People
Want to get in touch, but not sure who to contact?
Browse our directory to discover our team’s focus areas. You can also call our main line at (804) 828-2292 or email wilderschool@vcu.edu.
Team Directory
Susan Gooden
Wilder School Dean and Professor
Expertise
- Social equity
- Program evaluation
- Research methods
RaJade M. Berry-James
Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs and Professor
Expertise
-Social Equity
-Research Methods and Analysis
-Program Evaluation and Assessment
-Accreditation
Robyn Diehl McDougle
Associate Dean of Research and Outreach and Professor
Expertise
- Police community relations
- Violent crime and program evaluation
Shajuana Isom-Payne
Assistant Dean of Student Success
Expertise
- Cultural competency and multicultural counseling
- Professional identity development
- Self-efficacy and women in leadership
Nakeina Douglas-Glenn
Director, Research Institute for Social Equity
Stevan Dozier
Senior Director of Development
Expertise
- Donor-centric fundraising
- Building strategic partnerships
- Program implementation
Ross Losapio
Director of Recruitment
Expertise
- Student recruitment
- Event coordination
- Communications
WIlliam H. "Bill" Leighty
Senior Strategic Advisor
Expertise
- Policy formulation and analysis
- Performance management
- Strategic planning
Timothy M. O'Dell
Interim Director of Finance and Administration
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David Slipher
Director of Communications and External Relations
Expertise
- Communications Planning
- Strategic Brand Identity
- Photography and Visual Design
Steph Vennetti
Director of Academic Advising and Student Services
Expertise
-Major and career exploration
-Retaining at-risk and underrepresented student populations
-Person-centered and solution-focused counseling
Franklin Wallace
Director of Human Resources and Operations
Expertise
- Political science and public policy
- Public management and finance
- Community engagement and nonprofit management
Susan White
Director of Research Services
Expertise
- Organizational culture and change management
- Project management
- Research methods
John Accordino
Professor
Expertise
- Commercial and neighborhood revitalization methods
- Impacts of community revitalization policies
- Comparative (U.S. and European) urban revitalization policies
Jay Albanese
Professor
Expertise
- Organized crime
- Professional ethics
- Transnational crime
- Corruption
Jose Alcaine
Adjunct faculty
Expertise
- Higher education policy
- University administration and leadership
- Research enterprise and administration
Randy Barrack
Instructor
Expertise
- Nonprofit and public financial management
- Advocacy
- Nonprofit governance, law and leadership
Blythe A. B. Balestrieri
Associate professor
Expertise
- Art and antiquities theft
- Inmate litigation and inmates' right of court access
- Correctional law and jail management
RaJade M. Berry-James
Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs and Professor
Expertise
-Social Equity
-Program Evaluation
-Research Methods
-Assessment and Accreditation
Mark Bittner, AICP
Instructor
Expertise
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Land use and infrastructure planning
- Transportation planning
Sarah Jane Brubaker
Professor, Director of the Certificate in Gender Violence Intervention, Assistant Chair, Criminal Justice programs
Expertise
- Sexual and domestic violence
- Race, gender and class in criminal and juvenile justice
- Intersectionality
Xueming (Jimmy) Chen
Professor, program chair - Urban and Regional Studies and Planning program
Expertise
- Transportation planning
- Transportation modeling
- Geographic information system
Hayley Cleary
Associate professor
Expertise
- Police interrogation of juveniles
- Adolescent development in legal contexts
- Juvenile justice policy and practice
Amy Cook
Acting Assistant Dean of Student Services and Associate Professor
Expertise
- Substance use among criminal justice populations
- Juvenile Justice
- Experiential learning opportunities for students
Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn
Director - Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE), Associate Professor
Expertise
Lindsey Evans
Assistant Professor
Expertise
David John Farmer
Professor emeritus
Expertise
-
Governance, theory and practice
Susan Gooden
Dean and professor
Expertise
- Social equity
- Program evaluation
- Research methods
Jill Gordon
Affiliate Faculty and Former Professor
Expertise
- Corrections
- Correction officer culture and climate
- Safety in prison - correctional staff perspective; evaluation research
Meghan Gough
Associate professor
Expertise
-Civic engagement
-Sustainable community development
-Equitable planning processes
Elsie Harper-Anderson
Associate professor, director of the Ph.D. program
Expertise
- Economic development, workforce development, entrepreneurship, social and economic equity
Brittany 'Brie' Haupt
Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the Public Policy and Administration doctoral program
Expertise
- Emergency management
- Cultural competence & crisis communication
- Competency-based education
Richard Huff
Associate professor, assistant chair - Master of Public Administration program
Expertise
- Government reform and transparency
- Military policy issues and social/governing impacts
- Organizational theory and behavior
Myung Hun Jin
Associate professor, chair - Master of Public Administration program
Expertise
- Public sector innovation
- Human resource management
- Health behaviors and management
- Environmental behaviors and policy
- Citizen engagement
Brittany Keegan
Director of Research and Outreach, Center for Public Policy and Assistant Professor
Expertise
- Nonprofit organizations
- Gender-based violence prevention/intervention
- Qualitative research methods
Brad Lehmann
Instructor
Expertise
-Law Enforcement Operations
-Ethical Decision-Making Systems
-Education, Curriculum, Culture, and Care
-Ethics of Care
-Justice Systems and Community Relationships
Saltanat Liebert
Associate professor
Expertise
- Immigration policy
- Civil service reform
- Comparative public administration
Hans Louis-Charles
Associate professor
Expertise
- Emergency Management
- Collective Behavior in Disaster
- Disaster Recovery
Patrick Lowery
Associate professor
Expertise
- Race, social stratification, and public policy
- Juvenile justice and the troubled teen industry
- Criminological theory and socio-legal studies
Christina Mancini
Associate professor, criminal justice graduate coordinator
Expertise
- Criminal justice policy
- Sexual victimization
- Campus crime, sexual assault and law
Robyn Diehl McDougle
Associate Dean of Research and Outreach and Professor
Expertise
- Police community relations
- Violent crime and program evaluation
Mary Moore
Senior Field Research Director, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory
Expertise
- Public policy
- Survey research
- Program evaluation
Nancy A. Morris
Associate professor, Program Chair, Criminal Justice
Expertise
- Developmental criminology
- Cross-national study of crime, violence and terrorism
- Crime prevention and policing at places
Maureen Moslow-Benway
Associate professor, program chair - Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Expertise
- Terrorism and counterterrorism
- U.S. intelligence community
- Human trafficking
Luisa Nazareno
Assistant Professor
Expertise
-Labor markets
-Future of work
-Social protection, equity, and inequality
-Urban studies
William Pelfrey Jr.
Professor
Expertise
- Policing
- Terrorism prevention
- Spatial analysis of crime
Damian Pitt
Associate professor
Expertise
- Solar energy policy and planning
- Climate action planning
- Collaborative environmental planning
Sarah Raskin
Associate professor
Expertise
- Oral health equity, dental safety net, and dental workforce
- Cultural humility
- Qualitative, ethnographic, mixed methods, and community engaged research
Jennifer Reid
Director of Evaluation, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory
Expertise
- Program evaluation
- Survey research methods
- Project management
Grant Rissler
