It’s natural for universities to talk about the acomplishments of their students and graduates but they sometimes overlook the amazing teaching faculty. Think on This gave us the chance to talk to and showcase some of those rock stars at VCU. I played dual roles of creative director and interviewer.
TyRuben Ellingson is a self effacing kinda guy but if you talk to him long enough, he’ll drop funny stories about Guillermo del Toro and Jim Cameron. Jim! He calls James Cameron Jim! Professor Ellingson is a concept artist for vehicles and machines in blockbuster movies you’d undoubtedly seen. I had a great time chatting with him,
When you meet Tressie McMillan Cottom, she does not go out of her way to let you know how big a deal she is. And, y’all: She’s a big deal. She’s written about why Dolly Parton is clutch to people across the country and all about for-profit higher ed and Black gender studies. I once even saw that Paul Bettany offered to explain WandaVision to her on Twitter. Students in her class have it good.
Dr. McGarvey - he goes by Dan - is one of those people in Richmond who can walk down by the James River and tell you a little about all of the wildlife nearby, no matter if it’s turtles, trees, fish, or birds. And he’s passionate about making sure his students understand why those things are important and how we fit in the greater scheme of the earth.
Dr. Ferrada knows her stuff. If there’s a traumatic accident nearby and the people hurt come to VCU, there’s a solid chance she’ll be the one helping. And she understands her position as a female Latinx physician. She’s as passionate about changing lives as she is about saving them.
