12 p.m.

VCU's Department of Music presents a faculty recital by Bruce Hammel, bassoon. The concert will be in the Recital Hall of the James W. Black Music Center, 1015 Grove Ave. Admission is free.

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

2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Dean's Office of the College of Humanities and Sciences will present "Building Skills for Grant Writing." The workshop will be held in Room 308, Hibbs Hall, 900 Park Ave. The session will include the basics of using the grant-writing database Pivot, differences between academic and grant writing and etiquette and preparation for interacting with project officers. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Devin Bowers at bowersdm@vcu.edu or visit http://has.vcu.edu/building-skills-for-grant-writing/.

3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

VCU's da Vinci Center will host Demo Day, at which select student ventures from the university will give entrepreneurial pitches and be recognized. Students will give their pitches from 3-5 p.m. in the theater of the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. A showcase and reception will be held in the ICA's Forum from 5-7 p.m. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kelsey Steenburgh at steenburghbk@vcu.edu or (804) 827-4584 or visit http://vcudemoday19.eventbrite.com.

6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

VCUarts will host a reception for the MFA Thesis Exhibition at The Anderson, 907 1/2 W. Franklin St. Participating departments in the annual student exhibit include Craft and Material Studies, Graphic Design, Kinetic Imaging, Painting and Printmaking, Photography and Film, Sculpture and Extended Media and Theater. The exhibition runs April 26-May 11.

For more information, contact Maggie Flanigan at mflanigan2@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7720.

9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Nature Appreciation and Community Healing Organization at VCU will host a pre-finals mindfulness session in Virginia Rooms A and B, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. DIY planters, coloring pages and light refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Alexandra Mischou at mischouar@mymail.vcu.edu or (703) 909-8532.

Saturday, Apr. 27, 2019 from 10 a.m. to noon

A representative from the accounting firm Keiter will speak at a meeting of Beta Alpha Psi - Accounting Honor Society. The session will be held in Room B3189, Snead Hall, School of Business, 301 W. Main St. The speaker will discuss current trends and best practices in accounting. A barbecue will be held after the meeting.

For more information, contact Caroline Clary at clarycr2@vcu.edu.

Sunday, Apr. 28, 2019 from noon to 3 p.m.

VCU's University Student Commons and Activities will host the 2019 Wedding and Special Events Expo. The event will be in the Commonwealth Ballroom, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. The free event is open to all.

For more information, contact VCU Event Services at uscaevent@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9502 or visit http://usca.vcu.edu/event-services.

Sunday, Apr. 28, 2019 at 3 p.m.

VCU's Department of Music presents a Guitar Ensemble. The concert will be in the Recital Hall of the James W. Black Music Center, 1015 Grove Ave. Admission is free.

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

Sunday, Apr. 28, 2019 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship will hold a working meeting. The session will be in the Multipurpose Room, The Honors College, 701 W. Grace St. Bring a laptop to assist in reviewing submissions for acceptance to the Journal.

For more information, contact Caroline Clary at clarycr2@vcu.edu.

Monday, Apr. 29, 2019 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You've got finals. We've got dogs. University Counseling Services will host "Paws for Stress." The event offers the opportunity to play with certified therapy dogs from the Center for Human-Animal Interaction as a means to unwind from semester stress. The dogs will be in the Richmond Salons, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Christine Strasser at cstrasser@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6200 or visit https://counseling.vcu.edu/.

Monday, Apr. 29, 2019 at noon

VCU's Department of Music presents the Percussion Ensemble. The concert will be in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall of the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. Admission is free.

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

Monday, Apr. 29, 2019 from noon to 12:30 p.m.

VCU's Wellness Resource Center will present a 20-minute meditation session focusing on forest-guided imagery. The session will be near the water fountain at Monroe Park. Bring a blanket or yoga mat. The rain location is 815 S. Cathedral Place.

For more information, contact Mia Liadis at liadisa@vcu.edu or (804) 828-9355 or visit https://thewell.vcu.edu/wellness/mental-health/mindfulness/.

Monday, Apr. 29, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Heart to Soul in Action at VCU will host a "Stress Less" event in Room 1030, West Grace Street Student Housing – North, 830 W. Grace St. The event, open to all VCU students, will feature games, Red Eye cookies and ice cream.

For more information, contact Leena Penumalee at penumaleels@vcu.edu.

Monday, Apr. 29, 2019 at 8 p.m.

VCU's Department of Music presents Small Jazz Ensembles. The concert will be in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall of the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave. Admission is free.

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

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

VCU's Focused Inquiry Expo is a culminating event for first-year students in which members of Focused Inquiry classes across the university present their work. Presentations may take the form of poster presentations, multimedia presentations or talks. The event will be held in the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.

For more information, contact Jason Corner at jlcorner@vcu.edu or (804) 912-4994 or visit https://focusedinquiry.vcu.edu/.

Friday, May 3, 2019 at 4 p.m.

The ICA offers extended gallery hours until 9 p.m. with free tours, performances and other special events the first Friday of each month. Food and beverages are available at Ellwood’s Café at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St. Visit the following URL for a full schedule of events.

For more information, contact Institute for Contemporary Art at ica@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/events/firstfriday-0503/.

Friday, May 3, 2019 at 4 p.m.

VCU Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation (iCubed) Arts Fellow and Assistant Professor Paul Rucker combines media and performance at the ICA in response to Rashid Johnson's "Monument" exhibition. Rucker, a visual artist, composer and musician, investigates community impacts, human rights issues, historical research and basic human emotions. A performance will also be offered at 3 p.m. May 4 at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St.

For more information, contact Institute for Contemporary Art at ica@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/performances/provocations-0503/.

Friday, May 3, 2019 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Irena Haiduk and writer-curator Joshua Simon will present a discussion of Tableau Économique, Haiduk’s contribution to the ICA's "Dialogues" series. An oration of Yugoexport’s "Articles of In-corporation" will follow. The oration will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Institute for Contemporary Art at the Markel Center, 601 W. Broad St.

For more information, contact Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU at clneal@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/events/dialogues-artist-talk-0503/.

Friday, Jun. 7, 2019 from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

VCU's Massey Cancer Center will host the 2019 Cancer Research Retreat. The day will begin with research presentations by Massey Cancer Center faculty members and a special keynote address by John Carpten, Ph.D., Director of the Institute of Translational Genomics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. A poster session will be held in the afternoon and Excellence in Cancer Research awards will be presented at the close of the event. The morning session will be in the auditorium of the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building, 1217 E. Marshall St. The afternoon session will be on the 11th and 12th floors, James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E. Marshall St.

For more information, contact Olivia Patterson at opatterson@vcu.edu or (804) 628-3400 or visit https://massey.vcu.edu/research/retreat/.

Construction and utility work at the VCU Health Outpatient Facility and the Children's Inpatient Facility sites will affect traffic patterns around the MCV Campus for several months. On April 26-28, multiple street closures will be in effect. For current information and updates, visit the URL below.

For more information, contact Carrie Carroll at carrie.carroll@vcuhealth.org or visit http://vcuhealth.org/traffic.

VCU Libraries, the Office of the Provost, the ALT Lab, Online@VCU and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence announce the opening of the 2019 round of the Affordable Course Content Awards. The program supports faculty adoption of free resources and creation of openly licensed alternatives to expensive textbooks. Deadlines are May 31 for intent to apply and June 30 for completed applications.

For more information, contact Sue Robinson at srobinson26@vcu.edu or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/services/faculty/course-content/acca-program/.