Hawley Smyth

Director of Graduate Program Recruitment

Hawley works as the Director of Graduate Program Recruitment in the School of Business, developing strategies to recruit and retain high performing students. She earned her bachelor's degree and her Master of Education with a concentration in College Counseling and Student Affairs from Virginia Commonwealth University. Hawley has over ten years of experience working in higher education focused on admissions and recruitment.

Emma Barone

Director of Strategic Initiatives and Enrollment

Emma is all about building relationships that prioritize student success. As assistant director of student affairs, she works to create an engaging, meaningful experience for all of our students. From the moment a student commits to attending the Brandcenter, Emma is doing everything in her power to ensure they have the resources they need to achieve greatness during their time here. Whether it's organizing Orientation, Friday Forums, workshops, or our annual Recruiter Session, Emma is behind the scenes of just about everything our students participate in. As a middle schooler, Emma was suspended for holding a peace protest, so it’s evident that she is naturally inclined to plan and host unforgettable events.

Jenna Lenhardt

Director of Strategic Recruitment and Outreach

Jenna has an extensive background working with international, first-generation, veteran, students with disabilities and historically underrepresented students in a community college and private university setting. She is committed to increasing equity and access in the recruitment, admissions and retention experiences for all students. Her research focuses on student retention, instructional and organizational effectiveness in a global society. She has taught courses in organizational behavior, leadership, sustainable change and data analytics for all education levels in the U.S., Dubai and Croatia.

Alex Fisher

Program Promotion Specialist

Alex works to support the student success and awareness for nursing programs at VCU.

Allison Schumacher

Director of Academic Alchemy

Allison is the director of academic alchemy at the daVinci Center. She has a passion for cross-disciplinary education and helping students apply their skills before graduation. She designs and evolves academic programs to take learning out of the traditional classroom and into the real world through cross-disciplinary, project-based, applied learning opportunities. Those experiences help students partner with businesses to build and validate new products or start their own ventures.

Andrea Wight

Administrative Specialist

"Andrea Wight is an administrative and marketing professional with several years of successful and progressive experience in public higher education with expertise in administration, business operations, event planning and communications. She serves as the administrative specialist for the Department of History at VCU. In this capacity she supports the department chair, the graduate chair, the undergraduate chair, and the administrative coordinator in day to day operations and long term special projects. Prior to this role, Andrea served as the marketing and communications manager for the UMass Boston Center for Collaborative Leadership. In this role, she created and executed the strategic direction of the center’s marketing communication plans."

Anette Loughran-Fjeldstad

Director of Graduate Studies, Teaching Associate Professor

Anette is a teaching associate professor as well as the director of graduate studies for the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. She received her Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Oklahoma. She attained her M.S. in Physical Education and B.S. in Health Education from VCU.

Austen Gouldman

Executive Director Graduate Studies

Austen Gouldman is the executive director of graduate studies at VCU School of Business.

Emilie Raymond

Professor, Director of Graduate Studies

Emilie is the director of graduate studies at the Department of History. She specializes in 20th-century American political culture. Her work focuses on Hollywood and politics, as well as the influence of the civil rights movement, women’s activism, and conservatism in American life. Her recent research is on the Vietnam War.

Mary-Chris Escobar

da Vinci Center / Asst Director of Academic Programs

Mary-Chris is the associate director of student success at the daVinci Center. She supports students in cross-disciplinary product innovation, entrepreneurship, and design-thinking programs. She is also the author of The Healtheir Hustle which launched 2 years ago and focuses on reflections on building a business/creative practice without burning out.

I. Scott Ramsey

Director, CERT Program; Asst. Professor of Physiology & Biophysics

Scott is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. His research interests include structural bases of ion channel gating and permeation; automated high-throughput electrophysiology; targeting ion channels for novel therapeutic approaches to treat neuroinflammation, deafness, and inflammatory airway disease.

Joan Rhodes

Associate Professor, Teaching And Learning; Faculty Director Of Educator Preparation

Dr. Joan A. Rhodes, associate professor of reading and early/elementary education, is the Faculty Director for Educator Preparation and Coordinator of Early Childhood and Elementary Education programs in the School of Education. In these roles she is responsible for supporting students in clinical placements, curriculum development and supporting licensure and accreditation efforts within the school. Rhodes is a member of the graduate faculty for the Ph.D. in Education program in which she teaches courses in professional development and instructional theory. During her tenure at VCU, Dr. Rhodes led nine study abroad programs to diverse countries including New Zealand, Hungary, Italy and Costa Rica. She served as the principal investigator for multiple grant-funded projects, totaling more than $9.7 million. She was awarded VCU SOE Distinguished Scholar Award (2007), SOE Alumni Council Faculty Award for Exemplary Application of Technology (2012), Virginia College Literacy Educators, Jones-Daly Award for Faculty Involvement (2018) and the Professors of LIteracy and Teacher Educators, International Distinction Award (2018).

