Alums and Donors
The College of Humanities and Sciences is not an ordinary educational enterprise. We are the foundation of educational and intellectual life at Virginia Commonwealth University. Our goal is not just the education, but also the transformation of the students who move through their experiences here with our encouragement to explore opportunities they may have never imagined, and providing them the tools to pursue these opportunities.
Our students represent the world at large; many are the first in their families to attend college. From our humble beginnings we have advanced to a place of distinction in American education.
We are not an ivory tower, quiet and removed from our surroundings. We were born and bred in a city and we are immersed in its energy.
We transform lives in an urban environment that is both nurturing and challenging. We are the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. Together, we make it real.
Alum and Donor News:
July 13, 2021
Read the July '21 alum newsletter
Enjoy the latest articles about the research, achievements and successes of our students, faculty and alums. Feel the Ram pride!
June 23, 2021
New scholarship will support students and honor a longtime LGBTQIA+ champion
The Dorothy Fillmore Scholarship will help VCU students actively engaged with the LGBTQIA+ community who face housing instability, food insecurity, tuition issues or other financial hurdles.
June 16, 2021
Enjoli and Sesha Joi Moon’s JXN Project is an effort to tell Black Richmond stories ‘truthfully and completely’
The siblings cultivated their pride from the teachings of their parents, political activist and former music producer August Moon and Michon Moon, Ph.D., a recognized expert in victim-witness services.
May 5, 2021
Class of 2021: Problem solver Carlos David Jimenez Morales wants to make an impact on health care
Later this month, he will become the first graduate of VCU’s Graduate Certificate in Health Care Innovation program.
May 4, 2021
Alum spotlight: Gabby Beckford (B.S.’17/H&S) shares her best secret travel tips
Beckford is the author of the blog Packs Light, which provides resources, information and tips for aspiring travelers.
April 26, 2021
The Jenas give to honor VCU’s impact on their family
Tripti Jena, M.D., and Purusottam “Puru” Jena, Ph.D., credit much of their family’s well-being to the careers and community they found when they joined Virginia Commonwealth University in 1980.
April 19, 2021
VCU alum breaks into Richmond restaurant scene
Ashley Patino is founder of local bakery and pizza shop, Pizza Bones.
April 16, 2021
Alum spotlight: Correy Faciane (B.S.’16/H&S) creates an organization to helps others achieve their mission
Growing up in Northern Virginia, Correy Faciane (B.S.’16/H&S) volunteered with Eddie’s Club, a nonprofit recreational center that provided events and activities for disabled youth. He returned in 2013, on a trip home from Virginia Commonwealth University, and was disheartened by what he found.
April 6, 2021
Brewing up a partnership: Ryan Mitchell (B.S.’12/H&S), Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery celebrate National Beer Day with the “Don’t Start No Stuff” Hazy IPA
The craft beer industry has cultivated creative ways to give back to the community. For Mitchell, supporting his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, began when he opened Garden Grove Brewing and Urban Winery in Carytown in 2015.
March 26, 2021
What would Donna Reed do?
VCU graduate Annie Newton discusses “The Donna Reed Show” and how Reed, a celebrated actress, shaped feminism in the 1950s and 60s.
March 4, 2021
VCU alum receives Fulbright research award
Dylan Naltraj David travels to his homeland, Trinidad, to conduct cancer research.
March 2, 2021
VCU alum publishes research about a famous female aerialist
Aíne Norris is a writer and instructor of English and American literature.
Feb. 25, 2021
VCU alum establishes the Reuben Farley Award for Teaching Innovation and Excellence
This award is given to two faculty members, one tenure track faculty and one term faculty, in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics.
Feb. 23, 2021
Ana Edwards is preserving Black history — and sharing it with others
The VCU alumna and chair of the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, will receive the VCU history department’s highest honor for graduate alumni March 18.
Feb. 17, 2021
VCU alum's novel long-listed for the PEN/Faulkner Award
Brian Castleberry's debut novel is "Nine Shiny Objects."
Feb. 9, 2021
VCU alum works on COVID-19 response team in Hawai'i
Joanna Kettlewell, Ph.D., is a scientist specializing in infectious disease.
Feb. 5, 2021
Women are changing the advertising industry, and it’s leading to better, more authentic ads
As another Super Bowl comes and goes, a VCU Robertson School panel says improving gender diversity in advertising is leading to better storytelling and more opportunities for underrepresented voices.
Feb. 2, 2021
Two VCU grads named to list of inspiring Black scientists
Tiffany Rolle and Nisan Hubbard have been recognized by the website Cell Mentor. Both honed their research skills through VCU’s Center on Health Disparities.
Jan. 28, 2021
GSWS alum takes on public health ethics
Ris Rodina is pursuing their master of public health at VCU with a focus on complex trauma related to trans and non-binary identities.
Jan. 28, 2021
Class notes: January 2021
Catch up with all the latest and greatest news from CHS alumni.
Jan. 19, 2021
VCU alumna's journey to the Virginia capitol
Aja Moore '19, a graduate of the Department of Political Science, serves as a policy assistant to Governor Ralph Northam.
Jan. 9, 2021
Alum spotlight: Robyn Bentley (B.S.’85/MC) solves problems by creating balance
Bentley found her first career as a radio broadcaster at an early age. Her father owned a radio station where she worked as one of the first females on the radio in Virginia (and then followed in his path).
Dec. 14, 2020
Alum’s art projections transform the Lee monument — and land the cover of National Geographic
Since the spring, artists Dustin Klein and VCU graduate Alex Criqui have projected onto the monument images that have transformed it into a “symbol of liberation.”
Dec. 11, 2020
Alum spotlight: Janice Choudhury (B.S.’12/H&S) has a passion for parties
Janice Choudhury (B.S.’12/H&S) finds joy in hosting dinner parties and themed get-togethers at her house for friends, and she’s never short on decor. One day, she realized she had accumulated an overabundance of decorations and put two and two together. Why not take her passion for parties and penchant for crafting and start a business?
Oct. 7, 2020
Alumni spotlight: Janet Lung (BA '72, MSW '80)
Janet Lung is a proud VCU alumna and an incredible member of the community. She served as the director of the Office of Child and Family Services for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, where she connected hospital services to children and youth. Janet recently reflected on her time as a student at VCU and how her experience as a student impacted her professional life.
July 20, 2020
Five VCU alumni selected for 2020-21 Fulbright student scholarships
These academic year awards can fund independent research or creative projects, graduate study or English teaching opportunities in more than 140 countries around the globe.