VCU news

Sept. 14, 2004

Virginia Commonwealth University will welcome faculty and honor four distinguished professors in the areas of teaching, scholarship, service and overall excellence during Convocation 2004.

Held annually since 1982, the ceremony will take place Thursday, Sept. 23 at the Medical Sciences Building, 1217 E. Marshall St. There will be a reception for the honorees at 4:30 p.m. and the ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m.

This year’s honorees include:

Dr. Judy Richardson, School of Education
University Award of Excellence
“It’s easier to take an eraser to a blueprint than a pickax to a foundation,” says Dr. Judy Richardson, quoting Frank Lloyd Wright, whose words have inspired her for years.

“I try to have a plan from the start,” she says. “If I ever say no to something, it’s because I’ve looked and seen that I can’t contribute in a meaningful way. But once I say I can, then I will do it, and I’ll make sure I have a plan so that it’s done well.”

Throughout her more than 25-year career as a professor of teaching and learning in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education, Dr. Richardson certainly has “done well.” Considered a leading expert in the field of literacy education, she is the author of three books and more than 60 articles in refereed journals. She is highly sought after as a presenter, and in Virginia alone has contributed to more than 500 workshops, presentations and consultations. She also has received numerous grant awards, including a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that is designed to address the teaching shortage in the field of English as a second language.

At the core of Dr. Richardson’s teaching philosophy is a desire to reach more students and a belief that educators can accomplish this by broadening their approach. “The tendency is to teach to the middle,” she says, “and to assume that everyone comes from the same kind of background that we came from. My mission and my message are that we have to look at multiple texts, multiple tools and a variety of individuals, and make sure our instruction is individualized to the greatest extent possible.”

As co-author of a major reading textbook (now in its fifth edition), Dr. Richardson extends her message to countless teachers across the country. The three-stage reading format she espouses in the text has been widely accepted by educators, and as one colleague notes, “most professional [reading] conferences today highlight these three stages.”

Her well-earned respect as a scholar has won her the admiration of many, but what sets her apart is her willingness to go where few professors dare to go. The most cited example involves a semester in which Dr. Richardson — in an effort to test a number of instructional theories — took a sabbatical from VCU and taught English literature at Patrick Henry High School in Hanover County. Colleagues on both sides were impressed.

“Dr. Richardson is a professional who is not content simply to theorize about what constitutes quality instruction,” says Lisa Malloy, a lead teacher specialist for Hanover County schools. “Instead, she is one who puts research and theory into practice — and who allows herself to be vulnerable in the process.”

Dr. Lois A. Bader of Michigan State University also applauds Dr. Richardson’s decision, calling her a “model for all of us striving to improve public schools.” She adds, “The experience has informed her writing and given her exceptional credibility.”

Dr. Richardson also is on the cutting edge in terms of her use of technology in the classroom. Where many are content to learn just enough to get by, Dr. Richardson has taken it upon herself to learn as much as she can. She has not only designed and taught several of her own online courses, she also instructs others through workshops. “She is an excellent advocate for nontechnologically inclined faculty members,” says Dr. Phyllis Self, vice provost for academic technology. “Her special strength … is to translate the geek-speak into a language that the average faculty member can understand and use.” In 2001 Academic Technology recognized her by awarding her a certificate of achievement — the VCU Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology.

When it comes to discussing her many accomplishments, Dr. Richardson is quick to give credit to her colleagues and what they have built together over the years. She notes with pride the School of Education’s recent ranking in U.S. News & World Report.

“After many years of effort, we’ve been successful in promoting the image of who we are,” she says. “We have a very strong and talented faculty with a tremendous commitment to the educational community around us, our urban community, our state and our nation. We really deserved for that to show up on the national screen.”

