3 p.m.

The VCU and VCU Health communities are invited to attend the virtual ceremony of the 2021 Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment. This year’s PACME recipients are Andrew Daire, Ph.D. (Academic and Administrative Leadership); M. Alex Wagaman, Ph.D. (Faculty); Michelle Hawkins, MA (Staff) and Amanda Parks (Student). The President's Inclusive Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Seth Leibowitz, Ed.D. To view the live ceremony, visit the following URL.

For more information, contact Inclusive Excellence at inclusive@vcu.edu or visit http://go.vcu.edu/pacme.

5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This event is the fifth in a series of six workshops on career preparation. Register on Handshake at the following URL.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Engel at careers@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.joinhandshake.com/events/712397.

6 p.m.

In the wake of the trial and subsequent guilty verdict of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, along with many other daily acts of racism, VCU Health System, Health Sciences schools and Office of Student Success are offering an optional listening session for health sciences students, faculty, staff and team members. Click on the following URL for the Zoom link.

For more information, contact Teri Mitchell at enterprisecommunications@vcuhealth.org or visit https://vcuhealth.zoom.us/j/95091565233.

Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2021 from noon to 1 p.m.

David Cifu, M.D., chair and professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, will discuss the Department of Defense application and review process at a grant-writing seminar hosted by VCU's C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research. Email the following address for a complete list of the grant-writing series sessions. Questions: http://www.cctr.vcu.edu. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Pam Dillon, Pharm.D., research liaison, at pmdillon@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1519 or visit https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpd-2grjMqG9RMoDl8DKM9qGGKhp2Xa4K2.

Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2021 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

VCU CORE SAG, a student advisory group on racial equity, will host a town hall informational session about CSIJ 200: Race and Racism in America, a racial literacy course available in the fall. Questions: Co-chairs Marie Vergamini (vergaminim@mymail.vcu.edu) and JaVonne Bowles (bowlesjl2@vcu.edu). The students and faculty who co-created the course will be in attendance. Questions: https://linktr.ee/CORESAG. Click on the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Reena Pidaparti at pidapartir2@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/j/96404818180.

Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2021 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The VCU Honors College will host Pegah Eftekharzadeh, a doctoral intern at University Counseling Services at VCU, for a Berglund seminar. Eftekharzadeh will discuss mental health in Middle Eastern/North African individuals and communities, including the prevalence rates of mental health symptoms, variables that affect those rates, examples of lived experiences and local and national resources. Contact the following email for the event link.

For more information, contact Jared Johnson at jajohnson4@vcu.edu.

Wednesday, Apr. 28, 2021 at 4 p.m.

VCU's Intercultural Festival will feature two major events: An afternoon with Christine Ha at 4 p.m. April 28 and a virtual fair from noon-2 p.m. April 29. Christine Ha is the first-ever blind contestant and Season Three winner of the competitive amateur cooking television show “MasterChef.” She defeated over 30,000 home cooks across America to secure the title, a $250,000 cash prize and a cookbook deal. The virtual fair will connect VCU student organizations and students to share resources and celebrate diverse cultures. Sign up to see Christine Ha and get the link for the virtual fair at the following URL.

For more information, contact Meghan Zapiec at mzapiec@vcu.edu or visit https://thecommonsvcu.com/ICF.

Thursday, Apr. 29, 2021 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Banah el Ghadbanah, Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, San Diego, will discuss the protests, poetics and pedagogies created by Syrian women and youth while under siege. The event is in conjunction with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tiana Ingram at ingramtd@vcu.edu or visit https://linktr.ee/vcuomsa.

Thursday, Apr. 29, 2021 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

April is Credential Month at the Capital CoLAB (Collaborative of Leaders in Academia and Business). Join President Rao in the CoLAB’s last virtual event of the month about various topics related to digital skills development at VCU and across the region. The event is free and open to all faculty at VCU. Did you know VCU is one of the 19 participating universities for Capital CoLAB’s Digital Tech Credential program? To learn more about the Digital Tech Credential program, visit http://capitalcolab.com. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tasha Washington at colab@greaterwashingtonpartnership.com or visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2xKnGk7mSvOwlUOWc0wWcg.

Friday, Apr. 30, 2021 from noon to 12:30 p.m.

