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The  Magazine  for  Alumni  and  Friends  of  Virginia  Commonwealth  University  *^i^ 


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For  faculty  and  students,  WZU  L1Pr§GFm^B*i?^'bio!iiR^ri^rilitural  resouFca**^ 
to  learn,  to  teach,  and  to  understand  the  intricate  web  of  life  on  Earth.  ^* 


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VCU  ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 

Alumni  Association  Officers 

Kathleen  Burke  Barrett  71 BS  '73MS/B 

Andrew  Hulcher  '84BS/B 

VICE    PRESIDENT 

J.  SouthallStane'71BS/B 

SECRETARY 

Dan  Massey  '92BS/B 

TREASURER 

Stephanie  Holt '74BS/E 

OFEICER    AT    LARGE 

HughKeogh'81MS/MC 

IMMEDIATE    PAST    PRESIDENT 


Chairs  of  School  Alumni  Boards 
Thomas  House  '95BGS/H&S 

NONTRAO.TiOI.  AL    E'^T'ES    PROGRAM 

Thomas  Silvestri  '86MBA 

SCHOOL    OF    BUSINESS 

Cheryl  Magill'81MEd'99PhD 

SCHOOL    OF    EDUCATION 


Board  of  Directors 


William  Davis  VIBS/HSS/CPA  ■79IVIS/H&S/CPA 

JoLynnDeMary'72MEd 

Stephanie  Holt  '74BS/E 

Juanita  Leatherberry  '73BS/B 

Timothy  McKeever  'SBMBA 

Michael  Wade  '86BS/H&S  '91MS(RC|/AH 

Linda  Warren  '75BS/B 

TERM    EXPIRING    2003 

Peter  Aiken  '82  BS  '85MS/B 

Marika  Byrd  '92BGS/NTS 

Quentin  Corbett  '72BS/B 

Mary  Cosby'93/H&S  gBMSIRO/AH 

Paul  Hundley  '86BFA 

Cecil  Millner  '78BS/B  '82MACC 

Susan  Noble  '96MT/E 

TERM    EXPIRING    2002 

Donna  Coghill  '90BFA  '94MFA 

Eleanor  Rumae  Foddrell  '82BS/B 

William  Ginther  '69BS  '74MS/B 

Carol  Negus  '63BFA 

Cathy  Pond  '76BSW  '80MSW 

Kristi  Vera  '97MSW 

AFRICAN    AMERICAN    ALUMNI    COUNCIL 

Michelle  Jones  '87BS/H&S 


2001  General  Assembly  Update 

The  2001  ViFginia  General  Assembly  session  adjouFned  on 
Saturday,  FebFuaFy  24th,  GeneFal  Assembly  sessions  held  in  odd- 
numbeFed  yeaFS  aFe  fondly  FefeFFed  to  as  shoFt  sessions  since  they 
aFe  only  45  days  long  Typically,  the  Govetnor  and  the  legislatoFS 
use  these  short  sessions  to  make  modest  changes  to  public  policy 
and  to  the  biennial  budget. 

By  any  measute,  this  yeat  was  atypical  The  Administtation's 
commitment  to  fully  fund  cat  tax  Felief  was  all-consuming  foF 
budget  decision-makers.  The  tesulting  stalemate  of  the 
AdministFation  and  the  House  budget  confetees  against  the 
Senate  confetees  meant  that  the  Assembly  left  town  foF  the  fitst 
time  evet  without  amending  the  second  yeat  of  the  budget, 
Sevetal  attempts  to  teconvene  to  tesolve  the  budget  impasse 
wete  unsuccessful 

The  GovernoF  is  now  compelled  by  the  state  Constitution 
to  impose  resttictions  on  expenditures  and 
implement  funding  cuts  to  keep  the  budget  m 
balance.  Most  state  agencies  have  been  required 
to  tighten  their  belts.  At  institutions  of  higher 
education,  more  than  S250  million  in  previously 
authorized  capital  projects  are  now  placed 
on  hold 

Fortunately  for  Virginia  Commonwealth 
University  and  the  VCU  Health  System,  the 
impact  is  minimal,  compared  to  other  institu- 
tions As  for  the  University  and  the  VCU  Health 
System's  highest  legislative  priority,  full  funding 
for  uncompensated  indigent  health  care,  there 
appear  to  be  administrative  remedies  to  provide 
the  needed  funding 

The  impasse  impacts  budgets  in  other  ways.  This  year, 
without  extraordinary  action,  no  state  funds  will  be  appropriated 
to  support  such  needs  as  pay  raises  for  local  and  state  employees, 
including  faculty.  Likewise,  funding  for  student  financial  aid  will 
remain  constant,  and  many  cultural  programs  and  museums  will 
experience  significant  reductions  or  elimination  of  state  funding 


Live  Your  Passion: 
Commencement  2001 

VCU  awarded  4,332  profes- 
sional, graduate  and  bac- 
calaureate degrees  for 
2001  on  May  19. 
International  best-selling 
author  David  BaldaccI 
■83BA/H&S  told  gradu- 
ates, "You  can  do  anything 
with  your  lives.  You  have  to 
find  one  thing  that  you're 
absolutely  passionate  about. . .  .craft  the  life  that  best  suits  you.  If 
not,  life  will  create  one  for  you."  President  Eugene  Trani  presented 
honorary  doctorates  to  Baldacci  and  former  White  House  corre- 
spondent Helen  Thomas. 


VCU 


An  Equal  Opportunitv/Affirmaiive  Action  University 


Reunion  2001  Photo  Gallery 

AFRICAN   AMERICAN  ALUMNI   REUNION   PH  OT  OG  R  AFt/t    BV 


WILLIE   REDD.   OTHER   REUNION   PHOTOS   BT    ANNE   LAWVER  '76BFA 


t~'jiLLLLLLL-;ieiit 


I 


Volume  7,  Number  1     | 


CONNECTIONS 


Survivors 


Radical  Science:  Beyond  Biology  101 


Physical  Plant:  The  Center  for  the  Life  Sciences 


J 


The  Rice  Center 


1 


PO  Box  843044 

2 

University  News 

3 

Alumni  News 

28 

Live  at  VCU 

40 

Body  of  Work 
I 


Success  by  Association 

iJ 


Shafer  Court  Connections  is 
a  magazine  for  alumni  and 
friends  of  the  Academic  Campus  of 
Virginia  Commonwealth  University 
in  Richmond.  VCU  is  a  Carnegie  One 
Research  University  with  an  enroll- 
ment of  24.000  smdents  on  the 
Academic  and  Medical  College  of 
Virginia  Campuses.  The  magazine  is 
published  twice  a  year  by  VCU 
Alumni  Activities. 


staff 
AAARY  ELLEN  MERCER 

EDITOR 

BEN  CORNATZER 

ART  DIRECTOR 

CHERI  OWENS  OIBS/B 

CLASS  NOTES 

PAMELA  BODKIN 
'91BIS/H&S 

UNIVERSITY  NEWS 

BILL  ILLS 

DIRECTOR  OF  ALUMNI  ACTIVITIES 


Contact  VCU  Alumni  Activities  at 

924  West  Franklin  Street 

P.O.  Box  843044 

Richmond,  VA  23284-3044. 

Email:  VCU-ALUM(svcu.edu. 
Phone  (8041  VCU-ALUM 

(828-25861 

fax  (804)  828-8197 
Website:  wv\'vi'. vcu-mcvalumni.org 


Copyright  ®  2001  by  Virginia  Commonwealth  University. 


PO  BOX  843044 


./ 


We  Toddled  Off  to  Where? 

I  found  the  Summer  2000  issue  of  Slmfcr 
Court  Cotinectiuiis  to  be  quite  interesting, 
particularly  "From  Hibbs'  Hub  to  Hip 
Hop."  The  1950s  section  mentioned  the 
boys  would  mn  up  to  The  Paddle  House 
for  cheeseburgers  and  drinks.  As  I 
remember,  it  was  Tlie  Toddle  House. 

Also  of  interest  was  Chelf's  Drug  Store 
at  the  comer  of  Shafer  and  Grace  Streets, 
which  has  been  demolished.  The  ground 
floor  was  the  dmgstore,  which  was  a 
popular  meeting  place  for  students. 
Upstairs  was  a  boarding  house  for  off- 
campus  RPl  men  students. 

Louis  Gordon  '52BS/B 

^4*f  Indeed,  you  are  right;  it  was  Tlie  Toddle 
House.  And  many  a  couple  courted  at  Chelfs. 

Let  me  add  my  congratulations  to  others 
on  such  a  great  magazine.  My  only  com- 
plaint is  that  it  doesn't  come  out  more 
often;  and  for  us  aging  boomers,  some  of 
the  print  can  get  small! 

Mike  Grubbs  '77MPA/H&S 

We've  added  pages  and  niore  reader-friendly 
t\pe.  Still,  this  issue  filled  up  again,  especially 
with  dhimni  notes.  Tliere's  a  lot  to  tell  you 
and  to  fit  in. 

I  was  eager  to  read  the  Shafer  Court 
Coimections  magazine  this  morning.  Yet 
when  I  went  through  the  pages,  there  was 
not  one  mention  of  the  Theatre 
Department.  It  was  my  understanding 
that  the  old  Shafer  Street  Playhouse  was 
renovated  and  is  being  used  once  again. 
That  is  where  all  of  my  productions  were 
done.  I  managed  to  read  about  dance, 
fashion,  art,  jewelr\',  sports,  stars... no 
theatre?  Maybe  since  1  graduated  in  '80, 
they  have  become  an  independent  school 
not  affiliated  with  VCU  anymore.  1  can 
only  tell  you  that  when  I  was  making  my 
choice  of  a  theatre  school.  It  was  VCU, 
not  NYU,  that  1  chose,  because  they  had 
one  of  the  best  programs  around.  1  should 
think  they  would  be  proudly  represented 
and  presented  as  part  of  a  growing 
University. 

Sincerelv, 

Kim  Davis  '80BFA 

Sometimes  production  pressures  leave  us 
short  of  time  or  space  to  include  exmihing 
we'd  like  to.  Shafer  Court  Playhouse  is  indeed 
in  use  again.  VCU  Tlieatre  schedule  and 
visiting  actors  are  in  the  News,  page  S. 

"You  Can  Go  Home  Again"  (Winter 
2001),  about  924  W.  Franklin  Srteet,  was 
such  an  interesting  story.  Magazines  like 
this  one  are  often  stuffy,  but  yours  wasn't 
at  all.  The  carved,  omate  fumiture  in  the 


house  was  beautiful! 

1  have  a  few  additions.  We  rented  in 
the  '40s  from  Dr.  Grove  Hagen  (not 
Happen).  It  was  a  clean  building.  Our 
apartment  had  a  private  bath.  It  was 
freshly  painted,  and  1  do  not  remember 
any  "black  hole,"  cockroaches,  or  beer 
gardens.  They  came  later.  My  kitchen  was 
a  pale  green  and  my  li\ing  room  a  pale 
pink.  We  had  a  fire  in  our  bedroom  fire- 
place. 

We  often  walked  to  work.  1  worked  for 
the  city  Department  of  Public  Welfare  at 
1002  E.  Broad  Street,  and  my  husband  for 
the  Virginia  Employment  Commission 
on  Main  Street. 

So  many  memories — 

Three  of  my  grandchildren  are  at 
VCU— Jacob  Moore,  son  of  Jim  and  Beth 
Moore;  Benjamin  and  Erika  Moore, 
children  of  John  R.T.  Moore  '73BA/H&S 
and  Tayloe  Williams  Moore  '72BFA.  All 
of  my  other  children  attended  one  or 
more  classes  at  VCU. 

Martha  Riis  Moore  '37BS/H&S 

I  really  enjoyed  this  issue.  They  have 
arrived  very  inegularly;  this  is  the  first  one 
in  quite  awhile.  Thanks,  great  work! 

Gerald  Bowman  '82MSW  LCSW,  ACSW 

Munich,  Gemiany 

PS  You  should  do  something  on  the  VCU 
rugby  team.  It  has  a  long  and  colorful 
history. 

Rugb}'  players?  Contact  us. 

That's  My  Car! 

I  was  looking  through  the  Winter  2001 
issue  of  the  magazine,  when  I  saw  the 
photo  on  page  2  of  the  white  car  and  the 
smdents  in  front  of  Ginter  House.  1 
believe  1  can  identify  that  car.  It's  my 
'51  Nash. 

I  also  recognize  several  people  in  the 
photo,  which  1  would  guess  was  taken  in 
1954.  Tom  Monahan  '56,  student  gov- 
emment  president,  is  there,  and  Arnold 
Lucas  '54,  who  was  Gernian  Club  presi- 
dent. 1  was  chaimian  of  the  floor  commit- 
tee of  student  government.  Seeing  them 
reminds  me  of  some  of  our  activities  at 
that  era. 

There  were  two  dances  a  year,  the 
German  Club  Dance  and  Cotillion.  At 
that  time  the  Mosque  would  only  allow 
concessions  mn  by  nonprofit  groups.  So 
Roy  Carter,  me  and  some  others  ran  them 
during  the  dances  to  raise  money  for 
scholarships.  We  funded  several  scholar- 
ships of  about  $80-90  during  the  '50s. 
Tuition  at  that  time  was  only  about 
$40-50  a  semester. 

Ted  Hamre  '56DistribEd/E 


Capitol  Advantage  has  the  last  word. 

We  were  excited  to  feature  Capitol  Advantage  In 
the  Winter  Issue,  especially  in  an  election  year — 
and  what  an  election  year.  Corporations,  organiza- 
tions, the  media  and  ordinary  voters  continue  to 
use  Capitol  Advantage's  award-winning  tools  and 
public  websites  to  become  informed  and  politically 
engaged,  and  to  follow  post-election  twists  and 
turns.  Atwww.congress.org,  even  a  neophyte 
can  become  an  Informed  activist — do  go  there. 

We  apologize  for  inadvertently  dropping 
founder  Robert  Hansan's  '86BA/H&S  last  words 
from  the  story.  Hansen,  a  political  science  major, 
commented.  "The  Internet  is  truly  changing  the 
political  landscape,  and  our  evolving  position  in  this 
revolution  is  a  very  exciting  place  to  be  right  now." 


Thank  You         Dr  Irani  greets  Anne  Satterfield 

Dr.  Eugene  Trani      '43BS/H&S  and  Ed  GIvens. 
and  Lois  Trani  Satterfield  recently  established 

hosted  more  *®  ^""®  Powell  Satterfield 

than  400  guests        ^^"^  Scholarship  in  the  College 
for  the  VCI I  °'  Humanities  and  Sciences. 

President's  Reception  at  the 
Commonwealth  Club,  May  1. 

The  event  recognized  members  of 
VCU's  President's  Club,  indi\'idual  donors 
who  have  given  $2,5(X)  or  more  during 
one  fiscal  year,  and  corporations  and 
foundations  that  have  donated  $10,000 
or  more  in  one  fiscal  year  to  the 
University. 

Rector  Ed  Flippen  welcomed  guests, 
and  President  Trani  spoke  about  VCU's 
growth,  supported  "by  friends  like  you. 
You  are  the  reason  we  are  able  to  main- 
tain top-notch  educational,  research,  and 
patient-care  programs." 


Dr.  Patricia  Alvey,  the  new  director  of  VCU's  Adcenter, 
talks  with  Michael  '81BS/MC  and  Larissa  Chaney.  The 
Chaneys  established  the  Michael  and  Larissa  Chaney 
Merit  Scholarship  for  Adcenter  students. 


SHAFER      COURT      2      CONNECTIONS 


:,J^' 


«^- 


Alumni  and  Rankings 

President  Eugene  Irani  vowed  last  year  to  raise 
VCU's  national  ranking  by  US  News  &  World  Report 
from  Tier  III  to  Tier  11  status  by  2005.  "Becoming  a 
Tier  II  University  is  crucial  to  our  future  success.  Not 
only  will  Tier  11  status  gamer  more  research  dollars, 
grants,  top-notch  faculty  and  students  for  VCU,  but 
it  will  continue  our  commitment  to  providing  an 
exceptional  education  to  citizens  of  Virginia  and 
the  nation." 

Undergraduate  giving  plays  a  significant  role. 
VCU's  current  alumni  giving  rate  is  11  percent.  Tier 
II  status  requires  17  percent  participation.  VCU 
ranks  just  below  average  among  its  56  Tier  III  insti- 
tutions, where  alumni  giving  averages  14  percent. 

"Undergraduate  giving  can  help  increase  VCU's 
prestige,"  says  Peter  Wyeth,  vice  president  for 
University  Advancement.  "VCU  graduates  are  some 
of  the  most  dedicated  and  committed  alumni  I 
have  ever  seen.  I  invite  graduates  who  aren't  partici- 
pating in  VCU's  Annual  Fund  to  help  boost  our 
national  reputation  by  making  a  gift  in  any  amount 
to  any  area  of  the  University."  For  more  mfbnnation, 
please  go  to  www.vai.edii/eghmg  or  call  Mark  Roberts, 
director  of  Annual  Giving,  at  (804)  828-2040. 


"it's  easy. " 

Ten  VCU  graduate 

programs  are  now 

among  the  best  in 

the  nation,  according 

to  U.S.  News  &  World 

Report's  2002  rankings 

of  America's  Best 

Graduate  Schools.  Six 

programs  rated  highly 

last  year  were  carried  forward. 

(Not  all  areas  are  rated  every  year.) 

"It's  really  a  combination  of  great  leadership, 
great  faculty  and  fabulous  students.  When  you 
have  that  kind  of  situation,  it's  pretty  easy,"  Dr. 
Cecil  Drain,  dean  of  VCU's  School  for  Allied 
Health  Professions  told  the  Richmond  Times- 
Dispatch.  Here's  how  VCU  lines  up: 

5     Sculpture 

7  Rehabilitative  Counseling  (tied) 

8  Health  Services  Administration 

9  Nursing  Service  Administration 
(three-way  tie) 

10  Nurse  Anesthesia,  Community  Health 

13  Social  Work  (four- way  tie) 

15  Physical  Therapy  (four-way  He) 

16  Drug  and  Alcohol  Abuse 

19     Fine  Arts,  Occupational  Therapy, 
Pharmacy 

50  Clinical  Psychology,  Creative  Writing. 

51  Public  Affairs 

52  Nursing 

VCU  plans  to  do  even  better,  expanding  its 
research  strengths  to  move  from  the  magazine's 
third  ranked  tier  of  universities,  into  the  second. 


'*Ktu, 


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■■'">.,« 


^-'»»m. 


The  Big  BLURRR 

"It's  gonna  be  BIG,"  gnns  Joe  Seipel, 
Sculpture  Department  chair.  VCU's 
School  of  the  Arts  will  host  the 
Conference  of  the  National  Council  of 
Art  Administrators  November  14-17  in 
Richmond.  "BLUR  2001 "  will  discuss  the 
blurring  of  disciplines  and  media  in  the 
deluge  of  new  cultural  forms  in  the  art 
world,  and  art  school  relationships. 
"This  BLUR  will  address  the  dynamic 
transformation  of  contemporan/  art  and 
culture,"  adds  Richard  Roth,  chair  of 
Painting  and  Printmaking  Department. 

Panelists  include  Deborah  Solomon, 
art  critic  and  New  York  7/mes  contri- 
butor; avant-garde  critic  Dave  Hickey, 
author  of  Air  Guitar  and  professor  of  art 
criticism  at  University  of  Las  Vegas; 
Natalie  Jeremijenko,  engineer-artist  and 
1999  Rockefeller  Fellow;  and  Libby 
Lumpkin,  art  critic  and /Irt  forum  contrib- 
utor. For  more  information,  contact 
Richard  Roth  at  (804)  827-0984, 
rroth@vcu.edu  or  the  Sculpture 
Department  at  (804)  828-1 511, 
ccbrown@vcu.edu. 


Sculpture  Department  Chair,  Professor  Joe  Siepel,  received  the  Sculpture 
Educator  Award  for  Lifetime  Achievement  from  the  International  Sculpture 
Center  in  June.  "I  am  receiving  this  award  because  of  the  work  of  many 
talented  people,"  Seipel  emphasizes.  "We  have  faculty  showing  their 
work  all  over  the  world,  and  our  alumni  are  doing  terrific.  They  have  shown 
in  major  museums  and  received  numerous  international  awards.  I've  been 
fortunate  to  be  chair  during  all  of  this." 

The  graduate  program  in  Seipel's  department  is  ranked  5th  in  the 
country  by  U.S.  News  &  World  Report.  And  for  the  second  year,  new  VCU 
sculpture  MFAs  rated  their  own  show,  "  More  Fresh  Meat, "  at  the  Kim 
Foster  Gallery  in  Manhattan,  June  2-30.  A  bit  more  than  simple  luck 
seems  to  be  at  work  here.  Just  possibly,  the  generous,  patient  and 
creative  direction  of  the  chair. 

A  tribute  perhaps  even  more  impressive  than  the  national  award  from 
colleagues  is  the  homage  a  Seipel  from  one  of  his  students.  Genevieve 
Paterson's  'OIMFA  portrait  of  Seipel  holding  his  portrait,  is  a  30'  x  12'  rug. 
"It  is  made  of  the  hair  of  1,500  dogs,"  she  explains  deadpan,  "and  when 
freshly  laid  out  in  the  lobby,  had  a  smell  that  permeated  the  entire  art 
building."  Well,  Seipel's  spirit  certainly  permeates  the  entire  building  and 
lives  of  many  alumni.  The  title  of  the  piece  is,  of  course,  "Top  Dog." 

Seipel  has  taught  for  27  years  at  VCU,  chairing  the  department  fori  6 
years.  July  1 ,  he  began  a  new  position  as  associate  dean  of  academic 
affairs  and  director  of  graduate  studies  for  the  School  of  the  Arts — but  he 
hopes  to  keep  teaching. 


i 


^y: 


SUMMER 


2  0  0   1 


ft>^ 


Just  Park  It 

"We  ought  to  be  doing  more  with  our 
decl<s  than  |ust  parking  in  them."  says 
VCU  President  Eugene  Tram,  thinking 
out  of  the  box.  At  VCU's  new  parking 
deck,  going  up  behind  the  Siegel  Center 
and  Sports  Medicine  Building,  you  can 
park  your  easel,  check  your  email,  press 
iron,  and  collapse  on  a  rooftop  terrace 
with  a  house  cap  Besides  the  terrace — 
and  parking  spaces — the  building  will 
have  1 1  naturally  lighted  studios  for  art 
students,  a  weight  room  for  intercol- 
legiate athletics,  computer  labs  and 
space  for  support  services. 

The  $10.1  million  Bowe      ^- 
Street  deck  will  be  built  on  the  '\  ^ 
southeast  corner  of  Bowe       ^ 
and  Marshall  Streets,  a  ; 

block  North  of  Broad  Street.  I 
with  a  landscaped  pedestrian  \ 
plaza  connecting  the  Siegel  and  ■■, 
Sports  Medicine  Buildings  Work 
should  begin  in  October,  with 
parking  and  weight  room  ready  by 
August  2002.  and  art  studios  finished  by 
Januar/  2003  Funding  includes  $9  6 
million  In  revenue  bonds  paid  for  by 
parking  fees  and  $500,000  from  the 
state  higher  education  fund  Annual 
operating  costs  are  estimated  at 
$458,000. 

Can  you  "supersize "  it? 

VCU  freshman  and  transfer  students  in 
fall  2001  are  required  to  have  a  personal 
computer  as  part  of  the  Student 
Computer  Initiative.  "Prepanng  the 
workers  of  tomorrow  to  succeed  in  a 
highly  technical  world  is  a  necessar/ 
part  of  the  educational  mission  of  VCU," 
explains  Jim  Yucha.  acting  provost  for 
academic  technology, 

VCU  students  who  can't  afford  a 
computer  can  roll  the  cost  into  their 
financial-aid  packages  VCU  provides  a 
"digital  toolkit"  on  CD-ROM  so  students 
won't  have  to  buy  software.  The  toolkit 
includes  internet  and  anti-virus  software 
for  Windows  and  Macintosh,  and  the 
VCU  Student  Bulletin  and  Resource 
Guide.  The  plan  is  to  eventually  expand 
the  program  to  all  VCU  students.  "We 
are  now  preparing  the  college  for  its 
students,  rather  than  preparing  the 
students  for  the  college."  comments 
Susan  Diehl.  director  of  Media 
Production  Services 

NO  STANDING 

No  more  standing  in  line  for  parking 
permits  Starting  this  spring,  students 
and  staff  can  buy  parking  decals  online 
Lynn  Robb  of  VCU  Parking  and 
Transportation,  says  the  online  proce- 
dure is  "relatively  painless."  Pay  with  a 
credit  card,  or  the  department  will  hold 
the  decals  for  two  days  and  students 
can  pay  with  cash  or  check.  Students 

. without  access 

mcH«oiiD  PBorESSiOKAi     to  a  computer 

RESTRicrtD  PABKiw  BV  ^n  Still  buy 

PEBMiT  OKir  decals  at  the 

viOLATOBs  «Hici£S  transportation 

REMora  offjjg  on 

*'  "'"'  "'''''        weekdays. 


lines  III 


)AL  C 


Nadine  Gord'mcr,l99l  Nobel 
Laureate  in  literature,  with 
Morakabe  Raks  Sekhoa,  a 
Soutli  African  writer  wlio 
was  imprisoned  witli 
Nelson  Mandela. 


"For  five  days,  several  continents  converged  in  Richmond  to 
showcase  some  of  the  best  of  Africa,"  said  Dr.  Richard  Priebe, 
VCU  English  professor  and  organizer  of  the  African  Literature 
Association  Conference.  Sponsored  by  VCU,  the  University  of 
Richmond  and  the  City  of  Richmond,  the  conference  brought 
400  scholars  and  writers  from  several  continents  to 
celebrate,  argue  and  learn. 

These  speakers  have  been  at  the  forefront 
of  cultural  re-awakenings  that  preceded  polit- 
ical freedom.  The  conference  brought 
some  of  the  world's  most  courageous 
writers,  including  one  Nobel  Laureate 
(1991),  South  African  novelist  and  lifelong 
activist  Nadine  Gordimer,  as  well  as  at  least 
two  others  on  the  Nobel  short  list. 
The  conference  theme — ^The  Creative  Circle;  Artist,  Critic, 
Translator — engendered  emphatic  discussions  of  language.  Most  Afhcan 
writers,  educated  in  English  or  French,  write  in  those  European  languages 
rather  than  in  the  languages  of  their  continent.  For  some  younger  activist  writers,  to 
use  a  language  that  has  come  from  Europe  is  to  accept  "a  colonized  mind."  But  confer- 
ence writers  weren't  buying  that. 

In  the  keynote  address,  Gordimer 
urged  African  writers  to  write  and  read  in 
many  languages,  and  to  "take  their  rightful 
place  in  world  literature. .  ..Africa  is  no 
longer  the  world's  invention,  but  herself." 
She  added,  "It  is  a  self-deprivation  to 
approach  literature  through  the  prism  of 
your  own  pigmentation." 

Somali  Nurrudin  Farah  was  awarded 
the  ALA'S  Fonlon-Nichols  Award  for 
writing  that  contributes  to  the  struggle  for 
human  rights  and  freedom  of  expression. 
"I  am  not  an  I,"  he  told  the  audience,  "I 
am  a  countn/  of  persons."  A  bold  claim, 
but  true.  In  novels  like  Secrets,  and  the 
nonfiction  Yesterday,  Tomorrow:  Voices 
from  the  Somali  Diaspora,  he  has  preserved  the  stories— and  thus  the  existence — of 
people  and  neighborhoods  of  Mogadishu,  otherwise  lost  to  war.  He,  too,  argues  for  uni- 
versality. "All  stories  are  built  on  the  one  and  only  story."  He  began  writing  in  English,  he 
says,  "because  that  was  the  only  typewriter  I  could 
find." 

Congolese  writer  Emmanuel  Dongala,  author  of 
Little  Boys  Come  from  the  Stars,  pointed  out  that 
Chinua  Achebe  does  not  write  like  an  Englishman. 
"A  writer  inhabits  the  language  he  writes  in,  and 
puts  in  his  own  furniture." 

Other  stars  were  South  African  novelist  Zoe 
Wicomb;  Algerian  writer  and  playwright  and  film- 
maker Assia  Djebar;  former  VCU  faculty  member 
and  MacArthur  Foundation  Award  winner,  African- 
American  novelist  Paule  Marshall. 

The  ALA  shared  the  wealth.  All  major  events  incoming  president  of  the  Afruun  tjl  Association, 

and  speakers  were  open  to  the  public,  and  a  senegalese  Dr.  Kandnoura  Drame,  professor  of 

special  afternoon  workshop  gave  local  high  school  French  at  Universlt}'  of  Virginia,  and  outgoing 

teachers  a  crash  course  in  African  art  and  literature,      S'vcSlS'JSS:"''^- '""'' 


Gambian  giiots  Papa  Siisso  and  Family  perfonned  on  the 
kora  and  the  balafon  (wooden  xylophone)  and  sang.  Griot 
musicians  are  oral  poets,  charged  witli  keeping  the  lineage 
and  hlstoiy  of  the  tiibe,  praising  and  advising  the  king, 
composing  for  weddings  and  blrtlis. 


S  H  A 


PER      COURT      4      CONNECTIONS 


rt  Id  Ira 


"I  love  the  art  and  craft  of  acting,  and 

teaching  allows  us  to  revisit  that,"  said 

actor  Randle  Mell.  "When  you  are 

teaching,"  adds  his  wife,  actress  Mary 

McDonnell,  "it  is  like  stepping  back  into 

your  roots,  and  that  is  a  good  reminder  for 

me.  I  feel  stimulated  in  new  ways  when  I  teach." 

McDonnell  and  Mell  inspired  students  as  Theatre  VCU  Guest  Artists  for  a  week  in 

May.  Theatre  Department  chair,  David  Leong,  had  worked  with  both  actors  and  invited 

them  to  campus.  McDonnell  is  best  known  for  her  performances  in  Passion  Fish  (Best 

Actress  nomination)  and  Dances  witli  Wolves,  (Best  Supporting  Actress  nomination). 

She  received  an  Obie  for  her  role  in  Emily  Mann's  Still  Life  in  1 981 .  Her  current  project  is 

a  tv  pilot,  Oiestnut  Hill.  Mell  has  appeared  on  Broadway  in  Macbeth,  Noises  Off  and 

Rainnnaker,  and  in  numerous  film  and  television  performances. 

Graduate  student  Elizabeth  Brinkley 
took  her  turn  delivering  a  monologue  in 
front  of  McDonnell:  "Sheer  terror,"  she 
said,  laughing.  "We  are  blessed  at  VCU  to 
have  professionals  working  with  us  every 
day,"  Brinkley  said  of  Theatre  faculty.  "But 
to  bring  in  these  professionals  is  an  extra 
blessing." 

School  for  Scandal? 

This  spring  VCU  hosted  the  first  international 
symposium  on  American  composer,  Samuel 
Barber — an  idea  of  Wayne  Batty,  who  taught  vocal 
music  at  VCU  for  50  years.  Barber's  allegiance  to 
lyric  nineteenth-century  Romantic  style — at  a 
time  of  experiment  and  revolt  in  the  mid-twenti- 
eth century — made  for  a  paradoxical  "outsider" 
status.  His  opera,  School  for  Scandal,  could  almost 
apply  to  his  independence  from  music  fashion. 
Stellar  scholarship  and  performance  studded 
the  three-day  conference.  Barter  biographer 
Barbara  Heyman,  NPR's  music  expert  Martin 
Goldsmith,  and  composers  Fred  Cohen  and 
VCU's  Allan  Blank  and  Peter  Knell  discussed  the 
music.  Cellist  Janos  Starker,  the  Oberon  Quartet, 
pianist  John  Browning,  singer  Pamela  Armstrong 
'91BM,  VCU's  Commonwealth  Singers  and  others 
performed  a  rich  feast  of  Barber  works. 

Con  Brio! 

A  special  event  during  the  Samuel  Barber 
conference  was  the  dedication  of  The  Sonia 
Vlahcevic  Concert  Hall  in  the  VCU  Performing 
Arts  Center.  Dr.  Vlahcevic,  a  pianist  on  the 
music  faculty  for  35  years,  teaches  and  coordi- 
nates the  graduate  program.  Her  late  husband, 
Dr.  Z.  Reno  Vlahcevic,  former  VCU  chief  of 
gastroenterology  and  the  University's 
Distinguished  Scholar  in  1999,  established  this 
legacy  for  his  wife.  "This  is  an  outstanding 
honor,"  she  said,  "and  that  my  husband's 
doing  it  for  me  makes  it  even  greater." 

Sonia  and  concert  pianist  John  Browning 
(right)  played  a  concert  of  Chopin,  Bach  and 
Scarlatti,  including  a  joyful  duet,  to  christen 
the  hall.  Music  Department  chair,  Dr.  John 
Guthmiller,  described  Sonia  as  "a  passionate 
musician.  How  we  all  love  being  around  her." 
Family  love  surrounded  her  as  well — her 
husband's  spirit  and  her  children  and  grand- 
children who  came  to  celebrate. 


Vie  Day  the  Bronx  Died,  Theatre  VCU,  2/15-24. 

2001-02  Season 

Prelude  to  a  Kiss,  Lucas,  10/4-13:  Shakespeare's  Romeo  & 
Juliet  11/8-17;  TBA.  Los  Angeles  guest  director,  Olivia 
Honneger,  2/14-23,  The  Trial  of  One  Short-Sighted  Black 
Woman  Vs.  Mammy  Louise  and  Safreeta  Mae,  Shafer 
Street  Playhouse,  3/21  -24:  TBA.  4/1 1  -20,  At  VCU  Performing 
Arts  Center,  except  Thai  Tickets:  (804)  828-6026. 


Rennolds  Concerts  "The  Ahn  is  preferable  in  the  accomplish- 
ment of  Its  playing,  its  musicality  and  even  its  hipness."  -Los 
Angeles  Times  Performing  internationally.  The  Ahn  Trio  are 

sisters — violinist  Angella  and  the  twins,  pianist  Lucia  and  cellist 
Maria,  trained  at  Juilliard  and  originally  from  South  Korea.  The 
Trio  commissions  and  performs  contemporary  music:  their  most 
recent  project  is  "AHN  PLUGGED."  10/20, 1 1  am  Piano  Master 
Class  (free)  and  Concert  8  pm,  VCU  Performing  Arts  Center. 
Schedules  and  tickets:  (804)  828-1 1 66. 


Awards 

First-year  MFA  student  Jerrell 
Nickerson's  play  Hammurabi  /OSwon 
the  First  Stage  one-act  national  play- 
writing  competition  in  Hollywood 
this  year. 

Percussionist  Greg  Giannascoii 
'90MM  recently  won  his  second  Artists 
International  Young  Artist  Competition, 
winning  him  a  NYC  debut  next  summer 
Giannascoii  will  perform  at  Weil  Recital 
Hall  at  Carnegie  Hall  on  June  22, 2002 
at  5:30  pm.  He  records  with  Helicon 
Records  and  is  principal  percussionist 
with  Lyric  Theatre  Opera  Orchestra  and 
Riverside  Symphonia  in  New  York, 

VCU  anthropology  student  Kasey 
Quinn  Dolan  won  the  Juan  Espadas 
Prize  for  best  student  paper  at  the  23rd 
Annual  Mid-Atlantic  Council  of  Latin 
American  Studies  conference  in  March 
Dolan,  a  junior  minoring  in  international 
studies,  presented  "Yoruba  Religious 
Survival  in  Brazil "  VCU  students  Robert 
Fournler  and  Eva  Rocha  Turner  also 
read  papers  at  the  conference. 

Two  to  Watch! 

Two  VCU  alumni,  who  bring  dance  to 
national  and  international  audiences, 
were  on  Dance  magazine's  list  of  "25  to 
Watch"  in  the  January  issue  Paule 
Turner  'SSBFA 
performs  with  his 
troupe.  Court.  "In  my 
work,  I  want  to  speak 
about  human  condi- 
tions— love,  loss  and 
release  If  the  world  is 
a  stage,"  he  adds, 
"there  are  some 
serious  character 
studies  on  the 
subway." 

In  his  work. 
Divine  Normal, 
Richard  Move 
'88BFA  recreates 
dance  legend  Martha 
Graham.  "All  dancers 
owe  her  respect  She 
paved  the  way  for 
modern  choreogra- 
phers," he  says. 


SUMMER      5       2001 


ai  i  li 


Charles  Demm  '92BA/H&S,  Jeff  Buckley 
'97BA/H&S,  and  Jon  Waybrlght 


Alumni  in  Qatar 

Since  1998,  VCU  faculty  members  have 
taught  design  arts  in  Qatar  (catter).  a 
small  country  in  the  Persian  Gulf,  as  the 
beginning  of  a  10-year,  $50  million 
contract  to  establish  a  design  school 
there,  particulariy  to  educate  Qatari 
women  to  develop  a  textile  industn/. 
VCU's  Board  of  Visitors  and  the  State 
Council  for  Higher  Education  have 
approved  a  VCU  branch  campus  in  Doha, 
the  capital,  to  include  fashion,  interior 
design  and  graphics  design. 

The  Qatar  Foundation  for  Education, 
Science  and  Community  Development 
will  pay  the  costs,  Qatar  holds  5  percent 
of  the  world's  natural  gas  resen/es.  The 
VCU-Qatar  College  of  Design  will 
graduate  250  BFAs  (all  women)  in  Doha 
in  2002.  "We're  very  excited  about  this 
development  as  it  moves  us  toward  our 
goal  to  increase  VCU's  presence  in  inter- 
national education,"  comments 
President  Eugene  Trani. 

Advantage:  Richmond 

VCU  will  host  the  "Champions  Tennis 
Tour"  at  the  Siegel  Center,  September 
27-Ocotberl  this  fall,  in  what  will 
become  an  annual  event — "VCU 
Champions."  Former  world-class  players 
like  John  McEnroe,  Yannick  Noah,  Pat 
Cash,  and  Mansour  Bahrami  will  come 
to  the  Alltel  Pavilion.  The  men's  senior 
tour  holds  more  than  20  events  in  1 1 
countries.  Its  US  sponsor  is  SUCCESS 
magazine 

A  related  project  is  "Advantage: 
Richmond,  A  World-Class  Tennis  City  by 
2005."  An  advisory  board  of  national, 
state  and  local  leaders  will  build  on  the 
legacy  of  Arthur  Ashe  to  make  Richmond 
a  tennis  center  for  players  and  fans. 
VCU's  student  teams  and  coaches  will 
participate  in  tennis  academy  for 
Richmond's  youngsters.  The  academy 
will  provide  tutoring  and  mentonng  in 
academics  as  well  as  in  tennis. 


For  a  dozen  years  VCU  has  been  part  of  the 
largest  biblical  excavation  in  Israel,  at  Ashkelon 
on  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Although  Harvard 
directs  the  Leon  Levy  Excavation,  a  year  ago 
"VCU  students  were  the  talk  of  the  excavation, 
outnumbering  students  from  both  Harvard  and 
Brown,  and  making  several  key  finds  of  the 
summer,    said  Jon  Waybright  '90BA/H&S 
Waybright,  VCU  adjunct  professor  of  philoso- 
phy and  religious  studies,  was  given  a  silver 
bowl,  recognizing  his  ten  years  as  excavation 
supervisor.  VCU  student  Warner  Winthrop 
was  promoted  to  square  supervisor. 
Lee  Iran  '01  found  an  Egyptian  cylinder  seal  dating  to  1300  BCE.  Andy  Hill 
uncovered  a  fragment  of  an  altar  stand,  probably  Babylonian.  Stamped  on  it  is  an 
impression  of  a  king  in  Babylonian  headgear  holding  a  staff,  with  gazelles 
below  him.  Other  finds  included  an  ancient  courtyard  and  drainage 
system;  clues  to  the  entry  of  a  series  of  tombs;  and  coins,  including  a 
rare  Cleopatra  com — one  of  five  in  the  world. 

Working  through  the  sandy  dust,  Waybright  discovered  a  coin, 
"uncorroded,  after  a  soft  brush  and  a  little  spittle.  (One  of  the  first  things 
I  learned  as  an  archaeologist  was  to  spit  on  even/thing.)  And  there  was 
the  face  of  Constantine,  with  a  Latin  inscription.  Imagine  that!  The  first 
Christian  Roman  emperor,  just  pulled  from  the  earth  after  1600  years,  looking  back  at 
me!" 

Nine  more  VCU  students  found  their  own  rewards  working  on  the  layered  civiliza- 
tions— Islamic,  Byzantine,  Hellenistic,  Persian,  Hebrew  and  Philistine.  They  dug — 
carefully — organized  photo  records,  puzzled  over  pottery  shards,  and  sorted  human 
and  animal  bones. 


Electrifying  Teacher 

Dr.  Rosalyn  Hobson,  associate  professor  of  electri- 
cal engineering,  recently  received  the  Dr.  Janice  A. 
Lumpkin  Educator  of  the  Year  Award  from  The 
National  Society  of  Black  Engineers.   The  award 
emphasizes  interactive  teaching — exactly 
Hobson's  choice.  "Too  many  students  drop  out  of 
science,"  she  says.  "They  are  interested  in  elemen- 
tary school,  but  then  they  get  bored."  Hobson  says 
her  own  interest  began 
with  a  third  grade 
science  project  and  just 
kept  going. 

"It's  a  tough  field," 
she  admits.  But  Hobson 
is  convinced  that  when 
students  learn  through 
hands-on  projects,  the 
visible  rewards  of  some- 
thing that  works  will 
pull  them  past  the  hard 
parts.  That  makes  Dr.  Rosalyn  Hoi 

her  a  great  fit  for  'VCU's  School  of 
Engineering.  An  African-American 
woman  engineer  makes  an  obvious  role 
model  for  young  women,  but  Hobson's 
broader  view  shows  why  she's  effective 
with  all  her  students.  "I  hope  that  1  could 
be  a  good  role  model  to  everyone." 

Hobson's  colleague,  Dr.  Gerald  Miller, 
professor  and  chair  of  biomedical  engi- 
neering, received  this  year's  Outstanding 
Educator  Award  from  the  Bioengineering 
Division  of  the  American  Society  of 
Engineering  Education. 


Silicon  City 

Dr.  Rosalyn  Hobson  and  Dr.  Gerald  Miller  are  just 
a  couple  of  examples  of  dynamic  VCU  faculty 
members  who  are  preparing  creative  and  compe- 
tent new  graduates  for  their  fields.  Months  before 
graduation,  Infineon  Technologies  Richmond 
hired  16  VCU  seniors — 13  from  the  School  of 
Engineering,  two  from  computer  sciences  and  one 
in  information  technology.  That's  electrical 
engineer  Nick  Balderson  'OIBS/En,  one  of 
Hobson's  students,  framed  in  the  silicon  wafer. 
The  company  is  expanding  its  plant  near 
Riclimond  and  expects  to  hire  500  employees, 
more  of  them  from  VCU  than  from  any 
other  school. 


Nick  Balderson  OIBS/En 


SHAFER      COURT      6      COIMNECTIONS 


Brand  New 

VCU  is  surging  forward  into  the  new  millennium,  coordinating 
a  cross-campus  advance  in  life  sciences  and  pushing  to 
become  a  Level  One  research  institution.  As  any  student  at 
the  Adcenter  could  tell  you,  the  "brand" — the  identity,  the 
value — is  changing.  A  new  look  is  called  for.  VCU's  new 
logotype  and  emblem  are  here,  a  clean,  bright,  unified  look 
for  both  campuses. 


Pack  Your  Passport! 

A  new  International  Management  Studies  certifi- 
cate to  prepare  students  for  careers  in  internation- 
al business  will  be  offered  this  fall  through  the 
VCU  School  of  Business  and  the  College  of 
Humanities  and  Science.  Focusing  on  three  com- 
ponents— foreign  language,  European  studies  and 
international  management,  the  program  will  be 
both  interdisciplinary  and  international.  "Most 
foreign  investments  either  go  to  or  come  from 
Europe  to  the  United  States.  Europe  is  unsurpass- 
able in  its  importance  to  trade  relations,"  said 
Charles  Byles,  associate  professor  of  management. 

An  18-day  European  study  tour  will  allow 
students  to  earn  up  to  six  credits  toward  the  cer- 
tificate. Travel  in  Belgium,  France,  Austria  and 
Germany  will  teach  students  about  "the  historical 
and  cultural  characteristics  of  the  European 
Union,  and  second  to  study  the  businesses  prac- 
tices of  selected  countries.  In  the  game  of  interna- 
tional business,  Europe  is  an  important  region  for 
U.S.  trade  and  investment,"  said  Michael  Pitts, 
associate  professor  of  management. 

