1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

VCU Staff Senate's Accessibility and Inclusion Working Group will host a Zoom lunch-and-learn event with Celia Yette, who will share her decades-long career journey in public service as a woman with a disability. She will reflect on the challenges and opportunities she has navigated, the lessons learned and how disability has shaped her perspective and leadership. Her story offers inspiration and practical insight. Register at https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/KcQmVdB9ShCC8JRXAVGYQw

For more information, contact Abigail Zaremba at apzaremba@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1072 or visit https://staffsenate.vcu.edu/committees/accessibility--inclusion/.

12 p.m.

This interactive Zoom workshop is a guide to finding, reading, evaluating and incorporating academic sources into your 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/.

3:30 p.m.

This session is intended for undergraduates beyond their first year and current graduate students in STEM-field majors. Learn about RISE, a three-month research internship in Germany (working language is English!), and SMART, a Department of Defense scholarship that provides funding for tuition and educational fees as well as summer research internships. The Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship is a prestigious fellowship awarded annually. The session will be available in person or on Zoom. The in-person option will be in the NSO Conference Room: 701 W. Grace St., Room 1210. Zoom links will be provided the morning of the session to all those who register.

For more information, contact Jeff Wing at jawing@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckK7XfexUdjBd8F0pD6uUlr08EGasTPBXIv_SEiw0UKfCi3w/viewform.

4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Join the Humanities Research Center for a lecture with Wendy Chun, Ph.D., professor in the School of Communication and director of the Digital Democracies Institute at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada. Chun will explore how fundamental concepts and axioms within critical theory and natural language processing intersect. The event will be in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Ellie Musgrave at musgraveec@vcu.edu or visit https://humanitiescenter.vcu.edu/events/humanities-week/humanities-and-ai-large-language-models-and-the-returns-of-critical-theory.html.

4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

VCU's department of chemistry welcomes Kevin Plaxco, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, as the 48th Annual Mary E. Kapp lecturer. The title of Plaxco's talk will be "Molecular Vital Signs: Recent Advances in In-Vivo Biosensors." The lecture honors the founding chair of the department and will be in Room 112 in the STEM building, 817 W. Franklin St.

For more information, contact Rhea Miller at rmiller3@vcu.edu or visit https://chemistry.vcu.edu/events/mary-e-kapp-lecture/.

7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

LGBTQ+ Social Workers at VCU is a newly registered student organization open to students of all majors. Join the group at the Academic Learning Commons (MCALC), Room 2107, 1000 Floyd Ave., for fresh biscuits, worldwide candy and social activities. Learn how to become involved with social, volunteering and advocacy opportunities.

For more information, contact Caroline Psarakis at psarakiscp@vcu.edu or visit https://bit.ly/LGBTQ-SW.

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The SGA Disability Advocacy and Accessibility Caucus will have its first official caucus meeting of the semester to reintroduce ourselves and discuss our projects from last semester and where to go forward. The session will be in person (SGA Senate Chambers, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.) and via Zoom. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Shady Habib at habibss@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/j/89394972992.

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Come to the Pace Center, 700 W. Franklin St., to share your passion for games of all kinds. Also, join an interest meeting about future game nights, meet new people and enjoy apple cider.

For more information, contact the Rev. Russ Kerr at kerrr@vcu.edu or (804) 658-4064 or visit https://www.thepacecenter.com/.

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Pace Center, 700 W. Franklin St., will host Strings 'n' Things on Fridays. Bring your own fiber-based project of choice and connect with others who share your passion. This is a social event for crafters of all levels.

For more information, contact the Rev. Russ Kerr at kerrr@vcu.edu or (804) 658-4064 or visit https://www.thepacecenter.com/.

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 at 6 p.m.

The women's volleyball team will play Loyola at the Siegel Center.

For more information, contact Tavian Elliott at elliottt2@vcu.edu.

Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 at 6 p.m.

Come to the STEM Building, Room 216, 817 W. Franklin St., for the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Bioanthropology Interest Group Conference. On Friday, keynote speaker Rose Basom, Ph.D., will give a talk on "Old Bones, New Pathways of Understanding in Biological Anthropology." On Saturday, students will present their anthropology research from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is sponsored by VCU's School of World Studies.

For more information, contact Marie Vergamini at vergaminim@vcu.edu.

Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 at 3 p.m.

The women's volleyball team will play Loyola at the Siegel Center,

For more information, contact Tavian Elliott at elliottt2@vcu.edu.

Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 at noon

The VCU women's soccer team will play Davidson at Sports Backers Stadium, 100 Avenue of Champions.

For more information, contact Tavian Elliott at elliottt2@vcu.edu.

Monday, Oct. 27, 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. Kelsey Hagan, Ph.D., assistant professor, Psychiatry, will discuss the NIH’s Loan Repayment Program, who is eligible and how to write a competitive application for the program. Questions: Visit https://cctr.vcu.edu/ Register for the Zoom link 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/eogUyXlaTZCMJsqmnJ9f0g.

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Visit the Transformative Learning Informational Fair to meet program leaders, learn about hands-on opportunities and discover how to connect your academic experience with real-world impact. The fair will be held in the plaza of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Participate in a scavenger hunt to explore VCU’s Transformative Learning spaces and win prizes. The first 100 students to attend the fair between 10-11 a.m. will receive free Kona Ice.

For more information, contact Antonio Harris at harrisad6@vcu.edu or visit https://uc.vcu.edu/transformative-learning/transformative-learning-week/.

