Meet the staff

Samantha Wheeler Marrs

Samantha Wheeler Marrs, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and assistant vice president of University Advancement, joined VCU in 2000 as director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. Her primary responsibility is to develop new philanthropic partnerships locally and nationally. Her previous experience includes eight years as program associate at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, where she coordinated higher-education grants in public health, migration and refugee programs and population studies. She holds degrees from Smith College and Columbia University.

Amy Lane

Amy Lane, assistant director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, develops proposals and manages corporate and foundation relationships for the university and the VCU Health System. Before joining VCU in 2004, she worked in marketing and development at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. She holds a Ph.D. from the College of William and Mary, where she worked in major gifts assisting with fundraising projects for the University Library. She also holds a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Science from James Madison University.

Ariana Bracalente

Ariana Bracalente, senior grant writer and coordinator, has been part of the Corporate and Foundation Relations team since 1998 and has worked in higher education since 1987. She is responsible for both the development and the stewardship of private corporate and foundation grants for the university. She has experience in all phases of the proposal process, from researching and identifying prospects for specific programs and projects to working with faculty and administration in developing successful proposals to writing and reviewing proposals and reports to stewarding foundation relationships for the university.