Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I am entering my 11th academic year at VCU. I am a Professor in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the School of Business, and I am also the Executive Director of the Institute for Transformative Leadership. My research is on leadership and mindfulness, and how leaders can create spaces and places of belonging for others and transform cultures to empower others to be their best.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

As a Faculty Fellow, I will work predominantly with Deans and other senior level organizational leaders, creating spaces for deep connection and leadership growth, as well as a safe place for candid conversations.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I hope to help leaders across our campus feel supported, valued, and that they are able to grow and develop in their roles as they then help support VCU's transformation.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

My passion is supporting and helping develop others through transformative experiences. My hope is that via developing and supporting VCU senior leaders, all faculty, staff, and students experience more supportive transformative leadership at VCU which creates and reinforces a deep culture of care which can permeate all levels of our organization.

What is something most people don't know about you? (i.e., hidden talent)

Most people don't know that I was a high school and college hurdler. I used to be somewhat fast in my day, and I once auditioned for a commercial in which I had to hurdle over a fire hydrant. I didn't end up getting the role and instead it went to a British Olympian.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

UNRELENTING. To me, focusing our time, resources, and attention on our goals and vision ensures that these come to fruition, and doing so day in and day out requires much courage, deep care for self and others, and unrelenting forward progress despite obstacles.

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I joined VCU’s Department of Biostatistics in 2016 and became an Associate Professor in 2022. My interdisciplinary background spans electrical engineering, wearable sensing, and biostatistics, informing my research on sleep, physical activity, and behavioral data as well as my role overseeing the engineering operations of VCU’s whole-room indirect calorimeter laboratory. Much of my work is collaborative, bringing me together with colleagues across the health sciences, engineering, and other fields. I also teach in the Department of Biostatistics, with a focus on applied statistical skills, academic communication, and critical statistical thinking.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

As a VCU Convergence Faculty Fellow, my role will focus on two areas: strengthening research collaboration across campus and helping VCU adapt teaching and assessment in the age of AI.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I hope to boost the collaborative research at VCU by making research, expertise, and ongoing projects easier to discover across schools and campuses, and by creating opportunities for faculty to connect around shared interests. I’d also like to help VCU think creatively about education in the age of AI, particularly how we define learning, assess student work, and prepare students to work across disciplines.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

This experience will give me a broader view of how university-wide initiatives take shape and strengthen my ability to lead collaborative work. I’ll use what I learn to help other faculty find collaborators and opportunities beyond their usual networks, strengthen project design and evaluation, and share practical approaches to teaching and assessment.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

Undogmatic. My career has never fit neatly within a single discipline, and I enjoy crossing disciplinary boundaries, connecting ideas, and considering new perspectives. At the same time, my STEM training has taught me to question assumptions and examine the evidence before reaching a conclusion, and to remain willing to change my mind when the evidence warrants it.

What is something most people don't know about you? (i.e., hidden talent)

I enjoy dabbling in the visual arts, such as photography, calligraphy, and painting, in my spare time. 

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I joined VCU to align with its mission of inclusive excellence and access, as well as to be closer to family. Previously, I served on the faculty at the University of Louisville and The University of Texas at Austin. My work focuses on higher education leadership and policy, supported by more than a decade of experience balanced evenly between teaching and academic administration.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

My role focuses on conducting an analysis of university policies and practices that affect faculty research access. I am drafting aligned, transparent policy language to ensure equitable access and providing recommendations to establish open, streamlined mechanisms for conducting research across all faculty ranks.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I aim to eliminate administrative barriers to research, expand collaborative opportunities across faculty ranks, and facilitate scholarship that directly strengthens our communities.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

This fellowship advances my institutional leadership capacity in university governance, systems design, and policy reform. By translating this work into clear guidance, I will support faculty across all ranks in accessing research opportunities and sustaining impactful scholarly work.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

UNAFRAID
My scholarship and leadership directly confront institutional inequities, power dynamics, and structural barriers facing minoritized faculty, staff, and students. I actively interrogate status-quo policies and leverage feedback loops to bring transparency and accountability to higher education policy and practice.

