VCU News Center

News

4/16/2012-5/16/2012

VCU Researchers Find Alteration of Gene May Disrupt Our Bodies Internal Rhythm, Causing Sleep Disorder

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have found that a gene known as RAI1 controls one of the most important genes in circadian rhythm, CLOCK. (5/15/12)

VCU to Join Atlantic 10 Athletic Conference

Virginia Commonwealth University announced today it will join the Atlantic 10 Conference effective July 1, 2012. (5/15/12)

VCU Parkinson’s Center Teams Up with Other Local Health Organizations and Davis Phinney Foundation for The Victory Summit®

VCU experts to join panel to discuss latest research advances and treatment options (5/14/12)

VCU Student Named NSF Graduate Research Fellow

A Virginia Commonwealth University graduate student has received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. (5/14/12)

Watts tells VCU graduates to welcome challenges

RICHMOND, Va. (May 12, 2012) – During spring commencement ceremonies today, former U.S. congressman J.C. Watts Jr. told Virginia Commonwealth University’s newest graduates that forgiveness, family and friends, generosity and a willingness to be challenged were critical principles to a stable, successful life. (5/12/12)

Budget Reflects Faculty and Student Priorities

The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors today approved an operating budget of $920 million that maintains the university’s commitment to academic quality and student success. (5/11/12)

Dressed to impress

VCU fashion design students leave it all on the catwalk at the annual juried fashion show (5/11/12)

National Search for New VCU Athletics Director under Way

Two committees formed to assist in recruitment (5/11/12)

School of Pharmacy to award posthumous diploma to Neil Allen Van Pelt

Graduation from VCU School of Pharmacy was a day to which Neil Van Pelt eagerly looked forward. An excellent student and proud member of the class of 2012, he loved his family, football, running and dirt-biking. Despite his near legendary brownie-making skills, he had lost more than 100 pounds in his second year at pharmacy school and was planning a future with his girlfriend and classmate, Hillary Hudgins. (5/11/12)

VCU Health System CEO Named NAPH Executive Committee Member

Sheldon Retchin, M.D., CEO of Virginia Commonwealth University Health System and vice president for health sciences at VCU, has been elected a 2012-2013 National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems executive committee member. His term will begin July 1. (5/11/12)

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury May Alter the Brain’s Neuronal Circuit Excitability and Contribute to Brain Network Dysfunction

Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers. (5/10/12)

'Plan Off' tourney allows masters students to show planning work to VCU and the community

Master of Urban and Regional Planning students JoAnne Simmelink, Billy Moffet, Mark Hill and Garet Prior made it to the final four in the first Plan Off!!! May Madness@VCU, a round-robin tournament in which nearly two dozen students delivered five-minute presentations about their “studio II” plans to an expert panel of judges. (5/10/12)

VCU Real Estate Circle of Excellence Names Honorary Member

Steve Brincefield, senior vice president at Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer and adjunct professor in the Real Estate Program at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business, has been named an honorary member of VCU’s Real Estate Circle of Excellence. (5/10/12)

VCU Spring Commencement Set for Saturday

Virginia Commonwealth University will award more than 4,900 degrees during its 2012 spring commencement exercises on Saturday. (5/10/12)

Committee Makes Recommendations for Long-term Oversight of Drugs Following FDA Approval

VCU expert serves on Institute of Medicine’s Committee (5/9/12)

Community Engagement Awards and Grants Celebrate University-Community Partnerships

Virginia Commonwealth University’s Council for Community Engagement has awarded one-year grants of up to $20,000 to seven university-community programs, which support interdisciplinary projects to enhance and increase university engagement with the greater Richmond community and will contribute to the research and teaching of VCU units. (5/9/12)

Harry Potter and the Wizengamot of VCU

Elliot Shapiro races around a field, dodging opponents while passing a ball back and forth with a teammate and moving closer and closer to the other team's goal. (5/9/12)

VCU Staff Member, Alum and Incoming Student Participates in White House First

Gary Garbett, the communications designer for VCU Technology Services, received an undergraduate degree from VCU in 2008 in interdisciplinary study with a concentration in communication arts and media studies and returned to earn a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in studio arts in 2010. In the fall, Garbett will join the inaugural class of students in VCU’s new master of product innovation program, the first degree of its kind in the United States. His interests are varied, and he’s an eager learner. (5/8/12)

Mass Communications Advertising Students Thrive in One Show Competition

By the time final exams arrive most students are searching deep inside for that extra spark of energy to propel them forward to the end of the semester. But several students in VCU School of Mass Communications Associate Professor Bridget Camden’s advertising courses didn’t have to look any further than their inboxes to find that extra encouragement needed to push them through their final projects. (5/7/12)

