VCU Alumni Stars

Throughout the worlds of art, business, education, service and health care, VCU alumni reflect the brilliance of the university. Their knowledge and experience shine in all areas of human endeavor, illuminating problems, creating solutions and strengthening the quality of our lives.

The biennial Alumni Stars awards ceremony, held Nov. 15, 2024, recognized the achievements of 14 of VCU’s most notable alumni. View photos from the event.

2024 Alumni Stars

Teresa L. Edwards (M.H.A.’84)

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	An innovative health care leader in acute care and ambulatory leadership, Teresa “Terrie” Edwards, FACHE, has long served as an advocate for improving patient outcomes. She joined Sentara in September 2008 as the president of the 250-bed Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, and is now senior vice president and regional president, overseeing the five community hospitals in Sentara’s Eastern region. Prior to joining Sentara, she was executive vice president of Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Richmond, where her accomplishments included opening a 130-bed hospital in 2005. She developed the original medical staff and led physician recruitment while achieving high patient satisfaction scores. She also held positions as associate administrator for Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond and chief operating officer for Williamsburg Community Hospital. Edwards has been a leader and role model to VCU students and future health care leaders for almost 40 years. Throughout her career, she has provided ongoing support of the College of Health Professions’ Department of Health Administration, where she has mentored and served as a preceptor to M.H.A. students. She taught a graduate class and was a member and chair of the health administration alumni advisory committee. She has received numerous professional awards, including multiple Sentara CEO awards, the American College of Healthcare Executives Regent’s Award and the VCU Health Administration Alumni of the Year Award.

An innovative health care leader in acute care and ambulatory leadership, Teresa “Terrie” Edwards, FACHE, has long served as an advocate for improving patient outcomes.

She joined Sentara in September 2008 as the president of the 250-bed Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, and is now senior vice president and regional president, overseeing the five community hospitals in Sentara’s Eastern region.

Prior to joining Sentara, she was executive vice president of Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Richmond, where her accomplishments included opening a 130-bed hospital in 2005. She developed the original medical staff and led physician recruitment while achieving high patient satisfaction scores.

She also held positions as associate administrator for Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond and chief operating officer for Williamsburg Community Hospital.

Edwards has been a leader and role model to VCU students and future health care leaders for almost 40 years. Throughout her career, she has provided ongoing support of the College of Health Professions’ Department of Health Administration, where she has mentored and served as a preceptor to M.H.A. students. She taught a graduate class and was a member and chair of the health administration alumni advisory committee.

She has received numerous professional awards, including multiple Sentara CEO awards, the American College of Healthcare Executives Regent’s Award and the VCU Health Administration Alumni of the Year Award.

Sarah P. Farrell, Ph.D., RN (Ph.D.’95)

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	Since graduating from VCU, Sarah Farrell, Ph.D., has demonstrated her commitment to transforming higher education and health care through innovation. As the first chief technology officer at the University of Virginia School of Nursing from 2005-10, Farrell implemented an elective for first-year students, “Be the Spider Not the Fly,” which won university awards for integrating literature and technology. She also won a Jefferson Trust award for providing every nursing student with an iPod. This achievement caught the attention of Apple, where she has worked since 2012 as a leadership executive, collaborating with visionary higher education leaders to transform teaching and learning in the digital environment. Throughout her career, Farrell has found innovative uses for emerging technology for screening, educating and treating mental disorders, improving mental health outcomes and developing subsequent policy and procedural implications for action. One example was a multimillion-dollar federal community support program she led for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services that resulted in more comprehensive services for people with serious mental illness who are also experiencing homelessness. She also is committed to supporting nursing excellence at VCU. In 2018, she established the Sarah P. Farrell Legacy Research Endowment that provides opportunities for support for nursing Ph.D. students in their dissertation phase or for pilot research projects by tenure-track or tenured faculty in the School of Nursing.

Since graduating from VCU, Sarah Farrell, Ph.D., has demonstrated her commitment to transforming higher education and health care through innovation.

As the first chief technology officer at the University of Virginia School of Nursing from 2005-10, Farrell implemented an elective for first-year students, “Be the Spider Not the Fly,” which won university awards for integrating literature and technology. She also won a Jefferson Trust award for providing every nursing student with an iPod. This achievement caught the attention of Apple, where she has worked since 2012 as a leadership executive, collaborating with visionary higher education leaders to transform teaching and learning in the digital environment.

Throughout her career, Farrell has found innovative uses for emerging technology for screening, educating and treating mental disorders, improving mental health outcomes and developing subsequent policy and procedural implications for action. One example was a multimillion-dollar federal community support program she led for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services that resulted in more comprehensive services for people with serious mental illness who are also experiencing homelessness.

She also is committed to supporting nursing excellence at VCU. In 2018, she established the Sarah P. Farrell Legacy Research Endowment that provides opportunities for support for nursing Ph.D. students in their dissertation phase or for pilot research projects by tenure-track or tenured faculty in the School of Nursing.

