12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

University Counseling Services is partnering with the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Dogs on call for students to get some cuddles and play time with certified therapy dogs. The event will be in the University Student Commons Virginia Rooms A-B-C-D, 907 Floyd Ave. No registration is required. Students can drop in anytime during the event.

For more information, contact Christine Strasser at cstrasser@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6200.

2 p.m.

In this interactive Zoom workshop, participants will scrutinize examples of strong, successful personal statements as well as less successful ones. Learn the tools you need to write your best statement. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Trey Burnart Hall at hallbr@vcu.edu or visit https://writing.vcu.edu/calendar/.

4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Join the Humanities Research Center for a Curriculum Conversation event with Meredith McCoy, (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe descent), Ph.D., Assistant Professor of American Studies and History at Carleton College, Northfield, Minn. The event will be in the STEM Building, Room 202, 817 W. Franklin St. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Ellie Musgrave at musgraveec@vcu.edu or visit https://humanitiescenter.vcu.edu/events/curriculum-conversations/teaching-native-histories-in-virginia-historical-considerations-and-contemporary-possibilities.html.

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Do you wnat to be involved with the election but don't know how? Join The Feminist Majority Sect of VCU in tabling (with doughnuts) and encouraging people around campus to vote. Pledging five-plus hours through election day can get you a free shirt and subscription to Ms. Magazine. If available, there's also an opportunity to see Abigail Spanberger in Richmond on Nov. 3.

For more information, contact Carissa Christensen at christensencd@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

Shaojun Tang, Ph.D., assistant professor, VCU Biostatistics, will discuss Alzheimer’s disease, the leading cause of dementia as the U.S. population ages. Abnormal tau protein aggregation is thought to drive brain damage. An analysis of tau proteins uncovered new biomarkers and therapeutic targets across diverse neurodegenerative disorders. A learning objective is to understand how abnormal tau protein changes contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Questions: https://bioinformatics.vcu.edu See the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jinze Liu at mccbioinfo@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/HSqTQ9eMQfSF56gUFz9PDA#/registration.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 at 3 p.m.

In this online Writing Center workshop, learn to hook your audience by establishing your ideas in a logical way. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Trey Burnart Hall at hallbr@vcu.edu or visit https://writing.vcu.edu/calendar/.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Join Active Minds @ VCU, International Youth Neuroscience Association @ VCU and the Psychology Club @ VCU in the STEM Building, Room 110, 817 W. Franklin St., for an event which will highlight the collaborative, multidisciplinary efforts that support individuals with substance use disorders. The evening will feature a panel discussion with a social worker, a neurobiology researcher and an addiction medicine physician. Those who attend will receive Narcan training. Free catered halal munchies will be available. This event is first-come, first-served. Only the first 50 people who register will be able to attend. RSVP at the following URL.

For more information, contact Varsha Penumalee at penumaleevs@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/tiSG8jqXMhxtSbUJ8.

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

VCU Libraries will host the 2025 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award night. This year's winner, Anne de Marcken, will give a reading from her winning novel, "It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over." De Marcken and Barbara Epler, president at New Directions Publishing, will participate in a moderated discussion and Q&A about the book's writing and publication journey. The event, free and open to all, will be in the lecture hall (Room 303) of James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Hana Rehman at cabellfn@vcu.edu or visit https://firstnovelist.vcu.edu/event/.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 at 10 a.m.

​​This interactive Zoom workshop will give you the tools necessary to meet the needs of your audience by writing strong, logical, structurally sound work. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Trey Burnart Hall at hallbr@vcu.edu or visit https://writing.vcu.edu/calendar/.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and the Health Sciences Library will present a lunch research seminar via Zoom. Deborah DiazGranados, Ph.D., and Andrea Molzhon, Ph.D., Wright Center, will discuss the importance of defining and measuring research impact, explore ways to achieve impact beyond academia and introduce methods for capturing impact. 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/CDbfnxtqRniCh_0kgfplCA.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 from noon to 5 p.m.