Affiliate faculty
Expertise
- Immigration policy
- Education policy
- Social Equity
Charity Scott
Assistant Professor
Expertise
-K12 education policy and management
-Racial/social equity
-Community self-determination
-Governance
Avrum Shriar
Distinguished Career Professor
Expertise
- Environmental Policy and Planning
- Rural Planning and Development
- International Development
James Smither
Associate professor
Expertise
- Urban design theory
- Urban design practice
- Urban design skills
Anthony Starke
Assistant Professor
Expertise
-Social equity and policy narratives
-Intersectionality and the social construction of identity
-Theories of governance and epistemologies of racial inequality
-Community engagement in higher education
I-Shian (Ivan) Suen
Associate professor
Expertise
- Land use planning
- Planning support systems
- Applications of geospatial technologies for data analysis and visualization
Shruti Syal
Assistant Professor
Expertise
-Systems Research (SES, CAS, SNA)
-Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH)
-Urban informality
-Urban ecology
Benjamin Teresa
Associate professor and co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab, assistant chair - Urban and Regional Studies and Planning program
Expertise
- Real estate development and finance
- Community development and organizing
- Urban political economy
Niraj Verma
Professor
Expertise
- Urban planning
- Institutional analysis
- Public management
David Webber
Associate professor, homeland security and emergency preparedness assistant chair
Expertise
- Psychology of violent extremism
- Radicalization and deradicalization
- Motivation
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Christopher Whyte
Associate professor
Expertise
- Interstate cyber conflict and non-state cyber operations
- U.S. cybersecurity policymaking
- Risk analysis and forecasting methods
Nelson Wikstrom
Professor emeritus
Expertise
- Vertical and horizontal intergovernmental relations
- Government and politics of metropolitan areas
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L. Douglas Wilder
Distinguished professor
Expertise
- Virginia law
- Government and public affairs
- Social justice
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Blue Wooldridge
Distinguished Career Professor and Professor Emeritus
Expertise
- State and local government finance
- Public and nonprofit financial management
- Social equity and workforce diversity
Chernoh Wurie
Assistant professor
Expertise
- Police recruitment and requirements
- Perceptions of police officers
- Crime scene identification, processing and analysis
- Cultural diversity and inclusion in policing
- History and current practices of policing
Wenli Yan
Associate professor
Expertise
- State and local government finance
- Public and nonprofit financial management
- Regional economic development
Gina Barber
Director of Administration and Senior Consultant, Center for Public Policy
Expertise
Noah Bateman
Research Administrator, Survey and Evaluation Research Lab
Expertise
-Data Analysis and Visualization
-Research and Policy Analysis
-Leadership and Coordination
Tina Braden
Human resources and building manager
Expertise
- Human resources
- Payroll
- Facilities management
Jason Burkett
Senior Research Analyst, Center for Public Policy
Expertise
-Government Consulting
-Research Design
-Economic Impact Analysis
Bradford Bryant
Grant Manager
Justine Coleman
Program Assistant
Collin Cox
Administrative coordinator, Office of Research and Outreach
Expertise
Pam Cox
Senior Special Projects & Communications Manager and Executive Assistant, Distinguished Faculty
Expertise
- Strategic Communications
- Media Relations
- Brand Marketing
Catherine Crump
USSA Academic Advisor
Expertise
Tivoli Dabney
Executive Assistant, Research Institute for Social Equity
Expertise
Daniel Davis
Research Support Specialist, Performance Management Group
Expertise
-Survey Design
-Applied Research Methods
Sherida Haughton
Business trainer & consultant
Expertise
- Facilitation
- Organizational Development
- Training
Chelsie Dunn, Ph.D.
