  gain 
perspective  through  documentary  filmmaking. 

16     >     Celebrate  VCU 

A  new  alumni  association  agenda  promotes  university 
pride  and  service  among  graduates. 

22     >     Helping  hands 

Donors  step  in  to  save  student  scholarships  in  jeopardy 
of  losing  funding  due  to  the  faltering  economy. 

[DEPARTMENTS] 

2      >     Circa 

Campus  concerts:  2008. 

5     >     University  news 

Noteworthy  news  and  research  at  VCU. 

18  >     Face  to  face 

Diane  Reynolds  talks  about  organizing  a  university- 
wide  effort  to  fill  the  foodbank. 

19  >     My  college  town 

Richmond's  national  reputation  as  a  road-racing 
destination  continues  to  grow. 

20     >     The  big  picture 

Fall's  vibrant  foliage  frames  the  streets  of  VCU's 
Monroe  Park  Campus. 

26     >     Alumni  connections 

The  latest  news  from  the  alumni  association. 

31     >     Class  notes 

Updates  from  alumni,  faculty,  staff  and  friends. 

37  >     Then  and  now 

The  social  and  service  aspects  that  launched  Greek 
life  at  VCU  remain  intact  today. 

38  >     Datebook 

Upcoming  university  and  alumni  events. 

39  >     Circa 

Campus  concerts:  1989. 


Fall  2009  I 


Association  develops  avenues  for  alumni  service 

It  is  an  honor  to  introduce  myself  as  the  new 
president  of  your  Virginia  Commonwealth  University 
Alumni  Association.  These  are  exciting  times  at  your 
alma  mater,  as  we  welcome  President  Michael  Rao  and 
his  family  into  the  VCU  community.  Please  read  the 
article  on  Page  8  to  learn  more  about  him. 

Based  on  the  fall  2007  alumni  survey  results,  as 
well  as  the  results  of  the  May  2008  Alumni  Symposia, 
your  association  has  established  three  primary  strategic 
initiatives  to  undertake  during  the  next  two  years,  and 
I  invite  you  to  join  and  work  with  volunteers  and  staff 
to  support  one  or  more  of  the  them. 

We  will  focus  on: 

Service  to  community  and  VCU 

University  engagement  and  student-alumni 
programs 

Membership  acquisition  and  retention 

More  detailed  information  is  available  for  each 
on  Page  l6. 

Alumni  services  are  not  limited  to  social  programming,  and  we  hope  the  new  service  and  engagement 
priorities  will  provide  a  more  natural  means  for  bringing  you  and  other  VCU  graduates  into  the  black- 
and-gold  fold.  VCU  alumni  tell  us  they  want  to  give  back  to  the  university  and  "pay  it  forward"  to  benefit 
future  generations  of  students.  They  clearly  see  their  alumni  association  as  a  catalyst  for  promoting  service 
to  the  community  and  to  the  university. 

We  also  want  to  involve  our  university  partners,  such  as  the  Division  of  Community  Engagement,  to 
make  sure  we  tackle  service  projects  collaboratively.  But  it's  not  just  about  giving  back  in  the  Richmond 
area;  we  want  VCU  alumni  like  you  to  lead  these  efforts  regardless  of  where  you  live. 

We  want  to  find  more  ways  to  connect  to  students,  to  make  sure  they're  engaged  in  opportunities  for 
service  with  our  alumni.  We  also  want  to  make  sure  we're  motivating  students  to  become  actively  involved 
with  the  VCUAA  while  they're  on  campus  so  when  they  receive  their  diploma,  one  of  the  things  they  give 
to  themselves  is  an  active  dues  membership  in  their  alumni  association. 

Alumni  play  a  critical  role  in  the  continued  success  of  the  association's  goals  and,  in  turn,  the  growth 
of  the  university  as  a  leading  institution  of  higher  education.  I  invite  you  to  connect,  engage  and  serve 
as  an  active  dues-paying  member  and  volunteer  leader. 

Yours  for  VCU, 


Donna  Dalton  (M.Ed.  'OO/E) 
President,  VCU  Alumni  Association 


M        H    On  the  cover 

[jj                  1      VCU  Pres.dent  Michael  Rao.  Ph.D.,  Mrs. 
gSr    >B*3^B     1      Monica  Pao  and  Ineir  sons,  Miguel,  9,  and 
BB^PT^^^gJ      Aiden,  1,  at  the    Truth  and  Beauty    sculp- 
*fw  ^^H      ture  located  on  the  Monroe  Part  Campus. 

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FSC 


Mixed  Sources 

Product  group  from  well-managed 
forests,  controlled  sources  and 
recycled  wood  or  fiber 
www.fsc.org  Cert  no.  BV-COC-069111 
©  1 996  Forest  Stewardship  Council 


Fall  2009  •  Volume  I|>,  Number  I 
www.vcu-mcvalumni.  orff 


Assistant  Vice  President, 
University  Alumni  Relations 
Gordon  A.  McDougall 

Executive  Director, 

VCU  Alumni  Association 

Diane  Stout-Brown  (B.S.W.  '80/SW) 

Editorial 

Kristen  Caldwell  (B.S.  '94/MO 

Design 
Trina  Lambert 

Photography 
Linda  George 

Production 
Jessica  Foster 

Contributors 

Editorial:  Kelli  Anderson,  Claire  Hairfield 
(B.A.  '08/H&S),  Jennifer  Carmean 
(B.S.  '98/H&S),  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.  '01/MC),  Haley  Hollenbach 
(B.FA.   Ol/A).  Katie  McBride  (B.F.A.  '04/A), 
Matthew  Phillips  (M.F.A.  '87/A),  Shannon 
Williams 

Photography:  VCU  Libraries  —  Special  Collections 
and  Archives,  Kevin  Casey,  Allen  Jones 
(B.F.A.  '82/Ai  M.F.A.  '92/A),  Tom  Kojcsich 

Shafer  Court  Connections  is  published 
semiannually  by  the  VCU  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 
or  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 

Letters  to  the  editor  should  be  sent  to  Shafer 
Court  Connections.  Virginia  Commonwealth 
University,  827  W.  Franklin  St.,  P.O.  Box 
842041,  Richmond,  VA  23284-2041,  or 
e-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. 

©  2009.  Virginia  Commonwealth  University. 

An  equal  opportunity,  affirmative  action  university.   090505-OO 


VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


University  news 


Virginia  Commonwealth  University 
news  and  research.  For  the 
latest  updates,  visit  VCU  online 
at  www.news.vcu.edu. 


VCU  TV/HD  captures  two  regional  Emmys 

VCU  TV/HD  won  two  regional  awards  for  excellence  at  the  5lst  Emmy  Awards  held 
June  6  in  Washington,  DC.  The  ceremony  was  sponsored  by  the  National  Capital 
Chesapeake  Bay  Chapter  of  the  National  Academy  of  Television  Arts 
and  Sciences. 

VCU  TV-HD  received  an  Emmy  in  the  "Documentary  -  Cultural" 
category  for  "VCU  Qatar."  Lisa  Figueroa  (B.S.  '07/MC)  served  as 
senior  producer  and  Jordan  Rodericks  (B.S.  '09/MC)  as  producer 
for  the  program.  In  the  category  of  "Public/Current/Community 
Affairs  -   Program/Special,"  VCU  TV/HD  received  an   Emmy  for 
"Chop  Suey,"  produced  by  Alexander  Germanotta  (B.F.A.  '08/A). 

"We  are  really  excited  about  winning  these  awards,"  says  Dan  Brazda, 
VCU  TV/HD  executive  producer.  "Being  awarded  the  Emmys  is  especially 
gratifying  because  we  are  a  college  operation  that  is  essentially  competing 
against  broadcast  stations  and  production  facilities." 

VCU  TV/HD  is  one  of  the  first  student-run  operations  in  the  country 
to  produce  programming  in   a   high-definition  format.  A  partnership  with 
Community   Idea  Stations,  owned   by  Commonwealth   Public   Broadcasting, 
allows  the  programs  to  run  on  WCVW  Richmond  PBS  channel  57  (cable  channel 
24  in  the  Richmond  area). 

Program  downloads  and  a  broadcast  schedule  are  available  at  www.vcutvhd.vcu 
.edu/shows/schedule.html.  The  programs  also  can  be  downloaded  for  free  on 
iTunes  in  both  the  iPod  and  HD  versions. 


VCU  adds  buildings  to  campus  map 

Earlier  this  year  VCU  opened  two  new  health 
sciences  buildings,  augmenting  educational 
and  research  space  on  its  MCV  Campus. 

The    $71-5    million,    eight-story    Molecular 

Medicine   Research   Building  opened   in  April 

with  125. OOO  square  feet  of  research  space  that 

houses  48  principal  investigators  and  their 

staffs.   The  open  layout  of  the  laboratory 

floors  encourages  interaction  among 

researchers  across  disciplines. 

The  facility  incorporates  key 
energy-conservation  features, 
such    as   water-efficient    fix- 
tures and   environmentally 
friendly,   low-hydrocarbon 
construction     materials, 


the  U.S.  Green  Building  Council  in  anticipa- 
tion of  receiving  sustainability  certification. 

In  June,  VCU  dedicated  a  $20  million  addi- 
tion to  the  VCU  School  of  Dentistry,  named 
in  honor  of  dental  alumnus  and  former  Board 
of  Visitors  Rector  W.  Baxter  Perkinson  Jr., 
D.D.S.  (D.D.S.  '70/D). 

The  four-story,  55-000~scluare~f00t  struc- 
ture connects  the  existing  Wood  and  Lyons 
buildings  and  enables  the  school  to  increase 
student  enrollment  in  dentistry  and  dental 
hygiene,  to  expand  research  and  to  improve 
patient  access  to  care. 

The  new  building  also  increases  the  school 
aboratory  space  for  the  Philips  Institute  of  Oral 
and    Craniofacial    Molecular    Biology,     whose 
researchers  collaborate  with  faculty  at  the  VCU 
Massey    Cancer    Center    and    the    School 
of  Engineering 


Being  awarded  the  Emmys  is 
especially  gratifying  because 
we  are  a  college  operation  that 
is  essentially  competing  against 
broadcast  stations  and  produc- 
tion facilities.     -  Dan  Brazda 


Network  joins  regional  resources 

VCU  joined  a  national  network  of  sites 
selected  to  improve  and  enhance  the  birth-to- 
career  educational  pipeline. 

Through  Bridging  Richmond,  a  partnership 
of  education,  business,  nonprofit,  community, 
civic  and  philanthropic  groups,  VCU  will  coor- 
dinate existing  regional  resources  for  students 
in  Richmond  and  the  surrounding  counties 
of  Chesterfield,  Hanover  and  Henrico. 

The  program  is  one  of  four  sites  adopting 
this  collaborative  approach  to  education.  The 
program  also  is  being  set  up  in  Hayward,  Calif., 
Houston  and  Indianapolis. 

The  network  will  be  supported  by  Living 
Cities,  a  collaborative  of  21  of  the  world's  larg- 
est foundations  and  financial  institutions,  and 
the  Coalition  of  Urban  Serving  Universities, 
a  partnership  of  39  urban  universities,  includ- 
ing VCU.  that  have  committed  to  ensuring  their 
institutions  guide  the  revitalization  of  their 
communities. 

Jo  Lynne  DeMary,  Ed.D.,  (M.Ed.  72/E), 
executive  director  of  the  VCU  School  of 
Education  Center  for  School  Improvement, 
will  provide  leadership  for  the  partnership. 


Fall  2009  [  5 


[university  news] 


New  Ph.D.  program  focuses  on  nano 

Beginning  in  January  2010,  VCU  will  start 
training  a  new  generation  of  chemists  and 
physicists  to  explore  the  rapidly  emerging  fields 
of  nanoscience  and  nanotechnology  through 
a  new  interdisciplinary  doctoral  degree  program. 
VCU  is  the  first  major  research  university  in  the 
state  to  offer  such  a  progTam,  and  one  of  only 
a  handful  of  programs  in  the  U.S. 

Developed  by  faculty  in  the  VCU  depart- 
ments of  Chemistry  and  Physics,  the  program 
will  cross-train  students  in  the  physical  sciences 
of  chemistry  and  physics  with  particular  focus  on 
how  the  science  changes  at  reduced  dimensions. 
The  proposed  curriculum  will  help  prepare  stu- 
dents for  positions  in  industry  or  government 
research  by  providing  them  an  opportunity 
to  work  beyond  traditional  scientific  boundaries 
to  examine  the  theoretical  underpinnings  of  nano. 

NSF  grants  target  math  instruction 

The  National  Science  Foundation  awarded  $IO 
million  in  grants  to  VCU  researchers  to  improve 
mathematics  instruction  and  student  learning 
in  middle  schools  and  rural  elementary  schools 
in  Virginia. 

The  initiatives  will  prepare  teachers  to  serve 
as  mathematics  specialists  who  in  turn  coach 
other  teachers.  In  addition,  research  will  be 
conducted  to  determine  the  impact  of  the  spe- 
cialists on  instruction  and  student  learning. 

The  project  will  be  carried  out  by  VCU's 
Department  of  Mathematics  and  Applied 
Mathematics  and  the  School  of  Education,  in 
collaboration  with  the  University  of  Virginia, 
Norfolk  State  University,  Longwood  University, 
Virginia  Tech,  the  University  of  Maryland,  the 
Virginia  Department  of  Education,  the  General 
Assembly,  the  Virginia  Mathematics  and  Science 
Coalition  and  participating  school  systems. 


Administrative  notes 


Michael  Sesnowitz,  Ph.D.,  retired  as  dean  of 
the  VCU  School  of  Business,  joining  the 
Department  of  Economics  as  a  professor. 
David  Urban,  Ph.D.,  who  has  served  on 
the  VCU  faculty  for  20  years,  will  replace 
him  as  interim  dean  while  a  national 
search  to  fill  the  position  is  conducted. 

Branding  innovator  Kelly  O'Keefe  joined 
the  VCU  Brandcenter's  leadership  team 
as  managing  director.  He  had  served  as 
a  professor  and  director  of  the  school's 
executive  education  program  since  2006. 


6  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


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The  award-winning  Hunton  Student  Center  serves  as  the  first  student  commons  for  the  MCV  Campus.  Renovations 
for  this  modern  student  facility  preserve  the  historical  features  of  the  building,  such  as  original  church  pews. 


The  five-year  grants  will  build  on  the  success 
of  an  earlier  NSF-supported  research  effort  led 
by  the  mathematics  and  applied  mathematics 
department  to  improve  elementary  school  math 
instruction  and  student  learning  in  urban  and 
suburban  Virginia  communities  through  the 
introduction  of  mathematics  specialists. 

Award  honors  Hunton  renovation 

VCU's  Hunton  Student  Center  is  one  of  five 
recipients  of  the  Association  of  College  Unions 
International  Facility  Design  Award,  which  recog- 
nizes excellence  in  design  of  college  unions  as  well 
as  other  student-centered  campus  buildings. 

"The  award  validates  our  belief  that  saving  this 
historical  structure  by  creating  a  modern  student 
center,  while  honoring  its  past  as  a  church,  was 
more  than  the  right  thing  to  do,"  says  Tim  Reed, 
Ph.D.,  director  of  University  Student  Commons 
and  Activities. 

The  $6  million  renovation  project,  completed 
in  2006,  transformed  the  166-year-old  former 
Baptist  church  into  a  comfortable  gathering  place 
for  students  on  the  MCV  Campus.  The  three- 
story  center  includes  a  student  lounge,  dining  and 
recreation  areas,  and  study  rooms  and  offices. 

Team  engineers  OR  table  prototype 

At  VCU's  first  da  Vinci  Day  celebration  in 
April,  a  group  of  VCU  engineering,  business 
and  arts  students  unveiled  the  prototype  of 
a  $500  operating  table  for  the  developing  world. 

A  standard  operating  table  can  cost  up 
to  $8o,000,  a  prohibitive  cost  for  many 
hospitals  in  Third  World 
countries.  For  less  than 
3   percent  of  the  price 
to    manufacture    surgi- 
cal   tables    in    the    U.S., 
the  full-size,  hospital-grade 

A  seven-member  stu- 
dent team,  including 
Mike  Garrett  (right), 

unveiled  the  prototype  for  the  $500  operating 
table  for  developing  countries  in  April. 


prototype  table  assembles  with  just  four  pieces  and 
folds  down  to  fit  into  an  easy-to-ship  24"inch 
cardboard  cube. 

The  student  team,  working  through  the  VCU 
da  Vinci  Center  for  Innovation  in  Product 
Design  and  Development,  included  Michael 
Mercier,  Jennifer  Koch,  Lauren  O'Neill,  Ana 
Cuison,  Skylar  Roebuck,  Mike  Garrett  and  Chris 
Johnson.  An  earlier  team  completed  the  project 
concept  in  spring  2008.  The  final  phase,  set 
to  begin  this  spring,  will  focus  on  producing 
and  marketing  the  table. 

VCU  experts  discuss  current  events 

VCU  OnTopic,  a  new  online  feature,  high- 
lights the  expertise  of  professors  throughout 
VCU,  showcasing  their  research  and  teaching 
interests  in  an  analysis  of  real-world  events. 
Each  OnTopic  segment  includes  video  clips  of 
an  individual  professor  discussing  a  topic  and 
a  short  article  summarizing  the  professor's 
view  on  the  subject.  Initial  OnTopic  interviews 
have  focused  on  various  angles  of  the  economic 
downturn,  including  presentations  by  Micah 
McCreary,  associate  professor  of  psychology,  on 
job-loss  jitters;  and  George  Hoffer,  professor 
of  economics,  on  the  U.S.  auto  industry's  strug- 
gles. In  addition,  Richard  Wenzel, 
chair  of  internal  medicine,  dis- 
cussed the  HlNl  flu  ("swine"  flu) 
outbreak. 

VCU    OnTopic   posts    regular 
updates  online   at  www. news 
.vcu.edu/ontopic. 


wm 


Students  earn  national  scholarships 

VCU  students  thrived  in  the  highly  competi- 
tive application  process  for  national  scholarships 
in  spring  2009- 

Recent  graduate  Jessica  Hite  (M.S.  'og/H&S) 
andjessica Jagger,  a  doctoral  student  in  the  School 
of  Social  Work,  became  the  fifth  and  sixth  VCU  stu- 
dents to  receive  funding  from  the  Fulbright  Program 
in  the  past  four  years.  Hite  and  Jagger  will 
use  their  awards  to  conduct  research  in 
Panama  andjamaica,  respectively. 

Syed  Mohammed  Karim,  a  senior 
majoring  in  chemistry,  became  the  sixth 
VCU  student  to  receive  a  Goldwater 
Scholarship  in  the  past  three  years.  The 
Goldwater  is  the  premier  national  schol- 
arship for  undergraduate  math,  science 
and  engineering  students. 

Ian  McMahon  and  Nataliya 
Slinko,  both  M.F.A.  candidates  in  the 
Department  of  Sculpture  and  Extended 
Media,  became  the  fifth  and  sixth  students  from 
the  program  to  be  named  Javits  Fellows  in  the  past 
six  years.  Jacob  K.  Javits  Fellowships  are  awarded 
to  graduate  students  of  superior  academic  ability 
in  the  arts,  humanities  and  social  sciences.  There 
are  typically  only  five  to  seven  Javits  recipients  each 
year  in  the  studio  arts,  which  include  sculpture. 

Nicole  Constance  (B.S.  '09/H&S;  B.S. 
09/WS)  received  a  National  Science  Foundation 
Graduate  Research  Fellowship  to  support  her 
pursuit  of  doctoral  studies.  She'll  use  the  three- 
year  fellowship  to  attend  Penn  State  University  to 
participate  in  Ph.D.  programs  in  human  devel- 
opment and  family  studies,  and  in  demography. 

Conschetta  Wright  (B.S.  'o7/N;  M.P.H. 
'09/M)  received  a  Critical  Language  Scholarship 
to  study  Arabic  in  an  eight-week  immersion 
program  in  Tunisia. 

Rice  Center  gains  LEED  certification 

The  Walter  L.  Rice  Education  Building  at  the 
VCU  Rice  Center  is  the  first  building  in  Virginia 
to  receive  the  U.S.  Green  Building  Council's 
LEED  platinum  certification,  the  highest  sustain- 
ability  rating  possible.  LEED,  which  stands  for 
Leadership  in  Energy  and  Environmental  Design, 
is  the  council's  leading  rating  system  for  design- 
ing and  constructing  the  world's  greenest,  most 
energy-efficient  and  high-performing  buildings. 

