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Varsha Penumalee, a VCU biology major, serves on the Active Minds national student advisory committee, helping chapters on other campuses expand mental health advocacy. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

VCU undergraduate honored for mental health advocacy with a national reach

March 18, 2026

Through Active Minds and NAMI, Varsha Penumalee has made a mark far beyond campus, driven by a belief that mental health should be accessible, culturally responsive and grounded.

Sanjana Gupta, an Honors College student, is participating in a variety of activities at VCU, including being a member of the Medical Journal Club, volunteering at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, serving as a tutor and working as marketing co-lead for TEDxVCU. (Development and Alumni Relations)

Scholarship feeds student’s passion for medicine

March 17, 2026

Sanjana Gupta, an aspiring pediatrician, is benefiting from the VCUAA Endowed Honors Scholarship.

Sara Bouchard’s piece, “En Masse,” was performed in Corvallis, Oregon, this January by a small university choir. (Contributed photo)

VCUarts professor gives voice to a single atom’s journey

March 13, 2026

Sara Bouchard’s choral work, inspired by lab data from Rice Rivers Center leader Chris Gough, traces the earth’s carbon cycle and invites the audience to sing along.

Oscars in close-up: Professors review a selection of this year’s nominated films

March 12, 2026

With the Academy Awards ceremony set for Sunday, VCU faculty members consider eight of the top contenders through the lens of their expertise.

Thomas Dunlap serves as riverkeeper with the James River Association. He started with the organization as an intern while he was a student at VCU. (Contributed image)

Meet-a-Ram: Thomas Dunlap is a voice for the James

March 11, 2026

The environmental studies and biology alum brings lifelong passion to his role as riverkeeper for the James River Association.

Abigail Adade, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, said the mentorship and training she has received at VCU has deepened her commitment to culturally responsive mental health research and helped her grow as a scholar and a practitioner. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

World@VCU: Abigail Adade from Ghana

March 9, 2026

‘I was drawn to VCU’s commitment to community-engaged research and its support for diverse student populations.’

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.

Leah Spangler, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, and her team are advancing a synthetic protein that is engineered to selectively bind rare earth elements while ignoring more common metals found in mining and industrial waste streams. (Photo by Christopher Kendall, Kelley & Co.)

Rare earth elements, joint pain and addiction treatment are highlighted in VCU faculty research receiving new awards

March 5, 2026

Five projects are selected in the Commercialization Fund’s latest round of funding that helps bring campus innovation to the marketplace.

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.

In a VCU course, The Future of Work, studying past labor patterns gives students a framework for thinking about how work changes and how it endures. (Getty Images)

cRam Session: The Future of Work

March 4, 2026

3 questions, 2 minutes, 1 lesson with Virginia Wray Totaro, whose course explores labor – past and present – as a continuing story of disruption, adaptation and cultural reflection.