2020 Promotion and Tenure Celebration
Additional messages from leadership
It is with great pride that we welcome and congratulate the 179 Virginia Commonwealth University faculty members who were awarded promotion and/or tenure in 2020. Today we celebrate your academic and career accomplishments, your service to the university and community and your unparalleled dedication to the success of our students. Your innovation, scholarship, collaboration and integrity is central to VCU’s goals and accomplishments as a premier urban, public research university.
Thank you for your continued commitment to VCU. We are honored that you have chosen to advance your career with us.
President, VCU and VCU Health System
Provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
Senior vice president for health sciences and CEO, VCU Health System
Promoted/tenured faculty by unit
Select a unit below to see faculty members who received promotion and/or tenure in 2020.
Eyuphan Bulut, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Kostadin Damevski, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Ibrahim Guven, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Nastassja Lewinski, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
René Olivares-Navarrete, Ph.D., D.D.S.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Weining Wang, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Vamsi Yadavalli, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Hong Zhao, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Joshua T. Andrzejewski, M.Div.
Promoted to assistant professor
Lauretta Cathers, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Melissa Jamerson, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Kristina Anthony, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Sierra Beecher, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Alison Breland, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Scott Breuninger, Ph.D.
Awarded tenured
Andrew Bristow
Promoted to assistant professor
Kirk Brown, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Kim Case, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Victor Chen, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Caroline Cobb, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Jody Cox
Promoted to assistant professor
T. Ashton Cropp, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Joseph Dzierzewski, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Joshua Eckhardt, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Adam Ewing, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Joseph Flenner, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Sarah Golding, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Jesse Goldstein, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Zachary Goodell, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Kathleen Graber, M.F.A.
Promoted to professor
Mignonne Guy, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Mason Hester
Promoted to assistant professor
Colleen Higgins, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Ching-Yu Huang, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Marcel Jennings
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Jared Keeley, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Karen Kester, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Susan Kirk
Promoted to assistant professor
Jim Lee
Promoted to assistant professor
Jennifer Malat, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Karen McIntyre Hopkinson, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Barbara C. Merk, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Vivian Medina-Messner
Promoted to assistant professor
Patricia Michelsen-King
Promoted to assistant professor
Andrew Murphy, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Jennifer Olson, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Michelle Peace, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Amy Rector, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Jan Rychtar, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Matthew Scott
Promoted to assistant professor
Baneshwar Singh, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Tricia Smith, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Katharine Tibbetts, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Sarah Williams, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Carolina Yáber, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Linda Zyzniewski, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Kathryn Howell, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Amir Berbić, M.F.A.
Awarded tenure
A. Blair Clemo, M.F.A.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Sandy Goldie, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Susanna Klein, M.M.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Pamela Harris Lawton, Ed.D.C.T.A., M.F.A.
Promoted to professor and tenured
Orla McHardy, M.F.A.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
T. Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Elizabeth Baker, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Pamela Burch
Promoted to assistant professor
Paolo Catasti, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Caleb Cox, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Marisa Guida, M.F.A.
Promoted to assistant professor
John P. Lightle, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Jay Markiewicz
Promoted to assistant professor
Caroline Carrico, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Renfeng Li, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Garry Myers, D.D.S.
Promoted to associate professor
Sonali Rathore, D.D.S
Promoted to associate professor
Tiffany Williams, D.D.S., M.S.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Gypsy M. Denzine, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Luciana de Oliveira, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Carol Schall, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Kurt Stemhagen, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Antonio Abbate, Ph.D., M.D.
Promoted to professor
Jennifer Accardo, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Rahul J. Anand, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Jean Bailey, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Samuel Bartle, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Jill Bettinger, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Hem Bhardwaj, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Sosipatros Boikos, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Vikram Brar, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Frances Casey, M.D., M.P.H.
Promoted to associate professor
Tahnee Causey, M.S.
Promoted to assistant professor
Nauman Chaudary, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Ilvy Cotterell, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Heather Creswick
Promoted to assistant professor
Kirk Cumpston, D.O.
Promoted to professor
Swadesh Das, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Harinder Dhindsa, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Deborah DiazGranados, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Mikhail Dozmorov, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Alexis C. Edwards, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Luni Emdad, Ph.D., M.B.B.S.
Promoted to associate professor
Venkata Feeser, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Michael John Feldman, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Robert Findling, M.D.
Awarded tenure
Robin Foster, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Rachel Gannaway, M.S., LCGC
Promoted to assistant professor
Adam Garber, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Ron Gartenhaus, M.D.
Awarded tenure
Nancy Gee, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Aaron Goldberg, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Javier Gonzalez-Maeso, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Chunqing Guo, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Marieka Helou, M.D., M.P.H.
Promoted to associate professor
Nancy Hsu, Psy.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Suyun Huang, Ph.D., M.D.
Awarded tenure
Niraj Kalore, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Le Kang, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Joseph Khoury, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Fatoumata Kromah, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Dhiren Kumar, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Richard Kunz, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Guan-Hua Lai, M.D., Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Joe Landry, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Susan Lanni, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Stefan Leichtle, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Qinglian Liu, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Kelly Lockeman, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Scott Matherly, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Laura Mathies, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Stéphanie B. Mayer, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Kandace McGuire, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Sarah Milton, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Eugenio Monasterio, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Jaime E. Moore, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Russell Moores, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Paul Murphy, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Nirvik Pal, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Sammy Pedram, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Liya Qiao, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Jennifer Rhodes, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Dennis J. Rivet II, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Cynthia Rolston, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Fadi Salloum, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Nastassia Savage, Ph.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Patricia Sime, M.D., FRCP
Awarded tenure
Michael Stevens, M.D.
Promoted to professor
Mark Subler, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Maria Thomson, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Cory Trankle, M.D.
Promoted to assistant professor
Josephina Vossen, Ph.D., M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Victor Yazbeck, M.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Hua Zhao, Ph.D.
Awarded tenure
Mary Falk, M.S.N.
Promoted to assistant professor
Lyons Hardy
Promoted to assistant professor
Terry Jones, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and awarded tenure
Phillip M. Gerk, Ph.D., Pharm. D.
Promoted to professor
Matthew Halquist, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Mary Peace McRae, Ph.D., Pharm. D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Shelby McDonald, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor and tenured
Nicole L. O-Pries, LCSW
Promoted to associate professor
Michael Abelson, M.A.
Promoted to associate professor
Tara Bray, M.F.A.
Promoted to associate professor
Julianne Guillard, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Melissa Johnson, Ph.D., M.F.A.
Promoted to professor
Andrew Marx, J.D., Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Erica Brody
Promoted to assistant professor
Roy Brown, M.L.I.S.
Promoted to associate professor
Erin Carrillo
Promoted to assistant professor
Rachel Koenig, M.L.S.
Promoted to assistant professor
Tim Siegel, M.S.L.S.
Promoted to assistant professor
Lesley Bulluck, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
Jennifer Ciminelli, M.S.
Promoted to assistant professor
William Shuart
Promoted to assistant professor
Arif Sikder, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor
James R. Vonesh, Ph.D.
Promoted to professor
Sadia Mir, M.F.A.
Promoted to associate professor
Jesse Ulmer, Ph.D.
Promoted to associate professor