The  $2.6  million,  4<9°°_scluare~Ioot  edu- 
cation building  opened  in  20o8  and  houses 
lecture  and  laboratory  rooms  for  classes,  a  con- 
ference room  and  administrative  offices.  The 
building  was  named  the  region's  Overall  Project 
of  the  Year  in  the  Mid-Atlantic  Construction 
magazine's  Best  of  2009  awards  program. 

To  view  a  video  detailing  the  building's 
sustainable  strategies  for  efficient  energy  use, 
lighting,  water  and  material  use,  visit  http://go 
.vcu.edu/ricecentervideo. 


Research  report 


Study  sheds  light  on  how  malaria  parasite,  red  blood  cells  interact 

VCU  Life  Sciences  researchers  have  discovered  a  new  mechanism  the  malaria  parasite 
uses  to  enter  human  red  blood  cells,  which  could  lead  to  the  development  of  a  vaccine 
cocktail  to  fight  the  mosquito-borne  disease. 

According  to  the  Centers  for  Disease  Control  and  Prevention, 
between  350  million  and  500  million  cases  of  malaria  occur 
worldwide  annually,  and  more  than  1  million  people,  mostly  chil- 
dren living  in  sub-Saharan  Africa,  die  each  year  from  it. 

The  team  examined  how  the  malaria  parasite  interacts  with 
red  blood  cells.  The  findings  revealed  that  the  EBL-1  molecule  is 
the  specific  attachment  site  used  by  the  parasite  on  glycophorin 
B,  a  molecule  found  on  the  surface  of  human  red  blood  cells. 

"Down  the  road,  the  EBL-1  molecule  could  be  used  as  a  vac- 
cine target  against  malaria  as  part  of  a  multivalent  vaccine,  or 


.■*?'  :',:'!(yiSiSfcii£s': '•"* ''  ■■■        Ph.D.,  assistant  professor  in  VCU's  Department  of  Biology. 

Mayer  worked  with  researchers  from  the  VCU  Department 
of  Biology,  the  National  Institute  of  Allergy  and  Infectious  Diseases  and  the  Department 
of  Organismic  and  Evolutionary  Biology  at  Harvard  University. 

Researchers  identify  gene  linked  to  liver  cancer  progression 

VCU  Massey  Cancer  Center  researchers  have  identified  a  gene  that  plays  a  key 
role  in  regulating  liver  cancer  progression,  a  discovery  that  could  one  day  lead 
to  new  targeted  therapeutic  strategies  to  fight  the  highly  aggressive  disease. 

Hepatocellular  carcinoma,  HCC  or  liver  cancer,  is  the  fifth  most  common  v 
cancer  and  the  third  leading  cause  of  cancer  deaths  in  the  world.  Treatment  jC 
options  for  HCC  include  chemotherapy,  chemoembolization,  ablation  and  (C 
proton-beam  therapy.  Liver  transplantation  offers  the  best  chance  for  a  cure  ^rt 
in  patients  with  small  tumors  and  significant  associated  liver  disease.  ^^^\ 

The  study,  led  by  principal  investigator  Devanand  Sarkar,  Ph.D.,  /c^^^» 
MBBS,  was  published  in  the  Journal  of  Clinical  Investigation. 

Hearing  loss  study  finds  regions  of  brain  convert  to  sense  of  touch 

VCU  School  of  Medicine  researchers  have  discovered  that  adult  animals  with  hearing 
loss  actually  re-route  the  sense  of  touch  into  the  hearing  parts  of  the  brain. 

In  the  study,  published  online  in  the  Early  Edition  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  National 
Academy  of  Sciences,  the  team  reported  a  phenomenon  known  as  cross-modal  plasticity 
in  the  auditory  system  of  adult  animals.  Cross-modal  plasticity  refers  to  the  replacement 
of  a  damaged  sensory  system  by  one  of  the  remaining  ones.  In  this  case,  the  sense  of  hear- 
ing is  replaced  with  touch. 

About  15  percent  of  American  adults  suffer  from  some  form  of  hearing  impairment, 
which  can  significantly  impact  quality  of  life,  especially  in  the  elderly. 

The  findings  provide  researchers  and  clinicians  with  insight  into  how  the  adult  brain 
retains  the  ability  to  rewire  itself  on  a  large  scale,  as  well  as  the  factors  that  could  compli- 
cate treatment  of  hearing  loss  with  hearing  aids  or  cochlear  implants. 


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6  ■  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


New  Virginia  Commonwealth  University  President  Michael  Rao,  Ph 
joins  the  campus  community  with  excitement  for  advancing 
Virginia's  premier  urban  research  institution 


ichael  Rao,  Ph.D.,  began  his  24~hour,  seven -day- 
a-weekjob  as  president  of  Virginia  Commonwealth 
University  on  July  I,  2009,  and  just  seems  to  thrive  on  every 
minute  of  it.  As  he  tends  to  the  nonstop  demands  of  the  state's 
largest  university.  Dr.  Rao  makes  every  effort  to  involve  his 
tight -knit  family  —  wife  Monica  and  sons  Miguel,  who  turns  IO 
in  November,  and  Aiden,  who  turned  I  in  May  —  in  his 
VCU  duties. 

Since  moving  to  Richmond,  Va.,  from  Michigan,  the  entire 
family  has  immersed  itself  in  all  things  VCU.  One  of  their  VCU 
experiences  came  in  late  August  when  the  Raos  helped  members 
of  the  freshman  class  of  2013  move  into  their  residence  halls 
on  the  Monroe  Park  Campus.  Sporting  VCU  gear,  the  family 
warmly  welcomed  students  to  their  new  home. 

"Move-in  day  was  an  enjoyable  time  for  us  because  we  finally 
got  our  chance  to  meet  so  many  students  —  the  people  who  are  at 
the  center  of  our  mission  and  work,  "  Dr.  Rao  says.  "The  students 
with  whom  we  spoke  made  our  entire  week  very  fulfilling." 

President  Rao  hopes  his  family  will  be  an  integral  —  and 
visible  —  part  of  the  presidency.  Monica  Rao,  a  native  of 
Bombay,  now  Mumbai,  India,  already  has  begun  work  bolstering 
relations  among  VCU's  international  alumni,  a  growing  and 
important  part  of  the  university's  alumni  family.  Miguel's  and 
Aiden' s  roles  are  less  formal  but  perhaps  equally  important. 
"My  sons  make  such  a  big  difference  in  my  understanding 
of  how  rapidly  students  are  changing,"  Dr.  Rao  says. 

Dr.  Rao's  rise  in  academia  seems  unprecedented,  but  the 
presidency  at  VCU  is  his  third  in  higher  education.  Despite  his 
relative  youth,  the  43_year-°lcl  served  as  president  at  Central 
Michigan  University  for  nine  years,  one  of  the  three  longest- 
serving  presidents  among  Michigan's  15  public  universities. 
Previously,  he  served  as  chancellor  of  a  campus  in  Montana  and 
president  of  another  campus  in  California. 

"I  was  drawn  to  VCU  because  it  is  a  university  that  fosters 
entrepreneurship,    innovation,    access,    student    and   alumni 


success  and  diversity,"  Dr.  Rao  says.  "As  I  look  to  the  future, 
these  qualities  will  flourish  as  VCU  solidifies  its  position  as 
a  first-choice  university  for  many  of  the  most  motivated 
and  talented  students  from  Virginia  and  beyond." 

More  than  20  years  of  experience  in  higher  education  have 
taught  President  Rao  the  importance  of  challenging  students 
and  his  faculty  colleagues  to  high  standards.  Excellence  is  a  cen- 
tral theme  of  his  leadership  and  he  uses  every  opportunity  to 
emphasize  it.  At  the  2009  New  Student  Convocation,  Dr.  Rao 
inspired  the  crowd  of  more  than  a  thousand,  telling  them  that 
he  expected  them  to  be  "in  no  way  average"  and  "in  every  way 
excellent,"  reminding  them  that  they  are  —  and  will  forever 
be  —  an  important  part  of  VCU  and  its  reputation. 

"Every  time  I  have  ever  challenged  students  to  new  heights, 
they  not  only  appreciate  it  but  also  thrive  on  it  and  often  exceed 
my  expectations,"  he  says.  "This  is  at  the  core  of  what  I  think 
is  going  to  help  make  America  successful  and  competitive.  It  is 
also  at  the  core  of  convincing  people  to  live  the  fullest  and  most 
rewarding  lives  possible." 

Another  important  lesson  President  Rao  learned  in  his  years 
of  working  in  higher  education,  particularly  public  higher  edu- 
cation, involves  the  challenges  of  delivering  world-class  learning 
opportunities  in  troubled  economic  times.  Sometimes,  he  says, 
a  lack  of  resources  makes  "our  challenges  clearer"  and  inspires 
creative  thinking. 

"It  is  in  these  economic  downturns  that  we  find  oppor- 
tunities to  position  ourselves  for  the  upswing  that  inevitably 
follows,"  Dr.  Rao  says.  "Sometimes  the  economic  cycles  are 
trying  to  tell  us  to  rethink  what  we  know  today." 

Dr.  Rao  believes  that  VCU  sits  in  a  good  position  to  face 
today's  economic  challenges,  especially  in  terms  of  its  infra- 
structure and  the  VCU  2020  strategic  plan,  which  since  20o6 
has  resulted  in  significantly  improved  retention  rates,  the  hiring 
of  renowned  interdisciplinary  faculty  and  the  establishment 
of  successful  academic  programs  such  as  the  University  College. 


Left:  VCU  President  Michael  Rao,  Ph.D..  walks  along  Shafer 
Court  with  his  two  sons,  Miguel  and  Aiden,  and  his  wife,  Monica. 


Fall  2009 


President  Michael  Rao, 

Ph.D.,  greets  students  at 

Cary  and  Belvidere 

Residential  College  during 

Aug.  15  move-in  day. 


?f 


eir  success. 


>> 


"One  thing  is  clear,"  he  says.  "We  are  going  to  be  very 
deliberate  about  being  a  well-recognized,  competitive, 
urban  public  research  university  committed  to  student 
success  at  all  levels." 

At  the  August  Board  of 
Visitors  meeting,  Dr.  Rao 
endorsed  that  commitment 
and  revealed  his  top  priority: 
enhancing  the  student  experi- 
ence at  VCU.  "Everything  we 
do  must  be  done  in  the  con- 
text of  strengthening  the  living 
and  learning  environment  for 
our  students  to  ensure  their 
success,"  he  says. 

The  living  and  learning 
environment  includes  all  of 
the  realms  in  which  students 
and  professors  learn  includ- 
ing libraries,  student  learning 
technologies  and  residential 
learning-living  spaces. 

Dr.  Rao  also  emphasizes 
that  as  a  human  develop- 
ment     organization,      VCU 

must  couple  the  successful  student  experience  with  excellent 
faculty  and  staff. 

"You  are  going  to  hear  this  again  and  again  —  everyone  who 
is  associated  with  VCU  must  be  the  very,  very  best  and  nothing 
but,"  he  says.  "We  need  to  be  sure  that  we  reward  performance 
and  commitment  to  student  learning  and  discovery  competi- 
tively" across  both  of  VCU's  campuses. 

He  emphasizes  the  importance  of  cross-campus,  interdis- 
ciplinary collaborations  to  support  the  university's  research 
mission  and  to  support  teaching,  learning  and  patient  care. 

Dr.  Rao  also  told  the  Board  of  Visitors  that  he's  focused  on 
cancer  research,  treatment  and  patient  care  and  has  reinforced 
this  priority  in  meetings  with  legislators,  the  governor,  the  uni- 
versity's vice  presidents  and  the  VCU  Health  System  leadership. 

"It  is  a  very  important  thing  for  us  to  be  rallied  around," 
Dr.  Rao  says.  "Virginia  ranks  I2th  not  only  for  population  but 
also  for  the  raw  number  of  cancer  cases  and  cancer  deaths.  It 
is  hard  to  rationalize  that  of  the  12  most  populous  states  in  the 
U.S.,  Virginia  is  one  of  only  two  that  does  not  have  a  NCI- 
designated  comprehensive  cancer  center.  We  must  elevate 
the  VCU  Massey  Cancer  Center's  NCI  designation  to  the 
comprehensive  level." 

His  other  priorities  include  strengthening  the  university's 
national  academic  profile  and  increasing  the  level  of  sponsored 
research.  Dr.  Rao  recognizes  that  these  goals  are  resource- 
intensive.  To  that  end,  he  proposes  diversification,  explaining 
that  VCU  cannot  be  too  dependent  on  any  one  revenue  source, 
including  public  funding.  He  suggests  that  as  a  public  univer- 
sity, VCU  must  ensure  that  it  has  sufficient  resources,  such  as 
scholarships,  to  recruit  qualified  and  motivated  students  who 
will  benefit  from  being  at  VCU. 


verything  we  do  must  be  done 
in  the  context  of  strengthening 
the  living  and  learning  environ- 
ment for  our  students  to  ensure 
th 


-  Michael  Rao,  Ph.D  . 


"Aggressive  scholarship  fundraising 
campaigns  with  our  alumni  and  friends 
—  many  of  whom  struggled  financially 
when  they  were  students  and  therefore 
understand  the  needs  of  our  students  — 
as  well  as  looking  at  other  ways  to  increase 
all  of  our  revenues  could  help  to  mini- 
mize the  nonscholarship  portion  of 
financial  aid,"  Dr.  Rao  says. 

The  president  will  look  to  VCU 
alumni  to  take  an  active  role  in  the  VCU 
community,  and  he  will  make  a  con- 
certed effort  in  the  coming  year  to  travel 
around  the  state  and  the  country  to  meet 
with  VCU  alumni. 

"I  have  learned  over  the  years  that 
there  is  no  university  stronger  than 
one  that  is  engaged  with  active  alumni, 
and  we  will  be  exploring  ways  to  engage  all  alumni  and  friends 
as  partners  in  shaping  the  future  of  this  great  institution," 
he  says. 

Dr.  Rao  takes  to  heart  VCU's  commitment  to  provide  an 
excellent  educational  learning  experience  for  its  students, 
many  of  whom,  like  alumni,  are  the  first  in  their  families  to 
attend  college.  His  face  lights  up  when  he  talks  about  students. 
"I  absolutely  re-energize  whenever  I  see  and  talk  with  students. 
It's  what  fuels  the  fire  I  have  always  had  for  higher  education," 
he  says.  "My  most  rewarding  experiences  have  been- meeting 
students  and  watching  them  graduate.  Commencement 
is  a  time  every  year  that  reminds  me  of  why  I  chose  to  do  what 
I  have  dedicated  my  life  to  doing." 


Joseph  Ornato,  M.D.,  (left)  professor 
and  chairman  of  VCU's  Department 
of  Emergency  Medicine,  takes  VCU 
President  Michael  Rao,  Ph.D.,  on  a 
tour  of  the  VCU  Medical  Center's 
emergency  department. 


IO  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


VCU's  first  lady  Monica  Rao  reflects  on  her  newest  role 

Half-time  member  of  the  faculty,  wife  of  a  university  president,  mother  of  two  active  boys, 
watercolorist,  graphic  designer  and  VCU's  first  lady,  Monica  Rao  looks  forward  to  the 
opportunities  for  engagement  that  her  family's  move  to  Richmond  brings. 


As  the  spouse  of  a  university  president  who  dedicates 
"virtually  all  of  his  time  to  leading  and  advancing  the  mis- 
sion of  the  university,"  she  says  it's  only  natural  for  her  and 
their  two  sons,  Miguel  and  Aiden,  to  also  be  deeply  engaged 
in  activities  that  support  both  the  president  and  VCU. 
"I  enjoy  serving  as  a  liaison  between  the  university  and  many 

of  its  constituencies,"  says 
Mrs.  Rao,  who  served  as  uni- 
versity outreach  liaison  at 
Central  Michigan  University 
for  nine  years.  "The  most 
important  lesson  I  have 
learned  as  'first  lady'  is  that 
a  university's  greatest  assets 
are  its  people  and  their  cre- 
ative ideas  and  ability  to 
implement  them  to  the  ben- 
efit of  society." 

International  alumni 
comprise  one  of  VCU's 
most  important  —  but 
previously  untapped  —  aud- 
iences. As  head  of  a  new 
VCU  Alumni  Association 
effort,  Mrs.  Rao  will  work 
to  "engage  international 
alumni  in  the  life  of  the 
university." 

Her  goals  for  this  part- 
time  administrative  faculty 
position  are  ambitious.  She 
is  already  forming  an  advi- 
sory board  and  is  working  closely  with  the  Office  of  International 
Education,  the  Office  of  Alumni  Relations  and  each  of  the  schools 
and  the  college  to  establish  three  chapters  in  countries  with 
the  biggest  populations  of  VCU  alumni. 

"International  alumni  can  effectively  serve  as  ambassadors 
for  VCU,  connecting  the  university  globally,"  she  says. 

Mrs.  Rao  knows  this  firsthand.  She  earned  a  diploma  in  com- 
mercial art/design  from  Nirmala  Niketan  Polytechnic  Institute  in 
India.  She  also  received  a  bachelor's  in  art/graphic  design  with 
a  minor  in  business  administration  and  a  master's  in  leadership 
from  CMU  and  maintains  strong  ties  to  both  of  her  alma  maters. 


A  professional  watercolorist,  Mrs.  Monica  Rao  enjoys 
experimenting  with  different  textured  surfaces  to 
create  vibrant  abstract  paintings  and  collages,  such  as 
"Royal  Falls,"  a  24-by-36-inch  mixed  media  on  canvas. 


She  was  immersed  in  the  creative  arts  and  music  from  her 
early  childhood  years  and  was  significantly  influenced  by  her 
artistic  family.  Her  grandfathers  and  uncles  are  renowned  Indian 
classical  musicians  and  her  paternal  uncle  was  a  professional  fine 
artist  whom  she  watched  in  his  studio  as  young  girl. 

"I  am  intrigued  by  sensations  that  are  created  by  looking  at 
various  colors  and  use  vibrant  colors  that  lift  my  spirits.  I  am 
attracted  to  unusual  textures  found  in  nature  and  work  on  a  vari- 
ety of  surfaces  focusing  on  images  with  the  use  of  heightened 
color,  texture  and  movement,"  she  says.  "My  imagination  unfolds 
with  swift  and  swirling  colorful  strokes,  creating  abstract  imagery 
and  a  world  of  possibilities." 

Her  work  has  been  exhibited  at  galleries  and  shows  in  India, 
Michigan,  Chicago  and  Montana,  and  she  hopes  to  share  her 
paintings  with  the  VCU  and  Richmond  communities.  That  is,  if  her 
other  roles  permit  her  the  time. 

"With  a  half-time  position  at  the  university,  two  very  active 
young  children  and  other  duties  as  a  university  president's 
spouse,  finding  time  to  devote  to  artwork  is  becoming  challeng- 
ing," she  says.  "In  the  near  future,  I  look  forward  to  investing  a  few 
hours  a  week  in  painting." 


The  VCU  Alumni  Assoc 


mi  to  attend  one  of 


the  following  Richmond-area  receptions  welcoming  President 
Michael  Rao  and  Mrs.  Monica  Rao.  Each  reception  will 
be  held  from  6  to  8  p.m.  —  with  remarks  at  7  —  and  includes 
hors  d'oeuvres  and  a  cash  bar.  Advance  registration  is 
required  as  space  is  limited  at  each  event.  To  RSVP,  visit 
www.MeetPresidentRao.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 

Additional  alumni  introduction  receptions  will  be  scheduled 
outside  the  greater  Richmond  area.  Go  online  for  upcoming 
dates:  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 


Doubletree  Hotel  Richmond 
Airport,  Sandston,  Va. 


Independence  Golf  Club 
Midlothian,  Va. 


Fall  2OO0 


12  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


VCU's  new  men's  basketball  coach  Shaka  Smart  readies  for  his  first  head  coaching  gig 

By  Erin  Epan 


A  suit  and  several  dress  shirts  hang  in  plastic  on  the  office  door 
of  Virginia  Commonwealth  University  men's  basketball  coach  Shaka 
Smart.  The  garments  lie  in  wait  just  in  case  the  first-time  head 
coach  needs  to  change  for  a  spur-of-the-moment  appearance. 
"That's  one  of  the  big  differences  about  being  a  head  coach,"  Smart 
says.  "You've  got  to  be  ready." 

