John E. Ulmschneider, dean of libraries and university librarian at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), is the 2020 ACRL Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. Ulmschneider exemplifies academic and research librarianship through his decades-long career as a champion of innovation and inclusion. Under his leadership, VCU developed spaces and resources that meet the needs of contemporary students and the evolving academic research university. Throughout his career, Ulmschneider has also been a strong advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion, encouraging the development of community programming focused on race, social justice, and religion. Learn more about Ulmschneider and our other award recipients starting on page 170.