While Dr. Richardson is thrilled with the national recognition, what gives her the greatest pleasure is knowing that she has made a difference in the lives of her students. Pointing to a recent workshop she led in Chesterfield County, she recalls, “What I found so rewarding is having so many teachers come up to me and say, ‘You don’t remember me but I took your class 10 years ago or 15 years ago and here’s what I’m doing,’ or ‘I’ve taken your workshops in the past and I’m back for more.’ It gives me a great deal of pleasure because it means that maybe I have reached some of the people I wanted to reach and done some of the things that I wanted to do.”

Dr. Charles Bleick, School of the Arts
Distinguished Service Award
“Art has to be about something,” says Dr. Charles Bleick, professor of art education. “It’s not just about color or a pretty picture — it needs to be about who we are as human beings.” It is this basic idea that guides Dr. Bleick in his work and motivates him in his roles as professor, administrator, artist and advocate for the arts.

Since beginning his career at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1976, Dr. Bleick has established a strong reputation for his dedication to the field of art education. Insisting that art is much more than paint on a canvas, he has repeatedly demonstrated its power to enhance nearly every aspect of our lives, often in unexpected ways. The past 28 years of work and service in this area have earned him the respect of an immensely diverse community.

To further his efforts, Dr. Bleick has worn a number of hats both locally and nationally. An active member since 1973 of the National Art Education Association — the premier organization for primary and secondary art education in the country — he has served as a member of its board of directors and has held a variety of positions including national convention program coordinator and national division director for the NAEA Museum Education Division.

On the state level, he is equally engaged. Dr. Richard Toscan, dean of the School of the Arts, considers Dr. Bleick “an integral part of the evolution of art education in Virginia.” As former president of both the Virginia Art Education Association and the Virginia Alliance for the Arts, he has been a major influence in the field. In 1985, the Virginia Art Education Association recognized him for his contributions by naming him Art Educator of the Year.

Dr. Bleick’s service to Richmond and the VCU community has been, as one colleague writes, “nothing less than phenomenal.” The list of local organizations he has worked with is extensive, and his accomplishments in this area include projects ranging from community revitalization to in-depth research on new teaching methodologies.

One such project in the Blackwell community has involved Dr. Bleick for the last five years. As part of a HOPE VI grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Bleick has worked with the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority to assist with the community’s physical transformation through the Blackwell Summer Arts Program.

Valena Dixon, communication director for RRHA, says that without his “leadership, continuing commitment to the vision for the Blackwell community and knowledge about art and design, the program would not have been possible.”

For Dr. Bleick, the success of the program is measured by the way it has empowered the children who live there, helping them to “understand what is happening in their neighborhood and allowing them to play a part in the new direction of their community.” Thanks in large part to Dr. Bleick’s dedication, the project has been recognized by HUD as a model university/community partnership and was featured in a national conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Bleick also has given his time and expertise as a member of the Partners in Arts Governance Committee, a program of the Arts Council of Richmond, which serves kindergarten through 12th-grade students and teachers in the metro-Richmond area. Dr. Bleick has been working with the Arts Council on a research project involving several departments at VCU and the University of Richmond. The study, which is one of the most extensive in the country, explores the impact of arts-integrated teaching methodologies on the academic and behavioral performance of students.

“Of course, there is a great value to art education in and of itself,” says Dr. Bleick. “But we hope to demonstrate that when the arts are integrated across the curriculum, students also will show evidence of a better understanding of other core subjects, not only through improved test scores, but other measures as well.”

Dr. Bleick gives credit to the university administration for supporting his service endeavors over the years. He is especially grateful to President Eugene P. Trani and the success he has had in making the community a central focus of VCU’s mission. He recalls the first time he heard Dr. Trani speak to the faculty in 1990. “He was laying out his vision for VCU and mentioned the ‘Three Cs,’” says Dr. Bleick. “Of the three, the one that made the biggest impression was ‘Community.’ I was very excited to hear him say that.”

As the newly appointed associate dean for academic affairs at the VCU School of the Arts in Qatar, Dr. Bleick now has the chance to explore a very different community. Not surprisingly, his duties as associate dean are not the only thing on his mind. “I already have plans to continue my service in Qatar, in particular with art education in the high schools,” he says. “It’s a rare opportunity and I feel extremely fortunate.” If history is to repeat itself, the people of Qatar are sure to feel fortunate, too.