Aaron Gilchrist (B.S.’03)

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	Aaron Gilchrist is an NBC News White House correspondent, reporting across all NBC News platforms. Before joining the White House unit, Gilchrist was an anchor for NBC News NOW, NBC News’ 24/7 streaming news network. Joining NBC News in 2021 as an anchor and correspondent, Gilchrist has covered the largest breaking news stories impacting the country and the world. In addition to covering the Biden administration beginning in 2023, Gilchrist recently has been crisscrossing the country on the campaign trail covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. He’s also invested much of his time in the field covering veterans’ issues and military families, as well as housing, climate change and breaking news. Prior to joining NBC News, he was the weekday morning anchor for NBC News4 in Washington, D.C., guiding viewers through blizzards, inaugurations and many of the major events of the past decade. He reported on everything from papal visits to national political conventions to mass shootings. He spent 11 years before that as an anchor and reporter in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, at WWBT, an NBC affiliate. In that time, he covered the historic first inauguration of President Barack Obama and spent several days on the Gulf Coast reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Gilchrist is the recipient of five Emmy Awards. He graduated from VCU with a degree in mass communications, where he also has been an adjunct faculty member teaching broadcast writing and media ethics courses.

Aaron Gilchrist is an NBC News White House correspondent, reporting across all NBC News platforms. Before joining the White House unit, Gilchrist was an anchor for NBC News NOW, NBC News’ 24/7 streaming news network.

Joining NBC News in 2021 as an anchor and correspondent, Gilchrist has covered the largest breaking news stories impacting the country and the world. In addition to covering the Biden administration beginning in 2023, Gilchrist recently has been crisscrossing the country on the campaign trail covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. He’s also invested much of his time in the field covering veterans’ issues and military families, as well as housing, climate change and breaking news.

Prior to joining NBC News, he was the weekday morning anchor for NBC News4 in Washington, D.C., guiding viewers through blizzards, inaugurations and many of the major events of the past decade. He reported on everything from papal visits to national political conventions to mass shootings.

He spent 11 years before that as an anchor and reporter in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, at WWBT, an NBC affiliate. In that time, he covered the historic first inauguration of President Barack Obama and spent several days on the Gulf Coast reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Gilchrist is the recipient of five Emmy Awards. He graduated from VCU with a degree in mass communications, where he also has been an adjunct faculty member teaching broadcast writing and media ethics courses.

Lynn Hackney (B.S.’88)

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	Lynn Hackney, who graduated from VCU with a bachelor’s in economics, is a co-owner of Community Three, a real estate investment and development firm in the Washington, D.C., region. She leads the acquisition, capital and market research teams, where she leverages her 35 years of finance, development and investment experience in urban mixed-use projects. In 2008, she founded Allyson Capital, an equity investment firm; it was acquired in 2017 as the financing arm of Community Three. In 2001, she founded Urban Pace, a real estate advisory firm. She was the only woman in the D.C. area to have sole ownership of a major real estate corporation, residential or commercial. She capitalized on her firm’s success by selling in 2016; Urban Pace is now owned by Berkshire Hathaway. Her accomplishments in the real estate industry resulted in her election as president and chair of the board at the D.C. Building Industry Association in 2015, the first woman to hold the post. She currently serves on the Real Estate Round Table board and was honored for her success in the industry with the CREW annual Woman of Impact Award in 2019. Her fundraising and financial expertise landed her in roles such as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s finance campaign chair. She also serves on the boards of Johns Hopkins University and University of Miami Business School and co-chaired the 2018 annual fundraising gala for the Trust for the National Mall.

Lynn Hackney, who graduated from VCU with a bachelor’s in economics, is a co-owner of Community Three, a real estate investment and development firm in the Washington, D.C., region. She leads the acquisition, capital and market research teams, where she leverages her 35 years of finance, development and investment experience in urban mixed-use projects. In 2008, she founded Allyson Capital, an equity investment firm; it was acquired in 2017 as the financing arm of Community Three.

In 2001, she founded Urban Pace, a real estate advisory firm. She was the only woman in the D.C. area to have sole ownership of a major real estate corporation, residential or commercial. She capitalized on her firm’s success by selling in 2016; Urban Pace is now owned by Berkshire Hathaway.

Her accomplishments in the real estate industry resulted in her election as president and chair of the board at the D.C. Building Industry Association in 2015, the first woman to hold the post. She currently serves on the Real Estate Round Table board and was honored for her success in the industry with the CREW annual Woman of Impact Award in 2019.

Her fundraising and financial expertise landed her in roles such as D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s finance campaign chair. She also serves on the boards of Johns Hopkins University and University of Miami Business School and co-chaired the 2018 annual fundraising gala for the Trust for the National Mall.

