Around the Lake

New appointees join senior staff

When first-year students arrive at Richmond next fall, theirs will not be the only fresh faces on campus. The University recently made new appointments for a vice president for advancement, three deans and a registrar.

Several new appointees succeed longtime staff who have retired. “We searched nationwide to find the best candidates to help lead Richmond at this time,” says University President Dr. William E. Cooper. “They will be able to build on the accomplishments of their predecessors in these roles.”

Two of the appointments were promotions of individuals already working at Richmond; one returns to campus a former administrator; and two bring individuals who have excelled at other universities.

Vice president for advancement
Anne B. Kerr

Joining the University in July as vice president for advancement is Dr. Anne B. Kerr, who has been vice president for institutional advancement at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., since 1998. She assumes the senior administrative position that oversees the University’s alumni affairs, communications, development and foundation-government grants operations. Kerr succeeds D. Chris Withers, who is retiring after 32 years with the University (see article).

At Rollins Kerr led a capital campaign that raised $160 million, concluded two years early and exceeded its goal by $60 million. Prior to becoming Rollins’ vice president, she was assistant dean of the graduate school of business and assistant vice president for development.

Earlier, she was assistant dean of students at the University of Central Florida and educational analyst with the state of Florida’s Board of Regents. She holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree from Mercer University.

“Dr. Kerr offers exceptional talent and energy to lead Richmond’s advancement efforts,” says President Cooper. “She will be a great asset to the University and to the greater Richmond community.”

“The University of Richmond’s unique blend of tradition and innovation and its continued commitment to academic excellence set it apart as a leader among private universities in American higher education,” says Kerr. “I am honored to participate in the process that will blend the best of the past with the best of the present to secure the future for this institution and its alumni.”

Kerr is married to Dr. Roy Kerr, who will join the Richmond faculty to teach Spanish in the department of modern foreign languages.

Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Andrew F. Newcomb

Dr. Andrew F. Newcomb, a professor of psychology who came to Richmond in 1984, is the new dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. Acting dean during the past academic year, his appointment was effective April 15.

During his tenure at Richmond, Newcomb has compiled a distinguished record of achievement in teaching and research in his specialty of clinical psychology and childhood development. Among other honors, he was named an Outstanding Educator by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia in 1995 and a Distinguished Educator by the University in 1994. Newcomb served as chairman of the psychology department from 1992 to 2000.

“Dr. Newcomb was selected from a pool of more than 70 applicants in a vigorous national search,” says Provost June R. Aprille. “He stood out among a fine group of finalists for the qualifications, achievements, vision, experience and specific abilities that he will bring to the position.”

Newcomb received a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College, a Ph.D. in child psychology from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, and completed additional training in child clinical psychology at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. While at Richmond, Newcomb has won research grants for 17 projects; written 28 articles for scholarly journals, often with undergraduate co-authors; and authored 10 books or book chapters.

Newcomb succeeds Dr. David E. Leary, who stepped down last spring after 12 years as dean. Leary returns to teaching this fall as University Professor in the psychology department. As dean, Leary oversaw revision of the general education curriculum; led major initiatives in the arts, the natural sciences and student research; promoted international and interdisciplinary efforts; and hired more than 60 percent of the current arts and sciences faculty.

Dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies
Kenneth P. Ruscio

Dr. Kenneth P. Ruscio, professor of politics and acting associate dean at the Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics at Washington and Lee University, becomes dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies in July.

“Dr. Ruscio is an outstanding teacher-scholar,” says President Cooper, “who offers exceptional personal and professional qualities that will enable him to be a highly effective leader for our Jepson School.”

Ruscio taught American government, public policy and leadership at W&L. He recently was elected president of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society. He is the author of a book, The Leadership Dilemma in Modern Democracy, scheduled for publication in the fall.

“The Jepson School occupies a special and distinctive place in higher education,” says Ruscio. “In its short history, the school’s talented faculty have already greatly influenced the course of leadership studies, and its alumni are changing their communities and professions.”

