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.

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.

Five Questions with international studies major Eva Burcher

March 6, 2026

The sophomore was inspired to choose her major because of its interdisciplinary nature.

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.

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

Five Questions with Department of English graduate student Cael Sinclair

March 4, 2026

Sinclair is obsessed with old books, a topic he plans to explore more fully in a doctoral program after graduation.

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.

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.