VCU Human Resources in partnership with VCU Recreational Sports will offer an educational session covering the basics and benefits of cardiovascular exercise, including current guidelines and tips on how to meet them. Questions: https://hr.vcu.edu/current-employees/worklife/. Register in Talent@VCU at the following URL.

For more information, contact Cindi Phares at cphares@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1521 or visit https://bit.ly/2QWjytm.

Friday, Apr. 30, 2021 from noon to 1 p.m.

Paul Joseph McMurdie, Ph.D., principal scientist, Pendulum Therapeutics, will give a talk as part of the VCU Biostatistics '21 Spring Seminar Series. He will discuss "Increases in Plasma Butyrate and Ursodeoxycholate Following a Probiotic Intervention That Improved Postprandial Glucose Control in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes." Questions: https://biostatistics.vcu.edu/news/seminar/. Click on the Zoom link at the following URL. The meeting ID is 923 1735 5766. The pass code is 364454.

For more information, contact Dipankar Bandyopadhyay at dbandyop@vcu.edu or visit https://zoom.us/j/92317355766?pwd=My9Ud2dXdU44OU9WTk92SnZobEFqUT09.

Friday, Apr. 30, 2021 from 9 a.m. to noon

VCU's da Vinci Center for Innovation will host Demo Day, designed to connect student innovators and founders with the Richmond ecosystem and beyond. Hear pitches from students who have completed VCU Pre-X, the university’s pre-accelerator program. The event is free and open to students, faculty, investors and community members seeking to network, strengthen and support Richmond's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Lloyd Young at youngel3@vcu.edu or visit https://connect.business.vcu.edu/register/demo-day-21.

Tuesday, May 4, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Matt Wallin, professor, Department of Communication Arts, will draw upon his decades of experience as a visual effects artist in such films as "King Kong" and "Star Wars." Wallin will explore the concepts of virtual production and its implementation. He will demonstrate basic tools students and filmmakers can use today. The lecture is part of the VCUarts Lecture Series.

For more information, contact Kim Catley at artssocial@vcu.edu or visit https://arts.vcu.edu/event/vcuarts-faculty-lecture-series-virtual-production-visual-effects-the-future-of-filmmaking-matt-wallin/.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

VCU Alumni will present a discussion about travel after the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel will include experienced traveler Gabby Beckford, travel agent Ciera Pope, former flight attendant Georgia Felopulos Smith (B.S.’17/H&S) and travel enthusiast Leila Khadrane. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Lauren Leavy at leleavy@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3_-1hHdtT-ar-JJAtOeD2w.

On May 7, VCU will recognize the new building names for seven de-commemorated buildings on its Monroe Park and MCV Campuses. Building managers, administrators, IT managers, website editors, purchasers and others directly involved are asked to ensure all necessary physical, technological and operational changes are made by May 7. Visit the following URL for the list of de-commemorated buildings.

For more information, contact VCU Facilities Management at askFMD@vcu.edu or visit https://fmd.vcu.edu/buildings-de-commemoration/.

VCU REAL will hold training sessions for VCU Student Opportunity Center, a platform which provides a central place for students to find hands-on learning activities. Training sessions are open to faculty and staff and will be held every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. Topics to be covered include an introduction to SOC, using SOC communities and building SOC pathways. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Erin Webster Garrett at real@vcu.edu or visit https://real.vcu.edu/employees/socsupport/.

VCUDine is conducting a survey to select the most preferable locations in VCU's Student Commons for next semester. All responses are confidential and should be submitted by April 29. View the survey at the following URL. Questions: https://vcu.campusdish.com/ or email dining@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Lauren Hay at dining@vcu.edu or (804) 828-1148 or visit https://vcuportal.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=wvD4986WrCc%3D.

The minimum wage will increase to $9.50 an hour for employees in Virginia on May 1. For VCU, this change will become effective on May 1. Pay increases become effective during the April 25 to May 9 pay period and will be reflected in May 14 paycheck.

For more information, contact VCU HR at askhr@vcu.edu or visit http://hr.vcu.edu.

The Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization is seeking input from residents to help develop a long-range transportation plan. The plan, named ConnectRVA 2045, will guide transportation investments over the next 20 years to support the mobility needs of the community and its future growth. The organization is asking residents to help shape spending priorities and has developed a 10-minute survey. View the survey at the following URL.

For more information, contact John Leonard at jdleonard@vcu.edu or visit https://metroquestsurvey.com/yk5h5p.