Richard M. Costanzo, School of Medicine
Distinguished Teaching Award
Thinking back to his earliest experiences in the science lab, Dr. Richard Costanzo recalls the sixth-grade class that featured a sizzling hot dog. The lesson? How electrical current generates heat. The apparatus? A hot dog and a two-pronged copper device his teacher, Mr. Ortega, had plugged into the wall.

“He was going to cook it,” Dr. Costanzo says. “And then we were supposed to eat it.” Unfortunately, Mr. Ortega forgot to unplug the device before sticking the hot dog with his fork. Says Dr. Costanzo, “It made a big impression.”

The shocking experiment aside, Mr. Ortega became an early role model to the future Dr. Costanzo, opening his eyes to the excitement of science. Now, as professor of physiology in Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine, it is this same sense of excitement that he tries to pass on to his own students. And if the recognition he has received for his efforts over the years is any indication, he has managed to do so with great success.

In addition to this year’s Distinguished Teaching Award, last year Dr. Costanzo was a recipient of the School of Medicine’s highest honor, the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. He also has had a remarkable six-year run as the recipient of the Best Teacher Award for the neuroscience course he teaches to first-year medical students.

“Dr. Costanzo is an excellent lecturer!” exclaims a student in a recent evaluation, summing up the class consensus. “His lectures are wonderful and he seems to really care about our learning,” writes another. Drawing a parallel to baseball, a third student declares that in a line-up of heavy-hitting professors, “Dr. C. would bat cleanup.”

Again and again, students point to Dr. Costanzo’s infectious enthusiasm, his expert knowledge of the subject and his ability to simplify complex information as qualities that make him stand out as a teacher.

In the lab, he has impressed students with such a level of integrity, creativity and scientific rigor that more than a few have shifted career paths as a result of their experience with him.

One such student, Mark Richardson, credits Dr. Costanzo for his decision to pursue a Ph.D. in addition to an M.D. “Before working with Dr. Costanzo, academic medicine was a career choice I didn’t understand,” he says. “Now, due in large part to his influence and support, I am well on the way to becoming a physician-scientist.” Richardson adds that learning from Dr. Costanzo was the “type of experience every serious student hopes to have at a critical point in their education.”

Students are not the only ones who benefit from Dr. Costanzo’s expert abilities as an instructor. Faculty members also look to him for advice on teaching methodology. Often, he will sit in on lectures, especially those of new faculty, and offer helpful suggestions. Dr. Clive Baumgarten, professor of physiology, biomedical engineering and internal medicine, believes that it is “only through the informal but invaluable efforts of master teachers such as Rich that young faculty learn the art of teaching.”

When asked about common pitfalls encountered by new instructors, Dr. Costanzo says that it is the “tendency to try to teach everything you know” that he sees most often. “It’s more important to get the basics across,” he says, “and to communicate the enthusiasm and excitement of learning.”

Internationally known for his extensive studies in the area of olfaction (the sense of taste and smell) and nerve cell regeneration, Dr. Costanzo could easily fill his plate with research commitments. Despite the many demands on his time, students remain a top priority. “I always have an open door to students,” he says. “Typically, I’ll stop what I’m doing to talk to a student because I feel that my first and most important responsibility is as an educator.”

Included in his teaching responsibilities is a long-term commitment to the students at Pemberton Elementary School in Henrico County. Recognizing the importance of introducing science at an early age, Dr. Costanzo has been teaching lessons on the human brain to students there for the last 18 years — something he has done since his son was enrolled. “The kids ask great questions,” he says, “and when you see the excitement on their faces, it’s very rewarding.”

Whether it is delicately answering the question, “How can you tell a girl brain from a boy brain?” from an elementary school student, or unraveling the intricacies of the nervous system for his graduate students, Dr. Costanzo is committed to reaching others by sharing his own passion for science. “I learned from role models and saw that excitement in them and that’s what made me, in part, what I am,” he says. “And hopefully, I’m passing that excitement on to the next generation.” Indeed, it seems he is doing just that.