Brandon Norris

Recruitment and Enrollment Counselor

"Brandon is a new member of the VCU School of Education Strategic Recruitment team. He brings with him over six years experience in education and program administration with a focus on cultural competency. Brandon has been a teacher for grades 6-8. He is a leader, educator, and passionate community member."

Yongyun Shin

"Associate Professor Chair, Department of Biostatistics"

Dr. Shin is an award winning professor, researcher and expert in the field of biostatistics.

Katherine Peterman

Graduate Program Administrator, Department of Epidemiology

Katherine Peterman, MPH CHES is part of the new School of Population Health, cross-disciplinary Virginia Commonwealth University team.

Lloyd Young

Director of Innovation and Design

Lloyd is the Director of Innovation and Design at the daVinci Center. She has a passion for interdisciplinary collaboration and creativity. Her position pulls together her passions for creativity, education, leadership, and strategy and allows her to work with a team that is prototyping the future of higher education. Lloyd leads the strategy and communications for the da Vinci Center and Shift Retail Lab as well as teaches classes rooted in branding principles and human-centered design.

Lori Floyd-Miller

Graduate program coordinator, College of Engineering

Lori Floyd-Miller has been working as a Graduate Programs Coordinator at VCU for 23 years. VCU is part of the Colleges & Universities industry, and located in Virginia, United States.

Luciana de Oliveira

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies

"Dr. Luciana C. de Oliveira has over 30 years of teaching experience in the field of TESOL and was an elected board member for the TESOL International Association (2013-2016) before being elected president. Dr. de Oliveira served in the presidential line of TESOL (2017-2020) of TESOL International Association. She was the first Latina to ever serve as President (2018-2019) of TESOL. Dr. de Oliveira has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited 28 books and has several others under contract and has over 200 publications in various outlets, including refereed journal articles and book chapters. Among many awards and honors, she was the recipient of the Mid-Career Award (2017) by the Second Language Research special interest group and the Early Career Award (2012) by the Bilingual Education Research special interest group of AERA."

Nerice Lochanskly Luu

Education Administrator, Department Health Behavior and Policy

Collaborative professional with varied experiences in academic program management. Passion about creating authentic relationships and providing support for students looking to reach their goals. Love creating policies and processes that take big ideas and make them a functional, efficient, and effective reality

Orina Chen

Senior Team Ambassador

Orina is a student at VCU currently majoring in Psychology with a Minor in Business. She is a senior ambassador for VCU School of Education.

Ross Losapio

Director of Recruitment

Ross is the Director of Recruitment at the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. He has expertise in student recruitment, event coordination, and communications.

Scott Witthaus

Professors and Recruiter

"With 35 years of film and video industry experience, Scott has worked in almost every area of production and post-production, from live television to creative editorial for agency work (not to mention six “lost” years working in radio). After spending years at Henninger Media Services in leadership roles for facilities across the country, Scott returned to Richmond and his creative roots in 2003 to start Greybox LLC, a true creative editorial house located in Shockoe Bottom. In the fall of 2006, he branched out again and created 1708 Inc./Editorial. Scott has won multiple national awards for his work. In 2011 he was asked to be a judge for the AICP Awards and still judges that competition today. Scott joined the Brandcenter in 2008, teaching Visual Storytelling and Portfolio Development classes. He continues to edit professionally for agency clients and recently finished a feature-length documentary that is now in international distribution. In 2016, Scott branched out again and formed Low Country Creative LLC, a partnership that was awarded a U.S. patent for a security product he hopes to bring to the market soon. Scott graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in mass communications, and holds a Master of Arts in education and instructional technology from Virginia Tech. When not working or teaching, Scott can usually be found somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay or tending to his home-grown oysters; he is an oyster gardener with approximately 1,000 oysters floating off his dock."

Marielle Beckers Siebers

Assistant Director of Admissions Operations

Marielle is the Assistant Director of Admissions Operations at the Brandcenter. As a CRM database professional, she's been known to geek out over data, but she is even more passionate about taking action that helps people and organizations achieve their potential. Marielle's expertise in events and communications comes from her many years of experience working for higher ed and government organizations such as the European Institute for Public Administration and the Netherlands Embassy in Washington DC.

Cyrinah Clabon

Future Student Suite Senior Ambassador of Events & Outreach

Cyrinah Clabon, a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University, is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education for PreK-6th grades, along with a Certificate in Disability Studies. They thrive on challenges and are constantly setting goals to have something to strive toward. Cyrinah's aspirations revolve around becoming a future educator and leaving a positive impact on countless children worldwide. They are genuinely passionate about working with children and fully committed to nurturing their growth and development.

