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
Robyn Diehl McDougle
Associate Dean of Research and Outreach and Associate 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
Franklin Wallace
Director of Human Resources and Operations
Expertise
- Political science and public policy
- Public management and finance
- Community engagement and nonprofit management
Stevan Dozier
Director of Development
Expertise
- Donor-centric fundraising
- Building strategic partnerships
- Program implementation
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David Slipher
Director of Communications and External Relations
Expertise
- Communications Planning
- Strategic Brand Identity
- Photography and Visual Design
Nicholas Garcia
Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising
Expertise
- Academic and leadership development
- Diversity, inclusivity, and equity in community enrichment
- Higher education and university policy
Denia Lee-Hing
Director of Graduate Student Services and Advising
Expertise
- Developmental advising for adult learners
- Student retention
- Program evaluation
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
Paula Otto
Senior Director of Special Projects
Expertise
- Ethics
- Leadership
- Communications strategy
Susan White
Director of Administration, Center for Public Policy
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
Sarin Adhikari
Research economist
Expertise
- Regional economic development
- Metropolitan governance
- Formal modeling and GIS
Jay Albanese
Professor
Expertise
- Organized crime and corruption
- Professional ethics
- Transnational crime
Jose Alcaine
Adjunct faculty
Expertise
- Higher education policy
- University administration and leadership
- Research enterprise and administration
Kristine Artello
Associate professor
Expertise
- Youth, crime and mental health
- Law, crime and governmental legitimacy
- Crime, public narrative and policy
Randy Barrack
Instructor
Expertise
- Nonprofit and public financial management
- Advocacy
- Nonprofit governance, law and leadership
Mark Bittner, AICP
Instructor
Expertise
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Land use and infrastructure planning
- Transportation planning
Blythe A. B. Balestrieri
Associate professor, assistant chair - Criminal Justice Program
Expertise
- Art and antiquities theft
- Inmate litigation and inmates' right of court access
- Correctional law and jail management
Sarah Jane Brubaker
Professor, director of the certificate in gender violence intervention
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
Associate professor, chair - Criminal Justice programs
Expertise
- Substance use among criminal justice populations
- Juvenile Justice
- Service learning opportunities for students
Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn
Associate Professor, Director - Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute (GEHLI) and Interim Director - Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE)
Expertise
Jim Ellis
Director, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory
Expertise
- Survey research methods
- Public opinion about K-12 education
- Employee and organizational surveys
Lindsey Evans
Assistant Professor
Expertise
David John Farmer
Professor emeritus
Expertise
-
Governance, theory and practice
Nicholas "Nick" Garcia
Director of Undergraduate Academic Advising
Expertise
- Academic and leadership development
- Diversity, inclusivity, and equity in community enrichment
- Higher education and university policy
Susan Gooden
Dean and professor
Expertise
- Social equity
- Program evaluation
- Research methods
Jill Gordon
Professor
Expertise
- Corrections
- Correction officer culture and climate
- Safety in prison - correctional staff perspective; evaluation research
Stephen Gottfredson
Provost emeritus and university professor
Expertise
- Behavioral prediction
- Criminal justice decision-making
- Higher education policy and practice
Meghan Gough
Associate professor
Expertise
- Plan-making
- Civic engagement and collective impact
- Sustainable communities
Bryan C. Green
Instructor
Expertise
- Historic preservation
- Adaptive reuse
- Architectural history
Elsie Harper-Anderson
Associate professor, director of the Ph.D. program
Expertise
- Economic development, workforce development, entrepreneurship, social and economic equity
Brittany 'Brie' Haupt
Brittany 'Brie' Haupt is an assistant professor at the VCU Wilder School.
Expertise
- Emergency management
- Cultural competence & crisis communication
- Competency-based education
Kathryn Howell
Associate professor and co-director of the RVA Eviction Lab
Expertise
- Affordable housing
- Community development
- Gentrification
RVA Eviction Lab website: https://rampages.us/rvaevictionlab/
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
Kim Hunter
Project director
Expertise
- Data management and technical assistance
- Quality assurance
- Database design and testing
Chelsea Jeffries, AICP
Instructor
Expertise
- Historic preservation planning
- Economic development
- Urban design
James Keck
Associate professor
Expertise
- Emergency preparedness
- Emergency operations planning
- Continuity of operations planning
Brittany Keegan
Director of Research and Outreach, Center for Public Policy
Expertise
- Nonprofit organizations
- Gender-based violence prevention/intervention
- Qualitative research methods
Saltanat Liebert
Associate professor
Expertise
- Immigration policy
- Civil service reform
- Comparative public administration
Hans Louis-Charles
Assistant professor
Expertise
- Emergency Management
- Collective Behavior in Disaster
- Disaster Recovery
Patrick Lowery
Assistant professor
Expertise
- Race, social stratification, and public policy
- Juvenile justice and the troubled teen industry
- Criminological theory and socio-legal studies
Michael MacKenzie
Research associate
Expertise
- Housing policy and analysis
- Neighborhood revitalization
- Data analysis and visualization
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 Associate Professor
Expertise
- Police community relations
- Violent crime and program evaluation
Tara McGee, J.D.
