Faculty Affairs Directory
Kathleen M. Rudasill, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Lisa M. Abrams, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs | lmabrams@vcu.edu
Lisa Abrams oversees several faculty development programs offered by Faculty Affairs in support of career advancement and leadership development. These include programming for new and current department chairs, associate professors and non-tenure track faculty at different career stages and mentoring for assistant and associate professors. She is a professor in the School of Education and served as Chair of the Department of Foundations of Education and interim Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Development prior to joining Faculty Affairs. Her research examines the implementation and impact of professional learning programs and the use of data-informed strategies to support learning and leadership decision-making. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation from Boston College.
LaToya B. Thomas, B.S.
Special Assistant to the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs | lblizzard@vcu.edu
LaToya B. Thomas serves as the Special Assistant to the Senior Vice Provost - Faculty Affairs. In this capacity, she plays a vital role in providing high-level administrative support to the SVP-Faculty Affairs. A core part of her role includes managing key aspects of the Promotion and Tenure process, which includes tracking submissions, ensuring compliance with policy, and serving as a liaison between schools/colleges and the Office of the Provost - Faculty Affairs. LaToya is a graduate of Virginia State University. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.
Susan M. T. Coombes, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Provost and Director, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence | scoombes@vcu.edu
Susan Coombes joined the VCU School of Business Department of Management and Entrepreneurship in 2008. She earned her Ph.D. from Syracuse University and her M.B.A. and B.S. from Gonzaga University. In her role, she focuses on fostering an environment where faculty can empower themselves to achieve teaching excellence and thrive in their careers. Her research explores entrepreneurship, strategy, and social enterprise, in areas such as women entrepreneurs, nonprofit governance, corporate political activity, and creativity in organizational settings.
Tiffany Freitas, B.A.
Senior Program Manager | freitast@vcu.edu
Tiffany Freitas works on programming for new and current department chairs, associate professors and non-tenure track faculty, as well as the mentoring program for assistant and associate professors. Additionally, she supports communications for the office through her work on the website and the newsletter in an effort to increase engagement with faculty across the university. Her passions include supporting faculty, fostering an environment that empowers her colleagues, work/life balance and wellness, streamlining processes, as well as sharing her institutional knowledge from serving as staff at VCU since 2013. She received her B.A. in English from VCU in 2011 and has been working in higher education since her graduation.
Zachary Goodell, Ph.D.
Faculty Director of Special Programs, Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence | zggoodel@vcu.edu
Zachary Goodell is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology where he has taught for more than 30 years. He earned his B.S. in Psychology, M.S. in Sociology, and his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration here at VCU where he focused his research on higher education, and faculty perceptions of the state of academic freedom and tenure in large public universities, specifically. In addition to teaching several sociology courses each semester, he serves as the Undergraduate Program Director in Sociology. He has spent decades in service to the teaching and learning mission of VCU. He is a champion of general education at large research universities and currently serves as a Co-Director of ConnectED, VCU’s general education program. He also serves as a Faculty Director of Special Programs in the CTLE.
Rosalyn (Roz) Hobson Hargraves, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Faculty Research Support Services | rhobson@vcu.edu
Rosalyn (Roz) Hobson Hargraves is an engineer, educator, researcher, administrator, and academic leader. She holds the rank of Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University and most recently served as Division Director for the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) (2021-2025). With a strong record of excellence in teaching and scholarly activity, Dr. Hargraves’ research spans the areas of STEM education, machine learning, biomedical signal and image processing, the role of science and technology in international development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her role with Faculty Affairs, Dr. Hargraves works collaboratively with OVPRI to provide strategic and operational leadership in the Office of the Provost for the development, implementation, and management of a centralized research support framework tailored to the needs of the faculty in the university’s diverse schools. As Executive Director, she is responsible for supporting the needs of faculty in their scholarly and research pursuits including accelerating scholarship, supporting the securing of extramural funding, and elevating the quality and impact of research and creative expression, directly supporting VCU’s mission as a Carnegie R1 and Community Engaged institution.
William E. King, M.S. Ed.
University Ombudsperson | weking@vcu.edu | (804) 827-4357
William E. King brings over 44 years of experience in higher education and 31 years as a university ombudsperson to this position. Mr. King’s background and experiences in conflict management and dispute resolution in an academic environment ensure that our campus remains one of collegiality, respect, openness and inclusion. William King is a Certified Organizational Ombudsman Practitioner (CO-OPSM) certified by the IOA Board of Certification. King is a graduate of Emporia State University, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Learn more about the Office of the Ombudsperson >>
Kyle Lobo, M.S.
