Michael Clay joins the College of Humanities and Sciences as a senior academic advisor for the Environmental Studies program in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability. Prior to joining the team at VCU, he worked at William & Mary in academic affairs and taught public speaking, rhetorical theory, and argument and critical thinking at the University of Maine.
Michael earned an associate’s degree from Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, Virginia as well as a bachelor's and master’s in communication studies from James Madison University. He is currently completing his Ph.D. through the University of Maine where he studies environmental communication, rhetoric and community-engaged research.
While he grew up in Southwest Virginia, and has lived in both Harrisonburg, VA and Bangor, ME for his graduate study, Michael is happy to call Richmond home with his fiancé, Ashley, their three cats, and their dog, Sprout.
In his free time, you can find Michael perusing Richmond's coffee scene, attending folk punk shows, backpacking around Virginia or playing through Dark Souls III for the 20th time. He is also a novice birder and loves chatting about birding in central Virginia.
Nathan Heintschel '14 joins the College of Humanities and Sciences as an alumni communications specialist. Prior to joining the college, Nathan served as the director of communications and digital media for the Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy Soccer Clubs.
Nathan holds a Master of Education in sports management from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in history from VCU. While at VCU, Nathan was a staff writer for The Commonwealth Times and interned as a features writer with VCU Athletics.
In his spare time, Nathan likes to try new restaurants around town with his fiancée and be regularly disappointed by his favorite sports team: Manchester United Football Club.
Kerry Klapperich ’16 is the new enrollment coordinator with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He will support undergraduate recruitment, and develop and oversee the CHS ambassador program.
Prior to this role, Kerry was a counselor with the Office of Admissions, where his duties focused on presentations, attending college fairs, meeting with students and parents, reviewing applications, connecting students to university resources, as well as seasonal recruitment.
Kerry is a two-time VCU alumni. He has a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism and Master of Science in mass communication. He also has a certificate in public relations from the University of Virginia.
For many years, Kerry was a broadcaster on local radio stations in the Richmond market. Most recently, he was a pitchman on CBS6's Virginia This Morning for five plus years.
When Kerry is not on campus, he spends time with his lady or his dog, Charlotte. He also plays in two rock bands and is a member of the Rotary Club of Church Hill. And the secret is out.... He is a Star Trek nerd.
Michelle Mahouski joins the College of Humanities and Sciences as a senior academic advisor for the bioinformatics program. Michelle has worked in higher education for 16+ years in various roles including computer instructor, career services manager, academic and faculty coordinator, and undergraduate academic advising. Most recently, she was an academic advisor at Carnegie Mellon University for mechanical engineering and joined VCU in August 2023 as the academic advisor for mechanical engineering.
Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in business education (K-12) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Robert Morris University. She is originally from Pittsburgh.
In her spare time, Michelle enjoys exploring Richmond, trying new restaurants and breweries, brunching with friends, attending Flying Squirrels games, cheering on Pittsburgh Pirates baseball (even though they are not good), visiting my family in PA (especially my three nephews), spending time with my cat Oliver, and watching true crime documentaries.
Ellie Musgrave joins the Humanities Research Center as the administrative communications coordinator. Ellie is a photographer and writer living and working in Richmond, Virginia. Previously they have served as the museum store manager at The Valentine and the visitor experience coordinator at the International Center of Photography.
Their creative writing has been featured in Hobart Pulp and orangepeel literary magazine, where it was nominated for Best of the Web 2024 and a Pushcart Prize.
Emily Prince joins the Department of Psychology as the associate director of the Center for Psychological Services and Development. Emily specializes in the assessment of intellectual and developmental disabilities and learning disabilities.
Prior to joining the faculty at VCU, Emily worked as a licensed clinical psychologist at Compass Behavioral Group in Richmond, Virginia. Emily earned her Masters and Doctorate in joint clinical and developmental psychology at the University of Miami. She completed her internship and post-doctoral training at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at UNC Chapel Hill.
In her spare time, Emily enjoys cross-stitching, playing with her cats and baking. Emily's passion for psychology began in adolescence when her mother received her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from VCU.