M. Keith Hodges (B.S.’89)

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	Keith Hodges has dedicated his life to serving his community and advancing important policy initiatives in the Virginia General Assembly. As a pharmacist, business owner and legislator, he has made significant contributions to health care, economic development and environmental stewardship in rural coastal Virginia, where his family roots trace back to the Middle Peninsula. Born and raised in the heart of Virginia’s 68th District, Hodges returned to his hometown after completing his pharmacy degree and established West Point Cardinal Pharmacy and later Gloucester Pharmacy. His experience as an independent pharmacist has provided him with a unique perspective on health care delivery and the challenges faced by rural communities. Beyond his professional endeavors, he has been a quiet yet effective force in the Virginia General Assembly, focusing on policy to drive meaningful change. His leadership in establishing the Middle Peninsula Alliance and the Rural Coastal Virginia Economic Enhancement Authority has been instrumental in promoting economic development and addressing the unique needs of rural coastal Virginia. He has also been a vocal advocate for health care workforce solutions, environmental protection and economic enhancement in his district. His accomplishments include chairing the Counties, Cities and Towns Committee and serving on the Appropriations Committee. His role on the Health Committee has allowed him to push forward health care reforms, including efforts to address opioid addiction and improve pharmacy regulations. His work on rural coastal environmental issues, such as flood mitigation and water resource management, reflects his dedication to preserving the region’s natural beauty and ensuring its long-term sustainability. He has also served on the Joint Commission on Health Care and the State Water Commission. Hodges’ efforts have earned him numerous awards and recognitions, including accolades from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Pharmacists Association and the American Planning Association.

Keith Hodges has dedicated his life to serving his community and advancing important policy initiatives in the Virginia General Assembly. As a pharmacist, business owner and legislator, he has made significant contributions to health care, economic development and environmental stewardship in rural coastal Virginia, where his family roots trace back to the Middle Peninsula.

Born and raised in the heart of Virginia’s 68th District, Hodges returned to his hometown after completing his pharmacy degree and established West Point Cardinal Pharmacy and later Gloucester Pharmacy. His experience as an independent pharmacist has provided him with a unique perspective on health care delivery and the challenges faced by rural communities.

Beyond his professional endeavors, he has been a quiet yet effective force in the Virginia General Assembly, focusing on policy to drive meaningful change.

His leadership in establishing the Middle Peninsula Alliance and the Rural Coastal Virginia Economic Enhancement Authority has been instrumental in promoting economic development and addressing the unique needs of rural coastal Virginia. He has also been a vocal advocate for health care workforce solutions, environmental protection and economic enhancement in his district.

His accomplishments include chairing the Counties, Cities and Towns Committee and serving on the Appropriations Committee. His role on the Health Committee has allowed him to push forward health care reforms, including efforts to address opioid addiction and improve pharmacy regulations. His work on rural coastal environmental issues, such as flood mitigation and water resource management, reflects his dedication to preserving the region’s natural beauty and ensuring its long-term sustainability. He has also served on the Joint Commission on Health Care and the State Water Commission.

Hodges’ efforts have earned him numerous awards and recognitions, including accolades from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Pharmacists Association and the American Planning Association.

Kim McKnight, Ph.D., NBCT (Ph.D.’17)

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	Kim McKnight, Ph.D., has established herself as a regional and national leader through her roles as executive director of the VCU School of Education’s RTR Teacher Residency program and as director of the Center for Teacher Leadership. In these positions, she has implemented innovative approaches to teacher and school leader training by partnering with school divisions across Virginia, national education organizations, federal and state funding agencies, and her colleagues in the School of Education. Under her leadership, she has attracted more than $30 million in external funding for the RTR Teacher Residency program and has expanded it to 17 divisions in Virginia, serving urban and rural hard-to-staff schools. McKnight’s roles at VCU have spanned multiple departments and led to collaborative work with local school divisions, community organizations and state and local leaders. Most recently, she led VCU’s effort to develop a lab school partnership with CodeRVA, which benefits VCU and CodeRVA teachers and students to create a replicable model of innovation in public schools. McKnight attended the University of Virginia, where she earned her bachelor’s in sociology and master’s in elementary education. In her first year of teaching, she received the Virginia Lottery Super Teacher Award. A few years later, she earned National Board Certification as an early childhood generalist, an achievement shared by less than 4% of teachers nationwide. Most recently, McKnight was named the inaugural Anna Lou and Bob Schaberg Chair of Practice through a $1.5 million gift to establish an endowed position that supports the School of Education’s mission of meeting the urgent need for highly trained teachers in Virginia.

Kim McKnight, Ph.D., has established herself as a regional and national leader through her roles as executive director of the VCU School of Education’s RTR Teacher Residency program and as director of the Center for Teacher Leadership. In these positions, she has implemented innovative approaches to teacher and school leader training by partnering with school divisions across Virginia, national education organizations, federal and state funding agencies, and her colleagues in the School of Education.

Under her leadership, she has attracted more than $30 million in external funding for the RTR Teacher Residency program and has expanded it to 17 divisions in Virginia, serving urban and rural hard-to-staff schools.

McKnight’s roles at VCU have spanned multiple departments and led to collaborative work with local school divisions, community organizations and state and local leaders. Most recently, she led VCU’s effort to develop a lab school partnership with CodeRVA, which benefits VCU and CodeRVA teachers and students to create a replicable model of innovation in public schools.

McKnight attended the University of Virginia, where she earned her bachelor’s in sociology and master’s in elementary education. In her first year of teaching, she received the Virginia Lottery Super Teacher Award. A few years later, she earned National Board Certification as an early childhood generalist, an achievement shared by less than 4% of teachers nationwide. Most recently, McKnight was named the inaugural Anna Lou and Bob Schaberg Chair of Practice through a $1.5 million gift to establish an endowed position that supports the School of Education’s mission of meeting the urgent need for highly trained teachers in Virginia.