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will honor and celebrate the lives of faculty members Xueming "Jimmy" Chen, Richard Huff and Blue Wooldridge, who recently passed. The ceremony will reflect on their memories, impacts and legacies that live on within the community. The event will be in the University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms, second floor, 907 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact David Slipher at slipherd@vcu.edu or visit https://wilder.vcu.edu/news-and-events/event-posts/wilder-school-remembrance--celebration.html.

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 at noon

Looking to save on travel, entertainment, shopping, local discounts and more? Join VCU HR and TicketsatWork for an inside look at the VCU Discount Marketplace – your one-stop shop for exclusive deals and special offers available to VCU employees. Learn how to access big savings and make the most of this benefit. Register in Talent@VCU or at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or visit https://hr.vcu.edu/worklife-at-vcu/employee-discounts/.

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 from noon to 1 p.m.

Faculty members are invited to apply for up to $5,000 in funding to support community-engaged data dissemination. An informational session will be held via Zoom for those interested in submitting a proposal. Visit The Division of Community Engagement to register for the sessions and review the full proposal requirements. The Zoom link is https://vcu.zoom.us/j/88642269971 Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Challen Wellington at wellingtonc@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/SwFHaFmqnxxarPFi6.

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Interested in teaching a service-learning course or want the latest updates on VCU’s Service-Learning Program? Join this informational session to explore how service-learning enhances student engagement, fosters community partnerships and aligns with Transformative Learning at VCU. Learn about faculty resources, course designation processes and how to become involved in advancing experiential education across campus. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Antonio Harris at harrisad6@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/j/5143612286.

Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 at 12:30 p.m.

Join the Department of Graphic Design in welcoming the newest lecturer in the Fall 2025 Object + Methods lecture series. Laura Coombs is a graphic designer from Texas living in New York. She creates internationally recognized visual identities and editorial projects with museums, institutions, artists and architects. Since 2017, she has led design at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, Rhizome and New Inc in downtown Manhattan. The talk will be in the theater of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Luiza Dale at oliveiramal@vcu.edu or visit https://objectsandmethods.net/.

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

Come to the 2025 History and Health Symposium to explore how access to childbearing health care and resources is related to improving health outcomes and addressing health disparities. Michelle Debbink, M.D., Ph.D., will give the keynote lecture, "Moving Beyond 'Disparities' to Improve Childbearing Health Care: Community-Driven, Data-Informed Change." The symposium, co-hosted by the Office of Health Initiatives and the Humanities Research Center, will be at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Logan Vetrovec at ohiconnect@vcu.edu or visit https://healthinitiatives.vcu.edu/history-and-health-program/annual-symposium/.

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Pre-Health and Science Advising and Career Services will host a Pre-Health Personal Statement Workshop in Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave., Room 326. Questions: https://academicadvising.vcu.edu/ Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact University Academic Advising at prehealthadv@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/uVr69pV4uX5YqoiK6.

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.

The 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available for completion at the following URL. Completing the FAFSA is key to determining eligibility for federal, state and institutional need-based financial assistance. VCU’s priority filing date is Feb. 1, 2026. Contact the Student Financial Management Center at the following email address if you have any questions.

For more information, contact Student Financial Management Center at sfmc@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1550 or visit https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

Check out Redefining BMI — a research study designed specifically for 18-to-25 year-old women with overweight/obesity who want to create a healthier lifestyle. Visit the following URL to learn more and take a survey to learn if you may be eligible for this VCU study.

For more information, contact Redefining BMI study at bmiproject@vcu.edu or (804) 828-5362 or visit https://www.redefiningbmi.com/.

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.

Join fellow faculty and staff during Transformative Learning Week 2025 for a hands-on service opportunity with a local community partner, connect with colleagues across units and model transformative learning for VCU students. Use your community service leave for this. Sign up at the following URL.

For more information, contact Antonio Harris at harrisad6@vcu.edu or visit https://tinyurl.com/32k8fbx5.

A half-day edition centered around "Resilience and Renewal: Navigating Leadership in Changing Times."

For more information, contact Nancy Calkins at calkinsn@vcu.edu or visit https://gehli.vcu.edu/news/news-posts/19th-annual-higher-ground-leadership-conference-announces-special-half-day-fall-event.html.

The RamsXpress bus stop at James Branch Cabell Library will be closed today (Thursday). The bus will pick up at the corner of Floyd and Cherry streets.

For more information, contact John Stone, Executive Director, Parking and Transportation Services at jlstone@vcu.edu.

Note that there will be no open consultation session today, Friday, Oct. 24. Regular weekly consultations hosted by the Division of Community Engagement will resume the following Friday from noon-1 p.m. These sessions offer faculty, staff and partners an opportunity to receive guidance and explore how to make the most of Collaboratory: VCU’s Database for Community and Civic Engagement Activities and Partnerships in their work.

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

The Translational Research on Eating and Affect (TREAT) Lab is recruiting adolescents and young adults assigned female at birth (aged 12 to 25 years) for a brain imaging study to understand risky decision-making in individuals who have concerns about their body shape/weight, or overeat, purge, use laxatives, diet severely or exercise excessively. We are also investigating these processes in individuals without a psychological disorder. There will be compensation for participation.

For more information, contact Kelsey Hagan, Ph.D., PI at treatlab@vcuhealth.org or (804) 827-4174 or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=48YEAYT8MK33E8EJ.

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.

Black parents, caregivers, and their children (ages 8-12) are invited to share their experiences with race, family meal times and health through small-group conversations in the Richmond area. This feedback will inform future community programming that promotes family discussions about race, nutritious meals and more. Participating caregivers and youth will receive compensation for their time and insights.

For more information, contact Shawn C.T. Jones, Ph.D., at ayaresearch@vcu.edu or visit https://vcupsych.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2o4YLtcFE7mVnkq.