News

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.

Xuewei Wang, an associate professor of chemistry, created a portable, at-home calcium monitoring device for people living with hypoparathyroidism, or hypopara. (Christopher Kendall, Kelley & Co.)

At-home calcium testing device could have wide-ranging impact in health care

March 3, 2026

The invention from VCU chemistry professor Xuewei Wang is being evaluated for the marketplace, and the applications could extend to multiple biomarkers.

A team of VCU researchers is working with school divisions in a project supported by a nearly $1.5 million grant from the Virginia Department of Education. (Getty Images)

VCU researchers partnering with public schools on math education

March 2, 2026

The team includes faculty from the School of Education and the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics.

Thomas Dunlap speaks into a microphone

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.

VCU math expert Allison Moore specializes in knot theory, which explores the properties of closed curves in three-dimensional spaces. (Getty Images)

VCU expert Allison Moore unknots the complexity of one of civilization’s oldest ideas

Feb. 18, 2026

The mathematics associate professor specializes in knot theory, an advanced math concept that appears in everything from topology to religion.

“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.

(File photo)

Religion and spirituality power annual lecture series from new VCU hub

Feb. 16, 2026

The Center for the Study of Global Religions and Spiritualities encourages a broader understanding of world culture.

The panel discussion accompanies an ongoing exhibit at Cabell Library, “Voices of Change: Student Advocacy and Action from the Archives.” (Photo by Isiah Mejia, VCU Libraries)

‘Voices of Change: Stories from Alumni’ to highlight campus activism

Feb. 16, 2026

The Feb. 26 panel discussion accompanies an ongoing exhibit at James Branch Cabell Library on VCU’s history and legacy of student activism.