The VCU Office of the Provost is pleased to introduce the 2022-23 Faculty Fellows, new and continuing. Faculty Fellows were selected from a pool of qualified applicants and will work with senior leaders in developing and implementing programmatic initiatives to support VCU faculty.
Amy K. Cook, Ph.D., Faculty Fellow for the Criminal Justice Program, will assist REAL with moving toward a less bureaucratic, simplified and more responsive curricular review process. Christy Tyndall, Ph.D., Faculty Fellow for the Honors College, will work to build a sustainable model of outreach for the GEAC to create a shared understanding of VCU’s ConnectED learning goals. Jennifer Joy-Gaba, Ph.D., Faculty Fellow for the Department of Psychology, will develop resources, modules, and guides for self-paced faculty development. Christopher Reina, Ph.D., Faculty Fellow for the School of Business, will work on initiatives across the University to help further develop our organizational leaders through transformative leadership and mindfulness.
Meet each fellow below and learn more about their fellowship goals for the academic year. Learn more about the Faculty Fellows Program here.
Meet the Fellows
Amy K. Cook, Ph.D.
Associate professor, Criminal Justice Program, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
"Serving as a Faculty Fellow with REAL allows me the opportunity to witness the wide array of student-centered and transformative educational experiences offered across the university. It is evident that VCU faculty care deeply about student success. My hope is that I am able to strengthen my own teaching by enhancing and even elevating student engagement opportunities in my capstone course."
Christy Tyndall, Ph.D.
Assistant professor, Student Wellbeing Program Coordinator, Honors College
"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a Faculty Fellow in Academic Affairs supporting ConnectED assessment efforts. I embrace this as an opportunity to enhance and nurture a positive culture of assessment with VCU ConnectED stakeholders and strengthen connections with fellow faculty and administrators across VCU. I believe that assessment is a valuable tool in ensuring equity and promoting excellence in student learning experiences. The process of assessment encourages critical reflection of teaching and provides a shared language for understanding key intellectual skills our students should develop and what those skills look like across diverse disciplines. In doing so, this not only creates an environment that supports continuous improvement, but also paves the way for meaningful interdisciplinary conversations and opportunities for collaboration. This is central to student success and key institutional goals including supporting curricular innovations that align with 21st century workforce needs."
Jennifer Joy-Gaba, Ph.D.
Associate professor, Department of Psychology, College of Humanities and Sciences
"My role as a faculty fellow allows me to help create change and bring attention to challenges that many in academia are facing. As a faculty fellow, I am excited for the opportunities to work with and for my fellow colleagues. I hope that through my role that I can assist faculty in evaluating best teaching practices for their students. I also hope to support faculty as they face new challenges and technologies in an ever changing academic environment."
Christopher Reina, Ph.D.
Associate professor, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, School of Business
"My role as the Provost Leadership Fellow allows me to work on initiatives across the University to help further develop our organizational leaders. I believe leadership is a set of influence behaviors that everyone can learn and develop with deep intention and care. If we help leaders mindfully and intentionally learn and practice the skills to care for themselves and their followers, they can create environments where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. In such environments, employees' full talents and passions can be unleashed to propel the organization forward. Transformative leadership entails high levels of mindfulness, wisdom, and leading with values in order to connect deeply with and inspire others. I'm thrilled to be able to assist in building our organizational capacity for transformative leadership."
Article updated Dec. 5, 2022