Dr. Patrice Rankine, Dean
Professor of Classics

Phone: (804) 289-8416
Email: prankine@richmond.edu 

As Dean, Patrice serves as the head academic officer for the largest school at the University of Richmond, and represents Arts & Sciences to the University and the broader community. His role includes faculty hiring, reviews, and development; leading academic council; strategic planning and budgeting; and setting a strategic direction for A&S. He is also a Professor of Classics and an active teacher and scholar. Read his full bio.

Dr. Carthene Bazemore-Walker, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Inclusivity, and Thriving

Phone: (804) 662-3082
Office: 104 Richmond Hall
Email: cbazemor@richmond.edu

Carthene builds capacity for the marshalling, training, and assessment of equity and inclusion efforts in the School of Arts & Sciences. She will coordinate efforts around inclusive pedagogy and classroom climate; coordinate recruiting efforts to ensure diverse candidate pools; and work with departments and offices around campus to strengthen diversity and inclusion intiatives.

Dr. Kathrin Bower, Associate Dean
Professor of German Studies

Phone: (804) 289-2430

Email: kbower@richmond.edu

Kathrin serves as point of contact for academic departments and programs in Division I, Arts, Languages, and Cultures. Her additional responsibilities include assisting with merit reviews; coordinating new and revised course proposals; coordinating teaching assignment projections and term and adjunct hires; and overseeing the Tucker-Boatwright Festival. She is also a Professor of German, who is frequently called upon for her expertise on German film and cultural studies. Read her full bio.

Dr. Benjamin Broening, Associate Dean
Professor of Music

Phone: (804) 289-8418

E-mail: bbroenin@richmond.edu

Ben serves as the point of contact for academic departments and programs in Division III, the Natural and Applied Sciences. His additional responsibilities include coordinating the merit review process; overseeing the Undergraduate Research Committee; planning for equipment replacement and physical space renovations; managing the Kresge process and the Arts Initiatives. He is also a Professor of Music and an active composer. Read his full bio.

Shawn Chamberlin, Academic Employment Coordinator

Phone: (804) 287-1836
Email: schamber@richmond.edu

Shawn manages all aspects of the faculty hiring process for tenure-track, term, and adjunct hires. He tracks data on faculty and manages the student evaluation process. He also serves as liaison to the Office of Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

Cynthia Johnson, Administrative Coordinator

Cynthia provides administrative support to the Associate Deans including scheduling and calendar management. She manages several administrative processes including expense reports, furniture requests, grade changes, and project-based budgeting. She also plans School events and serves as liaison to the Catering and Events Office. 

Phone: (804) 289-8417
Email: cjohnso7@richmond.edu

Brian McClure,Interim Content Coordinator

Phone: (804)289-1917

Email:bmcclure@richmond.edu

As founder of Studio BDC, Mr. McClure brings many years of experience from his work directing creative content and managing communication operations. His company offers an extensive background in music, film, web, publishing, advertising, graphic design, and multimedia. He supports our day-to-day and immediate communications needs while helping us to envision more strategic and sustainable practices in A&S.

Dr. Tryan L. McMickens, Interim Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives

Email: tmcmicke@richmond.edu

Phone:(804) 289-8926

Dr.McMickens worked with A&S in 2016-17 in the early stages of Concept 30 and consulted with us on the strategic planning processes. He earned his B.S. degree from Tuskegee University, his M.Ed. from Suffolk University, and his Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He maintains an active research agenda that examines inequities in higher education, marginalized college students, and the impact of college environments. His scholarship has appeared in various journals, book chapters, and other venues. He has delivered more than 45 professional conference presentations, research papers, workshops, symposia, invited lectures, and other scholarly addresses. 

Dr. Dan Palazzolo, Associate Dean
Professor of Political Science

Phone: (804) 287-6630
E-mail: dpalazzo@richmond.edu

Dan serves as the point of contact for academic departments and programs in Division II, the Humanities and Social Sciences.  His additional responsibilities include assisting with merit reviews; overseeing academic program review; and serving as liaison to interdisciplinary programs. He is also a professor of political science, whose current research looks at coalition building in Congress in an era of partisan polarization. Read his full bio.

Bethany Perry, Assistant to the Dean

Phone: (804) 289-8416
Email: bperry@richmond.edu

Bethany provides administrative support to the Dean. She manages the Dean’s calendar and correspondence; provides administrative support for faculty meetings and academic council; plans School events; and supports faculty searches and tenure and promotion cases.

Robert Plymale, Grants and Research Specialist

Phone: (804) 289-8367
Email: rplymale@richmond.edu

Robert manages all aspects of student and faculty research funding for Arts & Sciences. He also serves as liaison to the central Grants Office and plays an active role on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC).

Surabhi Vittal, Director of Financial Planning and Budget

Phone: (804) 287-6587

Email: svittal@richmond.edu

Surabhi handles all aspects of finance and budget for the School, including short term and long range financial planning and projections.