Plans  are  in  the  works  to  expand  the  program 
to  Latin  America.  "The  marketplace  is  increasingly 
global,  so  familiarity  with  the  world  outside  of  the 
United  States  and  the  ability  to  navigate  that 
world  is  very  important,"  according  to  R. 
McKenna  Brown,  director  of  the  International 
Studies  program. 

Research  Update 

AH  restrictions  on  VCU's  Multiple  Project 
Assurance  (oversight  for  research  projects)  have 
been  removed  by  the  U.S.  Office  for  Human 
Research  Protections  (OHRP),  and  the  compliance 
evaluation  has  been  closed.  The  OHRP  had 
declared  a  moratorium  on  VCU's  research  projects 
in  January  2000,  saying  the  oversight  of  research 
involving  human  subjects  was  inadequate — 
although  no  subjects  had  been  harmed.  VCU 
moved  swiftly  to  bring  the  University  into  compli- 
ance, and  OHRP  lauded  VCU  for  implementing  its 
plan  of  corrective  action  and  strengthening  its 
Institutional  Review  Board  (IRB)  system  for  the 
protection  of  human  subjects.  Cmcial  research 
had  been  reviewed  and  resumed  by  last  June; 
every  project  has  been  reviewed  by  internal  or 
external  boards. 

Now  only  a  site  review  by  the  U.S.  Food  and 
Dmg  Administration  remains  before  all  federal 
restrictions  are  lifted  on  VCU's  administradve 
system.  "Kudos"  to  administrators,  faculty  and 
staff  who  worked  to  make  this  happen. 


Tiger  Woods^" 

One  of  the  hottest  international  markets  is  sports. 
In  March,  students  in  marketing  and  sports  man- 
agement got  an  earful  of  advice  from  the  experts. 
Speakers  at  the  Sports  Marketing  Fomm  in  March, 
sponsored  by  the  School  of  Business,  included 
Tracy  Schoenadel,  executive  director  of  ESPN 
Sports  Poll;  Jon  Lugbill,  executive  director  of  the 
Metropolitan  Richmond  Sports  Backers;  Mike 
Plant,  president  of  Goodwill  Games;  and  Don 
Rice,  director  of  Brooks  Institute  of  Sports  Science 
at  Clemson  University. 

Mark  Steinberg  (above,  left),  IGM  representative 
and  agent  for  golfer  Tiger  Woods  talked  about 
managing  a  superstar.  "Tiger  is  a  brand  in  and  of 
itself,"  he  told  students.  It  is  very,  very  important 
to  remember  that.  That  brand  is  affected  by  every- 
thing he  does." 

Presidential  Gift 

VCU  President  Eugene  Trani  and  Mrs.  Lois  Trani 
have  designated  a  life  insurance  benefit  worth 
$700,000  to  VCU— $200,000  for  the  School  of 
Engineering  and  $500,000  for  the  Massey  Cancer 
Center,  where  Lois  Trani  serves  on  the  Board. 
"Lois  and  I  believe  so  much  in  Virginia 
Commonwealth  University,  its  mission,  programs, 
students,  and  alumni  that  we  wanted  to  remain  a 
part  of  VCU  long  after  we  are  gone,"  Trani  says. 

President  Trani  is  on  the  Board  of  the  Universal 
Corporation,  which  allows  Board  members  to  rec- 
ommend a  corporate  donation  to  a  charitable 
organization. 

Massey  Gets  a  Jump  on  Cancer 

A  $  10  million  private  donation  from  the  Massey 
Foundation  and  Massey  family  jump-started 
VCU's  Massey  Cancer  Center's  $71  million  fund- 
raising  campaign  to  increase  the  Center's  resources 
and  profile  in  the  fight  against  cancer.  The  multi- 
year  campaign  will  draw  from  both  public  and 
private  sources  to  constmct  a  $26  million  research 
building  adjoining  the  Cancer  Center.  The  current 
Center  is  one  of  only  60  National  Cancer  Institute- 
designated  cancer  centers  in  the  nation. 

The  campaign  aims  even  higher,  to  make 
Massey  a  "comprehensive"  cancer  center.  This 
would  give  local  health  care  providers  cutting  edge 
technology  for  their  patients,  bring  research 
dollars  into  the  facility  and  enhance  downtown 
Richmond.  The  60,000  square-foot  building  will 
add  54  laboratories. 

"We  hope  this  is  not  the  last  or  largest  gift," 
says  Rebecca  Massey,  a  Center  board  member. 
"Cancer  affects  everyone."  Forty-one  million 
dollars  will  be  raised  from  private  sources,  with 
state  contributions  of  $13  million  and  federal 
support  of  $4  million.  The  goal  includes  the 
existing  $12.9  million  cancer  clinic  at  Stony  Point 
fimded  by  the  VCU  Health  System. 


Rector  Resurgent 
Edward  Flippen  JD  '65BS/B,  rector  of 
VCU's  Board  of  Visitors,  was  re-elected 
to  a  second  term  this  spring.  Flippen  is 
also  on  the  board  of  directors  of  the  VCU 
Health  System  Authority  and  a  partner 
with  McGuireWoods  A  former  chairman 
of  the  Governor's  Blue  Ribbon 
Commission  on  Higher  Education,  he 
also  lectures  on  public  utilities  law  and 
trade  and  economic  regulation, 

VCU  Board 

Anne  Petera  '84BS/B,  current 
Secretan/  of  the  Commonwealth,  has 
been  appointed  to  VCU's  Board  of 
Visitors  by  Gov.  Jim  Gilmore.  As  a 
member  of  the  Governor's  Cabinet, 
Petera  assists  in  making  appointments 
to  Virginia's  boards  and  commissions, 
and  helps  select  deputy  secretanes  and 
agency  heads  The  VCU  business 
alumna's  career  includes  more  than 
25  years  in  commercial  banking  and 
real  estate. 

Outreach 

In  May,  the  Board  of  Visitors  promoted 
Sue  Ann  Messmer  from  vice  provost 
to  vice  president  for  university  outreach. 
Messmer  has  been  at  VCU  since  1973. 
first  teaching  art  history  and  since  1 985 
as  an  administrator  Her  recent  responsi- 
bilities for  VCU  included  VCU  marketing 
and  communications,  community 
outreach,  international  programs  and 
enrollment  services.  "For  almost  30 
years,  I  have  had  the  great  pleasure  of 
promoting  VCU  to  our  audiences  locally, 
nationally  and  internationally"  she  sums 
up,  adding  that  she  is  happy  to  continue 
to  direct  marketing,  communications  and 
recruitment  for  the  University. 

Adcenter  A  Head 
Dr.  Patricia  Alvey  was  recently  named 
Executive  Director  of  the  VCU  Adcenter. 
Alvey  came  to  the  Center  a  year  ago  as 
interim  head  while  on  leave  as  director 
of  the  Texas  Creative  Program  in 
advertising  at  the  University  of  Texas 
at  Austin. 

"As  the  director  of  a  competing 
school,  I  watched  with  great  interest  the 
accomplishments  of  this  young 
program,"  says  Alvey.  "Now  at  its  helm, 
I'm  committed  to  building  on  the 
Adcenter's  impressive  reputation  to  lead 
the  program  to  its  inevitable  stature  as 
the  top  graduate  advertising  school  in 
the  country." 

Under  Alvey's  leadership,  Adcenter 
students  have  once  again  collected  top 
prizes  at  the  most  prestigious  award 
shows.  This  spring,  students  won  a 
Silver  Pencil  and  9  merit  awards  in  The 
One  Show,  a  gold  and  bronze  in  the 
International  Clio  Awards,  awards  in  the 
ATHENA'S  and  the  British  Design  &  Art 
Direction  competition:  and  Best  of  Show 
and  many  gold,  silver  and  bronze  awards 
at  The  Richmond  Show. 


SUMMER      7       2001 


IMPACTed 

Educational  technology  in  the  School  of 
Dentistry  has  IMPACT  VCU  researchers 
led  by  BF  Dr.  Louis  Abbey:  vice-chair  of 
oral  pathology,  have  created  a  unique 
computer  patient- 
simulation  system 
that  offers  case 
studies  for  dental 
patients  suffering 
a  vanety  of  illness- 
es. The  system, 
Interactive 
Multimedia  Patient 
Care  Case  Tutor 
(IMPACT),  IS  "as  close  to  seeing  a  real 
patient  as  you  can  get  in  this  medium," 
Abbey  says,  and  the  template  can  be 
used  for  "any  case-based  discipline." 
Abbey  continues,  "It  is  an  exciting 
opportunity  for  VCU  to  develop  this 
software  to  enhance  education  in  disci- 
plines other  than  medicine  and  dentistr/ 
Social  work  and  clinical  psychology,  for 
example,  also  use  the  case-based  model 
for  teaching  This  case  authoring 
software  can  open  many  doors  for 
faculty  to  enrich  their  education 
programs."  VCU  has  licensed  IMPACT  to 
NewMentor  Group,  a  Caiifornia-based 
software  provider  marketing  it  to  dental 
schools  throughout  the  U.S  and  the 
world. 

IMPACT  was  a  hit  at  the  American 
Dental  Education  Association  (ADEA) 
conference  in  Chicago  this  year.  Its 
developer,  Louis  Abbey  won  the  first 
yearly,  national  Excellence  in  Teaching 
Award,  sponsored  by  ADEA  and  Glaxo- 
Wellcome. 

Richmond  Eye  &  Ear  &  VCU 

Richmond  Eye  and  Ear  Hospital  and  VCU 
have  reached  an  agreement  to  move  the 
downtown  Eye  and  Ear  Hospital  to  Stony 
Point  in  southwest  Richmond,  where 
VCU  already  has  medical  offices.  The 
new  Richmond  Medical  Commons  will 
include  a  45,000-square-foot  medical 
office  building  and  a  31,000-square-foot 
surgery  center  A  10-member  board  (four 
VCU  and  six  Eye  and  Ear  representa- 
tives) will  oversee  (and  hear)  operations. 

"We  expect  our  patient  volume  to 
increase,"  said  James  Worrell,  CEO  of 
Richmond  Eye  &  Ear,  The  hospital's 
more  than  100  affiliated  doctors  include 
ophthalmologists,  ear,  nose  and  throat 
specialists:  dentists:  and  facial  and 
plastic  surgeons.  Additional  surgeries 
will  be  performed  at  Stoney  Point,  and 
an  outpatient  facility  will  have  extended 
recovery  beds  for  patients  who  need  to 
stay  overnight.  Target  for  completion  is 
April,  2002. 


New  Surgery 

Telemedicine,  robotic 
surgery.  It's  the  wave  of  the 
present,  at  VCU  Health 
Systems.  And  two  faailty 
members  have  begun  a 
journal.  New  Surgery,  to  share 
infonnation  with  their  col- 
leagues about  these  advances. 
Telemedicine  pioneer  Dr. 
Robert  Merrell  is  editor-in- 
chief.  He  is  also  director  of  the 
NASA  Commercial  Space  Centc 
based  at  VCU's  MCV  Hospitals, 
as  well  as  chief  of  Surgery. 

VCU  trauma  surgeon  Dr.  Rifat 
Latifi  is  editor.  Originally  from 
Kosovo,  he  also  directs  distance  learning  for  tiie 
NASA  Center,  traveling  worldwide  to  set  up 
internet  links  with  the  center  in  Richmond.  A 
recent  relief  mission  in  Febniary  sent  a  14-member 
surgical  team  to  Mombasa,  Kenya,  with  telemed- 
icai  support  from  colleagues  at  home.  In  a  hospital 
without  pain  medication  or  even  running  water, 
they  performed  60  surgeries,  often  using  laparo- 
scopic equipment,  which  meant  less  pain  and 
recovery  time  for  patients.  The  team  trained  local 
physicians  to  use  laparoscopic  equipment  that 
had  already  been  donated  to  the  hospital. 
Telementoring  and  follow-up  will  continue 
through  the  NASA  Center's  Medical  Infonnatics 
and  Technology  Applications  Consortium 
(MITAC)  labs  at  VCU. 

VCUHS  took  another  high-tech  step  eariy  this 
year,  spending  $1.2  million  on  a  robotic  surgery 
system,  ZEUS.  An  endoscope  sends  video  from 
inside  the  body  to  a  surgeon  sitting  at  a  console 
next  to  the  patient.  He  can  ait,  suture  and 
dissolve  tissue  with  tiny  instmments  that  enter 
through  small  incisions.  It  is  more  precise,  and 
enables  some  surgeries  that  were  physically 
impossible.  ZEUS  is  approved  in  the  U.S.  only 
for  clinical  trials.  VCUHS,  with  Duke  and  other 
universities,  will  be  studying  coronary  bypass, 
mitral  valve  repair,  tubal  ligation  reversals  and 
other  procedures. 

Feeding  Preemies 

VCU's  School  of  Nursing  has  received  a  $1.5 
million  NTH  grant  to  study  feeding  in  pre-term 
infants.  The  babies  are  tube-fed  until  they  can  feed 
orally.  Dr.  Rita  Piclder  '98Cert/N,  principal  inves- 
tigator says  this  is  a  comple.x  process;  the  infants 
must  coordinate  sucking,  swallowing  and  breath- 
ing. They  may  stop  breathing  to  suck  and 
swallow,  leaving  them  e.xJiausted  and  without 
enough  o.xygen.  "So  it  becomes  a  difficult  mile- 
stone for  preterm  infants."  The  interdisciplinary 
study  will  be  studvin.t;  when  the  infants  are  able  to 


do  this — and  when  it  would  be  safe 
to  send  them  home  from  the 
hospital.  Pickler  was  named  an 
Alumni  Star  in  2000. 

The  School  of  Nursing  has  a 
specialty  in  maternal  and  chDd 
nursing;  the  department  chair,  Dr. 
Sharron  Humenick,  co-wrote 
Childbirth  Education,  Practice, 
Research  and  Tlieory,  named  a 
book  of  the  year  in  January  by 
the  American  Journal  of  Nursing. 
In  Febmary,  she  and  SheUa 
Smith  (left,  photo),  clinical 
'  faculty  in  the  department, 

went  to  Seoul,  Korea  to  present  elements 
of  VCU's  program  in  childbirth  education. 

Geriatric  Care 

The  boomer  generatton  is  middle-aged,  and 
moving  healthily  and  inexorably  toward  aged, 
when  even  healthy  survivors  are  liable  to  need 
more  medical  care.  Both  the  Schools  of  Medicine 
and  Nursing  received  grants  this  spring  to  e.xpand 
education  in  geriatric  care. 

The  School  of  Medicine  has  a  four-year,  $1.8 
million  grant  from  the  Donald  W.  Reynolds 
Foundation,  which  VCU  will  match  by  half  for  a 
$2.7  million  investment  in  geriatric  education. 
Using  courses  and  seminars,  developing  interac- 
tive airriaila  and  websites,  and  a  new  two-week 
rotarion  for  residents,  VCUHS  will  give  doctors 
much  more  information  about  care  issues  for 
older  people.  A  Geriatric  Quick  Consult  website 
and  further  graphics  and  videos  will  reach  VCU 
Health  System  and  community  doctors  as  well. 
Only  ten  schools,  including  Yale  and  Cornell, 
received  these  grants. 

Rita  Jablonski,  a  predoctoral  scholar  in  geron- 
tology in  the  School  of  Nursing,  received  a 
$100,000  scholarship  to  expand  research  and  cur- 
riculum in  the  field  from  die  Hartford  Foundation 
in  Washington.  Jablonski's  clinical  specialty  is 
adults  with  chronic  diseases.  Her  research  focuses 
on  improving  nursing  education. 

VCU  vs.  VRE 

VCU  researchers  head  a  national  epidemiological 
study  of  potentially  fatal  bloodstream  infections 
caused  by  a  dmg-resistant  organism,  Vancomycin- 
Resistant  Enterococcus  (VRE).  Vancomycin  is  the 
antibiotic  of  last  resort  against  these  hard-to-treat 
infections.  They  are  becoming  more  prevalent  in 
the  United  States,  and  this  is  the  largest  study  of 
the  characteristics  of  patients  with  VRE  infections 
and  the  institutions  where  they  occur. 

"The  study  will  look  in  depth  at  the  patients 
who  developed  VRE  bloodstieam  infections  to 
characterize  their  conditions,  course  of  tieatment 
and  the  units  in  which  they  were  cared  for," 
explains  VCU  epidemiologist  Dr.  Michael 
Edmond,  chair  of  the  study.  The  drug-resistant 
bacteria  is  particularly  dangerous  for  patients  in 
intensive  care  units  or  who  have  compromised 
immune  systems,  such  as  those  undergoing  organ 
transplants  or  cancer  therapies. 

Dr.  Richard  Wenzel,  VCU  chair  of  internal 
medicine,  is  principal  investigator  of  the 
Surveillance  and  Control  of  Pathogens  of 
Epidemiologic  Importance  network,  the  group 
directing  the  VRE  study.  Investigators  expect  to 
announce  results  this  summer. 


SHAFER      COURT      8       CONNECTIONS 


fresh  meat 


In  summer  2000,  recent  MFA 
graduates  from  VCU's  Sculpture 
Department  had  a  show  in  New 
York,  "Fresh  Meat,"  at  the  Kim 
Foster  Gallery.  A  second  installment  at  Kim  Foster  Gallery, 
"More  Fresh  Meat,"  ran  June  2-30, 2001  and  included  work  by 
Kim  Baranowski,  Morgan  Kennedy,  Haegeen  Kim,  Angel 
Nunez,  Genevieve  Paterson,  Jay  Sheldon,  Curtis  Smith, 
Beth  Solin,  and  Peter  Tascarella,  all  'OlMFAs. 


"I'm  either  making  my  own  environmental  space  (land- 
scape) or  I  am  humanizing  landscape  directly  or  imposing 
myself  Snapping)  onto  the  landscape." 
Untitled,  steel  mesh  wire,  lO'xlO'xU' 
Morgan  Kennedy  'OlMFA 


Wings,  David  Freed,  VCU  professor  of  painting  and 
printmaking  for  34  years. 

"David  Freed:  A  Retrospective,"  Anderson  Gallery, 
8/31-10/28,  Features  100  pnnts.  as  well  as  photographs, 
monotypes  and  drawings;  catalog  by  Pulitzer  Prize-winning  poet 
Charles  Wright,  Virginia  Watercolor  Society,  6/9-8/11; 
Faculty  Focus.  1 1  /9-1 2/1 6;  Imagescape:  video  insta  I  lations 
by  Jeremy  Blake,  Stephen  Murphy,  Kiki  Seror  and  Jennifer 
Steinkamp,  1/18-3/3. 

At  Home  with  the  World 

Leanne  Lachman  is  a  top  U.S.  real  estate  executive, 
principal  of  Lend  Lease  Investments,  New  York. 
She  is  often  called  the  "champion  of  the  central 
city."  As  the  Distinguished  Lecturer  of  the  Virginia 
Association  of  Realtors,  in  February  she  reminded 
School  of  Business  students  and  faculty  that  even 
at  home,  the  world  is  their  customer. 
^^^^^^^^^^^  "About  1.1  million  immi- 

^^^^^^^^^1     grants  arrived  last  year.  They  are 
^^^H^PI^^I     very  skilled  and  go  directly  into 

^    ^^^BP  ^°^  1°''^'  ^'^^  many  soon  go 

^^^L.  ff-^Wf'  into  suburban  homes.  The  Asian 

^H^J  *      '  ji  population  now  is  the  fastest 

^^B»-;«i>-      g  growing  group  in  the  U.S.  [Real 

^^^^''~'  M^  estate]  sales  leaders  should 

^^^^Ipt    H^  identify  the  diverse  cultural 

^^^H^ ,  ^^H  demographics  within  their 

^^^^^    ^^^H  markets  and  prepare  personnel, 

HHH^  '    wM  even  to  the  extent  of  providing 
multi-language  sales  people." 


"My  work  is  inspired  by  traditional  Dutch  still  life  paint- 
ing, and  composed  with  contemporary,  everyday  objects." 
Butter  and  Lemon,  oil  on  plywood 
Brian  Geary  'OlMFA 

And  what  other  title  for  a 
painting  show  in  NYC  in 
summer?  Recent  MFAs  in 
Painting  and  Printmaking  join 
sculpture  grads  in  the  Big  Apple 
with  work  by  Suzanna  Fields, 
Brian  Geary,  Beth  Gilfilen,  Elise  Howell,  Bindu  Mehra, 
Melissa  Paca,  and  Roland  Thompson,  all  'OlMFAs.  Painting 
Center,  52  Greene  Street,  7/19-8/1 1 . 


Molecular  Diagnostic  Lab 

An  expansion  of  VCU's  Molecular 
Diagnostics  Laboratory  will  allow  new 
genetic  testing  technologies  to  help 
physicians  choose  the  best  possible 
treatment  for  HIV  and  cancer  patients. 
"Most  people  are  familiar  with  DNA 
tests  that  are  used  by  law  enforcement 
to  distinguish  between  suspects  in  a 
crime,"  Dr.  Carelton  Garrett,  medical 
director  of  the  new  lab  explains.  "Using  the  same 
type  of  technology,  we  use  molecular  testing  to 
analyze  the  DNA  and  RNA  of  vimses  and  bacteria 
that  cause  diseases,  illnesses  and  disorders." 

The  expanded  lab  offers  two  new  diagnostic 
technologies.  The  first  detects  mutations  in  HIV 
that  make  the  virus  resistant  to  dmgs  designed  to 
fight  it.  This  is  the  first  large-scale  effort  to  use 
molecular  testing  to  tailor  drugs  more  precisely  to 
individual  patients.  Second,  the  lab  will  begin 
using  DNA  chip  technology,  a  useful  tool  in 
cancer  diagnosis  and  treatment  because  it  can 
evaluate  the  thousands  of  genetic  mutations 
present  in  a  single  tumor. 

Garrett  points  out  that  the  lab  is  an  important 
part  of  VCU  Life  Sciences  (page  11).  This  lab 
supports  VCU's  clinical  and  basic  science  research 
programs  on  both  campuses. 

Biotech  Six 

Constmction  began  in  May  for  Biotech  Six,  a  $60 
million  addition  to  the  Virginia  Biotechnology 
Research  Park  near  VCU's  MCV  Campus.  The  Park 
in  downtown  Richmond  is  a  collaborative  project 
of  VCU,  the  City  of  Richmond  and  the  state. 
Scheduled  for  completion  in  2003,  the  tliree-story 
building  will  house  250  scientists  and  technicians 
as  well  as  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and 
Consumer  Services. 

A  major  tenant  will  be  the  Virginia  Division  of 
Consolidated  Services,  which  does  more  than  3 
million  tests  a  year  on  everything  from  food  to  fer- 
tilizer and  blood  to  water.  "We're  moving  from  a 
30  year-old  lab,"  Donald  Williams,  director  of  the 
state  Department  of  General  Services,  told  the 
Richmond  Times-Dispatch.  "Nowhere  else  in 
American  will  there  be  a  lab  as  advanced  as  the 


Quarter  Master 

Check  your  pockets.  Got  a  quarter? 
Chances  are,  you  have  one  of  1  3  billion 
Virginia  state  quarters,  designed  by 
Paris  Ashton-Bressler  '85BFA  She  is 

creative  director  of  Virginia's  Office  of 
Graphic  Communications, 

The  com  pictures  the  three  ships 
that  brought  the  first  English  settlers  to 
Jamestown — the  Discovery,  the 
Godspeed  and  the  Susan  Constance. 
"All  well-designed  coins  have  standard 
characteristics — they're 
simple  and  easy  to 
identify,"  she  explains. 
"I  took  this  into  consid- 
eration on  all  of  the 
quarter  concepts  that 
were  presented  to  the 
Governor,  the  citizens  of 
Virginia  and  to  the  U.S. 
Mint"  Jamestown  won 
out  over  Ashton- 
Bressler's  design 
options  for  Monticello, 
Mount  Vernon,  the  Williamsburg 
colonial  capital,  and  Jefferson's  Virginia 
State  Capitol. 

When  Governor  Gilmore  "launched" 
the  coin  at  Jamestown  in  October, 
Ashton-Bressler  took  her  two  children, 
Ashton,  8,  and  Holland,  5.  "They  think 
It's  'pretty  cool'  that  their  mom  designed 
the  quarter."  (And  there's  one  Standard 
of  Learning  mastered  early.) 

"I  don't  want  to  hear  your 
voice..." 

Sings  alternative  band  Radiohead  So, 
okay,  we'll  look  at  the  pictures  created 
for  the  Grammy  Awards  Show  by  Robert 
Meganck,  VCU  Communication  Arts  and 
Design  professor,  and  alumnus  Sterling 
Hundley  '98BFA.  Meganck  designed  a 
digital  portrait  of  Paul  Simon,  and 
Hundley  used  pastels  for  Radiohead. 
Take  a  peek  atwww.grammy.com. 
Photo  Gallery. 

Intensive  Care 

VCU's  Ray  Quintero,  nurse  manager  at 
Main  Hospital's  West  Wing,  received 
the  Excellence  in  Caring  Practice  Award 
from  the  American  Association  of 
Critical  Care  Nurses.  "When  you're 
caring  for  a  patient  in  crisis,  you  really 
end  up  caring  for  the  family  as  a  whole," 
Quintero  observes.  With  21  years  of 
nursing  experience,  he  has  spent  19 
years  in  intensive-care  units.  This  is  the 
tenth  straight  win  for  the  VCU  health 
care  system. 


SUMMER      9      2001 


o 


Put  six  billion,  people  on  an  island  in  space. 

Who  will  survive,    in  the  complex  and  interactive  ecology  of  our 

biosphere  Earth,  that  is  not  a  simple  question  with  a  simple  answer. 
As  we  study  the  way  life  functions,  we  are  learning  more  and  more 
about  the  intricate,  delicate  interrelationships  among  and  even 
within  living  organisms.  This  "biocomplexity"  means  that 
"survivor"  is  not  singular.  We  must  combine  forces  and  pool  our 
knowledge  to  catch  our  balance  and  learn  our  place  in  this  world. 


VCU's  response  to  a  complicated  question  is 
broad  and  multi-faceted.  VCU  Life  Sciences  is  a  multi-disciplinary 
focus  on  the  theoretical,  empirical  and  applied  study  of  biological 
complexity,  from  the  molecular  level  to  human  values.  The 
program  is  integrated  and  comprehensive,  cross- pollinating  the 
medical  and  academic  campuses.  New  curricula  and  new  facilities 
like  the  Life  Sciences  Building  and  the  342-acre  Rice  Center  for 
field  work  v/ill  draw  new  faculty  and  new  students.  VCU  will  take 
new  learning  and  research  into  the  community 
in  service  projects  and  science  education. 


"VCU  students  in  life  sciences,  "says  Dr.  Thomas  Huff,  the  newly 
created  vice  provost  for  life  sciences,  "must  be  given  the  tools 
to  achieve  scientific  literacy,  which  includes  not  only  scientific 
knowledge,  but  an  understanding  of  science's  policy  and 
ethical  implications." 

SHAFER      COURT     10    CONNECTIONS 


/2 


k.jm 


"This  is  a  life  sciences  rex'olution, "  says  Dr. 
Tlwinas  Huff,  vice  provost  for  life  sciences. 


Radical 
Science: 
Beyond 
Biology 
101 


BY    MICHELLE    ROSMAN 


'  /  e  are  at  the  start  of  a  life 
'  *  sciences  revolution,"  says  Dr. 
,/  ,,-iy'     Thomas  Huff,  vice  provost  for 
*  life  sciences.  "The  sequencing 

of  the  human  genome,  announced  in 
the  year  2000,  is  fully  the  equivalent  of 
putting  a  man  on  the  moon.  It  is  an 
achievement  of  that  magnitude.  The 
impact  of  this  discovery  aaoss  the 
whole  of  society  is  enormous.  And  it 
came  more  rapidly  than  anticipated." 

"As  a  university,"  Huff  continues, 
"VCU  has  not  only  an  opportunity  but 
a  responsibility  to  respond  to  this  intel- 
lectual revolution,  to  determine  the 
consequences  or  impact  of  these  dis- 
coveries, and  to  participate  in  making 
those  discoveries  happen."  VCU  Life 
Sciences  is  the  university's  broad  and 
integrated  response.  Its  core  vision  is 
the  study  of  "biological  complexity." 
The  Life  Sciences  programs  will  build 
on  VCU's  traditional  strengths  in  bio- 
logical and  biomedical  sciences,  patient 
care,  biomedical  engineering  and 
biotechnology. 

"The  individual  elements  of  biolog- 
ical life  have  been  fairly  well  defined," 
Huff  notes.  "Defining  the  principles  of 
the  interactions  between  those 
elements  is  the  challenge  of  the  new 
field  of  biological  complexity.  It 
addresses  such  issues  as  'Is  the  entity 
greater  than  the  sum  of  its  parts?'  and 
'Are  there  emergent  properties  when 
we  bring  these  things  together?'  Does 
something  new  happen?" 

Life  sciences  are  broadly  defined  as 
any  academic  discipline  that  touches 
significantly  on  biological  life,  but 
today's  array  far  transcends  the  Biology 
101  you  remember  from  high  school. 
Today  at  VCU,  students  are  studying 
bioinformatics — using  computers  to 


analyze  large  quantities  of  genetic 
information;  genomics — studying  the 
arraying  and  activities  of  individual 
genes;  and  proteomics — studying  the 
activities  of  proteins  encoded  by  those 
genes.  Add  to  these  biomedical  engi- 
neering, biotechnology,  physiology, 
microbiology,  chemistry  and  biostatis- 
tics,  to  name  a  few;  and  you  begin  to 
see  the  scope  of  the  program. 

Growth  Factors 

Virginia  has  budgeted  $1.8  million 
over  the  next  two  years  for  Life 
Sciences  programs.  This  start-up 
money  will  be  used  to  promote  the 
program,  hire  new  faculty,  and  recruit 
more  students.  The  program's  cutting 
edge  facilities  and  faculty  will  become 
a  cornerstone  of  recruiting  efforts  for 
students  and  faculty.  In  five  years, 
VCU  plans  to  increase  out-of-state 
enrollment  in  life  sciences  to  700,  with 
the  additional  revenue  funding  more 
faculty  positions. 

VCU's  President  Eugene  Trani  told 
the  Richmond  Times-Dispatch  in 
December,  "We  could  have  40  to  50 
new  faculty  members  in  physiology, 
microbiology,  anatomy,  biology, 
chemistry,  and  biostatistics"  in  the 
next  five  years.  On  both  campuses 
there  is  a  dramatic  infusion  of 
resources." 

The  University  expects  VCU  Life 
Sciences  to  propel  VCU  into  national 
recognition  in  the  life  sciences  arena, 
generating  new  levels  of  research 
findings  and  funding.  Fresh  support 
for  increased  funding  comes  from  Dr. 
Marcia  Torr,  vice  president  for 
research.  Torr's  five-year  aim  is  to 
increase  externally  funded  research  at 
VCU  by  $40  to  $50  million— especially 


SUMMER     11     2001 


in  federal  grants.  VCU 
can  do  this,  she  says,  by 
recovering  more  of  the 
indirect  costs  of  spon- 
sored research,  and 
putting  those  dollars 
into  developing  and  promoting  new 
grant  projects.  She  also  intends  to 
increase  VCU's  income  from  technolo- 
gy transfers — licensing  "intellectual 
property"  developed  at  VCU,  and  start- 
up companies  that  grow  out  of  faculty 
research. 

The  new  focus  and  integration  in 
life  sciences  will  generate  the  large, 
multidisciplinary  projects  more  likely 


to  draw  larger  NIH  grants.  Irani 
explains  enthusiastically,  "VCU's 
program  will  combine  the  faculty 
expertise  and  resources  of  both 
campuses  and  the  VCU  Health  System. 
All  levels  of  students,  from  freshmen  to 
M.D.s  to  post-doctoral  fellows,  will  par- 
ticipate. This  particular  combination  of 
diverse  faculty  expertise  and  breadth  of 
student  involvement  is  unique  in  the 
country." 

Practical  Fascinations: 
Life  Sciences  101 

Already,  biology  alone  is  the  second 
most  popular  VCU  major  (the  first  is 


psychology),  with  722  undergraduates 
enroUed.  Capitalizing  on  that  interest 
is  Life  Sciences  101,  the  signature 
course  for  the  University's  sweeping 
effort,  co-directed  by  Huff  and  Dr. 
Joseph  Chinnici,  director  of  undergrad- 
uate education  in  life  sciences. 
Incoming  freshmen  and  transfer 
students  interested  in  any  life  science 
major  will  get  a  dynamic,  extensive 
overview  of  all  that  VCU  has  to  offer. 
The  course  structure  is  similar  to 
VCU's  popular  public  "mini-med" 
lecture  series.  "We've  arranged  for  the 
stars  of  the  faculty  to  give  one  or  two 
lectures  each,"  explains  Dr.  Hermes 


Physical  Plant:  The  Cent( 


BY    PAMELA    BODKIN    'SIBIS/H&S 

ou  notice  the  rooftop  greenhouse 
first,  the  sun  glinting  off  the 
angled  panes  at  the  southwest 
comer  of  the  building.  The  new 
-  ■  -*'       $28.1  million  Center  for  the  Life 
Sciences  has  taken  root  at  the  comer 
of  Cary  and  Harrison  Streets  on  the 
Academic  Campus,  and  its  branches 
will  stretch  much  farther,  throughout 
the  city,  state  and  nation.  As  a  "center 
for  excellence"  it  will  combine  VCU 
resources  and  faculty  from  both 
campuses.  The  building  serves  all 
levels  of  life  science,  from  first-year 
f  undergraduates  to  the  University's 
2  star  researchers. 


"Our  students  will  receive  world-class 
training  and  instruction  in  state-of- 
the-art  facilities, "  says  biology  chair, 
Dr.  Leonard  Smock. 


The  second  most  popular  degree 
program  at  VCU  is  biology,  with 
722  undergraduates  and  46  graduate 
students.  About  140  are  enrolled  at  the 
Center  for  Environmental  Studies,  and 
425  study  biomedical  engineering, 
chemistry,  physics,  and  mathematical 
sciences.  Majors  in  pre-health  sciences, 
from  pre-physical  therapy  to  pre- 
medicine  to  pre-radiation  sciences — 
even  pre-veterinary  medicine — add 
up  to  808  more.  Most  VCU  undergrad- 
uates complete  at  least  one  or  more 
life  science  courses  as  part  of  their 
degree  program. 

"The  building  will  significantly 
upgrade  the  teaching  and  research 
facilities  available  for  Life  Sciences 
on  the  Academic  Campus.  Students 
will  now  have  state-of-the-art  class- 
rooms (both  lecture  and  laboratory) 
in  which  they  will  receive  world- 
class  training  and  instruction,"  says 
Dr.  Leonard  Smock,  chair  of  the 
Biology  Department. 

The  new  building  forms  a  quad 
with  Oliver  Hall,  so  chemistry,  mathe- 
matics, physics  and  science  education 
will  be  conveniently  across  the  court 
from  facilities  and  offices  for  the 
Biology  Department  and  the  Center 
for  Environmental  Studies. 

"Biology  faculty,"  Smock  contin- 
ues, "will  be  leading  major  research 
efforts  in  the  building  in  such  areas 
as  molecular  cell  biology,  genetics, 
immunology  and  physiology, 
molecular  plant  and  animal  system- 
atics;  neurophysiology;  ecological 


genetics;  barrier  insect  ecology;  and 
aquatic  ecology." 

"My  students  and  1  are  thrilled 
with  the  prospect  of  new  facilities  and 
equipment  that  actually  work  when 
we  turn  them  on,"  comments  physiol- 
ogist Dr.  Jennifer  Stewart.  "Both 
teaching  and  research  will  benefit." 

The  four-floor  facility  houses  18 
undergraduate  laboratories,  including 
one  reserved  only  for  student  research 
projects,  and  general  biology  and 
anatomy  laboratories.  Special  labs  for 
advanced  courses  and  research  include 
genetics,  botany,  physiology,  ecology, 
molecular  biology  and  microbiology, 
and  two  computer  labs  for  bioinfor- 
matics  computing.  There  are  walk-in 


SHAFER      COURT     12     CONNECT 


Kontos,  vice  president  for  health 
sciences  and  CEO  of  VCU  Health 
Services,  "so  these  young  people  will 
hear  from  top  professionals  on  a  range 
of  issues,  such  as  surgery  at  a  distance 
and  the  use  of  genetic  techniques  to 
identify  causes  of  psychiatric  disease." 

Students  will  meet  for  two  one- 
hour  lectures  a  week  on  the  medical 
campus.  In  a  third  class  period  on  the 
academic  campus,  students  will  have 
discussions,  make  presentations  and 
do  projects  on  provocative  and  wide- 
ranging  topics.  "This  is  active  student 
learning,"  Chinnici  remarks.  "There  is 
so  much  that  an  interest  in  science  can 


lead  to.  This  course  will  give  new 
students  a  taste  of  the  kinds  of  research 
going  on  in  many  different  areas,  and 
the  opportunities  available  to  upper- 
classmen — as  well  as  experience  doing 
research  with  some  of  the  major 
players  in  their  fields  today.  This  is  a 
full-scale  attempt  to  integrate  the  two 
campuses.  We  want  students  to  feel 
that  the  medical  campus  is  part  of  their 
undergraduate  experience." 

These  new  programs,  Kontos  con- 
tinues, are  "essentially  the  glue  that 
will  connect  the  undergraduate  studies 
related  to  health  and  biology  with  the 
medical  and  engineering  schools  in 


what  we  hope  and  expect  will  become 
a  nationally  prominent  program.  It 
will  attract  a  new  population  of 
students,  not  only  those  with  medical 
school  as  a  goal.  There  are  many 
careers  in  the  sciences  related  to 
biology  and  life  that  are  independent 
of  medicine." 

After  a  look  around  in  Life  Sciences 
101,  students  can  choose  from  tradi- 
tional fields,  including  science  educa- 
tion, or  from  four  new  five-year 
Master's  programs  being  developed  in 
environmental  science,  bioinformatics, 
biotechnology  and  forensic  science. 

(CONTINUED,    PAGE    1  5) 


'  for  the  Life  Sciences 


storage  freezers  and  two  chambers 
where  temperature  can  be  regulated  for 
experiments.  Two  large  lecture  halls 
are  equipped  for  multimedia  presenta- 
tions. Students  can  put  in  a  few  pro- 
ductive minutes  or  a  couple  of  hours 
between  classes  in  a  comfortable, 
networked  study  lounge. 

Every  seat  in  the  smaUer  class- 
rooms and  benches  in  the  laboratories 
will  be  wired  for  computers.  "The 
computers  are  a  great  step  up  from  the 
laptops  we  previously  had  to  keep 
locked  away  in  cabinets  and  then  set 
up  for  each  lab,"  comments  Dr.  Bonnie 
Brown,  director  of  the  Ecological 
Genetics  Laboratory. 


A  professor  will  be  able  to  discuss  a 
topic  and  pose  a  question.  Groups  or 
individual  students  can  turn  to  the 
Internet  to  work  up  their  answers.  New 
courses  and  team  teaching  by  a  broad 
range  of  faculty  will  affect  all  levels  of 
students,  from  incoming  freshman  to 
M.D.s  and  Ph.D.s. 

The  3,000-square-foot  greenhouse 
can  be  contioUed  for  humidity,  light 
and  temperature  and  supports  three 
different  environments^Jesert,  ttopics 
and  milder  Centtal  Virginia  climates. 

A  specialized  aquatics  facility  in  the 
basement  has  up  to  20  research  tanks, 
some  holding  up  to  400  gallons  of 
water,  for  observing  both  marine  and 
freshwater  fish  and  amphibians.  Brown 
will  be  working  in  the  aquatics  facility. 
"In  that  room,  special  temperature- 
conttolled  tanks  will  be  available 
where  I  can  house  the  diploid  and 
triploid  grass  carp  that  we  keep  as  refer- 
ence fish  for  ploidy  tests." 
r         "My  ability  to  conduct  research 
:   will  be  greatiy  enhanced  in  the  new 
building,"  says  Dr.  Rob  Tombes,  a 
molecular  cell  biologist.  "I'll  be  able 
to  culture  cells  in  my  lab  instead  of 
;   down  the  hall.  I'll  have  a  connected 
_  room  for  radioactivity  work,  a  fume 
<  hood,  distilled  water  lines  in  the  lab, 
2  and  a  darkened  room  for  microscopy. 
-  Space  is  critical.  I  have  student  projects 
I  now,  but  just  not  enough  space  to 

I  The  3,000  square-foot  greenhouse 
°  will  support  three  climates — desert, 
^  tropic,  ami  Virginia-temperate. 

< 

SUMMER     13    2001 


house  those  students.  Teaching  facili- 
ties are  also  state-of-the-art  and  in  a 
connected  building. 

"The  design  is  appealing  because 
other  faculty  with  similar  interests  and 
employing  similar  techniques  are  right 
down  the  hall.  This  will  be  a  great  asset 
at  VCU,  and  faculty  in  the  Biology 
Department  are  extremely  excited." 
Stmck  by  another  advantage,  he  adds, 
smiling,  "It  also  doesn't  hurt  to  have  a 
tennis  court  right  next  door!" 
TIk  official  opening  and  dedication  oftlie 
new  Center  for  the  Life  Sdetices  will  be 
September  20,  5  pm. 

Pamela  Bodkin  is  a  Richmond  freelance 
writer  and  food  editor  for  dotcom 


Classroom  seats  and  laboratory 
benches  are  wired  for  computers. 
There  are  walk-in  storage  freezers 
and  two  chambers  where  temperature 
can  be  regidated  for  research  projects. 


C~7rT3r:^' 


.  r 


Students  and 
professors  won't 
be  circling  con- 
crete parking  lots  or 
city  streets  to  find  park- 
ing space  at  Virginia  Com- 
monwealth University's  newest 
"classroom."  A  30-minute  drive 
down  scenic  Route  5  takes  you  to 
the  new  Inger  and  Walter  Rice 
Center  for  Environmental  Life 
Sciences.  A  lush  sUce  of  land  along 
the  James  River,  the  Center  will 
tremendously  enrich  the  Depart- 
ment of  Biology  and  VCU's  Center 
for  Environmental  Studies. 

Richmonder  Inger  Rice,  widow 
of  U.S.  Ambassador  Walter  Rice, 
donated  the  342-acre  property. 
Hardwood  forests  of  hickory,  pine, 
oak  and  beech,  grassy  fields,  an 
extensive  wildlife  population — 
including  bald  eagles — and  a  70- 
aae  lake  make  this  an  ideal 
outdoor  living  lab  for  students  and 
faculty. 

The  site  is  a  gem  because  it's  so 
wild,  yet  so  close  to  VCU's  urban 
campus,  observes  Dr.  Greg 
Carman,  director  of  the  Center  for 
Environmental  Studies.  "Students 
can  hear  a  classroom  lecture  on 
wetlands  and,  in  20  minutes,  they 
can  be  standing  up  to  their  knees  in 
swampy  water  to  apply  what  they 
just  learned,"  Carman  told  the 
Richmond  Times-Dispatch.  Students 


can  apply  lessons  in  environmental 
engineering  and  chemistry,  environ- 
mental epidemiology,  ecoinformatics 
and  other  fields  of  study.  It's  an  ideal 
setting  for  hands-on  research  in 
ecology,  environmental  sciences  and 
natural  resources  management. 

VCU's  Vice  Provost  for  Life 
Sciences,  Dr.  Thomas  Huff,  sees  the 
Center  developing  cross-campus  col- 
laborations in  fields  like  environmen- 
tal health,  environmental  genomics, 
and  the  study  of  waterbome 
pathogens  in  the  James  River.  "It's  a 
spectacularly  beautiful  piece  of 
property  so  close  to  Richmond," 
stated  Huff.  "It  represents  an  oppor- 
tunity for  VCU  to  greatly  expand  our 
activities  in  ecological  studies  and 
environmental  sciences." 

Rice,  a  lifelong  supporter  of  inter- 
national and  local  causes,  studied 
interior  design  at  VCU  in  the  late 
1960s.  She  has  also  pledged  an 
annual  trust  to  VCU,  contributing 
$125,000  a  year  toward  the  operating 
costs  of  the  Rice  Center.  "I  hope  this 
land  will  be  preserved  forever  in  its 
natural  state  and  v^oll  benefit  a  lot 


of  people." 
VCU  will 
make  that 
happen.  The 
University  has  agreed 
never  to  sell  the  property  and 
to  preserve  all  wildlife,  land  and 
eco-systems  for  the  study  of  its 
natural  resources.  It  has  also 
promised  to  raise  $3  million  over  the 
next  six  years  for  the  project. 

