03 p.m. to 04 p.m.

VCU's Campus Learning Center will hold a weekly Russian conversation group open to students of all levels (enrolled or not). The sessions, to be offered throughout the semester, will meet in Room B014, Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave. The schedule is available at the following URL.

For more information, contact Campus Learning Center at clc@vcu.edu or (804) 827-8108 or visit https://clc.vcu.edu/group-learning/.

12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

University of Minnesota professor Susan D. Jones, D.V.M., Ph.D., will lecture as part of the "Imagining Science Through Animals" speaker series, hosted by VCU's Science, Technology and Society Program. The talk will be given in Richmond Salons I-II, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Her lecture, "The Homelands of the Plague: Soviet Disease Ecology in Central Asia, 1920s–1950s," will explore the development of a Russian/Soviet school of "disease ecology" at the intersection of human medicine, veterinary medicine and ecological fieldwork.

For more information, contact Kathryn Meier at kmeier@vcu.edu.

4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

VCU's Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies presents "Counternarratives From Women of Color Academics: Bravery, Vulnerability and Resistance." The event will be held in the Third Floor Lecture Hall, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave.

For more information, contact Kathy Ingram at kingram@vcu.edu.

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Richmond businesswoman Becky Crump will lead a social innovation workshop. The talk, part of the IDEATE (Increasing Diversity in Entrepreneurial And Tech Ecosystems) Speaker Series, will be at VCU's da Vinci Center, 807 S. Cathedral Place. Crump, visionary behind The Giving Wall and Founder of Mindful Mornings, a national interactive speaker series, will discuss the intersection of "why" and "innovation." Register for the free event at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kendra Cabler at cablerka@vcu.edu or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ideate-speaker-series-becky-crump-tickets-58025593111.

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

An interactive discussion will focus on strategies for dealing with stress. The event, to be held in Room 103, Robert Blackwell Smith Building, 410 N. 12th St., will be hosted by Voicing Opinions In Collaborative Environments in School, an initiative within VCU's School of Pharmacy. A representative from University Counseling Services and a panel of faculty speakers from VCU's School of Pharmacy will participate.

For more information, contact Zaneera Hassan at hassanzh@vcu.edu or (703) 864-3656.

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Diversity Ambassadors from the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs will host a conversation about the LGBTQIA+ community, resources available in Richmond and VCU and how to be an effective ally if someone comes out to you. The dialogue will be held in Room 1112, Grace and Broad Residence Center 1, 1000 W. Grace St. Dinner will be provided.

For more information, contact Dana Vandervelde at vandervelded@mymail.vcu.edu or visit http://omsa.vcu.edu.

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Rams in Recovery will host a session to train others to properly use and administer Naloxone, the safe, lifesaving drug that reverses an opioid overdose. The session will be held in Room 1104, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Shawn Hammonds at shammonds@vcu.edu or visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FGCB3G5.

Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU's Community Health Education Center presents "Living with Diabetes." Presenters from the School of Pharmacy will discuss diabetes types, risk factors, prevention and management. The free session will be held at the Center, Room G-112, Gateway Building, 1200 E. Marshall St. Free blood pressure screenings will be offered. Lunch will be provided. Register (required) at the following URL.

For more information, contact K.J. Ricasata at ricasatakj@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2432 or visit https://vcu.libcal.com/event/5237217.

Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

VCU's Office of Sustainability will host a focus group on developing a plan to open a Free Store on campus. The session will be held in Room 229, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. A session will also be held at the same location at noon on March 20.

For more information, contact Lisa Mathews-AIlsworth at lmathewsails@vcu.edu or (804) 828-4514.

Tuesday, Mar. 19, 2019 at 8 p.m.

VCU's Department of Music presents Jazz Orchestra II in concert in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall of the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door and free for VCU students with an ID.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

Wright Center clinical research informatics manager Tim Aro will provide an overview of the HIPAA-compliant ACT and TriNetX networks. The networks help researchers complete studies, facilitate collaborations and enable discoveries through the creation of real-world evidence. The Whetting your Appetite for Research seminar, presented by the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research and Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, will be presented in Room 2-010, Tompkins-McCaw, 509 N. 12th St. Register at the following email.

For more information, contact Pam Dillon at pmdillon@vcu.edu or visit https://rampages.us/vcucctr/2019/02/25/march-whetting-your-appetite-for-research-series/.

Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

Blackboard specialist Jamillah Martin of Learning Systems will lead a workshop to demystify the Grade Center. Martin will help set up a simple, easy-to-navigate page that matches the syllabus just in time for inputting final grades into Banner. The event, hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, will be held in Room 4110, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tiffany Freitas at freitast@vcu.edu or visit https://goo.gl/forms/rUIqmrMFAHtJW2pC2.

Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Women Peace Corps volunteers will participate in an informational panel discussion. The event will be held in Room 1030J, West Grace Street Student Housing – North, 830 W. Grace St. Ask questions about service and learn suggestions about the application process.

For more information, contact Emily Krupp at kruppec@vcu.edu or visit http://peacecorps.gov.

Thursday, Mar. 21, 2019 at 1 p.m.

VCU's Records Management Office will hold Records Management 101 training. The session, open to all university staff, will be held in Room 2-010, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, 509 N. 12th St. Training will cover recordkeeping requirements and practices to be compliant with state regulations and university policy. Register at the following URL (keyword "records"). Self-paced Records Management 101 training is also available in Blackboard.

For more information, contact Amber Peranski at aperanski@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2097 or visit https://training.vcu.edu/.

Thursday, Mar. 21, 2019 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

VCU Human Resources and TIAA will host a session about managing income and debt. The workshop will be held in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Learn about the importance of cash flow and how to use it, focus on approaches to saving and spending, and evaluate debt.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at worklife@vcu.edu or visit https://training.vcu.edu/course_detail.asp?ID=17125.

Thursday, Mar. 21, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

VCU's Latino Medical Student Association and H:UMAN (Humanities: Understanding MAN) will host a screening of "Roma." The film will be shown in Room 5-101, James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E. Marshall St., and will be prefaced by a historical/cultural context presentation led by Betsy Konefal, Ph.D., director of Latin American Studies, College of William and Mary. A discussion will follow addressing indigenous and women’s reproductive health in Central America and how this may apply to the Latinx immigrant community in Richmond. Pizza and movie snacks will be provided. RSVP for food closes at noon on March 20.

For more information, contact Saba Ali at alisi@vcu.edu or visit https://goo.gl/forms/zGTue5arcFhz07hO2.

Thursday, Mar. 21, 2019 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

VCU's Department of Music presents "Experiencing Villa-Lobos: VCU Symphony and Commonwealth Singers Featuring Colleen Thorburn, Harp." The performance will be in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall of the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave., and is part of an international festival honoring Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. General admission tickets are $10.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu.

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

VCU's Science Learning Center will host a session exploring how students learn from a science-teaching perspective. The session will be held in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Dianne Jennings, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Learning Center Fellow, will lead a discussion on evidence based-learning and how scientific-based teaching practices can be brought into the classroom. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Stacey Wahl, Ph.D. at swahl@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0622 or visit https://goo.gl/forms/avKahffXr5uVgZ683.

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 from noon to 1 p.m.

VCU`s Office of Research and Innovation presents a seminar in the series "Because of You: Research You Make Happen." Huiping Zhou, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology, will speak at the event, in the Founder's Conference Room, Virginia BioTechnology Research Park – BioTech One, 800 E. Leigh St. She will discuss her research into how bile acids play a much larger role in healthy liver function than just digestion and potential keys to unlocking new treatment modalities for fatty liver disease. Lunch will be provided to the first 30 in attendance.

For more information, contact Lydia Klinger at leklinger@vcu.edu or (804) 628-2642 or visit https://research.vcu.edu/events/because_of_you.htm.

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

VCU Career Services presents a BEST (Broadening Experiences for Scientific Training) workshop, "Identifying Careers in Industry." The event will be held in Room 6-032, Sanger Hall, 1101 E. Marshall St. Most biomedical scientists choose a nonacademic career path, but do not necessarily know early enough about the other options to consider. Hear from a panel of alumni who transitioned to a career in industry and employers who offer opportunities for early connections.

For more information, contact Lian Currie at lcurrie@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1645 or visit https://tinyurl.com/VCUBEST2.

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 at 4 p.m.

Experimental composer and biologist Sarmistha Talukdar will perform at the ICA. Drop-in performances, part of Rashid Johnson's "Monument" exhibition, are free and open to the public at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Talukdar combines her scientific research data with classical Indian music and ambient elements. At 3 p.m. March 23, she will be joined by Womajich Dialyseiz, an improv collective made up of women and gender nonconforming people, who will create a performance paying tribute to notable women in experimental music.

