12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The Center on Health Disparities hosts a group viewing of "An Introduction to Photovoice as a Method Aligned with Community-Engaged Research at the Theatre Row Building, 730 E. Broad St., Fourth Floor Conference Room. The viewing is free and open to all interested. This webinar is sponsored by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) of Wake Forest University.

For more information, visit http://healthdisparities.vcu.edu/.

12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute hosts a COBE Connect lunch lecture featuring VIPBG researcher Nathan Gillespie, Ph.D., discussing the genetic and environmental risk factors in cannabis use/misuse and they relate to annual income, in the University Student Commons, Forum Room. The COBE Connect lunch series is held the first Tuesday of each month. Lunch is provided.

For more information, visit http://www.cobe.vcu.edu.

5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Dr. Pamela Harris Lawton and the Art Education Department invite members of the VCU community to attend the exhibition opening for Artstories RVA at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1812 W. Main St. This community-based, age-integrated arts learning program combines VCU art education and communication arts students with Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School students and their art teachers. The exhibition will be on view from October 3 -30 at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

VCU Libraries hosts "Wednesdays in the Workshop," an open house designed to help attendees explore new equipment, techniques, softwares or experiences every Wednesday at Cabell Library. This week's topic will be stop motion animation.

For more information, visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/events/2017-18/wednesday-workshops-2017-18.html.

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017 at 7 p.m.

The Department of Music presents a VCU Symphonic Wind Ensemble concert in the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall. This performance will be conducted by David Niethamer, and will include works by Charles Ives, William Schuman, David Maslanka and John Philip Sousa. Tickets are $10 general admission and free for VCU students with ID.

For more information, visit http://arts.vcu.edu/music/events/.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

VCUDine hosts a lunchtime Seafood Bash in Market 810 at Shafer Court Dining Center. Choose from a selection of classic seafood dishes including lobster bisque, shrimp po’boy and seafood platter. For a complete menu with uppercut information, follow @VCUDine on social media or visit vcu.campusdish.com.

For more information, visit http://vcu.campusdish.com.

Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business’ 23rd annual International Business Forum will address the challenges and opportunities of the African continent as it emerges as a global powerhouse. “Africa — The Big Emerging Continent: Opportunities and Challenges” take place in the University Student Commons Ballroom, 907 Floyd Ave. Reception to follow at the Snead Hall atrium, 301 W. Main St.

For more information, visit http://news.vcu.edu/community/VCUs_annual_International_Business_Forum_will_address_challenges.

Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 from noon to 1 p.m.

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs hosts Karin L. DeLeon, MSW, advanced mental health resident at the University Counseling Services, for First Fridays at the OMSA office. DeLeon will share ways she is working on being a visible advocate for the Latinx community here at VCU.

Monday, Oct. 9, 2017 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and VCU Postdoctoral Association present "Curve fitting in MATLAB" with Anna Nagle, PhD, in the Tompkins-McCaw Library, Room 2-010. This talk will cover how to write MATLAB code to optimize the parameters in an equation to fit a set of data points. Register for this free workshop at the URL below.

For more information, visit http://rampages.us/howtotalks.

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Wellness Resource Center presents "Great SEXpectations" in the University Student Commons, Richmond Salon III. This fun and informative play-shop from sex educators will help remove sexual stigmas and taboos, offering practical communication tools and a safe, supportive environment within which to practice them. Attendees can bring partner(s).

Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, in the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, 2017 class of the VCU Leadership Development Program make their final presentations in the University Student Commons, Richmond Salons I-II. Each year, VCU Leadership participants work together to address an issue of importance to the university. The presentations are scheduled to allow guests to come and go as needed. A detailed schedule of the presentation can be found by visiting the website below.

For more information, visit https://gehli.vcu.edu/programs/vcu-leadership-development/team-projects/.

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Division for Inclusive Excellence and Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity (SAEO) present Conchita Hernandez Legorreta, co-founder of the National Coalition for Latinx with Disabilities, speaking about the intersection of immigration and disability and the importance of translation and interpretation for social justice in West Grace Street Student Housing-South, Room 1004A. Hernandez is chair of Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students (METAS), a nonprofit organization that trains educators internationally to work with blind/low vision students and students with other disabilities. She also heads the Spanish Translation Committee for the National Federation of the Blind. Free and open to the public. Register by visiting the website below.

For more information, visit http://go.vcu.edu/latinxfallevents.

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 from 9 a.m. to noon

The Wellness Resource Center invites faculty and staff to its Recovery Ally Program, a training designed to help participants better support students and loved ones in recovery, at the Wellness Resource Center. Registration is required by visiting https://goo.gl/2hY6KC

For more information, visit http://www.thewell.vcu.edu/recovery-support/recovery-ally/.

Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The University College Common Book Program sponsors an interactive panel presentation and common book conversation with S. Hughes Melton, M.D., Virginia Department of Health Chief Deputy Commissioner; M. Norman Oliver, Deputy Commissioner for Population Health; and Tom Bannard, program director, Rams in Recovery, and certified alcohol drug counselor. The experts will focus on the opioid crisis in Virginia and its impact on public health and will discuss - what is the current approach to address this crisis in Virginia and what are the next steps moving forward? This discussion will take place in two locations - Academic Learning Commons, Room 4100, and the Kontos Medical Sciences Building Auditorium.

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences presents new and updated online workshops this fall for the VCU community. The library offers PubMed, Citation Management, Finding Science and Medical Images to help students, faculty and staff with their research needs. For workshop descriptions and to register, visit the website below.

For more information, visit http://go.vcu.edu/library-classes.

Human Resources provides eligible VCU faculty and staff with seasonal flu shots on a first-come, first-served basis beginning in October. For dates and locations, visit the website below. To receive the vaccine, employees must participate in the State Health Benefits program and show their health plan card. Note that employees who intend to use the shots to obtain "Do Right" credit for the Aetna Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) must obtain written confirmation of the flu shot from Walgreens when they receive their shot.

For more information, visit http://www.hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/employee-health/flu-vaccination-clinics.

Virginia Commonwealth University's December Commencement exercises take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, in the E.J Wade Arena at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. Faculty participating in the ceremony will wear academic apparel. Regalia must be ordered at your respective campus by Friday, Nov. 3. For ordering information, visit http://apps.bsv.vcu.edu/retailstr/commencement.pdf

For more information, visit http://apps.bsv.vcu.edu/retailstr/commencement.pdf.