U Experts

Wendy Overbeck Dunham

Director of HorticultureFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

Wendy oversees care and presentation of Meijer Gardens’ living collections—connecting guests to art, design, and the natural environment.

Common Sense LandscapingButterfly ExhibitsHorticultureGardeningExhibit Design

Arvind Agarwal, Ph.D., FASME, FAAAS, FNAI, FACerS, FASM

Professor and Chair, Department of Mechanical & Nuclear EngineeringVCU College of Engineering

Chair and Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering.

Nano-scale Properties of Biological MaterialsUltrahigh Temperature CeramicsAerospace Materials and Radiation Shielding CoatingsAdditive Manufacturing (AM) of Metals via Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), Cold Spray, Thermal Spray, and Friction Stir Surface EngineeringGraphene and Boron Nitride Nanotube Composites

Elizabeth Hintz, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of CommunicationUniversity of Connecticut

Elizabeth Hintz’s research examines how individuals manage complex, stigmatized, and poorly understood health conditions.

Interpersonal, Family, and Health CommunicationMedically unexplained symptoms Chronic PainMedical GaslightingVoluntary Childlessness

Shawn (Sheng-Chieh) Chen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear EngineeringVCU College of Engineering

Dr. Chen's research interests include airborne and liquid-borne nanoparticle filtration, NanoEHS, & indoor and urban air pollution control.

Nanofiltration and ultrafiltrationAir pollution controlAerosol sampling and instrumentationIndoor Air QualityCFD simulation

Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD

Special Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Mission Engagement and Strategic Initiatives; Assistant Professor of SociologyVillanova University

Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD, researches Catholicism in the U.S. with emphasis on systemic racism and African American Catholics.

African American CatholicsSystemic RacismCatholic Social TeachingU.S. Catholic Church