1 p.m. to 1:55 p.m.

One of the world's leading spatial ecologists, Marie-Josee Fortin, Ph.D., Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, will present via Zoom "Ecological Networks in Dynamics and Evolving Landscapes." Contact the organizers, Punit Gandhi (gandhipr@vcu.edu) or Oyita Udiani (udianio@vcu.edu) at least 24 hours prior to the seminar for the Zoom information.

For more information, contact Punit Gandhi at gandhipr@vcu.edu or visit https://sites.google.com/vcu.edu/biomath-seminar/spring-2023-speakers/2023-04-14-fortin.

1 p.m.

VCU's National Scholarship Office will host a virtual Fulbright informational session via Zoom. The Fulbright Scholarship provides funding for research, study, creative projects and teaching English abroad. Juniors, seniors and graduate students from all majors are encouraged to participate. Questions: http://nso.vcu.edu Register for this or future sessions or request the recording at the following URL.

For more information, contact Meredith Sisson at honorsnso@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/86JF6u6NsYAw23ef7.

2 p.m.

For more than two decades, Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts has been one of the web's premiere literary magazines, earning accolades and attracting an expansive readership for its diverse range of award-winning and emerging writers. As the journal undergoes a transition in advance of its late 2023 relaunch, VCU Libraries and the MFA in Creative Writing Program will celebrate its achievements by featuring a select group of Blackbird alumni. The celebration will be in the third-floor lecture hall, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. In addition to the afternoon presentation, the celebration will continue at 7 p.m. tonight. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Thom Didato at tndidato@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1329 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZ8LQd-SfTVb1qG4t_ACl5dRRXxSgkjgaN9ItA6eALcA8SHA/viewform.

2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The Commons and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs will host the 2023 Intercultural Festival at Monroe Park. This annual event, which dates to 2003, celebrates the cultural diversity of VCU's campus and the surrounding community. The festival showcases activities, crafts, food from local vendors and performances by student and community groups.

For more information, contact Joshua Lockhart at lockhart@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/icf/home-2021/.

6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

VCU's Lebanese Student Association will host a spring bash in Virginia Rooms A-D, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., with dancing and Lebanese food served at sunset.

For more information, contact Lebanese Student Association at contact.lsa.vcu@gmail.com.

Saturday, Apr. 15, 2023 at 6 p.m.

VCU's Leadership Council for the College of Humanities and Sciences will host a night of dancing and food at a masquerade ball at the ballroom of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jasmyne Khan at Khanjj@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/theleadershipcouncil/rsvp_boot?id=1927711.

Monday, Apr. 17, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Join Upstream360 CEO Mike Thomas and chief creative officer Ben Patrick for open office hours at Shift Retail Lab, 1235 W. Broad St. This event is open to all students looking for help or feedback on their products, businesses or services. Upstream360 is a product communication agency that believes every product has a hidden yet magically intuitive idea at its core, waiting to be unleashed. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kelsey Steenburgh at steenburghbk@vcu.edu or visit https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/upstream360-shift.

Monday, Apr. 17, 2023 at 5 p.m.

The Premedical and Predental Graduate Health Sciences Certificate (CERT) program at VCU is hosting an informational session via Zoom. CERT is a one-year, graduate-level program for individuals seeking to enhance their qualifications for admission into professional school. In addition to graduate-level coursework, CERT includes a test prep course, shadowing, and an advisor LOR. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Rachel Fry at premedcert@vcuhealth.org or visit http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/graduate/premed_cert/.

Monday, Apr. 17, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.

VCU's American Society for Microbiology Student Chapter will host a general body meeting via Zoom. Semester activities will be discussed. The meeting is open to any undergraduate, graduate, or postdocs interested in ASM. Click on the following URL to join the meeting.

For more information, contact Annie Hinson at hinsonan3@vcu.edu or visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85281856277?pwd=WlZVWkpZVkZMV1lCT0l3eFhnQWMyUT09.

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023 from 11 a.m. to noon

This workshop will provide Canvas tips for the end of the semester, such as creating Incomplete sections and giving extra credit. Register at the following link: https://training.vcu.edu/course.aspx?processFlag=2&itemID=18104 The Zoom link is https://vcu.zoom.us/my/canvaslearn

For more information, contact Jon Reed at reedjj@vcu.edu or visit http://learningsystems.vcu.edu.

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023 at 3 p.m.

Tour the VPM+ICA Community Media Center and learn about its Skillshares, recording studio, summer program and how the center can help to create. VCU's Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center is at 601 W. Broad St.

For more information, contact Natalie Hale at halene@vcu.edu.

Tuesday, Apr. 18, 2023 at 6 p.m.

Compete with and against other students in financial-themed games such as Monopoly, Life and Trivia in the atrium of Snead Hall, School of Business, 301 W. Main St. The event will be hosted by the Money Spot. Prizes will be awarded.

For more information, contact Amy Pridemore at pridemorea@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Apr. 19, 2023 at 2 p.m.

The post-baccalaureate certificate in clinical research supports clinical research professionals entering the workforce or transitioning career paths and offers professional development for current clinical, allied health and research professionals. Applications are now being accepted for Summer and Fall 2023. Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtdeGqpjgiHdXMbk1X1HeLtgIIrVNlo42T April 30 is the deadline for Summer 2023 enrollment. VCU tuition benefit is available for eligible university employees. Hospital personnel should direct tuition benefit inquiries to hospital Human Resources or access HR4U. Contact: Catherine Brown, program coordinator.

