Spider Talks with President Ronald A. Crutcher
The Integral Nature of Music and the Arts
A pianist and harpsichordist, Joanne Kong is an internationally known for her musicianship. She is the longtime Director of Accompaniment and Coordinator of Chamber Ensembles. She's also one of today's most sought after and compelling veganism advocates, and travels the globe promoting a vegan lifestyle. Note: The interview and content for this episode of Spider Talks was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Landscape Ecology and Protecting our National Parks
Todd Lookingbill is a professor in the Department of Geography and the Environment and also teaches biology courses. He is an expert in landscape ecology and protected areas' management. Lookingbill works with the National Park Service, The Forest Service, and other management agencies to educate people on how to be responsible stewards of natural land. Note: The interview and some content for this episode of Spider Talks was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional footage was collected in the fall of 2020.
The History of Mathematics and the Language of Change
Della Dumbaugh has been a professor of mathematics at the University of Richmond for more than 25 years. She teaches across the mathematics curriculum, including calculus, linear algebra, and number theory. She also specializes in the history of mathematics. Note: The interview and some content for this episode of Spider Talks was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional footage was collected in the fall of 2020.
Zebrafish, Genetics, and Curing Disease
Biology professor Isaac Skromne is a development biologist who uses zebrafish in his research related to bone disease and the central nervous system. His research projects are supported by both the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health. His areas of expertise include development, genetics, and neuroscience.
Trade Policy and International Relations
Maia Linask is an economics professor in the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond. Her research examines the political economy of trade policy, specifically related to international relations. She also studies the interaction of trade policy and product quality. Linask teaches microeconomics and international trade.
Group Dynamics and Ethical Leadership
Donelson Forsyth is a professor in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. A social and personality psychologist, Forsyth studies groups, leadership, ethical thought, and moral judgment. He teaches courses on “Group Dynamics” and “Leadership and the Social Sciences”. He is a prolific author with more than 150 books, chapters, and articles on ethics, groups, and leadership.
Wrongful Convictions and Exonerations
Mary Tate is a clinical professor of law and director of the Richmond School of Law's Institute for Actual Innocence, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2020. Professor Tate and her students work to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals. Her scholarship focuses on post-conviction issues, innocence commissions, and the problem of wrongful convictions.
Art Music & Music as Medicine
April Greenan is a musicologist and liberal arts professor who teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses through the University of Richmond’s School of Professional & Continuing Studies. Her research centers on 18th century Western art music and the cultivation of an art music tradition in the U.S. Another major theme of her research is the intersection of music and medicine.
Performance as a Tool for Social Change
Associate Professor of Theatre Patricia Herrera’s teaching and research focus on contemporary theater and performance, with an emphasis on social justice, identity politics, and transnationalism. Her areas of study also include Latinx cultural productions, documentary theater, and gender and performance.
The Changing Political Landscape
Ernest McGowen, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science, researches political behavior, campaigns, and elections, especially with respect to race and ethnicity. He's also studied behavior in young and African American voters, gerrymandering, and youth activism.
Constitutional History and the Reconstruction Amendments
Law Professor Kurt Lash is one of the country's leading constitutional law scholars. Founder and director of the Richmond Program on the American Constitution, he has published widely on constitutional history, theory, and law; religious liberty; and free speech. One main area of his scholarship focuses on the Reconstruction Amendments, specifically the 14th Amendment.
A Well-Grounded Brain and Behaviorceuticals
Kelly Lambert is an award-winning professor of behavioral neuroscience in the Department of Psychology. Her research focuses on unique aspects of decision-making and the best strategies for protecting and enhancing the brain's ability to navigate life's uncertainties. She also studies the hand-brain connection, emotional resilience, and comparative animal behavior.
