February 2025 Spotlight on Faculty Scholars
KáLyn "Kay" Coghill
Adjunct Instructor, Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies, College of Humanities and Sciences
Dr. Kay, affectionately known by students and colleagues, researches digital misogynoir and the online harms faced by Black women and non-binary femmes. Over the past decade, they have co-created innovative harm-reduction strategies to protect these individuals. Their research also examines online sexual violence and the influence of AI. With over nine years of teaching experience and a GSWS team member since 2020, Dr. Kay has created courses such as Hip Hop Feminism & Poetry, Hashtag Activism, and Misogynoir in Digital Spaces. Their work has been showcased at the UN for Women and Essence. Their think tank, Hoodrat Scholarship™️, is a way for them to create an ecosystem of knowledge to bridge the gap between the community and colonized academic spaces. More about Dr. Coghill >>
John Fife
Director, Center for Innovation in STEM Education & Associate Professor, School of Education
Dr. John Fife is an Associate Professor of STEM Education and serves as the Director of the Center for Innovation in STEM Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. His research focuses on building pedagogical frameworks that foster positive STEM identities among marginalized youth. His work centers on addressing the imbalance that exists within global educational frameworks, particularly those embedded in the intercontinental issues where STEM disciplines are needed. He is the Principal Investigator of three National Science Foundation grants all of which focus on providing STEM access and fostering sustainable research opportunities and programs that build resilience among underrepresented populations.
Meera Pahuja
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, School of Medicine
Dr. Pahuja became passionate about social justice and palliative care working in South Africa with patients living with HIV and extremely drug-resistant TB. Here in the US, she co-directs the Patient, Physician, & Society longitudinal course for all first and second-year medical students. The course is focused on professional identity formation and social medicine, covering topics such as: social determinants of health, health disparities, cultural humility, caring for the dying patient, medical ethics, and advocacy. Dr. Pahuja has received the Outstanding Teacher Award for ‘Best Teacher’ for the PPS course numerous years and serves as faculty mentor for many student interest groups.
Julian Kevon Kamilah Glover
Assistant Professor, Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, College of Humanities and Sciences
Julian Kevon Kamilah Glover is a scholar and artist who graduated with honors from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, holds an MPA from Indiana University and earned a PhD in Black Studies from Northwestern University. Her research focuses on Black/brown queer cultural formations, performance, ethnography, embodied knowledge, performance theory and Black futurity. They were awarded a Franke Fellowship at Northwestern’s Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, a Humanities Research Center fellowship (VCU)and their work appears in journals including American Quarterly, Feminist Formations, South Atlantic Quarterly, Souls, GLQ and Text & Performance Quarterly. Among her numerous awards, she was inducted into the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society at Yale University and is a longtime member of the ballroom scene. More about Dr. Glover >>
Desirée Dabney
Head and Assistant Professor, Musical Theater, School of the Arts
Desirée Dabney, Head of Musical Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University, has transformed the department with unprecedented growth and recognition. Under her leadership, the program flourished, culminating in the sold-out success of Rent in 2023 and other note worthy productions and showcases. Desirée's innovative approach includes her restorative justice research, exploring theatre’s role in secondary schools as a tool for healing and social change. Her efforts in developing inclusive, impactful theatre courses for Richmond Public Schools and being the first Black woman to write curriculum in theatre serving on many committees for the Virginia Department of Education showcase her dedication to both education and equity in the arts, positioning her as a trailblazer in the industry. More about Desirée Dabney >>
Martin K. Safo
Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy
For 35 years, Dr. Safo has mentored graduate, professional, and undergraduate students at VCU, guiding them academically and professionally. His research work also reflects a personal mission—developing a treatment for sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects Black individuals. Having lost several loved ones and acquaintances to the illness, he remains committed to advancing research. Collaborating with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, King Abdulaziz University, and Illexcor Therapeutics—a VCU startup he co-founded—his team is developing a once-daily oral therapy. This breakthrough aims to transform sickle cell disease into a manageable chronic condition or even a functional cure.