Aside  from  the  clothes,  very  few  personal  effects  adorn  Smart's 
office.  "It's  not  me  yet,"  he  says  of  the  space  overlooking  the  basket- 
ball court  in  the  Stuart  C.  Siegel  Center.  "But  we've  been  working 
so  much  that  we'll  worry  about  that  later." 

At  his  introductory  press  conference  April  2,  2009,  Smart 
vowed  to  hit  the  ground  running.  He  kept  that  promise  and,  in 
the  first  three  months  on  the  job,  logged  long  hours  in  the  office 
and  on  the  road.  He  and  his  hard-working  staff  signed  three  strong 
recruits  in  April,  May  and  June. 

"We  added  one  each  month  we've  been  here,"  Smart  says.  "I  joke 
with  the  staff  that  if  we  keep  that  up  we'll  be  in  good  shape." 

Smart,  the  IOth  head  coach  in  the  VCU  program's  41-year  history, 
replaced  Anthony  Grant,  who  accepted  the  top  job  at  the  University 
of  Alabama  in  March.  Smart  arrived  after  serving  as  an  assistant 
coach  under  Billy  Donovan,  the  highly  respected  head  coach  of 
two-time  national  champion  University  of  Florida.  Before  that, 
Smart's  resume  included  positions  at  Clemson  University,  the 
University  of  Akron,  Dayton  University  and  California  University 
of  Pennsylvania.  Throughout  his  climb  up  the  coaching  ladder, 
the  32-year-old  earned  a  reputation  as  one  of  the  brightest  minds 
and  strongest  recruiters  in  the  Division  I  ranks. 

"Shaka  is  not  only  a  great  recruiter  but  one  of  the  best  in  college 
basketball,"  says  Norwood  Teague,  VCU's  director  of  athletics. 
"One  can  see  this  from  his  past  success  at  Clemson  and  Florida, 
as  well  as  his  recent  success  since  his  arrival  at  VCU." 

Aside  from  filling  staff  positions  and  recruiting  new  talent, 
Smart's  top  priorities  included  developing  relationships  with  his 
players  and  easing  them  through  the  switch  from  one  coach  to  the 
next.  He  took  the  squad  out  to  eat  to  get  to  know  one  another.  "Coach 
Smart  showed  us  that  we  were  a  team  again,"  says  VCU  junior 
center  Larry  Sanders.  He  was  very  understanding  of  our  situation 
and  helped  the  transition  go  smoothly." 

Also  high  on  Smart's  agenda:  making  sure  his  players  keep 
up  with  their  studies.  A  magna  cum  laude  history  graduate  of 
Kenyon  College,  with  a  master's  degree  in  social  science,  Smart 
serves  as  a  model  for  athletes  earning  their  degrees.  "I  expect  our 
players  to  pursue  a  degree  with  as  much  fervor  as  they  pursue  excel- 
lence on  the  basketball  court,"  he  says. 

On  the  court,  Smart  knows  the  coming  season  will  be  a  test 
for  the  Eric  Maynor-less  Rams.  Maynor,  the  best  player  in  school 
history  and  the  Rams'   designated  leader,   graduated  in  May  and 


made  the  leap  to  the  NBA.  Smart  holds  no  illusions  that  replacing 
a  player  of  his  caliber  will  happen  overnight. 

"Even  though  we  only  lost  one  starter,  it  feels  like  more  than 
that,"  Smart  says.  "Eric  provided  leadership,  he  provided  energy, 
he  provided  a  positive  example  and  he  provided  somebody  at  the 
end  of  a  game  who  could  win  it  for  you." 

The  question  of  who  will  guide  the  Rams  on  the  court  in  2009-IO 
remains  to  be  seen.  Certainly,  the  team  will  look  to  Sanders,  the 
Rams'  most  talented  player,  to  take  control.  "He's  ready  to  step 
into  that  role,"  Smart  says.  "The  best  thing  for  Larry  is  that  Eric 
provided  such  a  good  example  to  follow." 

Smart's  game  plan  includes  a  fast  offensive  pace,  with  lots  of 
full-court  pressure  defense.  The  word  havoc,  written  in  red  marker 
on  a  whiteboard  in  his  office,  reflects  what  he  and  his  staff  hope 
to  achieve.  "I  would  like  to  play  an  exciting  style  that  can  make 
opponents  less  comfortable  playing  their  style,"  Smart  says. 

Rabid  Ram  fans  will  also  play  a  role  in  flustering  opponents. 
"Eve  heard  the  fans  here  don't  take  a  back  seat  to  anyone,"  Smart 
says.  He  anticipates  a  fun,  frenzied  environment  in  the  Siegel 
Center  with  fans  acting  as  the  Rams'  sixth  man.  "We  want  to  make  it 
so  that  when  people  come  in  here  they  fear  not  just  our  style  of  play 
and  our  players  but  the  whole  atmosphere,"  Smart  says. 

After  a  busy  summer  traveling  to  Cincinnati,  Myrtle  Beach,  S.C., 
Orlando,  Fla.,  and  Las  Vegas  to  recruit,  Smart  returned  to  Richmond 
eager  for  the  season  —  and  his  first  game  —  to  begin.  "I'm  sure  there 
will  be  some  butterflies,"  he  says,  "just  because  this  is  something  that 
I  have  worked  toward  and  wanted  to  do  for  a  long  time." 

Positioned  on  the  sideline,  clad  in  a  suit  just  like  the  one 
hanging  on  his  office  door,  this  first-time  head  coach  stands  ready. 

Erin  Egan  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


Where  are  they  now? 


On  June  25,  2009,  the  Utah  Jazz  chose  6'2"  point 
guard  Eric  Maynor  (B.I.S.  '09/H&S)  with  the  20th 
pick  in  the  NBA  draft.  Maynor  ranks  as  the  first  VCU 
player  picked  in  the  first  round  of  the  draft  and  the 
first  Colonial  Athletic  Association  player  selected 
since  1999- 

The  Minnesota  Lynx  chose  6'5"  center  Quanitra 
Hollingsworth  (B.S.  '08/H&S)  as  the  ninth  pick  in 
the  2009  WNBA  draft.  At  midseason,  the  20-year- 
old  rookie  proved  impressive  as  she  logged  quality 
minutes  coming  off  the  bench  for  the  Lynx. 


Fall  2009  1 13 


n  m\  w 


"i 


,       p 


( 


I 


By  Erin  Egan 


gives  young 

African-American 

men  a  voice 

through  film 

Donta  Dixon,  15,  and  Jordan  Best,  13,  huddle  around  a  glow- 
ing computer  monitor  in  the  office  of  the  Department  of  African 
American  Studies  at  Virginia  Commonwealth  University.  On  screen 
plays  a  documentary  the  duo  produced,  wrote  and  directed.  They 
intently  watch  the  nearly  completed  work  and  quietly  discuss  possible 
tweaks  as  Best  takes  copious  notes. 

Dixon  and  Best  emanate  calm  despite  the  fact  that  in  less  than 
three  weeks,  as  participants  in  Peep  This  —  a  VCU  program  created 
to  engage  young  African-American  males  through  filmmaking  — 
they  will  screen  their  work  at  the  famed  Byrd  Theatre. 

Peep  This  began  in  2008,  the  idea  of  Shawn  Utsey,  Ph.D.,  chair  of 
VCU's  Department  of  African  American  Studies  and  associate  profes- 
sor in  the  Department  of  Psychology.  Inspiration  struck  after  meeting 
Haile  Gerima,  an  Ethiopian  filmmaker  who  presented  one  of  his  films 
at  VCU  during  the  university's  Black  History  Month  celebration . 


'Haile  and  I  talked  about  the  problems  faced  by  black  males," 
Utsey  says.  "He  said  that  one  way  to  address  the  issue  would  be  to  get 
cameras  in  their  hands  and  let  them  tell  their  story." 

Running  with  the  suggestion,  Utsey  proposed  a  collaborative 
effort  between  the  Department  of  African  American  Studies,  the 
Department  of  Photography  and  Film,  the  College  of  Humanities 
and  Sciences'  doctoral  program  in  media,  art  and  text,  and 
the  Richmond-based  East  District  Family  Resource  Center. 
He  earned  a  grant  through  the  VCU  Council  for  Community 
Engagement. 

The  first  session,  or  cycle,  ran  for  II  weeks,  starting  Aug.  ^O, 
2008.  With  additional  funding  from  Capital  One,  a  second  six-week 
session  took  place  in  fall  2008.  Another  community-engagement 
grant,  plus  funding  from  Capital  One  and  the  Virginia  Film  Office, 
allowed  a  third  group  of  students  to  convene  for  six  weeks  starting  in 
July  2009.  Utsey  hopes  more  sessions  will  follow.  "The  cycles  appear 
when  we  get  the  money,"  he  says. 

The  number  of  Peep  This  participants  varies  from  five  to  10, 
with  students  ranging  in  age  from  13  to  Ij.  They  meet  Fridays  and 
Saturdays  to  learn  all  aspects  of  documentary  filmmaking,  from 
researching  to  interviewing  to  filming  to  editing.  Guest  speakers 
from  the  film  industry  also  make  appearances.  At  the  end  of  each 
session,  participants  grouped  into  teams  of  two  or  three  complete 
a  five-minute  documentary  on  the  subject  of  their  choice. 

"Each  time  we've  done  the  program,  the  projects  have  improved," 
Utsey  says. 

Students  apply  for  participation  in  Peep  This  and  Utsey  usually 
has  about  twice  as  many  applications  as  available  spots.  Selecting  the 
candidates  proves  a  challenging  task  for  him.  "It's  really  difficult 
to  let  anyone  down,  particularly  when  students  want  to  do  something," 
Utsey  says. 

Best,  a  high  school  freshman  from  Chesterfield,  Va.,  inher- 
ited his  love  of  movies  from  his  father,  who  had  an  interest  in  film. 
Through  Peep  This,  Best  discovered  that  "I  like  to  write  stories  and 
like  the  shooting  part  of  making  a  movie,"  he  says. 


His  teammate,  Richmond  native  Dixon,  relishes  the  editing  pro- 
cess but  finds  the  overall  program  an  educational  experience.  "It  has 
opened  my  eyes  to  film,"  he  says.  "I'm  really  enjoying  it." 

Utsey  teaches  the  technical  aspects  of  the  program  but  relies  on 
several  enthusiastic  and  dedicated  volunteers  for  additional  help. 
Shanika  Smiley  (B.F.A.  04/A),  a  VCU  sculpture  and  extended 
media  graduate,  assists  students  with  the  editing  process.  "I  enjoy 
the  fact  that  I'm  encouraging  young  people,"  she  says.  "I  want  them 
to  feel  like  when  they  get  older  they  can  do  anything." 

Jannida  Chase  (M.F.A.  09/A)  graduated  from  VCU  with  a  mas- 
ter's in  fine  arts  with  a  concentration  in  photography  and  film  and 
began  helping  with  the  program  at  its  inception.  "It's  a  medium  that 
I  love,"  she  says.  "And  being  involved  with  a  program  that  exposes 
students  to  film  is  so  positive." 

Utsey  —  and  participants'  parents  —  notice  behavioral  changes  in 
students  over  the  course  of  a  cycle.  Kids  gain  focus,  build  confidence 
and  make  connections  with  fellow  budding  filmmakers.  "I've  been 
really  pleased  with  how  well  they  get  along  and  how  well  they  work 
together,"  Utsey  says. 

Back  in  the  editing  room,  16-year-old  Charles  Johnson  of 
Richmond  works  on  his  film  about  hip-hop  music,  fashion  and  peer 
pressure.  "I'm  amazed  it  takes  weeks  of  work  to  get  this  little  bit," 
he  says  of  his  five-minute  product.  "It's  hectic.  But  I  love  it  and  feel 
proud  of  it." 

At  the  July  12  screening  at  the  Byrd  Theatre,  the  audience  of 
nearly  IOO  buzzes  with  excitement.  Johnson  seems  delighted  by  the 
response  to  his  project.  Dixon  and  Best  practically  beam  with  pride 
about  reaction  to  their  documentary  of  the  Peep  This  program.  "It's 
a  big  deal  that  this  many  people  want  to  see  what  we  think,"  Dixon 
says. 

Utsey  might  be  the  proudest  of  all.  He  would  be  thrilled  if  any  of  his 
students  decided  on  a  career  in  film,  but  ultimately,  he  says.  "I'm  hoping 
that  they  just  have  a  positive  experience  and  that  something  might  click." 

Erin  Egan  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


Fall  2009  1 15 


The  VCU  All 


Associati 


ie  vtu  Alumni  Associations  200911 
strategic  plan  creates  a  culture  of  connection 


When  asked  to  provide  feedback  on  the  alumni  association's  role 
at  Virginia  Commonwealth  University,  graduates  responded  with 
a  common  theme:  service. 

"Alumni  want  to  give  back  to  the  university  and  pay  it  forward 
to  future  generations  of  students,"  says  VCU  Alumni  Association 
President  Donna  M.  Dalton  (M.Ed.  'oo/E).  And,  she  adds,  they 
clearly  see  the  alumni  association  as  a  catalyst  for  promoting  service 
—  to  the  university  and  to  the  community. 

Looking  at  how  the  association  can  adopt  an  agenda  that  answers 
this  alumni  call,  the  VCUAA  board  of  directors  engaged  in  a  year- 
long planning  process  to  develop  a  comprehensive  strategy  that  will 
help  guide  and  shape  the  alumni  association  in  the  coming  years. 
The  plan  includes  three  priorities,  with  service  topping  the  list. 

Service  to  VCU  and  the  community 

The  VCUAA's  first  priority  acts  as  an  extension  of  the  VCU 
community  and  will  provide  needed  resources,  whether  expertise 
or  time,  to  support  university-community  partnerships. 

"We  want  to  involve  our  partners  at  VCU,  such  as  the  Division  of 
Community  Engagement,  to  make  sure  whatever  service  projects 
we're  doing,  we're  doing  them  in  a  collaborative  way,"  Dalton  says. 
"But  it's  not  just  about  giving  back  in  the  Richmond  area." 

In  fact,  the  association  plans  to  develop  a  system  for  identifying 
and  recognizing  alumni  outreach  and  participation  to  create  a  net- 
work of  VCU  alumni  doing  good  deeds  around  the  world. 

"It's  not  about  VCUAA  deciding  what  our  service  priorities 
are  and  creating  programs  for  them,"  says  Gordon  A.  McDougall, 
assistant  vice  president  for  university  alumni  relations.  "It's  about 
showing  your  VCU-ness  and  Ram  spirit  and  going  out  there  and 
making  change,  effecting  change  wherever  you  live." 

It  could  be  a  simple  act  of  donating  food  while  wearing  a  VCU 
T-shirt  or  ball  cap,  he  says,  or  a  larger  alumni-generated  initiative  that 
pulls  in  the  association. 

Other  ideas  the  board  plans  to  explore  include  providing  a  menu  of 
opportunities  and  choices  for  giving  time,  talent  and  funds  to  further 
community  service;  working  with  local  schools  in  Richmond  and  its 
surrounding  areas;  and  helping  connect  faculty  research  with  active 
community  engagement  initiatives. 

"Our  goal  is  to  reach  out  to  our  communities  by  working  with  various 
organizations  that  have  made  commitments  within  our  localities,"  says 
Stephanie  L.  Holt  (B.S.  '74/E),  chair  of  the  Service  to  the  Community 
Committee.  "We  want  to  ensure  that  we  aren't  duplicating  efforts 
and  that  we  are  supporting  important,  ongoing  events  and  engaging 
the  appropriate  resources  both  within  VCU  and  the  communities." 

University  engagement  and  student-alumni  pi^^ms 

The  VCUAA  set  its  second  priority  as  expanding  alumni  engage- 
ment with  students  and  enhancing  existing  and  new  student-focused 
programs. 


"We  want  to  find  ways  to  connect  to  students,  to  make  sure  they're 
engaged  in  opportunities  for  service  with  our  alumni,"  Dalton  says. 
"We  also  want  to  make  sure  we're  motivating  students  to  become 
actively  involved  with  the  VCUAA  while  they're  on  campus  so  when 
they  receive  their  diploma,  one  of  the  things  they  give  to  themselves 
is  a  membership  in  the  alumni  association." 

Last  year,  the  association  started  two  major  traditions  that  serve 
as  bookends  for  alumni-student  engagement  —  the  Ram  Spirit  Walk 
for  freshmen  in  August  and  the  Your  Passport  to  the  World  celebra- 
tion for  new  graduates  in  May. 

"This  is  an  exciting  time  for  the  alumni  association.  Donna's  new 
engagement  initiative  will  allow  us  to  really  focus  on  the  core  of 
who  we  are,"  says  Aaron  R.  Gilchrist  Jr.  (B.S.  '03/MC),  chair  of  the 
University  Engagement  and  Student  Programs  Committee.  "If  the 
association  is  truly  to  keep  our  members  connected  to  each  other 
and  our  alma  mater,  then  we  have  to  put  energy  into  actively  engag- 
ing current  students  and  leaders  at  the  university  in  a  meaningful 
way.  I'm  excited  to  be  a  part  of  this  effort." 

Under  this  priority,  the  VCUAA  also  seeks  to  expand  collaborations 
with  university  partners  —  including  the  MCV  Alumni  Association  of 
VCU,  the  colleges  and  schools,  alumni-affiliated  groups,  and  faculty 
and  staff  —  to  further  student-centered  programs  such  as  the  Legacy 
Scholarship  and  other  student  awards. 

Memwc-skip  tiecfi-uitment  and  Mention 

The  association's  third  priority  —  membership  recruitment  and 
retention  -  follows  a  two-year  campaign  to  increase  the  number  of 
graduates  who  belong  to  the  alumni  group.  The  growing  membership 
base  serves  as  the  underlying  foundation  for  the  VCUAA's  other  two 
priorities  —  new  service  projects  and  student-centered  programs. 

"These  initiatives  are  funded  through  membership  dues,  not  state 
money  or  gifts,"  says  Peter  A.  Blake  (B.A.  '80/H&S;  M.S.  '88/MQ, 
chair  of  the  Membership  Recruitment  and  Retention  Committee. 
"The  programs  and  services  the  VCUAA  offers  would  not  be  pos- 
sible without  the  support  of  VCUAA  members." 

In  addition  to  continuing  to  build  VCU  pride  and  affiliation 
with  alumni,  the  association  plans  to  promote  student  and  faculty 
membership  and  to  explore  additional  benefits  to  enhance  member- 
ship value,  such  as  the  new  CareerBeam  online  career  counseling 
service. 

"Alumni  services  are  not  just  about  social  programming,"  says 
Dalton,  adding  that  the  service  and  engagement  priorities  will  pro- 
vide a  more  natural  means  for  bringing  VCU  graduates  into  the  black- 
and-gold  fold.  "Alumni  play  a  critical  role  in  the  continued  success 
of  the  association's  goals  and,  in  turn,  the  growth  of  the  university 
as  a  leading  institution  in  higher  education." 

Get  the  latest  developments  on  the  new  VCUAA  strategic  plan 
or  learn  how  you  can  get  involved,  at  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 


Fa!!  2009  i  C 


[face  to  face] 


d 


nvin 


VCU  ALUMNA  BRINGS  COMMUNITY 
O  fCG !  TOGETHER  TO  FEED  THOSE  IN  NEED 


While  driving  to  work,  Diane  Reynolds  (B .  S . '  78/B ;  M .  B  .A. '  04/B) ,  director  of  VCU's  Department  of  Business  Services, 
heard  a  startling  report.  In  the  face  of  the  slumping  economy,  the  Central  Virginia  Foodbank  and  its  affiliated  Meals 
on  Wheels  and  Community  Kitchen  programs  were  struggling  to  provide  for  those  in  need.  She  recognized  her  depart- 
ment, with  its  ability  to  reach  the  VCU  community  at  parking  facilities,  dining  halls  and  campus  bookstores,  could  help 
and  immediately  gathered  her  team. 

Reynolds  asked  Rebecca  Jones,  marketing  and  public  relations  manager  for  Business  Services,  and  Tamara  Highsmith, 
sales  and  services  manager  for  Dining  Services,  to  raise  awareness  and  recruit  volunteers  for  a  spring  food  drive.  Drop- 
off locations  were  set  up  in  Business  Services  facilities,  residence  halls,  the  VCU  Medical  Center  and  major  intersections 
on  the  Monroe  Park  Campus.  The  three-day  event,  April  14-16,  collected  nearly  II  tons  of  food  —  the  equivalent 
of  22,000  meals  —  from  students,  faculty,  staff  and  community  members. 

