Christopher von Rueden, professor of leadership studies, co-published the article "Egalitarianism is not equality: Moving from outcome to process in the study of human political organisation" in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Vladimir Chlouba, assistant professor of leadership studies, presented his new research on traditional leadership and democracy at the African Studies Association annual meeting in Atlanta on Nov. 20-22.
Terry Price, professor of leadership studies, appears on the Virginia Business list of 100 People to Meet in 2026: Educators.
Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry, has received the 2025 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The Dreyfus Foundation is dedicated to advancing the chemical sciences and established the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award to support the research of outstanding early career faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions.
Jeremy Drummond, associate professor of art, presents his latest film, Monument at Mykonos Biennale and 37th Girona Film Festival and as an Official Selection at CineSalon Experimental Film Festival, Centre Film Festival 2025 and RPM25/Revolutions Per Minute Film Festival. Monument was also selected for the Best of RPM25 program. Drummond presented the film at XV ENCUENTRO PARA CINÉFAGOS and UFF - Underground Film Festival, where it won Best Video Art Award at both festivals. Drummond received the First Place Award in Classic Experimental Film at the Denver Underground Film Festival. See the full list of screenings.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, was awarded the 2025 American Public Health Association Cancer Forum Global Health Award for “Transforming Detection: Assessing the Impact of Task Shifting in Nurse-Led Breast Cancer Screening in Rural Ghana.” James received the highest award in the global health category.
James J. Broomall, professor of history and William Binford Vest Chair in History, was invited to serve on the American Civil War Museum’s Historian Advisory Council, a standing body that advises on initiatives and projects to ensure the museum remains a leading resource on the American Civil War and its legacies.
Laura Knouse, professor of psychology, published “Bridging the Gap: Digital CBT for Adults Managing ADHD Challenges” in the Journal of Attention Disorders.
Jennifer Bowie, professor of political science, published the 13th edition of the book Judicial Process in America.
Writing for The Conversation, Volha Chykina, assistant professor of leadership studies, and colleagues cite research that shows rising threats to academic freedom have a chilling effect on scientific research.
David Wilkins, professor of leadership studies, served on the 2025 Native American Cultural Celebration History Panel on Nov. 12 at the University of Mary Washington.
Rhiannon Graybill, Marcus M. and Carole M. Weinstein & Gilbert M. and Fannie S. Rosenthal Chair of Jewish Studies, published the book Ruth: Themes and Issues in Biblical Studies.
Allison Brenning, teaching faculty of education, received the 2024 Henrico Police Athletic League (PAL) Significant Contributor Award. The award honors her partnership with the Henrico PAL after-school program at Dumbarton Elementary, where she coaches and supports University of Richmond students providing literacy and math instruction to elementary students.
Tammy Milby, senior teaching faculty of education, received the 2024 Henrico Police Athletic League (PAL) Significant Contributor Award. The award honors her partnership with the Henrico PAL after-school program at Dumbarton Elementary, where she coaches and supports University of Richmond students providing literacy and math instruction to elementary students.
Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, won the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians Book Prize for her book Foreign in Two Homelands: Racism, Return Migration, and Turkish-German History.
Rania Kassab Sweis, associate professor of anthropology, joined the Editorial Board of the International Journal for Middle East Studies (IJMES), the flagship interdisciplinary journal in the field of Middle East studies.
David Brandenberger, professor of history and global studies, published Stalin’s Usable Past, which analyzes Stalin’s role in rewriting Soviet history to emphasize a thousand-year legacy before the 1917 Revolution and reshape Soviet identity.
Rick Mayes, professor of health policy, presented his research on Medicare policy at the 2025 American Public Health Association's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., and for the Better Healthcare Policy Group at the U.C. Berkeley School of Public Health.
David Brandenberger, professor of history and global studies, published “‘Basically, it’s a History of the Russian State’: Russocentrism, Etatism, and the Ukrainian Question in Stalin’s Editing of the 1937 Short History of the USSR” in Nationalities Papers.