Professor is VCU’s Fourth Jefferson Science Fellow at U.S. Department of State

Only one other university in the country has sent as many since the program’s inception (5/7/12)

Student Researchers Share Results for Spit for Science

Symposium highlights undergraduate research from campus-wide study (5/7/12)

VCU Junior Selected as Student Campaign Correspondent for The Washington Post

Samra Khawaja, a junior in the VCU School of Mass Communications, has been selected as one of 12 college students nationwide to help cover the presidential campaign for The Washington Post. (5/7/12)

VCU Project IMPACT Visits Local High Schools

VCU team talks to area high school students to raise awareness of injury prevention among teenagers (5/7/12)

VCU Rice Center to host Fourth Annual Research Symposium

The Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Center is hosting its Fourth Annual Research Symposium, an event that brings together VCU faculty and students and researchers from cooperating universities, agencies and organizations to share research projects and network. (5/7/12)

President Obama launches re-election bid in campaign rally at VCU

President Barack Obama and the first lady spoke at a campaign rally at Virginia Commonwealth University on Saturday in the second of two college campus appearances to launch his re-election bid for the White House. (5/6/12)

VCU School of Engineering Announces 2012 Senior Design Expo 'Excellence in Design' Awards

Innovative engineering event for the Richmond community reaches more than 2,000 visitors (5/4/12)

A Smart Move

VCU and the neighborhoods surrounding both campuses will be a hub of activity in the coming weeks as students begin moving out at the end of the semester. (5/3/12)

Understanding the Science of Mental Illness

Advances made by researchers in the field of mental health have broadened our understanding of what takes place in the brain from a neurobiological perspective. (5/3/12)

Who I Am

Claire Wenzel, 15, smiles brightly as she surfs the web for multimillion-dollar home listings – a unique hobby she’s had for a few years now. Her eyes grow big and her smile broadens as she soaks in the sight of a luxurious home filled with more rooms than anyone can count, spiraling staircases, a chapel and, much, much more. She already has big plans to one day be a realtor for high-end properties. (5/3/12)

2012 PACME Ceremony Highlights Outstanding Faculty, Staff, Administrators and Students

The 2012 Presidential Awards for Community Multicultural Enrichment (PACME) emphasized Virginia Commonwealth University’s commitment to diversity by honoring those who dedicate their work and efforts to ensuring representation and engagement of multicultural constituencies. (5/2/12)

Gov. McDonnell Ceremonially Signs Cancer Legislation at VCU Massey Cancer Center

Bills expand Commonwealth’s support for cancer research, treatment and education (5/2/12)

May Faculty and Staff Features

Janett Forte, VCU Institute for Women’s Health; William Pelfrey Jr., Ph.D., Wilder School; Buie Harwood, VCU School of the Arts (5/2/12)

May Madness at VCU

“Plan Off” tourney allows masters students to show planning work to VCU and the community (5/1/12)

VCU Announces Winners of its First Venture Creation Competition

Students vied for cash prizes in competition hosted by the da Vinci Center for Innovation (5/1/12)

VCU Celebrates 2nd Annual Student Research Week

Another successful Student Research Week at Virginia Commonwealth University has come to a close with a wide variety of projects showcased from many different disciplines across campuses. (5/1/12)

VCU Honors its Pledge to Diversity through its First Lavender Graduation

Special ceremony recognizes graduating LGBT seniors (5/1/12)

School of Social Work Celebrates Rankings, Refurbished Space

(4/30/12)

Food Drive Collects More than 38,000 Pounds for the Central Virginia Food Bank

VCU’s fourth annual university-wide food drive has once again helped to restock the shelves at the Central Virginia Food Bank and its affiliated Meals on Wheels and Community Kitchen programs. (4/26/12)

James Farrior, Nutzy to Visit Sickle Cell Patients at VCU Friday

Visit to precede sickle cell research benefit gala (4/26/12)

University Unveils Gardens on Both Campuses

Virginia Commonwealth University has brought a bit of nature back to the city (4/26/12)

Medicine and Dentistry Faculty Honored with Achievement Awards

Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine and School of Dentistry recently recognized two faculty members with the 20th Annual Women in Science, Dentistry and Medicine (WISDM) Professional Achievement Award. (4/25/12)

VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation to host Venture Creation Competition