During  a  recent  visit  to  the  food  bank,  Reynolds  talked  about  the  results  of  the  university-wide  effort. 


How  did  you  get  the  idea  to  organize 
a  food  drive  at  VCU?  I  heard  about  the  criti- 
cal need  of  the  food  bank  —  that  the  difficult 
economic  times  had  created  even  more  demand 
on  their  services.  With  the  loss  of  jobs,  a  lot  of 
major  contributors  and  volunteers  for  the  food 
bank  now  were  actually  in  need.  They  also  men- 
tioned that  the  summer  is  a  critical  time  for 
children,  because  about  20,000  students  in  the 
Richmond  area  participate  in  the  school  pro- 
grams where  they  receive  free  or  reduced-price 
meals.  As  soon  as  school  lets  out  for  the  sum- 
mer, they  no  longer  have  access  to  those  meals. 

What  was  the  response  to  the  food  drive? 

It  was  really  a  collaborative  effort.  We  had  stu- 
dent volunteers  and  staff  members  representing 
dining,  parking  and  retail,  as  well  as  members 
of  other  departments.  Most  of  our  donations 
came  from  employees,  but  there  were  student 
donations  and  some  from  the  general  public. 
Between  all  three  major  groups  it  made  a  pretty 
ice   impact  to  the   food  bank.   At   the   end  of 


three  days,  we  collected  II  tons  of  food,  so  that's 
something  to  be  proud  of. 

It  was  a  great  experience  for  all  of  those 
who  were  involved.  The  goal  wasn't  for  it  to  be 
a  team-building  exercise  for  my  staff,  but  ulti- 
mately it  was.  It  was  a  way  to  work  together  for 
something  other  than  their  core  job  and  interact 
with  our  customers  who  gave  donations. 

How  do  you  plan  to  expand  future  drives? 

The  Department  of  Business  Services  has  prob- 
ably one  of  the  greatest  opportunities  to  touch 
the  most  people  on  our  campus,  just  because 
people  park  in  our  facilities  every  day.  Because 
of  the  impact  we  made,  we  are  working  with 
Cathy  Howard  in  the  Division  of  Community 
Engagement  to  organize  a  collaborative  VCU 
food  drive  this  spring  and  cast  that  umbrella 
out  to  each  of  the  pockets  at  VCU  —  student 
organizations  and  department  units  —  that  do 
individual  food  drives  each  year.  If  we  have  more 
volunteers  and  are  able  to  staff  even  more  hours, 
we  know  we  can  have  an  even  greater  impact. 


We  also  learned  from  the  food  bank  that 
monetary  contributions  are  even  more  valuable 
than  product  donations  because  they  have  pur- 
chasing power  to  buy  products  cheaper  than  we 
can  at  the  store.  For  them,  a  dollar  can  generate 
five  meals.  We  made  change  buckets  for  people 
who  forgot  to  bring  food  or  had  loose  change 
to  donate  and  we  had  such  a  nice  response  that 
we  learned  we'll  need  more  buckets  next  time. 

Why  do  you  think  it's  important  for  VCU  to  get 
involved?  We  can  all  get  wrapped  up  in  our  day-to- 
day  activities  —  our  jobs,  our  class  schedules,  meeting 
friends  on  campus  —  and  we  sometimes  lose  sight  of 
those  that  are  less  fortunate  who  live  right  here  in 
our  community.  To  be  able  to  take  a  few  hours  and 
give  back  —  even  just  a  small  donation  of  time  or 
money  —  can  make  a  difference  for  those  right  here 
in  our  neighborhood.  It's  a  pretty  rewarding  thing 
and  we've  got  such  big  hearts  at  VCU. 

Interview  conducted  by  Kim  Witt,  a  contributing 
writer  for  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


18  \  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


-^ 


TheRiv©rXity"earfls ipatiorial^ 
precognition  as  a^riwHflH^s^radise^ 


By  Erin  Egan 


w 


On  Nov.  14,  2009,  Richmond  streets 
and  sidewalks  will  fill  with  more  than 
4.OOO  runners  and  thousands  more  specta- 
tors and  volunteers  participating  in  the  32nd 
SunTrust  Richmond  Marathon. 

Runner's  World  magazine  dubbed  the  26.2- 
miler  the  "friendliest  marathon"  in  2005  and 
has  labeled  Richmond  a  "destination  runner's 
best  friend."  This  year,  Runner's  World  selected 
it  for  the  magazine's  first  Marathon  Challenge. 
In  the  challenge,  the  magazine's  14  editors  invite 
participants  to  train  and  run  with  them  for  the 
Richmond  race,  while  sharing  tips  on  nutrition, 
injury-prevention  and  other  essential  training 
topics. 

"It's  a  great  honor  to  be  chosen,"  says  Scott 
Schricker,  marketing  director  of  Sports  Backers, 
a  nonprofit  organization  that  runs  the  mara- 
thon. "Their  editors  are  familiar  with  every  race 
in  the  country,  and  they  picked  ours.  They  know 
it  will  be  a  great  time." 

Richmond's  burgeoning  reputation  as 
one  of  the  country's  pre-eminent  running 
locales  developed  in  large  part  because  of  the 
unflagging  interest  and  dedication  of  the  area's 
grass-roots  running  community. 

Bob  Davis,  a  professor  in  VCU's  Department 
of  Health  and  Human  Performance  and  a 
founding  member  of  the  Richmond  Road 
Runners  Club,  remembers  when  the  club 
included  200  members.  Today,  the  RRRC 
boasts  2-5°°  members  and  holds  5°  races 
annually,  making  it  the  third-largest  road- 
running  club  in  the  U.S.  "There's  just 
been  an  explosion  in  people  participating," 
Davis  says. 


Ed  Carmines  (Ph.D.  '80/M),  RRRC 
treasurer  and  a  past  club  president,  credits 
the  increased  participation  in  local  road  races 
to  a  couple  of  factors.  "One  is  the  relation- 
ship between  the  Richmond  Road  Runners 
Club,  Sports  Backers  and  the  running  stores  in 
the  area,"  he  says.  "They  all  support  the  races. 
Plus,  we  have  a  great  group  of  volunteers." 

Created  in  I991*  tne  Richmond-based 
Sports  Backers  brings  numerous  amateur  and 
professional  sporting  events  to  the  area,  includ- 
ing the  McDonald's  Half  Marathon  and  the 
HCA  Virginia  8k  that  also  take  place  on  the 
same  day  as  the  marathon.  Nearly  15.OOO  run- 
ners, including  about  6,000  from  out  of  state, 
take  part  in  the  three  events. 

Rick  Hawkes  of  Chapel  Hill,  N.C.,  has  run 
the  marathon  14  times  and  plans  to  make  it 
15  next  month.  He  vouches  for  the  race's  fun 
and  supportive  atmosphere.  "Running  through 
Richmond  on  a  Saturday  fall  morning  is  some 
of  the  finest  running  there  is,"  he  says.  "The  city 
is  lovely,  the  runners  are  pleasant  and  chatty,  and 
the  spectators  cheer  for  you  with  such  heart  you 
find  yourself  thinking,  Do  I  know  those  people?" 

The  positive  reaction  to  road  races  in  Richmond 
and  increased  participation  year  after  year  prove 
that  the  city  will  remain  a  player  on  the  national 
running  stage.  "It's  fantastic  for  Richmond  and 
the  running  community,"  Carmines  says.  "The 
response  supports  the  running  community's 
efforts.  We're  called  'the  friendliest  marathon,' 
and  we  go  out  of  our  way  to  make  it  so." 

Erin  Egan  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer 
Court  Connections. 


GET  INVOLVED 

Want  to  participate  in  a  Richmond  road 
race  but  don't  see  yourself  pounding  the 
pavement?  Members  of  the  VCU  Alumni 
Association's  Greater  Richmond  Chapter 
help    out    at    the    SunTrust    Richmond 
Marathon    and    the    Ukrop's    Monument 
Avenue  lok  every  fall  and  spring. 

For  the  past  two  years,  Mike  Housden 
(B.S.  '95/B),  a  member  of  the  Greater 
Richmond  Chapter  of  the  VCUAA,  has 
handed  out  water  at  the  1ok  starting 
line.  "It's  fun  work,  and  the  runners  are 
very  appreciative,"  he  says.  "It's  a  great 
opportunity   for    VCU    alumni    to   get 
together,  have  fun  and  give  back." 

The  Richmond  Road  Runners  Club 
.        and   Sports    Backers   hold    numerous 
races     throughout     the     year     and 
welcome  volunteers.  Here  are  some 
to  check  out: 

•  James  River  Scramble  1ok 

•  Carytown  lok 

•  Patrick  Henry  Half  Marathon 

•  Komen  Race  for  the  Cure 

•  Maymont  X-Country  Festival 

•  Frostbite  15k 

•  Anthem  Stride  Through  Time  lok 

•  Pony  Pasture  5k 

•  Moonlight  4  miler 
•  Turkey  Trot  lok 

Contact     Sports     Backers     (www 

.sportsbackers.org)  or  the  Richmond 

Road   Runners  Club  (www.rrrc.org)  for 

more    information.     For    details    about 

getting  involved  through  the  VCU  Alumni 

Association,  visit  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 


THE 


B 


PICTURE 


CHANGING  SEASONS  >  Students  stroll  through  the  late  fall  leaves 
on  the  tree-lined  streets  of  Virginia  Commonwealth  University's 
Monroe  Park  Campus  as  they  head  from  James  Branch  Cabell  Library, 
across  Floyd  Avenue,  to  the  University  Student  Commons. 


I. 


I 


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i  71  -9 


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m 


■*•- 


- 


Davis  Ratcliffe  made  a  lasting 
impression  on  his  nephew  Henry 
Holland  (M.D.  '66/M).  Ratcliffe 
had  no  children  but  doted  on  his  six 
nephews.  He  instilled  in  them  a  love  of  read- 
ing and  knowledge  and  encouraged  them 
to  pursue  higher  education. 

"Uncle  Davis  was  the  only  college- 
educated  man  in  the  generation  ahead  of 
me  on  either  side,"  Holland  says.  "He  always 
gave  his  nephews  books  for  Christmas  and 
birthdays,  and  they  would  always  be  the  classics 
like   Huck  Finn'  and   Robinson  Crusoe.  " 

When  Holland  decided  to  go  to  college, 
Ratcliffe  supported  him  every  step  of  the  way. 
Holland  earned  a  bachelor's  degree  from 
Washington  and  Lee  University  and  then  his 
medical  degree  from  the  Medical  College  of 
Virginia. 

"He  was  a  great  encourager  through 
college,  medical  school  and  my  residency," 
Holland  says. 

Today,  Holland  is  helping  to  keep 
Ratcliffe's  memory  alive  by  contributing  to 
a  scholarship  set  up  in  his  name  in  the 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University  School 
of  Business.  When  Holland  learned  the 
scholarship  might  not  be  awarded  this  fall, 
he  made  a  gift  to  keep  that  from  happening. 

Ratcliffe  was  a  lawyer  by  training  but  did  not 
like  the  adversarial  nature  of  the  profession, 
Holland  recalls.  Instead,  he  made  a  career 
in  the  insurance  business,  specializing  in  risk. 

At  39 ,  Ratcliffe  volunteered  to  serve  during 
World  War  II.  He  turned  down  an  appoint- 
ment as  a  judge  advocate's  general  "to  be  in 
the  war,"  Holland  says.  He  joined  the  Army 
Air  Force's  388th  Bomb  Group  and  trained 
pilots  in  England. 


After  the  war,  Ratcliffe  continued  in  the 
insurance  industry  and  wrote  a  book  that 
became  the  standard  textbook  for  insurance 
students  at  the  time.  He  gave  lectures  on  the 
subject  and  started  teaching  at  community 
colleges. 

"When  he  came  to  what  most  would 
consider  retirement  age,  he  was  offered 
a  position  at  VCU  to  teach  insurance," 
Holland  says. 

Ratcliffe  spent  several  years  on  the  fac- 
ulty, retiring  in  the  late  1970s.  At  the  time, 
he  established  the  Davis  Ratcliffe  Insurance 
Award,  which  provides  scholarship  assistance 
to  a  meritorious  student  in  the  insurance 
and  risk  management  program. 

This  year,  though,  the  faltering  economy 
jeopardized  the  distribution  of  many  schol- 
arships given  to  VCU  students. 

As  investments  plummeted,  the  School  of 
Business  Foundation  needed  about  $22,000 
to  ensure  all  of  its  scholarship  recipients  would 
receive  their  awards  this  fall.  A  letter  to  donors 
asking  for  help  raised  almost  half  of  that.  Some 
gave  enough  extra  money  to  make  sure  their 
scholarship  endowments  would  have  enough 
money  to  provide  for  students  next  year,  too, 
when  the  shortfall  is  projected  to  be  even 
greater.  Then,  the  foundation  allocated  unre- 
stricted funds  to  ensure  all  School  of  Business 
scholarships  would  be  awarded  this  fall. 

"As  always,  our  dedicated  donors  and 
alumni  accepted  our  challenge  and  made  sure 
our  deserving  students  would  not  need  to 
make  the  difficult  decision  about  whether  they 
could  afford  to  continue  their  education,"  says 
Kenneth  C.  Blaisdell,  Ph.D.,  associate  dean 
for  external  affairs  and  executive  director 
of  the  School  of  Business  Foundation. 


Donors  step  in  to  fund  underperforming 
scholarship  endowments 


Likewise,  scholarships  managed  by  the 
VCU  Foundation  experienced  a  deficit  of 
about  $88,000.  Donors  were  asked  to  make 
one-time  gifts  to  ensure  their  scholar- 
ships would  be  given  this  fall,  and  many  did. 
Additionally,  deans  of  several  Monroe  Park 
Campus  schools  allocated  unrestricted  funds 
to  bolster  scholarships  for  their  students. 
Combined,  that  left  a  shortfall  of  about 
$50,000,  says  Thomas  C.  Burke,  execu- 
tive director  of  the  foundation.  The  VCU 


Foundation  board  of  trustees  voted  to  allocate 
unrestricted  funds  to  make  up  the  difference. 

"It's  been  a  true  team  effort  with  donors, 
deans  and  the  foundation  helping  to  meet 
most  of  our  scholarship  needs,"  Burke  says. 

The  gift  made  by  Holland  and  his  wife, 
Brenda.  ensured  that  School  of  Business 
senior  Amanda  E.  Mozingo  would  receive  the 
Ratcliffe  Award  this  fall. 

To  Mozingo,  scholarships  have  made  a 
world  of  difference. 


"The  financial  help  I  have 
received  from  the  Davis  Ratcliffe 
Award  and  other  national  and 
local  insurance-related  schol- 
arships  has  provided  support 
and  encouragement  for  both 
me  and  my  family,"  she  says.  "I 

not  need   to   make   the   difficult 


decision  about  whether  they  could 
afford  to  continue  their  education. 

-  Kenneth  C.  Blaisdell,  Ph.D. 


am  honored  to  represent  these 
organizations  in  my  endeavors 
and  extremely  grateful  for  the 
support  that  will  allow  me  to 
graduate  without  a  great  amount 
of  debt." 

As  state  support  shrinks,  the 
university  depends  more  and 
more  on  the  generosity  of  its 
alumni  and  friends  to  fund  scholarships, 
professorships  and  other  pressing  initiatives. 
"Scholarships  are  vitally  important  as 
they  allow  students  with  academic  promise, 
and  perhaps  financial  need,  the  oppor- 
tunity to  pursue  a  degree  and  excel  at 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University,"  says 
President  Michael  Rao,  Ph.D.  "Many  of  our 
proud  alumni  depended  on  scholarships, 
too,  and  see  the  need  to  give  back  and  help 
the  next  generation  follow  the  same  path. 
We  are  grateful  for  their  willingness  to  make 


Higher  education 
support  campaign 

Grow  By  Degrees,  a  Virginia  Business 
Higher  Education  Council  campaign, 
advocates  for  more  funding  support 
for  higher  education  in  Virginia.  This 
campaign  emphasizes  the  need  to 
increase  the  number  of  Virginians  who 
earn  degrees  from  public  colleges,  uni- 
versities and  community  colleges  to 
ensure  better  income  for  individuals 
and  economic  prosperity  for  the  com- 
monwealth. For  more  information  or  to 
become  involved  in  Grow  By  Degrees, 
go  to  www.growbydegrees.org. 


hr  c*st  of  *-q« 


,ndth<\VACCrr.U.  <b*D*b<  \  alu*  "no 


a  difference  in  the  lives  of  our  students,  especially 
during  these  chaDenging  economic  times." 

To  make  a  gift  to  any  scholarship  fund,  visit 
www.givenow.vcu.edu/centraladvancement. 

Melanie  Irvin  Solaimani  (B.S.  'g6/MC)  is  a 
contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


Fall  2009    -- 


hen  four  friends  snapped  a  photo 
of  themselves  jumping  on  the 
beach,  they  had  no  idea  they  were 
creating  an  Internet  sensation  that  would 
sweep  the  globe. 

Sarah  Branigan,  Lily  Christon, Erin  Johnson 
and  Paula  Ogston  —  who  met  through  mutual  i 
friends  while  attending  and';  working  at 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University  —  needed 
a  break  from  school  and  work  one  Winter  day. 
They  ventured  to  Virginia  Beach  and, shot 
photos  of  one'another  for  fun. 

"Someone  caught  another  person  in  the 
.air  and' we  thought,  'That's  so  cool/'' says 
Ogston,  a  graduate  student  in  the  Department 
of  Psychology.  "We^  started  taking  pictures 
of  these  different  kinds  of  poses  and  jumping 
around  the  beach."  ;       .  -     £ 

The  four  continued  tb  jump  everywhere 
they  went  —  from  cookouts' and  camping 
to  spring  break  in   North  Carolina  —  and 


Web  site.  In  April  2008,  National  Public  Radio 
stumbled  on  the  photos  and  interviewed 
Branigan  for  its  "Weekend  America"  show. 

After  the  story  aired,  the  group  turned 
the  camera  on  others  and  opened  up  www 
.jumpbecause.com  for  submissions.  They 
spread  the  word  locally  among  their  friends 
and  posted  fliers  in  businesses,  but  they 
quickly  began  receiving  photos  from  all  over. 

"In  the  beginning,  At  was  really  funny 
because  it  was  just  us,  or  people  that  knew 
us," , -says  Branigan;  administrative  director 
arid  instructor  in  the  Department  of  Art 
Education.  "Now  it's  people' that  none  of  us 
know  from  all  over  the  world.  It's  been  a  really 
organic  process." 

Today,  visitors  can  search  for  photos  from 
Antarctica,  Brazil,  Oregon  and  Thailand  and 
see  people  jumping  for  everything  from 
birthdays  and  travel  to  reuniting  with  friends. 


emorial  jumps,  where 
they  jump  for  a  particular  person,"  says 
Christon,  also  a  graduate  student  in  psychol- 
ogy. "Lots  of  people  jump  for  love.  The 
ones  of  us  are  good  memories  of  being 
With  friends." 

As  the  jumps  keep  coming  in,  the  four 
women  haven't  lost  the  spirit  of  fun  they 
captured  in  tfie  beginning.  They  celebrated 
their  one-year  "jump-iversary"  with  a  shot  of 
the  groufvin  outlandish  animal  masks  looking 
but  on  the  James  River  in  Richmond's  Oregon 
Hill  neighborhood. 

"Anytime  we  get  together  and  do  jumps, 
it  brings  us  back  to  why  we  started  it,"  says 
Branigan.  "It's  kind  of  like  an  art  project,  but 
it's  also  a  social  experiment  and  it's  just 
a  thing  that, happened." 

:  Kim  Witt  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer 
Court  Connections. 


24  i  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


The  World  . 

^brought  tq  you  by 
VCU  Alumni  Association 


4    >**,. 


2oiOt 


ti  nations 


:!0^»..-.       ■"*•!.*, 


! 