Sesha Joi Moon, Ph.D. (B.A.’05, M.S.’08, Cert.’09)

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	Sesha Joi Moon, Ph.D., is a globally recognized thought leader in diversity, equity and inclusion. She most notably served as chief diversity officer for 117th and 118th Congresses, directing the U.S. House Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to her congressional appointment by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Moon enjoyed a career with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where she received the Commerce Bronze Award for Superior Performance and Commerce Spirit Award. She also served as the inaugural chief diversity officer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Moon retired from the federal government after 15 years. She now serves as chief strategist for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and executive-in-residence for Rep. Stacey Abrams with American Pride Rises through her nonpartisan consultancy, Moon & Associates LLC. Moon was the first recipient of the VCU Department of African American Studies Distinguished Alumni Award and is the first Black queer woman to establish an endowed scholarship at VCU. Moon, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., was recognized by the U.N. as one of the 100 of the Most Influential People of African Descent and has served on the board of the African American Federal Executive Association and Virginia’s Criminal Justice Services Board. She was also named a 2023 Top 40 Under 40 by PBS NPR VPM’s Style Weekly and Axios named her and her sister, Enjoli Moon, as the second “Most Powerful Richmonders of 2022.” Moon also serves as executive director of the preservation nonprofit The JXN Project, a grantee of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation and Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project focused on capturing the role of Richmond’s Jackson Ward, the nation’s first historic district to be registered as a Black urban neighborhood. Moon resides in Washington, D.C., with her wife and cockapoo but hails from Richmond, as the proud daughter of Dr. Michon Moon and the late August Moon.

Sesha Joi Moon, Ph.D., is a globally recognized thought leader in diversity, equity and inclusion. She most notably served as chief diversity officer for 117th and 118th Congresses, directing the U.S. House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Prior to her congressional appointment by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Moon enjoyed a career with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, where she received the Commerce Bronze Award for Superior Performance and Commerce Spirit Award. She also served as the inaugural chief diversity officer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Moon retired from the federal government after 15 years. She now serves as chief strategist for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and executive-in-residence for Rep. Stacey Abrams with American Pride Rises through her nonpartisan consultancy, Moon & Associates LLC.

Moon was the first recipient of the VCU Department of African American Studies Distinguished Alumni Award and is the first Black queer woman to establish an endowed scholarship at VCU.

Moon, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., was recognized by the U.N. as one of the 100 of the Most Influential People of African Descent and has served on the board of the African American Federal Executive Association and Virginia’s Criminal Justice Services Board. She was also named a 2023 Top 40 Under 40 by PBS NPR VPM’s Style Weekly and Axios named her and her sister, Enjoli Moon, as the second “Most Powerful Richmonders of 2022.”

Moon also serves as executive director of the preservation nonprofit The JXN Project, a grantee of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation and Mellon Foundation’s Monuments Project focused on capturing the role of Richmond’s Jackson Ward, the nation’s first historic district to be registered as a Black urban neighborhood.

Moon resides in Washington, D.C., with her wife and cockapoo but hails from Richmond, as the proud daughter of Dr. Michon Moon and the late August Moon.

Corell Halsey Moore (M.S.’02, Ph.D.’19)

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	In 1994, Corell Halsey Moore, Ph.D., was pregnant with her fourth child when her husband, Brent Halsey Jr., passed suddenly, and she moved her family from Philadelphia to Richmond. Moore, who studied mechanical engineering at Duke University, found herself taking classes at VCU for mental stimulation; before too long, she decided to pursue her master’s degree in math. After graduating, she taught math to upper-school students at St. Catherine’s School for six years, but her VCU journey was far from over. She had taken a quantum physics class, discovered an affinity for the field and pursued her Ph.D., with a research focus on the effects of electrospinning on the absorption spectrum of the polymer MEH-PPV. Her paper, published in 2019 in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry, has been cited more than 60 times. Moore maintains a close connection to VCU, serving as a trustee on the College of Engineering Foundation board and teaching the Introduction to Engineering and Technology course in the da Vinci Center’s product innovation certificate program. She also is a member of the volunteer cabinet for VCU’s next campaign, launching in fall 2025. Moore serves on several community boards, including the Richmond and Central Virginia chapter of Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools, the First Presbyterian outreach committee, Duke Richmond alumni and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

In 1994, Corell Halsey Moore, Ph.D., was pregnant with her fourth child when her husband, Brent Halsey Jr., passed suddenly, and she moved her family from Philadelphia to Richmond. Moore, who studied mechanical engineering at Duke University, found herself taking classes at VCU for mental stimulation; before too long, she decided to pursue her master’s degree in math.

After graduating, she taught math to upper-school students at St. Catherine’s School for six years, but her VCU journey was far from over. She had taken a quantum physics class, discovered an affinity for the field and pursued her Ph.D., with a research focus on the effects of electrospinning on the absorption spectrum of the polymer MEH-PPV. Her paper, published in 2019 in Computational and Theoretical Chemistry, has been cited more than 60 times.

