VCU news

By VCU News staff

Virginia Commonwealth University has promoted Michael Cimis to associate vice president for safety and risk management. Cimis has served as interim AVP since early 2024, when Tom Briggs was deployed on military leave, and VCU will welcome Briggs back in a new capacity in 2025.

As AVP, Cimis will continue to oversee the Safety and Risk Management department and its units that serve the university and VCU Health – Biological Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, Fire Safety, Insurance and Risk Management, Chemical Safety, Occupational Health and Safety, Radiation Safety and Employee Health.

Cimis has served as director of environmental health and safety at VCU since 2017 and has worked in that field for more than 30 years. At VCU, he has led his team in winning multiple innovation awards from CSHEMA, the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association.

Before joining VCU, Cimis worked at Dartmouth College, where he built its environmental health and safety program in support of campus renewal, undergraduate scholarship and a growing research portfolio. He recruited and trained environmental health and safety professionals and was essential in establishing relationships with the local community and national partners.

Cimis also serves on the Safety Training Consortium board, a higher education membership organization founded by research universities to develop safety training for the research community, and has served on several American Industrial Hygiene Association committees.

Cimis earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hobart and William Smith College and a master’s degree in liberal studies from Dartmouth, and he is a certified industrial hygienist and a certified hazardous materials manager.

Danny Muñoz will fill Cimis’ former role of director of environmental health and safety. Muñoz has served as interim director since early 2024, when Cimis became the interim AVP.

As director, Muñoz will continue to oversee efforts to provide the VCU community with safe and healthy spaces to perform their work, conduct research and studies, and provide care. This includes managing comprehensive chemical, biological, radiation, occupational health and safety, and industrial hygiene programs.

Muñoz has worked at VCU since 2017 and has held leadership roles in CSHEMA, recently being selected as chair for the 2025 annual conference. He earned a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from California State University San Marcos and a master’s degree in environmental studies from VCU.