2010  Trips 

Jan.  25-Feb.  4  Peru 

March  19-27  Monumental  Rome 

April  20-29         Treasures  of  Morocco 

April  22-30         Holland  and  Belgium  River  Life  Cruise 
April  30-May  10        Sicily 

May  18-26        Provence 

Italian  Lakes  and  Dalmatian  Coast 


Alumni  Association 

Commonwealth         University 


Aug.  6-14 
Aug.  18-Sept.  2 
Aug.  25-Sept.  3 
Aug.  29-Sept.  22 
Sept.  5-13 
Sept.  15-23 


Paris  and  London  (via  Eurostar  train) 

Scandinavian  and  Russian  Splendors  Cruise 

Canadian  Maritimes 

Grand  Journey  Around  the  World 
Ancient  Greece  and  Turkey  Island  Life  Cruise 
Tuscany-Cortona 


Oct.  17-30 
Nov.  29-Dec.  7 


Mediterranean  Inspiration  Cruise 
Holiday  Markets  on  the  Danube 


For  more  information  call  (804)  828-2586  or  visit 

www.vcu-mcvalumni.org/travel 


Connections 


News,  highlights  and  event  photos  from  the 

Virginia  Commonwealth  University  Alumni  Association. 


Common  connection  realized  at  reunion  takes  alumni  to  Honduras 


Reunion  Weekend  offers  alumni  the  chance  to  visit  campus, 
catch  up  with  old  friends  and  sometimes  take  an  unexpected  path 
in  life.  At  the  2008  reunion  dinner,  two  alumni  reconnected 
over  a  common  interest  in  helping  others  that  led  them  on  a  series 
of  trips  to  Honduras. 

Weldon  Hazlewood  (B.S. 
67/B)  and  Alice  Gaskill 
Taylor  (B.F.A.  '66/A)  dated  in 
high  school,  but  neither  realized 
they  both  attended  Richmond 
Professional  Institute  after 
graduating.  They  hadn't  seen 
each  other  in  45  years  when 
Taylor  spotted  Hazlewood's 
name  on  the  attendance  sheet 
and  sought  him  out. 

While  catching  up,  Taylor 
mentioned  several  mission 
trips  she  took  to  Honduras. 
She  brought  donated  fabric 
and  sewing  machines  with 
her  and  taught  the  women  of  the  small  villages  near  San  Pedro  Sula 
how  to  sew.  She  returned  home  with  hand-sewn  bags,  which  she 
sold,  raising  nearly  $4,000  that  she  sent  back  to  the  communities. 
As  a  former  student  of  RPI's  fashion  department,  the  project  was 
a  perfect  fit. 


Weldon    Hazlewood    makes   friends   with 
children  in  the  village. 


Taylor  also  told  Hazlewood  she  was  in  search  of  someone  to  plant 
small  vegetable  gardens  in  residents'  yards. 

"Since  I  was  a  master  gardener,  I  quickly  volunteered, "  Hazlewood 
says.  "Their  need  for  vegetables  is  so  great." 

The  two  left  in  latejanuary  2009  for  a  17-day  trip.  Coincidentally, 
a  group  from  Indiana  was  also  there  on  a  mission  trip,  and  with 
Hazlewood's  assistance,  they  set  up  20  gardens  with  tomatoes,  beets, 
carrots,  mustard  greens  and  peppers.  During  a  subsequent  visit  with 
Taylor  in  May,  Hazlewood  continued  to  instruct  residents  on  how 
to  maintain  the  plants  and  helped  add  IO  new  gardens. 

Hazlewood  and  Taylor  continue  to  reach  out  to  fellow  alumni 
to  support  their  efforts  in  Honduras. 

"There  is  a  group  of  girls 
that  always  meet  at  the  reunion, 
and  one  who  joined  for  the 
first  time  this  year  has  expressed 
an  interest  in  going  with  us," 
Taylor  says.  "As  evidenced  by  my 
chance  meeting  with  Weldon, 
one  can  never  predict  the  out- 
come of  attending!" 

//  you  would  like  to  join 
Hazlewood  on  a  November 
gardening  trip  to  Honduras. 

Alice  Gask.ll  Taylor  bring*  donated  fabric  CaU  (8°^  275~0374  or  e-mail 

to  the  women.  weldonhazlewood@yahoo.com. 


and  sewine  machines 


Alumni  return  for  Reunion  Weekend    0 

ilr:« 


i  i 
Reunion  Weekend,  April  24-27,  on  the  Monroe  Park  Campus  featured  events 

and  activities  for  Richmond  Professional  Institute  graduates  and  for  those 

in  the  25-year  graduating  class.  1 1  ll- 

Festivities  began  with  a  reception  at  the  Colony  Club  on  Friday  evening  (l). 
Saturday's  events  included  a  concert  in  Shafer  Court  featuring  Latin  music  by         v 
Bio  Ritmo  (2  and  3),  tours  of  VCU  and  Richmond,  a  preview  of  upcoming  alumni 
travel  programs  and  a  dinner  at  the  Virginia  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 

Those  who  participated  credited  the  university  with  enhancing  their 
lives  because  of  their  educational  experiences  at  VCU  and  expressed  much 
appreciation. 

The  African-American  Alumni  Council  also  came  back  to  campus  for  Reunion 
Weekend.  The  annual  outing  to  Crump  Park  attracted  its  largest  crowd  ever, 
with  more  than  200  people.  The  event  also  included  the  council's  first  Powder 
Puff  ladies  football  game  (4)  before  the  men's  annual  flag  football  contest. 


26  i  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


[alumni  connections] 


Seven  new  alumni 
join  the  VCUAA 
board  including 
(top,  from  left) 
Mary  H.  Allen, 
Robert  A.  Almond, 
Elizabeth  W.  Bryant, 
(bottom,  from  left) 
Raymond  E. 
Honeycutt,  Natalee 
A.  Wasiluk  and  James 
E.  Williams.  Not 
pictured:  Julia  M. 
Cain 


Alumni  association  welcomes  new  board  members 

The  VCU  Alumni  Association  board  of  directors  met  in  May 
to  elect  four  directors: 

•  Mary  H.  Allen  (B.S.  '80/E),  health  and  physical  education 
instructor,  Midlothian  High  School,  Midlothian,  Va. 

•  Elizabeth  W.  Bryant  (B.S.  '84/MC;  M.S.  '04/MC), 
reporter,  ABC  13  WSET-TV,  Lynchburg,  Va. 

•  Natalee  A.  Wasiluk  (B.F.A.  '86/A),  personnel  administrator, 
VCU  School  of  World  Studies 

•  James  E.  Williams  (B.S.  '84/H&S;  M.S.  '96/H&S),  chief 
of  police,  Staunton  Police  Department 

Three  alumni  also  joined  the  board  by  presidential  appointment: 

•  Robert  A.  Almond  (B.S.  '74/E;  M.S.  '85/E),  special  project 
coordinator,  Virginia  Department  of  Education,  Richmond,  Va. 

•  Julia  M.  Cain  (B.S.  'oi/En) 

•  Raymond  E.  Honeycutt  (B.S.  '76/E),  principal,  St.  Bridget 
School,  Richmond,  Va. 

Newest  grads  stamp  their  Passport  to  the  World 

In  May,  more  than  500  graduates  and  their  guests  commemorated 
their  VCU  experience  with  a  party  at  the  Science  Museum  of  Virginia. 
Your  Passport  to  the  World  —  sponsored  by  the  VCU  Office 
of  Alumni  Relations,  the  VCU  Division  of  Student  Affairs  and 
Enrollment  Services  and  the  VCU  Student  Government  Association 
—  was  held  the  Wednesday  before  graduation  as  the  centerpiece 
of  a  week  of  Commencement  activities. 

"The  idea  behind  Commencement  Week  was  to  make  gradua- 
tion more  than  just  a  Saturday  morning  affair,"  says  Rob  Brodsky, 
director  of  membership  and  marketing  for  VCU  Alumni  Relations. 
The  inaugural  party,  which  he  expects  to  become  a  tradition, 
"was  a  fantastic  way  for  graduates  to  cap  off  their  experience  at  VCU." 


Benefit  spotlight: 

Short-term  health  insurance 

Your  VCU  Alumni  Association  provides  access  to  a  variety 
of  essential  services.  One  of  those  services  —  short-term  health 
insurance  —  is  especially  relevant  in  today's  economic  climate. 

New  graduates  and  alumni  currently  out  of  work  could  be 
facing  a  common  dilemma  —  no  medical  coverage.  GradMed, 
a  short-term  solution  provided  by  American  Insurance 
Administrators,  one  of  the  industry's  leading  carriers,  offers 
immediate  coverage  that  can  last  up  to  18  months.  Limita- 
tions apply,  but  for  most  situations,  GradMed  will  provide 
the  coverage  you  need. 

Don't  go  without  medical  insurance.  As  a  VCU  graduate, 
you  have  a  better  option. 

VCU  alumni  receive  a  special  group  discount  for  GradMed. 
To  learn  more  visit  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org  and  look  for  the 
"Featured  Benefit." 


Spirit  sculpture.  Created  by  alumnus  Tim  Blum  (M.F. A.  94/A). 
VCU's  newest,  large-scale,  interactive  sculpture  —  "Ram's  Horns' 
—  stands  outside  the  University  Student  Commons  as  a  symbol 
of  school  spirit. 


Fall  2O09 


Make  a  dent.  VCU 


THANK  A  TEACHER 


NURSE 


Kw/    ff.  w"7^.t"    *™5*^*>  '  r   " 


street-smart  solutions  to  local  and  globaLchallenges.  As  members  of  the  VCU  Alumni  Association, 
we  offer  leadership,  service  and  financial  support  to  preserve  and  enhance  the  university's  mission 
of  producing  graduates  whose  expertise  enables  them  to  drive  excellence  where  they  live. 
We  create  change.  We  move  the  needle.  We  make  a  dent. 


>Join  today  •www.vcu-mcvalumni.org  •  (804)828-2586 


My  VCU  degrees 
allow  me  to 
make  a  dent 
in  the  world  of 
crime  solving  by 
providing  infor- 
mation, evidence 
and  testimony 
in  murder  investigations  and 
criminal  trials  throughout  the 
commonwealth. 

-  Leah  LE.  Bush  (M.S.  79/H&S;  M.D. 

'84/M),  chief  medical  examiner, 

commonwealth  of  Virginia, 

VCUAA  member  since  2000 

Just  as  VCU 
prepared  me  for 
lifelong  learning, 
as  a  professor, 
I  believe  I  made 
a  difference  by 
preparing  stu- 
dents for  life  and 
a  career.  Today, 
my  active  participation  in  the 
alumni  association  allows  me  to 
support  VCU  and  say  'thanks. ' 

-  Eugene  Hunt  (B.S.  '59/B;  M.S.  '61/B), 

VCU  professor  emeritus, 

VCUAA  lifetime  member  since  2005 

Helping  people 

live  comfortably 

and  protect 

their  families  by 

using  the  skills  I 

honed  at  VCU  is 

how  I've  made 

a  dent.  Being  an 

active  member 

of  the  alumni  association  also 

provides  opportunities  to  help 

others  by  making  personal  and 

professional  connections. 

-  Gaurav  "G"  Shrestha,  CFP  (B.S.  '03/B), 

financial  adviser, 

Virginia  Asset  Management, 

VCUAA  lifetime  member  since  2006 


[alumni  connections] 


III 

III! 

- 

illB 

III! 

III. 

II. 


Affiliate  news 


RPI  Alumni  Council  plans  for  2010  reunion 

Join  Richmond  Professional  Institute 
alumni  at  Reunion  Weekend  April  23-25. 
20IO.  A  special  celebration  will  honor  the 
50-year  Class  of  i960.  If  you  graduated  in  i960 
and  would  like  to  help  plan  the  reunion,  call 
(804)  828-7020  or  e-mail  dstout@vcu.edu. 

RPI  alumni  also  can  join  the  RPI  Alumni 
Council,  which  is  dedicated  to  keeping  the 
foundation  of  VCU  alive  and  helping  RPI 
graduates  maintain  their  friendships  and 
involvement  with  the  university. 

Hampton  Roads  alumni  chapter  reactivates 

This  summer,  alumni  from  Hampton 
Roads  met  to  reactivate  the  areas  chapter. 
If  you'd  like  information  about  the  chapter, 
contact  Pamela  McKinney  (B.A.  'oo/A) 
at  (757)  376-7456  or  teammckinney@msn 
.com,  or  Alfye  Ingram  (B.S.  '89/H&S) 
at  (757)  485-5936  or  alfye387@verizon.net. 

Council  promotes  events  for  young  alumni 

Alumni  ages  35  and  younger  are  invited 
to  join  the  Young  Alumni  Council.  During 
the  2009-IO  academic  year,  the  council  will 
be  hosting  several  events  and  involvement 
opportunities  for  young  alumni,  including: 

•  A  pre-basketball  game  social 
Community-service  projects,  including 
volunteering  at  the  SunTrust  Marathon 
and  the  Ukrop's  Monument  Avenue  lok 

•  Wine  tasting/cooking  class 

Chill  and  Grill  during  Homecoming 
Career  services  programs 

•  A  social  and  group  attendance  at  a 
spring  Theatre  VCU  production 

If  you'd  like  to  receive  notices  of  council 
meetings  and  events,  call  (804)  828-ALUM 
(828-2586)  or  write  toVCU-ALUM@vcu.edu. 

Mass  Comm  alumni  enjoy  networking  event 

More  than  75  graduates  and  professors 
of  the  School  of  Mass  Communications 
attended  a  networking  social  May  7  at  Burford 
Advertising  headquarters  in  Richmond,  Va. 

Doug  Burford  (B.S.  '65/MC),  who  has 
won  the  Ad  Man  of  the  Year  award  and  is  an 
author  and  philanthropist,  and  his  family  and 
staff  at  Burford  Advertising  hosted  the  event. 


Alumni  from  the  classes  of  1965  through 
2009  caught  up  with  friends  and  colleagues. 

"A  lot  of  our  alumni  were  wondering  if 
there  was  a  way  through  the  school  to  connect 
with  other  alumni,  regardless  of  graduating 
year,"  says  Michael  Hughes,  assistant  direc- 
tor of  development  for  the  school.  He  hopes 
to  make  the  socials  a  regular  occurrence. 
To  receive  information  on  upcoming 
events,  contact  Hughes  at  (804)  827-3761 
or  mehughes@vcu.edu. 

VCU  Business  Society  honors  retiring  dean 

School  of  Business  alumni  surprised  retir- 
ing Dean  Michael  Sesnowitz,  Ph.D.,  by  making 
him  an  honorary  member  of  the  VCU  Business 
Society,  the  business  alumni  organization,  and 
naming  him  Alumnus  of  the  Year. 

Society  board  President  Steven  B. 
Brincefield  (M.S.  '74/B)  presented  the 
award  in  April  as  part  of  the  annual  Business 
Honors  Ceremony. 

Sesnowitz  plans  to  return  to  the  classroom 
in  the  fall  of  2010.  During  his  nine-year 
tenure  as  dean,  he  contributed  vision  and 
fundraising  efforts  for  the  Monroe  Park  Campus 
Addition,  featuring  a  new  facility  for  the  School 
of  Business.  He  also  helped  create  the  School  of 
Business  Foundation  and  led  the  school  through 
a  successful  reaccreditation  visit. 

Ceremony  honors  board-certified  teachers 

The  VCU  School  of  Education  honored 
43  Richmond-area  teachers  who  achieved 
certification  from  the  National  Board  for 
Professional  Teacher  Standards  in  2008. 

The  teachers  from  the  city  of  Richmond 
and  Chesterfield,  Hanover  and  Henrico 
counties  received  pins  from  their  local  school 
superintendents  to  recognize  the  culmination 
of  their  yearlong  certification  process. 

National  Board  Certification  is  a  volun- 
tary professional-development  process  that 
recognizes  accomplished  teachers  who  meet 
rigorous  standards  of  performance.  The 
pinning  ceremony  takes  place  each  January 
and  is  sponsored  by  the  Metropolitan 
Educational  Training  Alliance,  a  partner- 
ship of  Richmond-area  schools  and  the  VCU 
School  of  Education. 


Fall  2009 


•    >      <      .'•"■'» 


Update  your  record  and  share  the  news 


www.vcu-mGvalumni.org 


Save  time!  Visit  the  VCUAA  Web  site  to  update  your  contact,  employment  and  personal  information. 


Name Class  year 

Maiden  name  (if  applicable)     


H 

£Q       Street  address      

< 

City  State ZIP 

Home  phone  Cell  phone      

Home  e-mail  address  


Company Job  title 


i       Start  date  Retirement  date  (if  applicable) 


Street  address 


a 
Z 

u       City State 

Work  phone     

Work  e-mail  address    


ZIP 


4J       Spouse's  name       

CL       If  VCU  alumnus/alumna,  class  year      

a 
< 

2       Wedding  date Spouses  employer 


>;      QBoy 


□  Girl 


■^       Name  Date  of  birth/arrival 


Spouse/partner's  name 

If  VCU  alumnus/alumna,  class  year 


To  report  a  death,  please  also  provide  a  news  clipping  of  the  death  notice. 

Name  of  deceased    Class  year 

Date  of  death  Relationship  to  deceased 


Please  note:  News  for  publication  must  be  no  more  than  1  year  old  because  of  space 
constraints.  If  you  do  not  wish  to  publish  this  information,  please  check  the  box  at  right. 

Mail  your  update  to:  Office  of  Alumni  Relations,  Virginia  Commonwealth  University, 
924  W.  Franklin  St.,  P.O.  Box  843044,  Richmond,  VA  23284-3044;  or  fax  (804)  828-8197; 
or  e-mail  vcu-alum@vcu.edu;  or  visit  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org. 


REGISTER  ONLINE 

Get  access  to  additional  alumni- 
only  features  by  registering 
online.  It's  fast.  It's  easy.  It's  free. 

Visit  www.vcu-mcvalumni.org  and 
click  on  "Register."  Once  your 
registration  is  verified,  you  can: 

•  Access  the  alumni  directory 

•  Start  a  CareerBeam  account 
(complimentary  until  June 
2010) 

•  Update  your  profile 

Plus,  we'll  keep  you  informed  via 
our  monthly  alumni  e-newsletter. 


NEWS 

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□  Please  publish  this  information 
in  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


□  Do  not  publish  this  information 
I  am  submitting  for  record 
purposes  only. 


ion. 


Class  notes 


Send  information  about  your  professional  and  personal 
accomplishments  to  shafercourt@vcu.edu.  Or,  mail  your  news 
to  Shafer  Court  Connections,  Virginia  Commonwealth  University, 
924  W.  Franklin  St.,  P.O.  Box  843044,  Richmond,  VA  23284-3044. 


Updates 


1950s 

Charles  A.  Peachee  Jr.*  (M.S. '52/H&S)  retired  after 
serving  as  a  clinical  psychologist  for  55  years.  He  was 
a  charter  member  of  the  Virginia  Academy  of  Clinical 
Psychologists  and  the  Richmond  Academy  of  Clinical 
Psychologists,  as  well  as,  with  his  wife,  Nancy  (M.S. 
'54/H&S),  a  founding  member  of  the  Virginia 
Psychological  Association. 

1960S 

John  Jay  Schwartz*  (B.S.  '69/B),  managing  director 
of  commercial  real  estate  consulting  and  brokerage 
firm  Have  Site  Will  Travel,  was  elected  chairman 
of  the  Henrico  County  Board  of  Real  Estate  Review 
and  Equalization  for  2009. 

1970S 

Leah  Bush,  M.D.,*  (M.S.  '79/H&S,  M.D.  WM)  chief 
medical  examiner  for  the  commonwealth  of  Virginia, 
is  the  chair  of  the  Department  of  Legal  Medicine 
in  the  VCU  School  of  Medicine. 

Sherran  Deems  (B.F.A.'72/A:M.F.A.  '93/A)  teaches 
courses  in  the  drawing  minor  at  the  Savannah  College 
of  Art  and  Design. 

Patricia  Green*  (M.S.W.'74/SW),  founder  and  chief  strat- 
egist of  I  C  Linkages,  was  selected  to  join  the  Leadership 
America  class  of  2009,  one  of  the  longest -running 
national  women's  leadership  programs  in  the  world. 

Nick  Poulios  (MA.  '79/ B),  vice  president  for  patient 
access  for  Elan  Pharmaceuticals,  is  the  creator  of  the 
Ultimate  Patient  Access  function. 

Kenny  Sink  (B.F.A.  *76/A)  owns  KreativeDept.  a  Studley. 
Va. -based  advertising  firm.  Two  of  his  recent  poster 
campaigns  for  Studley  Store  have  received  recognition 
in  two  international  graphic  arts  annuals  —  the  38th 
Creativity  Annual  Awards  and  the  2009  Graphis  Poster 
Annual. 