Rania Kassab Sweis, associate professor of anthropology, presented “The Making of Syrian American Medical Humanitarians” at the Global Health in a Turbulent Middle East and North Africa: Anthropological Perspectives conference hosted by the Yale MacMillan Center Council on Middle East Studies.
Kathryn Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, published “Newborn screening for sickle cell disease in Caluquembe, southwestern Angola, 2024–2025” in PLoS One.
Jorge Wong Medina, assistant professor of classics published a review of Alloglōssoi: Multilingualism and Minority Languages in Ancient Europe in the Journal of Literary Multilingualism.
David Brandenberger, professor of history and global studies, presented “The Foundations of Russian Statehood: An Analysis of the New ‘Civilizationism’ Curriculum in Russia’s Higher Educational Institutions” at a conference hosted by the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Institute of History. The paper analyzes a new mandatory civics course taught today in all Russian colleges and universities.
Michael C. Leopold, professor and Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair of Chemistry, was awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant from the American Chemical Society.
David Wilkins, professor of leadership studies, was invited to speak at Houghton University's Kindschi Faith and Justice Symposium, which focused on Native rights this year. He presented "Indigenous Nations and the US: A 'Peculiar' Relationship" on Nov. 6.
Jessica Oliver, communications center supervisor in the Department of Public Safety, received the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Award for completion of the Executive Leadership Institute and the required leadership courses — supervisor, command, and executive leadership.
Kathryn Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, is the lead author of "An updated definition of global health," published in Global Heath Research and Policy.
Alexander T. Englert, assistant professor of philosophy, published “Building a stable ‘abode of thought’: Kant’s rules for virtuous thinking” in The Conversation.
Sydney Watts, associate professor of history and gender & sexuality studies presented a paper on the transatlantic migration of the Dupont household (1797-1830) at the "Stay or Leave: Family Survival Tactics during the Age of Emigrations, 1770-1830s" workshop at Goethe University.
Kathryn Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, published three Global Burden of Disease papers in The Lancet, one on demographics, one on mortality, and one on the epidemiology of nonfatal health conditions.
Jenna Darby, adjunct assistant professor of education, has been appointed an interim representative to the Chesterfield County School Board for the Clover Hill District, effective Jan. 1.
Kitty Maynard, Faculty Hub director, co-edited Transformative Coaching for Faculty and Staff in Higher Education: Powerful Tools to Address Institutional Challenges (Routledge). Maynard co-authored the chapter “Getting Started: Putting Coaching into Practice as Educational Developers.”
Lauren Anesta, media relations manager, presented at The Conversation’s member conference, Oct. 26–28, in Boston. Anesta served as a panelist for the session “Marketing your membership on campus,” which featured communicators speaking on strategies for recruiting scholars and generating buy-in amongst leadership.
Jeremy Hoffman, adjunct lecturer of health studies, was selected as a 2025 honoree for the de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health. The program is the first of its kind to recognize and elevate leaders changing the face of public health in creative and innovative ways.
Rick Mayes, professor of health policy, chaired a research panel on "Privatization, Regulation, and Health Care Markets," and shared his research on a "Medicare at 60" panel at the 2025 American Political Science Association Conference.
Kathryn Jacobsen, William E. Cooper Distinguished University Chair and professor of health studies, was selected to serve as a Senior Research Fellow with the Earth Systems Governance Project of Future Earth that is hosted by Uppsala University in Sweden.
Ignatius G. D Suglo, assistant professor of rhetoric & communication studies, was appointed to the editorial board of the flagship journal Communication, Culture, & Critique.
Sonja Bertucci, assistant professor of languages, literatures, and cultures (film studies), was named a University of Richmond Center for Liberal Arts and AI (CLAAI) 2025-2026 Fellow.
Megan Driscoll, assistant professor of art history, was named a University of Richmond Center for Liberal Arts and AI (CLAAI) 2025-2026 Fellow.