Moore maintains a close connection to VCU, serving as a trustee on the College of Engineering Foundation board and teaching the Introduction to Engineering and Technology course in the da Vinci Center’s product innovation certificate program. She also is a member of the volunteer cabinet for VCU’s next campaign, launching in fall 2025.

Moore serves on several community boards, including the Richmond and Central Virginia chapter of Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools, the First Presbyterian outreach committee, Duke Richmond alumni and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Charlotte Moss (B.A.’73)

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	With a career spanning more than three decades, Charlotte Moss is one of the most celebrated and respected interior designers in the industry. She has received numerous awards and two honorary doctorates. Since launching her eponymous firm in 1985, her name has become synonymous with Southern warmth and hospitality. She has designed private residences and executive suites in the U.S. and abroad, and her retail stores have received wide acclaim. Moss’ designs are heavily influenced by her travels and her love of history. She has used her experience culled throughout her career to design licensed collections with Century Furniture, Fabricut, Stark Carpet, Pickard, P.E. Guerin, Soicher Marin, IBU Clothing and more. Known for her timeless aesthetic, layered interiors and keen eye, her work is celebrated in 11 volumes, the most recent titles with Rizzoli publications: ”Charlotte Moss Flowers” and ”Home: A Celebration: Notable Voices Reflect on the Meaning of Home,” which benefits the nonprofit No Kid Hungry. Moss supports a variety of causes and sits on several boards. She is emerita trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello and serves on the boards of The Bone Marrow Foundation, The Madoo Conservancy, the International Council of Hillwood Estate and The Cherokee Garden Library.

With a career spanning more than three decades, Charlotte Moss is one of the most celebrated and respected interior designers in the industry. She has received numerous awards and two honorary doctorates.

Since launching her eponymous firm in 1985, her name has become synonymous with Southern warmth and hospitality. She has designed private residences and executive suites in the U.S. and abroad, and her retail stores have received wide acclaim.

Moss’ designs are heavily influenced by her travels and her love of history. She has used her experience culled throughout her career to design licensed collections with Century Furniture, Fabricut, Stark Carpet, Pickard, P.E. Guerin, Soicher Marin, IBU Clothing and more.

Known for her timeless aesthetic, layered interiors and keen eye, her work is celebrated in 11 volumes, the most recent titles with Rizzoli publications: ”Charlotte Moss Flowers” and ”Home: A Celebration: Notable Voices Reflect on the Meaning of Home,” which benefits the nonprofit No Kid Hungry.

Moss supports a variety of causes and sits on several boards. She is emerita trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello and serves on the boards of The Bone Marrow Foundation, The Madoo Conservancy, the International Council of Hillwood Estate and The Cherokee Garden Library.

W. Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S.’70)

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	Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S., discovered a lifelong interest in dentistry as a pediatric patient at the Medical College of Virginia, where he received much-needed treatment, made possible thanks to discounted fees. His fascination and gratitude for his treatment inspired him to pursue the profession. He followed an accelerated program at the School of Dentistry, graduating at age 25. Perkinson founded Virginia Family Dentistry in 1974, now the largest practice in the state, with 16 locations. When VCU Alumni was created in 2018 as an umbrella organization for all university alumni, Perkinson was its first president. He also served as rector and member of the VCU Board of Visitors and as vice chairman of the VCU Health System Authority Board. He has received numerous honors from VCU, including the Presidential Medallion and the MCV Dental Faculty Award. About 10 years after becoming a dentist, Perkinson took a watercolor class with his wife, Elaine, and discovered his second passion. He is an accomplished watercolorist and has used his art to raise millions of dollars for local charities throughout the Richmond and Tri-Cities area. As a philanthropist, Perkinson has supported both arts and dentistry and has been recognized through namings such as the W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr. Building at the VCU School of Dentistry and the Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education in Chester, Virginia.

Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S., discovered a lifelong interest in dentistry as a pediatric patient at the Medical College of Virginia, where he received much-needed treatment, made possible thanks to discounted fees. His fascination and gratitude for his treatment inspired him to pursue the profession. He followed an accelerated program at the School of Dentistry, graduating at age 25.

Perkinson founded Virginia Family Dentistry in 1974, now the largest practice in the state, with 16 locations.

When VCU Alumni was created in 2018 as an umbrella organization for all university alumni, Perkinson was its first president. He also served as rector and member of the VCU Board of Visitors and as vice chairman of the VCU Health System Authority Board. He has received numerous honors from VCU, including the Presidential Medallion and the MCV Dental Faculty Award.

About 10 years after becoming a dentist, Perkinson took a watercolor class with his wife, Elaine, and discovered his second passion. He is an accomplished watercolorist and has used his art to raise millions of dollars for local charities throughout the Richmond and Tri-Cities area.

As a philanthropist, Perkinson has supported both arts and dentistry and has been recognized through namings such as the W. Baxter Perkinson, Jr. Building at the VCU School of Dentistry and the Baxter Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education in Chester, Virginia.

