The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges Recognizes Six Outstanding Faculty with Harris Family Faculty Awards

Richmond, VA – The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges recognized the accomplishments of six faculty members from the VFIC consortium of schools for their dedication to higher education and student success on November 5 at the annual VFIC Harris Family Faculty Awards and Luncheon at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond, VA. During this event the Libby and Hiter Harris Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2), the Harris Rising Star Award (2), and the Harris Award for Excellence in Instructional Technology (2) were presented. Dr. William C. Dudley, President of Washington and Lee University, was the guest speaker. Dr. Dudley gave remarks about the benefits of a liberal arts education.

The Harris awards were generously created through endowments by the H. Hiter Harris III family. The Harris family endowed these awards to highlight the special features of VFIC colleges and universities by recognizing faculty members “whose professional history reflects a strong, clear and abiding commitment to excellence in classroom teaching within the undergraduate liberal arts and sciences.” Recipients of each of these awards also receive a stipend to support their scholarly research and professional development activities.

Bartolo Natoli, Ph.D., Professor of Classics, Randolph-Macon College and Helena von Rueden, Ph.D., Elliott Associate Professor of Fine Arts, Hampden-Sydney College received the 2025 Libby and Hiter Harris Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Bartolo Natoli is a Professor of Classics and Chair of the Classics Department at Randolph-Macon College. He has a B.A. in Latin, Greek, and Secondary Education from the University of Richmond, a M.Ed. in Adult Education and Training from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of Texas at Austin. More recently, he completed an M.Div from Bexley-Seabury Seminary in 2025 and is an ordained minister in the Episcopal Church. Rev. Dr. Natoli has taught on secondary and collegiate levels for nearly 20 years. In 2019, he was named the Lurlene W. Todd Teacher of the Year by the Classical Association of Virginia. In 2025, he received the Thomas Branch Excellence in Teaching award from Randolph-Macon College. The Rev. Dr. Natoli’s 2022 book Ancient Women Writers of Greece and Rome was awarded the 2023 Bolchazy Pedagogy Book Award
by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS). He is currently at work on a student textcommentary on the Cento Vergilianus of Faltonia Betitia Proba.

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About the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges
Established in 1952, the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) aims to advance the distinctive values and strengths of the seventeen colleges across Virginia that make up our consortium. We accomplish this mission by generating financial support for our schools – more than $184 million since our inception. Our goal is to connect academically qualified students with excellent education. Our independent colleges and universities provide a quality education for students who thrive in highly personalized environments. The VFIC provides access to these schools through financial assistance for deserving students, many of whom are first-generation college
students.

The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges supports the programs and students of the following seventeen leading independent colleges in the Commonwealth: Bridgewater College, Emory & Henry University, HampdenSydney College, Hampton University, Hollins University, Mary Baldwin University, Marymount University, Randolph College, Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College, Shenandoah University, Sweet Briar College, University of Lynchburg, University of Richmond, Virginia Union University, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Washington and Lee University. For additional information on the VFIC, visit www.vfic.org.