Service is highly integrated into my teaching and research practice. My largest international service commitment to date, is my service as a Co-Chair of the Tasmeem Doha 2017, a biennial art and design conference in Doha Qatar, which had more than 500 attendees and featured workshops and lectures from leading artists, designers and writers from around the world, including Sophia Al-Maria, Hasan Elahi, author Andrew Keen, and award winning architect Carlo Ratti.
My most substantial university wide service commitment is to VCU’s collegiate recovery program Rams in Recovery. I currently serve on the main steering committee; I helped form the larger advisory committee, and I have directly supported students in recovery at VCU through my social practice projects and the Free Hot Coffee Bike. As a member of the faculty who is open about being a person in long term recovery, I feel an obligation to make the VCU campus supportive of students, faculty and staff who are in recovery from substance use disorders. On the policy side, I have been appointed to the Provost's Alcohol and Other Drug Advisory Committee, which has revised the university policies to be more supportive of employees seeking help from substance use disorders and better understand the needs and responsibilities of persons in long term recovery.
In addition, I have served for four years as an elected member of the VCU Faculty Senate where I serve on the Communications and Publicity committee. I have served on the School of the Arts Diversity Committee since 2014 and I continue to serve on a host of committees that support the VCUarts, Department of Photography and Film, such as the Visiting Artist committee and MFA Application Review committee among others.
In 2016, I participated in the VCU Artfulness Project, where I introduced the "Forming Connections" section of the website and produced a mindfulness activity using photography. The site has been used both on and off campus as a way to introduce mindfulness and meditation practices, using a series of creative prompts.
In 2016 - I served as the "Live Auctioneer" at Studio Two Three's annual art auction. I will serve again in 2017.
Free Hot Coffee Bike visits Virginia Capitol Students with VCU’s Rams in Recovery program served up coffee and conversation with lawmakers and the public on Capitol Square Friday morning.
In May 2017 - I helped the Visual Arts Center of Richmond make the world's largest cyanotype photographic print for the Guinness Book of World's Records.