University of Richmond to Host Italian & French Film Festival
The University of Richmond will host the inaugural Italian and French Film Festival March 27-30.
School of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Annual Report
Italian & French Film Festival
March 27–30, 2026
The festival brings together UR students, faculty, and staff, as well as the wider Richmond community. It will include a screening of Gillo Pontecorvo’s classic The Battle of Algiers (1966) in celebration of the film’s 60th anniversary, followed by a roundtable, a second roundtable on the current state of Italian and French cinema, as well as a screening concluding the festival at the Byrd Theatre — followed by a reception in the sumptuously renovated mezzanine of the iconic theater.
Guest scholars and filmmakers will introduce screenings, lead roundtable discussions, and engage audiences in conversation. Across four days, the festival will bring together French and Italian cuisine, intellectual exchange, and the magic of cinema, making each screening a celebration of culture and community.
2025-2026 Tucker Boatwright Festival of Literature & the Arts
Reconstruction
Hosted by the Department of Art & Art History in partnership with The Harnett Museum.
The 2025–2026 Tucker-Boatwright festival dissects and expands the idea of Reconstruction to highlight the complex relationship to ongoing cultural movements and revolutions that we study, experience, and manifest through the visual arts. Reconstruction considers the many social, environmental, and political crises that we are experiencing today, and encourages us to look back at the histories that frame the urgent questions of our present for answers towards our future.
The Department of Art & Art History in partnership with The Harnett Museum, has invited two world renowned artists to campus, Cauleen Smith and Abigail DeVille, to interpret this theme through two new immersive installations that engage with local histories to create a space for community dialogue.
A&S Honors Convocation
Friday, April 17, 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 17, 1 TO 5:30 P.M.
Modlin Center for the Arts & Campus Buildings
7:30 p.m., Nevermore – The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, Department of Theatre & Dance performance
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 Nevermore – The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe on Friday, April 17, at 7:30 p.m. Free tickets are available at modlin.richmond.edu.
A&S Books & Roses
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 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 2025 and April 2026.
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.
A&S Commencement Reception
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 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.
Faculty & Staff Research Symposium
September 18, 2026
The Faculty & Staff Research Symposium brings together colleagues from multiple disciplines, programs, and all five schools to present their research, work, and creative projects. All faculty and staff are invited to present their current work as part of interdisciplinary panels, roundtables, short-format sessions, or poster presentations.
A&S Feature Stories
University of Richmond Plays Instrumental Role in Bringing National American Music Conference to the City
The University of Richmond is playing a key leadership role in the Society for American Music Conference, which is being held in Richmond, Virginia March 11-15.
University of Richmond Journalism Professor Kavitha Cardoza Receives Prestigious National Award
Journalism professor Kavitha Cardoza has been awarded the American Mosaic Journalism Prize for her work as a freelance reporter.
UR Now: STUDENT EXPERIENCE
University of Richmond students learn to build the next line of cyber defense
Spiders in Cybersecurity connects students with industry leaders, certifications, and hands-on competitions in a fast-growing field.
A&S Faculty in the News
AI doesn’t ‘see’ the way that you do, and that could be a problem when it categorizes objects and scenes
Cognitive psychology professor Arryn Robbins co-authored this piece.
Colleges Strategies on AI Really Should Be Comprehensive, Not Piecemeal - Social Science Space
Biology professor Linda Boland co-authored this piece, originally published in The Conversation.
Are more people getting ADHD — or are we just catching more cases?
Psychology professor Laura Knouse, the author of a book on adult ADHD, is interviewed.
What to expect when the Italian and French Film Festival arrives in Richmond
UR’s Italian and French Film Festival is featured.
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
Nelson’s exhibition at MIT highlights work at Green Bank Observatory
Brittany Nelson, associate professor of photography and extended media, is currently exhibiting List Projects 34: Brittany Nelson at The List Visual Arts Center, MIT’s contemporary art museum. The show highlights photographs and a moving-image work filmed at the Green Bank Observatory. Nelson’s work considers how scientific inquiry and emotional projection converge, transforming instruments of cosmic detection into metaphors for intimacy, distance, and longing.
Baughan promoted to professor
Elizabeth Baughan was promoted to professor of classical studies. Her research focuses on funerary monuments, burial customs, and cultural identity in the ancient Mediterranean as well as African American cemeteries in the Richmond area.
Calvillo promoted to professor
Elena Calvillo was promoted to professor of art & art history. Her research and writing focus on artistic service and imitative strategies in sixteenth-century papal Rome. She is broadly interested in theories of representation and cultural translation and brokerage in Italy, Spain and Portugal in the sixteenth century.
Fillerup promoted to professor
Jessie Fillerup was promoted to professor of music. Her research interests are driven by her curiosity about French musical cultures, illusory experiences, and the nature of musical temporality.