Ruscio holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from W&L, and MPA and Ph.D. degrees from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Prior to joining the Washington and Lee faculty, Ruscio taught at Worchester Polytechnic Institute. He also served Washington and Lee as dean of freshmen and associate dean of the Williams School from 1991 to 1998.

Dean of Richmond College
Stephen D. Bisese

A former Richmond residence hall coordinator and assistant dean will be returning to the campus as the new dean of Richmond College. Dr. Stephen D. Bisese, who worked under Richard A. Mateer from 1985 to 1989, will succeed Mateer in the dean’s office July 1. Mateer is retiring after 36 years of service to the University (see article).

Currently vice president for student life and dean of students at Georgetown College in Kentucky, Bisese will have responsibility at Richmond for the men’s co-curricular and residential life.

Bisese earned a bachelor of business administration degree from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in college student personnel at the University of Tennessee. Following his tenure at Richmond, he returned to William and Mary, earning educational specialist and doctor of education degrees.

Bisese’s professional accomplishments include development of training for resident assistants and wellness-based co-curricular activities for students. He created an “early warning reporting” procedure at George-town that enables professional staff to follow up with students experiencing academic performance and attendance problems. He has been selected for six accreditation teams of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Registrar
Susan D. Breeden

Susan D. Breeden, a member of the Richmond staff for 16 years, has been appointed registrar. Breeden worked in the registrar’s office for the past six years and was acting registrar during a nationwide search to fill the position. She holds a bachelor of science degree from Virginia Tech and a master of arts degree from the University of Richmond.

Previously the associate registrar, Breeden was involved in the implementation and modification of several components of SCT BannerWeb, which is software used for student registration, access to online class rosters, Web grading and other applications. She also instituted a system of scheduling and grading noncredit courses.

Graduates hear from alumni

Speaking at the University’s 172nd commencement ceremony May 5 in the Robins Center, graduating senior Timothy P. Sullivan, JR’02, urged his classmates to join the ranks of the nation’s new heroes.

“Kindness used to be defined as rewinding a Blockbuster videotape,” he told 696 other seniors and 81 graduate students who received degrees. Now, kindness means “rushing up the stairs.” From self-absorption, Americans have united against the “most horrific enemy attack ever,” he said. “You don’t need a hose or a badge, just a heart and the courage to follow it.”

Sullivan, immediate past president of the Richmond College Student Government Association, was the first student speaker selected to address the graduates under a new policy. Rather than feature a well-known guest speaker with no connection to the University, Commencement will focus on equal billing for a student address and a message from a successful alumnus or alumna.

Melanie P. Healey, W’83, vice president-feminine care North America for Procter & Gamble, spoke as the alumni representative. “You almost always know what the ethical and moral choices should be,” she said. “Surround yourself with a few close friends who believe in what you believe in and work for the best company you can” in terms of values.

Receiving honorary degrees were Dr. Russell A. Barkley, professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; David Ting Kwok Ho, B’77, an entrepreneur in Vancouver, Canada (see article); and Marcus M. Weinstein, R’49 and a trustee, leading Richmond businessman and philanthropist.

The University awarded President’s Medals to trustees Dr. Martha Carpenter, W’51, and Lewis T. Booker, R’50. Carpenter is associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. Booker is senior counsel with Hunton & Williams and a Virginia substitute district judge, and he has served the University’s trustees three terms as rector.

Dr. Richard A. Mateer, retiring dean of Richmond College (see article), and Robert L. Burrus Jr., R’55 and rector of the Board of Trustees, received Trustees’ Distinguished Service Awards.

In separate ceremonies May 4, the School of Continuing Studies graduated its largest class ever — 105 students received certificates, associate’s or bachelor’s degrees — and the School of Law awarded diplomas to 153 students.

Graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor of liberal arts degree, Khristian A. Molchan, who works for the University police department as crime prevention officer, told his fellow SCS graduates that it took inner drive and many sacrifices to complete their journeys. “Many of those sacrifices were not ours alone,” he said, “but were made by our parents, our children, our employers.” Among the graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees was Robert B. Woodward, who began the pursuit of a college degree 50 years ago when he attended the University as a day student.

Patricia Bowman Carey, a member of the school’s adjunct faculty since 1996, received the Distinguished Faculty Award, and Fenton N. Hord, C’70, president and CEO of Carolina Holdings Inc. of Raleigh, N.C., received the SCS Distinguished Alumni Award (see article).

Addressing the law graduates was William K. Slate II, L’68, president and CEO of the American Arbitration Association, who said that integrity is the most important attribute for becoming a successful attorney. Also, “twenty-first century lawyers must be attuned to the importance of the Internet in a world now defined by global economies and an ever-expanding e-commerce transaction base.”

Dale G. Mullen told his fellow law graduates that they owe it to their country to “stand up for justice, fairness and the rule of law” in exchange for previous sacrifices of soldiers, civil rights activists, judges and attorneys. Speaking for the faculty, First Amendment scholar Rodney A. Smolla said that inside every person “there is a yearning, a hope, a desire to believe that there is justice in the world. We believe that you [law graduates] — committed to quality, humanity and justice — are the community’s hope and prize.”

Six seniors were commissioned as second lieutenants May 4 during a special ceremony. Maj. Gen. Robert T. Dail, B’75, commanding general of the Army Transportation Center at Fort Eustis in Newport News, Va., was the speaker. Returning to campus from the first ROTC class to be commissioned here was Col. John B. Phillips, B’53.

Letter from home found 45 years later

The letter to Ethel Burton was like many that Westhampton students receive from their moms: news about her sister’s impending weekend trip, her grandmother’s improving health after an illness, an A one of her younger brothers received on a school report.

What was unusual was that she received it this spring 45 years after it was delivered to the Campus Post Office.

Ethel Burton Lee, W’60, who lives in Richmond, was thrilled to get the letter originally mailed to her when she was a freshman.

What took so long? When the post office was dismantled and moved as part of the construction work on Weinstein Hall, the letter was found behind a large, heavy shelf.

Jodi Will, mail operations manager, sent the letter to Lee with a cover letter of explanation. “While it is a ‘little’ late,” Will wrote Lee, “we are sending it to you with apologies but hoping that you enjoy its ‘historical contents.’”

Lee wrote back that the delay actually made the letter more meaningful. Now a mother herself, she understood “what it feels like to have your first child go off to school, to miss a daughter, to want the best for your children and to be proud of their accomplishments.”

“On Saturday, when I read this letter from 1957 for the first time,” Lee wrote, “I heard so much more than I could have then. I have a fresh appreciation for my mother’s unwavering commitment to her children. I realize that it is her determination and courage to which I have anchored my life.”

Lee also wrote Will that her mother, Mary Burton, is now 84 and “was equally thrilled to hear that her letter had found its way to me after all these years.”

Law school ranking improves

The University of Richmond School of Law has advanced in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of law schools.

Richmond Law placed 75th out of 175 American Bar Association-accredited law schools, moving up six places from the 2001 report.

“We improved considerably in the important reputation categories,” says Dean John R. Pagan. The law school’s reputation among practitioners and judges rose from 77th to 69th.

Substantial gains also occurred in the career services area. “Our placement success rank jumped 19 places, from 91st last year to 72nd this year,” Pagan says.

“This did not happen by accident,” he says. “Our faculty deserves credit for raising our profile among academics by publishing more work in prestigious journals. Our clinicians, moot court teams and alumni deserve credit for boosting the school’s reputation among judges and lawyers through their excellent performance in courtrooms and law offices.”

The school remains in the second of four tiers. Although Richmond Law is in good company with other strong law schools, “we won’t be content until U.S. News & World Report acknowledges that we really belong in the first tier” with Virginia, William and Mary, and Washington and Lee, says Pagan.

