Hollins University

Lab Reading: "Our Family in the Stars" by Katie Oler
2024-07-24 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Hollins Theatre
Each Wednesday evening, as part of the course Playwright’s Lab, an early draft of a student written play is presented in an orchestra style reading.

#5: Our Family in the Stars by Katie Oler

Theatre, Upstairs Studio

No Shame Theatre
2024-07-26 23:00 - 2024-07-27 00:30 | Hollins Theatre
No Shame Theatre is an experiential performance lab where writers, performers and audience are constantly changing roles. Anything can happen and usually does in this late night venue for original work. We take the first 15 pieces to walk in the door and there are only three rules: pieces must be original (no copyright violations), short (five minutes or less), and not break anything (including the law). Inside those rules you can do pretty much anything you’re interested in trying in front of a live audience–plays, monologues, songs, dance, poetry, mime, juggling, comedy, tragedy, Improvisation, dada, magic–we’ve even seen people do floral arrangements! Pieces are accepted starting at 10 pm, doors open at 10:30 pm, and the show starts at 11 pm, running on average an hour and a half.

Opening Convocation
2024-09-03 16:30 - 17:30 | duPont Chapel
Hollins officially launches the 2024-25 academic year with Opening Convocation on Tuesday, September 3, at 4:30 p.m., in duPont Chapel. We will welcome new students into the campus community and seniors will process in their robes for the first time. Immediately following Opening Convocation, seniors will participate in the annual tradition of taking their first official steps onto Front Quad.

Hollins Music Faculty Showcase
2024-09-08 15:00 - 16:00 | duPont Chapel
Hollins music faculty will present a showcase concert featuring classical, popular, and theatrical selections. Come and see what our excellent musicians are capable of!

Eboo Patel: "Building Bridges Across Difference"
2024-09-19 19:00 - 20:00 | Talmadge Recital Hall, Bradley
Building and maintaining a participatory, democratic society involves developing strategies for talking with and listening to people who don’t always share our perspectives and life experiences. Dr. Eboo Patel, author, speaker, educator, and founder of the organization Interfaith America will offer his insights about democracy, pluralism, and faith, and discuss our shared responsibility of building bridges across difference.

“Building Bridges Across Difference” is part of the Hollins Distinguished Speaker Series. A reception and book signing will follow in the Botetourt Reading Room (relocated from the Green Drawing Room in Main). The event is free and open to the public. Seating will be limited.

Helen Phillips Reading and Lecture
2024-09-19 20:15 - 21:30 | Hollins Room, Wyndham Robertson Library, 7916 Williamson Road, Roanoke, VA, 24020, United States
Helen Phillips is the author of six books, including the novel The Need (Simon & Schuster, 2019; Chatto & Windus, 2019), which was long-listed for the National Book Award and named a New York Times Notable Book of 2019. Her latest novel, HUM, was published in August 2024 by Simon & Schuster/Marysue Rucci Books.

Phillips’ short story collection Some Possible Solutions (Henry Holt, 2016) received the 2017 John Gardner Fiction Book Award. Her novel The Beautiful Bureaucrat (Henry Holt, 2015), a New York Times Notable Book of 2015, was a finalist for the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Her collection And Yet They Were Happy (Leapfrog Press, 2011) was named a notable collection by The Story Prize and was re-released in 2023. She is also the author of the children’s eco-adventure book Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green (Delacorte Press, 2012).

Sponsored by the Department of English and Creative Writing and the Dee Hull Everist Visiting Speaker Fund.

Distinguished Speaker Series: Ailey School Student Performance Group
2024-11-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Hollins Theatre
THEATRE SEATING IS SOLD OUT! All Tickets will now be for a live video feed.
The Ailey School honors the vision of Alvin Ailey, founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, by providing the best professional dance education with a focus on multidisciplinary training.

