Richmond, VA – The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges recognized the accomplishments of six faculty members from the VFIC consortium of schools for their dedication to higher education and student success on November 4 at the annual VFIC Harris Family Faculty Awards and Luncheon at the Virginia Museum of
History & Culture in Richmond, VA. During this event the Libby and Hiter Harris Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2), the Harris Rising Star Award (2), and the Harris Award for Excellence in Instructional Technology (2) were presented. Dr. James W. Dyke, Jr., former Virginia Secretary of Education, delivered the
guest address. Dr. Dyke’s remarks underscored the important role VFIC colleges play in strengthening and enriching Virginia’s higher education landscape.
The Harris Family Faculty Awards were generously created through endowments by the H. Hiter Harris III family. The Harris family endowed these awards to highlight the special features of VFIC colleges and universities by recognizing faculty members “whose professional history reflects a strong, clear and abiding commitment to
excellence in classroom teaching within the undergraduate liberal arts and sciences.” Recipients of each of these awards also receive a stipend to support their scholarly research and professional development activities.
Michael Leopold, Ph.D., the Floyd D. and Elizabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry, University of Richmond and Bill McConnell, Ph.D., Dean of the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies and Jane P. Batten Professor of Education, Batten University received the 2026 Libby and Hiter Harris Awards for
Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Michael Leopold, the Floyd D. and Elizabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry since 2012, has taught and performed research developing nanomaterial-based sensors at the University of Richmond since 2002. He earned his B.S. from James Madison University, his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University, and had postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. At UR, Dr. Leopold has conducted fundamental studies of incorporating nanomaterials into sensors designed for specific biomedical, forensic, and environmental applications. His work has procured nearly $1.4 million in external grants from major funding agencies. Dr. Leopold
has mentored over 63 researchers, including multiple Beckman (4) and Goldwater-recognized scholars (10) while publishing nearly 60 papers featuring over 120 undergraduate co-authors that have also presented their work at numerous regional/national scientific conferences. Dr. Leopold’s UR career has been bookended with recognition of Omicron Delta Kappa’s Faculty Member of the Year (2007 and 2026).
William McConnell is Dean of the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies and Jane P. Batten Professor of Education at Batten University. He earned his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in science education from Old Dominion University. Before entering higher education, he spent nearly 20 years as a
K–12 educator. His teaching and scholarship focus on the teaching and learning of science and environmental education. Among his many externally-funded projects, McConnell is the principal investigator of a NOAA-funded environmental education initiative that engages K–12 students in investigating local watersheds and taking
informed environmental action. The Shared Waters curriculum, which he co-developed with co-authors and teachers and community partners in Virginia and Pennsylvania, has now expanded into multiple states. He has also developed international teaching and research collaborations in Maritza, Costa Rica, and Heidelberg, Germany,
creating opportunities for students to broaden their understanding of environmental issues and education through global perspectives. In his time as Director of Teacher Education at Batten, he led initiatives that increased field experiences and expanded pathways for aspiring teachers through new and modified majors.
Graham Chakafana, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Hampton University and Kelly Grenier, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Politics and Law, Emory & Henry University, received the 2026 Harris Rising Star Awards. Graham Chakafana is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at Hampton University, where he leads an undergraduate-centered research program investigating protein structure and function, nucleotide metabolism and proteostasis in human pathogens. His laboratory trains students in protein biochemistry and modern biophysical approaches to studying protein structure, stability, interactions, and function. A major focus of Dr. Chakafana’s work is creating authentic research opportunities for undergraduate and high school students. His trainees have contributed to peer-reviewed publications, presented their research at national scientific meetings, and received competitive recognition, including an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology award. Several students have progressed to graduate and professional programs and competitive external research experiences. He also develops innovative course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in the Advanced Biochemistry course series, with recent student research from these courses contributing to a publication in ACS
Omega.
Kelly Grenier is an Assistant Professor of Politics and Law at Emory & Henry University. At a time when democratic institutions and civil discourse face growing challenges, she prepares students to critically examine political ideas, evaluate evidence, and engage thoughtfully with perspectives different from their own. Her classes combine rigorous analysis with creative, hands-on learning, from assessing the democratic credentials of fictional governments to debating constitutional questions in moot court and examining the political messages of protest songs. By bringing together political theory, law, art, and popular culture, she challenges students to question
assumptions, make connections across disciplines, and apply what they learn to complex real-world problems. She strives to create a classroom where intellectual curiosity and respectful disagreement go hand in hand, preparing students for both professional success and engaged citizenship. Dr. Grenier holds a Ph.D. in Comparative and American Politics from the University of Kentucky and an M.A. in Security Studies from Aberystwyth University.
L. Andrew Bell, Ph.D., Associate Director of Digital Pedagogy and Research in the Teaching and Scholarship Hub, University of Richmond, and Sean Gleason, Ph.D., Elliott Associate Professor, HampdenSydney College, received the 2026 Harris Awards for Excellence in Instructional Technology. L. Andrew Bell is the Associate Director of Digital Pedagogy and Research in the Teaching and Scholarship Hub at the University of Richmond, where he partners with faculty to thoughtfully integrate digital
technologies and emerging AI tools into teaching, learning, and scholarship. He earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Virginia Commonwealth University. Andrew also teaches across the University’s First-Year Seminar, Psychology, and Robins School of Business programs, with courses in neuroscience, data analysis, data visualization, software tools, and data analytics. His current work focuses on helping faculty intentionally leverage digital technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance teaching, advance scholarship, and prepare students for an AI-enabled world.
Sean Gleason is an Elliott Associate Professor at Hampden-Sydney College and Head of Research and Development at Nalaquq, a Indigenous-owned tech startup focused on remote sensing, GIS, and community-based co-production. His teaching connects the liberal arts with emerging technologies, engaging undergraduates in digital mapping, artificial intelligence, and community-based research. Working alongside Yup’ik partners in Southwest Alaska, he combines Indigenous knowledge and remote sensing to advance cultural heritage preservation, environmental monitoring, and search and rescue. He has a strong record of securing external
funding, including serving as co-principal investigator on a 2025-2026 National Science Foundation project examining Alaskan river systems and principal investigator on a 2026 Department of Defense–supported project developing community-based approaches to battlefield recovery in Palau. His students contribute to projects
ranging from virtual museum collections to tools for understanding changing Arctic landscapes. Gleason earned his Ph.D. in Communication Studies from Ohio University and received Hampden-Sydney’s 2025 Cabell Teaching Award.
About the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges
Established in 1952, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) aims to advance the distinctive values and strengths of the seventeen colleges across Virginia that make up our consortium. We accomplish this mission by generating financial support for our schools – more than $142 million since our inception. Our goal is to
connect academically qualified students with excellent education. Our independent colleges and universities provide a quality education for students who thrive in highly personalized environments. The VFIC provides access to these schools through financial assistance for deserving students, many of whom are first-generation college
students.
The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges supports the programs and students of the following seventeen leading independent colleges in the Commonwealth: Batten University, Bridgewater College, Emory & Henry University, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampton University, Hollins University, Mary Baldwin University, Marymount University, Randolph College, Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College, Shenandoah University, Sweet BriarCollege, University of Lynchburg, University of Richmond, Virginia Union University, and Washington and Lee University. For additional information on the VFIC, visit www.vfic.org.