VCU  plans  community  outreach 
and  education  programs  for  local 
school  districts,  state  agencies  and  the 
public.  The  Environmental  Literacy 
and  Leadership  Forum,  for  example, 
will  offer  workshops  and  classes  for 
community  and  business  leaders, 
giving  them  the  information  they 
need  to  understand  complex  natural 
resource  and  environmental  issues 
and  to  make  good,  knowledge-based 
decisions.  Community  partnerships 
with  Maymont  Park's  new  Nature 
Center,  the  Science  Museum  of 
Virginia  and  similar  groups  wUl 
maximize  the  Center's  potential. 
"In  the  past,  much  like  other 
environmental  studies  programs  at 
urban  institutions,  we  have  had 
certain  restraints.  With  this  new  gift, 
any  constraints  have  evaporated," 
says  Carman.  Like  mist  burning  off  in 
a  summer  dawn. 

Writer:  Pamela  Bodkin 
Photos:  Robert  Fedders 


S   H   A   H    E    R      COURT     14     C  0   N   N   E   C  T  1  O  N   .S 


Each  of  these  areas  of  study  repre- 
sents an  important  new  job  market  in 
the  early  part  of  the  21st  century,"  says 
Huff.  "What  we're  trying  to  do  is  figure 
out  where  the  jobs  are  going  to  be," 
Irani  continues.  "Clearly,  we're  going 
to  need  a  lot  more  biostatisticians  and 
bioinfomiatics  people,  because  that 
field  is  growing  like  crazy.  Clearly  there 
are  going  to  be  thousands  of  jobs  in 
forensic  sciences.  The  whole  question 
of  the  environment  is  becoming  a 
larger  and  larger  issue." 

In  Richmond,  VCU  has  access  to 
the  Virginia  Biotechnology  Research 
Park,  a  VCU-City  of  Richmond  collab- 
oration adjacent  to  the  MCV  Campus; 
to  the  state  forensics  headquarters;  and 
to  professionals  in  government  and 
business  in  the  state  national  capitals. 
These  opportunities  for  professional 
speakers,  internships,  and  hands-on 
understanding  of  science  and  health 
and  science  policy  are  definitely  an 
advantage  for  students  thinking  about 
and  preparing  for  specific  careers. 

Synthesis 

The  new  curricu- 
la, particularly 
bioinformatics 
and  biotechnolo- 
gy, will  pull  inter- 
disciplinary teams 
from  faculty  on 
both  campuses. 
"This  is  the  one 
true  university- 
wide  effort,"  says 
Dr.  Francis 
Macrina,  director 
of  the  Philips 
Institute  for  Oral 
and  Craniofacial 
Molecular 
Biology  at  VCU. 
"People  in  the 
hard  sciences  and 
the  soft  sciences 
will  start  to  talk 
to  each  other.  The  landscape  will  really 
change.  This  really  seeks  to  bring  the 
University  together  so  that  the  whole 
is  greater  than  the  sum  of  its  parts." 

The  planned  Center  for  the  Study 
of  Biological  Complexity  illustrates 
Macrina's  point,  dissolving  barriers  and 
integrating  research  in  different  disci- 
plines. Microbiologist  Dr.  Greg  Buck 
will  direct  the  new  Institute.  "Like 
other  Centers  at  VCU,"  he  says,  "it  will 
draw  faculty  from  a  number  of  depart- 


ments." The  Center  will 
pull  fi-om  VCU 
strengths — in 
genomics,  proteomics, 
microbial  genomics, 
pharamacogenomics, 
human  hereditary 
diseases,  and  cancer 
research.  "We'll  be  beefing  up  bioinfor- 
mafics.  We  are  hiring  new  faculty  now, 
this  spring  and  summer."  Some 
research  will  be  focused  in  the  new  life 
sciences  building — the  bioinformatics 
computation  center  on  the  first  floor 
and  a  satellite  nucleic  acids  lab  on  the 
third.  Across  the  court  in  the 
Chemistry  Department,  proteomics 
will  be  strengthened.  Combining 
findings  from  both  campuses,  the 
Institute  will  give  an  exponential  push 
to  researchers'  efforts  to  understand  life 
better,  to  know  more,  to  see  more  pre- 
cisely into  biological  complexity. 

New  facilities  on  both  campuses 
include  the  brand  new  Lois  E.  and 
Eugene  P.  Trani  Center  for  Life 
Sciences  on  the  Academic  Campus,  the 
Rice  Center  for  Environmental  Life 
Sciences  on  the  James  River,  and 
expansion  of  research  and  freatment  at 
the  Massey  Cancer  Center.  In  the  new 
building,  says  Biology  Department 
Chair,  Dr.  Leonard  Smock,  "Biology 
faculty  will  be  leading  research  efforts 
in  fields  from  molecular  plant  and 
animal  biology  to  neurophysiology 
and  aquatic  ecology."  Dr.  Greg 
Garman,  director  of  VCU's  Center  for 
Environmental  Sciences,  adds,  "Faculty 
will  have  all  of  the  modern  instruc- 
fional  technology  at  their  fingertips." 

The  342-acre  Rice  Center  is  a  rich 
site  for  terrestrial  and  aquatic  research 
and  instmction,  with  pine  and 
hardwood  forests  and  a  70-aCTe  lake.  In 
his  Elske  v.  P.  Smith  Lecture  to  students 
this  spring.  Smock  spoke  about 
"hydropolitics,"  one  of  the  social  and 
environmental  areas  where  VCU 
faculty  and  graduates  can  help  find 
solutions.  Forty  percent  of  the  world's 
population  depends  on  water  flowing 
from  other  countries.  "We  need  to  for- 
mulate on  a  regional  basis  long-term 
water  objectives  and  a  plan  to  reach 
them,"  he  said. 

The  Rice  Center  will  also  offer  com- 
munity outreach  and  education 
programs  for  the  public  and  neighbor- 
ing school  districts.  Through  partner- 
ships with  local  organizations  like 
Maymont  Park's  new  Nature  Center, 


For  Dr.  Greg  Gcinnan  and  this  VCU grihlimte 
stiidmt,  the  catch  of  the  day  is  crucial  information 
to  keep  Virginia  waterways  vital. 

the  Science  Museum  of  Virginia,  the 
Virginia  Biotechnology  Research  Park, 
and  the  Governor's  School  in 
Medicine,  VCU  Life  Sciences  will  send 
its  influence  directiy  into  local  and 
state  communities,  in  service  projects 
and  education. 

"VCU  Life  Sciences,  therefore," 
Trani  sums  up,  "will  be  conducted  as  a 
total  teaching,  research,  and  public- 
service  effort  modeled  after  the  mission 
of  our  other  Centers  of  Excellence." 

For  environmentalist  Garman,  the 
increase  of  knowledge  and  intense 
focus  on  the  living  planet  are  hopeful 
and  exciting.  "VCU's  interdisciplinary 
research  teams  and  broader,  more 
exciting  science  education  can  make 
new  things  happen.  We'll  find  new 
ways  to  live  that  preserve  our  environ- 
ment, mitigate  or  cure  disease,  and 
enrich  our  quality  of  life." 

Michelle  Rosman  writes  regularly  for 
Richmond's  Innsbrook  Today  and 
Home  Style. 


SUMMER     15     2001 


BODY    OF    WORK 


BY    ROSE    ELLIOTT    '95MFA    AND    DOUGLAS    VANN 


What  is  the  human  body  made  of?  How  does  it  work?  How  does 
it  relate— to  otlier  bodies,  human  or  animal?  Where  does  it  fit  into 
the  ecology  or  interact  with  the  environment?  What  is  our  place— 
or  places— on  earth?  Ultimately,  who  are  we  as  physical  beings? 
The  human  body  itself  is  an  emblem  of  biological  complexity. 

Alumni  and  faculty,  not  only  scientists,  but  artists,  physicians, 
athletes  and  dancers  are  exploring  these  questions.  Like  a 
computer  model,  or  a  CT-scan,  the  subject  rotates,  offering  differ- 
ent perspectives.  A  mental  image  may  be  minutely  focused  on 
internal  mechanisms,  or  bodies  in  space  from  the  inside  out. 
Networks  of  nerves,  tissue  and  bone  all  conspire  to  create  expres- 
sions of  life,  as  intricate  as  they  are  dynamic. 

IN  BALANCE 

As  head  of  the  cardiovascular  lab  at  the  NASA  Johnson 
Space  Center  in  Houston,  Texas,  Janice  Meek  '83MS/H&S 
has  worked  with  the  U.S.  astronauts  "every  time  they've 
tlown"  on  NASA  missions  since  1991.  It  was  Meck's  team 
that  conducted  John  Glenn's  evaluation  after  his  recent 
mission. 

Meek  and  her  colleagues  study  the  effects  of  space  flight 
on  the  autonomic  control  of  the  astronauts'  circulation,  on 
ventricular  dysryhthmias  of  the  heart  during  long  flights, 
and  on  other  physical  effects  of  space 
flight.  "Side  effects  of  space  travel" 
seems  a  breathtaking  understatement. 
Surely  "side  effects"  from  such  a  radi- 
cally different  environment  would  be 
incalculable?  But  then,  calculations  are 
what  a  scientist  does.  In  fact,  Meek  has 
written  several  landmark  papers  chal- 
lenging scientists'  ideas  of  the  limita- 
tions the  body  places  on  space  flight. 

Her  colleagues  must  be  convinced. 
She  has  won  the  Presidential  Early 
Career  Award  for  Science  and 
Engineering  as  well  as  the  Rotary 


3i:^j\^J^^^ 


Dr.  Janice  Meek  reminds  John 
Glenn's  heart  which  way  is  up. 

Meek  (left),  Dr.  Dommick 
D'Aunno  (subject)  and  Donna 
South,  the  echo  cardlographer, 
practice  an  operational  tilt  test. 
"Any  test  we  use  on  the  astro- 
nauts is  practiced  in  the  office 
on  all  the  people  who  will  be 
participating  in  the  study  many, 
many  times  before  we  actually 
do  the  test  on  an  astronaut," 
Meek  explains. 


National  Space  Achievement  Stellar 
Award  in  the  same  year.  VCU's  College 
of  Humanities  and  Sciences  named  her 
Outstanding  Alumna  for  1998. 

Before  a  launch.  Meek  and  her 
team  go  into  the  quarantine  area  with 
the  asti:onauts  and  collect  data  on  their 
pre-flight  physical  condition.  Later, 
"we  go  to  every  landing  and  continue 
to  evaluate  them." 

When  astronauts  return  from  space 
they  often  have  trouble  maintaining 
their  blood  pressure  standing  up,  and 
may  even  faint  during  the  first  days 
back  on  earth.  They  have  adjusted  to 
weightiessness;  and  now  the  cardiovas- 
cular system  must  fight  gravity's  pull. 
Well,  yes,  but  how,  precisely? 

Meck's  research  finds  "pretty  clear 
evidence  of  autonomic  dysfunction," 
apparentiy  because  a  lack  of  norepi- 
nephrine release  temporarily  diminish- 
es the  blood  vessels'  ability  to  maintain 
pressure.  The  astronauts  lie  on  tilt 
tables  while  their  vital  signs  and  fluid 
levels  are  monitored  in  an  effort  to 
someday  prevent  this  potentially 
dangerous  side  effect  of  flight.  Each 
crew  member's  level  of  dehydration  is 
carefully  evaluated  on  both  short  and 
long  flights. 

A  stint  in  space  can  result  in  a  10 
percent  loss  of  the  body's  plasma. 
Meek  explains.  Living  in  a  low  gravity 
environment  on  the  ship  results  in 
increased  fluid  output.  The  astronauts 
drink  "Asti-oaide,"  a  drink  designed  to 
balance  their  bodies'  chemistries. 
Meck's  lab  is  also  testing  a  new  drug, 
Midodrine.  A  dose  one  hour  before 
landing  should  help  prevent  fainting. 

The  cardiovascular  lab  at  the 
Johnson  Space  Center  shares  research 
and  ideas  with  the  space  programs  of 
Germany,  Russia  and  other  countries 
to  advance  space  travel  and  explo- 
ration. Work  in  Meck's  lab  has  been 
continuously  funded  by  NASA,  NIH 
and  other  agencies. 

Tme  to  her  passion  for  biology, 
Janice  Meek  lives  near  her  work  in  "a 
house  on  a  bayou  near  High  Island," 
the  site  of  a  National  Audubon 
Sanctuary.  She  returns  to  Virginia 
whenever  possible  to  visit.  Her  son, 
Taylor  Sprenkle,  is  a  VCU  graduate 
student  in  biology,  studying  molecular 
markers  of  evolution.  "He's  thriving 
there,"  she  says.  "It's  such  a  wonderful 
nurturing  environment." 


SHAFER      COURT     16    CONNECTIONS 


"Attention  goes  outside  the  body  and 
comes  back  in,  to  make  thought." 
Attention's  Loop,  Elizabeth  King,  Page  16. 
Photo  (above)  by  Katherine  Wetzel, 
page  42. 

"ATTENTION'S  LOOP" 

Like  scientists,  artists,  are  in  the 
business  of  observation.  In  her 
book,  Attention's  Loop,  Elizabeth 
King,  sculptor  and  VCU  profes- 
sor focuses  on  the  process  itself,  follow- 
ing the  link — the  continual  loop — 
between  body  and  mind. 

"What  if  even  the  most  fleeting 
ruminative  fragment  of  our  mental  life 
involves  immediate  sensation  or  body 
motion — or  the  memory  of  them? 
Then  these  phenomena. . .  must  be 
central  to  the  unfolding  of  our  con- 
scious relations  with  the  world. 
Attention  goes  outside  the  body  and 
comes  back  in,  to  make  thought." 
(page  16) 

King  stands  in  her  studio,  watching 
her  sculpture.  Pupil.  The  puppet  is 
crafted  in  wood,  porcelain,  brass  and 
glass,  with  joints  engineered  to  flex 
and  rotate  as  closely  to  human  as 
possible.  Critic  Leah  OUman  com- 
mented in  Art  in  America,  October, 
2000,  that  the  sculpture  is  at  once 
"insistently  nonhuman,  its  joints  and 
workings  nakedly  exposed. . . [yet] 
uncannily  alive." 

Piipil  gazes  with  its  lifelike  eyes  into 
an  ominous  distance.  "Sculptures  don't 
exactly  look  back  at  us,"  muses  King. 
"We  can't  ever  quite  maneuver  into 
the  seeming  line  of  sight. . . .  [Yet]  its 
very  'hereness'  promises  the  possibility 


of  direct  eye  contact.  Sailptors  have 
always  worried  about  this." 

With  King's  work  the  sculpture  is 
both  the  object — what  we  see — and 
the  subject — itself  actively  examining. 
It's  an  attempt  to  look  at  us,  seeing.  For 
25  years  King  has  been  creating 
puppets,  in  her  own  image  and  that  of 
her  mother  and  grandmother.  All  of 
them  are  in  a  sense,  self-portraits,  self- 
reflection.  The  puppets  are  smaller 
than  life-sized,  almost  as  if  to  fit  inside 
our  heads  as  we  think  about  them. 
Often,  they  are  arranged  with  a  hand 
poised  in  f^ont  of  the  inquiring  face, 
forefinger  and  thumb  touching.  It's  a 
gesture  not  unlike  the  mudras,  hand 
gestures  of  the  Buddha — images  of 
meditation,  of  awareness. 

In  1999,  King  published  Attmtion's 
Loop:  A  Sculptor's  Re\'erie  on  the 
Coexistence  of  Substance  and  Spirit, 
which  chronicles  the  intellectual, 
sensual  and  practical  aspects  of 
creating  her  work.  The  loop  represents 
King's  inquiry  into  the  nature  of  per- 
ception, self-reflection,  and  identity. 
What  happens  physically,  she 
wonders,  when  we  pay  attention  to  something?  Are  sensa- 
tions and  perception  a  unified  whole,  or  are  they  two 
separate  but  symbiotic  functions  of  the  body?  Does  the  act 
of  looking  at  something  ttansform  the  thing  that  is  seen  as 
well  as  the  seer? 

The  range  of  questions  these  sculptures  pose  is  reflected 
in  the  variety  of  places  where  King  has  shown  them — the 
Exploratorium  in  San  Francisco,  the  Allan  Stone  Gallery  in 
New  York,  and  at  the  American  Psychiatric  Association's 
annual  meeting.  VCU  named  her  its  faculty  Distinguished 
Scholar  in  1992. 

King  has  paid  intense  and  technical  attention  to  the 
physical  side  of  her  subject.  In  search  of  "an  eye  for  an  1," 
she  learned  the  structure  and  function  of  the  eye  as  it 
focuses,  and  ttaveled  to  Lauscha,  East  Germany  to  learn  a 
unique  process  for  blowing  glass  eyes.  There's  a  sense  that 
if  she  can  get  the  physical  side  right,  the  function  precise, 
then  somehow  the  soul  will  inhere  and  take  up  residence. 
It  does. 


SUMMER    17    2001 


Patrick  Linton  is  an  anesthesiol- 
ogist who  wakes  people  up.  "I 
try  to  make  medicine  work  into 
the  normal  lifestyle  of  people." 


"KEEPING  BODY  AND  SOUL  TOGETHER 

In  his  practice,  Dr.  Patrick  Linton  '80BS  (Chemistry)  '81BS 
(SocioIogy)/H&S  tries  to  "make  medicine  work  into  the 
normal  lifestyle  of  people."  Linton  practices  and  teaches  in 
the  Department  of  Anesthesiology  at  NYU  Medical  Center. 

He  explains  that  once,  "just  coming  into  the  hospital 
required  major  changes"  in  lifestyle,  but  now,  "things  are 
faster,  less  intmsive,  there  is  better  confidentiality.  Patients 
need  to  have  a  pleasant  experience  in  the  hospital  and  get 
back  to  their  regular  routine  as  soon  as  possible."  As  a 
physcian,  Linton  is  looking  at  the  "economies  of  medicine, 
finding  ways  to  make  medicine  more  efficient."  The 
economies  he  is  thinking  about  can  be  an  advantage  for  the 
patient  as  well  as  for  the  hospital  or  the  health  insurance 
company. 

In  his  own  discipline,  the  advent  of  minimally  invasive 
surgical  techniques — and  cost-control  limits  on  hospital 
stays — means  more  and  more  patients  come  into  ambulato- 
ry surgery  units  for  their  procedures.  To  accommodate  this, 
many  new  anesthetic  dmgs  take  effect  faster  and  wear  off 
sooner.  New  technology  for  monitoring  patients  under 
anesthesia  results  in  a  "higher  degree  of  predictability  for 
outcome,"  says  Linton,  and  this  brings  patients  a  higher 
degree  of  safety  and  satisfaction.  Confidence  is  a  good 
healer. 

At  NYU  Medical  Center,  Linton  is  an  anesthesiologist  for 
patients  in  all  service  areas  including  pediatrics,  neuro- 
surgery, obstetrics  and  general  surgery.  His  specialty  is 
managing  the  fluid  and  electrolyte  balance  for  patients  in 
major  gastrointestinal  surgery.  Linton  uses  a  combination  of 
general  anesthesia  and  epidural  blocks  for  post-operative 
pain  management.  Less  pain  means  less  physical  stiess  on 
the  body,  so  patients  can  breathe  deeper  after  surgery  and 
become  mobile  sooner. 

As  an  African-American,  Linton  realized  early  that 
"minorities  have  always  needed  a  platform  from  which  to 
be  taken  seriously."  Medicine  is  a  powerful  platform  from 
which  he  can  reach  other  African-Americans — energizing 
young  people  who  need  direction,  and  getting  their  parents 
to  take  care  of  their  health.  Here's  an  anesthesiologist  who 
wakes  people  up. 

"The  greatest  health  problem  for  African  Americans  is 
prevention,"  he  says  firmly.  People  don't  take  care  of  them- 
selves." Again,  Linton  has  to  make  medicine  fit  into  lifestyle. 
"I  know  you  work  three  jobs,  but  you  have  to  make  time  to 
take  care  of  your  health — annual  checkups,  prostate 
exams — so  when  your  children  grow  up,  you'll  be  there  for 
them."  If  money  is  a  problem,  he  reminds  them  "there  are 
free  clinics,  and  volunteers — I'm  one  of  them."  Staying  well 
is  cheaper  than  waiting  until  you  are  really  sick  to  see  a 
doctor.  He  smiles,  "Pay  me  now,  or  pay  me  later  and  pay 
more." 

Linton,  a  surgeon  tiained  at  Mount  Sinai  Hospital  in 
New  York,  practiced  a  personal  "economy  of  medicine" 
when  he  retrained  in  the  flexible  field  of  anesthesiology  to 
spend  more  time  with  his  wife.  Dr.  Denise  Joy  Harrison,  also 
an  M.D.,  and  their  four  children,  who  are  7,  6,  5  and  3  years 
old.  He  is  very  conscious  of  being  an  alternate  role  model  for 
young  people. 

"I  go  into  the  schools.  For  the  10  to  12-year-olds,  1  let 
them  see  they  don't  have  to  be  Michael  Jordan,  that  they 
can  accomplish  things  in  many  other  ways.  I  open  up  possi- 


bilities for  them."  The  17  to  20-year- 
olds,  especially  young  men,  are  often 
stalled  in  their  own  anger.  "Stop  being 
bitter  about  what  happened  300  years 
ago,"  he  tells  them.  "There  are  oppor- 
tunities out  there,  but  you  have  to 
prepare  yourself  so  you'll  be  ready  for 
them."  Using  his  own  life  and  success, 
he  emphasizes,  "It  didn't  just  happen 
this  way.  I  set  it  up." 

Linton  himself  had  a  sttong  model 
in  Dr.  Gerry  Bass,  professor  and  chair 
emeritus  of  chemistry,  a  well-loved 
advisor  and  still  a  friend  for  hundreds 
of  sttidents.  "He  brought  out  the  best 
in  me,"  Linton  says  quietly.  "He 
guided  me  to  reach  my  fuU  potential." 

ALL  NATURAL 

"That  stiiffll  kill  you."  Someone  is 
always  ready  to  say  this  about  refined 
sugar,  sugar  substitutes,  genetically 
modified  (GM)  foods,  coffee.  Coke, 
even  meat.  Well,  will  it?  What  does  the 
expert  say? 

Dr.  Shelley  Harris  is  an  environ- 
mental epidemiologist  in  VCU's 
Department  of  Preventive  Medicine 
and  Community  Health  and  in  the 
VCU  Center  for  Environmental 
Studies.  Her  answer  is — perhaps.  "Did 
you  know  that — assuming  average 
consumption  of  wine,  beer,  coffee, 
black  pepper,  or  cinnamon,  over  a 
lifetime — your  risk  of  cancer  from  any 
one  of  these  compounds  is  likely 
higher  than  your  potential  risk  of 
cancer  due  to  dioxin  exposure?" 

Often,  she  says,  people  overrate  the 
"natural"  over  the  "synthetic."  Why  is 
it  that  people  are  afraid  of  synthetic 
environmental  estrogens,  but  eat  large 
quantities  of  tofii  for  their  health?  "If 
the  phytoestrogens  occurring  naUirally 
in  soy  can  reduce  the  symptoms  of 
menopause,  why  do  we  think  they  are  >? 
safer  than  the  esttogens  in  the  physi- 
cian-prescribed patch?" 

In  her  classes,  Harris  asks  students 
to  "rank  the  potential  human  health 
risks  associated  with  smoking,  driving 
cars  or  motorcycles,  guns,  prescription 
dmgs,  pesticides  in  foods,  and  food 
additives,"  among  others.  As  in  other 
studies  of  public  opinion,  VCU 
students  rank  pesticides  and  food  addi- 
tives at  or  near  the  top  risk.        |  "     " 

She  notes,  "We  know  that  '¥  * 
smoking  is  responsible  for  a  tremen- 
dous number  of  deaths  each  year  from 
lung  cancer  and  heart  disease,  but  we 
are  very  uncertain  about  the  health 
effects  (if  any)  of  ttace  levels  of  pesti- 


v.. 


SHAFER      COURT     18    CONNECTIONS 


"A  labeling  requirement  for 
all  genetically  modified  foods 
would  allow  people  to  control 
their  exposure  by  not  buying 
them — and  this  will  likely 
reduce  their  perception  of 
the  potential  risk."  Dr.  Shelley 
Harris  is  an  environmental  epi 
demiologistatVCU. 


cides  or  additives 
in  foods."  Why 
do  people  see  it 
tliis  way?  "We  are 
afraid  of  what  we 
don't  know  and 
can't  control.  So, 
since  most  people 
consider  smoking 
a  voluntary 
exposure,  it  may 
be  ranked  less 
risky."  Take  the 
cunent  contro- 
versy over  geneti- 
cally-modified 
foods.  "A  labeling 
requirement  for  all 
GM  foods  would 
allow  people  to 
control  their 
exposure  by  not 
buying  them — 
and  this  will  likely  reduce  their  percep- 
tion of  the  potential  risk." 

It  was  a  serious  environmental 
killer  that  shocked  Harris  into  her  field. 
Visiting  Jamaica  as  an  agriculture 
major,  she  saw  "Jamaican  workers 
spreading  granular  pesticides  by  hand 
over  horticultural  crops."  They  were 
using  organophosphorus  insecticides, 
which  are  highly  toxic  to  humans.  So 
Harris  returned  to  Canada  to  earn  a 
Master's  degree  and  later  a  Ph.D.  in 
environmental  toxicology,  focusing  on 
human  pesticide  exposures.  Her 
research  on  a  herbicide  called  2,4-D,  in 
both  residential  and  occupational 
settings  in  Canada,  is  still  used  to  inter- 
pret the  Food  Quality  Protection  Act  in 
the  United  States. 

Harris  develops  methods  to 
measure  and  predict  environmental 
"^^exposures  in  both  children  and  adults, 
which  means  more  precise  epidemio- 
logical studies  of  health  risks. 

Research  at  VCU  into  air  pollutants 
nitrogen  dioxide  and  nitrous  oxide 
revealed  that  indoor  concentrations 
(primarily  from  gas  stoves)  of  N02  and 
NO  were  higher  than  outdoor  concen- 
trations. "Since  people  spend  approxi- 
mately 90  percent  of  their  time 
indoors,  CTacking  a  window  open  (yes, 
even  during  hot  summers  when  the  air 
iy  conditioner  is  running)  will  increase 
*^  the  air  exchange  in  the  house  and 

reduce  contaminant  levels." 
■^5;,       She  adds,  "Air-tight  housing  works 
>.  wonders  for  energy  conservation,  but 
greatly  contributes  to  poor  air  quality." 


■4tea^ 


>  V 


3 


Ironically,  one  of  President  Bush's  few  concessions  to  energy 
conservation  was  to  retain  a  program  for  weather-stripping 
housing  of  poor  Americans.  On  another  decision,  Harris 
observes,  "His  decision  to  reverse  the  arsenic  standard  is 
consistent  with  his  environmental  record — and  many  of  us 
would  argue  that  he  has  none." 

Among  other  awards,  Harris  received  the  John  R.  Brown 
Prize  for  Research,  University  of  Toronto  in  1998,  for  the 
best  applied  research  project  in  the  analysis  and  improve- 
ment of  occupational  and  environmental  health.  But  she's 
most  proud  of  her  recent  approval  for  permanent  residency 
in  the  United  States.  She  received  the  EBl  classification  of 
"Alien  of  Extraordinary  Ability,"  in  part  for  her  "original  sci- 
entific contributions  of  major  significance  in  the  field  of 
environmental  health." 

PERSONAL  TRAINER  TO  VCU 

Perhaps  no  one  coach  sees  more  athletes  from  so  many 
sports  than  Tim  Kontos.  As  strength  and  conditioning 
coach  for  all  14  VCU  teams,  he's  the  personal  ttainer  for 
every  VCU  athlete,  design- 
ing and  monitoring  indi- 
vidualized programs. 
Kontos  works  with  players 
on  flexibility,  nutrition, 
and  rehabilitation,  using 
weight  tiaining  to 
strengthen  and  condition 
their  bodies  for  high  per- 
formance 

Kontos  is  also  part  of 
the  VCU  healtii  family. 
His  father  is  Dr.  Hermes 
Kontos  '62HS  '67PhD/M- 
BH,  vice  president  for  VCU 
Health  Sciences.  His  two 
older  brothers  are  cardiolo- 
gists— Dr.  Michael  Kontos 
'88MD  '95HS/M  at  VCU 
Health  Systems,  and  Dr.  i    i* 

Christopher  Kontos  ^  ^» 

'89MD  '90-93HS/M  at  ^ 

Duke  University  Medical         ^M 
Center. 

When  an  athlete  first  comes  to 
him,  Kontos  conducts  a  thorough 
assessment  of  body  mass,  muscular 
strength,  muscular  endurance,  body 
fat,  explosive  power,  flexibility  and 

body  weight.  Kontos  and  the  team  coach  make  a  condition- 
ing plan  for  the  team,  and  then  Kontos  individualizes  an 
athlete's  routine  and  supervises  workouts.  "A  program  must 
be  tailored  to  the  specific  player  and  not  her  teammate." 

"Conditioning  must  be  kept  up  year  round,"  he  notes, 
or  the  strength  and  stamina  an  athlete  depends  on  goes 
missing  in  performance.  In  off-season,  Kontos  is  on,  because 
that's  when  a  team  has  time  to  train.  He  works  with  the  bas- 
ketball, soccer,  tennis,  volleyball,  field  hockey  and  women's 
ttack  teams  four  days  a  week  for  an  hour  and  a  half  in  their 
off  seasons. 

VCU's  coaching  staff  records  tiaining  as  weU  as  perfor- 
mance on  video.  In  playback,  Kontos  can  show  athletes 


SUMMER    19    2001 


Basketball  player  L.  F.  Likcholitov,  a  senior  from  St. 
Petersburg,  bench  presses  close  to  300  lbs.  "With 
those  long  arms,  that's  a  lot  of  weight  to  move," 
says  trainer,  Tim  Kontos. 


"It's  a  fact  that  America  Is 
getting  bigger.  Not  fat,  just  big. 
They  still  want  style,"  says 
jeans  designer,  Chris  Nicola. 


exactly  where  a  move  could  be  a  lot  more  effective  with  a 
bit  of  adjustment. 

In  training,  for  example,  he  can  make  a  back  squat  more 
"sports  specific"  to  basketball.  Normally,  with  a  weight  1.5 
to  twice  his  body  weight  on  his  back,  an  athlete  does  a  deep 
knee  bend  until  the  tops  of  his  thighs  are  just  below  parallel 
to  the  floor.  ("It  is  rare  to  see  a  basketball  player  in  this 
position  unless  something  has  gone  wrong  with  the  play," 
Kontos  observes  drily.) 

On  court,  basketbaU  players  need  a  fast  and  flexible 
response  to  gravity's  pull.  "Studies  show  that  reducing  the 
weight  to  30  percent  of  their  one  rep  max — the  most  weight 
they  can  lift  for  one  complete  repetition — greatly  increases 
power." 

For  practicing  explosive  jumps,  less  squat — to  the  'defen- 
sive stance'  or  the  'power  position' — "makes  him  stronger 
and  faster  in  the  range  of  motion  he'll  use  on  the  court." 

Besides  building  strength,  flexibility  and  stamina  in 
movement,  Kontos  oversees  what  athletes  eat — not  always 
easy  for  students.  "Nutrition  is  24-7,"  Kontos  insists.  "You 
can  work  hard  on  the  court  for  two  hours  a  day  six  days  a 
week,  lift  hard  for  an  hour  four  days  a  week;  but  then  you 
can  go  home  and  not  worry  about  it.  With  nutrition  you 
have  to  plan  ahead  and  pay  attention  all  day,  seven  days  a 
week,  365  days  a  year." 

Kontos  keeps  VCU  athletes  off  the  "Andro"  (a  popular 
supplement)  and  into  the  basics — "four  to  six  small  meals  a 
day  with  a  high  concentration  of  carbohydrates,  moderate 
protein,  and  relatively  low  fat."  To  start,  an  athlete  keeps  a 
food  diary.  A  computer-analysis  shows  any  deficiencies,  so 
the  student  can  design  a  personal  balanced  diet. 

With  supplements  or  in  training,  fiercely  competitive 
athletes  can  push  too  hard.  "There  is 
always  the  possibility  of  'overdoing  it.' 
That's  where  I  come  into  play.  A  big 
piece  of  program  training  is  knowing 
how  much  of  what  to  do,  and  when." 
Kontos  continues,  "One  person  may 
undertrain  while  another  may  over- 
train on  the  same  program."  The  key  is 
a  "well  supervised  weight  training 
program." 

Kontos  has  been  lifting  weights 
himself  since  he  was  sixteen,  and  he's 
been  a  competitive  power  lifter  for 
eight  years.  In  1998,  he  finished 
second  in  the  "Dead  Lift"  Nationals. 
"It's  a  passion  of  mine,"  he  stresses.  "If 
I  can  take  one  individual  and  help 
them  go  with  their  skills  beyond  what 
they  would  have  otherwise,  it  is  very 
fijlfilling." 

FIT 

Since  the  '60s,  jeans  have  been  an 
emblem  of  comfort  and  individual 
style.  They  adapt  and  mold  to  the 

body  like  no  other  item  of  clothing.  Every  pair  of  jeans  is 

unique,  almost  a  fashion  collaboration  between  designer 

and  the  individual  body. 

"My  company,"  says  Christopher  Nicola  '89BFA, 

president  of  Todd  Oldham  jeans,  "takes  on  the  task  of 


making  real  jeans  that  fit  America's 
young  adults  with  a  designer  name  at 
an  affordable  price." 

The  company  spent  five  months 
developing  their  first  jeans,  "the  City 
Flare,"  a  low  Rise  five-pocket  jean. 
American  Flare  and  Dare  2  Flare 
followed  soon  after.  The  work  paid  off 
when  Todd  Oldham  was  recently 
chosen  by  In  Sh'le  magazine  for  having 
two  of  the  best  fits  for  your  body.  "The 
Flare  line  offers  about  five  different  fits 
of  jeans  and  about  fifty  fabrics,"  Nicola 
explains.  "We  offer  the  different  fits 
because  every  girl  is  not  the  same — 
some  are  boy-shaped,  some  are  curvy. 
But,  all  of  them  want  what  looks  sexy 
and  current.  It's  all  in  how  you  think  a 
customer  wants  to  interpret  the  line: 
'NOT  HOW  YOUR  MOTHER 
WOULD.'" 

It's  an  approach  refreshingly  differ- 
ent from  much  of  the  fashion  industry, 
where  too  often  the  "waif"  image  of 
young  women  predominates,  spread- 
ing to  other  media  as  well.  (Something 
your  mother  definitely  wouldn't  like.) 
VCU's  Fashion  Chair  and  mother 
Christina  Lindholm  disses  Ally  McBeal: 
"Show  me  a  lawyer  who  would  walk 
into  a  courtroom  dressed  like  that — 
that's  not  a  skirt,  it's  a  napkin." 

Nicola  is  selling  jeans,  after  all,  the 
quintessential  comfortable  fashion,  to 
real  people.  "Our  approach  to  advertis- 
ing is  to  use  real  models  that  are  not 
perfect  bodies.  Our  photographer 
captures  candid  shots  of  today's  youth, 
doing  what  they  do  every  day.  No 
parent  would  object  or  find  our  ads 
offensive  in  any  way." 


5HAFER      COURT    20    CONNECTIONS 


He  continues,  "It's  a  fact  that 
America  is  getting  bigger.  Not  fat,  just 
big.  It's  no  exception  with  America's 
youth.  They  still  want  style.  The  bigger 
concern  is  actually  being  healthy. 
There  is  nothing  wrong  with  being  big 
as  long  as  you're  healthy." 

Although  Nicola's  got  commercial 
appeal  when  it  comes  to  marketing 
jeans,  he  has  an  alternative  edge.  His 
company  has  a  jean,  for  example,  in  a 
light  sandblast  with  a  military  stripe 
down  each  side — in  sequins.  In  a  witty 
and  socially  conscious  about  face,  the 
jeans  are  usually  shown  with  a  T-shirt 
that  reads  "Make  love  not  war"  in 
black  glitter  on  a  rib  with  camouflage 
blue  arms. 

This  spring,  for  the  second  time, 
Christopher  Nicola  came  to  VCU  to 
critique  a  fashion  class  and  choose  the 
best  student  design  in  denim.  This 
year's  winner  is  junior  Irene  Reinhard, 
who  fashioned  a  hiphugger  and  halter 
in  dark  blue  denim  lit  up  with  2, 100 
rhinestones.  ("I  was  fortunate  to  get 
the  kind  you  iron  on,"  Reinhard 
comments.)  Her  design  will  be  part  of 
Todd  Oldham's  show  "7th  on  6th"  in 
New  York,  and  adopted  into  the  Todd 
Oldham  Jeans  line  for  mass  produc- 
tion. "Definitely  a  resume  builder," 
adds  Reinhard  gratefully. 

"I  would  have  never  achieved 
success  without  VCU,  so  I  believe  in 
supporting  the  University  and  contin- 
uing to  have  a  wonderful  relationship 
with  the  Fashion  Department  that 
gave  me  the  education  I  worked 
SOOOO...SO...SO  hard  for,"  says  Nicola. 
For  designer,  department  and  student, 
it's  a  good  fit.  Wears  well,  too. 

RUNNER'S  HIGH 

"I  love  racing  and  challenging  myself 
and  others."  Six-time  All  American  in 
NCAA  Track  and  cross  country,  Maria- 
Elena  Calle'OlBS/AH,  a  senior  at 
VCU,  was  named  to  the  2000  GTE 
Academic  All-America  First  Team  in 
2000.  Calle  holds  every  school  record 
from  1,000  to  5,000  meters  indoors 
and  800  to  10,000  meters  outdoors. 

Maria-Elena  comes  from  Cuenca, 
Ecuador,  "a  small,  but  beautiful  city," 
at  10,000  feet  altitude  with  year-round 
temperatures  of  65-75°.  She  has  been 
mnning  since  she  was  nine,  when  a 
tiack  coach  came  to  her  classroom  to 
ask  who  was  interested.  When  her  best 
friend  raised  her  hand,  so  did  Maria- 
Elena.  In  Ecuador,  running  "was  just 


something  else  to  do  after  school,"  Calle  says.  "1  always 
did  it  for  fun.  I  guess  I  started  to  get  serious  when  I  came 
here  to  VCU." 

"Train  high,  race  low"  is  mnners'  wisdom,  so  growing 
up  in  the  thin  air  of  Cuenca's  high  elevation  made  the  sport 
a  natural  for  Calle.  When  she  placed  54th  in  the  World 
Cross  Country  Junior  Championship,  scholarship  offers 
started  flying  into  Cuenca.  Coach  Julian  Spooner  recmited 
Calle  for  VCU.  "I  decided  to  come  to  VCU  because  I  wanted 
to  become  an  occupational  therapist,  and  the  University  has 
a  great  program.  I  knew  Mr.  Spooner  was  going  to  be  a  good 
coach  and  that  1  was  going  to  mn  fast  times." 

"Yes,  sometimes  I  feel  like  I  have  to  ask  my  body  to  do 
more  than  it  wants  to  do.  Most  athletes  feel  that  way,  but  1 
know — at  least  in  my  case — it  is  all  mental.  You  do  not 
always  have  good  races,  and  it  is  natural  to  feel  sad  and 
upset.  When  things  are  going  badly,  you  have  to  stay 
positive  and  do  all  that  is  in  your 
power  to  change  things  around." 

Calle's  positive  attitude  was  sorely 
tested.  In  Fall  1997,  her  sophomore 
year,  she  was  hit  by  a  car  and  sidelined 
all  year.  "1  just  had  finished  a  run.  I 
remember  looking  at  my  coach,  about 
50  meters  ahead  of  me — I  wanted  him 
to  stop  and  look  at  his  watch.  Next 
thing  I  knew  I  was  on  the  ground.  The 
car  stmck  me  from  behind.  It  hurt 
pretty  bad." 

Calle's  leg  was  broken,  her  back 
strained,  and  "almost  all  the  skin  came 
off  my  elbow."  She  couldn't  mn  for 
three  months  and  couldn't  race  for  a 
whole  year.  "I  had  to  work  very  hard 
to  get  back  in  shape.  In  the  beginning  I 
was  mnning  in  an  aquajogger  in  the 
pool  and  lifting  weights."  After  three 
months  she  was  up  to  a  10-15  minute 
daily  run.  "When  I  started  to  mn  and 
race,  I  had  lots  of  pain  and  aches  on 
my  leg.  That  went  on  for  about  a  year, 
and  then  the  pain  went  away.  My 
coach  believes  that  I  can  accomplish 
great  things  and  that  helps  me  a  lot." 

This  year,  she  broke  the  record  for 
the  1,000-meter  indoor  at  the 
Collegiate  Invitational  Febmary  1 7. 
Her  time  in  the  5,000-meter  had 
improved  from  17:59  three  years  ago 
to  16.06  last  year,  when  Calle  broke 
the  school  record  for  the  5,000.  She 
won  the  5,000  meters  at  the  CAA  Track 
and  Field  Championships  April  20, 
earning  her  third  CAA  title.  Calle  took 
fourth  in  the  5,000  (16:34.50)  at  the 
East  Coast  AC  championships  in  Princeton,  in  May.  She  has 
thel9th-fastest  time  in  the  country  this  season,  and  Coach 
Spooner  thinks  they  will  take  the  top  20  in  the  June  NCAA 
10,000. 

"I  believe  in  myself.  When  you  win  a  medal  or  trophy 
or  break  school  records,  then  you  know  that  whatever  you 
did,  mnning  in  the  cold,  in  the  wind,  in  the  dark  or  the  rain 
was  worth  your  time  and  dedication." 


:wjjyji/A'//////f7.'7/j.'//.'/j/fj7j///7///.U'y, 


"It  is  all  mental.  When  things  are  going  badly,  you  have  to 
stay  positive  and  do  all  that  is  in  your  power  to  change 
things  around,"  comments  Academic  Ail-American  runner, 
IVIaria-Elena  Calle. 


SUMMER    21     2001 


"I've  always  been 
interested  in  the  way 
people  inventor 
re-invent  themselves 
with  what  they  wear," 
says  lewelry  designer, 
Louise  Norrell.  Some 
of  her  inventions, 
above. 


REINVENTING  THE  SELF 

In  Athens,  Georgia,  Louise  Norrell 
'81MFA  walks  past  a  line  of  bright 
shops.  The  sky  is  serenely  clear,  the 
weather  warm,  and  the  sun  casts  its 
light  through  a  window  into  a  display 
where  sapphires  and  rubies  glitter 
invitingly.  A  woman  in  the  shop 
fastens  a  diamond  necklace  around  her 
neck,  and  Norrell  stops  to  admire  the 
transformation.  Instantly,  the 
woman's  entire  demeanor  changes 
Fi^  VI^^SB     '^'"'^  ^^^^  "^  ^^  ordinary  woman  to 
W^HSI^^flJ     that  of  a  luminous  queen. 
n  ^^Bi^^»  "I've  always  been  interested  in  the 

way  some  people  invent  or  re-invent 
themselves  through  a  look  and  with 
what  they  wear,"  comments  Nonell. 
Voted  1992  Retail  Designer  of  the 
Year  by  Jewelers  of  America,  Norrell  thinks  of  her  work  not 
only  as  an  accessory  to  the  body's  beauty,  but  as  a  reflection 
of  the  emotional  self  of  the  wearer.  "Jewelry  becomes  a  very 
personal  look,  an  accessory  that  you  get  to  look  at  a  lot  over 
time.  It's  also  an  accessory  that  can  create  a  lot  of  senti- 
ment." 

Norrell,  owner  of  Metalhead,  Inc.,  creates  jewelry  that  is 
"mostly  normal,  very  wearable,  and  contemporary."  It  is  set 
apart  from  other  jewelry  by  Norrell's  extensive  use  of  texture 
and  unexpected  details.  She  continues,  "I  try  to  make  every- 
thing as  comfortable  as  possible  so  it  can  be  worn  just  about 
all  the  time."  Almost  like  clothes,  Norrell's  jewelry  "fits," 
physically  and  emotionally. 

The  asymmetrical  silver  setting  of  a  garnet  ring  is 
striking,  but  it  is  also  "forged  in  such  a  way  that  it  fits  very 
well  on  the  hand;  the  curve  fits  neatly  in  the  space  between 
the  fingers."  Gold  earrings  with  garnets  "sit  up  on  the  ear  so 
that  the  overall  shape  shows  up  well  from  a  distance."  A 
basket  weave  texture  "reflects  light  well,  but  keeps  the  'look' 
from  being  too  slick  and  flashy."  An  opal  pendant  rests  nat- 
urally on  the  breastbone,  hanging  from  a  flexible  link, 
"almost  the  way  bones  are  connected." 

"My  work  today  grew  out  of  my  earlier  work  at  VCU, 
and  I  don't  think  less  of  it  because  it's  marketable.  I  want 
my  jewelry  to  be  accessible  and  wearable."  Norrell's  success- 
ful business,  Metalhead,  Inc.,  is  a  testament  to  that  accessi- 
bility. Her  work  is  on  the  web  at 
www.guild.com. 