For more information, contact Catherine Brown at crbrown@vcu.edu or visit https://cctr.vcu.edu/education-and-training/certificate-program/.

Wednesday, Apr. 19, 2023 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Join VCU's Department of History to hear from Robert J. Patterson, Ph.D., professor of African American Studies, who served as the inaugural chair of the Department of African American Studies at Georgetown University (2016-2019). In this lecture, Patterson will discuss the recent political controversies around AP African American Studies courses in Florida high schools and the broader issues of teaching race and diversity in the United States today and how they affect the lives of Black Americans. The talk will be in the University Student Commons theater, 907 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Kathleen Murphy at kmmurphy@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1636 or visit https://history.vcu.edu/events/event-items/black-lives-matter-except-when-they-dont-ap-african-american-studies-and-black-life.html.

Wednesday, Apr. 19, 2023 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

It's never too late to learn how to ride a bike. RamBikes can help with all the fundamentals: kicking off, getting your balance, pedaling, stopping and everything in-between. Some bikes will be available or bring your own. Workshops are held at RamBikes, 1106 W. Broad St.

For more information, contact Sera Erickson at rambikes@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2453 or visit https://bikes.vcu.edu/events/.

Thursday, Apr. 20, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.

Come out to the ball game to support your local Richmond Flying Squirrels with VCU's Black Graduate Student Association during their HBCU Night. Tickets will be $7 with a valid student ID. The game will be at the Diamond, 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

For more information, contact Ariel Johnson at bgsa@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/bgsa/home/.

Friday, Apr. 21, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Come to the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St., for a night of performances, artist talks, the final iteration of MURRMUR and new works from Tricky Walsh and Sharon Mashihi. Internationally acclaimed architect Steven Holl, designer of the ICA’s LEED-Gold certified building, will also speak. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Natalie Hale at halene@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/events/ica-5th-anniversary-party/.

Monday, Apr. 24, 2023 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

VCU Psychology will host a Psychology Industry Networking Event in Virginia Rooms A-D, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Network with potential employers, learn about their industry and discuss potential job opportunities over pizza and snacks. Students can drop in at any time during the time block. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Lucy Hudson, Ed.D., at s2lrhuds@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/3Xct5gkJxNPTxRnFA.

Thursday, Apr. 27, 2023 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

TEDxVCU, sponsored by The Commons, will present its end of the year salon, “Frameshift” at The Underground on the lower level of The Commons, Suite 015, 907 Floyd Ave. Those who attend will watch prerecorded TED Talks about changing the way we view and interact with stories and learning to create our own, followed by informal discussions about the talks. Free food and drinks will be provided. Register on RamsConnect.

For more information, contact TEDxVCU Team at tedx@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/tedxvcu/salons/.

VCU's Leadership Council for the College of Humanities and Sciences will host a gala on Saturday, April 15 and is seeking volunteers to aid in setting up from 3-6 p.m. Food will be provided. Sign up to help with set up at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jasmyne Khan at chaleadershipcouncil@gmail.com or visit https://forms.gle/q3A3cVcFz8TjgcvP7.

VCU’s Journal for Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship, AUCTUS, is currently accepting student submissions to its STEM, Social Sciences, Creative, Humanities and News and Noteworthy sections. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/auctusvcu.

For more information, contact VCU Auctus at auctus@vcu.edu or visit http://auctus.vcu.edu.

Do you have opinions on pizza and five minutes to spare? Complete this short survey for a pizza-related case study for Strategic Management (MGMT 434). See the survey at the following URL. All responses are anonymous.

For more information, contact Sarah Cuba at cubas2@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/W1fCDptvv4KfX38s7.

VCU's Well-Being Lab invites students to join its research assistant team in Fall 2023. Participants will help to run two research projects on improving student well-being and making high school education more engaging. Questions: https://wellbeinglaboratory.org/ Apply at the following URL before Friday, April 23.

For more information, contact Polina Beloborodova at beloborodp@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/Lzpu342KTAi6hjidA.

VCU Information Security Office has seen a drastic increase in job scams targeting the student population. The scammers behind these emails will pretend to be VCU professors and contact students with unsolicited job offers or research opportunities. For more information, visit the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Information Security Office at infosec@vcu.edu or visit https://ts.vcu.edu/askit/essential-computing/information-security/security-highlights-for-students/scams-targeting-students/.

Equity and Access Services will offer a virtual orientation session to review the Safety and Protection of Minors Policy. The orientation is geared for those working with minors in any capacity and will offer a review of the basic components of the policy and help address any questions. The session is available on Wednesday, May 3. Register at the following URL under "Orientation Sessions."

For more information, contact Charles Johnson at youth@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2841 or visit https://equity.vcu.edu/protection-of-minors/.

People ages 18-25 are invited to participate in a research study using virtual reality (VR) to understand how people experience police interviews about crime. Principal Investigator is Hayley Cleary, MPP,, Ph.D., in the Wilder School. Participants will be compensated. Questions? Email the following address.

For more information, contact Hayley Cleary at vise@vcu.edu.

This is a research study aiming to receive feedback on a sexual health intervention designed for couples. To be eligible to participate, you have to identity as Black or African American and be 18 to 35 years of age. The study requires participation in a 120-minute session and completion of a questionnaire. Amazon gift card compensation is available. Participation in this research study is voluntary.

For more information, contact Kristina Hood, Ph.D., at progresslab@vcu.edu or visit https://progress.vcu.edu/participate/.