1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The You First Ambassador training workshop is designed to build a community of champions for first-generation and Asian American and Pacific Islander students. Participants who complete the training will receive a decal to put in their office, a digital decal for their email signature and an official Credly badge for their email signature and LinkedIn page. The Zoom lilnk is https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/eTslBdEURouxHcMlOoiMUQ

For more information, contact Elizabeth Bambacus at bambacuses@vcu.edu or visit https://youfirst.vcu.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty-and-staff-development/first-generation-student-success-ambassador-training/.

12 p.m.

Join the Community Engagement Impact Collaborative for a panel hosted by the Division of Community Engagement on how institutions define and assess community engagement impact. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Lorielle Bouldin at bouldinln@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/6jD1aucX5VznqE268.

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join faculty and staff from the VCU School of Nursing and da Vinci Center to learn about a graduate certificate that helps those interested in innovation create products and solutions for health care challenges. Register for the virtual session at the following URL.

For more information, contact Allison Schumacher at schumacheran@vcu.edu or visit https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/Health-Inno-04-24.

3 p.m.

This year's Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment (PACME) celebration will be in-person in the James Branch Cabell Library, Lecture Hall, Room 303, 901 Park Ave.

For more information, contact University Events at univevents@vcu.edu or visit https://president.vcu.edu/nominations/pacme/.

Friday, Apr. 25, 2025 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, VCU Health and the Alzheimer's Association will host a discussion on balanced nutrition, smoking cessation, sleep and cognitive engagement. The session will be at the VCU Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A. Register at the following email address or by calling the following telephone number.

For more information, contact Office of Community Outreach & Engagement at engagemassey@vcu.edu or (804) 628-0896.

Friday, Apr. 25, 2025 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The 2025 VCUarts MFA Candidacy Exhibition, “Everything Must Go!” will feature innovative and transformative work by 27 first-year graduate students within the VCUarts departments of Craft/Material Studies, Graphic Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting + Printmaking, Photography + Film and Sculpture + Extended Media. The opening reception will be at 1420 N. Parham Road.

For more information, contact Emmy Garcia at garciaem2@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/event/2025-vcuarts-mfa-candidacy-exhibition/.

Saturday, Apr. 26, 2025 at 10 a.m.

VCU's School of World Studies, the Richmond Peace Education Center and Indivisible will present a teach-in, “The First 80 Days of the Trump Administration,” at the Academic Learning Commons (MCALC), Room 1107, 1000 Floyd Ave. The schedule: 10–10:45 a.m., Alex Keena, Ph.D., VCU, Political Science: “The effects of gerrymandering and money on the last presidential election and what folks should be focusing their efforts on.” 10:45–11:30 a.m., Jatia Wrighten, Ph.D., VCU Political Science: “The effects of Trump administration policies on voting rights.” 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Chris Burdett, Ph.D., VCU Political Science: “Trump policies affecting the European Union and NATO.” 12:15-1 p.m., Emily Moore, Senior Policy Analyst, Voices for Virginia’s Children, “Effects of Medicaid cuts.” 1-1:45 p.m., Anita Nadal, VCU, SWS, “Effects of the last presidential election: Offering support to students and community during these challenging times.” 1:45-2:30 p.m., Civil rights attorney Charles Schmidt, “Know your rights.” 2:30-3:15 p.m., Mark Wood, Ph.D., VCU, Religious Studies: "The effects of Trump policies on public education - a union perspective." 3:15-4 p.m., Jenny Pribble, Ph.D., University of Richmond, Political Science, “Is the U.S. headed toward. Autocracy? Pathways to Competitive Authoritarianism and how to slow the Process.”

For more information, contact Jennifer Garvin-Sanchez at jlgarvinsanc@vcu.edu or (804) 402-4528.