FEELING  AND  FORM 

"As  humans  our  personal  living  space 
is  our  sanctuary.  We  choose  objects  for 
that  space  which  give  us  the  most 
comfort  and  practical  use."  Sitting  on  a 
comfortable,  contemporary  chair  at 
home  in  Philadelphia,  Wendy 
Wiesner  '99BFA  reflects  on  the  emo- 
tional attachment  humans  feel 
towards  their  furniture.  The  parts  of 
the  chair  she  sits  in,  for  example,  are 
named  after  human  parts:  arms,  legs, 
back.  "The  physical  and  psychological 


connection  furniture  makes  to  the 
form  offers  comfort  and  creates 
mood." 

Wiesner  develops  her  own  furni- 
ture in  many  different  materials.  She 
uses  a  variety  of  woods — exotic  jatoba, 
pale  ash,  walnut.  Bonowing  from 
industry  for  craft,  she  uses  stainless 
steel  mesh  (wire  cloth),  fiberglass  and 
polyester  resin. 

Often,  her  materials  dictate  design 
by  their  inherent  qualities.  Wire  cloth 
can  be  shaped  into  subtle  curves, 
"creating  a  tiansparent  mass  while 
reflecting  light,"  an  effect  Wiesner  has 
used  in  doors  for  cabinets  and  a  table 
with  shelf.  The  cast  resin  top  on  a  floor 
lamp  lights  with  a  soft  amber  glow. 

Wiesner  attributes  much  of  her 
growth  in  the  furniture  design  industry 
to  an  apprenticeship  with  Jack 
Larimor,  a  prominent  studio  furniture 
designer/maker  in  Philadelphia.  Her 
work  is  represented  by  the  Wexler 
Gallery  there.  Wiesner  received  her 
highest  honor  yet  when  she  was 
invited  to  show  her  work  with  other 
outstanding  studio  furniture  artists 
in  "casepieces:  contemporary  studio 
furniture"  at  the  Elvehjem  Museum  of 
Art  in  Madison,  Wisconsin  from  April- 
June  2002.  "I  am  stiU  in  disbelief." 

"These  pieces  create  mood  and 
express  our  indi- 
viduality, which 
strongly  affects 
the  energy  of  a 


"[Furniture]  creates 
mood  and  expresses 
our  individuality,  which 
strongly  affects  the 
energy  of  a  body's 
personal  space."  No 
one  |ust  sits  there  on 
a  chair  by  Wendy 
Wiesner. 


SHAFER      COURT    22     CONNECTIONS 


body's  personal 
space,"  she 
comments. 
"When  I  design 
pieces  the  aes- 
thetic qualities 
and  function  are 
equally  impor- 
tant. The  human  form  dictates  the  util- 
itarian qualities,  while  the  materials 
and  form  develop  the  originality." 

BODIES,  REST 
AND  MOTION 

On  her  journey  celebrating  the  body, 
Ann  Hedly  '95BFA  has  found  a  way  to 
"happily  marry  my  love  of  dancing 
and  my  talent  as  a  mover  and  seer  of 
movement  to  the  financial  reality  of 
life  in  New  York."  She  dances  with  the 
Mark  Jarecke  Dance  Company  and 
teaches  at  Rasa  Yoga  in  Manhattan. 

Hedly  trained  in  Irmgard  Bartinieff's 
Fundamentals.  Related  to  a  baby's 
developmental  patterns,  these  are 
patterns  of  body  connectivity — naval 
radiation  from  the  core  to  limbs,  or  the 
head-tail  connection  down  the  spine. 
"The  center  of  gravity  is  in  the  pelvis. 
The  center  of  levity,  for  lightness,  is 
higher,  in  the  chest.  Depending  on  the 
move,  you  would  focus  from  one  place 
or  the  other." 

In  1997,  Hedly  began  working  with 
Mark  Jarecke.  "I  felt  very  artistically 
connected  to  him."  At  VCU,  in  her 
improvisation  classes,  teachers  who 
were  unafraid  to  keep  learning  them- 
selves had  "opened  my  curiosity  and 
awareness  to  the  unknown."  Jarecke 
asks  dancers  to  go  beyond,  "to  get 
away  from  all  the  things  we're  good  at 
and  focus  on  the  task  at  hand."  In 
warmups,  the  dancers  practice  "doing 
a  movement,  say,  dropping  to  one 
side,  in  the  most  efficient  way." 

The  process  of  learning  a  new 
dance  is  mutual.  Instead  of  explaining 
his  idea  behind  a  dance,  or  the  story  it 
tells,  the  choreographer  explains  the 
movement  he  wants.  He  and  the 
group  investigate  the  expressiveness  in 
those  movements.  "I  allow  my  body  to 
express  it  as  clearly  as  I  can."  The 
meaning  is  in  the  moves,  kinetic,  not 
verbal.  "Mark's  method  allows  me  to 
rediscover  myself  with  movement." 

In  performance,  "He  wants  you  to 
be  very  present,  in  a  kinetic  way." 
Jarecke  hires  professionals  to  do 
makeup  and  clothes,  "which  allows 
dancers  to  do  the  dance  work.  You 


prepare  by  placing  yourself  in 
the  'kinesphere,'  the  space 
around  you.  Can  I  feel  my  heel 
in  the  floor?  I'll  stretch  an  arm  over 
my  head  to  a  precise  place  in  that 
space.  In  perfonnance,  I'm  not  trying  to 
make  it  'beauttful,  or  good'  anymore.  I'm 
just  being  with  the  movement." 

A  dancer  lives  in  the  body's  physical 
connections  and  movement.  "Yoga 
brings  me  into  the  worid  in  a  new 
way,"  she  explains.  "Yoga  is  about 
patterns  in  the  body's  energy."  She  has 
studied  Siddah  yoga,  which  is  devotional 
and  meditarive;  Kundalini  yoga,  which  uses 
breathing  to  awaken  energy  at  the  base  of 
the  spine;  and  astanga  yoga,  a  series  of 
postures  to  purify  the  body's  energy.  "I  teach 
a  very  gende  yoga,  to  bring  people  into  an 
awareness  of  their  bodies.  1  get  students  to  relax; 
and  once  you  relax,  you  can  repattern  the 
body's  movement.  In  dance  this  is  very 
important,  learning  one's  need  to  repattern." 

"This  practice  has  changed  my  life," 
she  offers.  Vinyasa  is  the  name  for  the  flow 
of  energy  in  life;  it  has  a  beginning,  a  middle 
and  an  end,  going  from  light  to  full  exertion 
and  back  to  less  exertion  as  the  day  winds 
down.  Following  this  awareness,  she  enters  a 
pattern  which  gets  the  most  out  of  all  stages 
of  her  days. 


"[Choreographer  Mark  Jarecke]  wants  you  to  be 
very  present,  In  a  kinetic  way."  Dancer  and  yoga 
teacher  Ann  Hedly  absorbs  wisdom  from  an 
expert  on  living  in  the  moment. 


"The  body  Is  an  unlimited  field  to  explore. 
Every  day  I  start  again — which  may  sound  awful; 
it  doesn't  go  along  with  our  product-oriented 
culture.  But  in  a  way,  it's  a  wonderful  thing." 

Douglas  Vann  is  a  VCU  senior  English  major, 
who  wrote  about  Elizabeth  King,  Christopher 
Nicola,  Louise  Norrell  and  Wendy  Wiesner. 
Rose  Elliott,  who  wrote  the  other  profiles,  is  a 
poet,  a  freelance  writer  and  a  writing  teacher. 


TOM    CARAVAGLIA 


SUMMER    23    2001 


m^ 


Cookin'  their  hearts  out  are  presidential  chets 
Ken  Magill  '65BS/B  '69MS/E,  Marsha  Shuler  '74BS 
'791VIA/B,  and  Dan  and  Joan  Rexinger 
'86BGS/H&S 


Early  days  of  the  African  American  Alumni 
Council  with  Michelle  Jones  'SyBS/H&S  and 
Gall  Nottingham'82MPA/H&S,  second 
Council  president. 


RECTOR    OF    SPECIAL    COLLECTIONS,    CABELL    LIBRARY 

The  VCU  Alumni  Association  began  with  a  few  people 
marching  across  the  stage  in  the  Mosque  auditorium  to  receive 
their  diplomas  from  the  Richmond  Professional  Institute  in 
June  of  1950.  Its  roots  reflect  the  self-motivating  work  ethic  of 
its  students  that  is  VCU's  enduring  hallmark. 

Several  early  attempts  had  been  made  to  form  an  Alumni 
Association  for  graduates  of  RPI  and  its  predecessor,  the 
Richmond  School  of  Social  Work.  One  group  even  elected 
officers  and  published  a  newsletter  in  1940.  But  after  the  second 
meeting,  the  looming  war  took  priority,  and  alumni  activity 
shut  down  for  the  duration.  In  1947  Dr.  Margaret  Johnson, 
Dean  of  Women,  announced  the  formation  of  an  Association 
in  the  student  newspaper,  Prosaipt,  but  the  paper  trail  stopped 
there. 

With  the  flood  of  veterans  entering  college  via  the  GI  Bill, 
RPI  graduates  nearly  tripled  between  1948  (99  graduates,  9 
men)  and  1950  (280  graduates,  148  men).  These  students 
brought  a  new  spirit  personified  in  Bailey  Condrey  '50BS/B,  a 
29-year-old  World  War  II  veteran  who,  in  the  midst  of  complet- 
ing a  business  degree  and  working  part-time,  decided  there 
should  be  an  Alumni  Association  and  mobilized  fellow  class- 
mates to  get  it  done. 

Tlie  Class  of  1950  elected  a  temporary  Executive 
Committee  in  May,  which  drafted  a  charter,  "but  we  were  just 
holding  the  Association  together"  says 
Bailey,  until  permanent  officers  could  be 
elected.  So  Bailey  and  the  others  spread 
the  word  about  the  Association,  enlisting 
members  and  scouring  their  ranks  for  per- 
manent officers. 

In  September,  1950,  the  first  official 
newsletter,  which  included  a  ballot  to 
elect  officers,  went  out  to  215  new 
Association  members.  Jack  Creasy 
'42BFA  was  elected  the  first  president, 
and  on  October  21,  the  temporary  and 
permanent  Executive  Committees  met  to 
tiansfer  authority.  Richmond  Chapter 
President  Kathleen  Bullard  '41BFA  was 
an  able  and  joyful  party  giver,  so  the 
Association  organized  the  first  fall 
Homecoming  celebration,  held  in  the 
Winter  Garden  of  the  Hotel  Richmond  at 
9th  and  Grace. 

A  legal  charter  was  notarized  in  1951, 
making  the  RPI  Alumni  Association 
official. 


Hurdles  and  Headway 

Startup  hadn't  been  easy.  Dean  and 
founder,  Dr.Henry  Hibbs,  was  reluctant, 
thinking  that  alunmi  might  want  more 
control  than  he  thought  appropriate.  But 


SHAFER      COURT     24     CONNECTIONS 


Cookin'  All  the 
Way — 50  Years  of 
Alumni  Support 


graduates  like  Kathleen  and  Jack  persist- 
ed, keeping  hand-written  lists  of  alumni 
and  paying  for  supplies  and  stamps  out 
of  their  own  pockets.  They  finally  won 
over  the  founder,  who  gave  them  a  Hny 
office  in  the  basement  of  Ginter  House — 
then  the  Administration  Building. 

Hibbs  even  funded  a  full-time  execu- 
tive secretary,  James  King,  for  one  month 
to  go  through  school  records  and  locate 
graduates;  the  Alumni  Association  took 
over  after  that,  paying  a  part-time  secre- 
tary. 

The  official  mission  of  the  organiza- 
tion was  "to  promote  the  best  interests  of 
the  Richmond  Professional  Institute,  its 
Alumni  and  students,  and  to  assist  in  the 
furtherance  of  its  educational  efforts." 
According  to  classmate  Asa  Watkins 
'41BFA,  "Kathleen  had  a  wonderful  orga- 
nizing mind.  She  never  forgot  anything. 
She  was  a  great  leader  of  organizations." 
And  Creasy  later  organized  half^no, 
two-thirds — of  the  arts  associations  in 
Virginia. 

They  got  to  work.  For  alumni,  the 
Association  organized  and  sponsored  Fall 
Homecoming  events  and  encouraged  the 
creation  of  local  chapters  to  attract  new 
members  through  social  events.  For 
students,  they  funded  a  scholarship  in 
1954,  giving  $125  to  cover  a  semester's 
tuition.  For  the  school,  they  encouraged 
local  chapter  members  to  visit  high 
schools  and  recruit  seniors  to  RPI. 
Chapters  quickly  formed  in  Richmond, 
Roanoke,  Staunton,  Tidewater, 
Washington,  Baltimore  and  New  York 
City. 

Dr.  Hibbs'  relationship  with  the 
emerging  Association  ran  from  coopera- 
tive to  strained.  The  Association's 
founding  coincided  with  a  difficult 
administrative  period  at  RPI.  Dr.  Hibbs 
met  with  the  Executive  Committee  to 
notify  them  that  a  split  from  the  College 
of  William  and  Mary  was  "inevitable 
because  the  two  groups  have  found  it 
impossible  to  work  together,  and  because 
the  Board  of  Visitors  of  William  and 
Mary  is  antagonistic  toward  RPI."  He  told 
them  that  RPl's  Board  had  voted  to 
approach  the  University  of  Virginia 
about  affiliation  and,  if  that  failed,  to  ask 
VPI.  While  Hibbs  respected  the  fledgling 
Association  enough  to  bring  this  news 
personally,  he  wasn't  asking  for  their 
advice. 


After  Hibbs  left  the  meeting,  the 
executive  secretary  turned  in  her  resigna- 
tion, agreeing  to  stay  on  until  the  follow- 
ing June,  "on  the  conditions  that  she  be 
requested  to  make  no  personal  contact 
with  the  Dean  and  that  the  Dean  be 
informed  of  this."  The  problem  blew 
over  when  Katherine  BuIIard  stepped  in 
as  peacemaker,  her  role  on  countless 
occasions  in  her  long  service  to  the 
Association,  and  Dean  Hibbs  agreed  to 
provide  the  secretary  with  a  more 
suitable  accommodation. 

Dr.  Hibbs'  attitude  to  the  Association 
is  best  characterized  as  ambiguous.  He 
appreciated  their  intentions  and  support, 
yet  he  was  always  sensitive  to  any  hint 
that  the  Association  might  dismpt  his 
vision  for  the  school. 

One  thing  the 
Association  shared 
with  Hibbs  and  RPI 
was  the  eternal  tight- 
ness of  money.  Money 
problems  dogged  the 
Association  through- 
out the  1950s  and 
'60s.  At  one  time  the 
newsletter  went  out 
two  months  late,  "due 
to  a  lack  of  envelopes." 
The  Association  occa- 
sionally arranged  loans 
from  RPI,  but  at  one  point  the 
Association  president  used  his  car  as 
collateral  for  a  bank  loan.  Top  funding 
priorities  were  fall  Homecoming  and 
semester  scholarships.  Other  plans 
stayed  on  the  drawing  board  because  of 
insufficient  funds. 

Cobblestones  to  Cornerstones 

Despite  the  constant  cash  flow  problems, 
a  group  of  dedicated  alumni  kept  the 
organization  together  during  the  1960s 
and  even  increased  membership. 
Especially  important  were  the  efforts  of 
brothers  George  '52BS/B,  Donald 
'59BS/B  and  Daxid  Norris  '63BS/B, 
Jim  Dunn  '62BS'72MS/B,  and  Bob 
Lindholm  '50BS/H&S.  Provost  George 
Oliver  saw  the  potential  of  the  Alumni 
Association  and  was  sttongly  supportive. 

In  the  1960s,  RPI  would  reinvent 
itself  twice,  and  alumni  would  have  to 
adapt  to  working  with  a  school  vastly  dif- 
ferent from  the  small,  homogenous  alma 
mater  they  remembered.  In  1962,  the 


Bailey  Condrey 


Kathleen  BuIIard 


1950 

Temporary  Executive 
Committee  formed, 
Bailey  Condrey 
'50BS/B,  president 
drafting  charter, 
attracting  members 

September 

First  alumni  newsletter 
includes  ballot  to  elect 
officers 

October  21 

Transfer  of  authority  to 
first  officers:  John 
Creasy  '42BFA, 
President  Kathleen 
BuIIard  '41BFA 
Richmond  Chapter 
President 

First  Homecoming 
Dance,  Winter  Garden 
Hotel,  9th  and  Grace 

1950s 

Chapters  form  in 
Richmond,  Roanoke, 
Staunton,  Tidewater, 
Washington,  Baltimore 
and  New  York  City. 

»1951 

Legal  Charter  of  the 
RPI  Alumni  Associa- 
tion recorded 

1954 

First  alumni-funded 
scholarship,  $125  for 
one  semester's  tuition 


RPI  President 
George  Oliver 


1962 

RPI  becomes  indepen- 
dent no  longer  a 
division  of  the  College 
ofWilliam&Mary 
First  independent  RPI 
Board  of  Visitors 

1964 

Alumni  rescue  RPl's 
capital  budget  in  the 
Virginia  legislature 

1967 

Launch  of  the  first  RPI 
Alumni  Fundraising 
Campaign 


SUMMER    25    2001 


^^-SjjJ.^^>.  1968 

ff^^^^r\^tl^^  RP'  merges  with 

0  ^^^^  ^^^  -^  Medical  College  of 

<  ^^^^  ^^^^  S  Virginia  to  become 

'^  ^^^^  ^^^"  /?  Virginia  Common- 


•I83S 


^      wealth  University. 
Alumni  dissolve  RPI 
Alumni  Association  to 
form  VCU  Alumni 
Association 


1971 

MCU  Magazine 

1979 

Drawing  from  Schools 
and  campus  alumni 
organizations, 
President  Aci<ell 
establishes  an  Alumni 
Council  with  a 
University-wide  focus. 


1988 

Founders  Day  tradition 
begins,  with  outstand- 
ing Alumni  Stars  from 
each  School  and 
College 


VCUAA  president 
Roger  Nicholson 
'68BS/H&S  '97PhD/E 


1989 

African  American 
Alumni  Council:  Bruce 
Twyman  '74BS/MC, 
first  president 


1994 

Shafer  Court 
Connections 

199US 

Alumni  Honors 
Program  Scholarship 
Richard  T.  Robertson 
Alumni  House 
dedicated 

SI  .8  million  Alumni 
Scholarship  Fund,  114 
Merit  Scholarships 
created 


legislature  approved  the  split  from 
William  &  Mary.  RPI  became  an 
independent  state  institution,  and  the 
legislature  expanded  the  Board  of  Visitors 
from  seven  to  13  members.  President 
Oliver  asked  the  Alumni  Association 
for  three  nominees  for  each  of  the  six 
open  positions.  From  this  list,  the  first 
independent  RPI  Board  of  Visitors  was 
established. 

The  carefully  cultivated  seeds  of 
Oliver's  relationship  with  the  Association 
began  to  bear  fruit  in  1964  when 
Governor  Albertis  Harrison  slashed  RPI's 
capital  request  by  86  percent  in  his 
proposed  budget.  Oliver  called  on  the 
Association,  as  well  as  students  and  their 
parents,  to  write  legislators  and  demand 
more  funding  for  what  was  now  the 
third  largest  college  in  the  state.  The 
community  outcry  convinced  the  legisla- 
ture to  spend  $1.5  million  more  in 
capital  ouday.  Just  two  years  after  this 
showdown,  the  state  would  grant  RPI 
another  $5  million. 

In  1967,  as  part  of  its  50th  anniver- 
sary celebration,  RPI  launched  its  first 
fundraising  campaign  aimed  exclusively 
at  alumni.  The  campaign's  slogan,  to 
"Replace  Cobblestones  with 
Cornerstones"  (RPI  had  become  known 
as  the  cobblestone  campus  because  of  its 
cobblestone  streets  and  walkways),  asked 
alumni  to  become  "Cornerstones"  by 
donating  $100  or  more  toward  the 
$30,000  needed  for  anniversary  events. 

Richmond  Professional  Institute's 
existence  as  an  independent  entity  was 
short-lived.  Just  six  years  later  in  1968 
the  state  legislature,  in  a  move  to  create  a 
comprehensive  research  university, 
united  RPI  with  the  Medical  College  of 
Virginia  to  form  Virginia  Common- 
wealth University.  The  Alumni  Associa- 
tion eagerly  moved  forward  with  the 
University,  officially  chartering  the  VCU 
Alumni  Association  (Academic  Division). 

VCU  scrambled  to  develop  its  infra- 
structure— from  new  faculty  hiring  and 
tenure  policies  and  budget  procedures  to 
aligning  admissions  procedures — iir  the 
midst  of  merger  tensions  from  both 
campuses.  University  leaders  realized  that 
now  more  than  ever  it  was  essential  to 
communicate  directly  with  alumni.  VCU 
Magazine  debuted  in  1971.  A  jump  up 
from  its  predecessors,  the  Magazine 
(actually  a  tabloid)  was  professionally 
written,  designed  and  published  by  VCU 
staff  with  an  "emphasis  on  feature 
material  rather  than  dated  news  items." 

VCU  Alumni  Council 

VCU's  second  president,  T.  Edward 
Temple,  reenforced  the  value  of  alumni 
support.  He  began  an  organizational  plan 
to  bring  alumni  from  both  campuses 
together  to  work  for  the  University. 


Temple's  untimely  death  postponed  that 
plan,  but  his  successor.  President 
Edmund  AckeU  followed  through.  In 
1979,  AckeU  drew  from  School  and 
campus  alumni  organizations  to  set  up 
an  Alumni  Council  with  a  University- 
wide  focus.  This  complex  organization 
was  hard  to  staff,  but  for  the  first  time 
the  mutual  support  between  alumni  and 
VCU  was  institutionalized. 

This  new  alumni  organization 
operated  mainly  at  the  School  level 
through  the  1980s,  helping  VCU  develop 
an  alumni  annual  giving  program. 
Alumni  organized  a  pyramid  of  alumni 
calling  alumni  from  their  Schools  to  ask 
for  support.  Along  with  their  fundraising. 
School-based  groups  sponsored 
Distinguished  Alumni  Awards,  helped 
with  graduation  and  organized  myriad 
social  events.  The  VCU  Alumni 
Association  was  a  hub  for  exchanging 
information  and  organizing  campus- 
wide  events.  Because  a  majority  of 
alumni  lived  within  20  miles  of  campus. 
Association  outreach  was  almost  exclu- 
sively local.  Except  for  VCU  Magazine, 
alumni  outside  of  Richmond  had  little 
contact  with  VCU. 

African  American  Alunmi 
Council 

Another  group  wath  tenuous  ties  to  VCU 
was  the  quickly  growing  body  of  African- 
American  alimmi,  who  crossed  over  the 
traditional  lines  of  alumni  identification 
with  a  specific  school  or  department.  By 
1989,  there  were  more  than  4,000 
African-American  alumni  who  had  virtu- 
ally no  contact  with  VCU — and  many  of 
them  felt  it  had  not  been  much  different 
when  they  were  on  campus.  Alumni  like 
Bruce  Twyman  '74BS/MC  and  Gail 
Nottingham  '82  MPA/H&S   'wanted  to 
tie  the  interests  and  concems  of  African 
Americans  to  VCU  and  make  a  strong 
connection  with  the  University,"  for 
alumni  and  for  students,  Bmce 
explained. 

In  1989  the  African  American 
Alumni  Council  was  formed  under  the 
VCUAA  umbrella,  with  Twyman  as  presi- 
dent. Since  then,  the  African  American 
alumni  population  has  grown  to  over 
8,0(X)  and  the  Council  has  become  one 
of  the  Association's  most  successful 
groups,  sponsoring  annual  reunions, 
many  student  programs  and  two  scholar- 
ship endowments. 

Other  groups  under  the  Association 
umbrella  include  the  Association  of  Real 
Estate  Alumni,  several  arts  groups,  and 
an  incipient  Honors  alumni  group. 


SHAFER      COURT     26     CONNECTIONS 


Alunini-to-Students 

In  the  late  1980s  the  Association  looked 
to  its  roots  for  direction,  again  seeking  to 
serve  alumni,  students  and  the 
University.  Recruiting  new  students  was 
an  Association  priority  from  the  first.  In 
the  '80s  and  '90s,  alumni  talked  up  VCU 
at  college  fairs,  hosted  receptions  and 
staffed  calling  nights  for  prospective 
students.  The  Student  Alumni  Extern 
program  has  matched  more  than  400 
students  with  alumni  for  intensive  work- 
place shadowing.  The  START  program 
matches  new  graduates  leaving 
Richmond  with  alumni  in  their  new 
location  to  help  them  make  a  new  place 
home.  The  enduring  spring  cookout  for 
more  than  a  thousand  admitted 
freshmen  and  their  families  sums  up 
alumni  energy  and  dedication — "Now 
We're  Cookin'." 

Harking  back  to  the  early 
Association's  emphasis  on  Home- 
coming, the  Association  seized  on  VCU's 
150th  anniversary  celebration  in  1988 
(dating  to  the  founding 
of  the  medical  school)  to  develop 
Founders  Day  as  an  annual  reminder  of 
VCU's  traditions,  with  the  Alumni  Stars 
celebration  to  recognize  alumni  achieve- 
ment. Programs  like  Com-mencement 
Breakfast,  Reunion,  and  the  SO  Year  Club 
for  alumni  celebrating  the  50th  anniver- 
sary of  their  graduation  have  grown. 

Adult  Responsibilities 

Emerging  from  the  1980s,  the 
Association  was  still  a  teenager,  financial- 
ly dependent  on  VCU.  Steps  toward 
independence  were  VCUAA  Membership 
with  annual  dues  in  1990,  expanded  in 
1997  by  a  Life  Membership  program.  As 
its  income  grew,  the  Association  estab- 
lished a  scholarship  endowment  for  the 
Honors  Program  and  began  to  provide 
direct  financial  support  for  alumni 
programs,  freeing  University  money. 
Affinity  marketing  programs  brought 
services  like  life,  auto  and  major  medical 
insurance  and  travel  to  alumni  and 
Association  members,  while  building  the 
Association  budget. 

Revenue  from  dues  and  affinity 
programs  got  some  of  those  visions  of 
the  '50s  out  of  the  desk  drawer  and  onto 
campus.  A  year  ago,  the  Association 
opened  the  new  Robertson  Alumni 
House,  a  gigantic  step  from  that  first  tiny 
office  in  the  basement  of  Ginter  House. 
The  Association  took  on  its  adult  respon- 
sibilities through  an  Alumni  scholarship 
campaign,  leveraged  from  gifts  in 
support  of  the  House.  The  Association 
created  a  $  1  million  challenge  fund 
which  has  aeated  114  endowed  merit 
scholarships.  Those  early  alumni  who 
put  students  first  would  be  delighted  to 
see  a  whole  forest  grown  from  the  seed  of 


that  $125  semester  scholarship. 

Throughout  the  '80s  and  '90s,  some 
of  VCU's  most  capable,  most  dedicated 
alumni  built  the  Association  to  build  the 
University.  Alumni  like  Tony  Smith 
'69BS/H&S,  Roger  Nicholson 
'68BS/H&S  '97PhD/E,  Ben  Brown 
'75BS  '76MS/B,  Peggy  Adams 
'87BGS/H&S,  Nick  Orsi  III  '65BS/B, 
Stephanie  Holt  '74BS/B,  Marilyn 
CampbeU  '81BS/B, 
Ken  Magill 
'65BS/B  '69MS/E, 
Marsha  Shuler 
'74BS  '79MA/B 
and  Hugh  Keogh 
'81MS/MC  are  a 
few  of  the  active 
board  members 
who  grilled  hot 
dogs  and  climbed 
through  construc- 
tion (and  waded 
through  estimates 
and  bills).  They 
would  tell  you  they 
had  the  most  fun  doing  it. 

Throughout  this  growth,  the 
Association  and  University  worked  to 
keep  alumni  and  VCU  connected.  In 
Shafer  Court  Comiectiom  and  an  interac- 
tive website  (back  cover),  alumni  can 
reconnect  with  classmates  and  celebrate 
their  achievements.  And  VCU  can  tell  its 
alumni  about  the  growth  and  accom- 
plishments of  their  alma  mater. 

Advance,  Alumni! 

There  is  no  past  without 
a  future,  and  the  third 
millennium  holds 
promise  for  more  change 
and  adaptation  for  VCU 
and  the  Alumni 
Association.  As  VCU 
increases  its  emphasis  on 
science  and  engineering 
and  attracts  more  "tradi- 
tional" full-time  students,  alumni  inter- 
ests and  needs  will  change  as  they 
graduate  into  the  alumni  body.  And  as 
the  large  number  of  graduates  from 
VCU's  rapid  expansion  in  the  1970s  and 
'80s  have  families,  the  Association  must 
focus  on  serving  them  as  part  of  the  VCU 
community. 

The  point  of  all  this?  Alumni  have 
chosen  to  make  VCU  a  part  of  their  lives 
and  it's  the  Association's  mission  and 
responsibility  to  make  that  partnership  as 
productive  and  life  enhancing  as 
possible. 


Update  your  news  of  us  and  our  news  of  you 
at  our  newly  interactive  website: 


50  Year  reunion — Lucille 
"Andy"  Anderson  Baber 
'39BS/H&S,  Mary  Laurie  Smith 
Cooke  '37BFA,  Louise  Peck 
Dill  '39BFA. 

Alumni  Reception,  1980s 


At  the  Valentine  Museum, 
Arts  alumni  party,  rain  or  shine! 


www.VCU-riCVAlumni  -org 


SUMMER    27    2001 


/.LLLLllL^L 


1950s 

•Janice  (Coomber)  Haag  '59BS/H&S  is  a  bookkeep- 
er at  Yosemite  Credit  Union  in  Yosemite  National 
Park,  CA.  She  lives  in  Mariposa,  CA. 

1960s 

*William  Seville  'BBBSW  is  the  college  sales  and 
regional  acquisition  editor  for  Prentice  hall 
Publisher  Company,  of  Pearson  Education.  He 
earned  the  Top  Performer  Award  in  Business  and 
Economics  for  2000,  an  award  he  also  won  in  1994, 
1995,  and  1997.  He  lives  in  Richmond.  •"Loryn 
(Holcomb)  Brazier  '62BA/A  owns  Brazier  Fine  Art 
gallery  in  Richmond  where  she  lives  with  her 
husband,  Doug.  Her  portrait,  The  Trustees,  of  the 
founding  Board  of  VCU's  School  of  Engineering, 
wasfeatured  in  American  Anist\u  August,  2000.  • 
Frank  Britt  '64BS/MC  is  president  of  the  Britt 
Agency  in  Forest,  VA.  He  lives  in  Lynchburg,  VA.  • 
*Doulgas  Burford  'BBBS/MC  is  president  of  Burford 
Company  Advertising  in  Richmond.  His  clients 
include  Christian  Children's  Fund,  Community  Pnde 
Grocery  Stores,  Henrico  Doctor's  Hospital,  and  the 
State  Fair  of  Virginia.  •*Carolyn  (Johnston)  Fowler 
■69AS  '71BS/B  is  president  of  HR  Diversified 
Solutions,  LLC  in  Charlottesville,  VA  where  she  lives. 
•  John  Gaddy  III  'GBBFA  retired  from  Gaddy  Adv.  and 
is  in  the  real  estate  business.  He  lives  in  Monroe, 
NC  with  his  wife,  Sharon  and  has  two  children.  Amy 
and  Josh  •  *Harmon  Gordon  '67BS/B  is  the  branch 
head  of  general  accounting  at  the  naval  station  in 
Norfolk,  VA.  He  retired  March  31,  2000  after  31  years 
of  federal  service  at  the  Department  of  Defense. 
Harmon  was  responsible  for  the  accounting  opera- 
tions for  the  Defense  Finance  and  Accounting 
Service  (DFAS)  in  Norfolk.  He  lives  in  Virginia 
Beach  •  Sandra  (Trettel)  Grabman  '68/B  is  business 
manager  of  First  United  Methodist  Church  in 
Duncan,  OK  where  she  lives  with  her  husband,  Roy. 
She  is  writing  a  biography  of  actor  Albert  Salmi, 
who  died  in  an  apparent  murder/suicide  in  1990.  The 
book  will  also  deal  with  depression — signs, 
symptoms,  what  to  do,  and  how  to  help.  Sandra  was 
featured  on  Mysteries  and  Scandals,  a  national 
television  program  on  the  El  channel  recently.  She 
also  has  two  sons.  Buz  and  Steve.  •  Claudia  Levy 
'68BA/H&S  is  library  director  of  the  post  library  for 
the  U.S.  Army  in  Fort  Eustis,  VA.  She  lives  in 
Newport  News,  VA  •  Elizabeth  (Phillips)  Maggs 
'65BFA  wrote  and  illustrated  a  children's  book,  Oo 
Homel  The  True  Story  of  James  the  Car  published 
by  Albert  Whitman  &  Company.  Elizabeth  was  the 
first  full-time  illustrator  for  the  Martin  Agency.  She 
lives  in  Richmond  with  her  husband  Philip  Meggs 
'64BFA  '71MFA.  They  have  a  son,  Philip  and  a 
daughter  Elizabeth  Meggs  '99BFA.  •  *N.  Theresa 
Nackley  '68BS/H&S  was  a  Library  Media  Specialist 
at  Walker  Upper  Elementary  School  in 
Charlottesville,  VA.  She  remarried  and  moved  to 
Louisville,  KY.  •  George  Roland  'GSBFA  is  a  visual 
artistwhose  video  work  with  Joan  Meggitt, 
Momtorerfappeared  in  Mercyhurst  College's 
Cummings  Gallery  on  January  20, 2000  in  PA.  The 


artists  say  it  "raises  questions  about  everyday  life, 
where  desires,  communications,  financial  transac- 
tions... can  be  monitored  in  a  variety  of  ways." 
George's  Recent  l/Korte exhibited  interactive, 
computer-generated  work.  He  has  been  a  professor 
of  art  at  Allegheny  College  since  1979.  He  is  also  a 
painter  and  printmaker.  George's  works  have  been 
shown  atYoungstown  State  University  and  the 
Associated  Artists  of  Pittsburgh's  annual  exhibit  at 
the  Carnegie  Museum  of  Art,  where  he  earned  the 
Charles  Hettinger  Memorial  Prize.  ''Ben  Scafidi 
■66BS/B  retired  as  president  of  Dick  Strauss  Ford  on 
March  31, 2000.  He  works  part-time  for 
Commonwealth  Catholic  Charities.  He  lives  with  his 
wife,*Cecilia  in  Midlothian,  VA. 'Wesley Terry  Jr 
'68BS  'SIMS/H&S  is  chief  deputy  of  the  Washington 
County  Sheriff's  Department  in  VA.  He  has  been  in 
law  enforcement  for  32  years  as  a  foot  patrol  police- 
man, motorcycle  officer,  accident  investigator, 
police  science  instructor,  violent  cnme  and  covert 
drug  investigator  and  in  law  enforcement  adminis- 
tration •  Sue  (Bingenheimer)  Truman-Hufnal 
'64BFA  creates  commissioned  stained  glass  panels 
from  her  home  art  studio  in  Dividing  Creek,  NJ.  She 
retired  from  20  years  in  human  services  working 
with  elderly,  developmentally  disabled  and  physi- 
cally and  emotionally  challenged  people.  -John 
Woodruff  '69BS/B  is  manager  of  premise  sales  for 
the  Atlanta  district  of  BellSouth  Advertising  and 
Publishing  Co.  in  Tucker,  GA.  He  lives  in  Snellville, 
GA  •  *Janet  Worsham  '68BME  ^SMEd  retired  early 
from  many  years  as  a  musician,  educator,  conduc- 
tor and  humanitarian.  She  lives  in  Richmond  and 
has  fond  memones  of  VCU  from  years  past. 

1970s 

"Barbara  Allen  '76BS/H&S  is  a  veterinarian  at 
Forest  Animal  Hospital  in  Forest,  MS,  where  she 
lives.  •  Eppie  Anderson  '72BFA  teaches  language 
arts  to  gifted  students  at  Cartersville  School  in 
Cartersville,  GA.  She  recently  owned  a  design 
business  "J.  Michael  Andrews  '79BS/MC  is  media 
and  communications  coordinator  for  the  City  of 
Virginia  Beach  where  he  lives  with  his  wife  Jo  Ann 
(Thorsen)  Andrews  ■79BS/MC  and  their  children  He 
retired  from  the  U.S.  Navy  after  21  years  of  service 
as  a  public  affairs  officer  and  commander.  Michael 
served  around  the  worid,  most  recently  as  special 
assistant  for  public  affairs  to  the  commander  at  the 
Navy  Region  Mid-Atlantic  in  Norfolk.  •*Daniel 
Atkinson  ■77BS/H&S  'WCIB  has  been  a  systems 
engineer  at  EDS  Corporation  in  Glen  Allen,  VA  for  5 
years.  He  works  in  the  business  process  manage- 
ment division  on  state  Medicaid  accounts.  He  lives 
in  Highland  Spnngs,  VA.  •  Deborah  (Brooks)  Bowen 
'78MSW  is  a  teacher  at  Coconut  Creek  Elementary 
School  in  Coconut  Creek,  FL  She  received  special 
recognition  from  her  school  for  her  contributions  to 
their  program.  •  Tracy  (Taylor)  Brewer '76BS/E  is  a 
reference  librarian  at  the  Watauga  County  Public 
Library  in  Boone,  NC.  She  lives  in  Blowing  Rock,  NC. 
•  *Kathy  (Hamilton)  Brown  ^SBS  '85MS/E  is  an 
instructor  at  N.C.  State  University  in  Raleigh,  NC. 
She  lives  in  Hollysprings,  NC.  •  *Ann  Buford  '75BS/B 
works  at  Stamie  Lyttle  Company  in  Richmond  where 
she  lives.  Her  daughter,  Lindsay  recently  began 
attending  VCU.  •  Donald  Burriesci  '75MSW  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Alliance  for  Seniors  and  A  Touch  of  Care 
Inc.,  a  private  home  health  care  and  CNA  educa- 
tional company.  He  was  installed  in  the  Equestnan 
Order  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  of  Jerusalem.  Donald 
lives  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  •  Larry  Buster  '75BFA 


wrote  The  Art  and  History  ofBlacl<  Memorabilia 
published  by  Clarkson  Potter  Publishers.  He 
includes  well-known  facts  about  the  world  of  black 
memorabilia,  an  African  American  historical 
timeline,  photos  and  articles  on  the  care  of  specific 
collectibles.  It  is  the  first  illustrated  book  on  the 
subject.  Larry  earned  the  2001  Honor  Book  award 
from  the  Black  Caucus  of  the  American  Library 
Association  (BCALA).  He  is  an  art  director  at 
Consumer  Reports  magazine  as  well.  Larry  lives 
with  his  wife,  Doretha  in  New  Rochelle,  NY.  • 
Melinda  Childress  '71 BFA  works  at  ERA  OakCrest 
Realty  Inc.  of  Winchester,  VA.  She  has  been  in  real 
estate  since  1986.  She  is  a  certified  residential  spe- 
cialist and  a  member  of  the  President's  Club. 
Melinda  also  has  her  associate  broker  license.  She 
IS  a  history  fellow  at  Shenandoah  University  and 
served  on  the  boards  of  Preservation  of  Historic 
Winchester  and  the  Shelter  for  Women.  •  Rebecca 
Clarke  '79C/B  is  a  substitute  teacher  at  Hermitage 
High  School  of  the  Henrico  County  Public  Schools  in 
Richmond.  •  Robert  Clay  ■74BS  'OIMS.C/B  graduat- 
ed in  May,  2001  from  VCU  with  an  MS  in  global  mar- 
keting management  and  a  Certificate  in  direct  mar- 
keting. He  was  chosen  by  the  Direct  Marketing 
Educational  Foundation  to  attend  the  D.M. 
Marketing  Seminar  Symposium  in  NYC.  Robert  lives 
in  Richmond  •  Anne  Cooper-Chen  '79MS/MC  is  the 
director  of  the  Institute  for  International  Journalism 
at  Ohio  University.  She  is  currently  researching 
entertainment  TV  in  Beijing,  Hong  Kong,  and 
Nagoya,  Japan.  Anne  is  updating  her  1994  book  on 
game  shows  around  the  worid.  •  Linda  (Brooks) 
Cornette  '71  BFA  married  William  Cornette  '79DDS 
on  November  6, 1999.  She  works  at  James  River 
Capital  Corporation  in  Manakin-Sabot,  VA.  He  owns 
his  own  practice  in  Hampton,  VA.  They  live  in  Surry, 
VA  •  Leneida  Crawford  ■76BS/H&S  is  assistant  pro- 
fessor of  voice  and  vocal  division  leader  atTowson 
University  in  Baltimore,  MD  where  she  lives.  She  is 
a  mezzo  soprano  and  well  known  soloist  in  oratorio 
and  recital  venues,  as  well  as  singing  in  opera. 
Leneida  has  performed  in  Vienna  and 
Murzzuschlag,  Austna,  in  Mexico  City  and  the  US. 
The  New  Yorker  acclaimed  her  as  "an  exceptional 
new  performer"  for  her  work  in  the  Maryland 
Handel  Festival's  production  of  Agrippina.  Leneida 
has  performed  at  Carnegie  and  Avery  Fischer  Halls, 
the  Kennedy  Center  and  Meyerhoff  Symphony  Hall. 
She  has  recorded  on  the  VOX  label  and  appeared 
on  CBS  and  PBS.  Leneida  is  a  guest  artist  and 
faculty  member  at  the  Fairbanks  Summer  Arts 
Festival  'Joseph  Curtin  '70BA/H&S  is  country 
director  of  the  Peace  Corps  in  the  Kyrgyz  Republic 
where  he  lives.  He  was  director  of  major  giving  with 
the  External  Affairs  Department.  He  has  worked  in 
the  Philippines,  Cambodia,  Thailand  and  Lebanon.  • 
Vernon  DrinkwaterJr'75BS/E  sells  real  estate  part- 
time  and  works  with  the  school  system  in  Virginia 
Beach  where  he  lives.  He  is  studying  for  a  teaching 
certificate  at  Old  Dominion  University.  Vernon 
hopes  to  see  fellow  alumni  in  the  area. '  *Lynn  Doss 
■74BSW  is  a  social  worker  at  Appomattox  County 
Social  Services  in  Appomattox,  VA  where  he  lives. 
He  was  appointed  to  represent  Appomattox  on  the 
Board  of  Directors  for  Central  Virginia  Community 
Services  Board  and  the  Central  Virginia  Area 
Agency  on  Aging. '  Karen  Edelmann  '78BFA  is  a  full 
professor  at  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  College  in 
Tarrytown,  NY  where  she  lives  with  her  husband, 
Ed.  She  is  coordinator  of  the  art  program  and 
teaches  drawing,  painting  and  digital  arts.  Karen's 