Mary Finley-Brook, professor of geography, environment, & sustainability, was named a University of Richmond Center for Liberal Arts and AI (CLAAI) 2025-2026 Fellow.
Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, was named a University of Richmond Center for Liberal Arts and AI (CLAAI) 2025-2026 Fellow.
Stephanie Spera, associate professor of geography, environment, & sustainability, was named a University of Richmond Center for Liberal Arts and AI (CLAAI) 2025-2026 Fellow.
Vladimir Chlouba, assistant professor of leadership studies, published the article "Seeing Is Believing: Voluntary Gender Quotas Change Female Leadership Stereotypes" in Research and Politics.
Malcolm Ogden, visiting assistant professor of rhetoric and communication studies, presented "AI, grammar, and consciousness: A media genealogical analysis of Grammarly" at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S): Reverberations.
Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, was selected as a finalist by the German Studies Association for two book prizes, including the 2025 DAAD/GSA Book Prize for the Best Book in History and Social Sciences, and the 2025 David Barclay Book Prize for her book, Foreign in Two Homelands: Racism, Return Migration, and Turkish-German History.
Malcolm Ogden, visiting assistant professor of rhetoric and communication studies, published the chapter "The Weird Internet and Speculative Knowledge" in the De Gruyter Handbook of Digital Cultures.
Sandra Joireman, Weinstein Chair of Global Studies, published “Property Confiscation in the Zanzibar Revolution” in African Affairs.
Matthew Oware, Irving May Professor of Human Relations, published “Race and Space in Rap: Conceptions of (Multi)Racial Identity and Urban Life in Rap Music” in The Arts and Urban Development.
Joonsuk Park, associate professor of computer science, published the paper "ReSCORE: Label-free Iterative Retriever Training for Multi-hop Question Answering with Relevance-Consistency Supervision" in the Proceedings of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL).
Camilla W. Nonterah, associate professor of psychology, published African American Psychology From Africa to America. The textbook provides a comprehensive coverage of the field of African American psychology.
Joonsuk Park, associate professor of computer science, published the paper "ArgInstruct: Specialized Instruction Fine-Tuning for Computational Argumentation" in Findings of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL).
Jorge Wong Medina, assistant professor of classics presented “The Names of Odysseus” at the Classical Association of Virginia Fall Meeting.
Jessica Flanigan, professor of leadership studies and PPEL, co-authored the book "Libertarianism: The Basics," published by Routledge.
Melinda A. Yang, assistant professor of biology, Stephanie A. Spera, associate professor of geography, environment, & sustainability, and Beth Zizzamia, spatial analysis lab GIS operations manager, along with students Flora Yi, '27, and Elliot Delroba, '24, published "The AADR Visualizer: an ArcGIS online visualizer for ancient human DNA from the Allen Ancient DNA Resource" in the Bioinformatic Advances. The AADR Visualizer is the associated tool.
Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry, co-hosted an episode of the National Academy of Sciences LabX's YouTube series "Chemists in the Kitchen." The episode focuses on how the humble carrot changes while cooking, creating the perfect fall soup.
Tom Shields, chair of Graduate Education and associate professor of Education and Leadership Studies, presented with Kyle Redican, director of the Spatial Analysis Lab, on the experience of digitizing the 2024 Live and Learn 2.0 report into an interactive public website. They presented during the September 26 session of the 2025 Faculty & Staff Mini Research Symposium.
Christopher von Rueden, professor of leadership studies, co-published the article "The Multi-Capital Leadership Theory: An Integrative Framework for Human Leadership Diversity" in Human Nature.
Peggy Watson, W’76, has been invited by the National Resource Center (NRC) for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes to become a member of the inaugural Osher NRC Advisory Council. The council is being created to ensure that the NRC remains closely connected to the needs and priorities of the network of Osher institutions around the country. Watson will serve a two-year term on the council.
