11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Purchase a 2026 Dogs on Call calendar and show your support for the therapy dog teams who visit patients and staff at VCU Health and students at VCU. All sales will take place at the Main Hospital (1250 E. Marshall St.), Floor 1 Box Office near the floor compass. Sales are contingent upon stock, these are the final sales dates for this year: today, Tuesday (Dec. 16), Wednesday (Dec. 17) and Thursday (Dec. 18). All sales are 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Calendars are also available for purchase at the Three Bears Gift Shop (MCV), the Fish Bowl Gift Shop (Community Memorial Hospital) and the Hummingbird Gift Shop (Tappahannock).

For more information, contact Center for Human-Animal Interaction at chai@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-2532 or visit https://chai.vcu.edu/.

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Learn more about the nation's top graduate program in advertising and branding. Jump-start your creative career at the Brandcenter's next virtual informational session. Join the chat about the early applicant awards, the Brandcenter experience, its four concentrations (art direction, copywriting, creative brand management and strategy), the admission process and more. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Emma Barone at brandcenter@vcu.edu or visit https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/info-session-dec-2025?utm_source=TelegRam.

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Alzheimer's Association will host a Memory Café at VCU Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A. Join for a social space for those with early-stage memory loss to connect, while care partners gain support and information. The bonds formed in Memory Cafés often last throughout the continuum of the disease and become additional support for those involved.

For more information, contact VCU Health Hub at vcuhealthhub@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Cheer the VCU men's basketball team as they play American University at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. Secure your seat at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tavian Elliott at elliottt2@vcu.edu or visit https://vcutickets.evenue.net/event/B25/07.

VCU Police and Emergency Management will host two realistic training exercises on the Monroe Park Campus Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Shafer Court Dining Center, 810 Cathedral Place. The exercises are scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to noon and then from 10 p.m. to midnight. Community members traveling through the Monroe Park campus during these time frames may see law enforcement and emergency management personnel staging outside the main entrance. Visit alert.vcu.edu for more details. Contact emergencymgmt@vcu.edu with any questions.

For more information, contact Jake Burns at burnsjh2@vcu.edu or visit https://police.vcu.edu/emergency-management/.

VCU's Division of Community Engagement invites faculty and staff to showcase their board service, association involvement and work group memberships in the university's partnership database. These roles demonstrate VCU’s commitment to leadership and community partnership. Collaboratory, the university’s platform for documenting community-engaged and public service activities, helps to capture the full breadth of VCU's collaborations and collective impact. See the submission form at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tani Washington at washingtot8@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/qqBpDfF8rMGQUYFx7.

The VCU Graduate School Research Talks event will take place on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 from 1-4 p.m. This event is a professional development opportunity for graduate students to share their research with a non-specialist audience in a concise, 12-minute talk with no more than 10 slides. Participants will receive professional development on public speaking and slide design leading up to the event and will receive the Intermediate Presentation of Research badge to add to their résumés/CVs. Students can use this opportunity to prepare for their dissertations, job interviews or funding presentations. The Graduate School's Office of Professional Development is currently accepting proposals for presenters. Proposals include an abstract (200 words max) and three to five keywords. Proposals are due by Wednesday, Dec. 17. Questions: Email gradprofdev@vcu.edu

For more information, contact Hali Massey at dayberryhj@vcu.edu or visit https://graduate.vcu.edu/current-students/professional-development/research-talks/.

The VCU School of Social Work, Rams in Recovery and the Institute for Research on Behavioral and Emotional Health have collaborated on a new certification opportunity beginning in the spring. SLWK 391: Certified Peer Recovery Specialist is the official Virginia 72-hour PRS class. It is open by application for Spring 2026. Students will learn the role of Peer Recovery Specialists and explore career paths in mental health, substance use and recovery support. This three-credit elective is open to all majors. To become certified in Virginia, students must complete this course, complete 500 supervised field hours and pass the Virginia Certification Board exam. The class will meet in person, Monday/Wednesdy, 2–3:15 p.m. Students must complete six required Friday skills labs and pass a final skills exam. Eligibility: One-plus year of recovery or immediate family experience. Apply at https://lnkd.in/ewXZ2bTh

For more information, contact Lauren de Treville Powell, Ed.D., CPRS-T, at detrevillelj@vcu.edu or visit https://recovery.vcu.edu/.

The VCU Cashiers Office at 1015 Floyd Ave., Grace Harris Hall, will close early at noon on Friday, Dec. 19 for Winter Break. All transactions should be delivered no later than 11 a.m. on Dec. 19 to ensure proper and timely processing. The office will reopen at 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 5.

For more information, contact James Ed Stables, Senior Manager Cashiering Operations at jestables@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4365.

Black parents/caregivers and their children (ages 8-12) are invited to share their experiences with race, family meal times and health through a small-group conversation 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. If you are still interested, please complete our study screener at the following URL.

For more information, contact AYA Research Team at ayaresearch@vcu.edu or visit https://vcupsych.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2o4YLtcFE7mVnkq.