1980s 

Col.  Rudy  Burwell  (B.S.  '86/MQ  served  as  the  chief 
of  media  operations  for  Multi-National  Corps-Iraq 
and  was  selected  for  promotion  to  colonel  in  the  U.S. 
Army.  Following  his  assignment  in  Iraq,  he  returned  to 
Washington,  D.C.,  in  July  2008  to  work  at  the  Pentagon 
as  the  chief  of  planning  support  for  Army  Public  Affairs. 

Tammy  H.  Cummings  (B.S.  '85/MQ  was  promoted 
to  senior  vice  president  and  chief  human  resources 
officer  of  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  Richmond.  She 
is  responsible  for  the  bank's  regional  human  resources 
operations,  policies  and  initiatives. 

Anthony  Deldonna  (B  M  'bo/A)  is  on  the  musicology 
faculty  at  Georgetown  University,  where  he  specializes  in 
18th-century  Italian  music,  with  an  emphasis  on  opera. 

Kirk  Laughlin  (B.S.'67/MC)  launched  Next  Coast  Media, 
a  media  consultancy  business,  in  September  2008. 
He  consults  with  technology  marketers,  business-to- 
business  media  brands  and  marketing  agencies. 

J.  Mark  O'Shea  (M.S.W.  '86/SW)  is  a  clinical  social 
worker  in  private  practice  in  Chesterfield,  Va.,  and  was 
elected  as  a  distinguished-practitioner  member  of  the 
National  Academies  of  Practice.  The  NAP  comprises 
distinguished  practitioners  and  scholars  from  all  of  the 
primary  health  professions  and  only  150  individuals 
can  be  elected  to  membership. 


Second  career  addresses  language  barriers  in  health  care 

At  age  50,  after  owning  a  couple  of  hair  salons  and  raising  three  children  with  a  husband 
she  describes  as  "perfect,"  Vilma  Seymour  (B.A.  '07/H&S)  decided  to  fulfill  a  lifelong 
dream  of  obtaining  a  college  degree. 

"When  I  told  my  family  I  was  going  back  to  school  I  made  an  announcement  over  dinner 
and  they  asked  me  to  please  not  be  the  geek  in  the  front  row  saying  'I  know  the  answer,' 
and  that's  exactly  what  I  did,"  she  says.  "I  had  a  real  motivation,  I  knew  what  I  wanted  to  do 
and  I  was  focused  on  my  goals." 

Seymour,  a  longtime  volunteer  in  the  Latino  community,  is  putting  her  Spanish  degree  an 
her  desire  to  help  others  to  work  at  the  VCU  Medical  Center's  Office  of  Language  Services. 
There,  she  helps  eliminate  communication  barriers  for  patients  and  families  with  limited 
English  proficiency,  as  well  as  oversees  communication  devices  and  interpreters  for  hearing- 
impaired  patients,  families  and  surrogate  decision-makers.  In  addition,  all  bilingual  staff 
or  volunteer  interpreters  providing  services  to  the  medical  center  are  required  to  attend 
one  of  the  two  on-site  competency  trainings  she  offers  throughout  the  year. 

Seymour  knows  firsthand  the  need  for  the  services  she  provides  patients.  When  her 
mother  from  Puerto  Rico  fell  ill  with  congestive  heart  failure,  Seymour  served  as  her  inter- 
preter. Seymour  says  she  didn't  even  know  how  to  say  "congestive  heart  failure"  when  her 
mom  passed  away  of  the  disease  17  years  ago.  Today,  she  hopes  to  help  others  experienc- 
ing the  same  situation. 

"I  am  doing  it  in  my  mother's  memory.  She's  really  my  guiding  light,  daily,"  Seymour  says. 
"I'm  very  proud  that  VCU  Medical  Center  recognizes  the  importance  of  having  this  service 
and  training  for  anybody  who  comes  in  and  interprets  for  our  patients  and  providers." 

Martha  Gomez  (back,  third  from  left),  Gov.  Timothy  M.  Kaine  and  Vilma  Seymour  visit  with  fifth-  and  sixth- 
graders  during  a  pilot  Multicultural  Summer  Enrichment  Camp  that  Seymour  developed. 


Fall  2000 


Recently  published  alumni  and  faculty  members 


I  SHALL  BE 
'     FIRST 


Cliff  Edwards,  Ph.D.,  professor  of  religious  studies,  wrote  "Mystery  of  The  Night  Cafe,"  a  new  book  on  the 

spirituality  of  Vincent  Van  Gogh. 
Ronnie  Greene's*  (B.S.  '86/MC)  nonfiction  environmental  justice  narrative,  "Night  Fire:  Big  Oil,  Poison  Air, 

and  Margie  Richard's  Flight  to  Save  Her  Town,"  was  one  of  three  finalists  for  the  Harry  Chapin  Media  Award. 
Edward  G.  Kardos,  director  of  development  for  the  VCU  School  of  Dentistry,  has  authored  his  second  book, 

a  collection  of  short  stories.  "Zen  Master  Next  Door, "  published  by  Humanics  Publishing  Group,  comprises 

"17  parables  for  enlightened  everyday  living."  The  book  also  discusses  the  importance  of  maintaining  a  balance 

in  all  aspects  of  life  —  mental,  physical  and  spiritual. 
Sara  E.  Lewis  (M.A.  62/A)  released  "James  City  County,"  the  newest  addition  in  Arcadia  Publishing's  Images 

of  America  series.  The  book  explores  America's  first  county  through  200  vintage  images. 
Steve  Mickle  (B.F  A.'71/A)  and  his  wife.  Kyle  Edgell,  a  caricaturist,  published  "Die  Laughing!"  which  provides 

humorous  healing  through  a  lighthearted  view  of  a  grave  situation.  The  book  was  endorsed  by  famed  physician 

Patch  Adams.  M.D. 
Charles  N.  Smith,  Ph.D.,*  (B.S.  '77/H&S;  M.S.  Bl/AHP)  released  his  latest  political  work,  "The  Last  Shall  Be  the  First," 

in  2008.  The  book  focused  on  why  then-Sen.  Barack  Obama  could  and  would  be  the  next  president  of  the  U.S. 


Cameron  Stiles  (B.F  A.  8i/A)  was  inducted  into  the 
American  Society  of  Interior  Designers  College  of 
Fellows  at  its  2008  annual  conference.  Fellowship  is 
the  highest  national  honor  available  to  ASID  members. 

1990S 

Stephen  J.  Beckett  (B.S.  '94/H&S;  MX  WE)  received 
an  $II.OOO  grant  from  the  R.E.B.  Awards  for  Teaching 
Excellence  to  travel  to  Antarctica  to  learn  about  its 
influence  on  the  rest  of  the  Earth  and  its  inhabitants. 

HeloYse  B.  "Ginger"  Levit*  (M.A. '98/A)  was  named 
to  the  list  of  Influential  Women  of  Virginia  2009, 
sponsored  by  Virginia  Lawyers  Weekly.  Levit  is  an  art 
dealer  and  historian  at  atelier,  a  private  art  gallery  open 
to  corporate  and  private  collectors,  interior  designers, 
museum  professionals  and  art  dealers. 

Sophia  L.  Minor  (B.F.A.  97/A)  of  Roanoke,  Va.,  is  the 
first  titleholder  from  Virginia  to  win  the  national 
American  Elegance  pageant.  The  pageant  celebrates 
women  of  all  ages,  and  delegates  forgo  the  traditional 
swimsuit  competition  for  a  personal  expression  seg- 
ment where  they  bring  awareness  to  a  subject  of  their 
choosing.  Minor  addressed  the  stereotypical  images 
of  beauty  in  America. 

Keith  Parker  (B.A.  90/H&S.-  M.U.R.P.  '93/H&S)  was  recently 
hired  as  the  president  and  CEO  of  VIA  Metropolitan 
Transit  in  San  Antonio.  He  was  previously  chief  execu- 
tive of  the  transit  authority  in  Charlotte,  N.C. 

Mary  E.  Perkinson  (B.F.A.  '9l/A;  B.S .  b3/F_n)  received  the 
Distinguished  New  Engineer  Award  from  the  Society 
of  Women  Engineers.  The  award  honors  women  engi- 
neers who  have  been  actively  engaged  in  engineering 
in  the  first  10  years  of  their  careers.  Perkinson,  an 
engineer  with  Northrop  Grumman  in  Newport  News, 
Va.,  received  her  company's  Model  of  Excellence  Award 
in  2004.  for  her  work  in  helping  improve  retention  and 
provide  a  more  supportive  environment  for  entry-level 
employees. 

David  G.  Russell  (B.M.  90/A)  continues  his  career  as 
a  film  scorer  and  composer  in  Hollywood.  His  most 
recent  accomplishment  was  providing  music  for 
"Farrah's  Story,"  which  premiered  on  NBC  on  May  15. 
2009,  and  chronicles  Farrah  Fawcett's  2  1/2  year  fight 
against  cancer. 

Melissa  Wood  (B.S.  97/MC)  is  vice  president  for  com- 
munication and  marketing  for  SOLUS-Solutions 


and  Technologies,  which  was  selected  as  one  of  20 
semifinalists  in  the  Forbes.com  Boost  Your  Business 
competition. 

2000s 

Carolyn  Belefski  (B.F.A.  04/A)  and  Joe  Carebeo 
(B.F.A  '05/A)  operate  Curls  Studio,  where  they  produce 
a  weekly  comic  strip  called  "Curls"  and  wrote  and 
illustrated  comic  books  "Kid  Roxy"  and  "Black  Magic 
Tales." 

Lisa  Boyette  Braswell  (B.S.  02/En)  is  employed  as 
an  IRTA  fellow  with  the  National  Institutes  of  Health. 

Jared  Broussard  (B.M.  be/A)  is  enrolled  in  the  Master 
of  Music  program  in  trumpet  performance  at  the 
University  of  Texas  at  Austin. 

Sarah  Bushey  (B.M.  07/A)  finished  her  master's  degree 
at  the  University  of  Florida  and  began  a  doctoral  pro- 
gram in  musicology  in  fall  2009- 

Adam  Butalewicz  (B.M.  07/A)  finished  his  master's 
degree  and  began  pursuing  his  D.M.A.  at  College- 
Conservatory  of  Music  at  the  University  of  Cincinnati 
in  fall  2009. 

Joe  Grant  III  (M.F.A.  06/A)  is  head  of  the  Glass  Program 
in  the  3-D  Area  of  Studies  in  the  School  of  the  Arts 
at  Illinois  State  University,  Bloomington/Normal. 

Virginia  Griswold  (B.F  A.  04/A)  was  accepted  to  Alfred 
University's  M.F.A.  program  with  a  full  scholarship. 

John  Hartmann  (B.M.  too/A)  is  the  director  of  marketing 
and  external  relations  for  the  VCU  Department  of 
Music.  His  responsibilities  include  promoting  VCU 
Music,  overseeing  the  Web  site,  managing  the  box 
office  and  maintaining  and  pursuing  relationships 
with  alumni  and  friends. 

Ryan  Hereth  (B.F.A.  '07/A)  has  been  a  resident  at  Cub 
Creek  Foundation,  a  nonstock  Virginia  corporation 
dedicated  to  the  advancement  of  ceramic  arts.  Hereth 
exhibited  his  work,  along  with  the  other  residents,  at 
the  Heart  of  Virginia  Festival  in  Farmville,  Va.,  on  May 
2.  2009. 

Sarah  Holden  (B.F.A.  be/A)  had  work  in  her  first 
international  exhibit  and  is  eligible  for  three  different 
awards  at  the  Port  Moody  Art  Awards  in  Port  Moody, 
British  Columbia.  She  also  had  work  in  the  "Fibers 
Expanded"  exhibit  at  the  Luke  and  Eloy  Gallery  in 
Pittsburgh.  Pa. 


Katie  Mudnall  (M.F.A.  05/A)  received  the  first  University 
of  Wisconsin-Madison  Department  of  Arts  Wood/ 
Furniture  Area  Resident  Artist  Program  award  for 
$15,000. 

Eric  Jacobs  (B.M.  b7/A)  completed  his  master's  degree 
at  Rice  University  and  began  pursuing  his  D.M.A. 
at  the  University  of  California  in  fall  2009. 

Kathleen  Kennedy  (B.F.A.  be/A)  is  working  as  a  studio 
assistant  for  two  artists,  Nancy  Worden  and  Gina 
Pankowski,  in  Seattle. 

Allyson  Keyser  (B.M,  06/A)  is  pursuing  a  D.M.A.  at  the 
University  of  North  Carolina-Greenville  and  placed 
in  the  semifinals  at  the  National  Trumpet  Competition. 

Heath  Matysek-Snyder  (B.F.A.  bo/A)  is  enrolled  in 
a  one-year  residency  at  Designated  Objects  Tasmania 
in  Hobart,  Australia.  He  was  in  a  juried  exhibit, 
"Tasmanian  Wood  Design  Collection  Biennial  Acquisi- 
tive Exhibition,"  which  opened  in  Hobart  and  moved 
to  Launceston.  Matysek-Snyder  has  also  been  a  visiting 
artist  at  the  University  of  Tasmania's  Art  School  in  the 
Furniture  Design  Department  and  proposed  and  was 
selected  for  a  public  art  commission  in  Tasmania  for 
the  new  pediatrics  wing  of  the  Royal  Hobart  Hospital. 

Matt  McCutchen  (M.M.'00/A)  earned  his  Ph.D.  in 
music  education  from  Florida  State  University. 

John  Mlynczak  (B.M.  05/A)  is  living  in  Baton  Rouge, 
La. ,  and  works  as  a  teacher  and  freelance  trumpeter 
in  southern  Louisiana,  regularly  subbing  with  the 
Louisiana  Philharmonic  in  New  Orleans,  the  Baton 
Rouge  Symphony  and  various  show  orchestras. 

Ravi  Naalla  (M.S.  b5/En)  is  an  SAS  programmer  for 
biostatistics  and  clinical  management  with  Cubist 
Pharmaceuticals  in  Lexington,  Mass.  He  and  his  col- 
leagues on  the  Ecallantide  Clinical  Team  were  named 
Team  of  the  Year  at  the  company's  annual  awards  ceremony. 

Lizzie  Perkins  (M.F.A.  04/A)  had  her  work  "Ida"  chosen 
for  the  BIGG:  Breakthrough  Ideas  in  Global  Glass 
exhibit  sponsored  by  Steuben  Glass  at  the  OSU  Urban 
Arts  Space  and  Hawk  Galleries  in  Columbus.  Ohio. 

Richard  Knox  Robinson's  (M.F.A.  be/A)  short  film, 
"The  Beekeepers,"  was  screened  at  the  2009  Sundance 
Festival.  He  is  an  award-winning  photographer  based 
near  Charlottesville.  Va.,  and  his  still  photography 
has  appeared  in  publications  such  as  Smithsonian, 
National  Geographic  Traveler,  Time  and 
The  Washington  Post  Magazine. 

Jodi-Ann  Russell  (B.M.  b7/A)  was  awarded  a  piano 
faculty  appointment  at  Richmond  Music  Education 
Center  in  Glen  Allen,  Va. 

Kimberly  Ryan  (B.M.  05/A)  is  attending  the  Cleveland 
Institute  of  Music  as  a  Master  of  Music  student  in  viola 
performance. 

Ryan  Schell  (B.A.  07/A)  was  appointed  as  assistant  to  the 
executive  director  of  the  American  Bach  Soloists  in  San 
Francisco,  Calif. 

Nanda  Soderberg  (M.F.A.  07/A)  worked  at  the  Pilchuck 
Glass  School  in  Washington  as  a  gaffer  for  Whitfield 
Lovell  and  Elizabeth  Turk  during  the  summer. 

Jay  Sykes  (B.M.  bl/A)  received  the  Goochland  Middle 
School  Teacher  of  the  Year  award  from  Goochland 
County  Public  Schools  in  Virginia. 

Elizabeth  Talbot  (B  FA.  06/A)  received  her  M.F.A. 
from  the  University  of  Connecticut  in  May  2009  and 
was  one  of  five  graduate  students  to  show  their  work 
in  "The  2009  Master  of  Fine  Arts  Exhibition"  at  the 
William  Benton  Museum  of  Art  at  the  university. 

Travis  Townsend  (M.F.A.  bo/A)  was  featured  in  "Penland; 
Great  Teachers,  Great  Artists"  at  Habatat  Galleries  in 
Tysons  Corner,  Va.,  from  April  28-July  17.  2009,  and 
will  be  included  in  the  Cedarhurst  Wood  Project  at  the 
Cedarhurst  Center  for  the  Arts  in  Mt.  Vernon,  IU.,  and 
the  "Transformations"  Raphael  Prize  show  at  Pittsburgh  s 
Society  for  Contemporary  Craft.  Townsend  was  also 
awarded  the  Virginia  A.  Groot  Foundation  grant  and 
was  published  in  Lark  Books'  "500  Tables." 

Adam  Welch  (M.F.A.  03/A)  has  works  featured  in  the  new 
Lark  Books  publication  "500  Ceramic  Sculptures." 


32  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


Katie  Whelan  (B.S.  '06/H&S)  is  a  volunteer  for  Friends 
of  the  Orphans.  Mid-Atlantic/Northeast  Region.  She 
recently  left  for  a  year  of  service  in  Honduras  at  one  of 
the  charity's  nine  orphanages  in  Latin  America  and  the 
Caribbean. 

LaTonya  Whitaker  (B.S  05/MC)  received  the  Rising 
Star  Award  from  the  Virginia  Chapter  of  the  Society 
for  Marketing  Professional  Services.  The  award  is 
given  to  a  marketing  professional  with  fewer  than  five 
years'  experience  who  has  a  demonstrated  commit- 
ment to  the  field  and  industry  and  has  shown  an 
aptitude  for  leadership  through  intense  involvement 
and  contributions. 

Kathleen  Winters  (B.M.  tos/A)  began  a  master's  degree 
program  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin-Milwaukee 
this  fall. 

Conschetta  Wright  (B.S.'07/N-  M.P.H.'09/M)  received 
a  Critical  Language  Scholarship  to  study  Arabic  in  an 
eight-week  immersion  program  in  Tunisia.  Wright 
recently  graduated  with  a  master's  degree  in  public 
health  and  plans  to  use  the  experience  to  help  offer 
culturally  competent  care  to  patients  who  speak 
Arabic. 


In  memoriam 


Faculty  and  staff 


Sony  a  Clark,  chair  of  the  Department  of  Craft  and 
Material  Studies,  had  work  included  in  the  "Uber 
Portrait"  exhibit  at  the  Bellevue  Arts  Museum  in 
Bellevue,  Wash. ;  the  Illinois  exhibit  at  McLean 
County  Arts  Center  in  Bloomington,  111. ;  the 
Katonah  Museum  of  Art  in  Katonah,  N.Y. ,  as  part 
of  the  exhibit  "Dress  Codes:  Clothing  as  Sculpture," 
curated  by  Barbara  Bloemink;  the  group  exhibit 
"Hair  on  Fire"  at  the  Halsey  Institute  at  the  College 
of  Charleston  in  South  Carolina;  and  the  Architecture 
and  Design  Museum  of  Los  Angeles  exhibit  "Upcycling: 
reclaiming  past  lives." 

Susie  Ganch,  assistant  professor  in  the  Department 
of  Craft  and  Material  Studies,  participated  in 
"RE/ACTION(S)"  at  Craft  Alliance,  a  group  show 
in  St.  Louis,  curated  by  Gail  M.  Brown. 

Bryan  Hooten  (MM  O6/A),  adjunct  professor  of  jazz 
and  music  theory,  recently  released  his  CD,  "Framing 
the  Void,"  by  his  quartet,  Ombak.  which  features  VCU 
faculty  member  Brian  Jones  on  drums,  VCU  alumnus 
Trey  Pollard  (B.M.  05/A)  on  guitar  and  former  VCU 
student  Cameron  Ralston  on  bass. 

Adam  Larrabee  (M.M.  98/A),  guitar  instructor  in  the 
Department  of  Music,  is  featured  on  Eric  Satie's  new 
recording  "House  with  Four  Chimneys." 

Tony  Martucci,  professor  of  jazz  drums  in  the  VCU 
Department  of  Music,  released  a  new  CD  titled 
"Long  Street  Charm." 