Smolla named to Outstanding Faculty for 2002

Rodney A. Smolla, the Allen Professor of Law and a leading American scholar of the First Amendment, has been selected one of 11 winners of the 2002 Outstanding Educator Awards, the highest honor for faculty members at Virginia colleges and universities.

Presented by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the annual awards recognize excellence in teaching, research and service in any subject or discipline.

Three Richmond Law professors have won the award since its inception in 1987, more than from any other law school faculty in the commonwealth.

Smolla joined Richmond Law in 1998 and is in demand nationwide as lecturer on constitutional, First Amendment and mass media legal issues. A prolific legal scholar, he has written numerous legal treatises, law school casebooks and other publications. Smolla recently led a two-day seminar on campus about the role of the American government in the assassination of foreign terrorists.

Smolla and faculty members from 10 other institutions were selected this year from among 75 nominated.

Tenure and promotions

Faculty members receiving tenure and promotions

Dr. John G. Douglass
Professor of law

Dr. Marshall A. Geiger
Professor of accounting

Julie Laskeris
Associate professor of classical studies

Faculty members receiving tenure

Dr. Krista Fischer-Stenger
Assistant professor of biology

Faculty members receiving promotions

Dr. Terryl L. Givens
Professor of English

Dr. Dona J. Hickey
Professor of English

Dr. Richard W. Leatherman Jr.
Associate professor of human resource management

Dr. Michael F. Vineyard
Professor of physics

New appointment to endowed chair, 2002-08

Dr. Scott T. Allison
MacEldin Trawick Professorship in Psychology

Four longtime faculty retire

Four longtime faculty members retired this year and were granted emeritus status by the Board of Trustees. Their combined years of service total more than 110.

Dr. Thomas D. Giese, professor of marketing, emeritus. He joined the faculty of the Robins School of Business in 1978 and is the author of numerous articles and presentations. He served as chairman of the marketing department from 1984 to 1987, and as associate dean and director of graduate studies from 1993 to 1996.

Dr. Josephine B. McMurtry, professor of English, emerita. A faculty member for 33 years, McMurtry is known for teaching Shakespeare’s plays as works intended for the stage. She is the author of five books, one on British Victorian culture, three on Shakespeare’s plays, and one on English as an academic discipline.

Dr. John S. Rose, professor of management systems, emeritus. Joining the Robins School of Business faculty in 1977, he has been an outstanding teacher in the classroom and a productive scholar. He served as chairman of the management systems department from 1986 through 1992.

Dr. C. Ray Wingrove, R’59, professor of sociology, emeritus. He was named a University Distinguished Educator in 1981 and 1990, and he held the Irving May Chair in Human Relations from 1987 to 1999. Author of numerous journal articles and several books, he also is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa and Alpha Kappa Delta.

Mock trial team advances to nationals

A team of eight undergraduates competed in the American Mock Trial Association national tournament in April in Des Moines, Iowa. They were the first in the University’s six years of mock trial competition to win a national tournament bid.

Practice began last September, leading to the regional tournament in February at the University of Maryland, where Richmond defeated Duke and Virginia, tied George Washington and placed fourth out of 22 schools.

Captained by Erin Torrey, AW’02, the squad also won the Spirit of AMTA Award for “civility, fair play and justice.” Team member Josh Terry, AR’04, won an outstanding attorney award, and Chris Kidd, AR’05, won an outstanding witness award.

At nationals, Richmond tied Swarthmore and Miami (Ohio), but lost to Pennsylvania and South Carolina-Spartanburg, falling short of the finals. However, individual members again picked up awards. Kidd won an All-American Witness Award, placing first in the division and qualifying him for an All-American tournament round.

AMTA was formed in 1985 to give undergraduates a firsthand opportunity to learn about the work of trial attorneys. The organization sponsors regional tournaments and three levels of national competition involving a single annual case.

“Mock trial relies heavily on strategy,” says Torrey. “As a team, you try to feel out characters and determine which three witnesses would best prove each side of the case.”

