Alum and Donor News

Creative writing MFA and former VCU instructor leads Appomattox Regional Governor’s School English Department

March 9, 2026

Patty Smith (M.F.A.’01) incorporates what she learned and taught at VCU into her curriculum as Appomattox Regional Governor’s School’s Department of English Chair.

Thomas, Colleen, Mary Reilly and Todd Cecil each majored in chemistry as undergraduates at various schools before doctoral paths diverged between medicine and analytical chemistry at VCU. (Contributed photo)

Meet ‘The Doctors Cecil’ – 1 family, 2 generations, 4 VCU doctoral degrees

March 9, 2026

40 years ago, Todd and Mary Cecil came to VCU, and kids Thomas and Colleen have made it a family affair.

Bryant Mangum's rare book collection features first editions of the works of Alice Adams and F. Scott Fitzgerald, two authors he has studied with particular interest during his career. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Bryant Mangum devoted his career to literature and now he’s sharing his life’s work with VCU

March 5, 2026

Mangum, who taught for 51 years at VCU, is donating not only his personal papers but a collection of rare books, including highly sought-after first editions of the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

International social justice alum uses law degree to support sustainability and water security

March 4, 2026

International social justice alum uses law degree to support sustainability and water security

Focused on making STEM more approachable – IRL and online

March 4, 2026

Kelly Knight (M.S.’08) is a forensic science professor and STEM program director educating undergraduates in forensic science and introducing pre- and teenage girls to STEM-based education.

$Morgan Holt Jackson$

Math alum analyzes data to make higher education more accessible

March 3, 2026

Morgan Holt Jackson, Ph.D., (M.S.’22, Ph.D.’25) determines the “big picture” for colleges and universities through research and data analysis

Alumni Q+A: SLSS alum Thomas Dunlap fights for the James River and everyone who relies on it

Feb. 24, 2026

A river can’t speak for itself. That’s where Thomas Dunlap (B.S.’11, M.S.’14) comes in.

Payton Hardinge, an alum and grad student at VCU, has embraced the critical importance of fundraising to health care in her position as senior director of development for Children’s Hospital Foundation. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

As her VCU roots deepen, so does her fundraising for pediatric care

Feb. 24, 2026

Payton Hardinge went from student to staff in 2011, and her work at Children’s Hospital Foundation is funding advances in muscular dystrophy research, family support and other areas.

“Echoes of a Dream,” a documentary that examines Martin Luther King’s relationship with Richmond, debuted in the fall. (The Newviews Agency)

Documentary explores MLK’s relationship with the Richmond community

Feb. 18, 2026

Filmmaker Tyrone Nelson Jr., a VCU alum, says ‘Echoes of a Dream’ tells the overlooked story of how Richmond ‘shows up in the arc’ of King’s rise, while attempting to help reset the city’s understanding of its importance.

From the River City to Grind City, Jarred Boyd, D.P.T. (B.S. ’12) directs rehabilitation for the Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 17, 2026

The HPEX graduate from the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences provides high-end rehabilitative care for the Grizzlies’ players.