Saturday, Apr. 26, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Join the Philosophy of Medicine and Bioethics 4 Students clubs for our first-ever conference on the intersections of ethics, philosophy, public health and medicine. All are invited to join; hear from speakers like Michael Fine, M.D., founder of Primary Care for All Americans, network with community organizations and professionals and learn more about the applications of philosophy and bioethics in health care and beyond. Lunch will be provided and attendance is free. Students are encouraged to submit an abstract to present during the poster session. The session will be held at the STEM Building, 817 W. Franklin St.

For more information, contact Riya Bajpai at bajpair2@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUQn69LwwoMkWpdGJG80osulkx3oVrznDxUob1PqMMlBSDPQ/viewform?usp=header.

Saturday, Apr. 26, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Do you have any expired or close-to-expiring drugs? Do you not know where to safely dispose of them? Join Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences students at the plaza outside the University Student Commons for National Drug Take-Back Day. Drop off expired drugs, grab a free cup of coffee and learn about Narcan and safe alcohol practices through fun games in collaboration with VCU School of Arts, Humanity First Student Organization and RecWell.

For more information, contact Nicholas Garcia at garcianr2@vcu.edu.

Monday, Apr. 28, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

The Office of the Provost announces Convergence Labs @VCU - Sustainable Societies. The lab will address critical issues of sustainability amid a growing world population, increasing standard of living in developing countries and finite natural resources. All interested full-time faculty members are invited to complete the following form to engage in lab development. The session will be held in the University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms A-D, 907 Floyd Ave. Complete the form at the following URL by Thursday, April 24.

For more information, contact LaToya Blizzard at vpfacaffrs@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/H19j7bXn3Nnij9K99.

Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2025 from 11 a.m. to noon

This workshop will cover final gradebook configuration, submitting final grades and configuring Incomplete sections. Please use VCU eID and password to enter Zoom meeting. The Zoom link is https://vcu.zoom.us/j/2324828315?omn=83636800541 Register at https://training.vcu.edu/course.aspx?processFlag=2&itemID=18497

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

Wednesday, Apr. 30, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Spend the day celebrating ConnectED progress, gaining evidence-based insights into VCU student learning and come away with practical applications and techniques to incorporate into your classrooms. We’ll start the morning with opening remarks by Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Andrew Arroyo and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos, as well as the presentation of the inaugural ConnectED teaching award winners. Questions: Visit https://connected.vcu.edu The session will be in the Academic Learning Commons (MCALC), Room 1201, 1000 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL Monday, April 28.

For more information, contact ConnectED at gened@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/oJ1wfiBpWvGNWLrWA.

Wednesday, May 7, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Join the VCU Division of Community Engagement and AI Ready RVA for an interactive webinar on how to responsibly harness AI to support community work, meet local needs and navigate tech challenges. Register at https://forms.gle/WpSE7N2jvTTtpX4c7

For more information, contact Shari Garmise at garmiseso@vcu.edu or visit https://community.vcu.edu/dce-news-events/events/.

Monday, Jun. 23, 2025 at 9 a.m.

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Development Institute’s Supervisors and Managers Boot Camp is open for registration. This five-day course is a highly interactive sequence of topics, tips and tools focused on developing leadership skills while increasing knowledge and confidence in solving some of the challenges that come with supervising others. Sessions will be taught at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, 428 N. Boulevard.

For more information, contact Victoria Carter-Johnston at carterjohnsva@vcu.edu or visit http://www.gehli.vcu.edu.

Looking for a fun and welcoming way to become involved on campus? Join a VCU choir this fall. Make music, make friends and be part of something meaningful. You do not need to be a music major. Choral Arts Society (APPM 359, CRN 29766) is open to students. No audition is required. Commonwealth Singers (APPM 358, CRN 29770) is an advanced mixed choral ensemble. An audition is required. Vox Concordia (APPM 378, CRN 32996) is an advanced treble choral ensemble. An audition is required. The choirs are sponsored by VCU's Department of Music. Apply at the following URL.

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

Ever wonder where your tuition dollars go or how VCU builds its budget? Now is your chance to ask. Click on the Google form at the following URL.

