12 p.m.

Join the School of Business for an informational webinar to explore how the 20-month Executive MBA Program can elevate your career. Learn about the dynamic curriculum, weekend schedule (that includes in-person and online courses), cohort experience and application process. No registration is required – join via the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Butch Sarma at mksarma@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/j/81098935632.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The Hub Club: A Mental Wellness Circle holds meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. This meeting, at 1330 N. 25th St., Suite A, will be about stress management in everyday life.

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

2 p.m.

The VCU Writing Center will host a workshop via Zoom. Learn more about AI and explore how it can be an innovative tool if used properly. Register at the following URL.

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

6 p.m.

VCUarts will present its 2026 MFA Thesis Film Screening series at Grace Street Theater, 934 W. Grace St. The series will showcase six graduate film works from the departments of Craft/Material Studies, Kinetic Imaging, Photography + Film, and Sculpture + Extended Media. All screenings are free and open to all. The event will feature the first of three screenings and will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A hosted by Photography + Film Professor Sonali Gulati.

For more information, contact VCUarts at arts@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/event/2026-mfa-thesis-film-screening/.

7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

PennyAppeal will host a bead workshop, the final event of the year, giving members an opportunity to relax and have a little fun before finals. Members can make a bracelet or a wristlet for a keychain. This is not a service event, but a leisurely time to help members destress. The event will be held in Room 4100, Academic Learning Commons, MCALC, 1000 Floyd Ave. aLSO, Join our Instagram (@pennyappealatvcu) or RamsConnect.

For more information, contact PennyAppeal at VCU at officialpennyappealatvcu@gmail.com.

Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026 at 11 a.m.

Join an informational session via Zoom about the Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant, offered by VCU’s Division of Community Engagement.

For more information, contact Challen Wellington at wellingtonc@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelyzJLAQr4S2O1H9o2jF2G28nvfJpdtAvWXUt2GEIp8XbcbA/viewform?usp=header.

Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026 from noon to 1 p.m.

Looking for a group that provides you the space to connect with others, nature and improve your health? The Health Hub hosts Wednesday Walks, which offer the opportunity to join the Health Hub on a weekly walk in Church Hill. Each walk will begin and end at the Health Hub, 1330 N. 25th St, Suite A., and will take you through different parts of the neighborhood.

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

Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026 from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Finals are coming up... Do you need a quiet place to study? Do you want to set goals and actually get them done? Do you want a nice meal while you study? Come to Pomodoro Café at the Pace Center, 700 W. Franklin St., where you can study with the Pomodoro method. Productivity and fun go hand in hand.

For more information, contact Kayla Phu at phukn2@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The VCUarts Photography Senior BFA Artist Talks is a two-day event featuring 30 emerging artists. Each artist will give a 10-minute talk about their capstone project, their process(es) and their practice as a whole. This event allows audience members a close look at each student’s capstone work and to hear about a variety of techniques and themes within the contemporary photographic space. The event will be at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Snacks and refreshments will be provided and the group will break for an intermission at noon.

For more information, contact Photography + Film at photofilm@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/lamppost/photography-capstone-artist-talks/.

Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The English Language Program at VCU will host a Chinese tea culture gathering led by guest speaker Ana Xuan Zhang Stevens, certified tea sommelier and founder of Cha and Grace. Zhang Stevens and her assistant, Dong Hu, invite you to slow down, be present, cultivate connection and return to simplicity through a cup of tea and the practices that guide Chinese tea culture. The event will be in Room 3127, Grace Street Center, 912 W. Grace St.

For more information, contact Audrey Emiko Short at aeshort@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research will present a lunch research seminar via Zoom. Nuha Farhat, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Mathematics and Economics, Virginia State University, will introduces R and RStudio, including installation, setup and navigation of the interface. Participants will learn to install and load packages, work with scripts and understand the difference between scripting and console-based work. Questions: Visit 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/-3_BGKuLQs2DfmQw64OM7A.

Friday, May 1, 2026 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Hillel at VCU will host a Summer Camp Shabbat Dinner at Hillel House, 918 W. Grace St. From campus to camp, come for the final Shabbat dinner of the semester and say farewell to your Jewish home away from home for now. All are welcome. RSVP at the following URL by the evening of Wednesday, April 29.

For more information, contact Kayla Seabolt at kayla@hillelatvcu.org or visit https://www.hillelatvcu.org/calendar.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

VCU HR will offer a course on coaching for managers via Zoom. This course introduces managers to an easy-to-use mindset and model to help employees progress toward goals. Employees without access to Talent@VCU may complete this form to register: https://forms.gle/Hk1dRH75xvg9MQ3c8 Registration is required by Monday, May 4 in Talent@VCU at the following URL.

For more information, contact Penelope McFarline at mcfarlinep@vcu.edu or visit https://rb.gy/f3gevm.

Thursday, May 7, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

VCU HR will offer an Effective Groups and Teams workshop for managers via Zoom. The course focuses on ground rules that lead to mutual learning and improved team performance. If you are a VCU Health System employee and would like to attend this course, complete this form: https://forms.gle/wUYEuyY7GNGiknLD7 Register by Tuesday, May 5 at the following URL.

For more information, contact Penelope McFarline at mcfarlinep@vcu.edu or visit https://tinyurl.com/4drpa645.

Friday, Jun. 12, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center will host its fourth annual Research Symposium in the College of Health Professions auditorium, 900 E. Leigh St. The event will feature new research in movement disorders, including sessions from PMDC Pilot Grant Awardees, a poster session with prizes and a keynote address by Xuemei Huang, M.D., Ph.D., chair of UVA’s Department of Neurology. Questions: https://parkinsons.vcu.edu/research/pmdc-research-symposium/ The symposium is free to attend, but registration is required by Friday, June 5 at the following URL.