Jacob Rowell (B.A.’09, B.A.’09)

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	Jacob Rowell is an entrepreneur, coach and leader in the Richmond fitness industry. Since 2007, he has worked with numerous organizations and businesses to create opportunities for people to improve their health and well-being. As president and founder of LiftPD, a nonprofit offering free exercise programs for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Rowell has helped LiftPD grow into a thriving organization, providing nearly 50 people with weekly exercise classes designed to slow disease progression and improve function. The organization’s annual fundraiser, the LiftPD LiftOFF, generated more than $50,000 to fund those classes for 2025. In 2007, while still a student, he founded RVA Performance Training LLC. He channeled his interests in fitness and helping others into what was then CrossFit RVA, the first CrossFit gym in Richmond. Most recently, he serves as the co-owner of Westwood Athletics, which opened in 2023, providing a unique service to the Richmond fitness community, with 24/7 access, limited membership and many amenities not offered by smaller gyms. Rowell has been coaching Olympic weightlifting since 2008. He attained the national coach ranking with USA Weightlifting in 2017 and has since helped several athletes compete at the national and international level, including National and North American Open champions.

Jacob Rowell is an entrepreneur, coach and leader in the Richmond fitness industry. Since 2007, he has worked with numerous organizations and businesses to create opportunities for people to improve their health and well-being.

As president and founder of LiftPD, a nonprofit offering free exercise programs for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Rowell has helped LiftPD grow into a thriving organization, providing nearly 50 people with weekly exercise classes designed to slow disease progression and improve function. The organization’s annual fundraiser, the LiftPD LiftOFF, generated more than $50,000 to fund those classes for 2025.

In 2007, while still a student, he founded RVA Performance Training LLC. He channeled his interests in fitness and helping others into what was then CrossFit RVA, the first CrossFit gym in Richmond. Most recently, he serves as the co-owner of Westwood Athletics, which opened in 2023, providing a unique service to the Richmond fitness community, with 24/7 access, limited membership and many amenities not offered by smaller gyms.

Rowell has been coaching Olympic weightlifting since 2008. He attained the national coach ranking with USA Weightlifting in 2017 and has since helped several athletes compete at the national and international level, including National and North American Open champions.

Christine Cratty Strange (B.F.A.’87)

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	Christine Cratty Strange is a transformative entrepreneur with a background in the hotel sales and marketing industries (she was part of the national and international launch team for W Hotels), public speaking, business coaching, breast cancer philanthropy and social media activism for women. She has always kept her passion for the arts and fashion in her career path and incorporated it into her philanthropic efforts. Her dress line, Christine’s Couture, used portions of the proceeds to help women receive free mammograms in the Atlanta area. She is also involved with VCU School of the Arts fashion students through mentoring and assisting with the annual VCU Fashion Event. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Strange created a lifestyle club called Tickled Pink Shooting Club. The not-for-profit holds clay shooting tournaments to raise funds for breast cancer survivors to go on wellness retreats through the Send Me On Vacation nonprofit. Along with her marketing experience in the hospitality industry, Strange and her husband, Tony, are partners and owners of two restaurants in Florida, The Grand Marlin Pensacola Beach and The Grand Marlin Panama City Beach. She has earned several awards from The Atlantan magazine, including Women to Watch in Atlanta 2018, The Atlantan’s Women of Power & Influence 2018 and 2021 and her most recent recognition Most Influential Women of 2023. Strange has more than 250,000 followers at @therealchristinestrange, is writing a book to help women live the life of their dreams and starting a podcast for women of all ages and stages on “simple steps for success and survival in your everyday lives.”

Christine Cratty Strange is a transformative entrepreneur with a background in the hotel sales and marketing industries (she was part of the national and international launch team for W Hotels), public speaking, business coaching, breast cancer philanthropy and social media activism for women.

She has always kept her passion for the arts and fashion in her career path and incorporated it into her philanthropic efforts. Her dress line, Christine’s Couture, used portions of the proceeds to help women receive free mammograms in the Atlanta area. She is also involved with VCU School of the Arts fashion students through mentoring and assisting with the annual VCU Fashion Event.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Strange created a lifestyle club called Tickled Pink Shooting Club. The not-for-profit holds clay shooting tournaments to raise funds for breast cancer survivors to go on wellness retreats through the Send Me On Vacation nonprofit.

Along with her marketing experience in the hospitality industry, Strange and her husband, Tony, are partners and owners of two restaurants in Florida, The Grand Marlin Pensacola Beach and The Grand Marlin Panama City Beach.

She has earned several awards from The Atlantan magazine, including Women to Watch in Atlanta 2018, The Atlantan’s Women of Power & Influence 2018 and 2021 and her most recent recognition Most Influential Women of 2023.

Strange has more than 250,000 followers at @therealchristinestrange, is writing a book to help women live the life of their dreams and starting a podcast for women of all ages and stages on “simple steps for success and survival in your everyday lives.”