Dancers from the Ailey School will offer a performance and a keynote address on the history of the Ailey company, their relationship with college campuses and diversity, and the importance of teaching and the arts. The dancers come from all corners of the world to train and perfect their craft in the Ailey style of dance which incorporates multiple techniques including ballet, Horton, Graham-based modern, jazz, West African, Dunham technique, and hip hop. Led by Rehearsal Director Freddie Moore, the dancers are given the opportunity to share Mr. Ailey’s vision through valuable professional performance experience. This special event is part of the Hollins Distinguished Speaker Series.
Admission is free and open to the public, but seating is limited, and tickets are required (click here to reserve your space). Once tickets in the theatre are sold out, we will offer tickets to overflow seating in another location, with a video feed from the event in the theatre.

Winter Concert
2024-12-08 18:30 - 19:30 | duPont Chapel
The Hollins Choirs will present their holiday concert, accompanied by the student orchestra, guest musicians, and local children in choir. Featuring a multi-lingual performance of “Silent Night” by candlelight. Please join us and let’s celebrate the holidays together!

Where Love Leads: Love as a Leadership Strategy
2025-01-16 17:00 - 18:30 | Ballator Gallery, Moody Center
The first in the Batten Leadership Institute‘s “Leading Together” speaker series will explore why and how love can be an effective leadership strategy and how to apply that strategy in your daily life. Hollins University President Mary Dana Hinton extols that education and the liberal arts, in particular, demand the use of love as a leadership strategy.
The event will begin with a networking reception at 5 p.m., the presentation at 5:30 p.m., and a Q&A beginning at approximately 6 p.m.
Dr. Hinton is the thirteenth president of Hollins University. An accomplished higher education leader, she currently serves as the president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities board of directors. She is the author of Leading from the Margins: College Leadership from Unexpected Places.
The Leading Together speaker series seeks to facilitate learning and build community around the practice of leadership in Southwest Virginia. Sponsored by the Hollins Batten Leadership Institute and the William R. Kenan Jr. Leadership Endowment Fund, the speaker series is free and open to the public.

Beyond Hollins: What’s Next...
2025-03-07 08:00 - 17:00 | Ballator Gallery, Moody Center
Career and Life Design presents Hollins University’s Annual C3: Spring Career Connection Conference on Friday, March 7, 2025. The conference theme, “Beyond Hollins: What’s Next…,” aims to empower attendees to unlock their individual potential and create a significant impact on their future careers as well as how to prepare for life after graduation. This event offers a transformative experience, connecting students with alumnae/i, employers, and other professionals in various industries.

Event Highlights:

Experiential Showcase: This event takes place in the Ballator Gallery with internship and study abroad students showcasing their work and experiences they’ve had this school year during their internship work and travels.
Industry Roundtables: Dynamic discussions with alumnae/i, employers, and other seasoned professionals from multiple sectors to gain valuable insights into different career paths and industry trends.
Speed Networking: Where students engage a wide range of professionals in a fast-paced setting, perfect for expanding your professional network and exploring potential career opportunities.
Careers Conversations: One-on-one sessions between our students and alumnae/i and other industry experts to ask specific questions, seek advice, and learn about day-to-day roles and responsibilities in fields of interest.
LinkedIn Photobooth: Students can enhance their professional online presence with a high-quality LinkedIn photo.

At “Beyond Hollins: What’s Next…” many students will take their first step towards preparing for life after graduation and fulfilling an impactful career. Others will leverage their experience at Hollins to excel in their next career steps.

This event is a unique opportunity for students to engage with alumnae/i and employers to ignite their passion, gain critical insights, and pave the way for your future success. The world is eagerly awaiting the distinctive talents and perspectives that our Hollins students can offer.

Author Reading: Kiki Petrosino
2025-03-13 19:30 - 20:30 | Green Drawing Room, Main
Hollins University
Join us for a special reading with acclaimed poet Kiki Petrosino as part of the 2024-2025 Reading & Lecture Series hosted by the Department of English and Creative Writing.
Petrosino will present her work “Bright,” which explores the term used to describe light-skinned people of interracial American ancestry. The book offers a meditation on the author’s upbringing in a mixed Black and Italian American family, weaving together memoir, archival research, and personal reflection to examine the legacies of enslavement and racial discrimination in America.
Kiki Petrosino is the author of “White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia” (2020) and three other poetry collections. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop and currently teaches at the University of Virginia as a Professor of Poetry.
A Q&A session, book signing, and reception will follow the reading.
All are welcome to attend!