Aliyah Tokan

Future Student Suite Senior Ambassador of Front Desk Operations

Aliyah holds the prestigious position of Senior Ambassador at the School of Education's front desk. Her academic pursuits are dedicated to psychology, with notable minors in biology and chemistry. Her commitment to serving her community is evident through her extensive volunteer work, where she has provided valuable support to both children and adults with special needs over the years.

Jada Wright

Undergraduate Recruitment Coordinator

Jada earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from the University of Virginia. As a UVA student, she was involved in orientation, residence life, and served on both undergraduate and graduate admissions teams. She found her passion in student outreach, support, and cultivating diverse and inclusive communities for prospective students. As undergraduate recruitment coordinator, Jada coordinates recruitment events and activities on campus and throughout the Greater Richmond area, conducts information sessions for prospective students, and collaborates with university and community partners.

Angela Reynolds

Professor, Director of Systems Modeling and Analysis Ph.D. program

Dr. Reynolds is the director of the Ph.D. program in Systems Modeling and Analysis at VCU. This program has concentrations in Applied Mathematics, Discrete Mathematics, Statistics & Data Science, and Industrial Statistics & Operations Research, but allows student to complete a non-concentration option and desgin their own path through electives in all these fields.

Reed Ogrosky

Associate Professor, Graduate Director

Dr. Ogrosky is the director of the master's program in mathematics at VCU. This program has concentrations in both mathematics and applied mathematics. Dr. Ogrosky's research is in applied mathematics, with an emphasis on mathematical modeling in fluid dynamics, atmospheric science, ecology, and other areas. He has been at VCU for 7 years.

Tiyacca Simms-Jones

Associate Director of Psychology Advising and Graduate Academic Operations

Dr. Tiyacca Simms-Jones is the Associate Director of Psychology Advising and Graduate Academic Operations. In this position she oversees graduate student admissions, recruitment and programming. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Interdisciplinary Studies, Master’s Degree of Education and a Doctorate of Education. She has been at VCU in various positions for 16 years.

Veronica Garabelli

Interim Graduate Studies Director

I lead the Robertson School's graduate programs, including the M.S. in Mass Communications with a concentration in Integrated Communication and Certificate in Media and Leadership.

Emma Ito

Alumni Speaker

Director of Education 434-243-5931 [email protected] Emma Ito (she/her) is the Director of Education at Virginia Humanities, where she is responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of educational resources. She works in the fields of public history and humanities education and is especially focused on K-12 students, college students, teachers, and lifelong learners. Prior to working at Virginia Humanities, Emma worked as an Education and Program Specialist at the Library of Virginia, where she spearheaded an initiative to research Asian American history in the Library of Virginia’s collections and engaged with community members both across the state and nationally to highlight contemporary experiences through programming and outreach. Emma has also been an adjunct professor in the Virginia Commonwealth University Global Education department and the University Honors College. Emma received her B.A. and M.A. in History at Virginia Commonwealth University, where her Master’s thesis was on the experiences of Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans in Virginia, with a focus on the time periods of Jim Crow and World War II. In her free time, Emma is an avid reader and bookstagrammer.

Jonathan Brown

Ambassador

Jonathan Brown is the Online Education Coordinator for the Robertson School of Media and Culture. He contributes to the strategic and operational vision for the school by promotion of program offerings, student recruitment, and administration of student services. Jonathan holds a Master of Arts in Education, a Graduate Certificate in Student Affairs in Higher Education, and a Bachelor of Science.

Ebonie Johnson

Lead Financial Aid Counselor

Learn more about our Student Financial Services Center today!

Tom Arodz

Associate Professor

Tomasz Arodz is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Arodz holds a Ph.D. in computer science from AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. He is a laureate of the Prime Minister of Poland Award for his Ph.D. dissertation. Dr. Arodz also holds a M.Sc. in biotechnology from Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

Kimberly Davis

Clinical Assistant Professor

Within the School of Nursing, I am course director for Concepts of Professional Nursing and Community Health Nursing. I serve as clinical coordinator for all undergraduate community clinical placements. I also serve as core faculty for the Virginia Geriatric Education Center. I am program director for the post-baccalaureate graduate level Care Coordination Certificate program.

Geri Youngblood

Pharmaceutical Engineering Administrator

Geri is currently the administrative support for the Pharmaceutical Engineering program. This innovative program is a collaborative effort between the School of Pharmacy and College of Engineering to support research that encompasses drug development: from target identification to manufacturing processes. She will also discuss the other graduate programs in the School of Pharmacy: Pharmaceutics; Medicinal Chemistry; Pharmacotherapy; and Pharmacoeconomics and Health Outcomes.