Viola Vaughan-Eden, Ph.D., M.S.W., MJ (Ph.D.’03)

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	Viola Vaughan-Eden, Ph.D., M.S.W., MJ, is a professor and the Ph.D. program director with the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work at Norfolk State University. She is also president and CEO of UP For Champions, a nonprofit in partnership with The UP Institute, a think tank for upstream solutions for child abuse. As a forensic and licensed clinical social worker, she has conducted more than 2,500 child abuse evaluations and provided expert testimony more than 650 times. As an educator, she has led national and international training on child welfare to multidisciplinary groups of professionals. Vaughan-Eden serves on several national boards and committees, including the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children and the National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment. She is president emerita of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, president emerita of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence and past president of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work. Additionally, she served as a panelist on two congressional briefings: 2015 Spare the Rod, Protect the Child: A Reconsideration of Corporal Punishment of Children in Homes and Schools, and the 2016 Protecting Child Safety in Family Court. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters on child maltreatment and violence prevention. She was also co-editor of the 2012 and 2023 APSAC Practice Guidelines on Forensic Interviewing of Children and one of the editors-in-chief of the six-volume 2022 NPEIV Handbook on Interpersonal Violence. As a distinguished leader in child welfare and social work, she has been honored with numerous awards and recognition for her contributions to the field, including lifetime achievement awards from the National Association of Social Workers - Virginia Chapter and the National Organization of Forensic Social Work.

Viola Vaughan-Eden, Ph.D., M.S.W., MJ, is a professor and the Ph.D. program director with the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work at Norfolk State University. She is also president and CEO of UP For Champions, a nonprofit in partnership with The UP Institute, a think tank for upstream solutions for child abuse. As a forensic and licensed clinical social worker, she has conducted more than 2,500 child abuse evaluations and provided expert testimony more than 650 times. As an educator, she has led national and international training on child welfare to multidisciplinary groups of professionals.

Vaughan-Eden serves on several national boards and committees, including the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children and the National Initiative to End Corporal Punishment. She is president emerita of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, president emerita of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence and past president of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work.

Additionally, she served as a panelist on two congressional briefings: 2015 Spare the Rod, Protect the Child: A Reconsideration of Corporal Punishment of Children in Homes and Schools, and the 2016 Protecting Child Safety in Family Court. She has authored numerous articles and book chapters on child maltreatment and violence prevention. She was also co-editor of the 2012 and 2023 APSAC Practice Guidelines on Forensic Interviewing of Children and one of the editors-in-chief of the six-volume 2022 NPEIV Handbook on Interpersonal Violence.

As a distinguished leader in child welfare and social work, she has been honored with numerous awards and recognition for her contributions to the field, including lifetime achievement awards from the National Association of Social Workers - Virginia Chapter and the National Organization of Forensic Social Work.

George W. Vetrovec, M.D. (H.S.’74, H.S.’76)

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	George W. Vetrovec, M.D., has long been a rallying figure for the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center. He served as chairman of the VCU Division of Cardiology from 1991 to 2009 and led two fundraising campaigns that secured more than $16 million, including the first gift from the Pauley Family Foundation. The VCU Heart Center became the Pauley Heart Center in 2006 and one of the few named major heart centers in the nation. In recognition of his efforts, he received the first W. Robert Irby, M.D., Award, presented to a faculty member who has assisted with major fundraising efforts, from the MCV Foundation and was awarded the 2010 Distinguished Service Award. In 2013, through the support of a grateful patient, the George W. Vetrovec Chair, which supports the research efforts of the Pauley Heart Center chair, was established in his honor. He also was the first recipient of the Martha M. and Harold W. Kimmerling, M.D., Chair in Cardiology. A prolific scholar, Vetrovec has contributed more than 500 articles and abstracts and has written two books and 23 book chapters about cardiovascular medicine. He also has educated and inspired countless cardiac professionals through presentations and seminars in hundreds of venues across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia. Vetrovec retired from clinical practice in 2015, but continues as a professor emeritus, and serves on the Pauley Heart Center external advisory board, the MCV Physicians board and as an emeritus member on the MCV Foundation board.

George W. Vetrovec, M.D., has long been a rallying figure for the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center. He served as chairman of the VCU Division of Cardiology from 1991 to 2009 and led two fundraising campaigns that secured more than $16 million, including the first gift from the Pauley Family Foundation. The VCU Heart Center became the Pauley Heart Center in 2006 and one of the few named major heart centers in the nation.

In recognition of his efforts, he received the first W. Robert Irby, M.D., Award, presented to a faculty member who has assisted with major fundraising efforts, from the MCV Foundation and was awarded the 2010 Distinguished Service Award. In 2013, through the support of a grateful patient, the George W. Vetrovec Chair, which supports the research efforts of the Pauley Heart Center chair, was established in his honor. He also was the first recipient of the Martha M. and Harold W. Kimmerling, M.D., Chair in Cardiology.

A prolific scholar, Vetrovec has contributed more than 500 articles and abstracts and has written two books and 23 book chapters about cardiovascular medicine. He also has educated and inspired countless cardiac professionals through presentations and seminars in hundreds of venues across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Vetrovec retired from clinical practice in 2015, but continues as a professor emeritus, and serves on the Pauley Heart Center external advisory board, the MCV Physicians board and as an emeritus member on the MCV Foundation board.

