University of Richmond faculty garner national honors for research and teaching excellence
University News
From interdisciplinary research to hands-on student mentorship, University of Richmond faculty are recognized nationally for their teaching, scholarship, and student collaboration.
Chemistry professor Julie Pollock recently received the 2025 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The award supports outstanding early-career faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions and includes $75,000 to advance Pollock’s research in collaboration with undergraduate students over the next five years.
Pollock leads a research program at the intersection of chemistry and biology focused on combating disease. Her lab investigates critical challenges in drug discovery, disease detection, and disease management, with the long-term goal of developing new treatments for conditions such as cancer, inflammation, and antibiotic resistance.
“Collaborating with students in my lab is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Pollock said. “I’m grateful for this support from the Dreyfus Foundation, which will allow us to continue our important research.”
Health studies professor Nigel James received the 2025 American Public Health Association Cancer Forum Global Health Award
Health studies professor Nigel James received the 2025 American Public Health Association Cancer Forum Global Health Award for research focused on improving breast cancer screening in low- and middle-income countries. His project, “Transforming Detection: Assessing the Impact of Task Shifting in Nurse-Led Breast Cancer Screening in Rural Ghana,” earned the highest honor in the global health category.
James and three researchers presented their work at the APHA Annual Meeting & Expo in early November, highlighting how training nurses to perform breast cancer screening can expand access in rural areas where traditional screening services are limited.
“It’s wonderful to bring additional attention to the need for breast cancer and other preventative screenings in countries like Ghana, where socioeconomic and development challenges create health system constraints and barriers to affordable screening and treatment services,” James said. “This award is especially meaningful as my students supported this research.”
Additional faculty who received recent major recognitions for research or teaching excellence include:
Saif Mehkari, an economics professor in the Robins School of Business, received the 2025 Harris Award for Excellence in Instructional Technology from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. The award honors one faculty member for innovative and impactful use of technology in undergraduate teaching. Mehkari was recognized for his work in expanding educational technology at Richmond, including the development of SpiderAI, a campus-wide app offering free access to multiple generative AI platforms.
Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, was awarded a $70,000 Undergraduate Research Grant from the American Chemical Society to support a three-year project with undergraduate students. Leopold’s team is investigating how sulfur-containing molecules found in heavy crude oil interact with porous materials such as gold and glass.
Kurt Beals, a professor of German studies and humanities fellow in literary translation, was awarded a fellowship from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts for his work in German literary translation. Beals will spend his residency working on a new English translation of the Frankfurt Lectures by Austrian writer and poet Ingeborg Bachmann, one of the most influential German-language authors of the 20th century.