What is something most people don't know about you? (i.e., hidden talent)

I rode horses for about 12 years and have a minor in animal and poultry sciences.

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I started at VCU in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and spent my first year mostly teaching online. When campus re-opened, I finally got to meet my colleagues and students in person. Since then, I’ve tried to be very engaged in campus life and meeting colleagues from across the university by participating in different research centers and activities. Now, more than five years in, I officially feel like a Ram.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

As a faculty fellow, I am engaged in developing new policy related to our academic planning and programs as well as supporting our institutional excellence efforts.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

As part of a team, I hope to make our processes better for faculty members and more transparent for the public. My goal is to strengthen our shared institution so that we continue to deliver for the people of the Commonwealth in all of our missions.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

At a large institution like VCU, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out where your work can have the greatest impact. The opportunity to be a Faculty Fellow is a great chance to test out different areas where I can support our shared goals and where I can have an impact beyond the classroom.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

Unwavering - I am resolute in my commitment to continuously improving my work, the work of my colleagues and VCU as a whole. I am always ready to climb over any obstacles in my way. 

What is something most people don't know about you? (i.e., hidden talent)

I live on an eight acre (hobby) farm in Hanover County, where I keep chickens and maintain a year-round crop schedule.

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I began my second postdoctoral training at Virginia Commonwealth University in Dr. Paul Fisher’s laboratory in March 2008, following the completion of two years of postdoctoral training at Kobe University in Kobe, Japan. Based on my research accomplishments and overall performance, I was promoted to Instructor (Junior Faculty) in May 2011, followed by promotion to Assistant Professor in February 2014 and Associate Professor (Research Track) in July 2020. My research program focuses on defining the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer metastasis, developing innovative in vitro and in vivo platforms for target identification and therapeutic screening, and generating molecularly based reagents and biomarkers to monitor disease progression and therapeutic responses. My laboratory aimed to advance translational cancer research and accelerate the establishment of effective intervention.  As part of my professional advancement, in the current Year (2026), I participate in the VCU Leadership Program (commonly known as GELI), which broadening my experiences and provides an opportunity to learn strategic planning, and leading academic institutes from leaders’ perspective. I am fully committed to continuing my career at VCU and proud to be part of UNCOMMON and UNSTOPPBLE Community. 

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

As a faculty fellow, my primary goal is to identify the critical gaps in the current research ecosystem and develop targeted strategies to address them. Through these efforts, I would like to seek the creation of an environment that supports innovation, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and increases the likelihood of securing high-impact, transformative grants.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

My current role focuses on “gap analysis” and finding opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for advancing our research efforts. While our existing research exploration resources and infrastructure are highly collaborative, they often require significant human effort to find the ideal match. Strategically coordinated AI-based tools, in compliance with data integrity, privacy, and information-sharing policies, would save our “human efforts” and lead a more structured search. This will reduce the burden of labor-intensive work and facilitate idea generation, identify potential collaborators, and uncover new research opportunities. Our combined efforts can intensify interdisciplinary collaboration, promote team-based projects, and lead to multidisciplinary grant applications.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

Developing AI literacy throughout the VCU community represents a transformative opportunity and I am hoping to work in this area in conjunction with our leaders. Empowerment our existing workforce we can improve efficiency, accelerate collaboration and innovation. Our collective efforts make us Uncommon and Unstoppable.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

As an R1 research institution, VCU fosters innovation and transformative discoveries. Currently, our talented research communities are looking for "out-of-the-box" ideas and pursuing paradigm-shifting research programs. In today's time, carefully using AI tools is offering opportunities for scientific discoveries faster and on a larger scale than we ever imagine. This forward-thinking “Unimagined Innovation” substantially contributes to accomplishing our vision of Quest 2028, particularly in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, enhancing research excellence, strengthening competitiveness for extramural and philanthropic funding, and accelerating the translation of discoveries with a meaningful societal impact.

What is your favorite thing to do in Richmond?

Visiting Richmond downtown/historical places, spending time near James River.

