People

We are Data Scientists, Information Technology Specialists, Computational Scientists, Geographic Information Specialists and Digital Humanists.

Our faculty are skilled educators and productive scholars who are passionate about developing data-related pedagogy and research projects.

Our Faculty

headshot of Dr. Taylor  Arnold
Professor of Data Science and Statistics

Specialties:
  • Data Science
  • Digital Humanities
  • Linguistics
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Jennifer  Bowie
Associate Professor of Political Science

Specialties:
  • Judicial Politics
  • Judicial Decision Making
  • Federal Courts
  • Civil Rights and Liberties
  • Constitutional Law
  • American Politics
Contact:
804-484-1556
headshot of Dr. Jory  Brinkerhoff
Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Disease ecology
  • Epidemiology of vector-borne diseases
  • Host-parasite relationships
Contact:
(804) 484-1592
headshot of Dr. Cindy  Bukach
Professor of Psychology
MacEldin Trawick Professor of Psychology
Interdisciplinary Program Coordinator, Cognitive Science

Specialties:
  • Face and object recognition in cognitively intact and impaired individuals
  • Development and loss of perceptual expertise across the lifespan
  • Factors underlying the way we categorize our world
  • Racial bias and other-race effects
  • PURSUE: Preparing Undergraduates for Research in STEM Using Electrophysiology (www.pursueerp.com)
Contact:
(804) 287-6830
headshot of Dr. Emory (Ted) F. Bunn
Professor of Physics
E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in the Liberal Arts

Specialties:
  • Big Bang cosmology (theory and data analysis)
Contact:
(804) 287-6486
headshot of Professor Chris A. Cotropia
Dennis I. Belcher Professor of Law

Specialties:
  • Empirical Legal Studies
  • Intellectual Property
  • Patent Law
  • Professional Responsibility
  • Computer Law
Contact:
(804) 484 1574
headshot of Dr. Rafael O. de Sá
Professor of Biology, Emeritus

Specialties:
  • Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity
  • Phylogenetic, Systematics, and Taxonomy
  • Developmental Biology
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Kelling J. Donald
Professor of Chemistry
Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in the Natural Sciences
Associate Dean, School of Arts & Sciences

Specialties:
  • Theoretical and Computational Chemistry
Contact:
(804) 289-8418
headshot of Dr. Priscilla  Erickson
Assistant Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Evolutionary genetics and genomics
  • Quantitative genetics
  • Evolutionary developmental biology
Contact:
804-484-1591
headshot of Dr. Kristine  Grayson
Associate Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Population ecology
  • Physiological ecology
  • Conservation of amphibians and reptiles
  • Spread of invasive forest pests
Contact:
(804) 484-1623
headshot of Dr. Angie  Hilliker
Associate Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Gene Expression
  • RNA Biology
Contact:
(804) 484-1423
headshot of Dr. Miles  Johnson
Associate Professor of Chemistry

Specialties:
  • Organometallic Chemistry
  • Catalysis
Contact:
(804) 289-1775
headshot of Dr. Karen Puccia Kochel
Associate Professor of Psychology

Specialties:
  • Child and adolescent development
  • Peer and gender relationships
  • Psychological adjustment
Contact:
(804) 289-8131
headshot of Dr. Andy  McGraw
Associate Professor of Music
Ethnomusicologist
Chair, Department of Music

Specialties:
  • Southeast Asian Music
  • Music and Ethics
  • Rhythm Analysis
Contact:
(804) 287-1807
headshot of  M. Saif Mehkari
Associate Professor of Economics

Specialties:
  • Fiscal Policy
  • Business Cycles
Contact:
(804) 289-8574
headshot of  Lionel  Mew
Program Chair, Information Systems
Assistant Professor, Information Systems
Member, SPCS Speakers Bureau

Specialties:
  • Information Systems Operations & Development
  • IT Security
  • IT Auditing
  • Cloud Computing
Contact:
(804) 289-8944
headshot of Dr. Kristine  Nolin
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Interdisciplinary Program Coordinator, Data Science and Statistics

