Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President

Faye Z. Belgrave, Ph.D. (she/her), is the chief diversity officer and vice president of inclusive excellence at VCU. Before her appointment in 2023, Belgrave was associate dean for equity and community partnerships with the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. Her tenure with the university began in 1997 when she joined VCU as a professor of psychology, coming from George Washington University, where she was a faculty for more than a decade.

Belgrave has been honored for her dedication as a teacher, researcher and social justice advocate. She has received numerous awards recognizing her work to foster equity and inclusion for VCU students, faculty, staff, community partners and beyond. Some notable achievements include VCU’s Presidential Medallion, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association, the Association of Black Psychologists Distinguished Faculty Award, an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia and a Distinguished Alumnae Achievement award from North Carolina A&T State University.

Belgrave is nationally and internationally known as a researcher of health disparities, especially HIV and substance abuse prevention, community-engaged research and female-centered research. She has published numerous peer-reviewed papers and authored several books. She is the co-author of the first textbook on African American psychology, now in its fourth edition.

Director of Inclusive Education

Jackson Christopher Bartlett, Ph.D. (he/him) is the Director of Inclusive Education in the Division of Inclusive Excellence, where he leads the development of learning opportunities for students, faculty and staff across VCU and VCU Health. Before joining VCU, Bartlett served as Director of the Center for Teaching and Research Excellence and Office of Online Instruction & Technology at Chicago State University, where he launched several initiatives to improve student outcomes and increase faculty satisfaction and productivity. He is a national leader in the field of inclusive teaching and educational development, with recent publications in Inside Higher Ed and Faculty Focus. He is an active member of the Professional and Organizational Development Network, and trains higher ed staff from around North America. 

His work is fueled by a commitment to aligning values and practice, giving students, faculty and staff the tools to transform how we teach, work, learn and lead to drive inclusive excellence at VCU. 

Bartlett is also an active scholar of race, public finance and Black neighborhood. He’s served on the faculty at Northwestern University and Ball State University where he received the Vander Hill Award for Teaching Excellence. Bartlett is a proud first-generation college student and earned his Ph.D. and MA in African American Studies from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Africana Studies from Wayne State University in Detroit.

Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Inclusion and Belonging

Brooke Berry, J.D. (she/her), is the associate vice president for strategic initiatives, inclusion and belonging in the Division of Inclusive Excellence. Before coming to Inclusive Excellence, Berry served in the inaugural role of assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion within the Division of Student Affairs. Prior to her arrival at VCU, she was dean of students and Title IX coordinator at Marymount University and also at Virginia Union University.

Berry is active in several community organizations and serves on the Equity and Inclusion Working Council for the American College Personnel Association. She was recognized as a Northern Virginia “top 40 under 40” for her impactful leadership contributions. Her work is driven by the belief that true belonging and inclusion require active efforts to understand and incorporate diverse perspectives, with the ultimate goal of transforming institutional systems and cultures to be more inclusive and equitable for everyone.

A lawyer by training, Berry received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication from North Carolina A&T State University.

Senior Advisor

Christopher A. Brooks, Ph.D. (he/him), is senior advisor to the chief diversity officer and vice president in the Division of Inclusive Excellence. He is an internationally recognized author and professor of anthropology in the School of World Studies in VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences. 

Brooks recently authored Tales of Koehler Hollow: An African American Family in Rural Appalachia (Unsung Voices Books 2024) with Naomi Hodge-Muse. The book illustrates the diversity of the Appalachian experience through the documentation of a formerly enslaved Black woman, Amy Finney, and her descendants living in Southwest Virginia. 

His latest book, Dual Pandemics: HIV and the Coronavirus in Several Kenyan Communities (Linus 2024) has a foreword contributed by Faye Belgrave. He was profiled in the October 2024 issue of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

In addition to being a senior Fulbright researcher, Brooks has published and served as a contributor to numerous publications focused on the African continental and Diasporan experience. Brooks has appeared on nationally- and internationally syndicated programs and stations to discuss his work as an academic focused on HIV/AIDS, healthcare, and minoritized populations. 

As a volunteer at Deep Meadow Correctional Facility in Powhatan, Virginia, Brooks assisted the incarcerated population with literacy and writing skills and delivered talks focused on numerous anthropological topics. He has volunteered for the Minority Health Consortium in Richmond for twenty years and is a native of Baltimore, Maryland.