Dr. Steven H. Woolf, School of Medicine
Distinguished Scholar Award
The astonishing advances in medical science and technology are enough to widen the eyes of even the most sci-fi savvy among us. Dr. Steven Woolf, professor and director of research in the Department of Family Medicine, is no exception when it comes to being fascinated by incredible breakthroughs in the medical arena. He realized early in his medical training, however, that all the advances in the world don’t mean very much if the bottom line is that they don’t improve patient health. So he’s made a career out of ensuring that they do.

“I’ve been drawn like a magnet to the kind of research that focuses in very sharply on whether health outcomes are improved by what we do in medicine,” says Dr. Woolf. “If we develop a fancier test or a new endoscopic device — but health outcomes aren’t any better — then we’re not doing anybody any favors.”

Internationally recognized as an expert on what is called “evidence-based medicine,” Dr. Woolf has done a world of favors for the medical community by addressing the issue of effectiveness of health care services. The author of two books and more than 80 journal articles, he has — in the words of Dr. Heber Newsome, dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine — “helped guide the care of literally hundreds of millions of people worldwide.”

Since 1987, Dr. Woolf has worked with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, where he has served as science adviser and a major editor of the landmark 1989 and 1996 editions of the “Guide to Clinical Preventive Services.” In 1998, he was appointed as a member and continues to provide critical evaluation of the world literature on preventive services.

Dr. Anton Kuzel, chair of the Department of Family Medicine, calls Dr. Woolf a “master at uncovering the assumptions behind many of our ‘taken-for-granted’ ways for organizing our health care system.”

One such trend in health care Dr. Woolf has shown that simply does not add up is the current practice of investing more dollars in patient safety than in preventive care. “Patient safety is extremely important,” he says. “But if 100 times as many Americans die because they don’t receive preventive care, and we spend 100 times as much of our resources on patient safety, then we have an ineffective policy that ultimately compromises lives.” He says the same fallacy lies in investing heavily in other popular research domains at the expense of issues that matter more to the health of patients.

He notes that one of the greatest obstacles is convincing policy-makers about the urgency of the problem. “They have competing priorities,” he says. “I don’t think it’s lack of resources. Trying to persuade them that this is something worthy of attention is the biggest challenge.”

Arguing that the public’s well-being requires “policy-makers to view the system as a whole and consider the potential effect on overall population health when prioritizing care improvements,” Dr. Woolf recently has conducted research that sets out to determine what those health priorities should be.

To accomplish this as accurately as possible, Dr. Woolf relies on a very broad approach in his research. While he does not deny the importance of the traditional research approach that focuses on a biomedical model, he says that “modern thinking is to understand that health is part of a larger set of influences that have to do with culture, personal preferences, education, income and the environmental context in which people live.” Understanding the larger picture, he says, is “vitally important to understanding how we can improve health outcomes, much more dramatically than we can with drugs or operations.”

Dr. Woolf is proud of the fact that he and his colleagues in primary care research operate on an interdisciplinary model that transcends traditional boundaries. Almost without exception, their studies involve collaborations with experts such as social scientists, anthropologists, health behaviorists and social marketing professionals, to name a few. “We understand that to make a real difference in the outcomes of patients,” he says, “we really need to understand the full context in which they’re living.”

According to Dr. Woolf, one of the greatest needs exists in addressing the gap in the quality of care disadvantaged populations experience. His recent research investigates these disparities and looks at the health benefit that would come from correcting them.

“Billions and billions of dollars are spent on such things as improving the effectiveness of drugs and surgical procedures,” he says. “My research has shown that if we spend just a fraction of that money to correct the inequity in health care, we would actually save more lives — five times as many lives.”

He adds, “If I had my druthers and I could do anything, that’s what I would do — solve the problem of inequity in health care.”