 

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I’ve been a faculty member in the music department since 2008. I teach applied flute and piccolo lessons, chamber music, pedagogy, studio classes, plus music history and music education courses. I’ve presented on every inhabited continent, promoting music by living composers.  In addition to being a program chair for regional, national and international conferences for music organizations, I’ve served on Faculty Senate, the REAL Council, the School of the Arts Promotion and Tenure committee as well as several department level committees.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

I’ll be engaging with policy review, revision, and responses, as well as working with the COACHE Survey results and steering committee.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I look forward to being involved in the university governance process from the admin side and assisting the Faculty Affairs team in supporting faculty. 

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

This fellowship will allow me the opportunity to incorporate important administrative work while maintaining an active research agenda as a performing artist so that I can contribute on both fronts.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

Unwavering
Having spent most of my career at VCU, I feel strongly committed to supporting the university’s mission and vision. 

What is your favorite restaurant in Richmond? 

I love the Gold Lion Community Cafe, Philly Vegan, Sen Organic… basically supporting RVA eateries that offer vegan options! 

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I began my career at VCU as the Project Director for the VCU branch of a statewide grant funded by the US DOE called VISTA. At the end of this grant, I continued working with teachers through two grants that I received. I was later asked to take on teaching and advising responsibilities for the Secondary Science and Mathematics program in the School of Education. This work continues with preservice teachers and I have been awarded several other grants from NSF (Robert Noyce Track 1 Scholarships and Track 4 Research), NOAA B-Wet grants, and NIH (SEPA PATHS and NIDA Hero-T).

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

I will be working in the Office of Faculty Research Support Services for the summer and academic year. I will be one of several individuals involved in projects designed to support faculty in extending their research efforts.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow? 

As part of the team, I hope to help set up additional supports for faculty across the campus, build new partnerships and collaborations, and foster innovation at VCU.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

I enjoy working with individuals from across campus. I see this as an opportunity to give back and to learn more about the incredible research currently being conducted and how we can move this work forward.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why? 

"Unquestionably passionate"  - I love new ideas and I am willing to step outside of constraints and try new things. I enjoy working with preservice and inservice teachers and am passionate about providing all students with excellent learning opportunities.

What is your favorite thing to do in Richmond? 

I love to Contra Dance with my husband and our friends. All are welcome.

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I joined the faculty of Focused Inquiry in 2016, and was elected to my current role as Curriculum Coordinator for the Department first in 2021, and then again in 2024. We've worked diligently to redesign our foundational curriculum in this timespan. It's a curriculum that both meets students where they are in their academic careers and lives, and it's one that challenges them with contemporary qualitative inquiry and research. I am also proud to serve as an affiliate faculty member in the Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies.  

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

I'm thrilled to work with my longtime colleague, and Director of General Education, Ginni Totaro. My project will focus on the links between foundational general education courses and retention of students' learning in their second year at VCU. 

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow? 

My primary goal is to locate where we can strengthen our general education curricula to best support students' continuous growth. 

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

I'm a nerd when it comes to curricular design and I like to take a holistic, data-informed approach to the process. My goal is to uncover ways that our general education courses can  support students and bolster the curricular resources for the faculty teaching those courses.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why? 

Unrelenting: I can be persistent - especially when it comes to solving a problem or meeting a goal. 

What's your favorite thing to do in Richmond? 

My favorite thing to do in Richmond is explore the outdoors with my family. 

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

I have two things to focus upon; launching a mentoring program where some of the work is already underway and collaborating with the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence in developing programming on online learning and genAI.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I hope to support relevant and worthwhile programming that has practical impacts in the work of others across campus.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

I hope that in many of my interactions, I can encourage folks around campus to utilize the amazing resources available to them through VCU Libraries and better connect them to the expertise of my library colleagues. 

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

Uncertain. Curiosity and humility are things that I find essential to navigating life and library work. I don’t know anything with absolute certainty and that’s okay because there is always more to learn, ways to deepen understanding, valuable evidence and experience that is contrary to what we think we know. 

What is your favorite thing to do in Richmond? 