Alumni create career seminar

Twenty-eight young University of Richmond alumni with careers ranging from exotic mushroom grower to advertising executive, screenwriting professor, franchise owner and military intelligence officer shared the stories of their success during “Disney, Doctors and More,” a weekend career seminar for University students held in March.

More than 100 students attended the conference, “and just as many who were unable to attend have been in contact with the speakers with specific questions,” says Kelly Gribbin, JW’02 and immediate past president of the Westhampton College Government Association, which helped to organize the seminar.

Gribbin adds that the seminar “was a ground-breaking event that helped us realize the strong network we have with our alumni, and what an outstanding resource they are to today’s students when it comes to the job search.”

“Disney, Doctors and More” was the brainchild of Deanne Koehn, W’92, production manager for animation at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif. As an undergraduate, Koehn helped to organize a similar event, where networking with two film producers led to an internship on a film that was shot in Richmond during the summer of 1991. The internship “opened my eyes to an entirely new career path and a skill set that I didn’t even realize I possessed,” Koehn says, adding that the March seminar was a way of “giving something back” to the University.

“Disney, Doctors and More” also received support from the Career Development Center, Office of Alumni Affairs, Richmond Quest and the Richmond College Student Government Association, among others. The alumni career seminar may become an annual event.

Liberal arts majors study business

Surveys show that liberal arts graduates can succeed in business.

Their odds are increased, University of Richmond officials believe, by a little core knowledge of the modern business world. They have devised a summer business boot camp for sophomores and juniors who normally study Shakespeare and Mozart instead of marketing and finance.

Richmond’s innovative Liberal Arts in Business program launches this summer with an intensive six-week, six-credit program for liberal arts and sciences students.

“Everything is business,” says the course’s instructor, Ken Newman, himself a former history major who also has an MBA and 25 years of business experience. “No matter what you do, whether you’re an airline pilot, a toll taker or an art historian, everything is an exchange of goods and services.”

A broad background, good work habits and motivation are more important than “being a fully formed business person,” Newman says.

Week one will explore Wall Street. Weeks two through five will cover accounting, marketing, economics and management. The last week will focus on business presentation skills, both written and oral.

Along the way, students will read and watch business news stories, work on team projects, interact with visiting executives and visit local companies.

Habitat chapter holds 5K run

One hundred eighty runners participated in the first Habitat for Humanity Run for Shelter 5K race on a sunny Saturday in April, raising over $3,000 toward materials to build a Habitat home in Richmond. The Run for Shelter takes the place of the Richmond Century, a 100-mile bike race around campus, as the Habitat chapter’s annual fund-raising event. For 13 years the bike race helped the chapter raise more money for Habitat than any other college or university in the country.

Helping to sponsor the run were the Richmond Road Runners Club and Henrico Doctors’ Hospital. The Habitat chapter plans to hold the race again next year, according to chapter president Neil Singh, AR’04.

Award for seminars abroad

The University’s faculty seminars abroad program has won recognition from the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit higher education exchange organization of 600 member colleges and universities.

The program won an honorable mention in the “outstanding faculty program” category of the Andrew Heiskell Awards, a national competition to honor outstanding initiatives for international learning.

Richmond’s faculty seminars take groups of up to 12 faculty members from various disciplines to a selected country or region for three weeks, where they meet academic counterparts, business and political leaders, journalists and others. Faculty use the experience to create and revise courses and develop new research projects.

Since the program began 13 years ago, 36 percent of the University’s faculty have participated. Seminar groups have traveled to 22 countries, and this year are going to Vietnam and Thailand.

Studying “Son” music in Cuba

Contrary to popular image, not all college students spend spring break partying on tropical beaches.

Five University of Richmond students, along with associate professor of jazz and trumpet Dr. Michael Davison, spent 10 days in Cuba performing and studying “Son” music. Son is the earliest Afro-Cuban music, according to Davison. Ninety percent of the music Americans refer to as salsa or Latin jazz originated in Cuba, he says.