Please join the Humanities Research Center and the Office of Health Initiatives for our Fall 2025 History and Health Symposium. "Improving Access to Childbearing Health Care: Histories, Solutions and Strategies" will explore how access to childbearing care and resources is related to improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities. The event will be at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Ellie Musgrave at musgraveec@vcu.eu or visit https://humanitiescenter.vcu.edu/events/co-sponsored/2025-history-and-health-symposium.html.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The VCU Science Hub will host a Women in Science graduate panel at the STEM Building, 817 W. Franklin St., Room 110. The panel, co-sponsored by VCU Women in Science and VCU BIORams, will feature graduate students from various STEM backgrounds who will discuss their graduate school experiences and opportunities and answer questions about the graduate school admissions process, interviews, and life as a grad student. This event is open to all students. Register at https://forms.gle/ErvqwTFG6eduM6bB7

For more information, contact Sunauz Moezzi at moezzis@vcu.edu or visit https://clc.vcu.edu/science-hub/.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Join the Division of Community Engagement team for its November Networking Social at Bar Solita, 123 W. Broad St. Meet colleagues, swap project ideas and spark collaborations.

For more information, contact Verenda Cobbs at s2vkcobb@vcu.edu or visit https://community.vcu.edu/dce-news-events/events/.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 at 7 p.m.

VCU Student Admissions Ambassadors will host a fall-themed activity night featuring pumpkin painting, tote bag painting and coloring. Pizza will be served, The event will be at VCU Honors College, 701 W. Grace St.

For more information, contact Chelsea Mapp at mappcd@vcu.edu.

Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Join a dedicated writing group. Whether you’re working on a manuscript, a grant proposal or another scholarly project, this group provides fellowship, accountability and focused writing time. Sessions are held every Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom, hosted by the Division of Community Engagement in collaboration with the Council for Community Engagement Research Work Group. Join the Zoom meeting at https://vcu.zoom.us/j/86507914411 or register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Challen Wellington at wellingtonc@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/dKNsb9AYcVqS7kMa8.

Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Join RecWell Aquatics for a log rolling clinic. Participants will practice balancing and staying atop the log in the pool's shallow end. Enjoy friendly competition and get a fun workout. Registration is open through the start of the clinic. Beginners are welcome; the intensity level is medium. The class will be at the Cary Street Gym Aquatic Center, 101 S. Linden St. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Mat Scott at aquatics@vcu.edu or visit https://portal.recwell.vcu.edu/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=273c61cc-6561-4f46-b99d-c5c80a0a4062.

Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's Department of Counseling and Special Education will host a webinar presentation. This lecture explores how hope and adaptability, grounded in Hope-Action Theory and depth psychology, can foster meaningful, values-aligned change through self-awareness, contextual understanding and purposeful action. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Patrick Mullen at mullenpr@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/pRjW3zLJST6nAdn4HFQKZw.

Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Join VCU's School of Education for a virtual informational session on the Educational Leadership M.Ed. – Higher Education Administration concentration and discover how you can turn your passion for equity, innovation and student success into a transformative leadership career. Whether you're aiming to become a college administrator, student affairs professional or shape educational access through nonprofit work, this program equips you to lead with purpose and impact. Questions: https://soe.vcu.edu Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Brandon Norris at norrisbs@vcu.edu or visit https://connect.soe.vcu.edu/register/Fall25HEAD.

Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

VCU School of Social Work will sponsor an informational session for a study abroad trip to Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa, that will examine LGBTQIA+ intersectional experiences of post-colonial South Africa. The Zoom link is https://vcu.zoom.us/j/83220749664?jst=2 The trip will take place March 6-16, 2026. At the informational session, students will have the opportunity to learn about the course and ask questions. Apply at the following URL by Dec. 1.

For more information, contact Maurice Gattis, Ph.D., at gattism@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.studioabroad.com/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=11568.