The Virginia Commonwealth University’s da Vinci Center for Innovation, a collaboration of VCU's Schools of the Arts, Business, Engineering and Humanities & Sciences, is hosting the inaugural Venture Creation Competition (VCC), a business plan competition aimed at sparking the entrepreneurial spirit of all VCU students. (4/25/12)

VCU Hosts Inaugural Lavender Graduation

Event recognizes LGBT graduating seniors with special ceremony (4/25/12)

VCU to Plant 250 Trees at Rice Center for Arbor Day

Event is part of Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program (4/25/12)

Virginia Commonwealth University Unveils Design for New Multidisciplinary Arts Institution Designed by Steven Holl Architects

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) today unveiled the design for a new Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) designed by Steven Holl and Chris McVoy. (4/25/12)

VCU, Farrior Foundation, Super Bowl Champions, to Tackle Sickle Cell Anemia

Super Bowl XL and XLIII Champions with the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Farrior and Ryan Clark, will help raise funds for sickle cell treatment and research at VCU. (4/24/12)

High School Students Match Wits in Governor’s Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance at VCU

On Friday, April 20th, VCU’s Student Commons was abuzz with 150 high school students looking unusually focused and business-like. They were competing in the 2012 Governor’s Challenge in Economics and Personal Finance, going head to head in final quiz bowl rounds and preparing presentations for a panel of expert judges. (4/23/12)

VCU’s Intercultural Festival is a labor of love for its student organizers

Visitors to last Saturday’s Intercultural Festival at VCU were treated to culture, cuisine, performances and activities that reflected many countries. (4/23/12)

Denny Hamlin Foundation Donates $150,000 to Fund Cystic Fibrosis Research at VCU

Denny Hamlin looked most comfortable during his visit to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU this week when he was engaged with the patients in the Pediatric Pulmonary Center. (4/20/12)

MFA Students’ Work featured at Anderson Gallery

It’s opening night for some important undergraduate and graduate student arts exhibitions at VCU. (4/20/12)

This Charity Fund-Raiser is a 'Slam Dunk!'

VCU Police joined Phi Kappa Sigma’s “Dunk A Cop” to raise more than $1,200 for charity (4/20/12)

University Celebrates Earth Day with Community Bazaar, Eco-Fashion Show

Park Plaza transformed into a community bazaar on Friday, while the Commons Plaza became a fashion runway as part of Virginia Commonwealth University's massive Earth Day celebration. (4/20/12)

Former Congressman to Deliver VCU Commencement Address

J.C. Watts Jr. represented the fourth district of Oklahoma in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2002. (4/19/12)

Former Provost Named Emeritus, Honored as University Professor

The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors has named Stephen D. Gottfredson, Ph.D., Provost Emeritus and University Professor. (4/19/12)

Paint the Town Green

Annual clean up event brings together volunteers from VCU, surrounding neighborhoods and Fort Lee (4/19/12)

Sexual Assault Prevention Month Event at VCU

VCU, Fear 2 Freedom partner to help victims of sexual assault (4/19/12)

VCU Hosts Second Annual Student Research Week

Students to showcase research projects week of April 23 (4/19/12)

VCU Names Dean for School of Education

Walther-Thomas currently leads No. 1-ranked graduate program at University of Kansas (4/19/12)

VCU Police Recognize 37th Basic Academy Recruits at Swearing-in Ceremony

Ceremony also celebrates the promotion of Christopher Preuss to assistant chief (4/19/12)

Denny Hamlin Foundation to Make Gift to Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

$150,000 to help fund critical research for cystic fibrosis (4/18/12)

VCU Recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month

University and Health System partner with nonprofit organization to host events in April (4/18/12)

Denny Hamlin Foundation to Present Gift to Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Denny Hamlin, FedEx #11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver, and the Denny Hamlin Foundation will give a major gift to Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU to help fund research for cystic fibrosis. (4/17/12)

University-Wide Food Drive off to a Strong Start

Three-day drive supports the Central Virginia Food Bank (4/17/12)

VCU LifeEvac Participates in Mock Accident

Members of VCU LifeEvac, the university’s helicopter transport program, participated this month in a mock accident in Isle of Wight County with area first responders and EMT students. (4/17/12)

VCU Police Evacuate Residence Hall

A residence hall on Virginia Commonwealth University’s MCV campus was evacuated briefly today when VCU Police investigating a student on drug charges discovered unidentified compounds and liquids in his dorm room. (4/17/12)

VCU’s Virginia Youth Tobacco Projects Hosts Research Conference

The Virginia Youth Tobacco Projects (VYTP), coordinated by Virginia Commonwealth University, hosted its fourth research conference this month. (4/17/12)