For more information, contact Institute for Contemporary Art at ica@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/performances/provocations-0322/.

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

The VCU Department of Music presents "Experiencing Villa-Lobos: Sonia Rubinsky, Piano." The performance will be in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall of the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave., and is part of an international festival honoring Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. General admission tickets are $25.

For more information, contact Anne Marie Dumain at dumainamm@vcu.edu.

Saturday, Mar. 23, 2019 at 1 p.m.

Join Awendela Grantham for a dialogue about racial formations in artist Cauleen Smith’s work through the lens of Grantham’s book, "The Africana Experience: We’ve Come This Far." The talk will be given at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Grantham, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in African American Studies at VCU. Tickets are required.

For more information, contact Institute for Contemporary Art at ica@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/tours/topic-0323/.

Saturday, Mar. 23, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

VCU Recreational Sports Outdoor Adventure Program will host a dinner to learn to cook meals using a Dutch oven. The event will be held at the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, 3800 John Tyler Memorial Highway, Charles City County. The fee is $10 for students, $13 for members/faculty/staff and $15 for nonmembers. Registration ends March 20.

For more information, contact Katie Schmidt at outdoors@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8826 or visit https://recsports.vcu.edu/programs/outdoor-adventure-program/rice-rivers-center/.

Saturday, Mar. 23, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

VCU Recreational Sports will host Spring Family Day at the VCU Rice Rivers Center. Activities for summer camps will be discussed. Rising fourth-11th grade students may sign up for summer programs at the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, 3701 John Tyler Memorial Highway, Charles City County. Registration ends March 20.

For more information, contact Katie Schmidt at outdoors@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8826 or visit https://recsports.vcu.edu/programs/outdoor-adventure-program/rice-rivers-center/.

Sunday, Mar. 24, 2019 at 2 p.m.

First Love Church at VCU will host a "Come Home" service with Pastor Gabriel Owiredu-Boateng. The service, in Room 1232, Grace and Broad Residence Center 2, 1010 W. Grace St., will include dancing, singing and a choir. Lunch will be provided after the service.

For more information, contact Yasmin at johnye@mymail.vcu.edu.

Monday, Mar. 25, 2019 from noon to 1:15 p.m.

Learn about VCU's optional retirement plan. Human Resources presents "Retiring with the VCU Optional Retirement Plan" for VCU faculty, in Jackson Ward Conference Room B, Jonah L. Larrick Student Center, 900 Turpin St. The session is open to VCU faculty employees only, not VCU Health System employees.

For more information, contact Sherri Goodine at sbgoodine@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9651 or visit https://training.vcu.edu/course_detail.asp?ID=16965.

Monday, Mar. 25, 2019 at 5 p.m.

Kristen Cavallo, CEO of The Martin Agency, will speak about "Female Leadership in the Age of #MeToo." The event, next in VCU's Robertson School Speaker Series, will be held in the theater of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Marcus Messner at mmessner@vcu.edu or visit https://robertson.vcu.edu/news/ceo-of-martin-agency-speaks-about-female-leadership-in-the-age-of-metoo.html.

Tuesday, Mar. 26, 2019 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

VCU's Minority Association of Pre-Health Students will host an informational session about optometry. The session will be held in Room 1111, Grace and Broad Residence Center 1, 1000 W. Grace St. Zachary Levin-Epstein, senior admissions counselor at SUNY State College of Optometry, will give a presentation on the profession, the admissions process and the institute. He will also offer suggestions concerning further studies in health profession programs.

For more information, contact Madina Nooristani at nooristanimn@vcu.edu.

Saturday, May 4, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to noon

VCU's School of Pharmacy will host preview day, a half-day event for students interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy. The event will be held at the Robert Blackwell Smith Building, 410 N. 12th St. Participants will have the opportunity to meet admissions faculty and current professional students. Tours of the School of Pharmacy, conducting hands-on medication compounding and participation in mock interviews will also be available.

For more information, contact Taryn Hayes at hayesta5@vcu.edu.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Registration is now open for the VCU's seventh annual Community Engagement Institute. The two-day event, to be held at VCU Innovate, Grace and Broad Residence Center 2, 1010 W. Grace St., brings together those who share a commitment to solving today's challenges through community-academic partnerships. Faculty members, community partners and graduate students are invited to attend this free event to explore the fundamental principles of university-community engagement in the 21st century. The institute is hosted by VCU’s Division of Community Engagement and the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Grace Albritton at albrittongc@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8824 or visit https://community.vcu.edu/.