SHAFER      COURT     28     CONNECTIONS 


paintings  are  exhibited  at  galleries  in  Richmond, 
Charleston  and  NYC.  She  hopes  to  hear  from  old 
friends.  •  Rex  Ellis  'TABFA  is  vice  president  for  the 
historic  area  at  Colonial  Williamsburg.  He  was  chair 
of  cultural  history  and  curator  of  African-American 
history  at  the  Smithsonian  Institution's  National 
Museum  of  Amencan  History  in  Washington.  Rex 
has  written  several  books,  including  Beneath  the 
Blazing  Sun:  Stories  from  the  African-American 
Journey  and  With  a  Banjo  On  IVIy  Knee.  •  Mark 
Emick  '71BS/E  is  the  first  dean  of  workforce  devel- 
opment services  in  the  Virginia  Community  College 
System.  He  was  assistant  to  the  president  at 
Virginia  Western  Community  College.  Mark  lives  in 
Roanoke,  VA.  'Virginia  Encila  '78BFA teaches  art  in 
Tucson  where  she  lives  with  her  husband  and  three 
daughters.  She  earned  the  Southern  Arizona  Middle 
Level  Teacher  ofthe  Year  award  in  1996.  ••Arthur 
Foley  7188/8  retired  after  12  years  in  financial 
administration  atthe  University  of  North  Carolina  at 
Asheville,  most  recently  as  vice  chancellor  for 
financial  affairs.  He  was  elected  president  of  the 
Southern  Association  of  College  and  University 
Business  Officers  atthe  72nd  meeting  in  Louisville, 
KY.  Arthur  lives  in  Colorado  Springs,  CO.  •  Laurie 
Gibson  '75BFA  is  senior  marketing  manager  for  the 
U.S.  Army  Community  and  Family  Support  Center  in 
Alexandria,  VA.  She  lives  in  Springfield,  VA.  •  C. 
Warren  Green  Jr.  ^SIVIPA  is  vice  president  of 
Concept  Developments,  Inc.  with  The  Hollingsworth 
Companies  in  Clinton,  TN.  He  had  been  real  estate 
director  for  the  Prince  George  County  Virginia 
Industrial  development  project  since  1997.  Warren 
is  on  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Virginia's  Heartland 
Partnership.  He  is  retired  from  the  U.S.  Army 
Reserve,  having  received  several  awards.  Warren 
lives  with  his  wife  Myra  and  daughter  Pryor  in 
Farmville,  VA  •  J.  Andrew  Hagy  '778S/IVIC  is  an 
associate  with  Advantis  Commercial  Real  Estate 
Services  specializing  in  commercial  and  industrial 
properties  and  economic  development  consulting 
statewide.  He  is  in  the  second  year  of  his  four-year 
term  representing  the  Three  Chopt  District  on  the 
Henrico  County  School  Board.  Andrew  lives  in  Glen 
Allen,  VA  with  his  wife,  Katherine  and  two  children, 
Lauren  and  Mariellyn.  •  Wayne  Hamilton  '75MFA  is 
principal  at  Acoustic  Vision  Productions  in  St.  Paul, 
MN  where  he  lives.  He  released  a  CD  of  original 
music  in  2000  endorsed  by  the  Minnesota 
Association  of  Songwriters  for  excellence  in  lyrics, 
melody  and  song  structure.  Wayne  was  a  finalist  in 
the  1999  and  2000  New  Folk  Songwnting  Contest  at 
the  Minnesota  Folk  Festival  as  well.  He  is  also  Twin 
Cities  chapter  coordinator  of  Just  Plain  Folks,  a  net- 
working organization  for  musicians  with  more  than 
9,000  members  in  30-plus  chapters  worldwide. 
Wayne  earned  that  group's  Founders  Award  2000 
for  being  coordinator  of  the  year.  •  Ed  Hazelwood 
'78BS/IVIC  is  editorial  director  of  television  and  con- 
ferences at /4i/iaf;on  1/1/ee/cMcGrawHillin 
Washington.  He  lives  in  Arlington,  VA.  'Wanda 
(Greenwood)  Hollberg  '798FA  is  artist-owner  of 
Greenwood  Stained  Glass  since  1979,  and  teaches 
atthe  Hand  Workshop  in  Richmond.  Herworkhas 
appeared  at  many  gallenes  including  the  Virginia 
Museum  of  Fine  Arts. '  Lorraine  (Saunders)  Hoskie 
'77BS/MC  is  listed  in  the  1999-2000  edition  of  Who's 
Who  in  the  South  and  Southwest  She  lives  in 
Richmond  •  Paula  (McCoy)  Huffman  '71BSW 
'73MS(RC)/AH  successfully  underwent  a  bilateral 
lung  transplant  atthe  University  of  Virginia  on 
March  29,1999.  She  won  a  silver  medal  in  the  U.S. 
Transplant  Games  in  singles  tennis  on  June  22, 
2000.  Paula  is  a  vocational  expert  at  Independent 
Rehabilitation  Consulting,  Inc.  in  Norfolk,  where  she 
lives. '  *Trov  Lewis  '768A/H&S  is  pastor  at  St  Giles 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Orange  Park,  FL,  where  he 
lives.  He  served  three  pastorates  in  NC.  •  Rhonda 
Manning  '778A/H8iS  is  deputy  executive  of  pro- 
curement atthe  Defense  Supply  Center  in 


Richmond,  where  she  lives. ' *Deanna  (Fowler) 
Marechal  ■72MSW  is  a  licensed  realtor  with 
Napier/ERA.  She  retired  from  UMFS  after  18  years 
as  supervisor  of  infant  adoptions.  Deanna  also 
worked  in  foster  care  for  Home  Based  Services  and 
was  in  social  work  for  32  years.  Her  daughter, 
Brooke  graduated  from  college  in  1997.  Deanna 
lives  in  Richmond  with  her  four  dogs.  She  hopes  to 
hear  from  former  classmates.  •  Carolyn  Martin 
'71AS/B  is  president  of  Savetaxed.com  Inc.  in 
Richmond,  where  she  lives.  •  Lee  Mathias 
'72BS/MC  teaches  high  school  transportation  at 
Cartersville  School  in  Cartersville,  GA. '  Mary 
Mattingly  '718FA  works  at  Mary  Mattingly  Design 
&  Direct  Marketing  in  NYC,  where  she  lives.  •  David 
Melton  '798FA  is  senior  software  engineer  at 
Computer  Resource  Team.  He  was  a  private  consul- 
tant. •  Randi  Mitzner  '768S/E  is  project  director  at 
Education  and  Assistance  Corporation,  a  vocation- 
al/human services  agency  in  Long  Island,  working 
with  people  with  substance  abuse  issues  with 
barriers  to  employment.  He  was  director  of  industri- 
al training/sheltered  workshop  services  for  22  years 
at  an  agency  working  with  individuals  with  mental 
illness  and/or  developmental  disabilities. '  Edward 
Morris  •75MS/H&S  retired  April  1 ,  2000  after  33 
years  atthe  Virginia  Department  of  Corrections,  14 
years  as  Deputy  Director.  He  plans  to  do  some 
criminal  justice  consulting  and  sell  art  prints  of  his 
nature  and  landscape  photography.  Edward  lives  in 
Richmond. '  Scott  Newsham  '79BS/H&S  is  chief  of 
environmental  standards  for  the  U.S.  Coast  Guard  in 
Washington. '  •Patricia  (Steinmetz)  O'Bannon 
'71BS/E  earned  the  YWCA's  2001  Outstanding 
Woman  Award  in  government  and  politics  in 
Richmond.  She  was  the  first  woman  elected  to 
Hennco  County's  Board  of  Supervisors.  Patncia 
helped  develop  Hennco  County's  Domestic 
Violence  Team  and  the  Coalition  for  Children  and 
Youth.  She  Is  also  active  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay 
Commission  and  the  Virginia  Municipal  League's 
environmental  quality  committee.  •  *Constance 
Ober  '778S/MC  and  her  husband  •Carlton  Brooks 
III  '7588  'SOMS/MC  live  in  Port  Haywood,  VA.  They 
have  two  children,  Meredith  and  Wister,  a  mass 
communications  major  at  VCU.  •  Cristsandra  Penn 
'798S/B  works  at  PECO  Energy  Company  in  the 
customer/marketing  services  division  in 
Philadelphia,  PA.  She  earned  an  MBA  in  executive 
management  from  West  Chester  University  in 
December,  1999.  •  •Thomas  Phillips  Jr  ■73MS/B  is 
senior  vice  president  at  Paine  Webber,  Inc.  He  was 
divisional  vice  president.  He  lives  with  his  wife, 
•Claudia  (Mitchell)  Phillips  '70AA/H&S  in 
Richmond.  His  daughter  is  Kelly  (Phillips)  Grubb 
■93MT.  •  Stephen  Puckett  ■74BS/MC  is  senior  vice 
president  and  executive  creative  director  at 
Brighton  advertising  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  lives.  He 
was  executive  creative  director  at  Worldwide 
Partners  Incorporated.  •  Gerald  Reisinger 
■70BS/H&S  is  president  of  Pennsylvania 
Naturpathic  Physicians.  He  is  director  of  Wilkes 
University  Rowing  Program  and  chair  of  recreation 
for  Susquenanna  Riverwatch,  Inc.  Gerald  lives  in 
Kingston,  PA.  •  Robert  Rosenberg  ■70BS/MC  won  a 
fellowship  in  the  Institute  of  Travel  &  Tourism,  the 
largest  travel  organization  in  the  U.K.  He  is  president 
and  CEO  of  the  Newport  Convention  &  Visitors 
Bureau  in  Newport,  Rl.  Robert  lives  in  Portsmouth, 
Rl. '  S.  Jackson  Salasky  ■70BS/MC  is  president  of 
Jackson  Express,  Inc.  He  lives  in  Dallas. '  William 
Sale  '71BS/B  is  operations  manager  at  The  Roxxon 
Corporation  in  Dayton,  VA.  He  lives  Harrisonburg, 
VA. '  *Moira  Saucer  '78BA/H&S  is  account  supervi- 
sor at  Prospect  Associates  in  Silver  Springs,  MD. 
She  specializes  in  health  and  nutrition  communica- 
tions serving  clients  including  the  National  Cancer 
Institute  and  the  Almond  Board  of  California.  Moira 
lives  in  Takoma  Park,  MD.  •  "Cathy  Saunders 
'76BSW'82MS/AH  is  a  realtor  with  Bowers  Nelms 


■  iiii 

2001-2002 


SEPTEMBER  26-OCTOBER  5 

VCUAA  Alumni  College  to  Greece 

NOVEMBER  16 

FOUNDERS  DAY— ALUMNI  STARS 

Country  Club  of  Virginia 

DECEMBER  8 

WINTER  COMMENCEMENT 

JANUARY  2-11 

Alumni  Extern  Program 

FEBRUARY  6 

Career  Development  Council  event 

FEBRUARY? 

Career  Development  Council  event 

FEBRUARY  12 

Career  Development  Coimcil  event 

FEBRUARY  13 

Career  Fair 

MARCH  11-15 

Alumni  Extern  Program 

APRIL  6 
Block  Party — Now  We're  Cookin' 

APRIL  20-21 

REUNION  2002 

Academic  Campus 

APRIL  27 

Destination  Imagination 
Reunion  2002— MCV  Campus 

MAY  18 

Commencement  Breakfast  &  Photography 
COMMENCEMENT  2002 


Fonville  Long  &  Foster  in  Richmond.  She  recently 
earned  the  Seniors  Real  Estate  Specialist  (SRES) 
professional  designation.  Cathy  has  been  in  real 
estate  for  over  25  years. '  •Raynor  Scheine  '70BFA 
was  a  guest-star  on  West  Wing,  Third  Watch  and 
Diagnosis  IVIurderlast  season.  He  played  Rustin 
Parr  in  the  Blair  Witch  Pra/ecf  sequel.  Raynor  also 
appeared  in  a  play  at  Theater  Virginia.  He  has  done 
an  episode  of  Ed  and  a  two-part  J/lGthis  season. 
Raynor  lives  in  New  York. '  Bruce  Selznick  '78MS/B 
and  his  wife  Sheila  Selznick  '75BS/0T  earned  the 
Shofar  Award  from  the  National  Council  of  Young 
Israel,  recognizing  25  years  of  service.  Bruce  is 
president  of  the  board  of  directors  atthe  synagogue 
and  is  Gabbai  Rishon  of  12  years.  Sheila  has  been 
president  of  the  Sisterhood  for  over  20  years.  They 
are  active  in  resettling  "new  Amencans"  from  the 
former  Soviet  Union.  Bruce  is  seniortax  manager  at 
Goodman  &  Company  LLP  in  Norfolk,  where  he  has 
worked  since  1980.  •  'Marsha  (Stroh)  Shuler  '74BS 
■79MA/B  IS  senior  vice  president  at  Federal  Reserve 
Bank  of  Richmond.  She  joined  the  bank  in  1974  and 
was  assistant  vice  president  in  1 988,  and  vice  presi- 
dent in  1995.  She  is  a  member  of  the  VCU 
Foundation  Board  and  is  past  president  ofthe  VCU 


SUMMER   29   2001 


Alumni  Association.  Marsha  is  a  member  of  the 
board  of  Virginia  1-to-l:The  Mentonng  Partnership, 
and  a  past  board  chair  of  Special  Olympics  Virginia. 
She  was  awarded  the  Winning  Spirit  Award  in  1999 
from  Special  Olympics  Virginia.  •  James  Smith  II 
77MSW  earned  a  PhD  in  family  life  education  and 
consultation  from  Kansas  State  University  in 
Manhattan,  KS  in  December,  2000.  He  is  an  assis- 
tant professor  of  social  work  in  the  College  of 
Health  Sciences  at  the  University  of  Wyoming  in 
Laramie.  James  is  a  lieutenant  colonel  in  the  U.S. 
Army  Reserve,  a  social  work  officer  in  the  1835th 
Medical  Detachment  in  Denver.  He  is  a  licensed 
clinical  social  worker  in  KS,  NC  and  WY  and  a 
licensed  clinical  marriage  and  family  therapist  in 
KS  •  Anthony  Spirito  '78MS  '82PhD/H&S  is  associ- 
ate professor  of  human  behavior  at  Brown 
University  and  director  of  psychology  in  the  child 
division  at  Rhode  Island  Hospital,  where  he  has 
worked  since  1989.  He  was  elected  a  Fellow  of  the 
American  Psychological  Association  for  2001  for  his 
exceptional  contributions  to  the  research,  teaching 
and  practice  of  psychology.  •  John  Steiner  '75BS 
'79IVIS/H&S  was  environmental  director  of  the  1996 
Olympics  in  Atlanta.  He  has  written  Audubon  An 
Prints:  A  Collector's  Guide.  John  lives  in  Lithonia, 
GA.  •  Stanley  Stoots  Jr.  77BS/E  '87C/B  is  director  of 
technology  at  Manugistics  in  Rockville,  MD.  •  Randy 
Svendsen  '72BS/H&S  works  at  the  Lear 
Corporation.  He  lives  in  Gross  Pointe,  Ml.  •  Susan 
Tabor'74BFA  IS  a  wastewater  technician  at  the 
New  Mexico  Rural  Water  Association  in 
Albuquerque,  where  she  lives.  She  has  two  daugh- 
ters, Katie  and  Carrie.  •  Ruth  (Manson) Thacker 
'74BS/B  IS  director  of  human  resources  at  the 
Instructive  Visiting  Nurse  Association  in  Richmond, 
where  she  lives.  •  Gretchen  (Heinkel)  Thompson 
'78BFA  IS  marketing  manager  at  The  1848  House  in 
Manetta,  GA.  She  lives  m  Douglasville,  GA.  • 
Terence  Thompson  Sr'77BS/B  is  vice  president  of 
Wachovia  Operational  Services  Corporation  in 
Richmond  where  he  lives  with  his  wife,  Karen  and 
three  children.  He  is  a  credit  analyst  in  the  Credit 
Card  and  Retail  Credit  Group.  •  *Jewel  (Brown) 
Turpin  '76MEd  retired  from  the  Richmond  Public 
School  system.  She  was  appointed  in  1996  by 
Governor  Allen  to  a  four-year  term  on  the  Pesticide 
Control  Board,  and  reappointed  by  Governor 
Gilmore — the  only  woman  ever  to  sen/eon  this 
board.  Jewel  lives  in  Richmond.  •  Catherine 
Vaughan  '76BS/E  was  awarded  an  R.E.B.  teacher's 
grant  to  visit  slave  forts  and  castles  in  Senegal  and 
Ghana.  She  teaches  at  Henderson  Middle  School  in 
Richmond.  •  Richard  Voit '71BS/H&S  is  a  psycholo- 
gist in  private  practice  in  Danvers,  MA.  He  lives  in 
Brunswick,  ME  •  J. Thomas  Wadkins  III  '70BS/B  is 
information  systems  director  at  the  Richmond  City 
Sheriffs  Office.  He  lives  in  Richmond.  •  'Barbara 
(Stevens)  Wales '76IVlEd  married  Dennis  Wales  on 
August  20, 2000,  She  is  assistant  director  of  educa- 
tion at  the  Virginia  Treatment  Center  for  Children  at 
VCU  Health  Systems.  Barbara  is  working  toward  a 
PhD  in  educational  leadership  and  policy  studies  at 
George  Washington  University.  Her  daughter, 
Becca  Ritchie  currently  attends  VCU.  She  lives  in 
Richmond  with  her  husband  and  other  two  children, 
Taylor  and  Alexandra.  •  Robert  Walker  '73BS 
'79MS/MC  IS  a  telecommunications  consultant  at 
Sl  Paul's  College,  Lawrenceville,  VA.  He  had  been 
professor  and  director  of  Mass  Communications 
there  and  had  advised  Sl  Paul's  president  on 
telecommunications.  He  was  never  on  VCU's  Mass 
Comm  faculty,  as  we  previously  reported.  •  Richard 
Ward  ■73BS/MC  is  executive  vice  president  and 
marketing  and  public  relations  manager  at  BB&T 
Corporation  in  Winston-Salem,  NC.  He  was  market- 
ing service  manager  and  has  been  with  BB&T  since 
1989.  Richard  lives  with  his  wife,  Betty  and 
daughter,  Kelly  in  Clemmons,  NC.  •  Nancy  Warman 
'72BSW  earned  the  Richmond  YWCA's  2001 


Outstanding  Woman  Award  in  Religion.  She  is  a 
pastoral  associate  at  Grace  and  Holy  Trinity 
Episcopal  Church,  serving  as  a  liaison  between  the 
church  and  the  community.  Nancy  has  brought 
groups  together  to  consider  issues  of  homeless- 
ness,  hunger  and  healthcare  access.  •  Caroline 
Wexler  '76MSW  opened  Casa  Carolina,  a  small 
beach  resort  m  Xcalak,  Mexico  with  her  husband. 
Bob  Villier.  Xcalak,  on  Mexico's  Yucatan  peninsula, 
IS  the  Mexico's  southern  port  of  entry  on  the 
Carribean,  )ust  above  the  border  of  Belize.  She  was 
a  social  worker  in  health  care  for  25  years,  •  Werner 
Wieland  ■73BS  ■77IV1S/H&S  is  a  professor  of  biologi- 
cal sciences  at  Mary  Washington  College  in 
Fredericksburg,  VA. 

1980s 

*Peter  Aiken  SZBS  'SSMS/B,  associate  professor  of 
information  systems  at  VCU's  School  of  Business, 
received  the  2001  DAMA  Individual  Achievement 
Award  from  the  Data  Management  Association. 
Peter  wrote  Data  Reverse  Engineering  and  co- 
wrote  Corporate  Information  Portals.  •  *H.  Todd 
Allen  '85BS/H&S  founded  Towne  Detistry  in  March, 
2000.  He  was  an  associate  dentist  for  over  three 
years  and  spent  seven  years  m  the  U.S.  Navy  Dental 
Corps.  Todd  lives  with  his  wife  and  two  sons  in 
Leonardtown,  MD  •  Janice  Ammons  '80BS/B  is  an 
associate  professor  at  Qumnipiac  University  in 
Hamden,  CT,  where  she  lives.  •  "Elizabeth  Arthur 
■84BS/MC  IS  sheriff  of  Ariington  County  in  Arlington, 
VA,  where  she  lives.  •  Jeff  Arthur  '88BS/IVIC  is 
director  of  advertising  at  MTV  Networks  in  Chicago, 
IL.  He  lives  in  Oak  Park,  IL  •  Jane  Ballard 
'89BA/H&S  IS  a  librarian  in  Prince  George,  VA  at  the 
Appomattox  Regional  Library  System  covering 
Hopewell,  Dinwiddle  and  Prince  George,  VA.  She  is 
responsible  for  all  three  branches.  •  Melanie 
(Crouch)  Barber'81BA/H&S  is  communications 
project  manager  of  marketing  and  public  relations 
at  Valley  Health  System  in  Winchester,  VA.  •  Lydia 
Barrett  '87BS/1VIC  is  vice  president  of  worldwide 
marketing  operations  at  PeopleSoft,  Inc.  in 
Pleasanton,  CA  where  she  lives.  •  Edith  Bennett 
'86MEd  IS  math  department  coordinator  at  New 
Community  School  in  Richmond.  She  lives  in  Glen 
Allen,  VA  •  *Lenzie  Boswell  III  'SOBS/B  is  director 
of  sales  for  ECR  Pharmaceuticals  in  Richmond, 
where  he  lives.  He  joined  the  firm  in  1994  and  was 
divisional  manager  of  the  mid-Atlantic  region  in 
Greensboro,  NC.  •  Gerald  Bowman  '82MSW  was 
appointed  to  the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  National 
Association  for  Ethical  Adoption  Professionals 
(NAEAP).  He  has  been  doing  adoption  work  abroad 
since  1989,  Gerald  lives  in  Munich,  Germany,  • 
Joyce  Bozeman  'BaiVIPA/H&S  '97PhD/CPP  is  assis- 
tant to  the  vice  president  of  university  advancement 
and  executive  director  of  the  Norfolk  State 
University  Foundation,  Inc.  She  attended  the 
Summer  Institute  for  Women  in  Higher  Education 
Administration  sponsored  by  Bryn  Mawr  College 
and  Higher  Education  Resources  Services  (HERS), 
MidAmerica  in  the  summer  of  1999.  Joyce  lives  in 
Chesapeake,  VA.  •  Thomas  Brammeier  '85BS/H&S 
IS  engaged  and  practices  medicine  in  TX.  •  Eugenia 
(Charles)  Brown  '83BS/E  is  a  cost  accountant  at 
Tifmas  Optical  Inc.  in  Petersburg,  VA.  She  lives  in 
Hopewell,  VA.  •  Elizabeth  (Coffey)  Brinks  '86BFA 
married  Rodney  Brinks  on  January  15, 2000.  She  is 
catalogue  creative  director  at  TEU  Furniture.  They 
live  in  Richmond.  •  Robert  Calkin  '85BA/H&S  is 
president  of  Pentasystem,  LLC,  a  company  that 
produces  musical  instruments  that  will  replace 
today's  versions  of  guitar,  bass,  etc.  with  better, 
more  mathematically  correct  instruments.  He  lives 
in  Los  Angeles.  •  Danny  Clark  '88BS/B  Is  a  financial 
specialist  at  First  Union  He  lives  in  Charlotte,  NC.  • 
John  Clark  III  '83MBA  is  senior  portfolio  manager  at 
Strategic  Investment  Advisors  Inc.  in  Utica,  NY.  He 
was  senior  portfolio  manager  at  M&T  Bank  in 


Buffalo,  NY.  •  Larry  Clark  'SSBS/B  is  director  of 
finance  for  Pnnce  George  County.  He  was  director 
of  administrative  services  at  the  Riverside  Regional 
Jail  Authority,  financial  reporting  manager  at  the 
Virginia  Department  of  Corrections,  deputy  director 
of  finance  for  the  city  of  Colonial  Heights,  and 
internal  auditor  at  the  Virginia  Department  of  Social 
Services.  Larry  is  a  CPA  and  chairs  the  education 
committee  of  the  Virginia  Government  Finance 
Officers  Association  (VGFOA).  He  taught  accounting 
for  the  VGFOA  and  the  Weldon  Cooper  Center  for 
Public  Service  at  the  University  of  Virginia.  •  Kelvin 
Clarke  '84BS/B  works  at  American  Home  Mortgage 
Corporation.  In  the  mortgage  business  since  1985, 
he  has  been  the  number  one  loan  officer  for  the 
past  10  years  in  Northern  Virginia.  •  Victoria  Cobbs- 
Echols  'SBBS/B  celebrated  the  birth  of  her  son  on 
April  13, 2000.  She  is  underwriting  manager  at  Child 
Welfare  Insurance  Brokers  in  Rancho  Cucamonga, 
CA.  Victoria  is  the  only  insurance  broker  in  North 
Amenca  who  works  only  with  children  and  child 
caring  organizations.  She  lives  in  Perris,  CA.  • 
Monique  (Mercer)  Coleman  '87BA/H&S  and  her 
husband,  Byron  celebrated  the  birth  of  their  son, 
Xavier  on  September  25, 2000.  She  is  a  junior 
research  analyst  at  R.O.W.  Sciences  in  Rockville, 
MD.  They  live  in  Falmouth,  VA.  •  David  Conner 
'87BS/H&S  owns  Archadeck  Franchise,  a  designer 
and  builder  of  custom  decks  and  porches  in 
Lynchburg  and  Roanoke,  VA.  He  lives  with  his  wife, 
Mary  and  two  children,  Lauren  and  Will  in  Forest, 
VA  •  Deborah  (Jones)  Currv  '81BS/MC  is  a  senior 
wnter-editor  at  the  National  Transportation  Safety 
Board  in  Washington.  She  lives  in  Alexandria,  VA.  • 
Irvin  Davis  WBS/B  is  a  budget  and  financial  analyst 
at  Federal  Reserve  Automation  Services  in 
Richmond,  where  he  lives.  •  Margaret  Devereux 
'89BS/H&S  married  David  Turnball  and  has  three 
children.  She  is  a  maior  in  the  U.S.  Army  Europe. 
They  live  in  Coatesville,  PA.  •  Beverley  Dew 
■85BS/MC  is  the  first  director  of  development  at  the 
Virginia  Foundation  for  Architecture.  She  was 
annual  fund  director  at  Virginia  Union  University. 
Beverley  is  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Association  of 
Fund  Raising  Executives  and  the  Richmond 
Metropolitan  Sports  Backers.  She  chairs  The 
Diamond's  Stadium  Operating  Committee  and  the 
Richmond  Police  Athletic  League.' Courtney 
Dewey  '87MS/B  is  a  regional  account  executive  at 
Crawford  &  Company  in  Tampa.  She  lives  in  Lutz,  FL 
•  Pamela  (Carlstrom)  Diemer  '88BS/B  lives  in 
Manakin-Sabot  with  her  husband,  Matthew  and 
two  children,  Alexandra  and  John.  •  Teresa  Earles 
'87BS/B  is  a  CPA  and  manager  at  Mitchell,  Wiggins 
&  Company  LLP's  Richmond  office,  where  she  has 
worked  since  1987  •  Tony  Earles  'SSBS  '87MS/H&S 
is  tourism  development  manager  at  the  Portsmouth 
Convention  and  Visitors  Bureau.  He  graduated  from 
the  Virginia  Travel  &  Tourism  Institute  in  June,  2000. 
Tony  was  curator  of  the  Children's  Museum  of 
Virginia.  •  Jeffrey  Eley  '80BFA  wrote  the  text  for  the 
Savannah  Stefchtioo^r  published  by  Design  Press, 
Copynght  2000.  •  John  Estes  'SSMTax  works  at  Fort 
James  Corporation  as  director  of  domestic  tax  in 
Deerfield,  IL.  He  lives  in  Gurnee,  IL  •  Gregory 
Fairchild  '88BS/MC  is  an  assistant  professor  at 
Darden  Graduate  School  of  Business 
Administration  of  the  University  of  Virginia.  He  lives 
in  Charlottesville  with  his  wife  Tierney  and 
daughter,  Naia.  •  Mary  Anna  Fariello  '87MA/A  was 
named  a  FullbrightScholarto  teach  museum 
studies  in  Panama  at  the  University  of  Panama.  She 
taught  seminars  in  Institutional  Assessment  and 
Collections  Management  and  help  set  up  a 
graduate  internship  program  with  the  Contemporary 
Art  Museum  and  Panama  Canal  Museum.  Anna  is 
on  the  faculty  in  the  Center  for  Interdisciplinary 
Studies  at  Virginia  Tech  in  Blacksburg,  VA.  She 
owns  Curatorial  InSight  and  recently  toured  exhibi- 
tions travelling  regionally  and  nationally — 


SHAFER      COURT     30     CONNECTIONS 


Reformations:  New  Forms  from  Ancient  Techniques 
and  Francis  Whital<er:  Iron  Master.  Anna  is  a  former 
research  fellow  with  the  National  Museum  of 
American  Art  and  Smithsonian  Institution.  • 
Jacqueline  Fraser  'SIMEd  is  vice  president  for 
development  at  Virginia  State  University,  She  was 
the  former  director  of  development  at  VSU.  She 
worked  in  the  administration  of  former  Governor  L. 
Douglas  Wilder,  and  has  served  on  the  Virginia 
Parole  Board.  Jacqueline  has  held  posts  with  the 
City  of  Richmond  and  Richmond  Public  Schools. 
She  has  served  on  the  Virginia  Motor  Vehicle 
Dealer  Advisory  Board,  and  state  Correctional 
Education  Board.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Richmond 
Court  Appointed  Special  Advocates  (CASA)  and 
serves  on  the  Virginia  State  University  Foundation 
Board  of  Trustees.  •  "Margaret  Furgerson-Gregorv 
'86BIVIE  is  choral  director  and  chairs  the  Fine  Arts 
Department  at  Lloyd  C.  Bird  High  School  in 
Chesterfield,  VA,  where  she  lives.  •  Thomas  Garrett 
'86BS/H&S  is  technical  manager  of  partner  net- 
working at  America  Online  in  Reston,  VA  where  he 
lives.  •  'Georgette  Glenn  '84BS/B  is  vice  president 
and  COO  of  Credit  Union  Affiliates  of  New  Jersey  in 
Hightstown,  NJ.  She  lives  with  her  husband, 
Michael  and  son,  Jonathan  in  Cranbury,  NJ.' 
Harold  Goldston  Jr  '89BS/H&S  is  a  research  scien- 
tist at  the  Naval  Research  Laboratory  in 
Washington.  He  lives  in  Alexandria,  VA.  •  *Patricia 
Good  '88MBA  is  a  senior  consultant  at  NCR 
Corporation  in  Rockville,  MD. •  Eugene  Grecheck 
'82MBA  is  vice  president  of  generation  at  the 
Millstone  Power  Station  in  Waterford,  CT  that  was 
acquired  by  Dominion.  He  was  vice  president  of 
Dominion's  Surry  Power  Station  in  VA.  Eugene  has 
been  with  Dominion  for  25  years  in  several  leader- 
ship positions.  •  Patricia  Gregory  '82MEd  won  an 
R.E.B.  teacher's  grant  to  take  writing  courses  in 
Scotland,  NH  and  MA.  She  teaches  at  John  M. 
Gandy  Elementary  School  in  Hanover  County,  VA.  • 
Richard  Hammack  '88MS/H&S  is  an  assistant  pro- 
fessor at  Randolph-Macon  College.  He  lives  in 
Richmond.  •  Phillip  Hartig  'BOMS/H&S  'SSPhD/M  is 
a  research  biologist forthe  U.S.  Environmental 
Protection  Agency.  He  lives  in  Durham,  NC.'  Jason 
Hendrix  '88BS/IVIC  is  director  of  administration  and 
finance  at  the  National  Alliance  of  State  and 
Territorial  AIDS  Directors  in  Washington,  where  he 
lives.  •  Julia  (Lettner)  Hester  '88BS/B  married  Jerry 
Hester  on  July  29, 2000.  She  is  a  pharmaceutical 
consultant  at  SmithKline  Beecham  in  Richmond, 
where  they  live.  •  Rebecca  Holley  '88BS/E  teaches 
fifth  grade  at  Stanleytown  Elementary  School  in 
Henry  County,  VA.  She  has  taught  for  twelve  years. 
She  lives  in  Martinsville,  VA. •  Laura  (DeMarco) 
Hunt'87BFA  is  eastern  regional  manager  for  Perry 
Ellis  Menswear  in  charge  of  East  Coast  accounts 
and  coordinations  from  MD  to  FL  She  was 
Northeast  retail  coordinator.  Laura  lives  with  her 
husband,  Scott  in  Arlington,  VA.  •  Samuel  Jamison 
'80BS/B  is  director  of  the  retail  project  office  at 
Charles  Schwab  in  San  Francisco,  where  he  lives.  • 
Keith  Jenkins  '80BS/B  is  a  sales  representative  at 
Cox  Communications  Inc.  He  lives  in  Virginia  Beach. 
•  Steven  Jones  '82BS/MC  is  the  executive  director 
of  the  administrative  offices  for  the  Cable  Television 
Public  Affairs  Association  in  Washington.  He  was 
the  director  of  membership  for  the  Academy  of 
Managed  Care  Pharmacy,  a  national  medical  pro- 
fessional organization.  Steven  lives  in  Burke,  VA.  • 
Kim  (Brace)  Kane  '83BFA  is  director  of  marketing 
and  public  relations  at  Cameo  Financial  Corporation 
in  Cambndge,  OH.  She  lives  in  Zanesville,  OH.  •  Karl 
Kelley  '82BS  'SSMS  'SyPhD/H&S  is  professor  of  psy- 
chology at  North  Central  College  in  Naperville,  IL, 
where  he  has  taught  since  1988  and  has  chaired  the 
Psychology  Department  In  1999,  Kari  earned  the 
Dissinger  Faculty  Scholarship  Prize,  the  top  faculty 
scholarship  award  for  his  textbook  Perspectives  in 
Industrial/Organizational  Psychology.  He  also 


received  the  Dissinger  Memorial  Award  for  distin- 
guished teaching  by  a  juniorfaculty  member  in 
1989.  Karl  has  been  published  in  the  Journal  of 
Leadership  Studies,  Journal  of  Psychology,  and  the 
National  Academic  Advising  Association  Journal. 
He  lives  with  his  wife,  Jai'neen  (Jackson)  Kelley 
■86MS/H&S  and  their  daughter  in  North  Aurora,  IL.' 
Dwayne  King  '84BS/H&S  and  his  wife  Andrea  Stem 
welcomed  their  first  child,  Lucas  Jackson  King,  7lbs. 
15oz.,  21",  on  April  26, 2001.  Dwayne  is  working  for 
Microsoft  in  Seattle,  where  they  live.  •  Stewart 
Kirby  '82BFA  is  an  architect  and  estimator  at 
Mitchell,  Best  &  Goldsborough  in  Rockville,  MD.  He 
lives  in  Silver  Springs,  MD.  •  "Judith  Koziol 
'87MS(RC)/AH  earned  the  Distinguished  Community 
Service  Award,  from  the  Jewish  Community 
Federation  of  Richmond.  She  is  the  president  of 
Beth  Sholom  Home  and  a  licensed  professional 
counselor.  She  has  worked  for  the  American 
Cancer  Society  and  Henrico  County  and  taught  in 
VCU's  School  of  Allied  Health.  She  has  had  a  coun- 
seling practice  since  1994,  and  she  has  been  a 
mind/body  educator  for  The  Mind/Body  Institute  at 
Bon  Secours  Hospital  since  1998.  •  Cynthia  (Flack) 
Kutka  'SOBS/H&S  married  Gediminas  Kutka,  a 
citizen  of  Lithuania  in  April,  2000.  She  is  director  of 
training  and  implementation  at  Law.com.  They  live 
in  Athens,  GA  •  R.  Steven  Landes  '84BS/IVIC  repre- 
sents the  25th  District  in  the  VA  General  Assembly 
including  Waynesboro  and  parts  of  Augusta  and 
Rockingham  Counties.  He  serves  on  the  Virginia 
Code  Commission,  State  Water  Commission  and 
Rural  Virginia  Prosperity  Commission.  He  is  vice 
chair  of  the  Standing  Joint  Subcommittee  on  Block 
Grants.  He  lives  with  his  wife,  Angela  in  Weyers 
Cave,  VA. •  Theodore  Lee  '82BFA  is  a  partner  at 
Spectrum  Properties  in  Charlotte,  NC  and  earned 
the  Certified  Commercial  Investment  Member 
(CCIM)  designation,  the  highest  professional  desig- 
nation available  to  real  estate  professionals.  He  has 
been  at  Spectrum  Properties  since  1987  and  was 
named  a  partner  in  1996.  Theodore  was  named  one 
of  Charlotte's  Top  Office  Brokers  by  Business 
Properties  Magazine.  •  *Jesse  Lennon  III  '87BS 
'88MBA/B  is  president  and  principal  broker  at 
Pioneer  Realty  in  Mechanicsville,  VA  where  he 
lives.  He  opened  a  second  office  recently.  • 
'Michael  Levy  '89BA/H&S  is  a  copywriter  at  Circuit 
City.  He  lives  in  Richmond. •  Joan  (Troiano) 
Lindenberger '84BS/E  is  a  public  relations  specialist 
at  the  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture  in 
Washington.  She  lives  in  Woodbndge,  VA.  • 
Michael  Locher  '80BS/B  is  a  partner  at  Goodman  & 
Company  LLP  in  Richmond.  He  is  director  of  tax 
credit  consulting  services  and  has  worked  there 
since  1988.*  Debra  (Thompson)  Macklin  '80BFA  is  a 
architecture  and  design  market  manager  at 
Haworth  Incorporated  in  Washington.  She  received 
the  Pinnacle  Award  in  1999  and  2000  for  outstanding 
sales  performance.  Debra  finished  the  Marine 
Corps  Marathon  in  2000.  She  lives  with  her  husband 
Ted,  and  their  children  Madeleine,  Victona, 
Catherine  and  Teddy  in  McLean,  VA.  •  Gary 
Markham  '88MM  is  head  of  music  cataloging  in  the 
Warren  D.  Allen  Music  Library  of  Florida  State 
University  in  Tallahassee.  He  lives  in  Panacea,  FL.  • 
T.  Scott  Marshall  '82BS/MC  is  a  staff  writer  at 
Contra  Costa  Times  in  Pleasanton,  CA.  He  lives  in 
Oakland,  CA.  •  Christopher  Maze  '88BS/B  is  vice 
president  of  financial  administration  at  Fiorucci 
Foods,  Inc.  in  Colonial  Heights,  VA.  He  lives  in 
Midlothian,  VA.  •  Wanda  (Capps)  McCarthy 
'83BS/H&S  is  an  adjunct  faculty  member  in  the 
Department  of  Psychology  at  Northern  Kentucky 
University.  She  lives  in  Cincinnati,  OH.  •  Jimmy 
Meador  Jr  '85BS/B  is  a  tax  manager  at  Markel 
Corporation  in  Glen  Allen,  VA.  •  *Gary  Mitchell 
'83BS/E  'SIMURP  is  director  of  planning  for  New 
Kent  County,  VA.  Gary  lives  with  his  wife,  Susan  in 
Midlothian,  VA.  •  'Ronald  Mitchell  ■87MS  'SSC/B 


works  at  Capital  One  Financial  Corporation  in  Glen 
Allen,  VA.  He  lives  with  his  wife,  Martha  and  their 
children,  Alexandra  and  Collin  in  Richmond.*  *H. 
Gaiter  Myers  III  '81MBA  was  elected  the  2001  vice 
chair  of  the  National  Automobile  Dealers 
Association  (NADA)  and  will  take  office  in  2002.  He 
is  president  and  CEO  of  the  Carter  Myers 
Automotive  Group  in  VA,  as  well  as  the  Auto  Rent 
chain.  Carter  represents  Virginia's  franchised 
dealers  on  NADA's  board  of  directors,  chairs  the 
public  affairs  committee  and  serves  on  the  informa- 
tion technology  and  real  estate  committees.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  Virginia  Automobile  Dealers 
Association  and  the  Tri-City  New  Car  Dealers 
Association.  Carter  is  a  member  of  Virginia's 
Commonwealth  Transportation  Board  and  the 
Governor's  Economic  Development  Council.  He  has 
been  active  on  several  civic  boards  in  Virginia  as 
well  •  Fletcher  Nichols  Jr  '80BFA  teaches  visual 
arts  and  African  American  culture  in  Roanoke  City 
Public  School  District.  His  wife,  Synethia  (Mason) 
Nichols  '81BA/H&S  is  a  school  psychologist  in 
Roanoke  schools.  They  live  in  Roanoke,  VA  with 
their  two  sons,  Jason  and  Jared.  •  Nancy  Noel 
'86MA/H&S  teaches  freshman  composition  at 
Germanna  Community  College  in  Fredericksburg, 
VA.  Her  husband,  Peter  Vernimb  '90MEd  pursues  a 
degree  in  educational  leadership  at  Virginia  Tech. 
They  live  in  Falmouth,  VA.  •  Karen  Ogden 
'86BS/H&S  IS  a  senior  technologist  at  Laboratory 
Corporation  of  America  in  Buriington,  NC.  She  lives 
in  Graham,  NC.  •  Victor  Overby  '82BS/B  is  vice  pres- 
ident of  information  services  at  Davenport  & 
Company  LLC  in  Richmond,  where  he  lives.  •  'Arthur 
Palmer  III  '89C/H&S  is  a  manager  at  Circuit  City 
Stores,  Inc.  in  Richmond,  where  he  lives. •  Charles 
Pannunzio  '87BS/MC  is  assistant  managing  editor 
at  the  Northern  Virginia  Dailym  Strasburg,  VA.  He 
lives  in  Winchester,  VA  •  Sandra  Parker  '89BS/MC 
IS  the  weekend  anchor  and  a  general  assignment 
reporter  at  VWEC-TV  in  Norfolk,  VA.  Sandra  has 
covered  several  high  profile  stories  including  travel- 
ing to  Oklahoma  City  to  cover  the  bombing  of  the 
federal  building  and  the  one-year  anniversary  of  the 
tragedy  •  Samuel  Perdue  '87BS  '90MS/H&S  works 
at  the  National  Institutes  of  Health.  He  lives  in  Falls 
Church,  VA  •  Rhonda  (Keyes)  Pleasants  '88BS/B  is 
a  licensed  funeral  director  and  embalmer  and  office 
manager  at  the  W.S.  Watkins  &  Son  Funeral  Home, 
Inc.  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives.  She  graduated  in 
May,  2000  from  John  Tyler  Community  College  in  the 
mortuary  science  program.  Rhonda  and  her 
husband,  Charies  have  a  10-year-old  daughter  and 
five-year-old  son.  •  Emily  Porter  'BSBA/H&S  is  vice 
president  of  marketing  at  refer.com  in  Cambridge, 
MA,  where  she  lives.*  Brent  Richardson  '89MEd  is 
a  licensed  counselor  and  assistant  professor  at 
Xavier  University  in  Cincinnati.  He  wrote  Working 
with  Challenging  Youth:  Lessons  Learned  Along  the 
Way,  which  gives  lessons  tor  connecting  and  inter- 
vening with  at-risk  youth  and  families.  Brent  has 
conducted  several  local,  regional  and  national 
workshops  related  to  this  topic.  He  lives  with  his 
wife,  Melanie  Richardson  '94MEd  and  their  two 
sons.  Carter  and  Griffin  in  Fort  Mitchell,  KY.  •  Robert 
Riggs  '89BFA  co-owns  Riggs  Ward  Design,  LC.  in 
Richmond.  They  are  designing  interactives  and 
exhibits  at  a  new  Wildlife  Education  Center  in 
Corolla,  NC,  working  with  the  North  Carolina 
Wildlife  Resources  Comission.  Riggs  Ward  clients 
range  from  large  government  organizations  like  the 
National  Library  of  Medicine  to  small  corporations.  • 
Martha  (Mosby)  Robertson  '80BS/H&S  is  a  sergeant 
in  the  City  of  Richmond  Police  Department  and  lives 
in  Richmond.  •  Ionia  Robinson  '85BS/B  is  a 
computer  specialist  at  the  Department  of  Justice 
Bureau  of  Prisons.  She  lives  in  Temple  Hills,  MD.  • 
Ralph  Rose  '89BS/B  is  a  property  book  officer  in  the 
U.S.  Army  Reserve,  367th  Engineer  Battalion  in  St 
Cloud,  MN.  He  lives  in  Clear  Lake,  MN.  •  Donna 


SUMMER    31     2001 


Rovins  '84BS/1VIC  is  a  team  leader  in  internal  com- 
munications at  GPU  Energy  in  Reading,  PA  where 
she  lives.  •  Carol  Rowe-Patterson  ■84BS/MC  works 
at  the  Fairfax  County  Retirement  Agency  in  Fairfax, 
VA  •  Mark  Rowley  '86MS/H&S  '90MD  practices 
orthopaedic  surgery  at  Countryside  Orthopedics  in 
Lansdowne,  VA.  He  completed  reconstructive 
surgery  fellowship  training  at  Johns  Hopkins 
University  recently.  Mark  lives  in  Ellicott  City,  MD.  • 
Allen  Rubin  '87BS/H&S  practices  cardiothoracic 
surgery  at  Madigan  Army  Medical  Center.  He  lives 
with  his  wife,  Kathleen  and  two  children,  Elias  and 
Rebekah  in  Olympla,  WA.  •  Eric  Slater  '83BS/IV1C 
earned  a  JD  from  New  York  Law  School  in  1998.  He 
IS  the  copyright  administrator  at  the  American 
Chemical  Society's  Publications  Division  in 
Washington.  Eric  lives  in  McLean,  VA.  •  Stephanie 
Smith  'KMSW  IS  assistant  director  of  disability 
services  at  Mary  Washington  College  in 
Fredericksburg,  VA.  She  lives  in  Spotsylvania,  VA.  • 
Joe  Sokohl  'SBBA/H&S  is  a  human-computer  inter- 
action specialist  at  Icon  MediaLab  AG  in  Hamburg, 
Germany,  where  he  lives.  His  wife,  Karen 
(Weatherspoon)  Sokohl  '90MIS  is  a  copywriter  and 
technical  writer  at  the  same  firm.  They  live  near  the 
harbor  and  have  traveled  to  Vienna,  Trento,  Milan, 
Stockholm  and  Utrecht.  'Sherrii  (Garrett)  Sparks 
'88BA/H&S  married  Andrew  Sparks  on  October  9, 
1999.  She  works  at  Sponsorship  Services  Group  Inc. 
in  Trinity,  VA.  They  live  in  Thomasville,  VA.  •  'Mark 
Szafrankski  '87BS/H&S  is  owner  and  founder  of 
Metro  Sound  &  Music  Company  in  Richmond  since 
1991.  The  business  specializes  in  vintage  and  used 
guitars  and  sells  to  famous  musicians  throughout 
the  world.  •  Alfred  Thacker  '83BS/B  is  vice  presi- 
dent of  internal  audit  at  LandAmenca  Financial 
Group,  Inc.  in  Richmond.  He  had  been  assistant  vice 
president  and  audit  manager  at  LandAmenca. 
Alfred  is  a  CPA,  certified  managenal  accountant 
and  certified  information  systems  auditor.  'A. Troy 
Thomas  '86BS/MC  is  president  of  Inertia  Films  Inc. 
in  Atlanta,  where  he  lives.  His  recent  projects 
include  VHI's  Where  Are  They  Now,  Oxygen 
Media's  Trackers  and  Inertia's  original  series 
Testimony:  Profiles  in  Faitii. '  David  Vansanford  Jr 
■88BFA  and  Kari  (Baker)  Vansanford  'giBFA  cele- 
brated the  birth  of  their  son.  Max  in  May,  2000.  They 
have  two  other  children,  Jenna  and  Relet.  David  is 
president  and  owner  of  Craftsman  Construction  Inc. 
•*John  VonBrachel  ■86BA/H&S  is  senior  editor  of 
Individual  Investor  maqazme.  He  lives  with  his  wife 
Susan  in  NYC  • 'Michael  Wade 'aSBS/H&S 
'90MS(RC)/AH  IS  a  sheriff  in  Henrico  County,  VA.  • 
Elizabeth  (Roth)  Waller  ■86BS/B  is  senior  fiscal 
coordinator  at  the  AFL-CIO  Working  for  America 
Institute  in  Washington,  She  lives  in  Laurel,  MD.  • 
•Louisa  (Jones)  Waller  'BOBFA  lives  in  Decatur,  GA. 
•Mary  Weatherford  '89MEd  won  an  R.E.B. 
teacher's  grantto  take  writing  courses  in  IMH.She 
teaches  at  Brookland  Middle  School  in  Henrico 
County,  VA.  'A.  Lee  Weisiger '80MS/B  is  president 
of  Pro  Forma  Search  LLC,  a  national  recruiting 
sourcing  firm  specializing  in  finance  and  accounting 
candidates.  He  was  director  of  human  resources  at 
Capital  One  Services.  Lee  lives  in  Richmond  with  his 
wife,  Liz  and  their  three  daughters.  •*James 
Whelen  III  '87BS/B  is  managing  director  of  First 
Union  Securities  in  Baltimore,  MD.  He  lives  in 
Reisterstown,  MD  with  his  wife,  Alesia  and 
daughter,  Claire.  •  Misty  (Dales)  Wiggins  '86BS/MC 
is  vice  president  of  the  Media  Services  Division  at 
Creasy  Woolfolk  Concepts  in  Richmond.  She  was  a 
research  director  for  WTVR  News  Channel  6.  • 
Daryl  Williams  '89MEd  is  an  assistant  pnncipal  for 
Anne  Arundel  County  Public  Schools  in  Annapolis, 
MD.  He  lives  in  Columbia,  MD.  •  Norman  WInegar 
'83MSW  is  associate  vice  president  of  clinical 
services  at  the  Magellan  Behavioral  Health 
Regional  Service  Center  in  Chattanooga,  TN.  •  Cindy 
(Creasy)  Woolfolk  WBS/MC  founded  Creasy 


Woolfolk  Concepts  of  Richmond  in  1996.  Her 
company  earned  seven  national  awards  in  1999  and 
2000  for  concept,  copy  and  overall  video  and  print 
production. 

