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/.

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

In this one-hour presentation, we will share an overview of the Land Explorer features recently added to our VCU IPA license, as well as other new features added in the latest release. Compare your ‘omics data to a curated database of over 700k healthy and diseased samples by linking IPA to QIAGEN OmicSoft Explorer. Investigate how gene or gene set expression varies in tissue, cell type, diseases or treatment contexts. Visualize how genomic alterations correlate with changes in expression, affect clinical outcomes and more Other new features can be found at https://digitalinsights.qiagen.com/products/qiagen-ipa/latest-improvements/archive/ Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Karlyn Maggi at maggikb@vcu.edu or visit https://qiagen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6Nz0szVCT0K_7ae4ziQsiQ.

Thursday, May 8, 2025 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Ivy Bell, VCU Health Hub certified community health worker, has created a mental health event series that dives into helpful strategies for mental health awareness month. This is the second event of this series is "Poetic Justice." Learn how journaling can benefit your mental well-being. Get your own notebook, enjoy snacks and listen to music. The event will be at the VCU Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Health Hub at vcuhealthhub@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0817OEkCDuEsL2W5edSOU0JI9nTlDdUULTusA1Z2SVSHqgA/viewform.

Thursday, May 8, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

VCU Psychology invites participation in two studies on the Monroe Park campus for which 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. Those who take part will fill out a 10-minute online questionnaire and then complete both studies in one lab session that will take about an hour. See more details and find out if you are eligible at the following URL. New signup dates are available. If you have already completed the eligibility survey but the listed times did not work for you, contact the researchers to schedule a different session time.

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

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 6 p.m.

Individuals in the sandwich generation (ages 35-54) often navigate the challenge of balancing caregiving for aging parents while simultaneously supporting their children. Attend this virtual workshop, presented by Sabrina Guerin with Virginia Credit Union, to gain practical strategies for managing your parents’ medical, legal and financial needs, while also ensuring you are also preparing for your children’s future. The Zoom link is https://vcu.zoom.us/webinar/register/5917436107498/WN_SXd-2-XAT3yLrd94nrHSvg

For more information, contact Tiera Byrd, B.S.'12, assistant director of alumni career and personal development, at mcguiretj@vcu.edu.

Friday, May 30, 2025 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

VCU Career Services will host its next VCU Career Champions training session on the Monroe Park Campus. The purpose of this program is to give faculty and staff helpful tools, theories and resources to draw upon when supporting students through their career development, experiential learning and job search process. All who participate will be recognized as a VCU Career Champion and will receive a certification sticker, digital badge and icon for email signature. Space is limited to 60 participants. Questions: Visit https://careers.vcu.edu/resources/faculty-and-staff/career-champions/ Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Samara Reynolds at sreynolds4@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/AQkgFvTDwNFZeQea7.

VCUDine has partnered with Too Good To Go to offer Surprise Bags from all campus Starbucks, Ram City Market, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Au Bon Pain on West Grace Street. These discounted bags contain surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. To reserve one, download the Too Good To Go app and pick it up before the location closes.

For more information, contact Margaret Massie at dining@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1148 or visit https://vcu.campusdish.com/en/locationsandmenus/.

Dining plans end on Saturday, May 10 at 10:30 a.m. Fall 2025 dining plans are now available. Students who sign up for a plan through May 9 will receive a $25 Grubhub credit. Find a dining plan at the following URL.

For more information, contact Margaret Massie at dining@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1148 or visit https://vcu.campusdish.com/.

VCU's School of Social Work presents six new elective courses, built by practicing LCSWs, as part of the Social Work Mental Health minor (SWMH, 18 credits), open to all VCU undergraduate students. Starting in Fall 2025 with two introductory course offerings on the treatment of serious mental illness and trauma, the Social Work Mental Health Minor will prepare students for careers in crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, case management and services coordination, medicine and social work. See the flyer at https://tinyurl.com/4ucnktkx for additional information.

For more information, contact Cassie DeSena Jacobs at jacobsc2@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/document/d/17rIFu3XTBWZJPjRjX5kk_V1APevKGnZ0WelQD61OBWg/edit?usp=sharing.

VCU students are asked to share their experiences with and awareness of on-campus offices and organizations that offer services or resources to students. VCU staff member Jess Hoy, M.S.W., is conducting a research survey that can be completed online and takes about 10 minutes to complete. Students are not required to have ever used a VCU resource to participate. Students who complete the survey will be entered into a raffle to win one of five $25 gift cards to the VCU bookstore.

For more information, contact Jess Hoy at hoyj2@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctIBpT8H0TVLHzE4sq66PB1aEx8HCkKwtNtbG8odN3VY0qIA/viewform?usp=sf.

Generative AI tools offer possibilities for learning, work and personal lives. VCU has licensed a number of generative AI tools for all faculty, staff and students. These tools, such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, among others, are free to use and are under data privacy agreements. For more information about using generative AI tools and updates on tool availability, review Technology Services' VCU AI Guidelines page at the following URL.

For more information, contact Peyton Burgess at dpburgess@vcu.edu or visit https://go.vcu.edu/ai.

As the semester winds down, students (and fellow colleagues) are invited to share words of gratitude with VCU professors. Our faculty 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. Spread a little joy and send your VCU profs some well-deserved props through this link: https://forms.gle/Y5mnwDQQc95fe7CQA

For more information, contact Jordyn Richardson at richardsonj9@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/UKKs1x72vtErsENC6.

One in four college women and 7 percent of college men experience sexual assault, while 21 percent face dating violence. Although colleges are required to address these issues, many programs fail to engage students effectively. I’m Adrienne Baldwin-White, Ph.D., and I’ve created “Once Upon a Party,” a text-based, choose-your-own-adventure game designed to spark critical thinking about gender-based violence. In this game, you’ll navigate real-world situations that could lead to sexual or dating violence by responding to friends' text messages. Join my study to help test the game’s impact and get a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards. Click the following URL to participate.

For more information, contact Adrienne Baldwin-White, Ph.D., at baldwinwhia@vcu.edu or visit https://vcuportal.questionpro.com/t/AXMyuZ5Ir0.

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 The KHS Healthy Heart Lab at healthyheart@vcu.edu.

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 The KHS Healthy Heart Lab at healthyheart@vcu.edu.

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