The arranging students, three seniors and one sophomore, studied jazz and Son music during the fall and topped it off with five days in Havana and five days in Santiago this spring, thanks to funding from the University’s student research committee.

The group performed 10 times and went to classes about the music, dance, religion and culture of the island. Student Laurie Rhoads, AW’02, sponsored by the international education office, acted as translator.

The students and Davison even got to perform with Joaquin Pozo, the great-nephew of the famous Cuban conguero, Chano Pozo. Back home, the group performed at the student symposium in April an original composition “Descarga en Santiago,” which they hope to publish.

“One can compare [the students’] experience to a baseball player who finally gets on the field to learn the sport,” Davison explains. “They not only ‘got on the field’ but hit home runs in the process.”

“Cuba was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says violin player Christopher Gamblée-Wallendjack, AR’04, “maybe even greater than that.”

“It’s easy to listen to and play music. But to be a part of music — to feel its magic — is something that doesn’t happen every day.”

Davison will return to Cuba Oct. 16-23 to lead the second jazz festival ever in Santiago. He also will offer a spring break trip to Cuba for one credit every spring.

Virtual tour recognized

The University of Richmond won the Four-Star Virtual Tour Award for April from CampusTours.com, an online directory of virtual college tours.

Richmond’s virtual tour, launched in mid-January, was the brainchild of students Tom Lawrence, AR’02, and Greg Hofbauer, AR’04. They created a prototype and convinced University Web manager Bill Flowers to hire them to create it for Richmond’s Web site.

The new 360-degree virtual tour includes an interactive map, a window with panoramic views and a window with information about the particular building or location.

The virtual tour has been so successful that following graduation, Lawrence, a Bonner Scholar, is going into business creating virtual tours for other colleges and universities.

Visit Richmond’s virtual tour at: oncampus.richmond.edu/visitors/vtour/map.html

Track star Kipkorir visits

President William E. Cooper welcomed All-American distance runner Barnabas Kipkorir, R’81, when he returned to his alma mater in March. Kipkorir, a businessman in Nairobi, Kenya, came to visit his longtime friend and coach, Fred Hardy, and was recognized at a Spiders basketball game.

Kipkorir is the current Richmond indoor record-holder in the 800 meters and was part of a four-man squad that still holds Richmond’s outdoor record for the 4 x 400 relay. The team set a world’s record at the Millrose Games for the 4 x 880 relay that has never been broken.

LaRee Sugg named first women’s golf head coach

Already only one of three African-Americans to compete on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour, LaRee Pearl Sugg became the second female African-American to coach golf at the NCAA Division I Level when Richmond hired her in March as the Spiders’ inaugural women’s golf head coach. The women’s team begins play this fall.

“I can’t think of a better person to be leading our new women’s golf program,” says Director of Athletics Jim Miller. “LaRee brings great enthusiasm and experience, having competed successfully at the highest level of her sport, as an amateur and as a professional.”

A native of Petersburg, Va., Sugg learned the game from her grandfather, Dr. James Nelson, a former coach at Virginia State University. Her prolific 11-year playing career has included spending four years on the LPGA Tour as well as three seasons on the Women’s Professional Golfers European Tour. Sugg has qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open five times and for the women’s British Open four times.

At the college level, Sugg helped lead UCLA to the 1991 NCAA Women’s Title by sinking the winning putt in a sudden death playoff. She dominated the links for the Bruins while earning a degree in English literature.

In addition to her skills on the course, Sugg is the director and founder of the Golfing for Angels Charity Classic and a national spokesperson for Epochs of Courage and Champion for Kids of America Inc.

New men’s basketball coach named

Jerry Wainwright was named the University of Richmond’s 12th head men’s basketball coach in April. In eight seasons as head coach at UNC-Wilmington, the 55-year-old piloted the Seahawks to a 136-103 (.569) record and a pair of trips each to the NCAA Tournament and the National Invitation Tournament.