Leadership in the Workplace: How Diversity of Experience Builds High-performing Teams
2025-03-19 17:00 - 18:00 | Ballator Gallery, Moody Center
Join us for an insightful presentation by Laura Bradford Godfrey, award-winning senior executive and founder across multiple industries, from fashion brands to EdTech companies. Currently serving as chief operating officer of Louvelle, a peer-to-peer fashion tech start-up.

This presentation will explore:

The business case for leading diverse teams
How diversity of experience leads to diversity of thought
Why diverse thinking is crucial for high-performing teams
Practical tools to encourage broader team participation

The Leading Together speaker series is sponsored by the Hollins Batten Leadership Institute and the William R. Kenan Jr. Leadership Endowment Fund. All events are free and open to the public.

Choir Quad Concert
2025-05-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Front Quad
Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets for the choir’s traditional end-of-semester concert! It’ll be a blast with selections chosen by our graduating seniors, and ice cream will be served beforehand.

Commencement 2025
2025-05-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Berglund Center, 710 Williamson Rd NE, Roanoke, 24016, United States
More information regarding the comprehensive schedule for Commencement Weekend, including the featured speaker, will be provided in early March.

Kat Pascal - From Me to We: Connections That Create Impact
2025-09-29 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: September 29th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: In this presentation Kat explores how an entrepreneurial mindset can strengthen nonprofits by fostering creativity, resourcefulness, and collaboration. She shares personal experiences of turning challenges into opportunities and explores how shifting from individual goals to collective purpose can create lasting community impact.
Speaker Bio: Kat Pascal is a social entrepreneur and community advocate who brings an entrepreneurial mindset to the nonprofit world. As the founder of the Latinas Network, she leverages her experience in small business to build innovative, sustainable strategies that create meaningful impact. Kat is passionate about connecting people, resources, and opportunities to drive collective growth.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Book Discussion - High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out by Amanda Ripley
2025-10-22 17:30 - 18:30 | Sweet Donkey coffee House, 2108 Broadway Ave SW, Roanoke, 24014, United States
Date: October 22nd
Time: 5:30 PM-6:30 PM
Location: Sweet Donkey (Green Room)
Description: Please join us at Sweet Donkey for a discussion of the book High Conflict: Why we get trapped and how we get out by Amanda Ripley. Hollins BLI faculty Dr. LeeRay Costa and Dr. Abrina Schnurman will serve as facilitators. Attendance requires registration and participation is capped at 20 due to space limitations. We hope you will join us!
Book Description: In High Conflict: Why we get trapped and how we get out, author Amanda Ripley explores the contrast between us-them, high stakes conflict and healthy or good conflict. Through the stories of numerous and diverse real people who hold a range of perspectives, Ripley shows us how we can rekindle wonder and curiosity, rehumanize one another, and transform conflict in ways that lead to better relationships and communities that make space for both difference and connection.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Senior Thesis Production: The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals
2025-11-14 00:00 - 2025-11-15 23:59 | Hollins Theatre
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Blim, Book by Nick & Matt Lang
Originally produced by StarKid Productions
Directed by Gwyn Lloyd ’27
Produced by Too Many Hats Theatre Company ’26

When: November 14-15 at 7:30 pm and November 15 at 2 pm

Where: Hollins Theatre Main Stage

What: Everything in Hatchetfield seemed normal until people began singing… Then, they began dancing… And now, a musical pandemic is sweeping the entire city. It’s up to Paul (an average guy who doesn’t like musicals) and his friends to stop this musical apocalypse and fight for humanity’s future.

Free and open to the public. Reservations not yet available.

