VCU news

By Crystal Thomas
VCU Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

The fourth distinguished cohort of international scholars to complete the Virginia Commonwealth University Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program will be celebrated during a graduation ceremony.

The graduation ceremony starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Valentine Richmond History Center at 1015 E. Clay St. Former Del. Franklin P. Hall, D-Richmond, is this year’s graduation speaker.

The VCU Humphrey Fellowship Program is a yearlong leadership training program that combines academic, practical and cultural activities. The international fellows are mid-career professionals from Burma, Brazil, Uruguay, Nigeria, Malaysia, Ukraine and Iraq, who have been contributing to research in drug and alcohol prevention and the public health field at VCU and in the community during their time in the United States.

Since 2006, VCU has been designated a Humphrey Campus for Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Policy. The VCU Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies serves as the administrative home for the program. The fellowship program, a Fulbright exchange activity, is administered by the Institute of International Education. The program brings established health professionals from developing countries to VCU for two semesters of study and related professional experiences.

Hall worked in Washington in several positions. During his 34-year career, he worked for former Vice President Hubert Humphrey and was on the staff of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He also served on the Board of Directors of the MCV Hospital Authority, now known as the VCU Health Systems Authority.

For more information on the VCU Humphrey Fellowship program visit http://www.vcu.edu/idas/humphrey/index.html.