Past honorees

2022: Danny T.K. Avula, M.D., M.P.H. (M.D.’04, H.S.’07)
Curtis Brown (Cert.’09, M.A.’11)
Gregory F. Domson, M.D., FAOA, FAAOS (H.S.’05, M.Ed.’14)
Eric S. Edwards, M.D., Ph.D. (B.S.’02, Ph.D.’11, M.D.’13)
Karen Elizabeth Kimsey (M.S.W.’96, Cert.’96)
Zach McCluskey (B.S.’02, M.H.A.’07)
Victor Humberto Narro (B.A.’87)
Jerry “Jay” Sharpe (B.F.A.’90)
Marilyn Tavenner (B.S.’83, M.H.A.’89, H.L.D.’07)
Niti Vanee, Ph.D. (M.S.’09, Ph.D.’13)
Tom W. Vines (B.S.’79)
Allen H. “Trey” White III, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’98)
Michael D. Whitlow (B.S.’74)
Rhonda Williams (A.S.’68)
Emily Yeatts (B.A.’09, B.A.’09, Cert.’09, M.S.W.’12, M.P.H.’12, Cert.’12)

2019: Randy Adams, D.D.S. (Cert.’80)
Jeffrey Blount (B.S.’81)
Julia Cain (B.S.’01) and Nicholas Cain (B.S.’01)
Ricardo Capilla (B.S.’99, M.B.A.’00)
Rosalyn Dance (M.P.A.’94)
Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D. (B.S.’75)
Charles Larry Horne, FASID (B.F.A.’69)
Lauren Kern (M.Envs.’13, M.T.’15)
Ali Khan, M.D., MPP, FACP (B.S.’05, M.D.’10)
Jeanine Harper Maruca (B.S.W.’86, M.S.W.’93)
Nancy McFarlane (B.S.’80)
Cindy Munro, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’92, Cert.’97)
Thomas Porter, M.D. (H.S.’87, H.S.’91)
Rodney Robinson (M.Ed.’11)
DaNika Neblett Robinson, Ed.D. (B.A.’11, Cert.’14, M.P.A.’15, Ed.D.’18)
Fred Sammons (Cert.’55)

2017: Judith B. Collins, RN, WHNP, BC, FAAN (Cert.’75)
Anne M. Cooper-Chen, Ph.D. (M.S.’79)
Fahad Saif Harhara, Ph.D. (B.S.’00)
Emerson Hughes (B.M.E.’65)
Jess N. Judy (M.H.A.’77)
Gerald M. “Jerry” Kluft, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’73)
Harvey B. Morgan (B.S.’55)
Robert W. “Bob” Peay (M.S.W.’74)
Elizabeth Prom-Wormley, Ph.D. (M.P.H.’99, Ph.D.’07)
Eduardo D. Rodriguez, M.D., D.D.S. (M.D.’99)
Amy T. Rose, M.D., FACS (B.S.’90)
Anna Lou Schaberg (B.S.’66, M.Ed.’70)
Linda M. Warren (B.S.’75)
Gregory H. Wingfield (B.S.’75, M.U.R.P.’76)
Peter Zucker, Ph.D. (M.S.’81, Ph.D.’84)

2015: Wilsie S. Bishop, D.P.A. (B.S.’70, M.S.’78)
Thomas J. Dorsey (B.S.’75)
Jean-Venable R. Goode, Pharm.D. (B.S.’89, Pharm.D.’94)
Grace E. Harris, Ph.D. (M.S.W.’60)
Barbara L. Hartung (B.A.’72)
Michael T. Gamel-McCormick, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’95)
Norma S. Kenyon, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’87)
Keith T. Parker (B.A.’90, M.U.R.P.’93)
Del. Todd E. Pillion, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’01)
Sterling W. Thomas, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’10)
Minh Q. Tran, M.D. (B.S.’92, M.D.’96)
Bradley T. Trevillian (B.S.’06)
Jonathan W. Waybright (B.A.’90)
Katherine Wintsch (M.S.’01)
Morgan E. Yacoe (B.F.A.’11)
Christine S. Zambricki, D.N.A.P. (D.N.A.P.’12)

2013: Angela Bacskocky (B.F.A.’09)
Joseph F. Damico (M.P.A.’97)
S. Dallas Dance (M.Ed.’02, Ph.D.’07)
Raymond A. Dionne, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’80)
Josephine L. Hargis (B.S.’55)
Stephen S. Harms (M.S.W.’82)
Sainath R. Iyer (B.S.’10, B.A.’12)
Arthur W. Layne (B.S.’72, M.H.A.’76)
Susan M. Learned (Pharm.D.’97, Ph.D.’97)
Tonya Mallory (B.S.’88, M.S.’90)
Oscar L. Martin Jr., Ph.D. (Ph.D.’09)
Julian C. Metts Jr., D.D.S. (D.D.S.’63)
Jesse E. Vaughan (B.S.’80)
Jane G. Watkins (B.S.’75)

2011

Edmond F. Bowden, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’82)
Glenn A. Davis (B.S.’86)
Tara Donovan (M.F.A.’99)
Dale Christina Kalkofen (M.A.E.’76)
Panelpha “Penny” Kyler (B.S.’72)
Debra E. Lyon, Ph.D. (B.S.’84, M.S.’94, Cert.’96, Ph.D.’97)
Paul D. McWhinney (B.S.W.’74, M.S.W.’79)
Jonathon C. Roberts (B.S.’79)
Jason T. Roe (B.S.’00)
Ronald L. Tankersley, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’68)
Tadataka “Tachi” Yamada (H.S.’74)