1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Andrew Sackman, Ph.D., Center for Biological Data Science, will discuss his current research at the virtual annual Faculty Research Seminar Series hosted by the Bioinformatics Graduate Student Organization. Questions: https://vcu.campusgroups.com/bgso/home/. Register for the Zoom link on RamsConnect at the following URL.

For more information, contact David Kuforiji at bgso@vcu.edu or visit https://cglink.me/2dV/r1339381.

11 a.m.

Julio Cammarota, Ph.D., professor of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona, will visit VCU's School of Education on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29 to discuss the Critical Race Theory. His presentations will be in person at Harris Hall and online. RSVP for specific times and locations at the following URL.

For more information, contact Alison Koenka, Ph.D., at koenkaac@vcu.edu or (919) 357-4760 or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecwHPphDNqFW1jBjYMz5R4iAKK6o4u3mDE-Hp0j5bHtt-w2w/viewform.

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

VCU's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs will host an LGBTQ Halloween gathering in Suite 215, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., with coffee, apple cider and sweet treats. Costumes are not mandatory, but encouraged. The event has a cap of 30 people; RSVP at the following URL only if you will attend.

For more information, contact Beck Oh at ohrn@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/iqec5RiKBk4ooLYu7.

4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Mia Liadis, interim assistant director for health promotion (RecWell), will discuss bouncing back after failure. Everyone experiences failure, but have you ever wondered how people not only recover from a setback but go on to excel? Learn about resiliency and how it can be used to reach your goals. The session, hosted by You First at VCU, will be held virtually and in Room D, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. Questions: http://youfirst.vcu.edu. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Bambacus at bambacuses@vcu.edu or (804) 827-3927 or visit https://bit.ly/YouFirstPresents102821.

Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 at 9 a.m.

VCU's College of Humanities and Science will honor distinguished faculty and staff from the past academic year at a ceremony in the Commonwealth Ballroom, University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. A boxed breakfast will be served.

For more information, contact Tyler Conrad at conradtl@vcu.edu.

Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 at noon

Join the Institute for Contemporary Art at 1708 Gallery for a series of soundwalks through Richmond’s Arts District and Jackson Ward with artist Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste. The duration of each walk will be roughly 30–45 minutes. Push 1 begins at noon at 1708 Gallery (319 W. Broad St.) and Push 2 begins at 4 p.m. at the ICA (601 W. Broad St). Toussaint-Baptiste’s sonic sculpture exhibition, "Set It Off," is on view at both 1708 and the ICA.

For more information, contact Stephanie Stanton at stantons@vcu.edu or visit https://icavcu.org/events/the-pusher-a-sound-walk-with-jeremy-toussaint-baptiste/.

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 at 3:30 p.m.

Get creative with coding using Pure Data, an open-source visual programming language designed for musicians, visual artists and performers to create software without writing lines of code. This session walks participants through the basics of the software as they create their own interactive projects. The event is organized by the Workshop at VCU Libraries. Questions: https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/events/2021-2022/wednesdays-in-the-workshop-fall-2021.html. Click on the following URL to receive a link to attend the session.

For more information, contact Gregory Kimbrell at kimbrellgg@vcu.edu or (804) 393-2951 or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwsc-2vqzwtGtPBjK4ApO6RaByl-eRNzpbf.

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The School of World Studies and VCU Libraries will present a climate justice activism event in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. The goals of the session are to highlight actions being taken by Richmond, VCU and local communities and to support students to network and organize their own actions in response to the climate emergency. The agenda includes a panel on the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report, information on Richmond and VCU's response to the climate emergency and an evening networking event for students.

For more information, contact Beth Kreydatus at eakreydatus@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 from 11 a.m. to noon

Panel members Patricia Shazer, assistant director of payments, Office of Procurement Services; Monica Jackson, director, Financial Services, University Controller's Office; and Candy Gordon, associate director, Financial Management, Office of the Provost, will speak about their departments, career paths and the types of skills they are looking for in individuals they would hire and the skills that are needed to be successful in their roles. Panelists will also talk about positions that are currently open. Register in Talent at https://vcu.csod.com/ui/lms-learning-details/app/event/f6490c97-d44e-4bed-99e2-8ed65aed1e5f for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Anne Brown at azielinski@vcu.edu or visit https://zoom.us/j/92658036051?pwd=eUF1WFlkTDJQQjF4ZFlyRlhmLzgydz09.

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

VCU Phi Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi and the American Red Cross will sponsor a blood drive upstairs in the Ballroom of the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. All donors will receive a free T-shirt, free cookie coupon and a $10 Amazon e-gift card. Make an online appointment at the following URL.

For more information, contact Katie Miller at katherine.miller2@redcross.org or (804) 774-9739 or visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=VCU.

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 at 5:30 p.m.

The early childhood concentration prepares individuals to work with families and young children from birth through age 5 who have and are at risk for developmental disabilities. Using a hybrid of online and face-to-face formats, the program is learner-centered, innovative and collaborative. The program prepares students to serve infants and young children representing a wide range of abilities, including those at risk for developmental delays and those at risk for or with severe disabilities. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jazmin Tilfas at soeinfo@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYvceCgrzspG9XPMnVyDZ6UVGF1LsAFytyt.

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 at 7 p.m.

VCU's Program in Judaic Studies and the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond will present a lecture by Gil Troy, Ph.D., professor of North American History at McGill University and author of "The Zionist Ideas; Visions for the Jewish Homeland — Then, Now, Tomorrow." The talk will be in Room 1107, Academic Learning Commons, 1000 Floyd Ave. All who attend must be masked and fully vaccinated.

For more information, contact Tyler Conrad at conradtl@vcu.edu.

Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

VCU's Humanities Research Center and VCU Libraries will present author Bill Campbell and artist Bizhan Khodabandeh, who will discuss their work on a graphic novel which is a fictionalized retelling of a community’s resistance to a violent 1923 march of thousands of Ku Klux Klan members in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The event will be in Room 303, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave., and will also be live-streamed. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tyler Conrad at conradtl@vcu.edu or visit https://www.library.vcu.edu/about/events/2021-2022/campbell-khodabandeh.html.

Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Register now for The 15th Annual HIGHER Ground Women's Leadership Conference, to be presented virtually by the Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. "Pivoting Forward: The LeaderSHIFT," seeks to encourage leaders to reflect on how to capitalize on the leadershifts that have transpired over the last year to pivot forward. Questions: http://www,gehli.vcu.edu. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Valena Dixon at dixonva@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1169 or visit https://gehli.vcu.edu/conference/2021-conference/.

Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021 from 9 a.m. to midnight

VCU's Office of Sustainability will host volunteer opportunities for meadow planting at the Amelia Street School in Randolph. Planting will take place at 1821 Amelia St. on the weekends of Nov. 6-7 and Nov. 13-14, with morning and afternoon time slots. Sign up to help create pollinator landscapes and increase Richmond's native biodiversity.

For more information, contact Wyatt Carpenter at carpenterlw@vcu.edu or visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKZ7JbMlz2NzBgemBnNb4KjRWWsVxhvS1G-O3Vl4dmpwH3vQ/viewform?usp=sf_link.

Monday, Nov. 8, 2021 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

How important is your racial identity to you? Do you wonder how that differs for others? Come engage with students, faculty and staff in an upcoming RAMmalogues session about race and ethnicity. Share your experience navigating a racialized society and bear witness to what others have to share in open dialogue. RAMmalogues is a space for intercultural, multigenerational and community-wide dialogues around who we are and what matters to us. The session will be in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. Questions: https://inclusive.vcu.edu/iexcel/rammalogues/. All students, staff and faculty are invited, but registration is limited to 25. Register at the following URL. Questions: Visit https://training.vcu.edu/course.aspx?processFlag=2&itemID=17875. Register at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jan Altman, Ph.D., at iexcel@vcu.edu or visit https://inclusive.vcu.edu/iexcel/rammalogues/.

Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Adobe staffers will provide tips and advice on how to use Adobe Portfolio to showcase projects from conceptualizing the layout to building the content. Presenters will be Kirsten Nagel, senior customer success manager, and Jim Babbage, senior solutions consultant. The workshop, which will be hosted on Zoom, will be presented by VCUarts and VCU Career Services. It will be open to all majors as well as alumni. Register on Handshake at the following URL. Questions: Email Anna Umbreit at umbreita@vcu.edu.

For more information, contact Career Services at careers@vcu.edu or visit https://vcu.joinhandshake.com/events/787391/share_preview.

Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

VCU's Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence will present examples illustrating how students and instructors can use Jamboard, Google's digital interactive whiteboard. Register for the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Tiffany Freitas at freitast@vcu.edu or visit https://forms.gle/C4FNeUVxRE8qboyh7.

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021 at noon

Join the Center for Interprofessional Education and Inter Health Professionals Alliance for an interest meeting via Zoom for the National CLARION Competition. This is a student case competition for health professional students, enabling them to achieve a 360-degree perspective on patient safety in today's health care system and how it might be improved. Student teams, consisting of four students composed of at least two disciplines, are given a case and charged with creating a root cause analysis. The team presents its plan to a panel of interprofessional judges that evaluates their results in the context of real world standards of practice. The local VCU winning team competes at the national level for scholarship and prizes. Click on the Zoom link at the following URL.

For more information, contact Melissa Burton at mhburton@vcu.edu or (804) 828-2898 or visit https://zoom.us/j/92068698498.

The Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign for 2021 is now open. Through this campaign, employees can safely and easily donate to their favorite causes throughout the year. Participants can do a one-time credit card payment or opt for payroll deduction. The campaign runs until Dec. 17.

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

A draft of the Identity Theft Prevention Policy is available for public comment by Nov. 12. The draft policy can be found at the following URL.

For more information, contact Jason Block at blockj2@vcu.edu or visit https://policy.vcu.edu/universitywide-policies/policies-open-for-public-comment/.

Do you feel comfortable leading dialogue about difference? Never before has it been more evident that we need to talk. Apply for Facilitator Training to learn about inclusive dialogue, practice and increase your skills in leading dialogue on topics of diversity and inclusion and social identities. Save the dates: Jan. 4, 5, 6, 7 from 1-5 p.m. for students, faculty and staff. Applications are coming Nov. 1. Attend the final Fall RAMmalogues session on Nov. 8 to experience diversity and inclusion dialogue firsthand.

For more information, contact Jan Altman, Ph.D., at iexcel@vcu.edu or visit https://inclusive.vcu.edu/iexcel/rammalogues/.

VCU Health and Massey Cancer Center are conducting focus groups to understand the experiences of Black men who smoke or used to smoke and their opinions about lung cancer screening, smoking cessation and health care disparities in Virginia. Eligibility criteria: identify as a Black male, current or former smoker and 50 years old or older. If interested, contact Jasmine Blue at the following telephone number or email Blackchat@vcuhealth.org.

For more information, contact Rashelle Hayes at rashelle.hayes@vcuhealth.org or (804) 827-0000.

We are seeking to enroll participants for a research study on two stress reduction programs. Participants will receive a 14-day smartphone-based stress reduction course free of charge. Study includes a lab session before and after the stress reduction course wherein participants will fill out brief surveys and complete several brief tasks during fNIRS neuroimaging. Compensation is available. Contact us to learn more and determine if you are eligible to participate.

For more information, contact Hadley Rahrig at rahrighm@vcu.edu.