Committees

Carmenita Higginbotham, Ph.D., Dean – Committee Chair

Amir Berbić, Dean, VCUarts Qatar

Christiana Lafazani, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research
James Wiznerowicz, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Chair, Music
Holly Alford, Assistant Dean, Director of Inclusion and Equity and Interim Chair, Dance + Choreography
Jody Symula, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Art Foundation Program Lead
Kristin Caskey, Senior Director of Fine Arts and Chair, Sculpture + Extended Media
Jon-Phillip Sheridan, Senior Director of Narrative Media and Chair, Photography + Film

Melyatta Powers, Senior Executive Director of Finance
Jessica Bell Brown, Executive Director, Institute for Contemporary Art
Sarah Hendricks, Executive Director of Development
Kelly Teeling, Executive Director of Recruitment and Admissions
Christopher ‘Dinkus’ Deane, Director of Operations
Ryan Ellington, Director of Human Resources
John Hendershot, Director of Academic Advising
Robert Sandkam, Director of Information Technology
Ryan Sprowl, Interim Executive Director of Communications
Traci Garland, Managing Director, Institute for Contemporary Art

Deidra Arrington, Chair, Fashion Design + Merchandising
Peter Baldes, Chair, Painting + Printmaking
Jason Bennett, Chair, Communication Arts
Yossera Bouchtia, Director of Cinema
Bonnie McCoy, Chair, Department of Theatre
Cynthia Myron, Chair, Craft/Material Studies, and Director of Graduate Studies
Ryan Patton, Chair, Art Education
Lauren Thorson, Chair, Graphic Design
Roberto Ventura, Chair, Interior Design
Stephen Vitiello, Chair, Kinetic Imaging
Tobias Wofford, Chair, Art History

Melanie Christian, Executive Assistant to the Dean and Advisor to the Dean for the Institute for Contemporary Art, ex-officio member

Third Thursdays of the month, 10 a.m., Bowe Street Conference Room

Jody Symula, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Art Foundation Program Lead
ARTF, Chris Norris
ARTE, Ryan Patton
COAR, Matt Wallin
CMS, Cindy Myron
FASH, Deidra Arrington
GDES, Roy McKelvy
IDES, Roberto Ventura
KINE, Stephen Vitiello
PAPR, Peter Baldes
PHTO, Jon Sheridan
SCPT, Kristin Caskey

Second and Fourth Wednesdays, 9 – 10 a.m., Dean’s Office Conference Room, Pollak 201

James Wiznerowicz, committee chair, Associate Dean
ARTE, Ryan Patton
ARTF, Jody Symula
ARTH, Michelle Yee
CINE, Prashanth Kamalakanthan
COAR, Ying-Fang Shen
CMS, N/A
DANC, Dr. Gaynell Sherrod
FASH, Jarvis Jefferson
GDES, David Shields
IDES, Sara Reed
KINE, Stephanie Thulin
MUSC, Justin Alexander
PAPR, Noah Simblist
PHTO, J Molina Garcia
SCPT, Corin Hewitt (Fall 2024)
THEA: Jesse Njus

Third Wednesday of the month at 4 pm – location TBD

Holly Alford, committee chair, Director of Diversity + Jackie Mullins Co-Chair
ARTE, Veronica Hicks
ARTF, Roberto Jamora
ARTH, Babatunde Lawal
CINE, Robert Tregenza
COAR, Ernesto Rodiguez Cruz
CMS, N/A
DANC, Sinclair Emoghene
FASH, Jackie Mullins
GDES, Herdimas Anggara
IDES, Sara Reed
KINE, Semi Ryu
MUSC, Taylor Barnett
PAPR, Jacob Broussard
PHTO, N/A
SCPT, Michael Jones McKean
THEA, David Toney