William  R.  Muth  ,  Ph.D.,  assistant  professor  in  the 
Department  of  Teaching  and  Learning,  was  granted 
a  $3,000  Research  Initiation  Award  from  the  VCU 
School  of  Education.  Since  receiving  the  award  in 
2007.  Muth  has  systematically  studied  a  summer 
program  sponsored  by  Hope  House  that  works  to 
strengthen  relational  bonds  between  children  and 
their  imprisoned  fathers. 

Allan  Rosenbaum  (M.F.A.WA)  and  Lydia  Thompson, 
professors  in  the  School  of  the  Arts,  have  works 
featured  in  the  new  Lark  Books  publication 
"500  Ceramic  Sculptures." 

James  Smith-Parham,  voice  instructor  and  vocal 
coach  with  the  Department  of  Music,  served  as  stage 
director  for  the  Operafestival  di  Roma's  production 
of  "Suor  Angelica"  for  his  third  season  with 
the  company. 

Charles  West,  coordinator  of  winds  and  percussion 
for  the  Department  of  Music,  gave  master  classes  at 
the  National  Conservatory  of  Peru  this  past  summer. 

Kenneth  Wood,  assistant  professor  of  voice  with  the 
Department  of  Music,  sang  the  roles  of  Don  Basilio 
and  Don  Curzio  in  "The  Marriage  of  Figaro"  at  the 
Operafestival  di  Roma  and  served  as  co-director 
of  the  opera  scenes  program. 


1940s 

Jeanne  E.  Guza  (48/B),  of  Richmond,  Va.,  March  24, 

2009,  at  age  8l. 
Maxine  R.  Lakin  (BS.'42/E),  of  Sparta,  Va.June  14, 

2009. 
Nancy  B.  Leaghty  (B.S.49/B),  of  Midlothian,  Va., 

March  8.  2009. 

1950s 

June  F.  Bass*  (B.F.A.  53/A),  of  Richmond.  Va.,  Feb.  17, 

2009,  at  age  77- 
Thomas  E.  Belvin  (Cert  °5l/A),  of  Williamsburg,  Va., 

Jan.  7,  2009,  at  age  85. 
Owen  L.  Burks  (B.S.'sa/E).  of  Roanoke,  Va..  Feb.  29. 

2008,  at  age  73. 
Wamer  J.  Callahan  Jr.  (B.F.A.  '5l/A;  M.S.  52/A), 

of  Colonial  Heights.  Va.,  March  5,  2OO9. 
Heath  C.  Clarke  Jr.  (Cert.'56/B),  of  Richmond,  Va., 

June  3,  2009,  at  age  78. 
Donald  G.  Cronan  (Cert.  51/A),  of  Oswego,  N.Y., 

Jan.  II,  2009,  at  age  84. 
Harper  S.  Darden  (Cert. '5i/A:  B.M.  53/A),  of  Glen  Allen, 

Va.,  April  12,  2OO9,  at  age  82. 
William  P.  Dulaney(B.S.56/B),  of  Glen  Allen,  Va., 

April  21.  2009. 
Anne  T.  Foster  (B.S.  57/H&S;  M.Ed.  74/E).  of  Richmond, 

Va.,  April  4.  2OO9,  at  age  93. 
Louis  V.  Gordon  Jr.  (B.S. '52/B),  of  Powhatan.  Va., 

Feb.  23.  2009,  at  age  82. 
James  R.  Grubbs  Jr.  (B.S.'se/H&S),  of  Richmond,  Va., 

April  12.  2009,  at  age  76. 
Aubrey  L.  Lucas  (B.S.'si/B;  M.S.  WB),  of  Colonial 

Heights,  Va.,Jan.  II,  2OO9,  at  age  82. 
Edythe  D.  Owen*  (B.F.A.  'so/A),  of  Virginia  Beach.  Va., 

March  9,  2009,  at  age  80. 
Howard  B.  Padgett  (B.S  '50/B),  of  Rockville.  Va., 

March  3,  2009,  at  age  83. 
Donald  H.  Snodgrass  (BS  59/E),  of  Fuquay-Varina, 

N.C.,  Feb.  4,  2009,  at  age  76. 

1960S 

Lawrence  L.  Blake  (B.S  67/B),  of  Prince  George,  Va., 

March  28,  2009,  at  age  65. 
Dorothy  B.  Carneal  (B.F.A.  to/A),  of  Sandston,  Va., 

May  31,  2009,  at  age  71- 
Lucius  T.  Chapin  (A.S.  68/En),  of  Richmond,  Va., 

April  14.  2009,  at  age  64. 
Laura  E.  Crabtree  (A. A  '66/W&S),  of  Sandston,  Va., 

June  4,  2009,  at  age  65. 
Ann  S.  Garnett  (B  S.  61/H&S),  of  Fredericksburg,  Va. , 

June  13,  2009,  at  age  66. 
Donald  T.  Harris  (B.S.  62/B),  of  Charlotte,  N.C.. 

Feb.  7,  2008. 
Barry  L.  Jones  (BS  69/B),  of  Bradenton,  Fla., 

March  3,  2009,  at  age  63. 
Elwood  C  Kelley  (B.S.  to/H&S),  of  Rockville,  Va., 

March  8,  2009,  at  age  69. 
Judith  H.  LonglBS  66/E),  of  Virginia  Beach,  Va., 

April  20.  2009. 
Diane  CD.  McClaugherty*  (B.F.A  6.2/A),  of  Great 

Falls,  Va.,  Jan.  28.  2OO9. 
Barbara  H.  McDaniel*  (B.S.6S/B).  of  Punta  Gorda, 

Fla.,  Jan.  9,  2OO9,  at  age  65. 
Marian  M.  McDonald  (B.S.  65/H&S;  M.S.W .67/SW), 

of  Annapolis,  Md.,  Nov.  II,  2O08,  at  age  81. 
Richard  G.  Orander  (B  S  68/B),  of  Raleigh,  N.C., 

March  24,  2009,  at  age  74. 
Dale  E.  Roe  (B.S  69/E),  of  Poquoson.  Va..  Feb.  22. 

2009,  at  age  62- 


Alumna  hits  career  high  note 

As  a  teenager  who  loved  to  sing,  Eva 
Dillon  (B.A.  '82/A)  envisioned  turning  her 
talent  into  a  career  and  in  1976  enrolled 
in  Virginia  Commonwealth  University 
to  pursue  a  degree  in  music. 

The  first  job  she  landed  out  of  col- 
lege, however,  was  in  advertising.  She 
quickly  found  that  the  other  skills  she 
had  learned  at  VCU  -  collaboration  and 
leadership,  for  example  —  were  just  as 
important  and  applicable. 

"I  believe  you  can  learn  valuable  skills 
of  many  sorts  in  school  and  apply  them 
to  any  variety  of  professions,"  Dillon  says. 

Dillon  made  a  name  for  herself  in  the 
publishing  world,  working  as  vice  presi- 
dent and  publisher  of  Jane  magazine  and 
then  serving  as  the  launch  publisher  of 
Cookie  and  positioning  it  as  the  first  fam- 
ily lifestyle  magazine  to  bridge  luxury  and 
mass  advertising.  In  2002,  Advertising 
Age  named  Dillon  a  "Woman  to  Watch." 

In  March  2007,  Dillon  joined  Reader's 
Digest  as  president  and  group  publisher.  This 
year,  much  of  her  focus  centered  on  finding 
strategies  to  keep  the  magazine  fresh  and 
relevant,  which,  she  says,  has  been  rewarding. 

All  the  hard  work  seems  to  be  paying 
off.  Reader's  Digest  won  the  National 
Magazine  Award  for  general  excellence  in 
April,  beating  Martha  Stewart  Living,  Real 
Simple,  National  Geographic  and  Time. 

"In  the  magazine  world,  it's  like  getting 
the  Oscar  for  Best  Picture,"  Dillon  says. 

Dillon  lives  in  New  York  with  her  hus- 
band, James,  but  visits  Richmond  and 
the  VCU  campus  frequently.  Many  of  her 
six  siblings  live  in  the  area  and  four  are 
VCU  alumni. 

"I  always  reflect  on  how  much  the  sur- 
roundings have  changed  and  how  much 
they've  stayed  the  same  and  how  the  expe- 
riences I  had  shaped  my  life,  which  turned 
out  great,"  she  says.  "Thanks,  VCU!" 

Eva  Dillon  (second  from  right)  chats  with  her  team 
at  Reader's  Digest  (from  left)  Melissa  Morales, 
Heddy  Pierson  and  Nick  Cook. 


Alumni  association 


Officers 

Donna  M.  Dalton  (M.Ed.  'oo/E),  president 
Kenneth  A.  Thomas  (B.S.  '91/B),  president-elect 
Mary  E.  Perkinson  (B.RA.  '91/A;  B.S.  '03/En), 

treasurer 
Thomas  H.  Beatty  (B.A.  '93/H&S),  secretary 
Paul  D.  McWhinney  (B.S.  '74/SW;  M.S.W.  '79/SW), 

officer  at  large 
C.  Dandridge  Massey  (B.S.'92/B),  immediate 

past  president 


Directors 

Mary  H.  Allen  (B.S.  '80/E) 

Robert  A.  Almond  (B.S.  '74/E;  M.S.  '85/E) 

(presidential  appointment) 
Peter  A.  Blake  (B.A.  '80/H&S;  M.S.  '88/MQ 
Elizabeth  W.  Bryant  (B.S.  '84/MC;  M.S.  '04/MC) 
Leah  L.E.  Bush,  M.D.  (M.S.  '79/H&S;  M.D.  '84/M) 
Julia  M.  Cain  (B.S.  tol/En) 

(presidential  appointment) 
Rejena  G.  Carreras  (B.F.A.  '70/A;  M.A.E.  '80/A) 
William  L.  Davis  (B.S.  '74/H&S;  M.S.  79/H&S) 
David  R.  Dennier(B.S. '75/B) 
Gregory  B.  Fairchild  (B.S.  '88/MC) 
Aaron  R.  Gilchrist  Jr.  (B.S.  '03/MC) 
Stephanie  L  Holt  (B.S. '74/E) 
Raymond  E.  Honeycutt  (B.S.  '76/E) 

(presidential  appointment) 
Christopher  R.  Jones  (B.S.  tol/En) 
Stephen  H.  Jones  (B.S.  '75/B) 
Shirley  R.  McDaniel  (B.G.S.  '99/H&S) 
Elizabeth  J.  Moran  (M.P.A.  '92/H&S) 
John  S.  Philips  (M.S.  '78/B) 
John  Jay  Schwartz  (B.S.  69/B) 
Vickie  M.  Snead  (B.S.  76/B) 
Jacqueline  Tunstall-Bynum  (B.S.  '82/H&S) 
Natalee  A.  Wasiluk  (B.F.A.  '86/A) 
James  E.  Williams  (B.S.  '84/H&S;  M.S.  '96/H&S) 

School  and  affiliated  group 
representatives 

Franklin  R.  Wallace  (B.F.A.  '87/A;  M.P.A.  to8/H&S), 

African-American  Alumni  Council 
Eugene  H.  Hunt  (B.S.  59/B;  M.S.  '61/B), 

RPI  Alumni  Council 
Gaurav  "G"  Shrestha  (B.S.  03/B),  Young  Alumni 

Council 
Joseph  E.  Becht  Jr.  (B.S.'80/B),  School 

of  Business 
Christopher  R.  Jones  (B.S.  tol/En),  School 

of  Engineering 
Dale  C.  Kalkofen  (M.A.E.  '76/A),  School 

of  Education 
Elizabeth  M.  McAdam  (B.S.  '05/H&S;  M.S.W.  '07/SW). 

School  of  Social  Work 


Julian  H.  Sinault  III  (B.S. '60/E),  of  Richmond,  Va., 

April  30.  2009,  at  age  74. 
Alan  R.  Tye  (B.S.'w/B),  of  Henrico,  Va.,  Jan.  29,  2009, 

at  age  75. 
Gerald  Wilson  (B.S.  69/H&S),  of  Newport  News,  Va., 

Jan.  II.  2008,  at  age  64. 

1970S 

Danny  L.  Athans  (B.S.Vs/H&S),  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Jan. 

23,  2009,  at  age  56. 
Raymond  Elwood  Beverley  (B.S.  '71/B),  of  Richmond, 

Va.,  March  21.  2OO9,  at  age  60. 
John  B.  Boatwright  III  (B.S. '7S/H&S),  of  Richmond, 

Va.,  Feb.  9.  2009,  at  age  56. 
Early  L.  Bowden  Jr.  (B.S. '77/B),  of  Manakin-Sabot,  Va., 

Feb.  28,  2009,  at  age  63. 
Charles  W.  Clary  (B.A.79/H&S),  of  Lexington,  Ky., 

April  2,  2009,  at  age  54- 
Erman  F.  Clower  (M. B.A.  76/B),  of  Sandston,  Va.,  May 

8,  2009,  at  age  64. 
John  H.N.  Cockburn  (B.S.  71/B),  of  Columbia.  S.C., 

March  21.  2009,  at  age  60. 
Jean  P.  Copeland  (M.Ed.  7o/E).  of  Chesterfield,  Va., 

May  12,  2009,  at  age  72. 
Theresa  W.  Davis  (M.S.W.  75/SW),  of  Portsmouth.  Va., 

April  I,  2009.  at  age  58. 
George  A.  Freese  Jr.  (B.S.  73/B),  of  Hopewell,  Va., 

May  II.  2009,  at  age  74. 
Carol  Grim  (B.F.A.  73/A),  of  Richmond,  Va.,  March  29. 

2009.  at  age  57. 
John  H.  Hardage  (1-1. S  72/B),  of  Raleigh,  N.C.,  May 

18,  2009,  at  age  69. 
Mildred  C.  Helms  (B.A.  60/E;  M.Ed.  71/E),  of  Richmond. 

Va. ,  April  25,  2009,  at  age  77. 


Michael  S.  Huffman  (B.F.A. '74/A),  of  Smithfield.  Va., 

Jan.  14,  2009,  at  age  62. 
George  J.  Kadzis,  D.D.S.  (B.S.'74/H&S:D.DS,'78/D). 

of  Tallahassee,  Fla..  March  2,  2OO9.  at  age  56. 
Alfred  J.  Marcussen  (72/H&S),  of  Richmond.  Va., 

March  20,  2009,  at  age  85. 
Anne  Pitts  McCabe  (M.Ed.  71/E),  of  Richmond.  Va., 

Feb.  7.  2009. 
Amy  N.  McFall  (B.F.A.  75/A),  of  Gloucester,  Va.,  June 

8,  2009. 
Anne  K.  McKenney*  (77/A).  of  Richmond,  Va.,  March 

24.  2009,  at  age  83. 
Earl  W.  Moore  (B.S. '75/B),  of  Richmond.  Va.,  April  7, 

2009,  at  age  68. 
Patrick  M.  O'Hare*  (B.S.  '70/H&S;  M.S.  '78/H&S),  of 

Midlothian.  Va.,  June  5,  2OO9.  at  age  73. 
Edgar  P.  Phillips  Jr.  (B.S.74/MC),  of  Chesterfield,  Va., 

May  20,  2009,  at  age  66. 
Edna  K.  Spain  (B.S.  77/B),  of  Merrells  Inlet,  S.C.,  May 

21,  2009,  at  age  62. 

1980S 

Richard  S.  Braxton  (B.S.  '81/B).  of  Richmond,  Va.,  May 

28,  2009.  at  age  59. 
Kevin  O.  Ferguson  (BS  84/E),  of  Chester,  Va.,  Feb.  1. 

2OO9.  at  age  49. 
Roxanne  Friend,  Ph.D.  (M.S.'89/H&S;PLD.'92/I-I&S), 

of  Hope.  R.I.,  May  22.  2OO9,  at  age  57. 
Richard  R.  Gallahan  (B.S.'82/E),  ofWoodbridge, 

Conn..  Jan.  30,  2009.  at  age  55. 
Edmund  E.  Hamilton  (M.P.A.  to/H&S),  of  Richmond, 

Va.,  Jan.  17,  2009,  at  age  75. 
Constance  M.  Hill  (B.S.'82/H&S).  of  Lightfoot,  Va., 

March  8,  2009,  at  age  52. 


34  !  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


Barbara  M.  Huxter  (B.G.S.  84/H&S),  of  Palm  Bay,  Fla., 

March  3,  2009,  at  age  79. 
Elizabeth  S.  Johnson  (B.A.  'si/H&S),  of  Richmond.  Va., 

Feb.  22.  2009.  at  age  90. 
Rosemary  H.  Kelso  (B.S.so/B:  M.S.W.'ro/SW), 

of  Richmond,  Va..  May  II,  2009,  at  age  54. 
Kimberly  A.  Montgomery  (B.S.  '84/H&S),  of  Lynchburg, 

Va.,  Jan.  20.  2OO9.  at  age  47. 
Mike  Schlegel  ('85),  a  former  center  on  VCU  basketball 

teams,  died  at  age  45.  Schlegel  scored  1,173  points 

during  four  seasons  as  a  Rams  starter,  making  him 

one  of  three  I.OOO-point  scorers  in  his  class. 
Ava  M.  Thomas  (M.P.A.'82/H&S),  of  Richmond,  Va., 

May  8,  2009,  at  age  53. 
Linwood  E.  Wingfield  Jr.  (B.S.  WB).  of  Richmond. 

Va.,  March  14,  2009,  at  age  43. 
Richard  W.  Wright  (B.S.87/MC),  of  Seattle.  Wash., 

Feb.  19,  2009.  at  age  45. 
Robert  F.  Zahradnick  (M.S/82/H&S),  of  Sandston,  Va.. 

April  15.  2009,  at  age  75. 

1990s 

Anthony  D.  Benedict  (B.F.A.  94/A).  of  Manassas.  Va., 

Feb.  23.  2009.  at  age  38. 
David  Blood  (B.S.  Va/B),  of  Lansdowne.  Pa. .June  4, 

2009,  at  age  39. 
Troy  E.  Clark  (B.S  WB),  of  Tampa,  Fla..  Jan.  17,  2009. 

at  age  37. 
Hester  L.  Dorer,  Ph.D.*  (M.S.  98/H&S;  PkD.  01/H&S), 

of  Richmond,  Va.,  Feb.  IO.  2009,  at  age  54. 
Pat  Garrison  Dungan*  (B.F.A.  v5/A),  of  Suffolk,  Va., 

Feb.  9,  2OO9,  at  age  56. 
Nancy  L.  Farmer-Hoisington  (M.S.W.  WSW), 

of  Alexandria,  Va.,  March  7,  2OO9,  at  age  58. 
George  M.  Hall  (B.S.'vo/B),  of  St.  Augustine.  Fla.. 

March  15,  2009,  at  age  52. 
Jarrel  E.  Hanson  (B.S.  '93/B),  of  Virginia  Beach,  Va., 

May  28,  2009,  at  age  45. 
Kristie  M.  Kemerer  (B.S.  WE),  of  Arnold.  Md., 

May  27.  2009,  at  age  38. 
Charline  Oliff  (M.Ed.  97/E).  of  Palmyra,  Va..  Feb.  24, 

2009,  at  age  58. 

2000S 

Austin  M.  Adams  (B.S.  "03/H&S).  of  Richmond,  Va., 

May  18,  2008,  at  age  32. 
Lynn  B.  Barco  (B  A.'oi/H&S),  of  Richmond,  Va.. 

May  27.  2009.  at  age  46. 
John  H.  Grassmick  (B.RA. 'OO/A),  ofLuray,  Va., 

Dec.  17,  2008,  at  age  34. 
Keegan  Francis  Merrick  (B.S.  os/H&S),  Jan.  22,  2009, 

at  age  31.  He  served  as  an  animal  control  officer  for  the 

city  of  Richmond  and,  in  2006.  was  named  Officer  of 

the  Year  by  the  Virginia  Animal  Control  Association. 

He  also  helped  to  organize  and  spearhead  the  Virginia 

Animal  Fighting  Task  Force. 
Michael  Nadeau  (B.S.'OO/En),  of  Kalamazoo,  Mich., 

March  31,  2009,  at  age  40. 
Andrew  C.Stevens  (B.A.  'oi/H&S),  of  Glen  Allen,  Va., 

Jan.  30,  2OO9,  at  age  31. 
Jacelle  L.  Winston  (Cert  07/B).  of  Richmond,  Va., 

March  23,  2009,  at  age  27- 

Faculty  and  staff 

Manley  Elliot  Banks  II,  Ph.D.,  associate  professor  of 
political  science  in  VCU's  L.  Douglas  Wilder  School 
of  Government  and  Public  Affairs,  died  Aug.  21.  2009, 
at  age  56.  Banks  joined  VCU  Jan.  I,  1987,  and  taught 
courses  in  city  politics,  U.S.  government,  voting  rights 
issues  and  urban  economic  development  policies  and 
also  served  as  an  honor  code  coordinator  for  the 
College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  National  Conference  of  Black  Political  Scientists 


and  Minority  Scholars  Concerned  About  Voting  Rights 
Issues.  Banks  received  his  undergraduate  degree  from 
Morehouse  College  in  Atlanta  and  his  master's  and 
doctoral  degrees  from  the  University  of  Texas. 