Senior Advisor for Organizational Culture

Kim A. Case, Ph.D. (she/her), is a professor of psychology and senior advisor for organizational culture to the chief diversity officer and vice president of inclusive excellence at VCU. She previously served as VCU's director of faculty success. Her tenure with VCU began in 2019 after 14 years as a faculty member, chair of the faculty mentoring program and director of a teaching center at a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in Texas.

Case is widely recognized for her scholarship, leadership, teaching and mentoring. In recognition of her professional achievements, she received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Women. Her numerous national teaching and mentoring awards include the Robert S. Daniel Teaching Excellence Award for Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and the Outstanding Mentoring Award from divisions of the APA. From the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she received the Accomplished Alumni Award in recognition of her contributions to the field of psychology.

Within VCU her work has been acknowledged through the Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment (PACME), the Trailblazer in Inclusion Diversity and Equity Award and the VCU Champions of Accessibility Award.

Evidenced by over 60 publications, books and journal special issues, Case’s scholarship examines how workplace and organizational cultural norms, policies and practices impact inclusive excellence, performance, health and retention outcomes.

Division Communication Manager

In her role with Inclusive Excellence, Teresa Dulaney-Dewald (she/her) leads the implementation of the division’s communications framework, supports the chief diversity officer’s messaging needs, produces editorial content and works with colleagues universitywide to ensure educational resources are accessible and of value to the VCU community.

Dulaney-Dewald began her career with VCU in 2015 as a member of VCU Advancement Services. There, she worked with colleagues to prepare a decades-old constituent database for transition to its current platform. After moving to VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications as a senior communications specialist, she wrote speeches and other communications pieces for university leadership.

Prior to VCU, her professional background included freelance journalism and editorial development for K-12 and college-level textbooks and work with other universities.

Dulaney-Dewald received her Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Tennessee. She is a student in the Media and Leadership graduate certificate program with VCU College of Humanities and Sciences Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture.

Division Administrator

As division administrator, Corey Martin (he/him) provides administrative and operational support and oversight to the Division of Inclusive Excellence. In his role, he is the first point of contact for the division and is a liaison between the vice president and other internal and external officials and organizations.

Martin began his career at VCU in 2012 and has worked as a staff member in varying administrative and HR roles for more than a decade. These positions have fostered an interest and  specialization in guiding other employees through university systems and policy with a welcoming and inclusive approach. Martin strives to advocate for staff initiatives and concerns through the lens of equity in all of his positions, roles and service. He received his bachelor’s degree in art history from VCU in 2012.

Project Gabriel Project Director

A native of both Richmond and Caroline County Virginia, Stephanie Rizzi (she/her) has been at VCU in various roles for more than 30 years, most recently as the Interim Associate Dean for the University College. She has been engaged in community service for more than 20 years. Stephanie spent several years as the President of the Randolph Community Group and has worked with the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project to advocate for community-based police reform. 

Rizzi has been actively involved in university initiatives related to culture, climate and inclusivity, including her work with the University College’s Council for Diverse, Equitable and Inclusive Change and the VCU Inclusive Excellence Council. For the past four years, she has served as the 5th District Representative on the Richmond Public Schools School Board.

In her role, Rizzi is enthusiastic about advancing efforts towards reconciliation and healing within the university community and beyond.

Program and Event Specialist

Trevon Straughter (they/he) is a Richmond native currently serving as Program and Event Specialist for Division of Inclusive Excellence at Virginia Commonwealth University. Being native to such a historically and culturally rich community, they enjoy giving back by creating events and learning opportunities, locally and on the East Coast. 

Straughter serves as a virtual strategy and program coordinator for VCU Black Alumni Council’s mentoring circle and young alumni recruitment initiatives. Additionally, Straughter is a member of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Pan African Network, an organization dedicated to supporting Black colleagues nationally through leadership, service and scholarship. 

Their advocacy and support in areas such as LGBTQIA+ initiatives, mentorship, equitable access and support for students, staff and faculty are paramount to their calling as a professional in higher education. Straughter’s development and growth in strategic planning with an emphasis on inclusive practices and community sustainability is at the core of their community engagement, professional work and service. 

Straughter hopes to continue serving minoritized and historically marginalized communities at the university level, locally and nationally.