VCU news

By Jeff Kelley

Richard Lui, an anchor and journalist with NBC News and MSNBC, will visit the VCU College of Health Professions on April 7. The first-generation Chinese and Polynesian American will share his personal and professional journey while discussing the importance of investing in diverse communities to improve population health.

The Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Health Administration invited Lui as part of its new inclusive leadership education initiative.

Lui is an award-winning journalist and author with more than 30 years’ experience in television, film, technology and business. Prior to anchoring for MSNBC and NBC News, he was with CNN Worldwide and became the first Asian American man to anchor a daily national cable news program. He regularly speaks about his on-the-ground experience on the complex topic of race, driven by his journalistic expertise.

“We are so excited that Richard Lui is able to join us and meet with our students and faculty to share his story and his vision for investing in diverse communities,” said Stephan Davis, D.N.P., assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion at the VCU College of Health Professions and executive director of inclusive leadership education for the Department of Health Administration.

“After years of watching Richard [Lui] on the news, I was elated to have the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one at the end of 2021. I knew from our conversation, which ranged from health care to the challenges minorities often face in professional environments, that VCU students would benefit from learning about his personal and professional journey and his mission-driven work on caregiving and mental health,” Davis said.

"I am thrilled to join the VCU College of Health Professions and the Department of Health Administration as they commemorate National Minority Health Month,” Lui said. “When I met with Dr. Davis, I was impressed with his leadership and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and the college's investment in this important work. Given my personal experience with, and films related to, caregiving, I am most excited to meet with students who will be the next generation of health care providers and health system leaders."

Lui is the author of the bestselling and award-winning book, “Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness.” He is also the director and producer of two feature documentary films, including his directorial debut, “Sky Blossom: Diaries of the Next Greatest Generation,” which covers children caring for military veteran parents and grandparents with disabilities. His second film, “Hidden Wounds,” profiles three families at the intersection of mental health and caregiving.

April is National Minority Health Month, and Lui’s talk on the month’s theme, “Give Your Community a Boost,” will focus on the ways that investing in diverse communities can help eradicate health disparities. The day’s events, in room 1050 of the College of Health Professions at 900 E. Leigh Street, will include a keynote address from noon to 1:30 p.m. and a screening of Lui’s award-winning film on caregiving, “Sky Blossom,” at 2:30 p.m. followed by a reception and Q&A session at 4 p.m. Space is limited, and registration is required for all events