For more information, contact Student Government Association at sga@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/fyRzCUKjt7cUS9bK7.

Creative Arts Day Camp, a camp for rising K-ninth grade students, offers the opportunity for high school students to earn volunteer hours by working with VCUarts' Department of Art Education program. Students will assist teachers in the classroom with a variety of tasks. Interested candidates will work closely with K-ninth grade students and are expected to maintain a level of responsibility and take initiative in their role. Applications close today, Monday, April 28. Interested students can apply at https://forms.gle/bhfyhFNpAM4uUiZS9

For more information, contact Lia New at artedcadc@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/art-education/creative-arts-day-camp/.

Are you ready to reimagine how students learn and thrive in your classroom? Join a community of passionate educators exploring innovative, hands-on-strategies that spark curiosity and deepen engagement across disciplines and beyond traditional boundaries. Service-Learning at VCU invites faculty from all disciplines to apply to participate in a new Faculty Learning Community focused on “Reimagining the Classroom With Service-Learning.” This opportunity is open to all faculty — tenured, tenure-track, term or adjunct — with any level of experience in experiential learning. Staff or administrators who also teach are welcome to participate. Apply at the following URL.

For more information, contact Shanza A. Isom, Director of Engaged Transformative Learning at isomsa@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/oe8ks6s5zuvTnYGj6.

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who identify as Black or African American are invited to participate in a research study examining the effect of acute and chronic stress on cardiovascular and inflammation responses to an acute mental challenge. Raffle drawings for financial compensation will be conducted. This study will take place at 500 Academic Centre on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Principal Investigator: Lee Franco, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences.

For more information, contact Jeremy Via at healthyheart@vcu.edu.

This study is inviting individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who identify as LGBTQ. We are also inviting individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who identify as cis-gender heterosexual for the control group. The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of chronic psychosocial stress and vascular inflammation to an acute mental challenge. This study will be conducted at 500 Academic Centre on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Principal Investigator: Lee Franco, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences.

For more information, contact Jeremy Via at healthyheart@vcu.edu.

VCU faculty are invited to participate in a research study focused on how VCU collects and uses data about faculty members’ gender. Participation involves a focus group interview of about 60 minutes, and compensation is provided to participants. If you are interested, you can view the information about the study letter here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jX_rA2Ljt1Ah8wUpxChtu4d5SUYvGvMO/view?usp=sharing Sign up for a focus group interview using this link: https://calendly.com/kamdenstrunk/faculty-data-focus-groups For questions or to schedule an individual interview, email the following address.

For more information, contact Kamden Strunk, Ph.D., at strunkk2@vcu.edu.

The Research on Excessive, Persistent and Emotion-Based Actions and Traits (REPEAT) Lab at VCU is conducting a brain imaging study to understand how decision-making differs between adults with anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder or no history of either disorder. Participants will be compensated for participating in the study.

For more information, contact REPEAT Lab at repeat@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2658 or visit https://tinyurl.com/25wnkh7z.

VCU Social Psychology invites you to participate in two studies Compensation is available. One: A study on including video materials in school teaching to make classes more engaging. Two: A study on how people react to fictional characters. You will fill out a 10-minute online questionnaire and then complete both studies in one lab session that will take about an hour. Find out if you are eligible at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU HSS at vcuhss@gmail.com or (804) 554-0584 or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=3AJY3KMHN7NF87TY.

The Equity in Cardiovascular Health Outcomes (EqCHO) Lab at VCU is conducting a study on the stress experiences of young Black women. We would like to use the information gained from this study to develop a stress reduction program to improve cardiovascular health among young African American women. Resources will be provided on stress and health management. The study will take place over two consecutive weeks. Compensation is available. Questions? Go to https://eqcho.lab.vcu.edu/ To check your eligibility and to sign up, visit the following URL.

For more information, contact Anika Hines at eqcholab@vcu.edu or (804) 828-5030 or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=KYP34XPP8J7A8JJX.