Spider Insider

News

Consecration and Dedication Ceremony Held at the University of Richmond Burying Ground Memorial

The University of Richmond held a consecration and dedication ceremony at a permanent memorial to honor those enslaved and laid to rest on the land that became the campus. The University acquired the first parcel of land comprising its current campus in 1910.

University of Richmond’s Director of Sustainability Rob Andrejewski Receives Inaugural AASHE Fellows Award

New Children’s Book — Along Came the Spiders — Highlights University of Richmond Community and Story of Spider Mascot

Updates

Lots R55 and R59 closed April 24–25

April 23, 2025

Lot R55 (Tyler Haynes) will be closed on Thursday, April 24, and Friday, April 25. Lot R59 (Fountain) will be reserved for accessibility parking only. Faculty and staff who normally park in these lots can find alternate parking in lot U6 (Humanities).

If you have any questions, contact Parking Services at 804-289-8703.

Road Closure: Richmond Way, April 24

April 23, 2025

Due to the Last Day of Classes Concert set-up, Richmond Way in front of Boatwright Memorial Library will be closed to through traffic from Lakeview Lane to the Tyler Haynes Commons overpass beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 24. Parking lot R58, accessible parking, and deliveries can be accessed by entering Richmond Way from UR Drive.

Commencement volunteer opportunity

April 18, 2025

The Commencement Team is looking for staff volunteers to assist with Main Commencement 2025. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Commencement Volunteer Sign-Up Form.

April 16, 2025

Employees are invited to financial wellness workshops from SAGE throughout 2025.

This year's topics include:

Making Your Money Last in Retirement
Slow to Start Saving for Retirement? Strategies to Help You Stay in the Race
Investing 101
Market Movements and Your Portfolio
College Savings 529 Plans

Learn more and register.

Free password keeper

April 15, 2025

Too many passwords to remember? LastPass makes logins quick and easy. LastPass Enterprise is available for free to all staff and faculty. Learn more and sign up now.

Upcoming events

Apr 24

A&S Books & Roses
Apr 25

Last Day of Spring Classes
Apr 25

E-Waste, Shredding & Composting Event
Apr 26

SPCS Academic Classes End
Apr 26

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
May 03

Time to Smell the Roses on UR Campus Photo Contest
May 05

University Faculty Meeting
May 09

Commencement Weekend

Campus Highlights

Kudos

April 6, 2025

Charnell Grace

Shout out to Charnell Grace at the UR SpiderShop for working closely with the Department of Mathematics & Statistics and the Department of Computer Science. She followed up with us at every step of the gift acquisition process for our seniors and ensured the timely delivery of three huge boxes to our office for distribution to our students. We thank Carnell for helping to make our graduates feel special, and we look forward to working with her again.
—Submitted by Kathy Rothert, Mathematics & Statistics

February 20, 2025

Earl Lewis

Congratulations to Earl Lewis for successfully completing the University of Richmond Data Analytics Class! Earl’s dedication and hard work in advancing his analytical skills demonstrate his commitment to professional growth and excellence. Data analytics is a crucial skill in today’s evolving workplace, and Earl’s achievement showcases his drive to leverage data-driven insights for better decision-making. His accomplishment will undoubtedly benefit our team and enhance our capabilities. Congratulations, Earl!
—Submitted by Mirinda McCants, User Services
January 14, 2025

Spider Exchange, Rethink Waste

Big shout out to David Donaldson, Jacob Saqueira, and the operations team that pulls the trash from the outdoor bins for going above and beyond. They manage to return sentimental items that students have accidentally binned, funnel useful discarded items back into the campus community (Brita water pitchers, stick vacuums, Halloween decor, and more), and provide a supportive and educational experience for student workers. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
—Submitted by Marya Kravets, Advancement Systems