In addition, Wainwright directed the team to its first post-season berth, first 20-win season and first win in the NCAA Tournament, a stunning 93-89 victory over Southern Cal this past season. The Seahawks averaged nearly 17 wins per season under his tutelage and were ranked nationally in team defense.

Wainwright orchestrated one of UNC-W’s most memorable seasons in 1999-2000, when the Seahawks grabbed their first CAA championship — a 57-47 win over Richmond — and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Wainwright will take over a Spiders program that went 22-14 this past season, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NIT. Richmond returns four starters and a host of talented newcomers as it prepares to compete in its second season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Spiders finished second in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.3) and ranked 14th in NCAA statistics in scoring defense.

Wainwright arrived at UNC-W in 1994, following former Spider great Kevin Eastman, R’78 and G’89. Earlier, he spent nine years as an assistant coach at Wake Forest. Under Bob Staak and Dave Odom, he helped rebuild the Demon Deacons’ program. He broke into the college coaching ranks in 1984-85 serving a one-year stint at Xavier.

A 1968 graduate of Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wainwright earned his graduate degree from the University of Denver. He began his coaching career in the prep ranks in Denver and Chicago.

A native of Berwyn, Ill., Wainwright is married to the former Debbie Tedesco. The couple has two grown sons, Brett and Scott, and two grandchildren, Alexis and Brett.

Joining Wainwright on the bench will be Rodney Terry and former Spider standout Mike Winiecki, B’89.

Wainwright takes over for five-year head coach John Beilein, who resigned to accept the top job at West Virginia University.

Stauffer sets pitching records

Sophomore right-hander Tim Stauffer, AR’02, has been one of the key factors in leading the Richmond baseball team to a season-long national ranking and one of the highest win totals in the nation.

Through early May, the pitcher had a record of 12-2 with an earned run average of 1.60, while pitching nearly a dozen complete games. His 12 victories set a Spider single-season record and ranked him second in the nation, while his ERA placed him in the top 10 in the country.

In Atlantic 10 action alone, Stauffer helped the Spiders clinch the best conference record. At press time, Richmond bested the school record of 43 victories (1995) and hovered among the top three teams in the nation in overall winning percentage.

For his efforts, Stauffer was a four-time recipient of the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week award. In addition, he was one of the first 19 collegiate players selected to participate in the 2002 USA Baseball National Team Trials for Team USA in June in Tucson, Arizona.

Hogan inducted into Hall of Fame

Retired synchronized swimming coach Peg Hogan was inducted in May into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A nationally recognized coach, she is also a member of the U.S. Synchronized Swimming Hall of Fame and a 1998 recipient of the Lillian MacKeller Distinguished Service Award for her dedication to the sport.

During her career, she won three gold medals at the 1986 World Aquatic Games; two gold medals at the 1989 Pan-Am Masters Games; and 57 age-group gold medals in USSS Masters national championship competitions.

Hogan currently coaches the Octopi Club age-group and synchronized swimming teams. She coached the University of Richmond team from 1976 to 2000.

Tennis teams go to NCAA

The men’s and women’s tennis teams went unbeaten in conference action this spring as each won an Atlantic 10 championship in Richmond’s first year of A-10 competition. Men’s head coach Steve Gerstenfeld and women’s head coach Mark Wesselink were each named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year as they led the Spiders to the school’s second and third conference titles this season, following the swimming team’s championship in February.

All-conference performers Niki Doll, BR’04, and David Donn, AR’04, led the men as they helped Richmond to 17 wins and a 6-0 conference record. The women finished 5-0 in the Atlantic 10, outscoring their opponents by a 32-1 margin. Leading the women were three all-conference honorees: Vanessa Bagnato, BW’03; Jeannette Cluskey, AW’04; and Lindsay Cox, AW’05.

The conference titles earned each team an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The men will make their inaugural appearance, while the women return for the first time since back-to-back trips in 1997 and 1998. The women’s tennis program owns the only national title in Richmond history, as the Spiders captured the 1982 AIAW Division II national championship.

For more on athletics, see: www.RichmondSpiders.com