VCU news

Jacqueline T. McDonnough, associate professor, Teaching and Learning, VCU School of Education, and director of the VCU Life Sciences Center for Life Sciences Education
McDonnough received a $900,000 National Science Foundation grant for the VCU Noyce Initiative, a collaborative project between VCU’s School of Education and the College of Humanities and Sciences, in partnership with Richmond City, Henrico County, Chesterfield County and Hopewell City Public Schools. The program supports and prepares 32 undergraduate students to be effective secondary science teachers in high-needs schools. Undergraduate students are recruited in their junior year and initiated into teaching through an internship program at a summer enrichment camp for middle school students. Throughout their academic training, students are mentored by university faculty. During their senior year, they participate in a research-based experience that focuses on the process and excitement of science, and develop accessible low-cost experiments that are disseminated to all NSF Noyce Scholars.

The program also prepares 16 master science teachers, Noyce Teaching Fellows, to work with Noyce Scholars during a yearlong residency and critical first years of teaching.  

David Leong, professor and chair of the Department of Theater, School of the Arts
Leong accepted an invitation to join the National Theatre Conference. Founded in 1925, the National Theatre Conference, according to its Web site, “is a cooperative association of the most influential leaders in commercial, non-commercial and educational theatre.” The conference meets each year to discuss matters central to the welfare and development of the theater and to honor outstanding organizations and individuals in the field. Membership is by invitation only and is limited to just 120 people at a time.

Donna Berrier, Chief Administrative Officer and Associate Director for Administration, VCU Massey Cancer
Berrier assumes the appointment of chief administrative officer/associate director for administration for VCU Massey Cancer Center Sept. 1. As Massey’s first CAO, Berrier will oversee strategic and financial planning, research administration and compliance, clinical partnerships, IT, facilities and human resources. She'll also provide leadership in new partnerships to expand clinical trials and collaborative research programs. For more information, visit http://www.massey.vcu.edu/news/newsreleases.aspx?nrid=144.

Timothy E. Van Meter, Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine
Van Meter, an assistant professor of neurosurgery, and his research team have received a research grant to study the underlying causes of brain tumors in children to pinpoint the epigenetic changes that take place in healthy progenitor cells in the brain and transform them into cancer cells.

According to Van Meter, in contrast to genetic changes in cancer that arise from gene mutation or inherited genetic changes, epigentic processes are specific mechanisms, such as methylation, that govern the patterns of genes that cells are able to turn on or off.

The grant, totaling nearly $50,000, will be used to study the impact of DNMT2 gene expression on a common type of childhood brain tumor known as an ependymoma. Van Meter and his team will construct novel transgenic mouse models to understand the biology of DNMT2 in certain types of progenitor, or stem cells, in the brain. Primary tumor lines grown from patients will also be used alongside these models to screen tailored therapies aimed at stopping tumor growth.

“This work is pioneering in the childhood brain tumor field because there are currently no transgenic mouse models for childhood ependymoma that model disease-specific genetic changes for this cancer type,” said Van Meter.

St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research.

Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprillo, Ph.D., Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VCU School of Medicine

Arango-Lasprilla, assistant professor in the Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology Division of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, received the Division 45 2009 Emerging Professional Award from the American Psychological Association for his contributions in the promotion of ethnic minority issues.

For about 10 years, Arango-Lasprilla’s work has examined the cultural differences in the treatment and care of traumatic brain injury, the importance of family in the Hispanic culture, and health care disparities in minorities. During the past six years, his work has focused on how to understand and address the psychological, emotional and family needs for individuals with brain injury.

Arango-Lasprilla, who has been recognized nationally and internationally for his work, is the cultural competency coordinator for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research’s Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems. He has authored nearly 80 journal articles and book chapters on neuropsychology, rehabilitation, brain injury and cultural issues. In addition, his professional achievements include securing approximately $3 million in grant funding for research relating to culturally diverse populations. 

The award was presented with the award during the 2009 American Psychological Association Annual Convention in Toronto, Canada.

Rasoul Tondkar, Ph.D., professor of accounting, School  of Business

Tondkar received the 2009 Outstanding International Accounting Educator Award given by the International Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association in early August. The award is given to a faculty member who has a sustained record of excellence in advancing the field of international accounting through published research, has served as a dedicated mentor to graduate students and has provided high-impact service to the profession.

In addition to his extensive research, teaching and service accomplishments, Tondkar has chaired seven doctoral dissertations in international accounting. Three of these dissertations were selected as the Outstanding Dissertation in International Accounting by the International Section of the American Accounting Association. VCU is the only university in the world that has received the dissertation award on three separate occasions since the award’s inception in 1984.