Kelli Gary Talley
Assistant Professor, Rehabilitation Counseling, College of Health Professions
Dr. Kelli Gary Talley is an assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling. Her academic interests are fueled by her experience of sustaining a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and then obtaining a B.S., two Masters, and a Ph.D. after injury. Her research training in TBI at Virginia Commonwealth University resulted in federal and state grants and several manuscripts and book chapters. She developed and taught courses in healthcare research, rehab services, health equity, substance abuse, and TBI at undergraduate and graduate levels. She was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Brain Injury Association of America. More about Dr. Talley >>
Grace D. Gipson
Assistant Professor, African American Studies, College of Humanities and Sciences
Grace D. Gipson, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of African American Studies, where she teaches courses on theories and foundations in Africana Studies, Blackness in pop culture, and Black media narratives. As a Black future feminist, Dr. Gipson’s research centers on Black pop culture, race and gender in comics, Afrofuturism, and digital humanities. Her current book project, “Reclaiming Her Time: Exploring Black Futures in the Black Female Superhero” (University Press of Mississippi), chronicles the layered experiences of Black superheroine characters and Black creatives’ narratives and how they transcend from comic books to reality. Additionally, Dr. Gipson's work has been featured in such outlets as CNN-Entertainment News, USA Today, and Richmond Times-Dispatch. More about Dr. Gipson >>
Charlene Crawley
Director of Interdisciplinary Science Program and Associate Professor, Chemistry, College of Humanities and Sciences
Dr. Crawley’s research in chemistry studies chemicals that modify or are changed by their environment. Sensors made by affixing biomolecules to substrates can be optimized by modifying surfaces to approximate the native environment of the biomolecule. Similarly, performance in the STEM classroom and curriculum is also improved by creating environments and policies that optimize “belonging” elements such as community, cooperation, and consideration that enable student performance to be a true reflection of native ability. Her 30-years at VCU in this arena have focused on creating teaching tools, research teams, and funding sources to facilitate faculty and student persistence and success. More about Dr. Crawley >>
Marcel Jennings
Associate Professor, Richard T. Robertson School of Communication, College of Humanities and Sciences
Marcel teaches MASC 204 “Story”, MASC 450 “Style”, and MASC 451 “Invention”. He serves as the Advertising Concentration Coordinator and Faculty Advisor to AdClub at VCU. With a background in creative direction and copywriting, his professional scholarship focuses on integrated campaigns, having worked on projects for VCU Make it real, Kellogg’s, Cisco, Hippo Insurance, CBS The Equalizer, FAMIS, and Pivot Point Commuter Hub. He is a co-author of Advertising Creative: Strategy, Copy, and Design 5th edition, has led pre-conference teaching workshops for AEJMC’s Ad Division, and was named 2021 Richmond Ad Club’s Ad Person of the Year.
E. Gaynell Sherrod
Professor, Dance and Choreography, School of the Arts
E. Gaynell Sherrod, Ed. D., educator and dance artist, is a Fulbright-Hayes scholar and author of Katherine Dunham and The Dance Griots: Reading the Invisible Script (Mellen Press: 2022). A professor of dance at VCU, she is developing courses in arts administration, serves on multiple committees, and continues to create work in dance performance, mixed media and dance writing. In 2022, Dr. Sherrod “choreographed” the sound score for Dawoud Bey’s film installation 350,000, part of Dawoud Bey: Elegy, commissioned by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; 350,000 is currently on exhibit at the Sean Kelly Gallery in New York City until February 22, 2025.
Lisa F. Brown
Associate Professor, Adult Health and Nursing Systems, School of Nursing
Dr. Brown’s research explores the psychosocial and biological factors influencing maternal and infant well-being. Using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, she examines maternal depression, anxiety, stress, and attachment alongside infant heart rate variability and growth. She has also investigated mothers’ motivations for cannabis use, contributing to a deeper understanding of the biological, psychological, and behavioral factors shaping maternal-infant health. As an educator, she is committed to fostering critical thinking and intellectual growth, teaching Evidence-Based Practice and Scientific Integrity courses. She actively contributes to the scholarly community through leadership in professional organizations, service on academic and research committees, peer review, student mentorship, and publishing. Her work advances knowledge in the field and promotes collaboration among researchers and practitioners alike.
Ugochukwu Etudo
Assistant Professor, Information Systems, School of Business
Dr. Etudo studies disinformation and the spread of radical, violent ideologies in online social platforms. He specializes in the design and application of natural language processing techniques (NLP) using deep learning approaches. Applying NLP techniques to large collections of posts on online social platforms, Dr. Etudo's research aims to unearth the ideological dynamics of radicalization, as well as information warfare as it pertains to disinformation. Dr. Etudo teaches graduate courses in database systems, big data analytics, cloud platforms and systems development.
Ana Edwards
Assistant Professor, African American Studies, College of Humanities and Sciences
Ana Edwards examines Black life in colonial and early national Virginia, focusing on how race justified enslavement, particularly through Gabriel's Rebellion. Her public history work includes reclaiming Richmond's first African Burial Ground and helping create a 10-acre memorial park. Edwards explores contradictions within American identity and teaches courses on race, racism, and Africana Studies. A faculty sponsor for the VCU NAACP and HerVision, she supports student activism and community engagement, including efforts to establish a Racial Literacy general education requirement and creation of a new summer camp for high school students. Edwards champions the African American Studies program for its interdisciplinary approach and commitment to developing scholar-activists.
