Black Masks, a play about self-discovery
Senior embraces creative self-expression by writing and directing play.
School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Annual Report
2023-24 Now Available!
Bridge to Success
"Discovering the Power of Your Voice."
June 22 to July 26, 2025
The Bridge to Success (BTS) program offers an immersive summer experience tailored to facilitate your transition from high school to college. Participants in the BTS program will engage in a comprehensive academic course, fulfilling one (1 Unit) of the University’s General Education graduation requirements. These small, student-centered liberal arts courses are complemented through study sessions, community excursions, and practical workshops aimed at equipping students to embrace the academic, social, and cultural opportunities of both the University of Richmond and its neighboring community.
Students participating in the BTS program reside in one of the University’s residence halls for a duration of five weeks. During this time, they familiarize themselves with the campus, establish enduring connections with mentors, peers, and University personnel, and initiate the cultivation of essential time management competencies.
Interconnected: A Choreorobotic Performance
Friday, April 4 & Saturday, April 5, 7 p.m.
Cousins Studio Theatre
The line from the human to the machine is often not visible. The energy and movement that drives communication does not start as a tangible connection but rather as an intangible force, an impulse, a spark of intention. It travels through pathways, transmitting signals and commands that shape our interactions with technology. This unseen thread weaves a tapestry of non-verbal understanding, where the boundaries between human and machine blur, creating a dance of shared purpose. In Interconnected, we explore this connection, unveiling the complexity and beauty of human-robot communication, and the binds to the machines we create.
Interconnected is a 30-minute dance piece for two small mobile manipulator robots and two humans. The performance will be followed by a Q&A about the work.
14th Stuart L. Wheeler Gallery of the Ancient World Lecture
“The Archaeology of Democracy: Recent Excavations in the Agora of Athens”
Presented by John McKesson Camp II,
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor Emeritus of Classics, Randolph-Macon College
Director of Agora Excavations, Athens, 1994–2022
Winner of the AIA’s 2024 Gold Medal for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement
Lecture 3 p.m. | Brown-Alley Room, Weinstein Hall
Reception following the lecture | Humanities Building, Ancient World Gallery, Room 419
A&S Honors Convocation
Friday, April 18, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Camp Concert Hall, Booker Hall of Music
Each year, the A&S community comes together to celebrate the academic accomplishments of our students at Honors Convocation.
All A&S faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend this special celebration.
Faculty, staff, students, and guests are invited to lunch in the Heilman Dining Center following Convocation.
A&S Student Symposium
FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1 TO 8 P.M.
Modlin Center for the Arts & Campus Buildings
Each April, we celebrate our diverse community of learners at the A&S Student Symposium, a showcase of student-led research projects from nearly 30 disciplines in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Student researchers share their scholarly work with the campus community and the public through oral presentations, poster sessions, performances, and art exhibits.
This year’s symposium includes the Department of Theatre & Dance’s production of Urinetown on Friday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. Free tickets are available at modlin.richmond.edu.
A&S Commencement Reception
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 3-5 P.M.
Alice Haynes Room, Tyler Haynes Commons
Come mingle with A&S faculty and staff and enjoy refreshments with your classmates and their families.
A&S Books & Roses
FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 4:30-6 p.m. | HUMANITIES COMMONS
Join the A&S Dean’s Office for the third annual Books & Roses Celebration showcasing A&S faculty and staff books published between April 20, 2024 and April 20, 2025.
Books & Roses is inspired by two annual international celebrations: 1) Saint George’s Day (“Sant Jordi”) in Catalonia, where literature and love are distinctly intertwined in a massive display and exchange of books and roses, and 2) UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. Both are typically celebrated on April 23, which also happens to be the birthdate of Cervantes and Shakespeare.
The festivities will include cupcakes, refreshments, music, and roses.
Meet the 2024-25 Beckman Scholars
A&S students Marcos Hendler, of Rye, New York, and Aine MacDermott, of Lexington, Virginia, have each been awarded a prestigious Beckman Foundation Scholarship to support faculty-mentored student research in the sciences.
Beckman Scholars are selected among undergraduate biology and chemistry students based on commitment to research, strong academics, and potential to become scientific leaders. UR has had 26 Beckman Scholars since 2006.
Hendler, a chemistry major, is studying computational chemistry focused on molecules related to anticancer, which has implications in possible treatments. Hendler’s faculty mentor is chemistry professor Carol Parish. MacDermott, a biochemistry & molecular biology major, is researching ancient DNA under the mentorship of biology professor Melinda Yang. MacDermott is focused on the evolution of the alcohol metabolism gene ADH1B in present-day and ancient East Asian humans.
Humanities Center
2024-2025: How (And Why) Do We Represent Nature?
This question invites us to consider “representation” in both its political and aesthetic meaning. “Nature” is represented in paintings, poems, scripture, music, dancing, novels, laws, regulations, equations, activisms, advertising campaigns. This question asks how environments — and often their relations to human concerns — are represented across media, geographic and cultural contexts, and different historical moments.
A&S Feature Stories
University of Richmond Commencement Speaker is Richmond Fed President and CEO Tom Barkin
Barkin will address University of Richmond graduates during the main Commencement ceremony in May.
University of Richmond Professor Julietta Singh’s ‘The Nest’ to Premiere at Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto
The Nest, a feature-length documentary by University of Richmond professor Julietta Singh and filmmaker Chase Joynt, will make its world premiere at the upcoming Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, Canada.
Investing in sustainability
A summer internship introduced senior Courtney Simpson to a career in sustainable investing. A return offer ensured she can continue to pursue her newfound interest.
A&S Faculty in the News
GOP lawmakers eye SNAP cuts, which would scale back benefits that help low-income people buy food at a time of high food prices
Political science professor Tracy Roof authored this piece.
Richmond once again one of the nation's hotspots for allergies
Geography, environment and sustainability professor Stephanie Spera is quoted.
Black Americans describe how being a federal worker was their path to the middle class — and the heartbreak of losing it
History professor Eric Yellin, the author of a book on the federal workforce, is quoted.
Feeling scatterbrained? 5 ways to focus your attention
Psychology professor Arryn Robins, a cognitive psychologist, is interviewed.
Events
Faculty Expertise
Do you envision college as a place where your professor’s office hours are spent in deep conversation about topics beyond this week’s assignment? Where you can work side-by-side with a faculty member on cutting-edge research that is published in a professional journal?
In A&S, our faculty are experts on the cutting edge of their fields. While they could work in some of the top research institutions in the world, our faculty chose Richmond because they believe in educating tomorrow's leaders and are passionate about mentoring and sharing their knowledge with students.
A&S Faculty Highlights
Delers named ACS Mellon Academic Leadership Fellow
Olivier Delers, professor of French, has been named Associated Colleges of the South Mellon Academic Leadership Fellow for 2025–27.
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Hanaoka named ACS Mellon Academic Leadership Fellow
Mimi Hanaoka, associate professor of religious studies, has been named Associated Colleges of the South Mellon Academic Leadership Fellow for 2025–27.
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Peters received NSF award for neuroscience research
John Peters, a biology professor at the University of Richmond, has received a $502,981 National Science Foundation award to support his neuroscience research on the mechanisms of learning and memory.
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Wu published on impact of global warming on floral traits
Carrie Wu, professor of biology, published "Effects of experimental warming on floral scent, display, and rewards in two subalpine herbs" in Annals of Botany.
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