Faculty Affairs Directory
Kathleen M. Rudasill, Ph.D.
Interim Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
Lisa M. Abrams, Ph.D.
Interim 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.
Senior Executive Assistant to the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs | lblizzard@vcu.edu
LaToya B. Thomas serves as the Senior Executive 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.
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 as CTLE director, 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.
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 over 12 years of serving as staff at VCU. She received her B.A. in English from VCU in 2011 and has been working in higher education since her graduation.
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.
Michele Murray
Administrative Assistant | mmurray2@vcu.edu
Michele Murray serves as the Administrative Assistant 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.
Jordyn D. Richardson, B.S.
Program Manager | richardsonj9@vcu.edu
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.
Kyle Lobo, B.S.
Graduate Assistant
Kyle Lobo is a Graduate Assistant in the Office of the Provost - Faculty Affairs, where he works with Dr. Archana Pathak supporting faculty recognition programs, event coordination, and data management initiatives. He is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Computer Science at VCU, which he began in August 2024. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, watching sports, and exploring new trails around Richmond.
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.
