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News

Faculty Awards

University of Richmond’s Nicole Maurantonio Named ACE Fellow

Maurantonio is one of 31 ACE Fellows selected for the 2026–27 academic year.

University of Richmond Announces Tyler Betzhold as Executive Director of Dining Services

Community Invited to Westhampton Lake Cleanup Day at the University of Richmond this Friday

University of Richmond Ranked by Peace Corps as 2026 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities

Announcements

Lots R55, R58, and R59 closed April 23–24

April 23, 2026

Parking lots R55 (Richmond Way at Boatwright Library), R58 (Commons lower lot), and R59 (roadside parking at Fountain Hall) will be closed from 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, until midnight on Friday, April 24. The accessible parking spaces will be temporarily relocated to the roadside parking spaces in R59. To access accessible parking spaces, your vehicle must display an accessible plate or placard.

Available parking spaces can be found in lots U6 and U12 off UR Drive.

Richmond Way closed April 23–24

April 23, 2026

Richmond Way between UR Drive and Lakeview Lane will be closed from 5 p.m. on April 23 until 11 p.m. on April 24. This is in support of the Last Day of Class Concert Friday evening. University and emergency vehicles will have access during this time.

Distinguished Advisor Award nominations due May 1

April 22, 2026

Do you know an outstanding academic advisor? Would you like to recognize an academic advisor's commitment to their students and to the practice of academic advising? If so, please consider nominating them for this year's Distinguished Advisor Award.

To nominate an advisor for the 2025–26 Distinguished Advisor Award, please complete the online form by May 1.

The recipient will be notified of their selection in July, and the award will be presented in August.

Staff commencement volunteer opportunity

April 20, 2026

The commencement team is looking for volunteers to assist with the main commencement ceremony. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the sign-up form. Thank you for your interest and commitment to volunteering for Commencement 2026.

Thanks for completing your self-evaluations

April 16, 2026

Thank you to all staff who have completed your self-evaluations — your thoughtful input is essential to a strong review process. Managers, please continue engaging with your teams and partnering with HR to ensure timely, meaningful conversations and next steps.

Upcoming events

Apr 24

Last Day of Undergraduate Fall Classes
Apr 25

SPCS Academic Classes End
Apr 28

TIAA One-on-One Appointments
Apr 28

Navigating a Multigenerational Workplace
May 08

Commencement Weekend
May 13

TIAA One-on-One Appointments
May 13

Presenting with Confidence
May 19

Effective Communication

Campus Highlights

Kudos

April 1, 2026

Disability Services Campus Partner Proctors

A massive thank you to Ayanna Santiago, Brian Joseph, Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth, Olivia Rosenblum, Jason Honesto, Alfie Price, and Patrick Benner for assisting with proctoring in the Disability Services Testing Center this semester. Their generous and thoughtful work in our office has provided hundreds of students with disabilities an equitable and accessible test-taking experience and environment. These Disability Services campus partners truly embody the spirit of collaboration and teamwork.
—Julia Kelly, Disability Services

March 11, 2026

Veronica Clinton

Veronica Clinton [administrative coordinator, music] did an outstanding job organizing the complex schedules, travel, and housing for three tenure-track job applicants, two external program reviewers, and multiple artists-in-residence during the first half of the semester, despite multiple weather-related travel disruptions. The Department of Music faculty wishes to thank Veronica for her incredible organizational skills.
—Andy McGraw, Music
March 10, 2026

Bridgette Dodge

Shout out to Bridgette [catering] for always being so professional and accommodating to ensure that all our catering orders are top notch. She truly cares that the customer and community have a great experience and goes above and beyond to accommodate our preferences and dietary needs, as well as address all questions, concerns, and changes. Her ability to keep track of our orders and corresponding changes during the ice and snow in January and February was amazing, and it was great to know that she was on top of it all.
—Anne Wroniewicz, Law School

