Point, counterpoint: The art of civil discourse
McDowell Student Fellows bond over their love of debating ethics, law, and politics.
School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Annual Report
2023-24 Now Available!
Meet the 2025-26 Beckman Scholars
A&S students Brice Di Carlo, ’27, and Eric Zhou, ’27, 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 28 Beckman Scholars since 2006.
Chemistry major Brice Di Carlo is studying chemical bonding using various computational methods. This work of studying chemical structures and reactions has implications in developing new medicines and improving existing ones. His faculty mentor is chemistry professor Kelling Donald. Di Carlo plans to pursue a Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry and aspires to research drug development, including treatments for cardiovascular disease.
Eric Zhou is majoring in chemistry and minoring in physics. Under the mentorship of chemistry professor Wade Downey, he is studying organic chemistry — specifically indole synthesis, which has implications in the pharmaceutical industry. Zhou aspires to become a physician-scientist at an academic institution and hopes to open a lab researching targeted drug treatments for cancer.
A&S Award Winners
Each April, the School of Arts & Sciences awards the David C. Evans Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Scholarship and Artistic & Creative Works at the A&S Honors Convocation. During the A&S Honors Convocation, department honor societies, winners of the A&S Student Symposium paper and art competitions, John R. Rilling Award for First-Year Seminar Writing, and the outstanding faculty mentor are also recognized.
2025 Recipients
DAVID C. EVANS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIP
Holly Wemple and Maya Casillas
DAVID C. EVANS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC & CREATIVE WORK
Adam Huffman
A&S STUDENT SYMPOSIUM AWARDS
Paper Competition
Maria Byrnes and Maria Zambrano Davila
Art Competition
Hannah Zaheer
Outstanding Mentor
Elena Calvillo, associate professor of art history, and Laura Knouse, professor of psychology
A&S Symposium Sustainability Awards
Oral Presentation
Sophie Tanner
Poster Presentation
Megan Montoya and Julia Norton
A&S OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD
Doro and Bella Stevens
John R. Rilling Award for First-Year Seminar Writing
Owen Hoover and Hallie Muniz
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.
A&S Feature Stories
Five University of Richmond Graduates Receive Fulbright Grants to Teach English Abroad
Five UR graduates have accepted Fulbright grants for the 2025-26 academic year.
University of Richmond Professor Awarded VFIC Fellowship For Digital Humanities Research on Cold War Philanthropy
Timothy Barney, a professor of rhetoric and communication studies at the University of Richmond, has been awarded the 2025 Mednick Memorial Fellowship from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.
UR Now: Alumni
Spider spotlight: Ukee Washington celebrates 40 years behind the news desk
The Philadelphia anchor and Richmond grad reflects on his four decades of finding facts, building trust, and timeless storytelling.
A&S Faculty in the News
Invasion of the Plant Snatchers
Biology professor Carrie Wu, an expert on invasive plants, is quoted throughout this piece.
Family teaches their rats to drive tiny electric cars because, oddly, it's good for them
Research by behavioral neuroscience professor Kelly Lambert is featured.
Why Trump Loves a Man in Uniform
Rhetoric and communications professor Paul Achter is quoted.
Research News
Study shows historically redlined Virginia neighborhoods are hotter in the summer
Geography, environment, and sustainability professor Todd Lookingbill is quoted.
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
Wong Medina presents on Homer
Jorge Wong Medina, assistant professor of classics presented “The Formulaic Template and Linguistic Innovation in Homer” at the Formulaic Language in Historical Linguistics: Data, Methods, Tools, and Theory conference at the Finnish House of Learned Societies.
Redican and student publish on AI in education
Kyle Redican, teaching faculty of geography, environment, & sustainability and director of the Spatial Analysis Lab, along with undergraduate Matteo Gonzalez, ‘24, published “Generative AI in Undergraduate Education: An Early View of Developments, Prospects, and Challenges of the AI Revolution” in The Professional Geographer.
Wong Medina presents at ancient greek linguistics conference
Jorge Wong Medina, assistant professor of classics presented "Homeric Diectasis" at the 11th International Colloquium of Ancient Greek Linguistics.
Pollock, Zizzamia, and student publish biochemistry interactive map
Julie Pollock, associate professor of chemistry and Beth Zizzamia, Spatial Analysis Lab GIS operations manager, along with Hannah Parker '23, published "An Online Interactive Map of Human Metabolic Pathways and Associated Genetic Disorders as a Tool for the Biochemistry Classroom" in the Journal of Chemical Education.