Janet Crawford - The Coaching Advantage: A Leader's Game-Changing Superpower: Subtle Shifts. Extraordinary Results
2025-11-17 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: November 17th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: Coaching isn’t an extra skill for leaders—it is the key to unlocking performance and building trust. In this interactive session, participants will discover how adopting a coaching mindset can transform everyday conversations into opportunities for growth, agency and empowerment. Through practice and reflection, we will learn practical techniques to listen beyond the what to the who, share reflections that shift perspectives, and ask questions that spark insight. Participants will gain skills to elevate their leadership, drive extraordinary results, and create greater ease in one’s day.
Speaker Bio: Janet Crawford is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation, and the founder of Extra Ordinary Living—dedicated to embracing sustainable change. Prior to launching her private coaching practice, she spent 18 years in healthcare executive leadership. Janet partners with clients to maximize human potential—releasing what no longer serves them, building on existing strengths, and embracing new ways of leading, working, and living.

FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates
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Reimagining Medea (downtown performance)
2025-12-06 19:30 - 20:30 | Ursula’s Cafe, 511 S Jefferson St., Roanoke, VA, 24011, United States
Reimagining Medea written and directed by Dr. Anuradha Marwah
Performed by THEA 250

When: December 6 at 7:30 pm at Ursula’s Cafe (Downtown Roanoke)
December 8 at 7:30 pm on the Hollins Theatre Main Stage

Where: Hollins Theatre Main Stage

What: In the course ‘Reimagining Medea: Participatory Theatre’, which involves the making of a performance-in-the-round of Euripides’ play with student actors, we propose to investigate the proto-feminist underpinnings of the classical play for its relevance in today’s time and age. The performance is built via a series of workshops in which the actors explore modes of connecting with the audience through a deep introspection of their own responses to the mythic characters. Viewing contemporary concerns through the lens of the universal themes of tragedy, we aim at a fuller understanding of social and political issues around us and reaffirm theatre as one of the most effective workshops for democracy.

Reimagining Medea
2025-12-08 19:30 - 20:30 | Hollins Theatre

LeeRay Costa - Grounding Your Leadership in Contemplative Practice
2025-12-10 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: December 10th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: Research tells us that self-awareness and relationality are critical components of effective leadership. Yet the constant change and overwhelming expectations that leaders experience daily can make embodying such qualities challenging. In this workshop we will explore how grounding your leadership in contemplative practices can increase presence, self-awareness, compassion (for self and others), connection, and resilience.
Speaker Bio: Trained as a feminist cultural anthropologist, Dr. LeeRay Costa currently serves as Executive Director of the Batten Leadership Institute, and Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies / Anthropology at Hollins University. She is co-editor of the book Contemplative Practices and Acts of Resistance in Higher Education: Narratives Toward Wholeness (Routledge, 2024). Her current interests include engaging spirituality, contemplative practices, and creative expression in the service of leadership, human flourishing, and transformative social change.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Kismet Loftin-Bell - Power Moves: Navigating Priorities, People & Purpose With Strength
2026-01-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Goodwin PDR
Date: January 13th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Goodwin PDR, Moody Center, Hollins University
Note: the first 20 people to sign up will receive a free copy of the Clifton Strengths book and a code to take the assessment for free. This requires pre-registration.
Workshop Description: This is not your typical soft skills session. Power Moves helps women understand how to use their natural talents (via CliftonStrengths) to set priorities that matter, navigate tricky collaborations, and transform conflict into connection. Participants will leave with a clearer sense of direction, empowered communication tools, and a personal “Power Move Map” they can use daily.
Speaker Bio: Kismet Loftin-Bell currently serves as the Women’s Leadership Program Associate at High Point University in High Point, NC, supporting the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s L.I.F.T. Fellowship—a transformative leadership development program that serves over 130 college women. She is a certified CliftonStrengths Coach, John Maxwell 360° Leader facilitator, and alumna of Hollins University.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Vanessa Priya Daniel - Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning & How We Can Show Up for Them
2026-03-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Talmadge Recital Hall, Bradley
Date: March 12th
Time: TBD
Location: Keynote presentation – Talmadge Hall, Hollins University; Book Signing following presentation – Lewis Reading Room, Wyndham Robertson Library, Hollins University
Joint event: Leading EDJ and BLI Leading Together series
Description: In this keynote presentation, Vanessa Priya Daniel, author of Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning (Random House, 2025) will share the superpowers women of color leaders use to create winning strategies that drive meaningful change for all. She will also address how we remove the roadblocks that make leadership treacherous for women of color. Daniel’s presentation draws upon 25+ years of experience as an organizer, founder, and funder of over 100 women of color-led organizations. Additionally, her presentation is informed by over 45 interviews she conducted with many of the best and brightest women of color leaders in U.S. social justice movements and philanthropy, while completing her new book.
Speaker Bio: Vanessa Priya Daniel is an author, organizer, and award-winning leader for racial and gender justice. She has worked in social justice movements for twenty-five years as a labor and community organizer and funder. Her first book is Unrig the Game: What Women of Color Can Teach Everyone About Winning (Random House, 2025). She founded and served for 17 years as executive director of Groundswell Fund, a leading funder of women of color-led grassroots community and electoral organizing. She is a recipient of the Smith College Medal, was featured by The Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of fifteen “Influencers” who are changing the nonprofit world, and was recognized by Inside Philanthropy as one of the “Top 100 Most Powerful Players in Philanthropy.” Daniel has written for The New York Times and other publications.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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She Kills Monsters
2026-04-09 00:00 - 2026-04-11 23:59 | Hollins Theatre
She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, directed by E.B. Smith