1990s 

Lynne  Acker  '94BS/H&S  is  vice  president  at 
Dresdner  Bank  North  Amenca,  LLC  in  NYC,  where 
she  lives.  *  Adetokunbo  Adeoye  '99BS/H&S  is 
pursuing  a  Certificate  in  information  systems.  He 
lives  in  Richmond.  •  Nadhira  Al-Khalili  '96BA/H&S 
earned  a  JD  at  Dickinson  School  of  Law  of 
Pennsylvania  State  University  in  May,  2000.  •  Fitsum 
Andargue  ■98BS  'SSBS/B  is  a  systems  analyst  at  GE 
Capital  Services  in  Stamford,  CT.  He  lives  in 
Chicago,  IL  'A.  Joseph  Anderson  'SaBS/H&S  is  a 
lieutenant  at  the  Virginia  State  Police  in  Culpeper, 
VA.  He  lives  in  Ruckersville,  VA,  •  *Lynn  Anderson 
'99MSW  works  at  the  Richmond  Department  of 
Social  Services  as  a  second  responder  and  social 
work  supervisor.  She  lives  in  Richmond.  'Susan 
(Cicirelli)  Anderson  '92BS/MC  married  Jason 
Anderson  in  December,  1999.  She  works  at  the 
American  Land  Title  Association.  They  live  in 
Fairfax,  VA.  'John  Andreassi  '96MS/H&S  pursues  a 
PhD  at  VCU's  Department  of  Pharmacology  and 
Toxicology  where  he  works.  He  co-authored  an 
article  in  Cancer Researctim  December,  1999.  John 
lives  in  Richmond.  •  Christine  Andrews  '97C/B  is 
controller  at  Spike  Broadband  Systems, 
Incorporated  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives.  • 
'Randall  Andrews  '90MACC  opened  an  office  for 
Simon,  Master,  &  Sidlow  to  support  clients  using 
middle-market  accounting  software  in  Alexandria, 
VA  He  lives  with  his  wife,  'Kathleen  (Bedford) 
Andrews  '94BS/P  'SSMD  in  Fairfax,  VA  •  Yvette 
Appleby  '97BS/E  is  a  certified  athletic  trainer  at  Tri- 
Cities  Rehab  since  1997.  She  lives  in  Petersburg,  VA. 
•  Lisa  Applegate  '95BS/H8iS  is  group  exercise  coor- 
dinator at  International  Monetary  Fund  Fitness 
Center  in  Washington.  She  lives  in  Alexandna,  VA.  • 
Cynthia  (Legg)  Atiyeh  ■94BA/H&S  marned  Edward 
Atiyeh  on  June  17, 2000.  She  works  at  Hunton  and 
Williams  law  firm  in  Richmond,  where  they  live.  • 
Amy  (Mumpower)  Atkinson  '99C/ff&S  'OOMPA  is 
executive  director  of  the  Virginia  Commission  on 
Youth  in  Richmond.  She  lives  in  Mechanicsville,  VA. 
•Brain  Baer'94BS/MC  married  Kim  Anderson  on 
May  28, 2000.  He  is  a  reporter  at  the  Free-Lance 
Starm  Fredericksburg,  VA  where  they  live.  •  Amy 
Baker '97BS/MC  IS  a  media  buyer  at  the  Martin 
Agency  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives.  •Christina 
Baker  '98BS/H&S  is  a  lab  technician  living  in 
Richmond  •  Melissa  Barber '98MS/MC  is  art 
director  of  the  creative  department  at  Brandon 
Advertising  in  Myrtle  Beach,  SC.  She  was  an  art 
director  at  Campbell  Mithun  Esty  advertising 
agency  in  Minneapolis,  MN.  •Elizabeth  (Loop) 
Barnes  '92BFA  is  a  special  projects  designer  at 
SHRM.  She  lives  in  Alexandria,  VA.  •  Sandra 
(Grissom)  Barr  ■97BS/H&S  married  Sidney  Barr  Jr. 
on  May  23, 2000.  She  works  at  the  Virginia 
Department  of  Corrections.  They  live  in  Prince 
George,  VA  •'John  Barron  III  'SBBA/H&S  is  a  car- 
penter at  Cedar  Ridge  Contracting.  He  lives  in 
Stephens  City,  VA.  •  Deborah  (Schluter)  Bauer 
■93MSW  is  an  LCSW  at  Family  Practice  Associates. 
She  lives  in  Madisonville,  TN.  •T.  Christopher 
Becker  'SIBS/H&S  marned  Whitney  Morris  on 
December  10, 1999.  He  works  at  Deutsche  Bank  in 
Baltimore.  They  live  in  Laurel,  MD.  •  Christopher 
Bergstrom '90MS/B  is  a  graphic  artist  at  Target 
Marketing  in  Richmond,  where  he  lives.  •  Brad 
Berkley  '99BM  is  the  choral  director  at  Monacan 
and  Manchester  High  Schools  in  Chesterfield 
County,  VA,  where  he  lives  with  his  wife,  Dana.  • 
Melissa  (Shaheen)  Berling  ■97BA/H&S  married  Karl 
Berling  on  March  11, 2000.  She  is  an  account 
manager  for  Brann  RMG.  They  live  in  Richmond.  • 
Barbara  Bernard  '93BS/H&S  '97MD  is  a  doctor  at 


Skyline  Family  Practice  in  Front  Royal,  VA.  She  lives 
in  Middletown,  VA.  •  Alexis  Berry  '97BFA  is  senior 
designer  for  the  Wolf  Trap  Foundation  in  Vienna, 
VA.  She  lives  in  Sterling,  VA.  •  Kendall  Biggs 
'99BS/H&S  works  as  a  software  engineer  for 
Synetics,  Inc.  in  King  George,  VA.  He  lives  in 
Fredericksburg,  VA.  •  Roland  Biron  '90BS/H&S 
'94MS/M  graduated  in  May,  2001  from  University  of 
Pennsylvania  Medical  School  and  is  a  surgical 
resident.  He  lives  in  Philadelphia.  •  Catherine 
Blanton  '91 BM  is  a  director  at  Amencan 
International  Group.  She  lives  in  Mount  Juliet,  TN.  • 
Jennie  Blizzard  '99BS/MC  is  a  writer  in  the  commu- 
nity affairs/research  at  the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of 
Richmond,  where  she  lives.  •  Jason  Bonardi 
■94BS/MC  IS  a  U.S.  probation  officer  for  the  District 
of  Maryland  and  a  graduate  student  at  the 
University  of  Maryland  School  of  Social  Work. 
Jason  lives  in  Randallstown,  MD.  •  Dwight  Boston 
'92MSW  is  an  LCSW  in  private  practice  as  a 
Christian  therapist  in  Culpeper  and  Mineral,  VA.  He 
lives  with  his  wife  on  a  farm  in  Orange  County,  VA.  • 
Edward  Boyce  III  '91BA/H&S  is  pastor  at  First 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Winnfield,  LA,  where  he 
lives  with  his  wife,  Mariah  and  their  son,  William.  He 
and  his  wife  were  co-pastors  at  three  churches  in 
Henderson,  NC.  •  'L.  Ellen  Bradley  '92MA/H&S 
married  Bnan  Ivey  on  June  17,  2000.  She  is  a  mar- 
keting director  for  the  University  of  Richmond.  The 
couple  live  in  Richmond.  •  Chandra  Broadnax 
'98BS/MC  is  a  verification  specialist  at  First  Union 
Bank  in  Glen  Allen,  VA.  •  Claudia  (Arnold) 
Brookman  '93MT  and  C.  Scott  Brookman 
'90MA/H&S  celebrated  the  birth  of  their  daughter, 
Madeline  Melissa  on  November  27, 2000.  They  live 
in  Richmond  •  Nichole  (Canda)  Brooks-Giles 
■98BS/H&S  married  Corey  Brooks-Giles  'gSBFA  on 
October  9, 1999.  She  teaches  at  Summer  Hill 
Elementary  School.  He  is  a  freelance  graphic 
designer  at  TecHead  Training  Center.  They  live  in 
Richmond.  •  Tracy  Brewer  '93BA/H&S  is  program 
director  for  the  student  training  and  opportunity 
program  at  the  Good  Samaritan  Foundation  in 
Washington.  She  worked  in  educational  program 
management  for  the  Association  of  American 
Medical  Colleges  and  the  American  Association  of 
School  Administrators  and  as  a  technical  editor  for 
the  American  Chemical  Society.  She  lives  in 
Hyattsville,  MD.  •Tanya  Brown  ■96BS/H&S  is  emer- 
gency coordinator  at  Virginia  Department  of 
Emergency  Management  in  Richmond,  where  she 
lives  •John  Brubaker  III  '95BS/B  marned  Gary 
Claytor  on  June  24, 2000.  He  is  a  CPA  at  Price 
Waterhouse  Coopers  LLP.  They  live  in  Richmond.  • 
Gina  Burlew  '96BFA  is  a  graphic  designer  in  publi- 
cations for  the  University  of  Maryland-Baltimore. 
She  won  a  gold  medal  in  the  Neenah  Paper's 
Paperwork's  Letterhead  Design  Contest  for  an 
identity  project  for  the  Donaldson  Brown  Center  in 
Port  Deposit,  MD.  Gina  lives  in  Howard  County,  MD. 
•Dion  Burn  '93BA/H&S  is  editor  at  Edutest,  Inc.  He 
lives  with  his  three-year-old  triplet  daughters  in 
Richmond  •  Michael  Burnes  '96BS/H&S  is  a  techni- 
cal training  program  developer  at  Intel  Corporation 
in  Folsom,  CA.  She  transferred  to  Tokyo  in  the  Fall  of 
2000  to  work  at  a  new  data  center  coming  on  line.  • 
'Brian  Butler  '99BFA,  Greg  Kirsch  '9eBA/H&S  and 
Jeff  Applegate '98/A  founded  e.g.o.  Inc.  or 
Everyone's  Got  One  operating  through  Graphicslab 
Inc.  in  Richmond.  They  create  e.g.o.  cards — 
business  cards  depicting  the  subjects  as  comic 
book  action  characters.  There  is  also  a  network  on 
the  web  for  cardholders.  They  are  planning  to  have 
"second  edition"  cards  available  so  users  can  have 
a  history  chronicling  their  career  path.  •  Kelly 
(Edwards)  Caldwell  '96BS/B  is  a  workers'  compen- 
sation case  manager  at  Newport  News 
Shipbuilding  in  Newport  News,  VA,  where  she  lives. 
•Trisha  (Payne)  Campbell  'SflBS/H&S  married  Hugh 
Campbell  on  August  5, 2000.  She  is  a  litigation 


SHAFER      COURT     32     CONNECTIONS 


manager  for  the  corporate  counsel  office  at  Capital 
One  Services,  Inc.  Tfiey  live  in  Hanover,  VA.  •  Carrie 
Cantrell  '95BA/H&S  is  assistant  communications 
director  for  U.S.  Senator  George  Allen,  She  served 
as  deputy  press  secretary  during  the  former  Virginia 
Governor's  campaign  for  U.S.  Senate.  She  was  also 
editor  and  legislative  liaison  In  the  Office  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth.  She  lives  in 
Alexandria,  VA.  •  Anthony  Caramucci  '98BS/B 
works  at  Royall  &  Company  as  a  network  adminis- 
trator in  Richmond,  where  he  lives.  •  Julie  (Tewell) 
Caraway  'SBMSW  opened  a  counseling  business 
with  her  husband.  Jack  in  November,  2000.  She 
worked  at  Fresenius  Medical  Care  as  a  medical 
social  worker  and  taught  several  college  courses  in 
her  field.  They  live  with  their  son,  Ian  in  Greensburg, 
PA.  •  Jacqueline  Cardelino  '99BS/B  is  a  territory 
representative  at  Voicestream  Wireless.  She  lives 
in  Glen  Allen,  VA  •  Claudine  Carter  '97MS/H&S  is 
senior  certified  latent  print  examiner  at  Broward 
Sheriff's  Office — Cnme  Laboratory  in  Fort 
Lauderdale.  She  lives  in  Oakland  Park,  PL.  •  *Linnie 
(Smith)  Carter  'SZBS'SSIVIS/IVIC  is  director  of  institu- 
tional advancement  at  John  Tyler  Community 
College  in  Chester,  VA.  She  has  earned  several 
public  relations  awards  from  the  Transportation 
Marketing  &  Communication  Association, 
Richmond  Public  Relations  Association  and  APEX 
(Awards  for  Publication  Excellence).  She  lives  in 
Richmond.  •  Qiana  Carter  '99MURP  works  for 
Hanover  County  and  lives  in  Richmond.  •  Shannon 
(Shaw)  Carter  '99BS/E  married  Jamie  Carter  on 
October  23, 1999.  They  live  in  Powhatan,  VA.  • 
Theresa  Castro  '97BFA  is  studying  tor  a  Master's  of 
Architecture  degree  at  the  University  of  Arizona. 
She  lives  in  Tucson.  •  Jennifer  (Oliver)  Challis 
'97BSW  'SgiVISW  and  her  husband,  Lauren  cele- 
brated the  birth  of  their  son,  Harmon  Kent  Challis  on 
October  30, 2000.  She  is  an  investigator  at  the 
Department  of  Health  Professions  in  Richmond. 
They  live  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  •  Detra  Chandler 
■98BS/H&S  works  for  the  U.S.  Air  Force  Jag  Corp. 
Shewasalegal  intern  at  the  City  of  Boston  Law 
Department  She  lives  in  Boston,  MA.  •  Cyndra 
(Flynn)  Church  '94BS/MC  marned  Eric  Church  on 
August  7, 1999.  She  works  at  George  Mason 
University.  They  live  in  Falls  Church,  VA.  •  Samuel 
Clark  III  '92BS/B  is  a  healthcare  sales  representa- 
tive for  Kimberly-Clark  Healthcare  in  Richmond 
where  he  lives  with  his  wife,  Kim.  They  celebrated 
the  birth  of  their  son.  Mason  on  April  13, 2000.  • 
Lyndsay  Clelland  '99BS/H&S  is  an  application 
review  specialist  in  the  VCU  financial  aid  office  and 
lives  in  Richmond.  She  is  a  skydiver  and  traveler  as 
well.  •  Nancy  Clemmer  '98MSW  is  a  social  worker 
forthe  seriously  mentally  ill,  homeless,  and  sub- 
stance-abusing clients  at  SOME,  So  Others  Might 
Eat  She  was  an  outpatient  mental  health  therapist 
at  Northern  Virginia  Family  Services.  Nancy  lives 
with  her  husband  George  in  Arlington,  VA.  •  Tracey 
(Denzler)  Coats  'SOBS/B  is  a  CPA  and  manager  at 
Mitchell,  Wiggins  &  Company  LLP's  Richmond 
office.  She  has  worked  there  since  1991.  •  Donna 
Coghill  '90BFA  '94MFA  is  director  of  education  at 
Theatre  IV  in  Richmond  where  she  lives.  •  Megan 
Colley  '92BA/H&S  is  a  litigation  attorney  at  Mello 
Jones  &  Martin  in  Bermuda  where  she  lives.  She 
was  called  to  the  Bar  of  England  and  Wales  on  July 
22, 1999,  and  called  to  the  Bermuda  Bar  on 
September  29, 2000.  •  *Joanne  Correia  '98BGS/H&S 
is  an  eBusiness  specialist  at  Philip  Morris  USA.  She 
lives  in  Mechanicsville,  VA.  •  "Mary  Cosby 
■93BS/H&S  ■96MS(RC)/AH  is  a  probation  officer  at 
Henrico  Community  Corrections  in  Richmond, 
where  she  lives  •  Karen  (Woodward)  Cox 
'94BS(RC)/AH  marned  Robert  Cox  on  August  12, 
2000.  They  live  in  Williamsburg,  VA.  Karen  works  at 
DeBarros  Chiropractic  in  Mechanicsville,  VA.  • 
Ronald  Crawford  '93MPA  is  pastor  of  College  Park 
BaptistChurch  in  Orlando,  FL  He  had  been  a  pastor 


at  a  3,200  member  church  in  IMC.  •  Nancy  Crocker 
'94IVIS/IVIC  is  research  director  at  WTV2-WB33.  She 
collects,  coordinates,  interprets  and  distributes 
marketing  information.  •  Philip  Crocker  '96BS/H&S 
is  a  technical  regulatory  affairs  analyst  at 
AstraZeneca  LP  in  Wilminton,  DE,  where  he  lives.  • 
Stephanie  (Shipp)  Cross  '97MT  marned  Steven 
Cross  on  February  12, 2000.  She  teaches  at  Ratcliffe 
Elementary  School.  They  live  in  Aylett,  VA.  • 
Catherine  (Deaver)  Crutchfield  '94BS/H&S  married 
Mark  Crutchfield  on  September  9, 2000.  She  is  an 
operations  compliance  specialist  at  Capital  One. 
They  live  in  Chester,  VA.  •  David  Cummings 
'91MS/H&S  is  a  program  manager  with  the 
Richmond  Police  Department  Planning  Unit  He  was 
a  crime  analyst  for  the  Richmond  Police  after 
passing  the  Virginia  Bar  Exam  in  1998.  He  and  his 
wife,  Elizabeth  (Gilbert)  Cummings  '95MEd  cele- 
brated the  birth  of  their  daughter,  Annelise 
Seabrook  Cummings  on  December  7, 1999.  • 
Michael  Curry  '91  BS/H&S  is  an  auditor  for  attorney 
programs  at  GE  Card  Services  in  Atlanta.  He  lives  in 
Duluth,  GA.  •  Lindsay  (Tupper)  Dann  '97BM  marned 
Thomas  Dann  on  June  10, 2000.  She  teaches  music 
for  the  Nash-Rocky  Mount  public  school  system. 
They  live  in  Tallahassee,  FL.  •  Andrea  (Thomas) 
Davis  '94BS/MC  married  Kevin  Davis  '95BS/MC  on 
September  25, 1999.  They  are  both  working  toward 
MBAs  at  Old  Dominion  University.  Kevin  is  a  search 
consultant  at  Accounting  Solutions.  They  live  in 
Virginia  Beach.  •  *Gina  (Gibson)  Davis  '92BS/H&S 
'96MD  is  a  family  physician  at  Atlee  Family 
Physicians  in  Mechanicsville,  VA.  Gina  lives  in 
Ashland,  VA,  with  her  daughter,  Amanda.  •  John 
Davis  Jr.  '91BGS/H&S  earned  an  Master  of  Divinity 
in  May,  2000  at  Union  Theological  Seminary  and 
Presbytenan  School  of  Christian  Education  in 
Richmond.  •  Kenneth  Day  '93BS/MC  is  head  of 
commerce  at  European  Voice.  He  lives  in  Brussels, 
Belgium.  •  John  Deaton  '93BA/H&S  found  and  is 
preparing  4,000-year-old  Egyptian  hieroglyphic 
spells  from  coffin  fragments.  The  spells,  called 
Pyramid  Texts,  were  ancient  copies  taken  from 
spells  found  on  Old  Kingdom  pyramids.  This  discov- 
ery was  announced  before  the  1999  annual  meeting 
of  the  Amencan  Research  Center  in  Egypt  and 
should  be  published  next  year.  Some  of  the  texts 
were  on  display  atthe  Virginia  Museum  of  Fine  Arts. 
•  Dean  Deaver  '95BS'97MS/H&S  and  Karen 
Schwartz  ■97MS/H&S  celebrated  the  birth  of  their 
daughter  Julia  Renee  in  2000.  He  works  at 
Transmeta.  She  teaches  at  Hudson  High  School. 
They  live  in  Sterling,  MA.  •  Dana  Dehart  'BOBFA 
'90BS/H&S  works  in  the  Center  for  Child  and  Family 
Studies  atthe  University  of  South  Carolina  College 
of  Social  Work  in  Columbia,  SC.  •  *Charlene 
(Gamba)  Delia  Ratta  '91BFA  and  her  husband, 
Raphael  celebrated  the  birth  of  their  daughter,  Ava 
Francesca  on  October  28, 2000.  They  live  in 
Glenwood,  MD.  •  Cheryl  Denbar  '96BFA  is  a 
second-year  student  and  McNeil  Fellow  in  the 
Winterthur  Program  in  Early  American  Culture  at 
the  University  of  Delaware  in  Winterthur,  DE.  She 
lives  in  Wilmington,  DE.  •  Nicollette  Dennis  '92BSW 
■99MSW  is  chief  of  the  child  abuse  section  of  the 
Department  of  Social  Work  in  Ft  Hood,  TX.  She  lives 
with  her  son,  Eddie  in  Killeen,  TX.  •  Christine 
DeWilde  '93BFA  was  named  one  of  Inside 
Business's  "Top  Forty  Under  40."  She  started 
TouchMe  Communications,  a  firm  that  put  fully- 
interactive  computer-information  kiosks  in  key 
spots  around  the  Richmond  area  in  1998.  Christine 
partnered  with  the  Retail  Merchants  Association 
and  the  Metro  Richmond  Convention  and  Visitor's 
Bureau.  She  is  one  of  the  volunteer  founders  of 
Young  at  Art  and  on  the  board  of  Allegro,  Richmond 
Symphony  volunteers.  •  Michele  DeWoody- 
Applegate  '95BFA  teaches  interior  design  at  King 
Faisal  University  in  Saudi  Arabia  where  she  lives 
with  her  husband,  Nicholas  and  their  child,  Morgan. 


She  IS  doing  design  work  for  the  compound  where 
she  lives,  renovating  18  villas.  •  Daniel  Dombrowski 
'94BS  '97MS/H&S  is  curator  of  conservatory  and 
tropical  education  at  the  NC  State  Museum  of 
Natural  Sciences.  He  lives  with  his  wife  Claudia 
Dombrowski  '95BS/P  and  their  2-year-old  daughter 
Allison  in  Raleigh,  NC.  •  Erinn  (Gates)  Doyle 
'92BS/H&S  IS  a  critical  care  cardiothoracic  regis- 
tered nurse  at  St  Mary's  Hospital  in  Richmond, 
where  she  lives.  Her  husband  Jeffrey  Doyle 
'92BA/H&S  '94MT  teaches  10th  grade  social  studies 
for  Chesterfield  County  Schools.  •  Cheryl  (Brown) 
Draper '95BS/H&S  marned  Dwayn  Draper  on 
September  23, 2000.  She  works  for  Sherman  Dixie 
Concrete  Industries.  They  live  in  Hendersonville,  TN. 

•  Amy  (Harmon)  Duke  '92BS/B  married  Richard 
Duke  '99MBA  on  September  18, 1999.  They  work  at 
the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  Richmond.  They  live  in 
Chesterfield,  VA.  •  Sydney  (Sowers)  Duncan 
'96MFA  married  Andrew  Duncan  on  January  14, 
2000,  She  teaches  in  the  English  Department  at  the 
University  of  Alabama.  They  live  in  Tuscaloosa,  At  • 
Virginia  (Long)  Eiben  '98MT  married  Lawrence 
Eiben  on  July  22, 2000.  She  teaches  first  grade  for 
Hennco  County  Schools  in  VA.  •  Fredrik  Eliasson 
'94BS/B  '95MBA  works  at  CSX  Corporation  as 
director  of  investor  relations  and  financial  planning. 
He  lives  in  Jacksonville  Beach,  FL.  •  Kelly 
(Cushman)  Eller  '99BS/H&S  married  Michael  Eller 
on  June  24, 2000.  She  works  at  NCI  Information 
Systems  at  Dahlgren,  VA.  They  live  in  King  George, 
VA.  •  Tracie  (Fox)  Elliott  '90BS/B  married  Joseph 
Elliott  Jr.  on  September  9, 2000.  She  works  at 
Harold's  Clothing  Company.  They  live  in  VA.  •  *Kelly 
(Griffin)  Filizola  '93BS/B  married  Matthew  Filizola 
on  September  9, 2000.  She  is  a  matenal  planner  at 
Arrow  Electronics,  Inc.  in  Raleigh,  NC,  where  they 
live.  ■  Georgia  Fisher '98BA/H&S  is  pursuing  an 
Master's  in  advertising  atthe  University  of  Texas- 
Austin  where  she  lives.  She  worked  as  a  claims 
adjuster  and  for  an  ad  agency.  •  Shelley  (Forrest) 
Foultz  '99C/H&S  IS  a  police  recorder  and  identifica- 
tion supervisor  in  Chesterfield  County,  VA.  She  lives 
in  Richmond.  •  Alvin  Fowlkes  Jr.  '93BS/B  works  at 
American  Express  Financial  Advisors  as  an  inde- 
pendent financial  advisor  in  Richmond.  He  lives  in 
Chesterfield,  VA  •  Mary  Francis  '95BS/H&S  is  an 
SLDCasemanagerforthe  Roanoke  City  Schools  in 
Roanoke,  VA.  She  has  been  an  LD  teacher  and  eligi- 
bility test  coordinator  for  3  years  at  William  Ruffner 
Middle  School.  Mary  lives  in  Salem,  VA.  •  Sande 
(Snead)  Fulk  'gBMS/IVIC  is  director  of  public  rela- 
tions and  marketing  for  Autorent  She  has  been  a 
freelance  writer  for  eight  years.  Sande  earned  a 
third-place  award  from  the  National  Press  Women 
and  three  first-place-writing  awards  from  the 
Virginia  Press  Women.  She  lives  in  Chester,  VA.  • 
*Greta  Galloway  '98BS/H&S  'OOMS(RC)/AH  works 
atthe  U.S.  Departmentof  Veterans  Affairs  in  St 
Petersburg,  FL  •  Victoria  (Curto)  Gambacini 
'95BA/H&S  married  Edward  Gambacini  on  May  20, 
2000-  They  live  in  Richmond.  •  Steven  Gardner 
'97MSW  IS  a  social  worker  living  in  Annandale,  VA. 

•  Rajat  Garg  '93BS/H&S  '96MD  '99HS  is  co-medical 
director  of  the  Medical  Step-Down  Unit  at  VCU 
Health  Systems.  He  is  starting  a  fellowship  in  cardi- 
ology in  July,  2001.  Rajat  lives  in  Glen  Allen,  VA.  • 
Suzanne  (Sawyer)  Garza  '94BSW  '98BFA  teaches  in 
the  Los  Angeles  Unified  School  Distnct  where  she 
lives.  ■  Danielle  (Lytton)  Gauldin  '93BFA  is  an  art 
director  at  The  Packett  Group  in  Roanoke,  VA.  She 
was  an  art  director  and  designer  at  Opus  1  in 
Raleigh,  NC.  Danielle  has  nine  years  of  design  expe- 
rience including  work  with  Reynolds  Metal 
Company  and  Peter  Wong  &  Associates  in 
Richmond.  •  Mark  Gettle  '%BS/H&S  works  in  the 
ESIH  section  at  White  Oak  Semiconductor  in 
Sandston,  VA,  in  contract  field  safety  coordinating 
process:  area  safety  and  confined  space  entry.  He 
lives  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  •  Christopher  Getty 


SUMMER     33     2001 


■92BS/H&S  is  an  accounting/auditing  manager  at 
the  Pncewaterhouse  Coopers  Foundation  in 
Baltimore,  He  lives  in  Bel  Air,  MD.  •  Lee  Goebes 
'97BFA  attends  Washington  and  Lee  Law  School  in 
Lexington,  VA  where  he  lives,  •  Kimberly  Golden- 
Malmgren  '95IVIFA/H&S  married  Tord  Malmgren  on 
May  12, 1999  in  Stockholm,  She  is  working  on  a 
novel  and  participating  In  the  Stockholm  Writers' 
Association  evening  workshops.  Currently,  Kimberly 
teaches  business  English  and  assists  with  a 
distance  learning  project  'Alan  Goldstein  'SBBS/E 
works  at  Cambndge  Systems,  Inc,  as  a  technical 
recruiter.  He  lives  in  Glen  Allen,  VA,  •  Elizabeth 
Goldstein  '96BS/H&S  married  Michael  Lau  on  July 
15, 2000,  She  is  an  accountant  at  Via-Net- 
Works.com  in  Reston,  VA,  They  live  in  Centreville, 
VA,  •  *Robert  Gonzalez  '96BFA  isadesignerat 
Aquent  in  NYC,  He  lives  in  Brooklyn,  •  Elizabeth 
(Goodwin)  Goodman  '98IVISW  married  Matthew 
Goodman  on  June  17, 2000,  She  is  a  substance 
abuse  prevention  counselor  at  Loudoun  County 
Schools,  They  live  in  Arlington,  VA,  •  *l\lina 
Goodwyn  '93BS/MC  works  at  the  Virginia  Economic 
Development  Partnership  as  senior  marketing  asso- 
ciate in  Richmond,  where  she  lives,  •  "Philip  Griffin 
'95BA/H&S  IS  a  lieutenant  in  the  Virginia  Army 
National  Guard,  to  be  deployed  in  October,  2001 
with  the  29  ID(L)  to  Bosnia  as  part  of  the  stabilization 
force  in  the  country.  He  married  Megan  Griffin  on 
September  5, 1998,  and  they  celebrated  the  birth  of 
their  daughter  Emily  on  July  12, 1999,  They  live  in 
Alexandna,  VA,  •  Jody  Griffith  'geBS/HSS  is  a  flight 
attendant  with  Delta  Airlines,  She  lives  in  Sunny 
Isles  Beach,  PL,  •  Jerry  Grimes  Jr  '98BFA  is  senior 
designer  at  Enterprise,  IG  in  NYC,  where  he  lives,  • 
*Diana  (Blanchard)  Gross  '94MA/A  and  her 
husband,  Chris  celebrated  the  birth  of  her  first  child, 
Parker  on  December  11, 1999.  She  is  a  curator  at 
the  Peninsula  Fine  Arts  Center  in  Newport  News, 
VA.  The  family  lives  in  Norfolk.  •  Elizabeth  (Street) 
Gualdoni  '96BS/H&S  married  Paul  Gualdoni  '97BFA 
on  September  9, 2000.  They  live  in  Boston.  •  Neila 
Gunter'95MPA  IS  the  first  African-American  woman 
elected  chair  of  the  Virginia  Credit  Union.  She  had 
been  a  vice  president  and  U-year  member  of  the 
Board.  Neila  is  a  human  resources  director  for  the 
state's  mental  health  agency.  She  is  president  of 
North  Side  Community  Development  Corporation 
and  led  the  creation  of  a  free  community  health 
center  at  Fifth  Street  Baptist  Church,  She  has  also 
led  |ob  placement  programs  for  community  youth, 
Neila  lives  in  Richmond  with  her  husband  Geary 
and  their  children  Nikeva  and  Geary  Jr,  -Todd 
Hanna  '98IVIBA  works  at  Omni  Packing  Corporation 
in  Tulsa,  OK  where  he  lives.  •  Bernard  Hamm  Jr 
■96MEd  IS  assistant  registrar  at  the  University  of 
Richmond  and  lives  in  Richmond,  •  Gary  Harding 
'99BA/ff&S  IS  staff  assistant  and  web  coordinator  at 
the  Brookings  Institution,  He  lives  in  Washington,  • 
Jason  Hart  '94BS  '97IV1S  ■99PhD/H&S  is  an  assistant 
professor  of  psychology  at  Stephen  F,  Austin  State 
University  in  Nacogdoches,  TX.  •  Pamela  Hart 
'99BS/H&S  teaches  third  grade  special  education  at 
J,C,  Parks  Elementary  School  in  Indian  Head,  MD, 
She  lives  in  Waldorf,  MD,  •  John  Harvey  III 
■97BS/I\/IC  is  a  sports  writer  at  the  Virginia  Gazette  in 
Williamsburg,  VA,  where  he  lives.  He  was  formerly 
a  sports  writer  at  the  Page  News  &  Counerm  Luray, 
VA,  -Carla  Hegeman  ■95BS/H&S  Is  a  postdoctoral 
research  associate  at  Cornell  University  in  Ithaca, 
I\IY,  where  she  lives.  She  earned  a  PhD  in  plant 
physiology  at  Virginia  Tech.  •  Michele  Heiney 
'96MS  'gSPhD/H&S  is  a  human  factors  psychologist 
at  Federal  Data  Corporation  in  Egg  Harbor 
Township,  NJ.  She  lives  in  Absecon,  NJ,  •  Misty 
(Cox)  Henderson  '95MSW  is  an  adjunct  instructor  at 
Radford  University's  School  of  Social  Work,  She 
lives  in  Radford,  VA  with  her  husband  Dale  and  their 
two  children,  Luke  and  Jude,  'Amy  (Snead) 
Hobgood  '95BA  married  Harold  Hobgood  on  May 


20, 2000.  She  is  a  recruiter  at  Management 
Recruiters  International,  They  live  in  Atlanta,  • 
Sheryl  (Miller)  Hosey  ■92BFA  ■97MA/H&S  teaches 
English  at  Council  Rock  High  School  in  Newton,  PA, 
In  July,  2000,  she  became  a  fellow  of  the  National 
Wnting  Proiect.  Sheryl  also  teaches  literature  at 
Delaware  Valley  College  in  Doylestown,  PA.  She 
and  her  husband  John  live  in  Perkiomenville,  PA.  • 
*Thomas  House  Jr.  ■95BGS/H&S  is  a  VCU  Police 
officer  and  lives  in  Richmond.  •  Alyce  (Carr)  Hudson 
'99BS/E  works  at  the  Medical  University  of  South 
Carolina  in  Charleston  as  a  CTRS/CLS  and  volunteer 
director  for  Children's  Health,  She  lives  in  Mt 
Pleasant,  S,C  •  Robert  Hutchinson  '9765/6  is  port- 
folio administrator  at  First  Union  Secunties  in 
Richmond,  He  lives  in  Colonial  Heights,  VA.  • 
Gretchen  Icard  '94MSW  is  senior  social  worker  for 
Henrico  County,  near  Richmond.  •  Millard  Ives 
'936S/MC  is  police  beat  reporter  for  the  Wilmington 
Star-News  in  Wilmington,  NC,  where  he  lives.  • 
Marsha  Jackson  '916S/6  is  senior  project  manager 
at  TVG,  Inc.  in  Fort  Washington,  PA.  She  lives  in 
Elkins  Park,  PA,  •  Michael  Jackson  '98C/6  is  a 
senior  associate  at  Goodman  &  Company,  L,LP., 
where  he  has  worked  for  two  years,  •  Cher 
Jackson-Lewis  '996GS/H&S  works  at  Bell  Atlantic- 
Verizon  as  a  small  business  consultant  in  Richmond, 
where  she  lives.  •  Cindy  Johnson  ■99MPA  works  at 
the  Defense  Logistics  Agency  in  Richmond  as  an 
inventory  management  specialist  providing  weapon 
systems  support.  She  lives  in  Ladysmith,  VA.  • 
6ernadine  Jones  ■97eFA  earned  a  graphic  design 
award  in  the  Graphic  Design:  usa  2000  American 
Graphic  Design  Awards  competition.  Her  design 
appears  in  the  December  2000  issue  of  the  Graphic 
Design:  usa  magazine.  •  Jamie  (Snyder)  Jones 
'986FA  married  Brian  Jones  on  January  22, 2000. 
She  is  a  photographer  at  Tlie  Progess-lndex.  They 
live  in  Colonial  Heights,  VA.  •  Lyie  Jones  '90BS/B  is 
a  fleet  credit  analyst  at  Volvo  Commercial  Finance. 
He  lives  in  Greensboro,  NC.  •  Rochelle  (Weinfeld) 
Journalist 'SSBFA  is  an  account  executive  at  Fossil 
in  NYC,  where  she  lives  with  her  husband  John.  • 
Maranda  (Stokes)  Judd  ■99MSW  married  Tyler 
Judd  on  June  3, 2000,  She  is  a  mental  health  thera- 
pist at  Pathways  Employee  Assistance  Program  in 
Gastonia,  NC,  They  live  in  Charlotte,  NC,  •  Carl 
Juran  '92BS/B  is  an  outside  sales  representative  at 
Mid-South  Building  Supply,  •  Colette  (Waters)  Kane 
'94MA/A  married  Mark  Kane  on  May  23, 2000,  She 
is  an  arts  administrator  and  artist  They  live  in 
Raleigh,  NC  •  Jennifer  (6rady)  Kane  '946S/H&S 
married  Kevin  Kane  on  June  24, 2000.  She  teaches 
4th  grade  in  Goochland  County,  VA.  They  live  in 
Hennco  County,  VA,  •  Sherrill  Kaufhnan  '906S/E 
won  an  R,E.B,  teacher's  grant  to  study  early  Greek 
and  Roman  civilization  in  Greece  and  Italy,  She 
teaches  at  Pinchbeck  Elementary  School  in  Hennco 
County,  VA.  •  Heather  (Shorter)  Keating  ■97MSW 
married  Tim  Keating  on  September  16,  2000.  She  is  a 
medical  social  worker  at  Riverside  Home  Health  in 
Newport  News,  VA,  where  they  live.  •  Quinton  Kelly 
Sr  'SgC/H&S  works  at  the  Virgina  State  Police 
Department  He  lives  in  Woodbridge,  VA.  •  Jae  Kim 
'976S/H&S  earned  an  MA  in  Christian  Education  in 
May,  2000  at  Union  Theological  Seminary  and 
Presbyterian  School  of  Chnstian  Education  in 
Richmond.  •  Sang  Kim  '906S/H&S  is  a  computer 
engineer  at  GlobalOne  in  Reston,  VA.  He  lives  In 
Falls  Church,  VA.  -Jeffrey  King  ■926S/H&S  '96C/e 
passed  the  Virginia  Bar  Exam  and  was  admitted  into 
the  Virginia  State  Bar.  He  is  in-house  counsel  for 
CarMax  Auto  Superstore  Inc.  •  Deirdre  Kinney 
■90BA/A  is  senior  associate  of  individual 
giving/development  at  PBS  in  Alexandria,  VA, 
where  she  lives,  •  Peter  Klatt  '91  MBA  is  merchan- 
dising coordinator  at  Bell  Industries  in  Richmond, 
where  he  lives  •  Laura  (Heinz)  Klotz  '94BFA  marned 
David  Klotz  '946A/H&S  on  May  27, 2000,  She 
teaches  at  Liberty  Middle  School  in  Hanover 


County,  VA,  He  works  at  American  Express 
Financial  Advisors  in  Richmond,  where  they  live,  • 
Brandon  Koch'98BS/MC  marned  Leslie  Ward 
'98BS/MC,  He  is  an  account  manager  at  Capital  One 
in  Richmond,  where  they  live.  •  Stephen  Kopalchick 
Jr  '996S/6  is  assistant  to  the  president  at  Christian 
Aid  Mission,  He  lives  in  Charlottesville,  VA,  •  Philip 
Koslow  '93BM  is  executive  director  of  the  Fairbanks 
Symphony  Association  in  Fairbanks,  AK  where  he 
lives.  He  was  executive  director  of  the  Tallahassee 
Symphony  in  Florida  for  three  years.  •  Linda  (Neher) 
LaMarca  '926S/H&S  marned  Anthony  LaMarca  on 
December  2, 2000,  She  is  a  self-employed  clinical 
neuropsychologist  in  New  Smyrna  Beach,  FL, 
where  they  live,  •  Keith  Laskey  '92eA/H8iS  is  Chief 
of  Information  Systems  at  Selecterra  in  Chicago, 
where  he  lives,  •  Andrea  (Turnage)  Latell  '97MEd 
married  Jerome  Latell  ■97MEd  on  August  5, 2000, 
She  is  a  guidance  counselor  and  he  is  a  technology 
instructor  at  Lancaster  Middle  School  in 
Kilmarnock,  VA,  They  live  in  Irvington,  VA,  • 
Elizabeth  (Goldstein)  Lau  '966S/H&S  marned 
Michael  Lau  on  July  15, 2000.  She  is  an  accountant 
at  Via  Networks  Inc.  in  Reston,  VA.  They  live  in 
Potomac  Falls,  VA.«  Jennifer  Lawler-Mecca 
'90eFA  is  a  self-employed  studio  potter.  She  lives 
with  her  husband,  Joseph  in  Newborn,  NC,  •  Henry 
Lee  ■97BFA  is  working  on  an  MFA  in  film  at  New 
York  University,  He  has  directed  his  third  short  film 
and  has  started  writing  his  feature  and  thesis 
project  He  lives  in  NYC,  'Jennifer  (Chappell)  Lee 
'94BS/H&S  married  Richard  Lee  on  September  9, 
2000,  She  teaches  at  Saint  Vincent  DePaul  High 
School,  They  live  in  Prince  George  County,  VA,  • 
Trina  Lee  '926S/MC  is  public  relations  coordinator 
for  the  Office  of  Epidemiology  at  the  Virginia 
Department  of  Health  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives. 
She  has  worked  in  newsrooms  in  Richmond,  Dallas 
and  Washington.  She  was  executive  producer  at 
Wm/R  in  Richmond.  •  Jennifer  Leon  ■986A/H&S  is  a 
paralegal  at  Smith  &  Miller,  P.C.  in  Richmond,  She 
lives  in  Midlothian,  VA.  '"Heloise  "Ginger"  Levit 
'98MA/A  IS  an  art  dealer  and  art  histonan  in 
Richmond  where  she  lives  with  her  husband  Jay 
and  their  children  Richard,  Robert  and  Darcy.  She  is 
currently  writing  art  articles  for  several  publica- 
tions, including  Mid-Atlantic  Antiques  Monthly. 
Ginger  provides  French  paintings  to  Richmond  col- 
lectors and  promotes  regional  and  local  artists  to 
the  corporate  market  •  Mary  (Lerch)  Lineburg 
'93MS/MC  marned  Robert  Lineburg  on  Apnl  29, 
2000,  She  is  director  of  promotions  at  Markatec  in 
Dallas,  'Eric  Livingston  '966S/H&S  married 
♦Rachel  Livingston  'OOMS/N  on  July  23, 1996,  He  is 
a  police  officer  in  Virginia  Beach  working  toward  an 
MS  in  cnminal  justice  at  VCU.  Rachel  is  a  nurse 
practitioner  at  Portsmouth  Naval  Hospital.  They  live 
with  their  children,  Victoria,  Alexis  and  Hayley  in 
Virginia  Beach.  'Tammy  Lloyd  '916FA ■97M6A 
works  at  Central  Carolina  Bank  in  Greensboro,  N.C. 
where  she  lives.  ■  Shannon  (Moseley)  Lodge 
'92BS/B  '96MHA/AH  marned  Mark  Lodge  on 
February  26, 2000.  She  works  at  the  Chesterfield 
Community  Health  Care  Center.  They  live  in 
Chesterfield,  VA.  •  Greg  Lohr  '976S/MC  is  a  market- 
ing and  media  reporter  at  the  Washington  Business 
Journal.  He  covered  county  government  at  the 
Daily  Press  in  Newport  News,  VA.  Greg  also 
covered  government  and  education  at  the 
Lynchburg  News  &  Advance  in  Lynchburg,  VA.  • 
*Ailsa  Long  '96BFA  is  an  art  director  at  Capital  One 
in  Glen  Allen,  VA.  She  lives  in  Richmond,  •Alicia 
Longley  '90BFA  is  a  pre-press  technician  at 
Mobility,  Inc,  in  Richmond  where  she  lives.  'Amy 
Luckeydoo  'gSBS/H&S  ■97MD  celebrated  the  birth 
of  her  son  on  March  3, 2000,  She  graduated  from 
pediatric  residency  in  Peoria,  IL  in  June,  2000  and 
works  at  the  Naval  Ambulatory  Care  Clinic  in  Kings 
Bay,  GA.  Amy  lives  in  Kingsland,  GA,  •  Sean  Malone 
'92BS/H&S  is  establishing  private  practice  in 