November 20, 2024

Rick Glass, Events Team

Rick, I can’t thank you enough. I’m so glad we decided to have our event at the University of Richmond. Your staff and team, student, etc. were outstanding, and the setting, parking, etc. were the best! Hopefully, we host more events with you in the future! On behalf of the Richmond Pediatric Society, thank you and thank you.
—Submitted by Melissa Nelson, Summit Emotional Health
September 18, 2024

Michelle Williams

Shout out to Michelle for helping the clinic find a parent for a sick child. Michelle went above and beyond to help find the employee. Even after telling me that she did not see anyone with that name she never gave up. She called the clinic back and had found the employee. Thank you, Michelle, for your dedication!
—Submitted by Karen, Henrico County

September 11, 2024

Facilities Team

BIG shout out to Christopher Gee, Scott McIntosh, Kyle Donovan, Chris Harrison, Julian Cline, Manny Haines, Mazie Ellerbe, and all of our other friends in facilities who keep the systems running at Bostwick 3!
—Submitted by Marya Kravets, Advancement Systems

Did you know…

#22

“Best Liberal Arts Colleges”

—U.S. News & World Report (2025)

Accomplishments

Kahn named a National Humanities Center Fellow
April 24, 2025
Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, has been awarded a $26,000 National Humanities Center Fellowship for 2025-26 to support writing her book tentatively titled Neo-Nazis in Germany and the United States: An Entangled History of Hate, 1945-2000. Learn more.

Miller and Jiang published on content analysis of trends in Congressional messaging
April 23, 2025
Chris Miller, visiting assistant professor of political science, and Yucong Jiang, assistant professor of computer science, published "Congressional rhetoric on Twitter and the crisis of democracy" in Communication and Democracy.

Russell published on sorting permutations using numerical runs
April 23, 2025
Heather M. Russell, associate professor of mathematics published "Runs and RSK Tableaux of Boolean Permutations" in Annals of Combinatorics.
Gao published on the great Chinese famine's impact on trust
April 22, 2025
Gengsong Gao, associate professor of Chinese studies, published "The long-term impact of the great Chinese famine experiences on trust in the current Chinese government" in the Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies.

Holloway wins annual award for best southern women’s history article
April 22, 2025
Pippa Holloway, Cornerstones Chair in History, won the A. Elizabeth Taylor Prize from the Southern Association of Women Historians for her article, “Virginia Penny’s ‘State of Desperation’: Anger, Insanity, and Struggle for Justice in Nineteenth-Century Kentucky,” which was published in Ohio Valley History.

Erickson and student publish on mechanisms underlying invasive species' success
April 22, 2025
Priscilla Erickson, assistant professor of biology, along with Camille Walsh-Antzak, ’24, published "Strength of Enemy Release From Parasitoids Is Context Dependent in the Invasive African Fig Fly, Zaprionus indianus" in Ecology and Evolution.
Andrejewski receives AASHE Fellows Award
April 22, 2025
Rob Andrejewski, director of sustainability, was named a recipient of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's inaugural Fellows Award. The AASHE Fellows Award recognizes mid-career individuals who significantly contribute to the advancement of sustainability in higher education.

Dominey, Goldman, and students publish in chemistry journal
April 21, 2025
Raymond N. Dominey, associate professor of chemistry, and Emma Goldman, associate professor of chemistry, along with students Mason Ortiz, ‘23, Benjamin F. Solomon, ‘24, and Luke Simkins, ’24, published "Exploration of Pynaphthyridine and Binaphthyridine Manganese(I) Tricarbonyl Complexes: Influence on Carbon Dioxide Reduction Electrocatalysis" in Organometallics.

Baughan, Henley, Zizzimia and students present at IMPACT National Conference
April 21, 2025
Elizabeth Baughan, associate professor of classics and archaeology, Lauren Henley, assistant professor of leadership studies, and Beth Zizzamia, Special Analysis Lab GIS operations manager, along with students Sydney Cameron, ’26, Alex Harry, ’26, Angela Nguyen, ’27, and Katherine Stobie, ’26, presented “Students Collaborating with Community in Richmond’s Black Cemeteries” at the IMPACT National Conference.