A&S Next
Turn Your Education into a Career with Passion and Purpose
You’re a Spider, so you dream big. You don’t want to land just any job after UR, but a purposeful career you’re passionate about.
At A&S NEXT, a career program specifically for A&S students, we aim to give you the tools to understand your personal strengths and how you can translate your Richmond education into a career that you love. You’ll meet alums with unexpected and interesting career paths and you’ll gain hands-on experience exploring and solving real-world problems alongside alums and faculty who work to solve these problems in their own careers every day.
Register for A&S NEXT
A&S NEXT Registration Ends December 4, 2020
Seek Solutions to Contemporary Issues
Data Analytics: Problems and Promise
What kind of national data is available and how is it being used to identify and address pressing issues in society? What key data is missing from the story? Students in this case will take a deeper dive into the successes and limitations of existing data and identify strategies and interventions for leveraging data to improve societal outcomes.
Faculty Facilitators
Alumni Facilitators
Hannah Holub, '16
Kate McElroy Hjelm, '98
Rachel Hall, '14
William Kretz, '15
Disparities in Health and Healthcare
As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse, it is more important than ever to address differences in health and access to healthcare based on social, economic, and environmental factors. This case will examine disparities in health and healthcare and develop strategies and interventions for creating more equitable health outcomes.
Faculty Facilitators
Alumni Facilitators
Debony Hughes, W'84
David Davenport, '13
Harleen Bal, '18
Sara Cariano, '05
Environmental Impact of Urban Planning
Richmond’s history of racist practices in real estate and land development has resulted in climate differences that present threats to the health and well-being of the poorer and minority residents of the city. This case will explore this issue and identify strategies for addressing these inequities in Richmond neighborhoods.
Faculty Facilitators
Alumni Facilitators
Carly Sibilia, '17
Emily Routman, '20
Mark McCaskill, '95
Kidest Gebre, '20
Housing and Homelessness
Richmond, Virginia, like many large cities, faces challenges related to housing and homelessness, including high eviction rates and inability to pay rent. This case will more closely examine concerns related to this housing crisis and identify strategies and interventions for addressing these challenges.
Faculty Facilitators
Alumni Facilitators
Zachary Marks, '99
Madeline Petrie, '17
Ramon Bullard, '09
Clare Rosenberger, '05
Using the Arts to Design Social Justice Interventions
The arts can often play a critical role in commenting on inequities and designing interventions to address key societal issues. This case will explore how the arts can be used as a vehicle for facilitating dialogue about social justice.
Faculty Facilitators
Dr. Erika Zimmermann Damer
Program Coordinator, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Alumni Facilitators
Adam Ferguson, '11
Kristen Mitchell, '07
Heather Shields, '07
Miles Wilson, '20
Build Your A&S Community
As an A&S NEXT participant, you will have the opportunity to learn about your individual strengths and how your unique skills and perspectives can contribute to making an impact in the world. Throughout the weekend, you will meet and talk with alumni and faculty from a variety of disciplines across the Arts & Sciences that will allow you to strengthen your Spider web and explore career possibilities. You will practice important skills like teamwork, critical thinking, and communication as you work in a small group to analyze a multifaceted issue facing society and propose interventions for addressing the challenge. At the end of the weekend, you’ll reflect on your experience and identify next steps for translating the skills and knowledge gained into future career endeavors.
Please note that this year’s program will be taking place virtually to comply with COVID-19 precautions.
A&S NEXT begins with an opportunity for participants to learn about their personal strengths and how they can be applied in individual and group settings. Students will then meet with their peer, faculty, and alumni team and begin exploring their case topic. The afternoon will conclude with an opportunity for students to get to know faculty and alumni and gain insights that can help them with their major and career exploration.
On Saturday, students will spend the morning digging into their case studies, guided by the advice of faculty and alumni who are experts in that field. Each group will develop and deliver a presentation highlighting their findings and proposed solutions. At the end of the day, students will reflect on their A&S NEXT experience and identify next steps for further exploration.
Register for A&S NEXT
Meet the A&S NEXT Student Ambassdaors
A&S NEXT Ambassadors are students who previously participated in A&S NEXT. The Ambassadors contribute to the planning and promotion process for the program, as well as serve as peer mentors to student participants in the program.
Aidan Bursten '21
Viviana Cisneros '23
Taylor Coleman '22
Elspeth Collard '23
Olivia Falck '23
Petra Hafker '21
Valentina Rodriguez '23
Jayana Turner '23
410 Westhampton Way
University of Richmond, VA 23173
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