Michael Dickinson, Ph.D. (History), was awarded the Paul E. Lovejoy Prize for his monograph, “Almost Dead: Slavery and Social Rebirth in the Black Urban Atlantic, 1680-1807.” The Paul E. Lovejoy Prize (from the Journal of Global Slavery) is awarded for outstanding scholarly work in the field of slavery studies.

Kim Case, Ph.D. (Psychology), received the 2024 Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, an award that recognizes psychology educators who promote and prioritize DEI values through teaching and mentoring. Case was also named a fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, a career award for substantial influence on the field that is awarded to APS members who have made sustained outstanding contributions to the science of psychology in the areas of research, teaching, service and/or application.

Cecelia Valrie, Ph.D. (Psychology), was recognized by the National Institutes of Health’s HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Initiative with the Award for Interdisciplinary Collaboration, which recognizes HEAL-funded researchers who bridge relationships across fields of science, resulting in transdisciplinary, cutting-edge and idea-generating research. The award honors her 20 years of interdisciplinary research at the intersection of psychology, developmental science, health care and, most recently, mathematics and engineering.

Patricia Cummins, Ph.D. (World Studies), published “Navigating Virtual Worlds and the Metaverse for Enhanced E-Learning” with Nadia Chafiq, Khalil Shehadeh Al-Qatawneh and Imane El Imadi. The book is a volume in IGI Global’s Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design (AETID) Book Series.

Sally Hunnicutt, Ph.D. (Chemistry), was awarded the POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) Impact Award. This award is bestowed on individuals or teams of individuals who have achieved extraordinary outcomes related to this student-centered, group-learning instructional strategy and philosophy.

Karen McIntyre Hopkinson, Ph.D. (Robertson), published “Press Freedom and the (Crooked) Path Toward Democracy: Lessons From Journalists in East Africa” which reports on press freedom in three countries – Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

Caddie Alford, Ph.D. (English), published “Entitled Opinions: Doxa after Digitality,” which offers a rhetorical theory of opinions, especially as opinions operate within social media, through the lens of the ancient Greek concept of doxa.

Jessica Hendry Nelson (English), published “Joy Rides Through the Tunnel of Grief.” This collection of linked essays details her father’s death from alcohol use disorder, her brother’s substance use disorder and the startling revelation that her partner of 15 years didn’t want children. It won the 2023 AWP Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction.

SJ Sindu, Ph.D. (English), published “The Goth House Experiment,” a collection of short stories that explores the search for connections in an increasingly isolated world. The book received The Story Prize Spotlight Award, given to an outstanding story collection that merits further attention.

Nicholas Frankel, Ph.D. (English), was named a 2024 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellow in support of his upcoming book about the diverse career of 19th-century polymath William Morris.

Heather Jones, Ph.D. (Psychology), was named the 2024 recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Diversity by the Society of Pediatric Psychology. The award honors a pediatric psychologist who promotes understanding and respect for diversity in research, policy or practice within their field.

Cristina Stanciu, Ph.D. (English), director of VCU’s Humanities Research Center, was elected to the advisory board of the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes. The international forum strengthens humanities centers through advocacy, grant-making and inclusive collaboration. She was also named a Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies for 2023-24.

Richard Bargdill, Ph.D. (Psychology), published “A Dreamer’s Thought Book: Intriguing Ideas about the Dreaming Process,” which shares 30 years’ worth of observations about the function of dreams based on the ideas contained in Bargdill’s dream journals.

Suzanne Ruder, Ph.D. (Chemistry), won the 2023 James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry given by the American Chemical Society. She received the award for her work on the National Science Foundation-funded Enhancing Learning by Improving Process Skills in STEM (ELIPSS) Project, which focuses on the identification, development and assessment of process skills in undergraduate STEM classrooms.