Senior Research Associate, Research Institute for Social Equity
Expertise
-Intersectionality
-Health and Race Equity
-Research Methods and Analysis
-Program and Evaluation and Facilitation
Mandy Fowler
Business development liaison
Expertise
- Creative and marketing communications
- Project management
- Event planning
Vickisha Harris
Assistant Director, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute
Expertise
Kim Hunter
Project director
Expertise
- Data management and technical assistance
- Quality assurance
- Database design and testing
Katherine Huynh
Senior events manager
Expertise
- Events management & communication
- Vendor negotiations & promotional items
- Event marketing & sponsorship
Sarah Jackson
Consultant and Facilitator, Performance Management Group
Expertise
-Organizational Assessment
-Policy Analysis and Evaluation
-Leadership Development
Leona Jones
Administrative assistant/travel coordinator
Expertise
- Travel coordination
- Purchasing
- Accounting
Ron Jones
Event and Administrative Support Coordinator, Performance Management Group
Expertise
Cydney Lowenstein
Research Support Specialist, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory
Tammy Martin
Senior Program Assistant
Angela McGrath
Business Manager, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute
Erin McGhee
Assistant Director
Expertise
- Holistic student-focused advising
- University policies and procedures
- Course planning
Karen Meister
Training Facilitator, Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute
Expertise
- Facilitation
- Leadership Development
- Instructional Design
Tiffany Murray-Robertson
Associate Director of Communications & External Relations
Expertise
- Content creation
- Strategic communications
- Project management
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Yali Pang
Senior Research Associate, Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE)
Expertise
Luke Parker, MPA
Assistant Director of Research Services
Expertise
-Public policy analysis
-Proposal writing and budget development
Carolyn Patterson
Procurement officer
Expertise
- Purchasing for services, equipment, stationery and other goods
Frank Pitchford
IT analyst
Expertise
- Technology support services
- Customer service
- Technology deployment
Catherine Poarch
SERL Production Supervisor
Candace Price-Stafford
Senior project manager
Expertise
Kai Rogers
Office Assistant, Undergraduate Student Services and Advising Office
Expertise
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Sah Ara Sanu-t
Executive Assistant to the Dean
Expertise
Danielle Shutt
Program Manager, Center for Public Policy
Expertise
- Financial management & accounting
- Grant finance management
- Fiscal policy
Jess C. Smith
Project Director, Evaluation of the Virginia Violent Crime Initiative, Center for Public Policy
Expertise
- Mixed Methods Research
- School Safety
- K-12 Threat Assessment
- Violent Crime
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Matthew R. Smith
Senior Academic Advisor for Graduate Students
Expertise
Rhonda Snead
Student Services Program Assistant
Expertise
Alexandra Stewart-Jonte
Project Administrator, Survey and Research Laboratory
Deborah Taminger
Event Coordinator and Support Specialist, Performance Management Group
Expertise
-Event Planning and Program Management
-Office Management
-Organization and Communication
Wheeler Wood
Director of Operations and Senior Consultant
Expertise
Gina Abena Amedeka
Master’s Degree in Communications, Bachelor’s Degree in Development Management
Victor Amuzu
Master of Public Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University; MSc. International Relations, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Sociology and Religions, University of Ghana/St. Peter’s Regional Seminary
Shannon Arnette
Master of Science degree in Gerontology, Virginia Commonwealth University
Expertise
-Gerontological Studies
-Abuse in Later Life
-Workforce Development/Policy & Procedure Quality Improvements
Emily Avesian
M., Virginia Commonwealth University, M.P.A., M.M. Arizona State University, Virginia Commonwealth University
Expertise
- Cultural Sectors
- Workforce Development / Human Resource Development
- Economic Development
Leslie "Les" Carter
B.S., Construction Management, Brunel University, London, UK MPM University of Maryland, College Park MD MBA University of Maryland, College Park MD
Expertise
- Utility Regulation
- Data and Statistics
- Strategic Planning
Bentley Chan
Expertise
- Local Government Management
- Water/Wastewater/Solid Waste Engineering
- Strategic Policy Planning and Implementation
Sidi Cheng
Master’s degree in Public Policy, University of Michigan Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a minor in Business, The Ohio State University
Lilian Chineme-Ugwu
Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Enugu State University of Science and Technology
Amy Clifton-Mills
M.S. in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University; B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology, Old Dominion University
Keandra Davis
Master of Public Administration from Florida State University; Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies, University of Florida
Expertise
-Housing Equity
-Environmental Hazards
-Climate Adaptation