Kristina Jean-Baptiste, doctoral intern in the Counseling and Psychological Services department, co-published “Warrior Woman: An Examination of the Relationship Between the Superwoman Schema, Emotion Regulation, and PTSD Symptoms in Africana Women” in Siyabonana: The Journal of Africana Studies.
Javier Hidalgo, professor of leadership studies and PPEL, published the chapter "Political Leadership and the Struggle for Tibet, 1950-1959" in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
David Wilkins, professor of leadership studies, gave the keynote address at the Democracy Reform Summit: Removing Barriers to Native Political Participation, held Oct. 3 at Arizona State University.
Head of Parsons Music Library Linda Fairtile’s critical edition of Verdi's penultimate opera, Otello, premiered at the Teatro Regio in Parma, Italy, on Sept. 26, 2025. The production runs through Oct. 19.
Alexander T. Englert, assistant professor of philosophy, published The Reality of the Ideal: A Study of Kant's Highest Good.
Margaret Tait, assistant professor of health studies, presented her research "Considering Catholic Health Care: Exploring Perceptions of Trust and Discrimination in Religiously Affiliated Health Systems" at the 2025 Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Sciences Conference.
Laura E. Knouse, professor of psychology, published Living Well with Adult ADHD: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life.
Aurora Hermida-Ruiz, associate professor of Spanish, published "Vivir para descontarla: Maravall y el Quijote (1948-1976)" in Hispanic Review.
Margaret Tait, assistant professor of health studies, published "News media coverage of the U.S. social safety net: themes and gaps from a scoping review" in BMC Public Health.
Laura E. Knouse, professor of psychology, published Living Well with Adult ADHD: Practical Strategies for Improving Your Daily Life.
Aurora Hermida-Ruiz, associate professor of Spanish, published "Vivir para descontarla: Maravall y el Quijote (1948-1976)" in Hispanic Review.
Thad Williamson, professor of leadership studies and PPEL, published the chapter "Richmond, Virginia's 20-Year Experiment with 'Strong Mayor' Government" in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
Crystal Hoyt, professor of leadership studies and psychology, published the chapter "Stacey Abrams: Championing Voting Rights and Transforming American Democracy" in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
Peter Kaufman, professor of leadership studies, co-published with student Charlotte Tisdale, '26, the chapter "Thomas More, Chancellor" in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
Michelle Kahn, associate professor of history, was awarded the Community-Engaged Teaching Award by the Bonnor Center for Civic Engagement at the eighth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Kyle Redican, teaching faculty of geography, environment, & sustainability and director of the Spatial Analysis Lab, was awarded the Community-Engaged Scholarship Award by the Bonnor Center for Civic Engagement at the eighth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Sandy Williams IV, assistant professor of art, was awarded the Community-Engaged Scholarship Award by the Bonnor Center for Civic Engagement at the eighth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Allison Brenning, teaching faculty of education, was awarded the Collaboration for Change Award by the Bonnor Center for Civic Engagement at the eighth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Tammy Milby, senior teaching faculty of education, was awarded the Collaboration for Change Award by the Bonnor Center for Civic Engagement at the eighth annual Engage for Change Awards.
Marcella Torres, teaching faculty of mathematics, and Shannon Jones, senior teaching faculty of biology, along with students Aamy Bakry, '24, and Emma Brashear, '27, published "Development of a mathematical model of the innate immune response to inhaled toxicants" in the Journal of Theoretical Biology.
Shweta Ware, assistant professor of computer science, and Laura Knouse, professor of psychology, along with Kritim Rijal, ‘25 published "SmartADHDMonitor: A Novel Approach to Automatic ADHD Monitoring Through Smartphone App Usage Data" in the proceedings of the 2025 IEEE 49th Annual Computers, Software, and Applications Conference (COMPSAC). Ware presented the paper at the conference.
Julian Hayter, professor of leadership studies, received the Community-Engaged Teaching Award from the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Richmond.
