VCU news

By Kristen Caldwell
Office of Development and Alumni Relations

Virginia Commonwealth University will honor 14 of its most accomplished alumni at the 2024 Alumni Stars ceremony. The biennial event, hosted by the VCU Office of Alumni Relations, celebrates alumni from across the university’s academic units for their extraordinary personal and professional achievements.

Honorees are selected through faculty recommendations and alumni committees. Recipients will be honored Nov. 15 at the Dewey Gottwald Center at the Science Museum of Virginia.

This year’s Alumni Stars are:

Teresa L. Edwards, College of Health Professions. An innovative health care leader who oversees five community hospitals in Sentara’s Eastern region.

Sarah P. Farrell, Ph.D., School of Nursing. An innovative nurse-scientist who found uses for emerging technology for screening, educating and treating mental disorders.

Aaron Gilchrist, Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture. An Emmy-winning reporter who covers the White House for NBC News.

Lynn Hackney, School of Business. A co-owner of Community Three in Washington, D.C., where she leverages her 35 years of finance, development and investment experience in urban mixed-use projects

Keith Hodges, School of Pharmacy. A pharmacist, business owner and legislator who has made significant contributions to health care, economic development and environmental stewardship in rural coastal Virginia.

Kim McKnight, Ph.D., School of Education. A regional and national leader who has attracted more than $30 million in external funding for the VCU School of Education’s RTR Teacher Residency program and expanded it to 17 school divisions.

Sesha Joi Moon, Ph.D., L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. A globally recognized thought leader in DEI who most notably served as chief diversity officer for the 117th and 118th Congresses, directing the U.S. House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Corell Halsey Moore, College of Engineering. A well-cited researcher who serves on the College of Engineering Foundation board and teaches at the VCU da Vinci Center.

Charlotte Moss, College of Humanities and Sciences. A celebrated and respected interior designer whose name has become synonymous with Southern warmth and hospitality.

Baxter Perkinson Jr., D.D.S., School of Dentistry. Founder of Virginia Family Dentistry, now the largest practice in the state, with 16 locations, and former rector and member of the VCU Board of Visitors and former vice chairman of the VCU Health System Authority Board.

Jacob Rowell, School of World Studies. President and founder of LiftPD, a nonprofit offering free exercise programs for individuals with Parkinson’s disease.

Christine Cratty Strange, School of the Arts. A transformative entrepreneur with a background in motivational speaking, self-development coaching, philanthropy and activism

Viola Vaughan-Eden, Ph.D., School of Social Work. A forensic and licensed clinical social worker who has conducted more than 2,500 child abuse evaluations and has led national and international training on child welfare.

George W. Vetrovec, M.D., School of Medicine. A rallying figure for the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center who led two fundraising campaigns that secured more than $16 million for cardiovascular care.