10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The VCUarts Photography Senior BFA Artist Talks is a two-day event featuring 30 emerging artists. Each artist will give a 10-minute talk about their capstone project, their process(es) and their practice as a whole. This event allows audience members a close look at each student’s capstone work and to hear about a variety of techniques and themes within the contemporary photographic space. The event will be at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Snacks and refreshments will be provided and the group will break for an intermission at noon.

For more information, contact Photography + Film at photofilm@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/lamppost/photography-capstone-artist-talks/.

10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The English Language Program at VCU will host a Chinese tea culture gathering led by guest speaker Ana Xuan Zhang Stevens, certified tea sommelier and founder of Cha and Grace. Zhang Stevens and her assistant, Dong Hu, invite you to slow down, be present, cultivate connection and return to simplicity through a cup of tea and the practices that guide Chinese tea culture. The event will be in Room 3127, Grace Street Center, 912 W. Grace St.

For more information, contact Audrey Emiko Short at aeshort@vcu.edu.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Stay future-focused with online, asynchronous graduate AI Courses INNO 510: AI Governance and Enterprise Adoption, IDAI 600: AI Foundations and Applied Strategy, and PHIL 600: Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Problem Solving. Click on the link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Sam Weed at weedsj@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/GrE4F3HLtxp7iz3D8.

Friday, May 1, 2026 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Come to the opening of the second installment of the 2026 VCUarts MFA Thesis Exhibition, featuring works by 14 artists and designers mastering in the VCUarts departments of Craft/Material Studies, Graphic Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media. The opening will be at VCU's Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center (ICA), 601 W. Broad St. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCUarts at arts@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/events/first-friday-2026-vcuarts-mfa-thesis-exhibition-opening-round-2/.

Friday, May 1, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Cup of Kindness is a two-hour, open-invitation program at the VCU Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A, with a mindfulness and stress management activity followed by warm beverages and social time.

For more information, contact VCU Health Hub at vcuhealthhub@vcu.edu.

Monday, May 4, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The Urban Studies Student Association will hold a social/informational event to discuss great cities of the world and what can be learned from them. A Global Education adviser will be on hand to discuss Study Abroad opportunities. Drinks and snacks will be provided. The session will be in the Raleigh Building, Basement Room 001, W. Franklin St.

For more information, contact Corinne Tsou at tsoucd@vcu.edu.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Are you in need of assistance with your finances? Are you trying to figure out how to stretch a dollar? Make an appointment with the VCU Health Hub's financial coaching team. They will be at the Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A, the first Tuesday of each month. Create an appointment at the following link.

For more information, contact VCU Health Hub at vcuhealthhub@vcu.edu or visit https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/appointments/schedules/AcZssZ2CDnPp0yXguzgIqwOboClM03Q4ANF2wX1yYybJp48O3YZM8ijXQveFDAvL96wembPgz1KN-jAT.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

VCU HR will offer a course on coaching for managers via Zoom. This course introduces managers to an easy-to-use mindset and model to help employees progress toward goals. Employees without access to Talent@VCU may complete this form to register: https://forms.gle/Hk1dRH75xvg9MQ3c8 Registration is required by Monday, May 4 in Talent@VCU at the following URL.

For more information, contact Penelope McFarline at mcfarlinep@vcu.edu or visit https://rb.gy/f3gevm.

Thursday, May 7, 2026 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and VCU Health Sciences Library will present a lunch research seminar via Zoom. Nina Exner, Ph.D., research data librarian, will discuss how data repositories can be used to meet the National Institute of Health's data dissemination requirements. Questions: https://cctr.vcu.edu/ Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Pamela Dillon, Pharm.D., research liaison, at pmdillon@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/jTvw13ZFSsC2O9QqURZRvw.

Monday, May 11, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Rams in Recovery will host Naloxone trainings this summer. Sign up for a training session at the following URL to learn how to respond to an opioid overdose emergency. Narcan kit is included for all training participants. Sessions will be at the Rams in Recovery Clubhouse, 1103 W. Marshall St.