Jessican Flanigan, professor of leadership studies and PPEL, published the chapter "Ehren Watada and Selective Conscientious Objection" in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
Michael C. Leopold, professor and Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Chair of Chemistry, along with students Charlie Sheppard, '26, Joyce Stern, '26, Arielle Vinnikov, '27, Holly Wemple, '25, and Ben Edelman, '27, published “Adsorptive Cathodic Stripping Analysis of Xylazine within Fouling-Resistant and Nanomaterial-Enhanced Modified Electrode Sensors" in the journal Sensors. This latest publication continues the group's work in developing sensors for the fast, on-site detection of common "date rape" drugs that may be found in adulterated beverages.
Olubukola Olayiwola, visiting assistant professor of anthropology, published “’Having Experience of What to Do to Succeed’: Unsettling Neoliberalism Through the Lived Experiences of Microcredit Trader-Borrowers in Ibadan” in Economic Anthropology.
Yucong Jiang, assistant professor of computer science, published “Performance Precision: a Software Prototype for Computer-assisted Annotation and Analysis of Music Performance” in the proceedings of the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC). Jiang presented the paper at the conference which had the theme Curiosity, Play, Innovation – A 50th Anniversary Celebration of Creativity in Music, Science and Technology.
Jennifer Bowie, professor of political science, along with Kaitlyn O'Leary, '23, published "Jones v. Hendrix on Habeas Corpus” in SCOTUS 2023 Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court.
Yucong Jiang, assistant professor of computer science, published “Piano Precision: Advancing Music Performance Analysis by Integrating User-correctable Audio-to-score Alignment” in the proceedings of Sound and Music Computing (SMC).
David Wilkins, professor of leadership studies, published the chapter "The Determined Ones: The Collaborative Leadership of Hank Adams, Vine Deloria, Jr., and Billy Frank, Jr." in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
Julian Hayter, professor of leadership studies, published the chapter "Give Us the Ballot: The Ratification of the Voting Rights Act of 1965" in the edited volume Case Studies in Political Leadership.
David Wilkins, professor of leadership studies, received the University of Richmond's Distinguished Educator Award at Colloquy.
Christopher Von Rueden, professor of leadership studies, received the University of Richmond's Distinguished Scholarship Award at Colloquy.
Agnieszka Szymańska, associate professor of art history, has been awarded membership to the Institute for Advanced Study, one of the world's foremost centers for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. Szymańska is an expert on the architecture and painted decoration of late antique and medieval monasteries in the Mediterranean. Learn more.
Nigel James, assistant professor of health studies, published “Tackling the (un)affordability of medicines for cardiometabolic risk factors worldwide: a call to action” in BMJ Global Health.
Courtney Blondino, assistant professor of health studies, published “Generational Differences in Tobacco Use Patterns: Results from Wave 6 (2021) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (United States)” in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs with students Fernanda Moya Quezada, ‘26, and Caitlyn Hall, ‘26.
Jerry Clemmer, executive director of campus business services, received the National Association of College Auxiliary Services’ Cornerstones of the Profession Award. Honorees demonstrated extraordinary leadership, lasting impact on their institutions, and significant contributions to NACAS over a lifetime of service.
Edward Ayers, Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities and president emeritus, was selected as Monticello’s 2025–26 Fritz and Claudine Kundrun Fellow at the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies.
Isaac Skromne, associate professor of biology, published “A cell fate mapping simulation laboratory to increase undergraduate students’ understanding of early developmental processes in frog, zebrafish, and tunicate embryos” in the Journal of Microbiology and Biological Education.
Laura Fitrer, GC’16, has been named to Leadership Metro Richmond (LMR)’s flagship program, Leadership Quest, as a member of the class of 2026. Each year, LMR welcomes a diverse group of community leaders into Leadership Quest. This ten-month experience equips participants with the tools to drive lasting change in the greater Richmond region.