I enjoy walking around and one of my favorite strolls is what I call ‘Cabell to Cabell.’ From my office in the Cabell Library, I walk down Cherry Street to Hollywood Cemetery where the grave of James Branch Cabell is. 

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I've been a member of the Focused Inquiry faculty since 2007. Over the years, I've taught UNIV 111, 112, and 200, along with a few of our department's electives. My original discipline is philosophy, and I came to the program with a strong interest in teaching critical thinking and ethical reasoning and have helped to develop those parts of the FI curriculum. I've also enjoyed teaching philosophy courses during summer sessions. Well before the pandemic, I got involved in faculty development initiatives to improve online teaching and learning and have taught innovative asynchronous courses alongside my traditional ones.  Service has also been a significant part of my career at VCU; I've served on a number of assessment, curriculum, and policy committees at departmental and university levels.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

Primarily, I'll be working to help develop the Faculty Recruitment Specialist program.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

One of my primary goals is to contribute to the development of the ARCTP training. The program is instrumental to the university's recruitment and hiring practices for faculty and administrators. I intend to apply my background in curriculum development and online learning to make it more streamlined and accessible.

What is something most people don't know about you? (i.e., hidden talent)

I'm not closely related to Karl or any of the Marx brothers.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be?

UNFLAPPABLE

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I joined the VCU College of Engineering in 2001, and I'm currently a professor in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.  Courses I have taught include Mechanical Systems Design, Robotics and Professional Development. I currently coordinate the ConnectED engineering course Great Inventions: How They Work and Their Impact on Society.  I also lead the MechanoUrology Lab along with urologist Adam Klausner, and our team works to develop non-invasive diagnostics for bladder disorders.  In addition, I have served in several administrative roles in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, including Director of Undergraduate Studies (2007-2022), Associate Department Chair (2010-2023), and Interim/Acting Department Chair (2022-2025). I also served as the Director of Cooperative Education for the College of Engineering (2015-2022). 

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

I will be working in the office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Andrew Arroyo. My project will involve making the course and program approval process more efficient.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

I hope that making the course and program approval process more efficient will allow program directors and curriculum committee members to make better use of their valuable time. In addition, this experience will give me a larger and better network of colleagues from other VCU colleges and schools.

What is your favorite restaurant in Richmond? 

My favorite restaurant in Richmond is YaYas Cookbook.

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I made the transition into dental education in 2021 after more than 20 years in private practice and joined the VCU School of Dentistry in 2024 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Practice. I teach in the treatment planning curriculum, mentor students in the General Practice Clinic, and enjoy working on projects related to faculty development and educational improvement. What I enjoy most is helping students develop the confidence and clinical reasoning they'll carry into practice.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

As a Faculty Fellow, I'll be working with the Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness on academic assessment, curriculum alignment, and strategic initiatives. I'm especially looking forward to seeing how these processes work at the university level and learning from colleagues across VCU.

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I'm excited to contribute to projects that have an impact beyond my own department while learning more about assessment, curriculum, and strategic planning. Just as importantly, I hope to build relationships with colleagues across the university and gain experiences that will help me grow as a leader throughout my career.

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

I hope to better understand how institutional planning, assessment, and curriculum improvement come together to support student success. I'm also looking forward to learning from colleagues across the university, building new relationships, and growing as a leader so I can contribute more effectively wherever my career takes me.

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

UN-afraid. I naturally look for opportunities to make things better, even if that means rethinking long-standing approaches. I enjoy asking questions, trying new approaches, and learning from both successes and setbacks. Growth rarely comes from staying comfortable, and I believe meaningful change starts with being willing to take that first step.

What is something most people don't know about you? (i.e., hidden talent)

I am an unofficial, living-room Broadway performer with a lifelong love of musical theater. When I'm home, my dog, Birdie, becomes my captive audience for impromptu Broadway concerts. She's heard everything from Hamilton to Wicked more times than she probably bargained for. Thankfully, she has yet to ask for a refund.

Tell us a little about your career here at VCU:

I came to VCU in 2014 as a IRACDA (an NIH-training grant for research and teaching development of postdocs through NIGMS) postdoctoral fellow in the Biology department. I studied cell signaling and orofacial biology with Amanda Dickinson. While there I was successfully awarded independent funding in the form of an F32 from NICHD and a internal grant (PIRA from OVPRI). I also served as the vice president of the postdoctoral association for two years. 

