1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

VCU's National Scholarship Office will host two identical virtual information sessions about the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes, an award that provides recipients with the opportunity to study abroad for three or four weeks at a university in the United Kingdom. The second session will be held at noon on Dec. 10. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jeff Wing at natlscholar@vcu.edu or visit http://blogs.vcu.edu/natlscholar.

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The VCU Writing Center will examine examples of strong, successful personal statements, as well as less successful ones, and offer the tools needed to write the best statement. The Zoom link is hosted on the center's events page at the following URL.

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

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020 at 11 a.m.

Carrie G. Connolly, Ed.D., director of VCU's Preferred Applicant Track for Medicine, will host a presentation and Q&A session about the effect of COVID-19 on the preferred applicant programs at VCU. Visit the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Samiya Majid at medicaljournalclub.vcu@gmail.com or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/j/94727891787.

Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs will host Queer Coffee Hour. The session will include dialogues around sexuality, gender and their intersections while continuing to provide a (virtual) space for authentic conversations and identity expression. Register (required) for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Kim Green at greenk2@vcu.edu or visit https://linktr.ee/vcuomsa.

Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 at 7 p.m.

United Healthcare Network is accepting applications for two board positions, the secretary and social chair. The secretary will be responsible for event announcements, distributing flyers and buttons and scheduling weekly board meetings. The social chair will be responsible for managing social media accounts, designing event posters and formatting member emails. Apply at the following URL by 7 p.m. Dec. 4.

For more information, contact Suzannah Boaz at uhcnatvcu@gmail.com or visit https://forms.gle/qPPWGLSQWNzaco6u8.

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Rams in Recovery invites faculty, staff and students to a training session designed to help participants better support students and loved ones in recovery. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Thomas N. Bannard at bannardtn@vcu.edu or (804) 366-8027 or visit https://goo.gl/2hY6KC.

Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Amanda Hall, Ph.D., and Maghboeba Mosavel, Ph.D., will lead the first in a three-part series hosted by the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research. Participants will be introduced to the conditions and contexts for community-engaged research while exploring the fundamental principles and approaches to it, as well as the skills needed to work with community members. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Rob DiRenzo at direnzor@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dCJu78WzS2W1V-vO5lt5nw.

The search for VCU’s next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs has officially launched. The provost search website at hr.vcu.edu/careers-at-vcu/search/leadership-searches/provost-and-senior-vice-president-for-academic-affairs/ provides information on the search committee, opportunities for feedback, the search process and timetable. All members of the university community are welcome and encouraged to participate in the survey with feedback at the following URL on the search process.

For more information, contact Pamela DiSalvo Lepley, Senior Advisor to the President and Vice President for University Relations, at provostsearch@vcu.edu or visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VCUProvostSearchSurvey.

VCU Recreational Sports group exercise schedule for winter break will be in effect Nov. 30-Dec. 18. In-person and live virtual classes will be held. To preview the schedule, visit the group exercise page at the following URL and click on the drop-down panel near the bottom of the page.

For more information, contact Hannah Kotarski at kotarskih@vcu.edu or visit https://recsports.vcu.edu/programs/fitness-and-wellness/group-exercise/.

VCU police encourage shoppers to be safe during the holiday season. If gifts are ordered online, make sure someone is at home to retrieve them. Track the package and pick it up as soon as possible after delivery. In-person shoppers should always avoid carrying and displaying large amounts of cash, park in well-lighted areas and secure gifts in the vehicle's trunk so they are not visible to passersby. Additional shopping safety tips are available at the following URL.

For more information, contact VCU Police Crime Prevention Team at crimeprevreq@vcu.edu or visit https://police.vcu.edu/stay-safe/holiday-safety/.

The Do No Harm Coalition at VCU is sponsoring a fundraiser to buy cloth masks for current inmates and people being released from Richmond City Jail. To donate or read more, visit the following URL. Contact concerning fundraiser: vcudonoharm@gmail.com. Cloth masks (with no metal parts) may be donated directly by depositing them in the box opposite the elevators in the lobby of McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E Marshall St., by Dec. 4. Contact concerning mask donation: med.ethics.vcu@gmail.com.

For more information, contact Rosellen Provost at vcudonoharm@gmail.com or visit https://opencollective.com/donoharmatvcu.

SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics) and OSA (Optical Society of America) student chapters at VCU are sponsoring a photo contest open to all students which celebrates light in science and nature. Email photo entries by Nov. 25 to the following email address with a caption and the photographer's name and department. Winners will receive part of over $100 worth of prizes.

For more information, contact M A H Sojib at vcuosasc@gmail.com.