Second Tuesdays, 5 p.m., Dean’s Office Conference Room, Pollak 201

Lily Cox-Richard, Pam Turner, Co-Chairs
ARTE, Yi Wen Wei
ARTF, Molly McFadden (Fall) Roberto Jamora (Spring)
ARTH, N/A
COAR, Miguel Carter Fisher
CINE, Kevin Gallagher
CMS, Jack Wax
DANC, Trebien Pollard
FASH, Jeannine Diego
GDES, Lauren Thorson
IDES, Laura Battaglia
KINE, Pamela Turner
MUSC, Cindy Donnell
PAPR, Sandy Zohore
PHTO, Paul Thulin-Jimenez
SCPT, Lily Cox-Richard
THEA, Karen Kopryanski

Third Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m., Dean’s Office Conference Room, Pollak 201

Cindy Myron, committee chair
Kat Wilson, coordinator of graduate studies
ARTE, Sara Wilson-McKay
ARTH, Eric Garberson
CMS, Blair Clemo
IDES, Kristin Carleton
GDES, Nicole Killian
KI, Kate Sicchio
PAPR, Holly Morrison
PHTO, Mary Beth Reed
SCPT, Kendall Buster
THEA, Aaron Anderson

Tuesdays, as needed, 5:30 p.m., Dean’s Office Conference Room, Pollak 201

Steven Hoskins Committee Chair
ARTE, N/A
ARTH, Kathleen Chapman
COAR, Stephen Alcorn
CMS, Elissa Armstrong
DANC, Judy Steel (Co-Chair)
FASH, Kim Guthrie
GDES, Steven Hoskins
IDES, N/A
KINE, Shawn Brixey
MUSC, Bruce Hammel
PAPR, Cara Benedetto
PHTO, Mark Boulos
SCPT, Massa Lemu
THEA, Aaron Anderson

Meetings are scheduled as needed

Chase Westfall, committee chair
ARTF, Ryan Lauterio
COAR, Anna Karakalou
FASH, Hawa Stwodah
GDES, Lauren Thorson
IDES, Seung Ho Lee
KI, SHAWNÉ MICHAELAIN HOLLOWAY
PAPR, Sandy Zohore
PHTO, J Molina Garcia
SCPT, Kendall Buster

Meetings are scheduled as needed

Mary Caton Lingol,  English Department, Committee Chair and Program Director
KINE, Bob Paris

Chris Norris, Committee Chair
Fine Arts, Hillary Fayle
Fine Arts, Caitlin Cherry
Design, Michael-Birch Pierce + Genny Epstein
Design, Roy McKelvey
Narrative Media, Stephen Vitiello
Narrative Media, Sonali Gulati

Performing Arts, Jessica Casey, Chair
Dean’s Office, Joanne Biggs
Development, Charlotte Couch
Institute for Contemporary Art, Nebiat Gereme
Creative Print Bureau, Cassie Knudsen
Admissions, Colleen Marino
Theatre, Kevin McGranahan
Narrative Media, Dae Newman

artstaff@vcu.edu

3-year term, elected

Meeting Time: First Tuesday, 4–6 p.m.,
https://facultysenate.vcu.edu/

Holly Alford, FASH, HON
Gaynell Sherrod, DANC, HON
Lily Cox-Richard, SCUP (2026)
Sharon Ott, THEA (2026)
Hala Auji, ARTH (2026)
Robbie Kinter, DANC (2024)
Rudy Lopez, FASH (2025)

Alternates:
Jeannine Diego, FASH, (2024)
George Stoffan, MUSC (2024)

2-year term, elected

Meeting Time: First Thursdays, 3–5 p.m.,
http://www.council.vcu.edu/

Stephen Alcorn, COAR, elected, tenured (2024)
Hope Ginsburg, KI, elected, tenured (2025)

Alternate:
John Freyer, PHOTO (2025)

3-year term, elected

Laura Chessin, GDES (2024)
Sonali Gulati, PHOTO (2026)
Eric Rivera DANC (2024)

Alternates:
Bohyun Yoon, CRAF (2026)
Bob Paris, KI (2026)

2-year term

Sara Reed, IDES, Fall 2026
Filipe Leitao, MUSC, Fall 2025

3-year term, appointed

Kate Roach, ARTH (2026)

3-year term, appointed

Jenny Cook, FASH (2026)

Taylor Barnett, MUSC