Instructor
Expertise
- Administrative law
- Local government administration
- Public speaking
Mary Moore
Senior Research Director, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory
Expertise
- Public policy
- Survey research
- Program evaluation
Nancy A. Morris
Associate professor
Expertise
- Developmental criminology
- Cross-national study of crime, violence and terrorism
- Crime prevention and policing at places
Maureen Moslow-Benway
Assistant professor, program chair - Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
Expertise
- Terrorism and counterterrorism
- U.S. intelligence community
- Human trafficking
Yali Pang
Senior Research Associate, Research Institute for Social Equity (RISE)
Expertise
Lesa Paylor
Consultant
Expertise
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
Candace Price-Stafford
Senior project manager
Expertise
Sarah Raskin
Assistant professor
Expertise
Jennifer Reid
Director of Evaluation, Survey and Evaluation Research Laboratory
Expertise
- Program evaluation
- Survey research methods
- Project management
Scott Reiner
Instructor
Expertise
- Evidence-based practices in criminal justice
- Juvenile justice
- Systems of care for behavioral health
Grant Rissler
Affiliate faculty
Expertise
- Immigration policy
- Education policy
- Social Equity
Avrum Shriar
Distinguished Career Professor
Expertise
- Environmental Policy and Planning
- Rural Planning and Development
- International Development
James Smither
Assistant professor
Expertise
- Urban design theory
- Urban design practice
- Urban design skills
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
- Social-Ecological Systems (SES)
- Urban informality, Urban ecology, Water and Waste Management
- Mixed Methods Research
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
Christopher Whyte
Assistant 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
Benjamin Young
Assistant Professor, Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness Program
Expertise
- North Korean history and politics
- U.S-East Asia relations
- Global History of Socialism and Communism
Gina Barber
Consulting associate
Expertise
Tina Braden
Human resources and building manager
Expertise
- Human resources
- Payroll
- Facilities management
Justine Coleman
Program and Administrative Assistant
Collin Cox
Administrative coordinator, Office of Research and Outreach
Expertise
Catherine Crump
USSA Academic Advisor
Expertise
Tivoli Dabney
Executive Assistant to Governor Wilder
Expertise
Sherida E. Davis-Bryan
Business trainer & consultant
Expertise
- Facilitation
- Organizational Development
- Training
Mandy Fowler
Business development liaison
Expertise
- Creative and marketing communications
- Project management
- Event planning
David Hayter
Interim Executive Assistant to the Dean
Katherine Huynh
Events and messaging strategist
Expertise
- Events management & communication
- Vendor negotiations & promotional items
- Event marketing & sponsorship
Adrienne K. Jones
Assistant Director of Student Services
Expertise
- Student success programming
- Student development and engagement
- Success coaching
Leona Jones
Administrative assistant/travel coordinator
Expertise
- Travel coordination
- Purchasing
- Accounting
Ross Losapio
Recruitment coordinator
Expertise
- Student recruitment
- Event coordination
- Communications
Erin McGhee
Senior Academic Adviser
Expertise
- Holistic student-focused advising
- University policies and procedures
- Course planning
Tiffany Murray-Robertson
Associate Director of Communications & External Relations
Expertise
- Content creation
- Strategic communications
- Project management
Larisa Noren
Finance technician
Expertise
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
Danielle Shutt
Finance officer
Expertise
- Financial management & accounting
- Grant finance management
- Fiscal policy
Matthew R. Smith
Academic Advisor
Expertise
Nicolette LeBlanc Zbell
Academic Advisor
Expertise
Jill Scharling
Senior Academic Advisor
Expertise
- Student-focused advisement, staff training and problem solving
- Diverse popluation experience
- Higher education and university policy
Wheeler Wood
Consultant, Performance Management Group
Expertise
Rachel B. Zeeve
Development and Alumni Relations Coordinator
Expertise
Emily Avesian
Expertise
- Cultural Sectors
- Workforce Development / Human Resource Development
- Economic Development
Leslie "Les" Carter
Expertise
- Utility Regulation
- Data and Statistics
- Strategic Planning
Nick Devlin
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
Amidu Kalokoh
Expertise
- Economic Development
- Illicit Economies
- Natural Resource Governance
- Politics
- Security
Christine McDaniel
Bachelor of Arts, English Language and Literature, University of Virginia Master of Product Innovation, Virginia Commonwealth University
Expertise
- Information Technology
- Product Management
- Product Innovation
Corey Miles
B.A., Political Science; Hampden-Sydney College M.P.A.; Old Dominion University
Expertise
- U.S. Soft Power
- International Development
- Organizational Structure
Michael O'Grady
Expertise
- Development Economics
- Health Economics
- Quantitative Modeling
- GIS Analysis
- Program Evaluation
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Mona Siddiqui
B.A., Foreign Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences; Juris Doctor, University of Maryland School of Law
Expertise
- Social Equity
- Migration
- Constitutional Law
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
B.S., Anthropology; Virginia Commonwealth University, M.Envs. Environmental Studies; Virginia Commonwealth University, GIS; Virginia Commonwealth University, CRA; Research Administrators Certificate Council (RACC)
Expertise
- Contaminants of Emerging Concern
- Environmental Justice
- Risk Communication
