News briefs and announcements

NSF grant will fund equipment

The National Science Foundation has awarded Dr. Lisa Gentile, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Jonathan Dattelbaum, assistant professor of chemistry, a three-year, $309,737 grant to purchase three instruments-a differential scanning calorimeter, an isothermal titration calorimeter and a time-resolved fluorometer.

Three biophysical chemistry research teams and students studying biochemistry and molecular biology will be primary users of the equipment, but in an effort to establish a regional undergraduate biophysical chemistry research cluster, access will be extended to faculty of Hampton and Virginia State universities and Randolph-Macon College. The researchers also will encourage local high school teachers and students conducting research at the University to use the equipment.

Richmond faculty will conduct summer workshops on use of the instruments, research collaboration and curriculum design. Gentile and Dattelbaum will lead the equipment acquisition, with support from chemistry professor Ellis Bell and Timothy Smith, director of chemistry instrumentation.

One Book, One Campus will examine feminism

One Book, One Campus: Dialogues in Social Justice is a campus-wide effort that annually encourages students, staff and faculty to read and discuss a selected book. The campus community then meets to discuss a social justice issue and how it influences their relationships with one another. A limited number of books is available at no charge.

The 2007-08 book is Taking on the Big Boys: Or Why Feminism is Good for Families, Business and the Nation by Ellen Bravo. This social-journalistic critique unmasks the patronizing and trivializing tactics employed by "the big boys" (the powerful men and women who maintain the status quo) and provides solutions that show how economic equity for women benefits everyone. For more information, visit: commonground.richmond.edu/events.

Society of Physics Students chapter earns "outstanding" rating

Richmond's Society of Physics Students (SPS) has been selected by the American Institute of Physics as an outstanding chapter. The chapter earned the honor for its activities on campus and in the local community, including "Deconstruction Night," when students take apart obsolete electrical equipment and gadgets to see how they work; its annual Richmond Physics Olympics, a competition for teams of Virginia high school students; and sponsorship of a subgroup called WHIP (Women Highly Interested in Physics).

Magazine wins national gold medal

Richmond Alumni Magazine has won a gold medal in the CASE "Best Articles of the Year" competition. The winning article was "The Circus of Cancer," Kelly Corrigan's, W'89, first-person account of her battle against breast cancer. The story appeared in the Spring 2006 edition.

"Best Articles of the Year" is a national competition that showcases the finest writing in higher education. CASE awarded six gold medals this year. The CASE gold medal is the first national CASE award Richmond Alumni Magazine has won since 1982. Earlier, the magazine received two regional CASE awards-an Award of Excellence for overall quality and a Special Merit Award for magazine publishing improvement. Karl Rhodes is the magazine's editor.

Richmond Quest seeks proposals

Richmond Quest invites innovative proposals for new and revised courses, student research, guest speakers and special events as well as other curricular and professional development projects that respond to the new Quest V theme: "How is it connected?" For more information and application forms, go to quest.richmond.edu.

Peer tutoring available

The Academic Skills Center will begin peer tutoring Sept. 10. On-call tutors will be available starting Aug. 27. The center provides tutoring in accounting, calculus, chemistry, foreign languages, logic, physics and a variety of other disciplines. Assistance also is provided in information processing, study skills, test strategies, time and stress management, and related areas. Students should call ext. 8626 or come by the center to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit oncampus.richmond.edu/ student/affairs/office/asc.

Theatre department produces play in Russia

The Department of Theatre and Dance moved operations to St. Petersburg, Russia, in June to participate in the eighth International Rainbow Theatre Festival. Walter Schoen, associate professor of theatre and department chair, Dorothy Holland, associate professor of theatre, and Sean Hudock, '07, performed in Eugene Ionesco's The Chairs. Faculty designer and associate professor Reed West and departmental shop foreman Phillip Hayes provided production assistance, and Paolo Emilio Landi, in residence at the University last fall, traveled from Rome to direct.

Singers unite for Hokies

Twenty-seven á cappella groups from seven Virginia colleges collaborated on a two-disc compilation CD to raise funds to help those affected by the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech. Groups from Richmond included Sirens, Octaves, Choeur-Du-Roi and Off the Cuff.

Matthew Bolling of Magnolia Productions LLC, a Virginia Tech graduate, is leading the effort. He said that 100 percent of all purchases and donations made toward the project will go directly to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund set up by the Virginia Tech Foundation or to Hokies United at Virginia Tech. To purchase a CD or for more information, go to the Web site ForTodayCD.com.

First Luce Scholarship recipient selected

Jill Petroski, '09, from Farmington, Conn., is the first of three Richmond recipients of a Clare Booth Luce Scholarship.

The Luce Foundation gave the University a grant to provide full tuition, room and board for the selected student's junior and senior years. One student will be selected each year for three years. Recipients must be female students majoring in mathematics, computer science or physics.

Petroski is double majoring in mathematics and accounting. She is a Quantitative Science Center Fellow, exploring issues at the interface of mathematics and the natural sciences. She participated in the mathematics department's summer LURE program to investigate questions of the history of American mathematics from 1900-40.

Gen. William Wallace looks on as Dean Andy Newcomb presents 2Lt.Michael Leak, '07, with his Presidential Appointment Orders to second lieutenant.

Officers commissioned commencement weekend

The University commissioned eight officers from the Class of 2007 on May 12. The ceremony was held jointly by Richmond's Department of Military Science and Leadership (ROTC) and its largest partner college, Virginia Commonwealth University. Gen. William Wallace, commander of the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command, was the speaker. Richmond ROTC is ranked 28th out of 272 ROTC programs nationally. "Twenty of 21 commissionees from the 2007 cohort earned their first choice of military branch specialty," said LTC Doug Gillem, professor of military science.

Students influential in General Assembly

Students in Melissa Goemann's Juvenile Law and Policy Clinic did more than study cases last semester. They were influential in drafting and securing passage of a bill in Virginia's General Assembly that changes the way children are treated by the justice system.

The original law stated that children who had been transferred or certified to adult criminal court and had their cases dismissed or who were acquitted could never return to juvenile court for any subsequent offense, "even something as minor as shoplifting," said Goemann.

The class was able to have the law amended so that children tried as adults would have to be convicted before forever being treated as an adult by the judicial system.

M.B.A. student earns "A" for TV performance

Elizabeth Digges earned an "A" for her quick thinking on the Grade the Trade segment of CNBC's "Fast Money" show in June. Digges, a financial analyst for UPS Freight and a Richmond M.B.A. student, was graded by a professional trader for her 30 seconds of trading advice based on a hypothetical scenario.

A month later, M.B.A. student Alex White appeared on the same program, earning a grade of A-. Grade the Trade selects students from top business schools across the country.

Family law center to host symposium

The School of Law's National Center for Family Law will host a symposium Sept. 16-18. "State of the Family-2007" will address current issues, including the state of marriage and the family, same sex marriage, civil unions and foster care. Nationally known scholars, lawyers and judges will speak, including Virginia's first lady, Anne Holton, a former Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge. Adrienne E. Volenik, who has been director of the disability law clinic at the law school's Children's Law Center, is acting director of the family law center.

Richmond, College Summit begin partnership

In July, the University began its three-year partnership with College Summit to assist low-income students from across the country in attending the college of their choice. About 50 students selected by their high schools worked with 30 mentors on campus to prepare for the college application process.

Settle named ODK regional leader

Jaime Settle, '07, of Tucson, Ariz., was named the 2007 Region 1 Leader of the Year of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society.

Each spring, the national group selects a leader from each of its four U.S. regions. The regional leaders are considered for the fraternity's National Leader of the Year Award.