SHAFER      COU[<.T     34     CONNECTIONS 


internal  medicine.  He  lives  with  his  wife,  Helen  and 
son,  Roger  in  Salisbury,  NC.  •  Patrick  Mann  '97BS/B 
is  assistant  practice  manager  at  Iron  Bridge  Animal 
Hospital  in  Richmond.  He  lives  in  Gretna,  VA.  • 
Debra  Manning  '96BS/H&S  was  promoted  to  lieu- 
tenant in  the  U.S.  Navy  in  a  ceremony  at  the 
Defense  Commissary  Agency.  •  *Melinda  Manzi 
■95BS/B  is  a  benefits  analyst  at  Burlington 
Industries.  She  lives  in  Greensboro,  NC  with  her 
husband  Jim.  •  Yuqian  Mao  'SSMBA  is  an  MBA 
associate  at  Philip  Morns  USA  in  NYC,  where  she 
lives  •  Courtney  (Warf)  Massengill  '99MT  marned 
William  Massengill  '98BS/H&S  on  July  22, 2000 
She  teaches  fifth  grade  at  Rohoic  Elementary 
School.  He  is  deputy  director  of  Constituent 
Services  in  the  Virginia  Governor's  Office.  They  live 
in  Sutherland,  VA.  •  *Lisa  (DeRosa)  Mathias 
'93MSW  married  William  Mathias  on  October  2, 
1999.  She  is  a  staff  attorney  at  Legal  Aid  Bureau, 
Inc.  where  she  represents  abused  and  neglected 
children  in  state  court  dependency  hearings.  They 
live  in  Baltimore.  •  Richard  Matthews  '95BGS/H&S 
is  a  lieutenant  in  the  U.S.  Navy.  He  currently  lives  in 
Santa  Rita,  Guam  •  Alissa  (Biem)  Maynard  '91BFA 
is  president  and  an  interior  designer  at  Conceptual 
Planning  Group.  She  lives  with  her  husband,  James 
and  their  son,  Mackenzie  in  Viejo,  CA.  •  Odell 
McCants  Jr.  '92BA/H&S  is  president  and  CEO  of 
Personnel  Remedies,  LLC  in  Alexandria,  VA.  He  lives 
in  Washington.  •  Challiss  McDonough  '93BA/H&S  is 
a  journalist  and  Southern  Africa  Bureau  Chief  at  the 
Voice  of  America  in  Johannesburg,  South  Africa. 
She  travels  throughout  the  region,  covenng  1 1 
countries.  Challiss  lives  in  Richmond,  South  Africa.  • 
•Timothy  McKeever  '%MBA  works  at  SunTrust 
Mortgage,  Inc.  as  a  financial  analyst  in  Richmond, 
where  he  lives.  •  Sara  McMahon  '97BFA  is  a  free- 
lance graphic  artist  living  in  Austin,  TX.  •  Patricia 
McMullan  'gOBA/H&S  works  at  Best  Software.  She 
lives  in  Manassas,  VA.  •  *Kelli  Miller  '91 BS/MC  is 
president  of  NEWScience,  Inc.,  a  science  and 
medical  news  production  company  in  Atlanta,  GA. 
Her  clients  include  NewsProNet  Interactive,  The 
Weather  Channel,  The  Gale  Group  and  Schlager 
Information  Group.  Kelli's  work  also  appears  in 
Science  and  Its  Times,  Understanding  ttie  Social 
Significance  of  Scientific  Discovery,  Volumes  3,5,6 
and  7.  She  lives  in  Woodstock,  GA.  •  Melody  Moore 
'99PhD/E  is  division  chair  of  extended  learning  and 
distance  education  at  John  Tyler  Community 
College  in  Chester,  VA.  She  was  coordinator  of  con- 
tinuing education  and  has  been  with  the  college 
since  1996.  She  lives  in  Colonial  Heights,  VA.  •  John 
Moorefield  '97BS/B  is  director  of  community 
lending  at  Neighborhood  Housing  Services  of 
Richmond  (NHSR).  NHSR  is  a  non-profit  promoting 
home-ownership  and  rehabilitating  homes  in 
depressed  areas  of  Richmond.  His  wife.  Amy  (Graf) 
Moorefield  '96BA/A  is  assistant  director  of  VCU's 
Anderson  Gallery.  •  *Robert  Moss  '95BS/B  is  distnct 
executive  director  at  the  Central  Florida  YMCA  in 
Winter  Park,  FL  He  lives  in  Maitland,  Fl.  •  Jackie 
(Finney)  Mullins  '94BFA  pursues  an  MA  in  museum 
studies  at  VCU.  Her  husband  Rodney  Mullins 
'94BS/B  is  a  senior  software  engineer  at  Insource 
Software  Solutions.  They  live  in  Richmond.  •  Teresa 
(Conti)  Mullins  '99MT  marned  Brent  Mullins  on  July 
22, 2000.  She  teaches  elementary  school  at  Hanover 
County  Schools.  They  live  in  Mechanicsville,  VA.  • 
Stephanie  (Dzierzek)  Murphy  '90BS/H&S  '95BS/D  is 
a  dental  hygienist  at  Dr.  Richard  Bates'  office  in 
Colonial  Heights,  VA.  She  lives  in  Chester,  VA.  • 
Valerie  Nellen  '96MS  '99PhD/H&S  works  at 
Conexant  Systems  in  Newport  Beach,  CA.  She  lives 
in  Huntington  Beach,  CA.  •  Heather  Nelson  '98BSW 
is  a  residential  and  outpatient  therapist  working 
with  boys  9-18  at  Arizona  Youth  Associates.  She 
lives  in  Scottsdale.  •  Melanie  (Bumette)  Newlin 
'97BS/H&S  married  Bradley  Newlin  on  October  16, 
1999.  She  is  an  aftercare  case  manager  at 


Cornerstone's  Camp  Kenbridge.  They  live  in 
Hampton,  VA.  •  Scott  Newman  '91  MEd  is  assistant 
dean/director  of  housing  and  residential  life  at 
Eureka  College.  He  lives  in  Normal,  IL.  •  *Susan 
Noble  '96MT  teaches  at  Hennco  County  Schools 
and  lives  in  Richmond.  •  Ashley  Nunn  '95BFA  is 
owner  and  president  of  Birdland  Enterprises  and 
works  as  a  counselor  for  sexually  and  verbally 
abused  children  in  CA.  She  was  a  model  and  avian 
behavionst.  Ashley  also  studies  holistic  medicine. 
She  lives  in  San  Francisco.  •  Tanya  Owens  '98BFA 
IS  art  director  at  Champ  Car  magazine  where  she 
directs  photography  and  design.  She  was  a  graphic 
production  assistant  for  a  magazine  publisher  in 
Richmond.  Tanya  lives  in  Tustin,  CA.  •  Amy  Parkhill 
'93BFA  is  a  production  director  at  Creative 
Industnes  in  Glen  Allen,  VA.  She  lives  in  Richmond.  • 
Shelley  Parnell  '96BS/H&S  is  an  attorney  in  general 
litigation  at  Dorsey  &  Whitney,  LLP  in  Minneapolis. 
She  lives  with  her  husband,  Leiand  in  St.  Paul,  MN.  • 
Nicolle  Parsons-Pollard  '92BS/MC  '97MS/H&S  is  a 
systems  administrator  at  the  Hanover  County 
Sheriff's  Office.  She  pursues  a  PhD  at  VCU  in  of 
public  policy  and  administration  as  well.  Nicolle 
was  a  cnme  analyst  She  lives  with  her  husband  of 
10  years  and  their  two  children,  ages  3  and  6  in 
Richmond. '  Lori  Parziale  '90BFA  and  her  husband, 
Victor  celebrated  the  birth  of  their  first  child,  Victor 
Parziale  II  on  June  21, 1999.  She  is  an  illustrator  at 
the  Virginia  Department  of  Game  and  Inland 
Fisheries.  They  live  in  Lynchburg,  VA.  •  *Anthony 
Pearman  '88BFA  was  named  to  the  Amencan 
Advertising  Federation's  National  Addy  Advisory 
Committee.  He  is  CEO  and  creative  director  of 
Access  in  Roanoke,  VA.  •  Daniel  Pearson 
'92BS/H&S  is  regional  senior  clinical  research 
associate  for  The  PHOENIX,  a  research  manage- 
ment company  in  Mt.  Ariington,  NJ.  He  lives  in 
Chesterfield,  VA  •  Gregory  Pfrommer  '94BFA  works 
at  Light  &  Sound  Design  as  production  manager 
and  programmer.  He  lives  in  Atlanta.  •  Lara 
(Johnson)  Phalen  '92BS/MC  is  senior  strategic 
sales  analyst  at  Sallie  Mae.  She  lives  in 
Washington.  •  Gerard  Pineda  '91BS/B  works  at  The 
401  k  Company  as  a  programmer.  He  lives  in  Austin, 
TX  •  *J.  Michael  Pitzer  Jr  '90BFA  marned  Ruth 
Hutson  on  December  30, 2000.  They  live  in 
Alexandria,  VA.  •  Lisa  Polk  ■99BS/H&S  is  a  parale- 
gal at  Cohen,  Milstein,  Hausfeld  &  Toll  in 
Washington.  She  lives  in  Columbia,  MD.  •  Joe 
Pudner  '98BS/B  is  a  third-year  law  student  at 
University  of  Pennsylvania  Law  School.  He  lives  in 
Philadelphia.  •  Pamela  Pugh  '91BS/H&S  '93MEd  is 
director  of  operations  for  an  international  health 
care  firm  in  Falls  Church,  VA.  She  lives  in  Lake 
Ridge,  VA.  •  Rina  Rapuano  '97BA/H&S  is  Inside 
Business'sfnsl  managing  editor.  She  was  chief 
copy  editor  and  editorial  assistant  since  1998.  • 
Bryan  Reedy  '97BS/E  married  Alexa  Lane  on 
September  30, 2000.  He  works  at  Richmond  Cold 
Storage.  They  live  in  Prince  George,  VA.  •  Donna 
Reynolds  '97BS/H&S  '99MS(RC)/AH  is  a  counselor 
at  the  Virginia  Department  of  Juvenile  Justice.  She 
lives  in  Richmond.  •  'Gena  Rhone  '97MEd  is  a 
guidance  counselor  at  Norview  Elementary  in 
Norfolk,  VA.  •  Nichelle  Ricks  ■96BSW  teaches 
Language  Arts  and  Social  Studies  at  John  Yates 
Middle  School  in  Suffolk,  VA.  She  earned  an  MT  in 
Sociology  with  a  minor  in  Language  Arts  and  Social 
Studies  from  Hampton  University  on  May  9, 1999. 
Nichelle  lives  in  Smithfield,  VA.  •  Christian 
(LeGrand)  Riggs  '99MS/MC  married  James  Riggs  on 
September  30, 2000.  She  is  an  instructional  systems 
specialist  at  CASCOM  in  Fort  Lee,  VA  and  an  active 
volunteer  at  the  Ettnck-Matoaca  Volunteer  Rescue. 
They  live  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  •  *Kimela  Robbins 
'97BS/B  is  an  analyst  at  Jorge  Scientific  Corporation 
in  Arlington,  VA.  She  lives  in  Woodbridge,  VA.  • 
Melissa  Rock-Jackson  '95BS/H&S  is  a  juvenile  cor- 
rections worker  at  Rappahannock  Juvenile 


Detention  in  Fredericksburg,  VA.  She  lives  with  her 
husband,  Casey  and  their  son,  Casey  Jr.  in  Ruther 
Glen,  VA.  •  *Maria  Rogal  '95MFA  is  a  senior 
designer  at  Sapient.  She  lives  in  Atlanta.  •  *James 
Rose  '90BFA  is  an  artist  and  assistant  professor  of 
fine  arts  at  Kutztown  University.  His  work  is  shown 
in  national  juried  shows  and  is  part  of  the  perma- 
nent collections  of  the  Philadelphia  Museum  of  Art 
and  the  Afncan-Amencan  Historical  and  Cultural 
Museum.  His  simple  images  deal  with  complex 
issues  such  as  race,  fear,  isolation,  struggle,  beauty, 
anger,  spirituality  and  change.  •  Timothy  Rose 
'98BS/H&S  works  in  pharmaceutical  sales  at 
Schenng  in  Midlothian,  VA,  where  he  lives.  •  Trina 
(Copley)  Rowe  ■94BS/H&S  marned  Christopher 
Rowe  on  July  1, 2000.  She  is  a  physician  assistant  at 
Harmony  Clinical  Research,  Inc.  in  Johnson  City, 
TN.  They  live  in  Bristol,  TN.  •  Terri  (Touchette) 
Russell  '95MSW  married  Brian  Russell  on 
November  6, 1999.  She  is  on  the  social  work  staff  at 
Henrico  County  Schools.  They  live  in  Richmond.  • 
Erin  (Easton)  Ryan  '92BS/H&S  is  a  human  resources 
generalist  at  Developmental  Management  Systems. 
She  lives  in  OIney,  MD  with  her  husband,  Frank  and 
their  daughter,  Katherine.  •  Tracy  (Tuten)  Ryan 
■96PhD/B  earned  a  Fulbnght  grant  to  teach  at  Korea 
University  in  Seoul  dunng  spnng  semester  2001 . 
She  is  an  assistant  professor  of  marketing,  manage- 
ment, advertising  and  e-commerce  at  Longwood 
College  in  Farmville,  VA.  Tracy  recently  contnbuted 
to  the  books  Advances  in  Psychology  Research  and 
On-line  Social  Science.  Her  articles  have  appeared 
in  several  professional  journals  including  Industnal 
Marketing  Management,  Marketing  Research,  and 
Human  Resource  Management  Journal.  Tracy 
conducts  her  research  with  ZUMA,  an  international 
leader  in  social  science  research  in  Mannheim, 
Germany.  She  lives  with  her  husband  Michael  Ryan 
Jr.  '87BS/B  ■94MBA  in  Richmond  •  Samantha 
(Burgess)  Sartain  'OOMT  marned  David  Sartain 
■%BGS/H&S  on  June  10, 2000.  She  teaches  in 
Hanover  County,  VA.  He  works  at  Richmond 
Window  Corporation.  They  live  in  Richmond.  •  Greer 
Saunders  ■93BS/H&S  is  a  special  assistant  to  the 
president  at  Virginia  State  University  in  Petersburg, 
VA.  She  lives  in  Richmond.  •  Stephen  Scafidi  II 
'91BA/H&S  wrote  his  first  book.  Sparks  from  a  Mine- 
Pound  Hammer:  Poems,  published  by  Louisiana 
State  University  Press.  He  is  a  poet  and  cabinet- 
maker living  in  Summit  Point,  VW  with  his  wife, 
Kathleen.  Stephen's  poems  have  appeared  in 
American  Poetry  Review,  Shenandoah  Southern 
Poetry  Review.  Southern  Reviewani  others.  • 
Jeanne  Schlesinger  '95MEd  is  a  member  of  the 
Team  in  Training  (TNT)  for  the  Leukemia  and 
Lymphoma  Society.  She  will  be  participating  in  a 
100-mile  bike  nde  to  raise  money  for  research  on 
leukemia,  lymphoma,  Hodgkin's  disease,  and 
myeloma.  Jeanne  works  at  VCU's  School  of 
Medicine.  •  Bryan  Schlotman  '93BS/H&S  is  a  lieu- 
tenant in  the  U.S.  Navy  in  Washington,  He  lives  in 
Kensington,  MD.  •  Virginia  Schraudt  '90BS/MC  is  a 
pharmaceutical  sales  representative  at  Organon 
Pharmaceuticals  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives.  • 
Bryan  Searcy '98BS/E  teaches  at  Fluvanna  County 
High  School.  He  and  his  wife  Errin  (Kardos)  Searcy 
'99BS/H&S  live  in  Palmyra,  VA  with  their  children 
Charles  and  Abigail.  •  Cynthia  Seay  '99MT  teaches 
third  grade  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives.  • 
Courtney  (Robison)  Semisch  '93MS/f1&S  earned  a 
PhD  in  sociology  in  May,  2000  from  Pennsylvania 
State  University-  She  is  a  research  associate  for  the 
U.S.  Sentencing  Commission  in  Washington, 
researching  federal  sentencing  policy  issues  for 
implementation  within  federal  guidelines.  She  lives 
in  Oakton,  VA.  •  Kimberly  (Rorrer)  Separ  '97MA/A 
married  Michael  Separ  on  May  20, 2000.  She  is  a 
librarian  at  VCU.  They  live  in  Richmond.  •  Barbara 
(Hitt)  Sepdham  '95MS/H&S  married  Dan  Sepdham 
'97MD  in  May,  1997.  She  teaches  biology  and  envi- 


SUMMER   35    2001 


ronmental  science  at  community  colleges.  Barbara 
lives  in  Panama  City,  FL.  •  Kimberly  Severino 
■98MS/B  IS  a  retail  leasing  associate  tor  the  Norfolk 
retail  team.  She  was  director  of  research  for  the 
company's  Hampton  Roads  and  Richmond  offices.  • 
Jason  Shannon  '98BS/B  married  Rachel  Mahaffey 
on  June  24, 2000.  He  works  at  Richmond  Decorating 
Incorporated.  They  live  in  Ruther  Glen,  VA.  •  *Erin 
(Hiley)  Sharp  '99BS/H&S  is  a  graduate  student  at 
Pennsylvania  State  University.  She  lives  in  College 
Park, PA  -Sharon (Campbelll Sheatfer91BS/B 
married  Damon  Sheatfer  on  September  11, 1999. 
They  live  and  work  In  Richmond.  •William  Sheffey 
'90BS/B  Is  vice  president  in  the  investment  manage- 
ment group  at  Commerce  Bancshares,  inc.  in 
Kansas  City,  MO.  He  was  senior  equity  trader  and 
has  eight  years  of  banking  expenence.  'Heather 
Shields  '98BFA  works  at  Shields  Communications 
Services,  Inc.  as  a  purchasing  agent  in  Richmond 
where  she  lives.  •  Patrick  Siewert  'SSBS/H&S 
married  Cynthia  Searles  on  October  23, 1999.  He 
works  for  Henrico  County,  VA.  -Jason  Simon 
'95BS/B  is  a  direct  sales  representative  at  Inter-Tel 
Technologies  in  Milliard,  OH.  He  lives  in 
Worthington,  OH.  -Stefan  Sittig  ■97MFA  is  a 
language  team  assistant  and  actor  at  World  Bank  in 
Washington.  He  performed  voice-over/narratlonfor 
two  public  service  spots  in  Portuguese  for  the  Clean 
Air  Initiative  in  Latin  American  Cities;  they  aired  on 
CNN  and  in  Brazil.  He  has  appeared  in  Side  Showai 
the  Signature  Theatre,  in  1/KesfS/de  Story  as  A-rab 
and  in  Joseph  &  The  Amazing  Technicolor 
Dreamcoatas  Zebulon  atthe  OIney Theatre  in 
Washington.  Stefan  is  a  dance/fight  choreographer 
for  several  theatres.  He  taught  at  Messiah  College 
In  PA  for  the  past  two  years,  where  he  choreo- 


graphed Anything  Goes  and  The  Pirates  of 
Penzance.  He  lives  In  Arlington,  VA.  -  Steven 
Skinner '91 BS/MC  is  director  of  marketing,  legisla- 
tive and  public  affairs  atthe  Virginia  Department  of 
Fire  Programs  in  Richmond. -D.  Tracy  Smith 
'95MFA  and  his  wife,  Shauna  celebrated  the  birth  of 
their  son,  Sandy.  Tracy  is  a  set  designer  at  Carsey- 
Werner  Productions  working  on  television  shows 
such  as  Third  Rocl<  from  the  Sun,  That  70's  Show 
and  Grounded  for  Life  -  Dana  Smith's  '90MFA 
Women  Clothed  with  the  Sun  was  published  by 
Louisiana  State  University  Press.  Her  poems  have 
appeared  in  Faith  at  Work,  Visions,  and  American 
Voice.  Dana  teaches  at  Strode  College  and  lives  in 
Exeter,  England.  •  Robert  Smith  'SSBS/H&S  is  a  pro- 
bation officer  with  Chesterfield  Community 
Corrections  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  He  lives  in 
Richmond  and  is  pursuing  an  MBA.  -*Shawn 
Spears  '91BS/B  is  director  of  finance  at 
Excite@Home  Corporation,  the  leader  in  broadband 
in  Redwood  City,  CA.  He  was  director  of  finance  at 
Arthur  Anderson  LLP  In  LA.  Shawn  lives  in  San 
Francisco  -Margaret  Spradlin'99BS/B  is  a  human 
resources  representative  at  LG&E  Power  Inc.  in 
Richmond,  where  she  lives.  •  Melissa  (Brown) 
Stanley  '97BS/B  married  Joel  Stanley  on  September 
25, 1999.  She  Is  a  CPA  at  Southern  States 
Cooperative.  They  live  in  Ashland,  VA.  -  Martha 
Steger '96BS/H&S  was  inducted  into  the  Virginia 
Communications  Hall  of  Fame  on  April  14, 2001.  The 
Communications  Hall  of  Fame  recognizes  Virginians 
who  have  shown  exceptional  achievement  in  print 
journalism,  broadcasting,  public  relations,  advertis- 
ing and  interactive  media.  Martha  is  director  of 
public  relations  for  the  Virginia  Tourism  Corporation. 
•Marsha  (Butler)  Stephens  '92BS/MC  is  an  MIS 


analyst  ll/software  developer  at  Capital  One.  She 
spends  her  free  time  restoring  her  1909  Victorian 
house  In  Ashland,  VA  with  her  husband  Don.  • 
Shannon  (Secrist)  Stevens  '93BFA  Is  a  special  edu- 
cation teacher  at  21st  Century  Academy  in 
Petersburg,  VA.  She  lives  in  Prince  George,  VA.  - 
Brian  Steveson  ■90BS/B'95MTax  manages  account- 
ing services  at  Dominion  Resources,  Inc.  •  Miranda 
Stewart-Willis  '91BFA  pursues  an  MBA  In  interna- 
tional marketing  at  George  Washington  University. 
She  lives  in  Arlington,  VA  with  her  husband  Keith 
and  their  daughter  Kaeden.  -Amy  (Reeves)  Sumner 
'95MSW  married  Anthony  Sumner  'TSBS/P 
■93MS/AH  on  December  30, 2000.  Both  work  for 
Cigna  Healthcare  in  Bloomfleld,  CT,  where  they  live. 
-Amanda  Taylor '98MS  is  a  federal  probation 
officer.  She  lives  In  Abingdon,  VA.  •  Kimberly 
Terbush  '93BFA  is  a  registrar  at  the  New  York 
Historical  Society.  She  lives  in  Brooklyn.  - 
'Christopher  Thomas  '95BFA  is  an  internet  analyst 
at  Lucent  Technologies  In  Denver,  where  he  lives.  • 
Sibyl  Thomas  '93BS/MC  is  a  broadcast  media  buyer 
at  Arnold  Communications.  -  Margaret  Tinsley 
'92MFA/H&S  is  director  of  public  relations  at  the 
Virginia  Society  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Architects  (VSAIA)  in  Richmond.  She  was  the 
Valentine  Museum's  director  of  public  relations. 
Margaret  is  a  published  poet  and  freelance  writer. 
She  was  named  to  Inside  Hus/ness's  1999  "Top  40 
Under  40."  Margaret  just  completed  her  first  SuperS 
film,  Fishin'  Blues  land  Pinks}.  -  Joseph  Topich  V 
'95BS'96C/B  married  Heather  Bridges  on  April  29, 
2000.  He  IS  an  accountant  at  Computer  Sciences 
Corporation  in  Falls  Church,  VA.  They  live  in 
Alexandna,  VA.  -  Heather  Trail  '99BS/E  earned  cer- 
tification as  therapeutic  recreation  specialist.  She 


High  Wattage 

Lucille  (Anderson)  Baber  '39BS/H&S  died  on  Febraiy 
26,  at  home  in  Richmond,  after  a  long  illness— the  first, 
she  confided,  of  a  long  and  active  life.  She  was  87. 

At  the  Richmond  Division  of  the  College  of  William 
and  Mary,  "Andy"  was  a  chemistry  major.  She  was  also 
tall,  lively  and  beautiful — on  all  the  athletic  teams  and 
in  most  of  the  plays,  where  because  of  the  lack  of  men 
students  (only  one)  and  her  height,  she  played  men's 
roles.  "1  had  long  hair,  in  one  braid  down  my  back.  The 
drama  teacher  said,  'Don't  turn  around.'"  She  added,  "1 
had  a  working  scholarship." 

Her  biggest  drama  in  those  years  was  a  confrontation 
with  Henry  Hibbs,  over  where  she  would  go  to  graduate  school.  "1  had  been 
accepted  into  University  of  Virginia,  but  1  told  Dr.  Hibbs  1  wanted  to  stay  at 
home  and  go  to  MCV."  Hibbs,  however,  was  anxious  for  the  prestige  of  one  of 
his  students  attending  UVA.  "He  was  very  dramatic.  Well,  you  won't  get  a 
degree,  here."  Hibbs  forgot  how  small  Richmond  was.  Andy's  family  spoke  to 
their  friend  at  MCV,  Dr.  Sanger,  who  spoke  to  Dr.  Hibbs.  She  stayeci  at  home 
for  graduate  school. 

After  graduation,  Lucille  went  into  industrial  research  at  Philip  Morris, 
working  side  by  side  in  the  lab  with  Clinton  Baber.  The  chemistry  was  right. 
Their  wartime  wedding  in  1941  began  a  highly  successful  lifelong  collabora- 
tion. 

Clinton's  work  took  them  to  Venezuela  and  the  Philippines.  ("When  we 
arrived  in  Carracas,  there  was  a  party  for  us — that  went  on  for  seven  years," 
Clinton  smiled.)  In  Venezuela,  Lucille  raised  funds  with  the  American 
Association  of  University  Women  to  send  young  women  to  U.S.  graduate 
schools.  She  helped  set  up  schools  for  blind  and  deaf  children.  In  the 
Philipines  she  became  a  teacher  herself.  Studying  painting  gave  her  another 
way  to  respond  to  the  world  around  her — focusing  on  flower  in  the  rain,  or  a 
Filipino  mother  with  her  children.  Or,  the  portrait  of  the  young  woman  who 
worked  for  them,  who  appropriated  the  painting — "Look  at  the  picture  'Mom' 
is  painting  for  me!"  Later,  back  in  Richmond,  she  volunteered  with  the  Red 
Cross  and  other  community  groups. 

We  were  lucky  enough  to  meet  Lucille  a  little  over  a  year  ago  when  she 
posed  for  the  back  cover  of  last  summer's  issue.  A  delight  at  the  photo  shoot, 
she  was  a  pleasure  and  an  inspiration  in  a  few  visits  with  her  at  home  near 
VCU.  Lucille  and  her  husband,  Clinton,  maintained  their  joy  in  life  as  it  got 


harder.  They  had  a  grace  and  valiance  that  seemed  to  come  from  their 
personal  integrity  and  from  their  love  and  consideration  of  each  other. 

Lucille,  "Andy,"  was  a  high  wattage  person.  A  definite  light  has 
gone  out. 
— M.E.  Mercer 

Constituents  First 

Norman  Sisisky  '49BS/B  died  at  home  in  Richmond, 
March  29,  2(X31,  days  after  surgery  to  remove  two  can- 
cerous growths  from  his  lungs.  Sisisky,  a  Democrat,  was 
a  Virginia  representative  in  Congress  since  1983,  and 
served  in  the  Virginia  House  of  Delegates  from  1973-82. 

Sisisky  came  home  from  Navy  service  in  World  War 
II  and  attended  RPl  on  the  G.l.  Bill,  working  nights  to 
pay  his  living  expenses.  After  graduation,  he  bought  a 
small  famUy-owned  Pepsi-Cola  bottling  plant  in 
Southern  Virginia  and  ttansformed  it  into  a  multi- 
million  dollar  business.  "1  never  knew  1  would  make  so  much  money  out  of 
selling  colored  water,"  he  told  a  fiiend.  Then  he  ran  for  office.  VCU  not  only 
prepared  him  for  business,  Sisisky  said,  but  the  university's  "commitment  to 
community  helped  foster  my  sense  of  public  service." 

In  Congress,  Sisisky  became  a  senior  member  of  the  House  Committee  on 
Armed  Services  and  served  on  the  House  Committee  on  Intelligence.  He  was 
recognized  by  both  parties  for  leadership  on  national  security  issues.  He 
proposed  legislation  to  diversify  the  defense  industry  and  agreed  that 
campaign  finance  reform  was  necessary.  (He  donated  his  own  congressional 
salary  to  charity.)  Legislation  he  sponsored  or  supported  preserved  Virginia 
waterways,  brought  thousands  of  defense  jobs  to  his  constituents  in  the 
Hampton  area,  and  mandated  Medicare  preventive  saeenings  for  colorectal, 
prostate,  breast  and  cer\'ical  cancers — a  bill  that  passed  in  1997. 

Virginia  Senator  John  Warner  gave  the  eulogy  at  Sisisky's  fianeral.  Former 
state  Senator  Elmon  Gray  of  Waverly,  Virginia  and  a  longtime  friend,  com- 
mented, "1  had  the  best  congressman  in  Washington.  The  trick  is  knowing 
the  system  and  how  to  use  it,  and  nobody,  nobody  learned  it  better  than 
Norman,  or  liked  it  as  much  as  he  did." 

Fanfare  for  a  Common  Man 

Edward  Mirr,  professor  emeritus  who  had  taught  in  the  Music  Department  for 
38  years,  died  August  28,  2000  at  72  from  chronic  lymphacytic  leukemia. 

Born  in  New  York  City,  Mirr  left  the  High  School  of  Music  &  Art  in  1943 
at  16  to  begin  his  professional  career  as  trumpeter  with  the  Indianapolis 


SHAFER      COURT     36     CONNECTIONS 


works  at  Inova  Kellar  Center  School  in  Fairfax,  VA.  • 
Jerry  Trice  II  ■92BFA  is  head  chef  at  Yin  Yankee 
Cafe  in  Annapolis.  His  specialties  Include  all  types 
of  Asian  and  Onental  cuisine  and  southern  Virginia 
cooking.  Jerry  has  worked  in  several  restaurants 
including  the  Red  Sage,  Bistro-Bistro  and  Sam  & 
Harry's.* Mark Troia'91BFA  will  be  participating  in 
the  Aids  Vaccine  Ride  in  Montana  in  August,  2001. 
with  co-workers  from  MIT  and  the  Whitehead 
Institute.  For  Information,  email  Mark  at 
samily@mltedu,  or  visit  Pallota  Teamworks' 
website  at  www.vacclneride.org.  Mark  lives  in 
Cambridge,  MA.  •  Peter  Van  VIeet  '97BS/IVIC  is  a 
writer  for  CNN  Headline  News  in  Atlanta,  where  he 
lives  •  Gwendolyn  (Bennett)  Vaughan  '97BSW 
married  Matthew  Vaughan  ■97BS/H&S  on  October 
7, 2000.  She  works  for  the  City  of  Alexandria  Mental 
Health.  He  works  for  Fairfax  County  Department  of 
Family  Services.  They  live  in  Alexandria,  VA.  • 
*Kristi  Vera  '97MSW  is  a  clinical  social  worker  at 
VCU's  University  Counseling  Services  in  Richmond, 
where  she  lives.  •  •Wendy  Vick-Wlllis  '95BA/H&S 
married  Jeremy  Willis  on  May  27, 2000.  She  Is 
director  of  development  for  Oflcinca  Legal  del 
Pueblo  Unido,  a  non-profit  public  Interest  law  firm. 
Wendy  works  in  the  Austin,  TX  office:  The  Texas 
Civil  Rights  Project  •  Benjamin  Wagner  '99BS/H&S 
Is  an  industrial  engineering  supervisor-Hub  planner 
with  the  United  Parcel  Service  In  Richmond.  He 
lives  In  Petersburg,  VA.  •  *Tracy  (Crimmins)  Wales 
'92BS/H&S  marned  Eddie  Wales  on  July  29, 1995. 
They  own  Motor  Supply  Company  Bistro  in 
Columbia,  SC  where  they  live.  Tracy  Is  a  vetennari- 
an  at  Shandon-Wood  Animal  Clinic.  •  *Monica 
Walton  '93BS  '98MS(RC)/AH  is  a  mental  health  case 
manager  and  counselor  at  Richmond  Behavioral 


Health  Authority  In  Richmond.  She  serves  on  the 
MCV  Alumni  Association  Board.  Monica  lives  in 
Powhatan,  VA.  •  Katharine  (Pendergrass)  Ward 
■98MT  married  Nathan  Ward  on  July  22, 2000.  She 
teaches  biology  In  Florida.  They  live  in  West  Palm 
Beach  •  Charlotte  Watts  ^OBGS  MMS 
■%PhD/H8iS  IS  clinical  director  of  the  Family 
Counseling  Center  at  VCU  Health  Systems.  • 
William  Webb  '%BS/E  teaches  at  Roanoke  City 
Schools  in  Roanoke,  VA,  where  he  lives.  •  Chante 
Wellington  ■99BS/H&S  is  pursuing  an  Master's  in 
Psychology  at  Duquesne  University  in  Monroeville, 
PA,  where  she  lives.  •  Steven  Wells  '92BA/H&S  is 
assistant  director  of  Information  services  at 
PharmaResearch  Corporation,  a  contract  research 
organization  in  Morrisville,  NC.  He  lives  in  Chapel 
Hill,  NC.  •  *Sue  Werner  'gSMS/B  works  at  Federal 
Reserve  Information  Technology  in  Richmond, 
where  she  lives  •  Michael  White  ■94BS/H&S 
earned  an  MD  at  Marshall  University  School  of 
Medicine  In  1999  and  Is  In  family  practice  residency 
at  Florida  Hospital  In  Orlando.  He  lives  with  his  wife, 
Kann  and  their  daughter,  Leanna  Michelle  in 
Longwood,  FL  •  *Mark  Whitman  '98MBA  is  a  sales 
representative  at  MLXL  Sportswear  Inc.  in  Chester, 
VA,  where  he  lives.  •  Diana  Wilkinson  '90BS/H&S  is 
a  zoning  officer  for  the  City  of  Wllllamsburg,VA.  She 
lives  In  Deltaville,  VA.  •  Helen  Yang  '96BFA  is  senior 
designer  at  Sapient  In  San  Francisco,  CA  where  she 
lives.  •  Vinny  Yim  '95BS/MC  is  online  marketing 
manager  at  Bazllllon  in  Seattle.  He  lives  in 
Mountlake  Terrace,  WA.  •  Andy  Young  '98BFA 
married  Maria  (Eriandsen)  Young  '97BS/H&S  in 
May  2000.  He  Is  a  disc  jockey  at  DC-101.  They  live  in 
Burke,  VA.  •  Linda  Young  'giMSW  owns  The  Family 
Therapy  Place  in  Round  Rock,  TX.  She  lives  in 


Piano,  TX  •  Stephanie  (Evans)  Young  ^SBFA 

married  Andrew  Young  on  April  8, 2000.  She  is  a 
webpage  designer  at  Media  General  newspapers, 
Richmond.  They  live  in  Mechanlcsville,  VA.  •  *Kabir 
Yousuf  '%BS/H&S  'OOMD  is  starting  his  residency 
at  the  University  of  Tennessee  in  Memphis.  He  lives 
in  Cordova,  TN. 

2000s 

Allison  Aheart  'OOBS/B  is  a  hardware  support  spe- 
cialist at  Ferguson  Enterpnses  in  Newport  News, 
VA,  where  she  lives.  •  Amy  Anderson  'OOMPA  works 
in  public  relations  at  Sterling  Hager  in  Watertown, 
MA.  She  lives  in  Norwell,  MA.  •  Alison  Barry 
'OOBA/H&S  works  at  Sprint  Corporation  in  sales  for 
the  small  business  division.  She  sells  dedicated 
internet  protocol,  data  ports,  etc.  Alison  lives  in 
Louisville,  KY.  •  Kathryn  Best  'OOMA/H&S  teaches 
English  at  Tnnity  Episcopal  School  m  Richmond, 
where  she  lives.  •  Tiffany  Boone  'OOBFA  is  an 
interior  designer  at  Banerjee  &  Goff,  Inc.  In 
Richmond,  where  she  lives.  •  Vickie  Burda 
'OOBS/H&S  is  an  internet  technical  assistant  at  First 
Union  National  Bank  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives. 
She  is  taking  graduate  courses  at  VCU.  •  Robert 
Culbertson  'OOMEd  won  an  R.E.B.  teacher's  grant  to 
study  cathedrals  in  Italy.  He  teaches  at  Thomas 
Dale  High  School  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  •  Mary  Davis 
'OOMIS/H&S  IS  a  GIS  specialist  at  the  Virginia 
Economic  Development  Partnership  In  Richmond, 
where  she  lives.  •  Marc  DeAngelo  'OOMSW  is  a 
social  worker  at  Prince  William  County  Schools.  He 
lives  with  his  wife,  Elizabeth  (Graf)  DeAngelo 
'OOMSW  in  Lake  Ridge,  VA.  •  Theresa  Dionisio 
'OOBS/H&S  attends  medical  school  and  lives  in 


Symphony  Orchestra.  In  summer,  1947,  he  won  a  schol- 
arsliip  to  play  trumpet  in  the  Berkshire  Music  Festival 
Orchestra  at  Tanglewood,  under  Boston  Symphony  con- 
ductor Serge  Koussevitsky  and  guest  conductors  Aaron 
Copeland  and  Leonard  Bernstein.  He  later  earned  a  BA 
at  Queens  College  and  an  MA  at  Columbia  University. 

Mirr  was  principal  trumpet  for  15  years  with  the 
Richmond  Symphony  and  retired  after  38  years  of  per- 
formance with  the  orchestra.  All  told,  he  had  55  years  of 
orchestra  performance,  from  the  Richmond  and 
Indianapolis  Symphonies  to  the  orchestras  for  Ballet 
Russe  de  Monte  Carlo  and  the  Metropolitan  Opera. 
In  1960,  Mirr  came  to  Ridimond  to  play  principal 
tmmpet  in  the  Richmond  Symphony  and  to  teach  at  RPl.  Mirr  founded 
VCU's  Brass  Ensemble  and  the  Richmond  Symphony  Brass  Quintet,  which 
performed  for  students  at  area  public  schools,  gave  trumpet  clinics,  taught 
private  trumpet  lessons,  and  performed  recitals  and  solo  performances.  In 
1961  he  founded  the  Richmond  Regional  Band.  Many  of  those  players  earned 
music  degrees  and  now  teach  in  Virginia's  music  programs,  including  the 
Richmond  Symphony's. 

Those  teachers  had  a  good  model.  "Ed  had  the  patience  of  Job,"  says 
faculty  colleague  Tim  Streagle  '91BM'97MM.  "He  was  a  very  thorough 
private  teacher.  He  was  always  looking  for  ways  a  student  could  improve, 
no  matter  what  level  they  were.  He  always  focused  on  the  positive."  Bob 
EUithorpe  '71BM  says,  "He  was  one  of  the  kindest  men  I've  ever  known. 
He  was  always  concerned  with  students'  welfare,  and  finding  playing 
opportunities." 

Linda  Johnston  '72BME  was  in  Mirr's  class  for  music  education  majors 
"where  we  had  to  learn  to  play  all  the  brass  instmments,  so  you  can  imagine 
what  that  was  like.  He  had  an  amazing  performance  record,  and  often  good 
performers  are  not  so  patient.  But  it  didn't  seem  to  fmstrate  him.  He  was 
really  a  teacher."  She  adds,  "You  associate  certain  personalities  with  certain 
instruments;  he  never  had  the  egotism  of  many  tmmpet  players."  Years  later, 
Johnston  took  a  job  in  the  Music  Department  office.  "I  remember  you, 
Linda,"  said  Mirr.  "You  were  a  very  fine  player."  "'You  don't  remember 
much,'  I  said."  "No,  you  were  a  very  good  student." 

For  better  players,  Min  brought  world-class  experience  and  contacts — and 
the  same  generosity  he  showed  music  education  majors.  George  Tuckwiller 
'73BM  studied  with  Mirr  and  then  played  beside  him  as  second  tmmpet  in 
the  Richmond  Symphony  for  29  years.  "He  was  highly  skilled,"  Tuckwiller 
says,  and  explains  the  impeccable  musical  lineage  that  Mirr's  students  could 


connect  with.  "His  teachers  were  Harry  Glantz — principal  tmmpet  in 
Toscanini's  orchestra,  Vacchiano,  trumpet  principal  in  the  New  York 
Philharmonic.  Ed  Mirr  learned  from  them,  and  then  passed  that  on  to  us." 
The  summer  Mirr  spent  at  Tanglewood,  the  tmmpet  section  was  Min,  Adolph 
"Bud"  Herseph,  who  has  just  retired  after  53  years  as  principal  with  the 
Chicago  Symphony,  and  Robert  Nagle,  a  founder  of  the  New  York  Brass 
Quintet,  who  taught  at  Yale. 

Tuckwiller  remembers  a  school  brass  ensemble  concert  when  the  tuba 
player  got  sick.  "Ed  made  some  calls,  and  Chester  Schmitz — now  retiring  prin- 
cipal taba  of  the  Boston  Symphony — came  and  sat  in  with  us.  We  were 
dazzled.  But,"  he  continues,  "it  was  never  a  big  deal  with  Ed;  it  was  all  for  the 
music.  He  had  absolutely  no  pretense.  You  see,  he'd  already  done  everything 
we  all  wanted  to  do." 

Mirr  retired  from  VCU  in  May  1998.  Former  students  gave  a  Memorial 
Concert  in  a  packed  church  on  October  10,  2000.  This  spring  a  tree  was 
planted  in  Ed  Mirr's  name  near  the  Performing  Arts  Center. 

Logical,  and  Funny,  too 

David  Schedler  died  of  complications  from  cancer,  at  home  in  Colorado 
Springs  on  June  28.  He  had  retired  to  Colorado  after  teaching  math  and 
computer  science  at  VCU  from  1969-96. 