Martha  D.  Berliner,  Ph.D.,  of  Virginia  Beach.  Va.,  died 
March  4,  2009,  at  age  80.  She  served  as  chair  and  professor 
in  the  Department  of  Biology  and  as  professor  of  micro- 
biology and  immunology  from  1982  until  1987.  While  at 
VCU.  she  co-founded  a  plant  biotechnology  laboratory. 

Thomas  C.  Campbell  Jr.,  Ph.D.,  retired  business 
professor,  diedjuly  8,  2009,  at  age  89.  He  taught 
economics  at  West  Virginia  University  and  served  as 
dean  of  the  Business  and  Economics  School  from 
1961-1968  when  The  Ford  Foundation  asked  him  to 
go  to  Kenya  to  help  the  government  write  its  first  five- 
year  economic  plan.  In  1980  he  moved  to  Richmond 
and  taught  part  time  at  VCU.  Upon  retiring,  he  did 
volunteer  work  at  the  Virginia  Historical  Society. 

Robert  Dilworth,  Ed.D.,  of  Richmond.  Va.,  diedjune 
6,  2009.  at  age  72.  Following  a  31-year  career  in  the 
U.S.  Army,  he  joined  the  VCU  School  of  Education, 
where  he  taught  adult  education  and  human  resource 
development.  He  retired  as  associate  professor  emeri- 
tus in  2005.  Over  the  years,  he  earned  three  master's 
degrees  and  a  doctorate  and  became  known  interna- 
tionally for  his  work  with  action  learning. 

Clarence  L.  Dunn,  Ph.D..  of  Richmond,  Va.,  died  Feb. 
3.  2009.  at  age  86.  He  received  three  degrees  from 
the  University  of  Illinois  in  Urbana.  He  taught  briefly 
at  his  alma  mater,  followed  by  26  years  as  a  professor 
at  Louisiana  State  University,  where  he  served  as  head 
of  the  accounting  department,  as  associate  dean  of  the 
College  of  Business  Administration  and  as  assistant 
vice  chancellor  of  academic  affairs.  He  retired  from 
LSU  in  May  1978  and  then  taught  at  VCU  for  IO  years 
ounting  before  retiring  in  May  1987. 


afes. 


sor  01  acco 


Thomas  O.  Hall  Jr.,  Th.D.,  VCU  professor  emeritus, 
diedjuly  20,  2009,  at  age  85.  He  joined  Richmond 
Professional  Institute,  the  precursor  to  VCU,  as  an 
adjunct  professor  and  developed  a  department  of 
philosophy  and  religious  studies,  which  he  chaired 
for  17  years.  Hall  left  the  department  to  develop  the 
university's  honors  program.  He  earned  his  Bachelor 
of  Divinity,  Master  of  Theology  and  Doctor  of  Theol- 
ogy degrees  from  Southwestern  Baptist  Theological 
Seminary.  During  his  career,  Hall  received  the 
Outstanding  Faculty  Award  from  the  State  Council 
of  Higher  Education  in  Virginia  and  the  Distinguished 
Service  Award  from  VCU.  The  College  of  Humanities 
and  Sciences  established  the  Thomas  O.  Halljr. 
Honors  Scholarship  Fund  in  his  name. 

James  T.  Moore,  Ph.D.,  emeritus  professor  of  history, 
died  April  I.  2009,  at  age  63.  He  joined  the  VCU 
Department  of  History  as  an  instructor  in  1970  and 
became  its  chair  in  1981.  He  received  his  undergradu- 
ate degree  from  the  University  of  South  Carolina  and 
his  Ph.D.  from  the  University  of  Virginia.  While  at 
VCU,  he  taught  courses  in  U.S.  history  and  received 
the  College  of  Humanities  and  Sciences'  Lecturer's 
Award  and  the  college's  Distinguished  Teaching  Award. 
He  also  wrote  "Two  Paths  to  the  New  South:  The 
Virginia  Debt  Controversy,  1870-1883"  and  co-edited 
another  book,  "The  Governors  of  Virginia.  1860- 
1978."  The  James  Tice  Moore  Scholarship  in  History 
for  Teachers  was  established  in  his  honor  in  2008. 

James  A.  Wood,  Ph.D.,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  died  March 
14,  2OO9,  at  age  69.  He  was  a  graduate  of  Georgetown 
University  and  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he 
received  a  Ph.D.  in  mathematics.  His  45-plus-year 
career  included  nearly  40  at  VCU  as  professor  of 
mathematics  and  director  of  graduate  studies. 

Friends  of  VCU 

J.B.  Bourne  Jr.,  of  Sandston.  Va.,  April  30,  2009. 
Stuart  G.  Christian  Jr.,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Feb.  8, 

2009. 
Leslie  Grandis.  of  Richmond,  Va.,  March  30,  2009. 
Nancy  C.  Lesac,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Jan.  19,  2009. 
Ernest  E.  Rosenthal,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  May  31,  2009. 


Shafer  Court  sparks  reunion 

Instant  chemistry  sparked  between 
Keith  Jenkins  (B.S.  '80/B)  and  Mabel 
Washington  (B.S.  '81/B)  when  they  met  at 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University  in  1978. 

"I  liked  Keith  from  the  moment  I  laid 
eyes  on  him,"  Washington  says.  "We 
never  dated,  but  I  always  talked  about 
this  cute  guy  I  had  a  'crush'  on." 

At  the  time,  Jenkins  says,  he  thought 
of  Washington  as  "just  a  freshman."  The 
sophomore  business  major  never  really 
thought  anything  serious  would  develop 
with  the  young  girl  he  regularly  saw  at  the 
dining  hall. 

Jenkins  remembers  Valentine's  Day 
1978  fondly.  Washington  walked  up  to  him 
and  said,  "It's  Valentine's  Day.  Where  is 
my  chocolate?" 

"I  can't  remember  what  I  said  to  her,  but 
I  finally  gave  her  chocolate,  in  February 
2007,"  Jenkins  says. 

When  he  graduated,  the  two  went 
their  separate  ways.  Jenkins  pursued 
a  career  in  sales,  while  Washington  took 
a  different  path,  in  local  government.  The 
two  thought  they'd  never  see  each  other 
again,  but  neither  forgot  the  other. 

In  2004,  Sh  r 
Court  Connect 
noted  Washington's 
promotion  to  cit 
council     clerk 
Newport  News 


•-, 


living  in  Virginia 
Beach,  Va.,  at  the 
time,  saw  her  name 
and  remembered 
the  cute,  dimple- 
cheeked  girl  from 
his  college  years. 
He  decided  to  con- 
tact Washington, 
in  hopes  of  recon- 

Pe?,t!?g'       ,  Keith  Jenkins  and  Mai 

We  ta  ked  and        ...    , .  ,  ,     . 

Washington  celebrate 

communicated    via        their  first  anniversary 
e-mail    on    a    daily        this  month. 
basis.  Our  conver- 
sations confirmed  that  he  was  the  guy 
for  me,"  Washington  says. 

And  30  years  after  their  first  chance 
meeting  on  campus,  the  couple  tied  the 
knot  Oct.  18,  2008. 


Fall  2009 1 


[class  notes] 


New  lifetime  members 


William  B.  Adams,  M.D. 

Lara  G.  Addison 

Ajay  Adhikari,  Ph.D. 

John  R.  Alexander  Jr. 

Damon  Allen 

Linda  D.  Brown-Burton 

James  O.  Burgess 

Mason  L.  Burnette 

Chris  S.  Canavos 

Colleen  W.  Carney 

Julie  J.  Carwile 

Ryan  M.  Castillo 

James  P.  Charnley 

Peter  Clancy 

Keefe  R.  Coble 

Donna  E.  Coghill 

Felecia  I  Coleman 

Charles  Conyers 

Joice  E.  Conyers 

W.  Gray  Corbett  Jr. 

Catherine  C  Cottrell 

Trina  B.  Davis 

Patricia  D.  Dickinson 

Stephen  Y.  Dickinson 

Sharon  Ann  Dodson-Longest 

Tanisha  S.  Dorsey 

Barbara  S.  Eadeh 

James  C.  Edwards 

Susan  A.  Edwards 

Bonnie  S.  Eisenman 

Donna  D.  Elder 

Larry  G.  Elder,  J.D. 

John  C.  Emory  Jr. 

Lea  W.  Emory 

Charles  E.  Faison  Jr. 

Stanley  J.  Feuer 

Judy  M.K.  Fitch 

Juliana  R.  Franklin 

Leah  A.  Fremouw 

Lynn  L.  Garmew 

Richard  H.  Gibbs 

Kenneth  C.  Giles 

Betty  Ann  Lee  Gillelan 

Marion  Gittings 

Beverly  P.  Glover 

Bobby  A.  Gordon 

Janet  L.  Haase 

Randall  Haase 

Allison  Aheart  Haymore 

John  H.  Haynes 

Mary  M.  Hoffman 

Raymond  E.  Honeycutt 

Anita  L.  Iyer 

Gloria  J.  Jackson 

Kathryn  Briscoe  Kelley 

Brenda  L.  Kirk 

Min  J.  Lee 

Larry  L.  Longest 


Robert  P.  Malyska 

Percy  M.  Mansfield  III 

Sarah  Kelly  Mansfield 

James  A.  McDonough  Jr. 

Morgan  Elizabeth  McDowell 

Cynthia  H.  McMullen 

Laura  Michaels 

Stephen  W.  Michaels 

Catherine  L.  Moore 

Colleen  A.  Moore 

Louis  W.  Moore 

William  Brent  Moore 

Ralph  D.  Neal,  Ph.D. 

Denise  M.  Ortiz 

Josephine  B.  Owusu-Sakyi 

R.A.  Pace  Jr. 

Joan  M.  Pellegrini,  Ph.D. 

MaryAnne  Pennington 

Vicki  Phillos 

Justin  L.  Poklis 

Pamela  H.  Poole 

Kamesha  L.  Price 

Mark  A.  Robbins 

Morris  Roberson 

Edwin  S.  Robertson 

Cynthia  M.  Rudell 

John  A.  Sankey  III 

Patricia  G.  Sankey 

James  E.  Schepmoes 

Thomas  W.  Schleicher 

Corinne  Renee  Shelton-Adams 

Kristen  L.  Sheriff,  DPI. 

Tara  E.  Silver-Malyska 

Robert  A.  Simms 

Cynthia  A.  Simpson 

Curtis  A.  Sisson 

Elizabeth  V.  Sisson 

Lesley  A.  Smith 

Nathan  A.  Smith 

Robin  N.  Snaden 

Lawrence  J.  Spencer,  Ph.D. 

William  D.Spillerll 

Arnette  A.  Steele 

Laura  E.  Stevenson 

Patrick  Swope 

Sarah  Werner  Swope 

Jessica  B.  Troutman 

Alison  Ullman 

Franklin  R.  Wallace  Jr. 

Natalee  Wasiluk 

Geraldine  B.  Watkinson 

Ralph  E.  Watkinson 

Robert  S.  Welch 

Kenneth  W.  Wester 

William  B.  Willaford  IV 

Shirley  B.  Williams 

Aaron  L.  Winer 

Marian  F.  Winer 


Abbreviation  key 

Alumni  are  identified  by  degree,  year  and 
college  or  school.  An  asterisk  (*)  identifies 
members  of  the  VCU  Alumni  Association. 

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 

Deg 


rees 


List  includes  individuals  who  joined  the  VCU  Alumni  Association  as  lifetime  members 
between  Jan.  1,  2009,  and  June  30,  2009. 


A.A.,  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.I 

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 

MIS. 

Master  of  Interdisciplinary  Studies 

M.M. 

Master  of  Music 

M.M.E. 

Master  of  Music  Education 

M.P.A. 

Master  of  Public  Administration 

M.PH. 

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 

M.I 

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 

36  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


[THEN    and    NOW] 

GRI2KLIFE_ 

' evolves  along  with  university 


By  Kelli  Ander 


Students  looking  to  find  their  niche  on  campus  have  33  fraternities  and  sororities  providing 
leadership,  community  service  and  academic  experiences  to  enhance  their  college  career 
at  Virginia  Commonwealth  University. 

Greek  life  continues  to  grow  alongside  university  enrollment  as  more  and  more  students  join 
the  close-knit  groups  to  find  that  home  away  from  home,  says  Carajenkins,  VCU  fraternity  and 
sorority  life  coordinator.  Since  2005,  IO  fraternities  and  sororities  have  joined  the  Greek  life 
fold  at  VCU. 

"In  only  three  years,  we've  almost  doubled  the  community,"  she  says. 

That's  a  far  different  student-life  picture  from  when  Ron  Gentry  (B.S.  '70/MC)  attended 
Richmond  Professional  Institute,  now  VCU. 

"At  that  time  the  school  didn't  have  a  lot  of  organizations  or  functions  that  brought  people 
together  and  this  was  away  to  do  that,"  says  Gentry,  who  joined  RPI's  first  unofficial  fraternity,  Phi 
Delta  Omega,  in  1966.  Five  years  later,  VCU  recognized  the  local  chapter  when  it  affiliated  with 
the  international  fraternity  Sigma  Phi  Epsilon. 

The  first  chartered  Greek-letter  organization,  however,  came  to  campus  a  year  earlier,  in  197°- 
with  Delta  Sigma  Theta  Sorority  Inc.  Each  chapter  established  in  the  nearly  40  years  since  has  kept  pace 
with  VCU's  student  population,  offering  men  and  women  of  different  cultural  backgrounds,  philan- 
thropic interests  and  strong  academic  goals  the  chance  to  come  together  in  brother-  and  sisterhood. 

"Our  chapters  reflect  the  diversity  of  VCU's  student  population,"  Jenkins  says. 

Today,  the  reasons  students  Go  Greek"  remain  very  similar  to  19  years  ago, 
says  Lynne  Chambers,  the  Alpha  Sigma  Alpha  sorority  adviser  since  1990. 

"Back  then,  women  were  looking  for  a  small  group  to  connect  with  and 
opportunities  for  leadership  development,"'  Chambers  says.    "Today, 
VCU  is  a  big  university  with  a  lot  more  opportunities  for  clubs  and 
groups.  But  women  are  still  looking  for  a  small,  cohesive  group 
as  a  support  system." 

Erin  Halye,  who  is  completing  the  graduate  year  of  the  five 
year  extended  teacher  preparation  program,  joined  a  sorority  as 
a  sophomore  because  she  wanted  to  get  involved.  Halye  —  who 
commutes  from  Midlothian,  Va.  —  found  Phi  Sigma  Sigma 
offered  her  opportunities  and  a  family  environment  at  VCU. 

"They  showed  me  that  being  a  sorority  woman  was  a  whole  lot 
more  and  a  whole  lot  better  than  I  thought  it  would  be,"  Halye  says. 
"They  do  so  much  around  campus  and  in  the  community." 

Those  events  include  an  annual  Rock-A-Thon  to  raise  money  for 
the  Phi  Sigma  Sigma  Foundation,  which  supports  the  National  Kidney 
Foundation's  U.S.  Transplant  Games  and  provides  grants  and  scholarships 
for  sisters  as  well  as  other  philanthropic  endeavors. 

Halye  jumped  right  into  leadership  roles  by  serving  as  her  sorority' 
president,  director  of  operations  for  the  Panhellenic  Council  and  now 
as  president  of  the  Greek  honor  organization,  Order  of  Omega. 

"I  feel  like  I've  gotten  so  much  more  out  of  my  college  experience  with 
this,"  Halye  says.  "It's  really  helped  me  evolve  as  a  leader  and  as  a  person." 

The  fraternity  and  sorority  community  not  only  positively  impacts 
campus  culture  and  student  life  but  also  has  lasting  effects  on  membe 
development  after  graduation. 

"It's  not  just  something  you  do  for  four  years,"  Jenkins  says.  "It's  the  idea 
of  lifetime  membership  and  friendship.  The  fundamental  purpose  of  frater- 
nities and  sororities  is  to  help  make  men  and  women  better  citizens." 

Gentry  agrees:  "My  brothers  were  my  closest  friends  at  school  and  still  are  today." 

Kelli  Anderson  is  a  contributing  writer  for  Shafer  Court  Connections. 


VCU  Greek  life  turns  40 

Celebrate  40  years  of  VCU's  fra- 
ternity and  sorority  community 
throughout  2010.  Greek  alumni 
are  invited  to  participate  in  the 
on-campus  celebrations. 

For  more  information,  call  (804)  828-4685 
or  visit  www.usca.vcu.edu/greektife. 


Datebook 


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


NOVEMBER 

Nov.  4 

Book  signing  with  Judith  Fox,  author 

of  "I  STILL  Do:  Loving  and  Living 

with  Alzheimer's" 

Barnes  &  Noble  @  VCU  on  the  Monroe 

Park  Campus 
(804)  828-1678 

Nov.  5-22 

Theatre  VCU  —  "Ain't  Misbehavin"' 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804) 828-6026 

Nov.  17-20 

VCU  Libraries:  Centennial  anniversary 
of  the  founding  of  the  Equal  Suffrage 
League  of  Virginia 

Various  events/locations 
(804)  828-IIO5 


The  Equal  Suffrage  League  of  Virginia 


DECEMBER 

Dec.  12 

Winter  Commencement 

Stuart  C.  Siegel  Center 
(804)828-1917 


JANUARY 

Jan.  30 

Capucon-Angelich  Trio 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804.)  828-6776 


Homecoming 


FEBRUARY 

Black  History  Month  at  VCU 

Various  events/locations 
(804.)  828-6672 

Feb.  6 

Homecoming  Weekend 

Various  events/locations 
(804)  828-1981 

RA  Reunion* 
Location/date  TBD 

Chill  and  Grill* 
Location/date  TBD 

VCU  Hoops* 
Location/date  TBD 

VCUAA  Board  of  Directors  Meeting* 
Location  TBD 
(804)  828-2586 

Feb.  20 

Arnaldo  Cohen,  piano 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-6776 

Feb.  21-March  21 

Theatre  VCU  —  "The  Grapes  of  Wrath" 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-6026 


MARCH 

March  10 

The  Richmond  Piano  Trio 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)828-6776 


March  25 

Browns-Lyons  Lecture  with  Jack  D.  Spiro,  Ph.D. 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-IIO5 

March  27 
Jupiter  String  Quartet 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-6776 


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APRIL 

Alumni  Month 
Details  to  follow  in  the  spring  magazine 
and  at  www.vcu-mcvaluiuni.org. 

April  8-25 

Theatre  VCU  —  "The  Who's  Tommy" 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-6026 

April  10 

VCUAA  Board  of  Directors  Meeting* 

Location  TBD 
(804)  828-2586 

April  17 

Pieter  Wispelwey,  cello 

W.E.  Singleton  Center  for  the  Performing  Arts 
(804)  828-6776 

April  23-25 
Reunion  Weekend* 

Various  events/locations 
(804)  828-2586 

*  VCUAA  event 


38  I  VCU  Shafer  Court  Connections 


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CIRCA 


Campus  concerts:  1989 

Alternative  funk-rock  band  the  Red  Hot  Chili 
Peppers  perform  in  the  courtyard  of  Shafer  Court 
on  the  Virginia  Commonwealth  University  Monroe  Park  Campus.  A  focal 
point  of  Shafer  Court,  the  brick  stage  that  stood  there  from  i960  to  2002 
served  as  a  venue  for  art  shows,  lectures,  protests,  community  gatherings 
and  free  weekly  rock  concerts  featuring  local  and  national  performers. 


■ 


2009 1 39 


vcu 


Virginia  Commonwealth  University 

Office  of  Alumni  Relations 

924  West  Franklin  Street 

RO.  Box  843044 

Richmond,  Virginia  23284-3044 


Non-profit  Organization 

U.S.  Postage  Paid 

Permit  No.  869 

RICHMOND,  VA 


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