For more information, contact Chandler Moore at moorejc@vcu.edu or visit https://bit.ly/4tz8gc4.

When you sign up for a Healthy Heart Assessment, a clinician will help you assess your cardio metabolic health and risk for developing pre-diabetes. They can discuss strategies to help improve your heart health and will help you identify other wellness and health related VCU employee benefits that are available to you. Schedule your visit at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Employee Health at EHS@vcu.edu or (804) 628-2594 or visit http://go.vcu.edu/employeewellness.

Registration is underway for The University Band (APPM 357), which is open to all VCU students and faculty regardless of experience. The band meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 3-3:50 p.m. and performs one to two concerts each semester. Questions: Contact band director Duane Coston at the following email address.

For more information, contact Duane Coston at costonpd@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/music/ensembles/#bands.

As the semester winds down, students (and colleagues) are invited to share words of gratitude with VCU professors. University faculty members 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. Questions: Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at ctle@vcu.edu. Spread joy and send your VCU profs some props through the following URL.

For more information, contact Michele Murray at mmurray2@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf-bQxqzSHjvQtndTHFAU1rBCPmXPMAsQlthL2Jh2ShvLeCdQ/viewform.

VCU Department of Music invites students to register for choir for the upcoming academic year. Three ensembles are available: Commonwealth Singers, Choral Arts Society and Vox Concordia. All choirs are open to all students, regardless of major, and meet during the day for course credit. Students may register through eServices during enrollment. Learn more at the following URL.

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

The Office of the Provost invites faculty to apply to serve in a part-time administrative role in Academic Affairs, Faculty Affairs or Academic Operations through the Faculty Fellows Program. Apply by Friday, May 1 at the following URL for information regarding time commitment, compensation and application requirements.

For more information, contact Pamela Hendrix at pahendrix@vcu.edu or (804) 828-5948 or visit https://faculty.provost.vcu.edu/professional-development/faculty-fellows-program/.

VCU-PMDC has opened its call for posters for its upcoming fourth annual Research Symposium. Share your research and innovation related to Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, as well as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Posters recently submitted or featured at other symposia or conferences are welcome. Questions: https://parkinsons.vcu.edu/research/pmdc-research-symposium/ Prizes will be awarded for the top three overall posters. Register your poster by Sunday, May 31 at the following URL.

For more information, contact Chandler Moore at moorejc2@vcu.edu or visit https://bit.ly/4u4DreZ.

This collaborative offers a dynamic opportunity for tenure-track faculty to connect across disciplines and strengthen community-engaged research. All sessions will be held in person and focus on peer exchange and shared learning from September 2026 to May 2027. Those who complete the program will receive a $1,000 stipend in support of professional development. Apply at the following URL by Friday, May 29.

For more information, contact Division of Community Engagement at engage@vcu.edu or visit https://community.vcu.edu/community/cersc/.

The Research in Athlete and Military Health Sciences (RAMHS) group is seeking participants ages 14-30 years to complete a research study assessing hip muscle function following ankle sprains. You may participate if you either have a first-time lateral ankle sprain or have no ankle sprain history and are healthy (control group). This study will require one in-person study visit at our research laboratory at Biotech 8, electronic questionnaire about your health and sport participation, ultrasound imaging assessments of your hip at rest (lying down) and during light activity (squatting, treadmill walking) and hip muscle strength assessments. Participants with ankle sprains will also be asked to complete remote, electronic surveys at three and six months after the in-person visit.

For more information, contact Crystal Figueroa at crystal.figueroa@vcuhealth.org or (804) 827-0871.

VCU and UVA seek females ages 14–30 for a research study. If you are low weight, lost significant weight or exercise heavily and have missed or irregular periods (FHA), you may qualify. FHA can harm bone health due to low estrogen. This study tests estrogen and progesterone to improve bone health. Includes four visits over 14 months (exams, questionnaires, nutrition/exercise review, bone scans) at no cost. Up to $875 compensation and travel support. Contact: misralab@uvahealth.org

For more information, contact Alexandra Lempke at alexandra.lempke@vcuhealth.org.

This study is seeking individuals between the ages of 18 and 55 years who have PTSD or symptoms of PTSD. The purpose of this research study is to examine the effect of heat therapy (infrared sauna) on PTSD symptoms with specific focus on blood vessel function. This study will be conducted at 500 Academic Centre on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Principle Investigator: Ryan Garten, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences.

For more information, contact Ryan Garten at rsgarten@vcu.edu.

Recruiting adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years old who have 1) never had a diagnosed concussion or 2) sustained a concussion within the last 14 days. This non-invasive study is investigating the acoustic startle reflex and acoustic startle potentiation in relationship to subsequent injury following concussion. Participants will be compensated for their time. See the survey at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jessie Oldham at oldhamjr@vcu.edu or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=YKDWLNYWDNK7M7KX.

The Research on Excessive, Persistent and Emotion-based Actions and Traits (REPEAT) Lab at VCU is conducting a brain imaging study to understand decision-making processes in adults struggling with an excessive need for control, perfectionism and/or productivity. Participants will be compensated for participating in this study. See the screening questions at the following URL.

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

This research is being done to investigate how you learn new movements with your nondominant hand. You will be asked to complete a tracing game on a touchscreen tablet while wearing an electrode cap. You must be right-handed, male and between the ages of 18 and 40 to participate. $20 compensation is available for your participation. The study takes about one hour. The study will take place in the research laboratory location in the VCU College of Health Professions building, 900 E. Leigh St.

For more information, contact Narges Yaghoubi at yaghoubin@vcu.edu.