Emily Biereder
ADA Specialist
(804) 827-2007
bierederej@vcu.edu  

Emily Biereder (she/her) assists in the interactive ADA process by working with managers and employees to identify effective and reasonable job accommodations. She previously worked as an ADA Analyst with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Emily graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a Secondary Teaching License.

Katy Washington, J.D., Ph.D.
Chief accessibility officer, serving as the ADA/Section 504 coordinator
(804) 827-0749
washingtonk8@vcu.edu 

Katy Washington (she/her) ensures the appropriate policies, processes and resources are in place across the university in compliance with laws directly impacting equal access and inclusion of individuals with disabilities; serves as the University’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator; and provides guidance, consultation, and collaboration with workgroups and campus partners to provide an innovative approach to proactively removing physical and digital barriers to equal access. She brings more than 18 years of higher education disability services and compliance experience with her. She graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology then went on to receive her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Sara Roan
EAS Senior Specialist
(804) 827-9987
sroan@vcu.edu

Sara Roan (she/her) provides compliance project management and operations support for EAS. She has been with EAS since 2015, working extensively with three areas within the unit (Title IX, Equal Opportunity, and ADA). Sara graduated from the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts.

Kanisha L. Adkins, J.D.
Senior civil rights investigator
(804) 828-3939
adkinskl@vcu.edu 

Kanisha L. Adkins, J.D. (she/her) acts as the senior civil rights investigator for the Equal Opportunity office. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of civil rights investigations including housing, public accommodation and employment; sexual harassment awareness/prevention; and ADA training. Kanisha earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Social Work degrees at VCU. She also graduated from Virginia Union University with a Master of Divinity degree and from University of Richmond Law School with her Juris Doctor.

Alazzia Hasty, J.D.
Civil rights investigator
(804) 828-1347
hastya@vcu.edu

Alazzia Hasty (she/her) serves as a third-party fact finder, investigating allegations of discrimination with neutrality, as they relate to Equal Opportunity and Employment Equity. She previously worked as an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, IL. She has also clerked for the Federal Aviation Administration in the Office of Chief Counsel, Employment and Labor Law Division. Alazzia graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and from North Carolina Central University with a Master of Arts in English Literature. She received her Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University’s School of Law.

Vacant
Director, EEO and affirmative action programs
(804) 828-1347 
equity@vcu.edu

Shannon Papalia
Civil rights case coordinator
(804) 828-7435
papalias@vcu.edu 

Shannon Papalia (she/her) assists the EAS team in intake and assessment of potential cases of discrimination. She previously worked as a Community Health Worker at Greater Portland Health, a health center in Portland, Maine where she coordinated resources for underserved populations and worked to remove barriers to healthcare in order to promote health equity and inclusion. Shannon received a Bachelor of Science in Allied Health Sciences from the University of Connecticut and is currently enrolled in a Masters of Public Health in Population Mental Health and Wellbeing program at the Colorado School of Public Health Online.

Sara Roan
Interim training and compliance manager
(804) 828-2841
youth@vcu.edu 

Sara Roan (she/her) provides compliance project management and operations support for EAS. She has been with EAS since 2015. Sara graduated from the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts.

David Gardner
Senior civil rights investigator
(804) 828-0660
gardnerdc3@vcu.edu 

David Gardner (he/him) investigates allegations of prohibited conduct related to VCU's Title IX and Sex-Based Misconduct policies. David graduated from SUNY Empire College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.

Dana V. King, MSW
Intake and informal resolution specialist
(804) 828-1347
vandervelded@vcu.edu

Dana V. King (she/her) supports the intake and informal resolution processes for VCU's Title IX and Sex-Based Misconduct policies. Dana graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Masters of Social Work and a Graduate Gender Violence Intervention Certificate.

Beth Paris, Ph.D.
Civil rights investigator
(804) 828-3932
eparis2@vcu.edu 

Beth Paris (she/her) investigates allegations of prohibited conduct related to VCU's Title IX and Sex-Based Misconduct policies. From prior roles in Residence Life and Student Conduct, she brings a decade of experience working with students on university campuses to this role. Beth graduated from University of Central Florida with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees and earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Justice at VCU.

Melanie Pringle
Title IX case coordinator
(804) 828-1347
pringlem@vcu.edu

Melanie Pringle (she/her) manages the life cycle of Title IX and Sex-Based Misconduct cases to ensure statutory compliance. She has previously worked for government and nonprofit agencies that prioritize connecting marginalized populations with supportive resources to advance equity and justice. Melanie graduated from Guilford College with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Spanish and from UNC-Greensboro with a Master of Arts degree in Women's and Gender Studies.

Malorie Yeaman, JD
Title IX coordinator and director of outreach and support
(804) 828-3946
yeamanm@vcu.edu

Malorie Yeaman (she/her) oversees the University's Title IX Sexual Harassment and Sex-Based Misconduct policies. She previously served as the Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX at East Carolina University. Malorie graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree and from the University of Dayton with her Juris Doctorate.