For more information, contact Kelly Fugate at edwardskm@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSce5yua7uSasV8cU6jTmCvQejNMYHBIErNpCrfFV5fDSQ57Zw/viewform.

As the semester winds down, students (and colleagues) are invited to share words of gratitude with VCU professors. University faculty members work hard to make a positive impact – let them know you’ve noticed. Expressing kindness not only brightens someone’s day, it’s good for you, too. Questions: Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at ctle@vcu.edu. Spread joy and send your VCU profs some props through the following URL.

For more information, contact Michele Murray at mmurray2@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-bQxqzSHjvQtndTHFAU1rBCPmXPMAsQlthL2Jh2ShvLeCdQ/viewform.

VCU Department of Music invites students to register for choir for the upcoming academic year. Three ensembles are available: Commonwealth Singers, Choral Arts Society and Vox Concordia. All choirs are open to all students, regardless of major, and meet during the day for course credit. Students may register through eServices during enrollment. Learn more at the following URL.

For more information, contact Christopher Hansen, Ph.D., at hansenc3@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/music/ensembles/#vocal-ensembles.

The Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant Program, offered by VCU’s Division of Community Engagement, provides up to $25,000 in seed funding for community-engaged research projects across all disciplines. The program is designed to support VCU faculty and research staff in piloting community-engaged research projects that respond to community-identified needs. The submision deadline is 6 p.m. Friday, May 15. See the request for proposals at the following URL.

For more information, contact Challen Wellington at wellingtonc@vcu.edu or visit https://community.vcu.edu/resources/grants/thriving-communities-pilot-grant/.

This collaborative offers a dynamic opportunity for tenure-track faculty to connect across disciplines and strengthen community-engaged research. All sessions will be held in person and focus on peer exchange and shared learning from September 2026 to May 2027. Those who complete the program will receive a $1,000 stipend in support of professional development. Apply at the following URl by Friday, May 29.

For more information, contact Division of Community Engagement at engage@vcu.edu or visit https://community.vcu.edu/community/cersc/.

On Friday, May 1, James Branch Cabell Library will begin accepting event space reservation requests for events happening between July 1 and the end of the semester in December. All new requests must come through the online submission form at the following URL. Please review all guidelines prior to submitting requests.

For more information, contact Ryan Larson at rbpander@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgrqn27AQZd_Jmoujf06dshAHLtP8NUZx88SkqvfIbdUTQfg/viewform.

FLCs are small groups of faculty members who meet regularly to explore a shared teaching and learning topic. Participants engage in collaborative discussions and reflect on their teaching in a supportive environment. Faculty members who are interested should complete the short application form at the following URL. Those selected will receive a small stipend in recognition of their contributions. Individual feedback will help VCU's Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence plan future FLCs that best support your teaching and student success.

For more information, contact Michele Murray at mmurray2@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtisHQHusI5wFIJOMTDU3DcBgFvsB2PQpskAsVK9MfbtgZFg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102580568854293550927.

Check out the Community Impact Spotlight video on Laura Battaglia, assistant professor of interior design at the VCU School of the Arts, in which she shares how design can serve as a tool for community engagement, storytelling and meaningful change. See the video at the following URL.

For more information, contact Alliannah Hamilton at hamiltonae@vcu.edu or visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTcI8znbGmo.

VCU and UVA seek females ages 14–30 for a research study. If you are low weight, lost significant weight or exercise heavily and have missed or irregular periods (FHA), you may qualify. FHA can harm bone health due to low estrogen. This study tests estrogen and progesterone to improve bone health. Includes four visits over 14 months (exams, questionnaires, nutrition/exercise review, bone scans) at no cost. Up to $875 compensation and travel support. Contact: misralab@uvahealth.org

For more information, contact Alexandra Lempke at alexandra.lempke@vcuhealth.org.

Recruiting adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years old who have 1) never had a diagnosed concussion or 2) sustained a concussion within the last 14 days. This non-invasive study is investigating the acoustic startle reflex and acoustic startle potentiation in relationship to subsequent injury following concussion. Participants will be compensated for their time. See the survey at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jessie Oldham at oldhamjr@vcu.edu or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=YKDWLNYWDNK7M7KX.