Originally  a  professor  of  pure  mathematics,  in  topology,  Schedler  began 
covering  computer  courses  at  VCU  out  of  pure  need  as  the  industry  picked  up 
momentum.  It  was  a  good  fit  for  his  naturally  logical  mind.  "He  loved  getting 
the  newest  software  programs  and  playing  with  them  and  fixing  them,"  says 
his  daughter,  Andrea  Schedler  Kibe.  "He  was  an  engineer  at  heart." 

But,  points  out  colleague  Richard  Morris,  "He  was  a  very  serious  mathe- 
matician. He  took  two  summers  of  coursework  in  computer  science,  essential- 
ly changing  his  field."  In  the  eariy  '70s,  the  department  set  up  a  math  lab  for 
self-paced  learning.  Faculty  Reuben  Fariey,  James  Wood  and  Schedler  worked 
nights,  pushing  to  complete  a  self-paced  textbook,  Trigonometi)',  published  by 
Prentice-Hall  and  used  at  other  universities.  Morris  adds,  "He  had  a  marvelous 
sense  of  humor.  He  kept  things  light."  Perhaps  that  was  one  reason  a  steady 
stream  of  smdents  came  to  his  office  for  help. 

The  humor  and  engineering  came  together  in  Schedler's  avocation.  He 
was  a  toy  ttain  enthusiast,  a  member  of  the  Richmond  Freelance  and 
Prototype  Model  Railroad  Club  and  a  charter  member  of  the  Virginia  Train 
Collectors  (O  gauge). 

"He  was  a  good,  loyal  friend,"  says  retired  biology  professor  Miles 
Johnson.  "He  was  interested  in  a  lot  of  things.  He  had  a  lively  intellectual 
curiosity." 


SUMMER    37     2001 


Whafs  New? 

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Farmville,  VA.  •  *Jamell  Dumas  'OOBS/B  is  a  retail 
account  manager  at  Seagram  Americas  in 
Richmond,  He  worked  in  customer  service  at 
Federal  Express.  •  C.  Suzanne  Ellyson  'OOBA/H&S 
works  at  Dnve  Smart  Virginia,  Inc.  a  non-profit  in 
Glen  Allen,  VA.  She  is  pursuing  an  MPA  at  VCU  and 
lives  in  Richmond,  •  Matthew  Genovesi  'OOC/H&S  is 
a  senior  developer  of  e-commerce  and  lives  in 
Richmond  •  Justin  Gunther  'OOBS/H&S  attends 
VCU's  School  of  Medicine  and  lives  in  Richmond.  • 
Bernard  Gupton  'OOPhD/H&S  is  director  of  process 
research  and  commercial  development  at 
Boehringer  Ingelheim  Chemicals  in  Petersburg,  VA. 
He  lives  in  Midlothian,  VA.  •  Rebecca  Henry  'OOBGS 
is  a  photographer  living  in  Arlington,  VA.  •  'Debbie 
Holmes  'OOBS/H&S  works  for  a  non-profit  that 
recruits  and  develops  minority  students  for  summer 
internships  with  Fortune  500  companies.  She  lives  in 
Midlothian,  VA  with  her  husband  Donald  and  their 
two  children,  Donasia  and  Donald  Jr.  •  Jenea 
(Fludd)  Holmes  ■QOBS/MC  marned  Woodrow 
Holmes  on  August  19, 2000,  They  live  in  GA,  •  Ellen 
Jackson  'OOBA/H&S  is  a  first  year  student  in  the 
public  policy  Master's  program  at  the  College  of 
William  and  Mary,  She  lives  in  Waverly,  VA,  •  *L. 
Crag  Jones  'OOBS/H&S  is  a  communications  officer 
atthe  Henrico  County  Police  Department,  He  lives 
in  Richmond,  •  Kamran  Kabolizadeh  OOBS/H&S  is  a 
medical  student  and  lives  in  Richmond,  •  Tamara 
LaPonte  'OOMEd  is  a  guidance  counselor  at  King 
George  High  School,  She  lives  in  Fredericksburg, 
VA,  •  Mei  Liu  'OOMS/H&S  works  at  Ciena 
Corporation  in  Cupertino,  CA,  She  lives  in 
Sunnyvale,  CA  •  Eleanor  Lunasin  'OOBS/H&S  is  a 
pharmacy  student.  She  works  at  Eckerd  in  Virginia 
Beach,  where  she  lives  •  Shannon  Marshall 
'OOBS/MC  is  a  WCDX  promotions  assistant  at  Radio 
One  Richmond.  She  lives  in  Richmond.  •  Matthew 
McCutchen  'OOMM  teaches  conducting,  theoi^  and 
aural  skills  at  VCU.  He  directs  the  VCU  Pep  Band 
and  Greater  Richmond  Honors  Band.  Matthew  also 
teaches  percussion  at  Atlee  High  School  and  Lee- 
Davis  High  School.  He  lives  in  Richmond. •Whitney 
(Pearson)  McDaniel  'OOBS/H&S  is  the  office 
manager  at  Dr.  Bonnie  Pearson's  dental  office  in 
Petersburg,  VA.  She  lives  in  Chesterfield,  VA.  • 
James  McDonough  '01BIS/H&S  received  a  fellow- 
ship at  the  University  of  Miami  for  a  PhD  program  in 
chemistry  •  William  Mickiewicz  'OOBS/B  is  a 
stockbroker  at  Paine  Webber  in  Charlottesville,  VA. 
•  Rashida  Mitchell  'OOMURP  is  a  management 
analyst  consultant  at  KPMG  Consulting  in  McLean, 
VA.  She  lives  in  Crofton,  MD.  •  Nicole  Nastacie 
'OOMBA  IS  assistant  brand  manager  of  Reynolds  foil 
products  in  Richmond.  •  Joe  Nio  '93BS/B  'OOMS/MC 
is  now  in  the  f^ew  York  Garment  Distnct  at  a  small 
ad  agency  called  dweckl,  with  a  reputation  for  pro- 
ducing smart-ass  advertising — on  Ad  Age's  Top 
Ten  list  for  2000.  Clients  include  New  York 
Magazine,  Swatch,  and  Big  Foote  Music.  As  a 
strategic  planner,  Joe  makes  sure  that  the  smart- 
ass work  is  at  least  smart.  •  *Olivia  Orr  'OOBS/MC  is 
special  projects  coordinator  for  the  communica- 
tions at  Virginia  Farm  Bureau  Federation  in 
Richmond,  where  she  lives.  •  James  Pickral  Jr 
'OOBA/H&S  IS  a  technical  consultant  at  Potomac 
Systems.  He  lives  in  Richmond,  •  Mary  (Smith) 
Piland  'OOMT  marned  Jethro  Piland  III  on  July  1, 
2000,  They  live  in  Mechanicsville,  VA.  • 
Robert  Przybylski  'OOBS/H&S  is  an  infantry  rifle 
platoon  leader  in  the  US.  Army.  He  lives  in 
Yorktown,  VA.  •  *Kevin  Pugh  'OOBS/H&S  is  a 
platoon  leader  in  the  U.S,  Army  549th  military  police 
company  in  Ft  Stewart,  GA,  He  will  deploy  to 
Bosnia  in  March,  2002,  Kevin  lives  with  his  wife,  Lisa 
in  Hinesville,  GA,  •  Dhanya  Puram  'OOBS/H&S 
attends  medical  school  on  VCU's  MCV  Campus  and 
lives  in  Richmond.  •  LeWanda  Raines  'OOBFA 
teaches  modern,  jazz  and  tap  dancing  atthe 
Southside  School  of  Ballet  She  choreographed  a 


promotional  for  Fox  35  of  Richmond  and  taught 
Introduction  to  Dance  to  at-rlsl(  youth  in  the 
Richmond  area.  LeWanda  appeared  as  a  guest 
artist  at  VCU  last  fall.  •  Jeremy  Sawyer  'OOBS/B  is  a 
staff  accountant  at  Williams  Overman  Pierce  and 
Co.  LLP.  in  Greensboro,  NC.  •  W.  Carter  Snipes 
'OOBS/MC  Is  an  interactive  marketing  specialist  at 
A&E  Television  Networks  In  NYC.  He  manages  and 
produces  online  and  on-air  creative  advertising  for 
The  History  Channel,  and  A&E  Biography  Channel. 
He  recently  launched  a  website  for  Egypt  Beyond 
the  Pyramids,  which  aired  on  The  History  Channel  In 
May  He  lives  in  Brooklyn.  •  Robbie  Springfield 
'OOBS/B  is  a  registered  representative  at  First 
Investors  Corporation  in  Richmond,  where  she  lives. 
•  Ahmad  Stagg  'OOBS/E  is  pursuing  a  PhD  in 
physical  therapy  from  Hampton  University.  He  lives 
in  Virginia  Beach.*  Jerry  Walsh  Jr'OOBS/En  is  a 
test  engineer  at  Easts  in  Richmond.  •  Anthony  Webb 
■OOBS/H&S  Is  a  deputy  court  clerk  at  the  U.S.  Court 
of  Appeals  In  Richmond.  He  lives  In  Chesterfield,  VA. 


Friends  of  VCU 

Scott  Bass  MC  is  Inside  Business's  Richmond 
editor.  He  covered  real  estate  and  technology  for 
five  years.  Scott  earned  the  Sliver  Award  in  2000 
from  the  American  Association  of  Business 
Publications  for  a  profile  of  local  entrepreneur, 
Johnny  Johnson.  •  John  Ritchie  Jr.  retired  as  exec- 
utive director  and  executive  assistant  to  the  board 
of  commissioners  at  the  Virginia  Housing 
Development  Authority  in  Richmond.  He  lives  in 
Charlottesville,  VA.  •  Ken  Tanner  MC  is  senior  farm 
editor/broadcaster  at  Capitol  Broadcasting 
Company  in  Raleigh,  NC. 

Obituaries 
1940s 

Edgar  Johnson  'ASBS/B  on  December  20, 2000,  at 
72,  in  Henrico,  NC.  He  owned  and  founded 
Southside  Insurers,  a  property  developer,  and  was 
a  founding  member  of  the  Bank  of  Brunswick.  Edgar 
was  town  mayor  of  Alberta  for  13  years.  He  was 
also  in  the  navy  and  helped  establish  Brunswick 
Health  Care  •  Alene  Miller  '40BS/H&S. 

1950s 

Marie-Louise  Bok  '53BFA  on  January  19, 2001,  after 
a  brief  Illness.  She  taught  German  and  drama  at 
Douglas  S.  Freeman  High  School  in  Richmond  1954- 
78.  She  came  to  the  U.S.  in  the  1930s  with  a  Dutch 
ballet  troupe.  •  Patricia  (Vint)  Bryant  '52BS/E  on 
March  21, 2001 .  She  was  retired  from  the  Richmond 
Times-Dispatch.  She  was  the  organizing  president 
of  the  Virginia  Press  Women.  •  Jesse  Crabtree  Jr. 
■58BA/B  on  August  1 2, 2000  •  Franklin  Davis  Sr. 
•50BFA  on  December  16, 2000,  at  78,  in  Mineral,  VA. 
•  Bertha  Faust '51  BFA  In  December,  1995.' Louis 
Friedman  '51BS/B  on  July  26, 1999  •  *Arthur  Greene 
Jr.  '51BFA  on  December  25, 2000,  at  71.  He  taught  at 
Louisa  County  High  School  and  at  James  Madison 
University.  He  taught  drama  at  the  University  of 
Virginia,  where  he  created  over  200  roles  and 
directed  over  150  productions.  He  was  very  active 
In  community  theatre.  He  received  numerous 
awards  in  theatre  and  education.  Including  the  1989 
Raven  Faculty  Award  and  a  Certificate  from  the  JKF 
Center  for  the  Performing  Arts.  Arthur  was  inducted 
Into  the  Virginia  High  School  League  Hall  of  Fame  in 
1990.  •  Don  Hunziker '51BS/B  on  February  12, 2001, 
at  73,  after  a  long  illness.  He  was  a  founding  of 
member  of  LADD  Furniture,  Inc.,  and  inducted  into 
the  American  Furniture  Hall  of  Fame  In  1999.  He 
earned  the  Brotherhood  Award  from  the  National 
Conference  of  Christians  and  Jews  in  1987,  and  was 
VCU  Alumnus  of  the  Year  in  1 991 .  Don  also  was 


named  Chief  Executive  of  the  Year  by  Financial 
World  magazine  In  1988.  He  was  an  Army  Air  Forces 
veteran  •  Alexander  Jones  '53BGS/A  '54BS/E  on 
April  1 2, 2001  •  Jeanette  Keiningham  '576S/H&S  on 

December  2, 2000,  at  67.  She  co-chaired  the  Virginia 
Council  on  Assisted  Technology.  Jeanette  was  a 
member  of  the  Virginia  Board  for  People  with 
Disabilities  and  a  founder  of  the  state-run  Virginia 
Assisted  Technology  Loan  Program.  She  was  also 
president  of  Handicapped  Unlimited.  •  Virginia 
(Roberts)  Montague  '53BFA  on  May  29, 1999  • 
Edward  Moseley  '51BS/B  on  Apnl  1, 2001,  after  a 
long  Illness.  He  had  been  vice  president  of  Dietz 
Press.  On  the  Midlothian  Ruritan  Club,  he  served  as 
local  president,  and  on  the  National  Board  of 
Directors.  A  member  of  the  Chesterfield  County 
School  Board  for  ten  years,  he  served  on  several 
community  boards  and  historical  associations.  • 
John  Nichols  '51BS/H&S  on  November  12, 1998  • 
Irving  Schiff  '53BS/E  on  February  1 1 ,  2001 ,  at  70,  of 
leukemia.  He  was  senior  executive  of 
Thalhimers/Hechts.  He  volunteered  forthe 
Richmond  Aids  Ministry,  Richmond  Aids  Information 
Network  and  the  Fan  Free  Clinic. 

1960s 

Garvin  DeHart  '63BS/B  on  Januan/ 14, 2001,  at  67,  • 
Marion  Gillings  '67BS/E.*  Laura  Hoyle  '60BS  on 

December  16, 2000,  at  85.  •  Agnes  (Browder)  Jones 

'68BS/E  on  March  19, 2001,  at  82.  She  was  a  retired 
Nottoway  County  Public  School  librarian.  •  Doris 
(Hooper)  Robinson  '65MSW  on  February  28, 2001,  at 
70  •  "Priscilla  Rappolt 'BBBFA  'GSMFA  on  January 
28, 2001 ,  at  81  •  Bertha  (Karpa)  Schwartz  '62BS 
'69MS/E  on  January  10, 2001,  at  85.  She  taught  and 
was  a  counselor  at  Mary  Mumford  Elementary 
School  in  Richmond.  •  Howard  Sherman  'e2BS/B  on 
February  28, 2000,  at  65.  He  was  a  self-employed  life 
and  health  insurance  salesman.*  Everett  Smith 
'69BS/H&S  '73MEd  on  Januan/  3, 2001,  at  72.  He 
was  a  farmer  and  a  retired  pnnclpal  of  Richmond 
County  Intermediate  School.  Everett  served  with 
Hospice  Support  Services  of  the  N.N.  •  Elva 
(Tromater)  Thomas  '60MS(RC)/AH.  'Sarah 
Wainwright  'BIMSW  on  November  4th,  2000,  at  82. 
She  worked  for  Family  and  Children's  Services  In 
Richmond  from  1961  -93  as  a  director  of  professional 
services,  senior  clinical  social  worker,  and  as  a  field 
instructor  for  the  VCU  School  of  Social  Work.  In 
recognition  of  her  work  with  student  interns  for  30 
years,  the  agency  established  the  Sarah  B. 
Wainwright  Achievement  Award.  Sarah  volun- 
teered with  the  Richmond  Chapter  of  the  American 
Red  Cross  and  active  in  local,  state  and  national 
professional  organizations.  •  Robert  Wampler 
'64BS/P  'BSMS/B  on  Februar/  9, 2001 .  He  was  head 
of  Human  Resources  for  the  Research  and 
Development  Division  atA.H.  Robins.  He  formed 
Team  Management  Associates,  a  human  resources 
consulting  and  placement  company  in  the  pharma- 
ceutical and  bio-technology  areas.  •  Sara  West 
'65BS/E  on  February  26, 2001,  at  77.  She  served  with 
the  U.S.  Navy  dunng  World  War  II.  Sara  had  been 
longterm  employee  of  the  American  Red  Cross, 
serving  in  Europe,  Korea  and  in  the  U.S.  She  was 
retired  executive  director  of  the  Henrico  Chapter  of 
the  American  Red  Cross. 

1970s 

•Arthur  Adkins'75BS/E'77MEd  on  March  10,2001, 
at  74.  He  was  chief  of  the  Chlckahomlny  Tribe.  He 
was  a  retired  Charles  City  County  School  teacher 
and  bus  driver.  Arthur  was  a  World  War  II  Army 
veteran.  •  Eleanor  Ager  '79MSW  on  August  4, 2000. 
•  *Anabel  Carter  '70BS/E  on  November  6, 2000.  • 
Dorothy  Crump  '74BS/E  on  December  16, 2000,  at  84. 
She  taught  first  grade  at  Chesterfield  County 
Schools.  •  Lawrence  Duncan  '74BS/B  on  February 
26, 2001 ,  at  50.  He  was  a  journeyman  carpenter  for 


Local  Union  No.  388.  Lawrence  was  an  Enduro 
racer  and  a  member  of  the  Oakwood  Hunt  Club.  • 
James  Farr  '72MEd  on  February  3, 2001 ,  In  Sanlbel 
Island,  Florida  He  was  a  longtime  employee  of  the 
Hennco  County  Schools.  •  Elizabeth  Garrison 
'73BS/SW  in  Apnl,  1999  •  John  Gilleece  '7ZAS/En 
on  November  25, 2000,  at  52.  He  was  an  engineer  at 
Hugh  J.  Gilleece  &  Associates  in  Cary,  NC  •  Shirley 
Gordon  '77BS/E  on  January  31, 2001  in  Goochland, 
VA  •  Elaine  Malloy  '78MS(RC)/AH,  March  26,  in 
Richmond,  after  a  bnef  Illness,  at  62.  She  had  taught 
at  Bon  Secours  Memonal  School  of  Nursing  for 
more  than  28  years.  She  was  a  compassionate 
advocate  for  patients,  a  confident  communicator 
with  physicians,  and  a  hero  to  generations  of 
students  •  Margaret  Quick  '76MEd  on  December 
26, 2000,  at  82.  She  was  a  teacher,  pnncipal,  and 
education  supervisor  for  the  Hennco  County  School 
Board.  •  Gary  Smith  '71BA/H&S  on  February  25, 
2000.  •  William  Talbert  '71AA  '73BS/H&S  on  May  16, 

1999.  •  John  Viverette  '71BS/B  on  November  9, 2000. 

•  Phillip  Woodson  Jr  '75BS/H&S  May  24, 2001. 

1980s 

Michael  Barclay  '86BS/B  on  Januan/  2, 2001,  at  43. 

He  was  an  applications  analyst  at  MCV  School  of 
Dentistn/  •  Kimberly  Dean  'SOBSARO/AH  in  May 
1999  •  Sylvia  Gibbs  '80BS/B  '95MTax  on  November 
20,  2000,  at  44,  after  a  long  illness,  in  Richmond  • 
Ronald  Henke  '88BGS/H&S.  ■  Michael  McCloskey 
■86MBA  on  Apnl  1 ,  2001 ,  at  42.  •  G.  Frederick  Millar 
Jr.  '82MS/B  on  October  20, 2000,  at  47.  He  was  an 
international  bank  examiner  at  the  Federal  Reserve 
Bank  of  Atianta  in  Miami,  FL*  Ellen  Pridgen 
'84BSW  '87MSW  on  January  10, 2001,  at  43.  She 
was  a  social  worker  at  Southside  Regional  Medical 
Center.  •  David  Scruggs  '85BS/B  on  April  1 5, 2001 ,  at 
59.  He  retired  as  master  chief  petty  officer  after  21 
years  in  the  U.S.  Navy. 

1990s 

•Kenneth  Davis  '91BS/H&S  '95MD  on  December  25, 

2000,  at  31,  of  pancreatic  cancer.  He  was  an  ortho- 
pedic surgeon  at  West  End  Orthopedic  Center  In 
Mechanlcsvllle,  VA.  Kenneth  completed  his  resi- 
dency in  orthopedic  surgery  on  the  MCV  Campus  in 
May  2000. •  Elva  Gray-Ash  '92MSW  on  December 
4, 2000,  at  54  •  Michael  Grubb  '92BSW/  '95MSW  on 
March  27, 2001,  at  51.  He  was  director  of  substance 
abuse  with  Crossroads  Mental  Health  in  Richmond. 

•  Phyllis  Wile  '90MSW  on  June  22, 2000,  after  an 
automobile  accident. 

2000s 

R.  Brooks  Clements  'OOBFA  on  July  24, 2000,  from 
complications  following  heart  surgery.  In  Richmond, 
at  23.  Brooks  graduated  in  art  education  with  a 
minor  In  music.  He  was  working  on  a  graduate 
degree  in  computer  technology  at  VCU.  An  active 
member  of  Si  Andrews  Episcopal  Church,  he  loved 
running  and  hiking.  His  quiet  joy  lit  his  life  and 
warmed  his  fnends.  •  Paul  Speeks  'OOBS/B  on 
January  24, 2001, at  31. 


Friends  of  VCU 

Leonard  Munnelly  on  February  23, 2001,  at  81.  He 
had  retired  after  41  years  with  Maxwell  House 
Coffee  In  Hoboken,  N.J.  He  served  in  the  54th 
Division  of  the  U.S.  Army  under  General  Patton  In 
W.W.II. 


SUMMER    39    2001 


"The  pressure  is  on  the  ► 

academic  institutions 

and  on  the  clinical 

side  to  give  in  to  the 

demands  of  the 

system  rather  than  be 

responsive  to  the 

healthcare  needs  of 

the  public.  But  nurses 

are  here  to  serve, 

not  just  to  serve 

the  system." 

"Postmodern  Issues  in 
Caring  and  Healing," 
Dr.  M.  Jean  Watson,  Fellowofthe  American  Academy  of 
Medicine  and  Holistic  Nurse  Certified.  Her  research  on  the 
theory  of  human  caring  is  used  by  clinical  nurses  through- 
out the  world.  School  of  Nursing,  April  24. 


J 


i  "[Our  discovery  that  polymers, 
including  plastics,  could  conduct 
electricity]  is  still  bearing  new  appli- 
cations, like  a  tree  full  of  plums. 
More  and  more,  people  are  picking  at 
these."  Scientists  are  developing  con- 
ducting polymers  for  use  as  anti- 
static coating  on  photographic  film; 
anti-static  floor  tiles;  liquid  crystal  displays; 
stealth  radar  avoidance  systems;  and  throw- 
away  electronic  devices  made  of  plastics  and 
paper.  "It's  sort  of  a  fun  area." 

Dr.  Alan  G.  MacDIarmid,  who  shared  the  Nobel  Prize 
in  Chemistry  for  2000,  received  an  honorary  doctorate 
at  the  School  of  Engineering,  February  16.  He  and 
longterm  colleague.  Dr.  Kenneth  Wynne,  VCU 

professor  of  chemical  engineering,  hold  prototype 

rechargeable  batteries, 
made  with  conducting 
polymers. 


"most  often... new  ideas  come  from 
employees  who  interact  with  customers 
The  successful  companies  listen  to 
employees  who  deal  with  customers, 
regardless  of  where  those  employees 
are  in  the  organizational  hierarchy." 

Professor  Leonard  Berry,  Distinguished  Professor  of 
Marketing,  MB.  Zaie  Chair  in  Retailing  &  Marketing, 
School  of  Business,  Texas  A&M  University,  author 
of  Discovering  the  Soul  of  Service.  Charles  G. 
Thalhimer  Family  Scholar  in  Residence,  School  of 
Business,  April  18-19 


"Corporations  are  considered  individu 
als  under  the  law  now.  They  have  the 
status  of  people.  You  don't  really 
believe  that  you  are  equal  under  the 
law  with  General  Motors  or  Ex.\on? 
They  dominate  all  media,  media  on 
the  airwaves  that  we  own  legally  as  a 
people;  and  the  radio/  TV  stations  pay 
nothing  for  the  use  of  these 
airwaves." 


Ralph  Nader,  citizen  activist  and 
Green  Party  presidential  candidate, 
VCU  Commons,  February  19 


'...I'm  really  proud  of  my  son...  ► 

because  he's  doing  it  the  right 

way.  He's  a  reporter.  He  labors 

over  what  he  writes.  A  lot  of 

sportscasting  today  is  'Look  at 

me!  I'm  on  TV!'" 


I  «.    r  ...j          ^  "Science  has  never 

^  ^  3  completely  replaced 

/^\^  "=^  /       :  mythology,  and  it 

^■H  ^--=-^^1^^^  never  will.  Instead, 

^^^^  ^^  ^^^1  alongside  the 

^^^^  j^\  l^^^M  knowledge  that  can 

^^^B  AH  I^^^H  be  validated  by 

^^^^B^^H^^^I    seems  always  to 

flow  a  parallel 
stream  of  unverifiable  perceptions.  Such  a 
system  of  alternate  varieties  of  understand- 
ing fulfills. ..the  need  for  mystery  that  has 
always  permeated. . .  human  con- 
sciousness." 


From  The  Mysteries  Witliin  by  Dr  Sherwin 
Nuland,  medical  historian  and  clinical  pro- 
fessor of  surgery  at  Yale  University  School 
of  Medi-cine,  National  Book  Award  winner 
for  l-iow  We  Die.  "Medical  Myths"  Grand 
Rounds,  March  15 


i  "Could  the  economic  expansion  of 
1995  to  2000  occur  again?  and  what 
policies  might  bring  that  about?  A 
number  of  unique  circimistances  in 
the  late  1990s  fueled  the  boom,  such  as  the 
arrival  of  Internet  economy  and  the  increased 
profitability  brought  about  by  HMOs." 

Dr.  Robert  Solow,  1987  Nobel  Laureate  and  Institute 
Professor  Emeritus,  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology,  School  of  Business,  April  26 


Dick  Shaap,  journalist,  sportscaster,  moderator  of  "The  Sport  Reporters"  on  ESPN,  winner  of  six 
Emmys,  wrote  36  books.  "Learning  Life's  Lessons  through  Sport,"  Seigel  Center,  February 


SHAFER.      COURT    40    CONNECTIONS 


fi 

P 
L  u 

Joined  June  5,  2000-May  31,  2001 


Mrs.  Jane  S.Adams 
Ms.  Charlotte  L.Allen 
Ms.  Nancy  R.AIspaugh 
Ms.  Juanita  L.Anderson 
Mr.  Stewart  Andrews 
Mrs.  Linda  H.Armstrong 
Mr.  M.Pierce  Ashby,  Jr. 
Mr.  Rodney  J.  Ashby 
Mr.  Douglass.  Baber 
Mrs.  Zita  M.  Barree 
Ms.  Amanda  S.  Bass 
Mr.  Waiter  Murrie  Bates 
Dr.  David  H.Beals 
Mr.  Max  Beard 
Mr.  Lawrence  M.  Becker 
Mrs.  Maxine  L  Black  Ms 
Mr.  Stevenson  A.  Bolden 
CDR.  Henry  C.Boschen,  Jr. 
Mrs.  JoAnneT.  Bosher 
Dr.  William  C.Bosher,  Jr. 
Mrs.  Marsha  B.  Bost 
Miss  JanineC.  Braun 
Ms.  Joy  G.  Bressler 
Ms.  KimberiyT.  Brill 
Mr.  Bryan  Brown 
Ms.  Lisa  L  Brownlee 
Mr.  Charles  A.  Bruce,  Jr. 
Mrs.  Judith  A.  Bruce 
Mr.  Robert  S.  Byrd 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  0.  Byrum 
Mr.  Alston  G.Cain 
Mrs.  Mary  L  Cain 
Mr.  Kim  C.  Carlton 
Mr.  James  A.  Carnwath 
Mrs.  Marion  W.  Carter 
Mr.  R.Scott  Carter 
Mrs.  Alexa  G.  Case 
Mr.  Michael  P.  Casey 
Ms.  TraceyAnnCeol 
Dr.  Robert!.  C.  Cone 
Mrs.  Margaret  B.  Connors 
Dr.  Sarah  T.Corley 
Mr.  Stephen  C.  Covert 
Mr.  Thomas  Wayne  Crist 
Mrs.  Ellen  D.  Cross 
Ms.  Anna  L  Crouse 
Mr.  Jeffrey  G.Currie 
Ms.  Deborah  Joan  Davis 
Dr. Gina  G.Davis 
Ms.  Anne  M.  Dickerson 
Mr.  BurnieC.  Dooley 
Mrs.  Laurie  B.  Dugan 
Maj.  Patrick  D.  Dugan 
Ms.  Margaret  R.Dungee 
Mr.  Barnwell  S.Dunlap 
Mrs.  KatherineM.  Duniap 
Mr.  Edward  F.  Dutton 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  F.  Dutton 


Mrs.  Brenda  H.  Eggleston 

Mr.  Thomas  B.  Eggleston 

Mr.WarrenB.  Eib,  Jr. 

Ms.  KelleyM.  Engle 

Ms. Mildred  E.English 

Mr.  Irvin  J.  Farmer,  Jr. 

Mrs.  Linda  H.  Farmer 

Mr.  Francis  L.Fedrizzi 

Mr.  Robert  LFelton  III 

Ms.  Anne  M.  Finley 

Mr.  Gregory  W.Florence 

Mr.  Arthur  P.  Foley 

Mr.  David  R.  Foreman 

Mr.  William  F.  Fulton,  Jr. 

Dr.  Regina  A.  Gargus,  MD,  MS,  CPE 

Mrs.  Amy  L.  Garrison 

Mr.  Kelly  S.  Garrison 

Mrs.  Kathleen  M.  George 

Mr.  Robert  E.George 

Ms.  Joan  M.  Glynn 

Mr.  Alan  S.Goldstein 

Ms.  Patricia  J.  Good 

Mr.  Jeffrey  Robert  Gould 

Mrs.  Eleanor  K.  Gregory 

Mr.  Patnck  F.  Grover 

Mr.  Jon  Michael  Grubbs 

Mrs.  Janice  C.  Haag 

Dr.  Maria  C.  Maine 

Mr.  Marshall  Haine 

Mr.  Harold  William  Hale,  Jr. 

Mrs.  Karen  Murphy  Hale 

Mr.  Charles  A.  Harrelson 

Mrs.  Antoinette  E.  Harris 

Mr.  Robert  D.Harris,  Sr. 

Mr.  John  F.  Hastings 

Ms.  AimeeT.  Hay 

Mr.  Curtis  N.  Heath 

Ms.  Sally  F.Hedleston 

Mrs.  Alicia  M.Hohl 

CDR  John  M.Hohl 

Mr.  Joseph  J.  Holickylll 

Mr.  James  B.Hotze 

Mr.  Jack  F.  Howard 

Mrs.  Claudia  C.Hubbard 

Mr.  Harry  J.  Hubbard 

Mr.  Michael  G.Hubbard 

Mr.  Jeff  P.  Hudson 

Mr.  John  S.Hull 

Mrs.  Jennifer  J.  Hundley 

Mr.  Paul  D.Hundley 

Mr.  Charles  D.  Ingram 

Mrs.  Melissa  H.  Ingram 

Mr.  Anthony  Ippolito 

Mr.  BnanM.  Jaffe 

Ms.Terri  Ann  Jaffe 

Mr.  Michael  A.  Jimenez 

Ms.  Anncarol  Johnson 

Mr. Marc  B.Johnson 


Dr.  Shirley  NeitchKahle 

Mr.  Joseph  J.  Kahn 

Mr.  Daryle W.Karnes 

Mr. Terence  P.Kennedy 

Ms.  Shirley  M.Kesler 

Miss  Ruth  A.  Kirkpatrick 

Dr.  Margaret  A.  Klayton-Mi 

Mr.  Michael  H.  Kline,  Sr. 

Mr.  JohnL.  Koehler 

Mr.  Eugene  P.  Kotulka 

Ms.  AmyA.  Krauss 

Mr.  Emory  C.  Lake 

Mr.  BnanD.  Leaghty 

Mr.  James  F.Lehan  III 

Mr.  Robert  E.  Lehman 

Mr.  Jesse  S.Lennon  III 

Dr.  Barbara  T.  Lester 

Mr.  Ronald  W.Lester 

Mrs.  Heloise  B.  Levit 

Dr.  Verda  L  Little 

Dr.  Cheryl  C.Magill 

Dr.  M.  Kenneth  Magill 

Mr.  Patnck  Keith  Mann 

Ms.  Susan  Claiborne  Mathews 

Ms.  Maureen  Riley  Matsen 

Mr.  Robert  M.McClanahan 

Mr.  Patrick  J.  McDermott 

Mr.  Gerald  McTague 

Mr.  Andrew  L  Meade 

Ms.  Beverly  Morgan 

Mrs.  Jane  K.  Morrow-Jones 

Dr.  Jonathan  W.  Morrow-Jones 

Mr.  Russell  W.Morton 

Dr.  David  E.W.Mott 

Ms.  Catherine  A.  Mueller 

Dr.  John  V.  Murray 

Mrs.  Carmen  R.  Lucca  Nazario 

Mr.  James  H.  Nemecek,  Jr. 

Mrs.  Susan  K.  Newman 

Mr.  Charles  R.Noll 

Mrs.  Marcia  L  Obensham 

Mrs.  Kathleen  L.  Odum 

Ms.  Meredith  M.  O'Rourke 

Mr.  Larn/ R.Padgett,  Jr. 

Ms.  Stella  J.  Pancham 

Ms.  Gina  P.  Panza 

Mr.  Terry  E.  Parsell 

Mrs.  PatB.  Pearman 

Mr.  Daniel  Peters 

Mrs.  Lynn  E.  Peters 

Mrs.  Ingrid  M.  Pettus 

Mr.  Steven  D.  Piciacchio 

Mr.  Edward  L  Pickett 

Ms.  AdrienneT.  Pilot 

Ms.  Carole  A.  Poland 

Mrs.  Jacqueline  B.  Price 

Mr.  Curtis  Everdy  Ransom 

Mr.  Robert  S.  Rentz 


Mr.  Chester  T.  Reynolds,  Jr. 

Ms.  Christine  J.  Riedel 

Mr.  H.  Thompson  Rodman,  Jr. 

Ms.  Muriel  B.  Rogers 

Mr.  Leroy  B.  Roper,  Jr. 

Dr. Meredith  B.Rose 

Mr.  James  R.Rowe 

Mr.WilliamA.  RoyalLJr. 

Mrs.  Brenda  Hyre  Ruddick 

Mr.  Richard  M.Ruddick,  Jr. 

Ms.AlyceP.  Rudley 

Mr.  Randall  B.Saufley 

Mr.  John  Jay  Schwartz 

Mr.  Jeffrey  L  Scott 

Mrs.  KatherineS.  Segura 

Mr.  SaulSegura 

Ms.  Roberta  E.  Severe 

Mr.  Frank  J.Shelton,  Jr. 

Ms.  Marsha  S.  Shuler 

Mr.  Robert  M.  Sine 

Dr.  Betsy  B.Singh 

Dr.  Richard  A.  Singletary 

Mr.GusS.Siokis 

Mrs. Frances  K.Smith 

Mr.  James  G.Smith 

Ms.  Patricia  L  Smith-Solan 

Mr.  James  E.Sneed 

Mr.  L  Easley  Spencer 

Miss  Joyce  F.Stargardt 

Mrs.  Janice  E.  Stargell 

Ms.  Jonnie  B.  Stone 

Mr.  Michael  F.Stull 

Mr.BoH.Suk 

Ms.TuD.Ta 

Mr.  William  H.Talley  III 

Ms.  Carolyn  C.Tedholm 

Mrs.  Pamela  R.Thompson 

Dr.  ManeTsuchiya 

Mr.  Jeffrey  L  Tuning 

Ms.AvenM.  Vaughan 

Mr.  P.  Dale  Vaughn 

Mr.  Michael  L  Wade 

Mr.  Daniel  B.Walker 

Mr.  Dana  R.Ward 

Ms.  Kimberlyn  Weddington 

Ms.  Andrea  J.  Weiss 

Mr. Steven  M.Wells 

Mr.  F.  Dixon  Whitworth,  Jr. 

Dr.  Frank  C.  Wickers 

Mr.  John  D.Wilkinson 

Ms.  Catherine  A.Wilson 

Mr.  Anthony  J.  Winstead 

Miss  Janet  M.Worsham 

Mr.  Edward  H.Yates 

Dr.  James  R.Yeakel 

Ms.  Kim  A.  Yenkevich 

Mrs.  Glinda  F.Young 

Mr.  David  H.Zimmerman 


Key  To  Abbreviations 

N  Nursing 

Administration 

Alumni  aie  identified  by  year 

P  Pharmacy 

MAE  Master  of  Art  Education 

degree/school 

SW  SodalWork 

MBA  Master  of  Business 
Administration 

Sdwols 

Degrees 

Doctor  of  Medicine 

A  Arts 

AS  Associate's  Degree 

MEd  Master  of  Education 

AH  Allied  Healtli  Professions 

C  Certificate 

MIS  Master  of  Interdisciplinary  Studies 

(CLS)  Clinical  Laboratory  Sciences 

BGS  Bachelor  of  General  Studies 

MPA,  DPA  Master,  Doctor  of  Public 

(RC)  Rehabilitation  Counseliag 

BIS  Bachelor  of  Interdisciplinary  Studies 

Administiation 

B  Business 

BFA,  MFA  Bachelor,  Master  of  Fine  Art 

MT  Five-year  Teacher  Education 

CPP  Center  for  Public  Policy 

BIS,  MIS  Bachelor,  Master  of  Interdisci- 

program includes  a  BA  or  BS/H&S 

D  Dentistry 

plinary  Studies 

and  a  Master  of  Teaching. 

E  Education 

BSW,  MSW  Bachelor,  Master  of  Social 

MURP  Master  of  Urban  and  Regional 

En  Engineering 

Work 

Planning 

H&S  Humanities  and  Sciences 

BM,  MM,  MME  Bachelor,  Master  of 

PhD  Doctor  of  Philosophy 

M-BH  Medicine-Basic  Health  Sciences 

Music,  Master  of  Music  Education 

MC  Mass  Communications 

M,  DPA  Master,  Doctor  of  Public 

EVERYONE  MUST  LEAVE  THE  BUILDING 


With  new  Life  Sciences  facilities  on  campus 
and  the  Rice  Center,  the  view  ahead  lool<s 
very  good.  Buta  glance  at  the  past  would 
not  be  amiss.  Charles  and  Leann  Blem  not 
only  taught  32  years  of  students  m  the  Life 
Sciences  Building,  they  practically  raised  a 
family  there  Dr.  Karen  Killeen  '90BS/H&S 
'94MD,  and  her  brother  Dr.  Robert  Blem 
'93BS  '97MD  both  held  presidential  scholar- 
ships, both  won  the  Biology  Department 
Outstanding  Student  Award,  and  as  a  schol- 
arship athlete,  Karen  was  an  Academic  Ail- 
American  in  cross-country  track.  Karen's 
husband  Sean  Killeen'90BS/B  makes  yet 
another  Blem  family  alumnus.  Who  better  to 
ask  about  the  foibles  of  a  venerable  building? 

We  caught  up  with  the  Doctors  Blem  in  the 
lab,  packing  to  go  to  the  swamp.  The  memories 
came  in  bursts. 

The  old  Life  Sciences  building  was  idiosyn- 
cratic from  the  beginning.  It  was  built  as  a  new 
shell  wrapped  around  an  old  townhouse,  presum- 
ably one  of  founder  Henry  Hibb's  eccentric 


^.^.hiin^. 


<ul  pu^^'UM^  UdiLtU.  PlJima^J.   Va. 


economies.  Some  of  the  old  staircases  and  brick 
walls  are  still  visible  inside. 

"The  old  building  wasn't  much  in  1969,  but  we 
made  it  do,"  Charles  says.  "The  plumbing  and 
electrical  systems  had  very  little  to  do  with  each 
other,  he  comments.  "As  recently  as  this  summer, 
faculty  were  sweltering  in  some  rooms,  freezing  in 
others."  Leaks  from  the  roof  greenhouse  were 
legendary,  and  it  was  not  unusual  for  ceilings  to 
fall,  even  during  classes. 

"The  building  was  occupied  by  roaches,  mice, 
the  occasional  rat  and  even  once  a  large  black  rat 
snake  (temporarily),"  Charles  enumerates  fondly. 
Leann  adds,  "Tell  them  about  the  time  we  did 
mouth-to-mouth  on  the  snake."  They  were 
working  with  eastern  cottonmouths  (a  poisonous 
snake),  surgically  implanting  transmitters  to  track 
them  in  the  field.  "One  snake  simply  died  when  we 
knocked  it  out  with  anesthetic,  but  we  didn't  want 
to  lose  any  of  the  few  we'd  caught  We  put  a  tube 
down  its  throat,  blew,  pressed  on  its  chest  and 


brought  it  back  to  life." 

The  second  floor  was  always  a  bit 
mystical — one  room  housed  the  cadaver, 
and  the  smell  of  preservatives  was  still 
detectable  decades  later.  Rumors 
abounded  about  what  went  on  in  the  room, 
noneof  them  true.  The  basement  of  the 
building  was  like  a  catacomb,  suitable  only 
for  haunting,  and  may  have  been.  It  was 
dismal,  dark,  and  damp. 

"At  one  point,"  Leann  remembers, 
"there  was  a  dead  lion  in  the  basement. 
King's  Dominion  gave  it  to  us."  "Oh,  yeah, 
and  some  of  the  students  put  it  in  the  lab 
one  night  and  rigged  up  a  shirt  and  shoes 
so  it  looked  like  a  half-eaten  body.  Fortunately  we 
found  it  before  the  cleaning  staff  came  in." 

"The  basement  was  eventually  nearly  aban- 
doned, except  for  graduate  students,  human 
anatomy  classes  and  the  cadaver,"  Charles 
finishes,  shaking  his  head. 

And  they  are  off  to  the  swamp. 
The  fate  of  the  old  building?  The  plan  is  to 
demolish  it  A  new  two-story  building  on  the  site 
will  house  a  central  dining  facility,  replacing  the 
one  in  Hibbs.  On  the  second  floor  will  be  consoli- 
dated Student  Services — functions  now  scattered 
through  several  campus  buildings. 

Space  vacated  in  Hibbs  will  become  class- 
rooms and  faculty  offices 
to  help  meet  growing 
enrollment  needs. 

Pamela  Bodkin  and 
M.E.  Mercer 


Biological  Family:  Drs.  Leann,  Robert  and  Charles  Blem,  and  Dr.  Karen  Blem  Killeen. 


What's  in  a  Name? 

You  tell  us.  President  Irani  has  askedthe  Alumni  Association  to  help  create  a 
new  name  for  VCU's  Academic  Campus.  Besides  implying  thatthe  research 
and  teaching  on  the  Medical  College  of  Virginia  Campus  isn't  academic,  the 
name  usually  leads  to  calling  the  campus  VCU,  narrowing  perceptions  of  the 
University's  comprehensive  scope. 

So  we're  asking  you— who  better?  What  do  you  think  would  be  a  / 
good  name?  Something  easy  to  recognize,  something  everyone      / 
can  identify  with.  Send  us  your  ideas.  / 

Led  by  VCUAA's  immediate  past  president,  Hugh  Keogh,the  /,' 

alumni  board's  executive  committee,  with  representatives  from  '  ^ 

the  MCV  Alumni  Association,  student  government,  faculty  and    :  \=_= 
staff  senates.  Advancement  and  Outreach  Divisions,  will  review!  *^ 
suggestions  and  fonward  five  recommendations  to  President     \ 
Irani  to  submit  to  the  Board  of  Visitors  in  May  2002.  Send  sug-    \ 
gestions  atthe  Association's  website:  vwvw.vcu-mcvalumni.org;  \ 
VCU's  website  atvvww.vcu.edu;  or  fax  them  to  Hugh  Keogh  at        \^ 
(804)  828-81 97.  The  deadline  for  submissions  is  October  15.  ^  ^ 


LIVE  at  VCU: 

www-VCU-nCVAlumni -org 

Ourwebsite  is  live,  [[click   there]!  to 

•  Find  a  lost  friend 

•  Post  a  job  or  search  for  a  job 

•  Show  the  world  your  business  card 

•  Mentor  a  student 

•  Tell  us  what's  new  with  you 

r  Life  Sciences,  page  12. 


Virginia  Commonweaitii  University 

VCU  Alumni  Activities 

924  West  Franklin  Street 

P.  0.  Box  843044 

Richimond,  Virginia  23284-3044 

Address  Service  Requested 


U52S 


Nonprofit  Organization 

U.S.  Postage 

PAID 

Permit  No.  869 
Dulles,  VA 


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