When: April 9-11 at 7:30 pm and April 11 at 2 pm

Where: Hollins Theatre Main Stage

What: She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was her sister’s refuge. In this high-octane dramatic comedy laden with homicidal fairies, nasty ogres, and 90s pop culture, acclaimed playwright Qui Nguyen offers a heart-pounding homage to the geek and warrior within us all.

Content Warnings: Strong language

Admission: $10 general admission. $5 for non-Hollins students. FREE for Hollins students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are not yet available. Email boxoffice@hollins.edu to reserve complimentary tickets.

“She Kills Monsters” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Jeanine Stewart - AI Meets Human Intelligence: Navigating the Multi-Cognitive Workplace
2026-04-20 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: April 20th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30 PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (Event Space)
Description: As managers and executives integrate AI tools into workplaces with a goal of boosting performance, they’re discovering unexpected challenges where artificial intelligence meets human cognition. This intersection creates new forms of workplace stress and requires fresh approaches to team development. Drawing on neuroscience research and applied psychology, we will consider some practical approaches for supporting leaders and their teams as organizations navigate this dynamic technological transformation.
Speaker Bio: Jeanine Stewart is a neuroscientist, executive coach, and former C-level executive who specializes in the intersection of AI, neuroscience, and leadership. She works with executives at major global organizations to help them master adaptive leadership in environments where human and artificial intelligence must collaborate effectively. Dr. Stewart has developed the NeuroMighty™ framework, which focuses on how human brains work in synchrony with one another and how to build core brain strengths that optimize team performance.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Abrina Schnurman: Exploring the Leader-Follower Dynamic for Purpose-Driven Results
2026-05-11 17:00 - 18:30 | Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space), 1327 Grandin Rd SW, Roanoke,, VA, 24015, United States
Date: May 11th
Time: 5:00 PM-6:30 PM

5:00 PM: Networking
5:30 PM-6:30 PM: Speaker/Workshop

Location: Grandin CoLab (CoLaboration Space)
Description: While traditional leadership discourse has centered on leadership style or capacity, followers play a significant role in co-creating culture and outcomes. This talk adds to the leadership development toolkit by examining the dynamic intersection of leaders and followership as a framework for cultivating purpose-driven organizations and enhancing collective engagement.
Speaker Bio: Abrina Schnurman has been a core faculty member of the Batten Leadership Institute at Hollins University since 2004, where she teaches courses in leadership studies. She holds Executive Certificates in Leadership and Management from Harvard and the University of Virginia. She is also a licensed professional counselor.
FREE to the public. Registration is required. Register for any Leading Together Series Dates

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Commencement 2026
2026-05-17 10:00 - 12:00 | Berglund Center, 710 Williamson Rd NE, Roanoke, 24016, United States