In 2018, I transitioned to a faculty position in VCU Libraries as the liaison to the basic sciences in the Health Sciences Library. On the surface, this feels like a hard left turn. In fact, this was the first step on my chosen career path. Here, I was able to leverage my considerable experience in basic science to build relationships and connect with faculty, students, and staff within the School of Medicine to connect them to library resources. I expanded my skills to include systematic reviews, extensive database searching techniques, and instructional design. I also joined the HHMI Inclusive Excellence grant in 2018 as a Faculty Fellow. From 2018-2020 I worked with D Jennings and Michal Coffey to develop the Science Hub - a collaborative student support unit within the Campus Learning Center. We developed the Science Hub Student Hours which brings together faculty from different departments to a central location where students can come and get support in their biology, chemistry, physics, and math classes. This approach increased student use of office hours and provided real time interaction between scientific disciplines, fostering collaboration and sense of belong for students and faculty. I loved working with this group! As part of the HHMI group, I learned more about university structure by working with staff in the campus learning center and the transfer center and great leaders like Dr. Hargraves and Allison Johnson and Sarah Golding. 

In 2020, I joined the Center on Health Disparities (now the Center for Health Advancement) research team as the Scientific Training Coordinator (later Director) for the IMSD (Initiative for Maximizing Student Development) and later the MARC (Maximizing Access to Research Careers) programs. There I worked with faculty to collectively manage five training programs all geared toward increasing access to scientific careers. (IRACDA, the program that brought me to VCU was another program through the CoHD). I continued to work with this excellent group of colleagues until the programs were discontinued in 2025.

In 2022, I moved from the Health Sciences Library to the School of Medicine where I now serve as an Associate Professor and Senior Instructional Designer in the Office of Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development. I am the Director of the Advanced Research Mentoring program, a two-tier, micro-credentialed, evidence- based mentoring training program for faculty. I am a Gallup Global certified Strengths Coach. My primary role here is to work with faculty to ensure that they are growing in their roles, learning new things, and thriving in their chosen career path. I work with groups to understand and leverage their Clifton Strengths, support faculty to optimize their research mentoring process, and design and implement professional development on a wide variety of topics for our faculty. I also chair the Steering Committee for the Health Sciences Education Symposium, a bi-annual health professions research and innovation day-long event for the health sciences campus.

What will be your role and/or your responsibilities as a faculty fellow?

In the Office of Research Support Services, I will be working with the Convergence groups to bring faculty with similar goals together in Peer Implementation Clusters. Our goal will be to provide a space and a framework for awardees to interact with critical friends, optimize their ideas, and achieve their goals. I will also be working with the office to identify areas where we could support faculty with professional development or other resources. 

What do you hope to accomplish as a faculty fellow?

I love working at VCU and I have been blessed to see so many different sides of this institution in my career. As a faculty fellow, I hope to bring together faculty who have not had the opportunity to interact before and support them in building connections and growing their research through collaboration. 

How will you use this experience to further your own career and/or support the development of other faculty?

I am excited to learn even more about this institution by working in the Provost's Office. I am  thrilled to have the opportunity to get to know more folks on the Monroe Park campus and bring what I learn back to the School of Medicine. I hope that I will form lasting connections that can support my continued growth and the growth of faculty within my school and across the university. 

If you had to choose an “un” word to describe yourself, what would it be and why?

Unconventional- This describes me because I love asking "Why is this this way?" and "Could it be something different" - sometimes being unconventional means applying solutions that work in one content to a completely different one, sometimes it means being willing to let a process go because it no longer serves its purpose, sometimes it means being creative and original and developing something completely new. I think it means being open to all the options and willing to choose a path that doesn't appear to be well trodden. 

What is your favorite restaurant in Richmond? 

My favorite restaurants in Richmond are the ones where I spent time with great friends- the Village Cafe and Piccola's on the MP campus will always have special places in my heart.