FIRST CLASS OF ALUMNI STARS
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Boris Kodjoe was a four-year letterman in men’s tennis for VCU from 1992-96. He compiled a 75-39 career record in singles and 54-26 in doubles. Kodjoe was nationally-ranked in both singles and doubles during his junior and senior seasons, climbing as high as #29 in singles and #11 in doubles. In the fall of 1995, Kodjoe won his draw in the Region II Indoor Championships to earn an automatic berth in the National Indoors, becoming the first VCU player to win the regional indoor tournament. He was First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association in both singles and doubles in 1996, helping the Rams claim their first CAA title.

Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, and grew up in Germany. He earned a marketing degree in May, 1996. While at VCU, Kodjoe was approached by an agent of the Ford Modeling agency in New York. He joined them in June of 1996 and worked on campaigns with Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, Yves Saint Laurent and the GAP within the first seven months. Kodjoe appeared in many major publications, making him one of the few recognizable faces among male supermodels. He earned a Supermodel Award at the Fall ’98 fashion shows.

Kodjoe studied acting and earned guest appearances on sitcoms such as “Steve Harvey” and “For Your Love”. He appeared in several films, including “Love and Basketball”, “Brown Sugar” and “The Playmaker”. Kodjoe starred in Showtime’s series “Soul Food”. He received three NAACP Award Nominations for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama’ and one for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Feature’. Kodjoe currently stars in UPN’s series “Second Time Around”.

Richmond native Dr. Karen Killeen knows a thing or two about running. She was a four-year standout for the VCU cross country team from 1986 to 1989 and served as the team captain her senior year. Recognized not only at the conference level, but nationally as well, the former Karen Blem is one of the most decorated cross country performers to ever compete for the Rams.

Killeen graduated from VCU in 1990 with a Bachelor’s of Science in chemistry and biology while earning Summa cum Laude honors. More impressively, she earned a 3.97 GPA. In 1990 she was named to the GTE Academic All-America team and was named the Sun Belt Conference Female Academic Athlete-of-the-Year in 1989. She was a member of the Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State Academic Team in 1988 and 1989.

Currently, Killeen works for Commonwealth Radiology, P.C. serving as the Director of PET/CT Imaging. After completing her time at MCV in 1994, she did her residency in Diagnostic Radiology until 1998 where she received the Resident of the Year Award in the Department of Radiology.

She then completed her fellowship in Trauma Radiology at the University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore and served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology until 2000. Before returning home, she served as the Medical Director and Director of CT for Forsyth Radiological Associates in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Killeen’s bibliographies, along with her lists of honors and committees that she has served on, are about as long as the races she would run for VCU 15 years ago. She has been published in countless journals and served in numerous organizations.

She is currently licensed in Virginia and North Carolina and is certified by both the American Board of Radiology and the USMLE. Turns out Dr. Killeen also knows a thing or two about science.

Chuck Hiter, a native of Mechanicsville, Virginia, and a product of the local Lee-Davis High School, began his baseball career at Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. After transferring from Louisburg Junior College, Hiter competed for the Rams in 1983 and 1985 under head coach Tony Guzzo.

In his first year at VCU, Hiter, a reserve infielder, saw action in 22 games, while making 80 appearances at the plate. His season-best performance came against Jacksonville, as he tied a school-record with his six RBI.

However, his senior year, Hiter broke out. The Mechanicsville native, who was only one of two players on the roster to start every game in 1985, posted an impressive .304 batting average in his 191 at-bats. Hiter was also good for team-highs of 58 hits, 15 doubles, 12 home runs, and 54 RBI.

Twenty-one years later, now more commonly known as Chuck “The Hit Man” Hiter, he is no longer hitting a white-ball with stitches, but rather a much smaller white ball with dimples. The premise is still the same – make contact with the ball – however, the technique as well as the fundamental objective has dramatically changed.

Hiter, the former baseball standout, practices the amazing art of golf trick shots. During his show, Hiter displays his obvious talent and athleticism, along with humor to entertain and delight his fans. The former Ram amazes his crowds by hitting the ball while balancing himself on a three-foot pole, using a super long driver while kneeling on the ground, and by swaying on a teeter-totter on top of a table. He even has the “mid air swat” which resembles the swing of a baseball player.

Hiter has performed at corporate outings, charity functions, and even a variety of Professional Golf Association tournaments. He also boasts an impressive resume of television appearances, including CBS Sports, ABC Sports, The Golf Channel, and ESPN. Hiter has also been featured in several premier sports journals, such as Sports Illustrated and Golf World.

Hiter is indeed a diamond in the rough.