-Economic Mobility
-Emergency Management
Nick Devlin
M.S. Criminal Justice and Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness; VCU Wilder School B.A.Sociology with a Criminology Concentration and Anthropology Minor from Christopher Newport University
Expertise
-Mental Health Intersectionality
-Drug Policy and Reform
-Technological Inequality
Joseph Faulk
B.A., Political Science; Brigham Young University M.P.A.; Texas State University
Expertise
- Anti-terrorism Policy Development
- Compliance and Enforcement
Kathryn J. Genthon
B.A., Psychology; the College of William and Mary M.S., Criminal Justice; Virginia Commonwealth University
Expertise
- State Courts
- Problem-Solving Courts
- Rural Access to Justice
Grady Hart
Master's in Public Administration, Bachelor's in International Affairs and Political Science, James Madison University
Laura Herrmann
Master’s degree in biology and Graduate Certificate in Public Management, Virginia Commonwealth University; Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, University of Virginia,
Zehra Sahin Ilkorkor
Master of International Affairs with Economics and Political Development concentration, Columbia University; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bilkent University, Turkiye
Amidu Kalokoh
MSc. in Security Strategic and Development Studies and BSc. Honors in Peace and Conflict Studies, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone; Master of International Studies, North Carolina State University
Expertise
-Homeland security and emergency management
-Illicit market and economic development
-Governance
-Program evaluation
Arnold "Chip" Kramer
Master’s degree in Public Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University; Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University
James Lambert
Master's degree in Real Estate and Master's degree in Finance, Virginia Commonwealth University
Kapria Lee
Master of Public Administration and Master of Social Work, Florida State University; Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture, University of Maryland
Ricardo Lopez
Master's of Business Administration and Bachelor's degree in Economics, The College of William and Mary
Monali Mal
MS in Global Studies and International Relations, Northeastern University; Undergraduate and Graduate Studies in Economics, India
James "Jay" McConville
Master's of Science in Strategic Intelligence, The Defense Intelligence College; Bachelor's of Arts, George Mason University
Corey Miles
B.A., Political Science; Hampden-Sydney College M.P.A.; Old Dominion University
Expertise
- U.S. Soft Power
- International Development
- Organizational Structure
Heather Millar
Master's of Business Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University; Bachelor's degree, Randolph-Macon College
Karimjon Mullaboev
Ph.D. in Engineering, Seoul National University, Korea
Expertise
-Tech Management, Economics, and Public Policy Analysis
-Industrial Engineering in Product Innovation, Marketing and Demand
-Engineering Education and Curriculum Development
-Market Analysis for Effective Policymaking in Central Asia
Corey Nolan
Expertise
-Public-Private Partnerships
-Fair Housing Act Compliance
-GIS Analysis
Michael O'Grady
Graduate Certificate in Economic Policy Analysis and M.P.P., Advanced Policy Analysis, American University; B.S., Psychology, Longwood University
Expertise
-Development Economics
-Housing Policy
-Quantitative and GIS Modeling
-Program Evaluation
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Michael Rutz
Master of Science in Sociology and Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Gender Violence Intervention, Virginia Commonwealth University; B.S. in Psychology and Criminal Justice, James Madison University
Nancy Kent Smith
Master’s degree, Robertson School of Media and Culture, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Political Science and Media, Virginia Commonwealth University
Meagan Sok
B.S., Biology; Arizona State University M.P.H.; George Washington University
Expertise
- Health Literacy
- Health Disparities
- Fetal-Maternal Health Issues
Mary Strawderman
M.Envs. Environmental Studies and B.S., Anthropology, Virginia Commonwealth University, GIS; Virginia Commonwealth University, CRA; Research Administrators Certificate Council
Expertise
- Contaminants of Emerging Concern
- Environmental Justice
- Risk Communication
Anila Smriti Surin
Expertise
-Architecture and tenureship in urban areas
-Orientation of Ethnic villages in urban areas
-Tenancy Laws and urban development strategies.
-Vernacular architecture
-Sustainable transportation planning
Christine Wengloski
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Richmond; Master of Social Work and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Gender Violence Intervention, Virginia Commonwealth University
Isaac Yeboah
Master of Public Administration, Regent University; Master of Science in Industrial Finance and Investment, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology; Bachelor of Art in Integrated Business, University for Development Studies
Ashley Zehrt
Bachelor's of Science in International Social Justice Studies, Minors in Nonprofit Management & Administration, General Business, and Italian; Virginia Commonwealth University