VCU's Asian and Pacific Islander Student Alliance is accepting entries for its April art show. Works in all mediums, including dance and spoken word, will be accepted from those who identify as Asian and/or Pacific Islander. Submit entries at the following URL.

For more information, contact Asian and Pacific Islander Student Alliance at Apsaatvcu@gmail.com or visit https://bit.ly/2Gw23su.

The committee leading the search for the position of VCU's Director of Faculty Success is hosting open forums for the university community. Opportunities to hear from the final candidates will be held March 12, 14, 19 and 22. Times and locations as well as information about each candidate are available at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tiffany Freitas at freitast@vcu.edu or visit https://provost.vcu.edu/searches/dirfacsuccess/candidates/.

VCUDine will observe Nutrition Week March 18-22. VCUDine registered dietitian Erin Thornton will offer a specialty menu item each day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Market 810, Shafer Court Dining Center, 810 Cathedral Place. Dishes will include a mix of grains, roasted vegetables, grilled meats and more. Details are available at social media and the following URL.

For more information, contact Lauren Hay at lhay@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1148 or visit http://vcu.campusdish.com.

The inaugural Virginia Clinical Research Conference, to be held April 12 at the Hilton Richmond Downtown Hotel, is now offering continuing medical education credits. VCU Health Continuing Medical Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. VCU Health Continuing Medical Education designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Register for CME credits by emailing the following address.

For more information, contact Shirley Helm at shirley.helm@vcuhealth.org or (804) 628-2942 or visit https://ocpe.vcu.edu/clinical-research/.

Personalized Exploration for College Success (PECS) at VCU, a student organization guiding Richmond high school students in the college application process, has entered a nationwide video competition. The winner of the contest, hosted by Zipcar, will be awarded $10,000 to support their organization's cause. PECS invites all to support VCU by viewing and voting for their video (last on the page) at the following URL.

For more information, contact Allen Shieh at shieha@vcu.edu or visit http://zipcar.com/swd.

VCU's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program will host a poster workshop. The session, 3:30-4:30 p.m. March 19, will be held in Room 1160, T. Edward Temple Building, 901 W. Main St., and will cover some of the technical aspects of poster creation from design to printing. It is appropriate for undergrads who will present their work at the Poster Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creativity taking place on campus April 24. A full schedule of design sessions is available at the following link.

For more information, contact Herb Hill, Director of Undergraduate Research Opportunities at urop@vcu.edu or visit http://wp.vcu.edu/vcuurop/2019/01/29/sympcall2019/.

Through a new education partnership with Kaplan Test Prep, students can save on live online prep courses for the MCAT when enrolling through the VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education. View a schedule of available courses at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Office of Continuing and Professional Education at ocpe@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1322 or visit https://ocpe.vcu.edu/mcat.

Men and women between the ages of 18-55 who vape and smoke cigarettes are invited to participate in a research study that requires five, four-hour laboratory visits. Compensation (up to $500) is provided. Call the following telephone number (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.) or visit http://bit.ly/bhrlvcu for more information. This study will be conducted at Thurston House on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Principal investigators are Andrew Barnes, Ph.D., Department of Health Behavior and Policy, and Caroline Cobb, Ph.D., Department of Psychology.

For more information, contact Jessica Presley at jmpresley@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1867 or visit http://wp.vcu.edu/cobbco/.

Are you currently experiencing low back pain, between the ages of 18-60 years old and interested in the possibility of nine weeks of nonsurgical experimental treatment? If you answered yes to all three you may qualify for our research. What? New, innovative and fun virtual reality games are designed to help people with chronic back pain move and feel better. Where? All appointments, testing and treatments are conducted at VCU. When? Participation in the study involves 24 one-hour appointments scheduled over a 57-week period. Who? The VIGOR Study team consists of professionals in the field who have been selectively chosen and extensively trained. Interested? Contact us at the following URL. You may be compensated for your time.

For more information, contact Tiffany Amos at mcl@vcu.edu or (804) 628-2902 or visit https://redcap.vcu.edu/surveys/?s=DHT7NDE3J9.