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

Join Military Student Services and the Student Veterans Association to celebrate VCU veterans at the Rams horns in the courtyard of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Bring canned goods and/or gently used clothing to donate to local veterans in need and receive a Mission BBQ sandwich. Donations can be dropped off in advance at the Military Student Services Office (Grace E. Harris Hall, 1015 Floyd Ave., third floor, Room 3122). All donations will go to U.S. vets.

For more information, contact Military Student Services at militaryserv@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6563 or visit https://cglink.me/2dV/r1942460.

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Join Mike Watson, Chief Information Security Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Wilder School’s Christopher Whyte, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, for a discussion and Q&A on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in state government. Part of the 2025 VCU Common Book event series, Watson will draw on his leadership in cybersecurity and digital policy to share insights into technological advancement, ethical governance and responsibility to the public. The talk will be in the SGA Senate Chambers, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Ross Losapio at losapior@vcu.edu or (804) 827-0364 or visit https://bit.ly/wilderai.

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 at 5 p.m.

Learn more about the Ph.D. program in Health Services Organization and Research at a virtual informational session. Meet program faculty and learn about admissions and funding. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cam Parkins at parkinsc@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/iJTj7RuLvDGusWGRA.

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to join VCU's Division of Community Engagement for an online presentation that will highlight how community-engaged research can evolve into opportunities for student engagement, experiential learning, training and scholarly outputs. The Zoom link is https://vcu.zoom.us/j/82775901937 Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Challen Wellington at wellingtonc@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/fdQx36fwiuVgGEUP9.

Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to the 2025 Connect Conference, where community voices, scholarship and innovation come together to build meaningful connections. The event will be in James Branch Cabell Library, Room 303, 901 Park Ave. Participants will learn skills and principles of community engagement, see partnerships in action and engage in design activities to support future collaborations that meet community needs. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Shari Garmise at garmiseso@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/z3TfbFwBu6HRDqJE6.

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025 at noon

VCU and VCU Health invite you to celebrate National Rural Health Day with two events (virtual and in-person) that highlight the contributions of faculty, staff and students advancing rural health through research, programming, clinical practice and service. The event will be at the Mary and Frances Youth Center, 120 S. Linden St. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Challen Wellington at wellingtonc@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIZGkzLYl262m_lo9XzU082yIYCAohuohMSiSRfbPt5au7Bw/viewform.

VCU's Disability Advocacy and Accessibility Caucus (DAAC) invites artists with disabilities, chronic conditions or neurodivergence to express themselves and submit up to three artworks for the organization's first pop-up exhibition. This event celebrates the experiences of people with disabilities through art. Submit your art pieces by Friday, Nov. 7 at 11:59 p.m. Accepted artists will be notified by Monday, Nov. 10.

For more information, contact Shady Habib at habibss@vcu.edu or (703) 314-2515 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7mHX06HCc6jZrtgcrUG0gdJUpO-HAFNQvlvLUfBRw7rxNrA/viewform.

Do you want to deliver a TEDx Talk on campus? Or do you have a talent you want to showcase to your peers? Questions: Visit tedx@vcu.edu Speaker/performer applications will be accepted at the following URL until Friday, Nov. 14.

For more information, contact Sruthi Ravindran at ravindrans@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.campusgroups.com/tedxvcu/speaker-guide/.

Do you like helping other students and want to make a difference on campus? The Campus Learning Center is accepting applications for all Peer Academic Support positions for the Spring semester - PASS Leaders, Tutors and Peer Academic Coaches. See the requirements and apply at the following URL by Tuesday, Nov. 4.

For more information, contact Bridget Prince at bprince@vcu.edu or (804) 827-8108 or visit https://forms.gle/sGyemKU7SSigFNkV6.

PECS (Personalized Exploration for College Success) is a student-led organization at VCU that partners with Richmond Public Schools to support high school students through the college and scholarship application process. One of the group's goals this semester is to expand the resources available to students as they begin preparing their applications. PECS is creating a college essay repository to share with RPS students and participating mentors that will feature real essays written and submitted by current college students. These examples will help students better understand how to approach tone, structure and storytelling during the application process, PECS is inviting all college students to submit essays that they have used for college or scholarship applications. For every essay submitted, those who contribute will receive one hour of verified service credit.