March 5, 2026

Erinn Brown and Cliff Wingfield

Both Erinn [catering] and Cliff [events, conferences, and support services] went above and beyond to ensure our Scholar Athlete Breakfast was a success. They used creative ways to help us with traffic flow and buffet service. Cliff did a fantastic job making sure we had enough stage to support the award presentations. We greatly appreciated their effort, attention to detail and communication. Thank you!
—Sharon Broyles, Athletics
February 11, 2026

Travis Smith

Shout out to Travis Smith [head, library facilities and logistics] for being on point and opening the library during wave one of Winter Storm Fern. Travis is the unsung hero of library operations. This week exemplifies his service, dedication, and resourcefulness. The impact of his work ensures the library is ready to receive library staff as well as the UR community we serve. Travis presses forward day and night, always has a positive attitude, and brings his best foot forward everyday. We <3 Travis! Thank you!
—Chase Monroe & the Access Services Team

February 5, 2026

Patrick Benner, Tyler Betzhold, Paul Lozo, Dave McCoy, Berkley Miller

My sincere thanks for ALL that you and your teams did to keep necessary operations steady while simultaneously working to prepare campus to return to a more normal state. The commitment that has been on display these last many days — and is shown every day at UR — highlights the best of who we are. The Student Development team and I are grateful and feel privileged to work with such wonderful and dedicated colleagues. So, thank you. From all of us — staff, faculty, and students alike — for your tremendous efforts.
—Todd Adams, Student Development

Did you know…

“Best Student Support and Counseling Services”

—The Princeton Review (2025)

Accomplishments

Pettis publishes on celebrity and ordinary people as internet memes
April 23, 2026
Ben Pettis, assistant professor of rhetoric and communication studies, published “The two lives of Chuck Norris” in The Conversation about what happens when internet culture turns both celebrities and regular people into memes.

Kong publishes book on how to make plant-based living a sustainable lifestyle
April 23, 2026
Joanne Kong, senior teaching faculty of music, published Veggan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living. The book includes practical advice on adopting a plant-based lifestyle and how everyday choices are integral to more compassionate living.

McWhorter’s book proposes moving away from individual identity to collective living
April 23, 2026
Ladelle McWhorter, Stephanie Bennett-Smith, Chair of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies, Emerita, published Unbecoming Persons: The Rise and Demise of the Modern Moral Self. The book challenges our contemporary focus on personal identity and self-improvement, advocating instead for a greater emphasis on communal living and relational well-being.
Drummond's film screened at international festivals
April 23, 2026
Jeremy Drummond, associate professor of art, presented his latest film, Monument at the Pambujan International Film Festival and the ImoIFF International Film Festival. The film has been named an Official Selection at the Wide Open Experimental Film Festival, the Fisura, International Festival of Experimental Film & Video, and the Cauldron International Film & Video Festival. See the full list of screenings.

Lowder publishes on memory retrieval and language processing
April 21, 2026
Matthew Lowder, associate professor of psychology, along with Gwynna Ryan '21, published "Retrieval Interference in the Processing of Relative Clauses: Evidence from the Visual-World Paradigm" in Language, Cognition and Neuroscience.

Wares, Blondino, and student publish on mathematical modeling analysis used to understand best opioid addiction treatments
April 21, 2026
Courtney Blondino, assistant professor of health studies, and Joanna Wares, associate professor of mathematics, published "Beyond MAT Expansion: A Mathematical Modeling Analysis of Opioid Use Disorder Intervention Efficacy" in Mathematical Biosciences along with Maniha Akram, ’24.
Nelson's work featured in Minneapolis Institute of Art exhibition
April 21, 2026
Brittany Nelson, associate professor of photography and extended media, is exhibiting in Contains Multitudes at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Chlouba publishes article on support for female political leadership in the African nation of Namibia
April 16, 2026
Vladimir Chlouba, assistant professor of leadership studies, published "Seeing women govern encourages support for women in politics — with no apparent backlash from men" in The Conversation US.

Beals on international book prize shortlist for work in translation
April 16, 2026
Kurt Beals, visiting associate professor of German studies, is on the shortlist for the James Tait Black Prize for his translation of Jenny Erpenbeck’s essay collection Things that Disappear: Reflections and Memories.