Newsroom

In the first frame of the second row, author and retired VCU professor Tom De Haven (right) shakes hands with Detective Dick Tracy (left). De Haven was featured as a character in Sunday's comic strip by the current writer of "Dick Tracy," who found inspiration in De Haven's novels. (Reproduced courtesy of Tribune Content Agency, LLC)

Author, retired VCU English professor featured in ‘Dick Tracy’ comic this Sunday

Dec. 1, 2022

Tom De Haven, who wrote a series of novels centered around comics and cartoonists and taught creative writing in the Department of English at VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences, appeared as himself on Sunday in the comic he grew up admiring.

Evan Hirsh, a graduating homeland security and emergency preparedness major in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU and political science major in the College of Humanities and Sciences, credits his professors for helping him find his passion. (David Slipher, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU)

Class of 2022: Public service, impact guide Evan Hirsh’s focus on intelligence analysis

Nov. 29, 2022

Internships with the Henrico County Police Division, Virginia State Police and Defense Intelligence Agency have prepared Hirsh, graduating with degrees from the Wilder School and College of Humanities and Sciences, to launch a career in intelligence.

Sabrina Sims has thrived in opportunities to conduct forensic science work through both the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the East Marshall Street Well Project. (Kevin Morley, University Marketing)

Class of 2022: Sabrina Sims follows in the footsteps of TV hero ‘Bones’

Nov. 28, 2022

Forensic science major, a Navy veteran and former PI and correctional officer, studies ancestral remains from the East Marshall Street Well Project to help determine ancestry.

Shawn Williams has been involved in a variety of service-oriented efforts. "I want to build a better world," they said. (Tom Kojcsich, University Marketing)

Class of 2022: Helping others is a passion for graduating senior Shawn Williams

Nov. 21, 2022

Williams’ work focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion, and they have been involved in campus leadership and service.

Eric Escobar-Chena, a biology major who will graduate in December, is a teaching assistant in a VCU entomology course and works in VCU's "bug lab." (Photo by Kevin Morley, University Marketing.)

Class of 2022: In the ‘Bug Lab,’ Eric Escobar-Chena gained a passion for research and a respect for insects

Nov. 18, 2022

Biology major is considering graduate school opportunities in ecology with a focus on field work and beetles.

Sydney Wardrett (Allen Jones, University Marketing)

‘A setback … just sets the tone for a greater comeback’

Nov. 17, 2022

Freshman year did not go as planned for English major Sydney Wardrett, but with help from her professors and an academic coach, she made a mental shift and got back on track.

Divorce or relationship discord between parents is associated with children's risk for the potential of alcohol use disorder as adults, a study co-authored by a VCU Department of Psychology doctoral student found. (Getty Images)

Divorce or relationship discord between parents may indicate children’s genetic risk for future alcohol misuse

Nov. 16, 2022

A study, co-authored by a VCU developmental psychology doctoral student and a Rutgers researcher, found that experiencing adversities around divorce and marital discord can be “one pathway through which genetic risk for alcohol problems is passed from parents to their children.”

From left, VCU forensic science alum Bailey Jones; VCU forensic science doctoral student Tyson Baird; VCU forensic science alum and former lab manager Laerissa Reveil; and Michelle Peace, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Forensic Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences. (Contributed photo.)

VCU forensic science department wins three research awards

Nov. 16, 2022

Scientists, who each worked in VCU’s Forensic Toxicology Research lab, honored at Society of Forensic Toxicologists meeting.

"CBS Sunday Morning" correspondent David Pogue (right) interviews Alex Keena, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, at Scott House on VCU's Monroe Park Campus. (Mary Kate Brogan, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

VCU professor shares gerrymandering expertise with ‘CBS Sunday Morning’

Nov. 15, 2022

“What’s clear is that when politicians are drawing the line, then we see partisan gerrymandering,” said Alex Keena, an assistant professor of political science and co-author of two books on gerrymandering.

"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," in theaters this week, centers the stories of Black women as leaders, something pop culture scholar Grace D. Gipson, Ph.D., says has the power to make a difference in how Black girls and women see themselves - and how others see them. “Representation is essential and important because what we see in pop culture influences and offers us a viewpoint into how we make decisions, how we view things, the way in which things are portrayed and people are portrayed,” says Gipson, an assistant professor of African American Studies at VCU's College of Humanities and Sciences. (Courtesy Walt Disney Studios)

The smartest person in the Marvel universe, how ‘Black Panther’ – and its sequel – changed Hollywood and why representation in pop culture matters

Nov. 10, 2022

“‘Black Panther’ has changed the game of saying what can and does sell. It wasn’t just Black people who went to go see ‘Black Panther;’ everybody — the world — went to see it,” says Grace D. Gipson, Ph.D.