Features - University of Richmond Magazine

A photo of professor Jonathan Richardson and Natural Areas Steward Joseph Day collecting water samples in Little Westham Creek on the University of Richmond campus. The are wearing waders and kneeling in the water with a sample bottle. The creek surrounded with summer foliage.

Research

From boundary to living laboratory: University of Richmond’s Westhampton Lake

Students and faculty are using a defining feature of campus to conduct environmental research and advance campus sustainability.

Two students sit in Adirondack chairs by the lake working on laptops.

Well-being

Getting outside despite your 9-to-5 job can improve your mental health

Here’s how to spend time in nature during and around working hours, according to a professor who studies urban landscapes.

A photo of a large sailboat on the ocean.

LIVES OF PURPOSE

How the South Pacific helped a Spider alum find new direction

An all-women research voyage to study plastics polluting the ocean became a catalyst for personal possibility for 2012 alum Lauren Hokenson.

A collage centering the number 25, ringed by photos of various Spider athletes from sports including women's soccer, men's lacrosse, women's basketball, women's swimming, men's golf, and men's basketball.

Athletics

25 great Spider moments in the Atlantic 10

We look back on some favorite highlights as the University of Richmond celebrates its 25th year in the A-10.

A group of dancers in white dresses on a black backdrop.

Arts

More than a performance

Extended time with guest artists offers students a meaningful opportunity for engagement with the arts, creativity, and possibility.

A photo of Ibrahim Alkaseer on campus at the gazebo with Westhampton Lake, and the commons in the background.

Academic Excellence

Home, in theory and practice

Ibrahim Alkaseer, ’26, is Richmond’s newest Rhodes Scholar. His academic interest in migration is deeply interwoven with his personal story.

A grey hairless cat on a black background.

Computer Science

AI’s vision problem

AI doesn’t ‘see’ the way that you do, and that can be a problem when it categorizes objects and scenes, writes University of Richmond professor Arryn Robbins.

Club sports players cheer during a game.

Student Life

‘Spiders on three!’

Weeks before graduation, senior Sophia Demerath left it all on the field with UR’s club soccer team as it took on VCU.

Athletics

The art of the crossover

Richmond soccer player Marisa Snee steps off the pitch to test her skills in sports where a foot (almost) never touches a ball.

A collage featuring 6 different University of Richmond faculty.

Academic Excellence

Generative AI is raising new questions for liberal arts education.

Here’s how the University of Richmond is helping lead the quest for answers.

Career Preparation

As students, these Spiders were first responders.

Four 2015 alumni share how their time with UR’s Emergency Medical Services helped prepare them for becoming the doctors they are today.

Civic Dialogue

I knocked on hundreds of doors last summer. Here’s what I learned.

Interning with a campaign gave senior Sophia Demerath practical experience with listening and finding common ground.