Senior Program Specialist, Analytics and Communications | lobok2@vcu.edu
Kyle Lobo serves as the Senior Program Specialist for Analytics and Communications in the Office of Faculty Affairs, bridging technical expertise with program coordination to support faculty across VCU’s schools and colleges. He focuses on streamlining recognition processes and developing data-driven reporting tools to improve how faculty engage with university resources. By translating complex data into actionable insights, Kyle ensures that development programs and faculty-facing initiatives are accessible and efficient, helping the university better recognize and support its academic community.
Michele Murray
Senior Administrative Coordinator | mmurray2@vcu.edu
Michele Murray serves as the Senior Administrative Coordinator in Faculty Affairs, supporting the Assistant Vice Provost, the Interim Assistant Vice Provost, the Director of CTLE, and the University Ombudsperson. Michele brings many years of comprehensive support services experience to Faculty Affairs, with this role being her first time serving in higher education. She finds her joy digging in the garden and getting lost in a book. Having begun her education at Temple University, she is working to complete a B.A. in English here at VCU.
Archana A. Pathak, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs | aapathak@vcu.edu
Archana A. Pathak is a diasporic scholar academically trained in intercultural communication and qualitative research methodologies. She currently serves as assistant vice provost for faculty affairs in the Office of the Provost. Her work centers on supporting faculty through faculty recognition and honorifics and professional development for faculty at all ranks. She is also faculty in the Department of Gender, Sexuality & Women's Studies, and affiliate faculty in the Department of African American Studies and the Media, Art & Text Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program. Her research focuses on elevating diverse voices in their complexity. She specifically focuses on the U.S. South Asian diaspora as well as higher education settings.
Elaine Reeder, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice Provost of Learning Experience Design | ereeder@vcu.edu
Elaine Reeder supports faculty through university-wide initiatives focused on teaching, learning, and assessment. Her work centers on helping faculty explore research-informed approaches to course design, assessment, and the thoughtful use of learning technologies across disciplines. Elaine teaches as an adjunct in the School of the Arts, the Robertson School of Media and Culture, and the School of Education. Her research focuses on the design of learning experiences, learning technologies, and assessment approaches that emphasize application, transfer of learning, and meaningful assessment. She earned her Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas and holds a graduate degree in Education. Learn more about LEDstudio >>
Ashley Akkaya, Ph.D.
Faculty Fellow | akkayaa@vcu.edu
Ashley Akkaya is an Associate Professor of Anthropology in the School of World Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Before joining VCU, she taught for 11 years at Florida International University, where she gained strong experience with teaching approaches such as team-based learning, problem-based and inquiry-based learning, POGIL, and flipped classroom models. She has taught many general education and global learning courses and is skilled in using technology to create clear, accessible, and inclusive learning environments. She has also served as an Undergraduate Director and Course Coordinator, supporting faculty and graduate students in developing and improving courses. Her current research focuses on bias in large language models, with a particular emphasis on generative AI systems, ethical and accountable AI practices, and inclusive and responsible design. As a Faculty Fellow at CTLE, she will support Faculty Learning Communities, promote research-based teaching practices, and work closely with VCU faculty and the broader campus community.
Tabatha Easley, D.M.A.
Faculty Fellow | tapeters@vcu.edu
Tabatha Easley is a Professor of Music in the School of the Arts and teaches applied flute and piccolo lessons, pedagogy, chamber music, music education and music history courses. Presenting on every continent except Antarctica, she has given concerts, masterclasses and workshops, amplifying the music of living composers. In addition to being a program chair for regional, national and international conferences, Tabatha has also served on VCU's Faculty Senate, REAL Council, and School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure committee, as well as several other department-level committees. As a Faculty Fellow, she will assist with policy revisions and review, as well as support efforts to synthesize COACHE survey results.
Hope Kelly, Ph.D.
Faculty Fellow | kellyh3@vcu.edu
Hope Kelly has served as VCU’s Online Learning Librarian since 2020. In that role, she convenes a library-wide work group called the Joint Online Learning Team (JOLT) that is charged to support the libraries' faculty and staff in the design, development, delivery, and assessment of online learning content and experiences. As a 2025-26 Faculty Fellow, she will collaborate on the implementation of a faculty mentoring program and CTLE workshops related to genAI and online teaching and learning. Hope earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction focused on Educational Technology and a BA at the University of Florida; her Master of Library and Information Science degree is from Florida State University.
Tori Mitchell, B.F.A.
Graduate Assistant
Tori Mitchell is a Graduate Assistant in the Office of the Provost - Faculty Affairs. She is in her second year of her graduate studies pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting. She has a cat named Gary and enjoys spending time with friends around Richmond.