For more information, contact Saihithi Akula at akulas2@vcu.edu or visit https://pecsatvcu.wordpress.com/.

Ever wondered why the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world? This summer, you can experience it firsthand - in Italy. This course will explore how food, culture and science come together to promote health and longevity. Visit local farms, olive groves, markets and/or wineries while learning how traditional Italian food practices sustain healthy living. Eat, explore and learn your way through Italy while earning academic credit and lifelong memories. Application deadline is Feb. 15, 2026. See a related video at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jill Reid at jdreid@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Study+Abroad+-+Sorrento+Italy+Summer+2025/1_bifdml9w.

VCU departments can surplus unneeded VCU surplus viaGovDeals, an online government surplus auction program. VCU Facilities Management helps departments navigate the online government auction platform to surplus (technology, lab equipment, furniture and more).

For more information, contact Dwayne Brown at brownde5@vcu.edu or visit https://fmd.vcu.edu/facilities-operations/general-services/.

Come to Shafer Court Dining Center, 810 Cathedral Place, for a number of special events. They include National Sundae Day (Nov. 11: 11 a.m.-close); Midnight Breakfast (Nov. 12, 8 p.m.-midnight; National Chicken Nugget Day (Nov. 13: 11 a.m.-close); Ramsgiving and Apple Cider Day (Nov. 18, 11 a.m.-close) and Foodie Favs (Nov. 20: 11 a.m.-close). For more information and menus, visit vcu.mydininghub.com.

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

The VCU photo/video team is seeking participants for VCU's annual holiday video shoot. Participants will be tasked with decorating the Ram horns statue in the Commons Plaza, carrying boxes (less than 10 pounds) and wearing cold weather/holiday clothing. Food and refreshments will be provided. Questions: Contact Madison Probst (probstml@vcu.edu) or Alex Robinson at the following email address. To participate, fill out the interest form at the following URL.

For more information, contact Alex Robinson at robinsona19@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/8vSAxaSz9YnhcCEa6.

VCU's Department of Art Education presents Investigation Now, an eight-week program encompassing a range of contemporary art concepts and artmaking techniques for children 13-16 years old. Fall and Spring sessions will function as a two-part series following a cohesive theme. Throughout these sessions, students are encouraged to consider how and why artists make work and to relate those ideas to their artistic processes. The registration fee for all eight weeks is $180. Food and materials will be provided. The program takes place on Fridays from 5-8 p.m.; programming will be broken up into two sections beginning in late Fall and picking back up after Winter holidays. Sessions will be at the Franklin Terrace Building, 812-814 W. Franklin St. Class size is 20 students. An application for scholarships can be found in the registration form. Questions? View the group's Instagram or under the FAQ page at the following URL.

For more information, contact Sofia Barreto at artedcadc@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/art-education/investigation-now/.

This study is inviting individuals between the ages of 18 and 30 who identify as cisgender heterosexual for the control group.

For more information, contact Karen Gorgey at healthyheart@vcu.edu.

Are you a college student on the MCV campus? We want to hear from you. Researchers at VCU are studying food access and well-being among students on the MCV campus [IRB# HM300000437]. Take our short, anonymous survey (just five to seven minutes.) Your voice matters. See the survey at the following URL. Incentive available.

For more information, contact Youngmi Kim, Ph.D., at ykim@vcu.edu or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=ATEC9E3JYHK74PXR.

Black women ages 18-35 who have no experience with resistance exercise (e.g., lifting weights, resistance bands, body weight exercises) are invited to share their perspectives about resistance exercise and their desired features of a mobile app aimed to help guide and track their exercise regimens. Women will be invited to complete a one-time interview plus two surveys at a local library of their choice. Compensation is available. Check your eligibility at the following URL.

For more information, contact Chloe Jones, Ph.D., Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at jonesc53@vcu.edu or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=CJCT4ELK87PHXKK3.