Specialties:
  • Organic Chemistry
Contact:
(804) 289-8247
headshot of Dr. Carol  Parish
Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry and Associate Provost for Academic Integration

Specialties:
  • Computational and Theoretical Physical Chemistry
Contact:
(804) 484-1548
headshot of Dr. Joonsuk
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Data Science Advisory Board Member
Cognitive Science Advisory Board Member

Specialties:
  • Data science
  • Natural language processing
  • Argumentation
Contact:
(804) 287-6549
headshot of Dr. Mariama  Rebello de Sousa Dias
Associate Professor of Physics

Specialties:
  • Electronic transport
  • Nanophotonics
  • Plasmonics
  • Design of optical-electro nanostructures
  • Optical properties of metallic and semiconductor nanostructures
  • Structure and electronic properties of semiconductor nanowires, quantum dots, hetrojunctions, and superlattices
Contact:
(804) 662-3147
headshot of Dr. Jonathan   Richardson
Assistant Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Urban ecology & evolution
  • Wildlife biology
  • Conservation genetics
  • Freshwater biology
Contact:
804-287-6628
headshot of Dr. Nicole  Sackley
Associate Professor of History and American Studies

Specialties:
  • United States and the World
  • U.S. Cultural and Intellectual History
  • History of International Development
  • History of Philanthropy
  • History of Cooperatives and Capitalism
Contact:
(804) 289-8338
headshot of Dr. Jack  Singal
Associate Professor of Physics
Pre-Engineering Advisor

Specialties:
  • Multiwavelength astrophysics analysis
  • Data challenges in large survey astrophysics
  • Studies of the diffuse radio background
  • Instrumentation methods in visible and radio wavelengths
Contact:
(804) 287-6537
headshot of Dr. Stephanie  Spera
Assistant Professor of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability
Data Science Advisory Board Member

Specialties:
  • Coupled Natural-Human Environment Systems
  • Terrestrial Remote Sensing
  • Land-Change Science
  • Regional Climate Change Modelling
  • GIS
  • Spatial Statistics
Contact:
headshot of  Shital  Thekdi
Associate Professor of Analytics & Operations
Director of Assessment and Accreditation

Specialties:
  • Risk Management, Uncertainty Analysis
  • Operations Research
Contact:
(804) 289-1763
headshot of Dr. Lauren Craig Tilton
Professor of Digital Humanities
E. Claiborne Robins Professor of Liberal Arts
Data Science Advisory Board Member

Specialties:
  • Computational/Digital Humanities
  • Visual Culture
  • Community Media
  • Politics of Representation
Contact:
headshot of Dr. Carrie  Wu
Associate Professor of Biology

Specialties:
  • Evolutionary ecology
  • Local adaptation and speciation
  • Plant population biology and genetics
  • Evolutionary genetics of invasive species
Contact:
(804) 289-8712
headshot of Dr. Melinda  Yang
Assistant Professor of Biology
Data Science Advisory Board Member

Specialties:
  • Population Genetics
  • Human Evolution
  • Computational Genetics/Bioinformatics
  • Ancient DNA-based analyses
Contact:
(804) 662-3126
headshot of  Tom  Zylkin
Associate Professor of Economics

Specialties:
  • International Trade
  • International Economics
  • Quantitative Methods
Contact:

Our Staff

headshot of  George  Flanagin
Computational Support Specialist
Contact:
(804) 287-6392
headshot of  Kyle  Jenkins
Social Sciences Librarian
Contact:
(804) 289-8262
headshot of  Carrie  Ludovico
Business Librarian
Assistant Head, Research and Instruction
Contact:
(804) 287-6647
headshot of  Paul  Rosenstein
Social Sciences Librarian
Contact:
(804) 289-8851
headshot of Dr. João F. R. Tonini
Computational Support Specialist

Specialties:
  • Phylogenetic Systematics
  • Statistical Biogeography
  • Macroevolution
Contact:
(804) 852-3280
headshot of  Beth  Zizzamia
Spatial Analysis Lab GIS Operations Manager

Specialties:
  • GIS
  • Geovisualization
  • Earth Science
  • Environmental Science
  • Field Methods
Contact:
(804) 484-1545