The Implications of Diversity
Sociology professor Bedelia Richards is a race, ethnicity, immigration, and education scholar. Her research addresses the implications of the growing diversity in the United States' black population, and promotes critical thinking about how institutions of higher education can better serve students and faculty from diverse backgrounds and communities. For more information about Richards’ research, visit https://bre.is/hz3RIeeWf
Seeing the World Through Costume Design
Theatre professor Johann Stegmeir is an expert in costume and makeup design, as well as costume construction. Stegmeir has designed costumes for opera, theatre, dance, feature films, and television all over the world. Recently, he served as a costume designer for the 2017–18 North America premier of Alma Deutscher's Cinderella.
Leadership in Literature, Film, and Performance
Jepson School of Leadership Studies associate professor Kristin Bezio integrates the study of literature into the Leadership Studies curriculum. Her areas of specialization include leadership in literature, film, and performance, and cultural and political history in Early Modern England. The footage and photos for the aerial section of this video are courtesy of Host of Sparrows Aerial Circus and Double Take, Lauren Olinger, and Barbara Shore Portrait.
The Art of Public Speaking
Linda Hobgood is the director of the Speech Center and professor of rhetoric and communication studies. She specializes in public speaking, speech writing, personal communication, and political rhetoric. She is always seeking ways to improve communication skills in both the workplace environment and the public setting.
Human Rights and Modern Day Slavery
Political science professor Monti Datta’s research focuses on human rights and modern day slavery. He helped launch the Global Slavery Index, which assesses the prevalence of human trafficking across the world. Datta teaches classes on international relations, research methods, and global governance.
Engaging Students To Get Results
Accounting professor Joe Ben Hoyle, who has worked at the University of Richmond for 40 years, is a beloved faculty member who is well known for a unique approach to teaching. A champion of the Socratic Method, Hoyle’s main goal is to engage each one of his students from the moment they walk into his class.
Changing Attitudes Through Scholarship
Jennifer Nourse is an anthropologist whose research focuses on Indonesia. She's explored a wide range of topics, including religion, healthcare, and politics. Students marvel over the unique treasures in her office, and she is also one of only a small group of people in the world who speak the Indonesian dialect Lauje.
Global Perspectives and the Value of Language
Yvonne Howell is a professor of Russian and international studies. She speaks five languages and is an expert on Russian and East European culture. She is dedicated to exposing University of Richmond students to global perspectives. *Photos in this piece were drawn from a collection of images that include sights in both St. Petersburg and Kyiv.
Leadership and the Heroes Journey
Psychology professor Scott Allison researches heroes – how we construct them, why we need them, and why we are sometimes happy when they fall. He is an editor of the Heroism Science journal, and has written numerous books focusing on heroes and leadership.
Astrophysics and Big Data
Astrophysicist Jack Singal is a physics professor whose research focuses on our universe. A major theme of his research is light — both the kinds our eyes can and can’t see. His work helps us understand all the things that make up the universe.
Writing and Thinking Critically
Joe Essid directs the university's writing center, and writing across the curriculum program. As a scholar, he studies changing patterns of literacy, and how technology alters notions of good writing. He's also the campus beekeeper.
Chemical Biology and Cancer Research
Chemistry professor Julie Pollock is a chemical biologist who focuses on developing programs that advance public health and medical research. Her primary focus is on cancer. Specifically, understanding how cancer develops and progresses. Pollock prides herself on her work with undergraduates, who she involves in every aspect of her research.
Modern U.S. History and Civil Rights
Professor Julian Hayter says today’s students often lack a deep knowledge of the history of the 20th century and the forces that came to define the American City during this time. He uses contemporary issues, such as civil rights and historical monuments, to help students better understand the forces that shape how politics truly operate.
Welcome to Spider Talks
The University of Richmond is known for its outstanding academic quality — where accomplished faculty of diverse fields, backgrounds, and perspectives can flourish and have a distinctive voice. Spider Talks is a video series that presents an informative dialogue between President Ronald A. Crutcher and faculty to discuss their passion for creating new knowledge through innovative teaching, impactful research, and collaborative academic experiences. Spider Talks is produced by University Communications and is delivered each month during the spring and fall academic semesters.
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