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Read the October '22 alum newsletter

Oct. 12, 2022

Enjoy the latest articles about the research, achievements and successes of our students, faculty and alums. Feel the Ram pride!

puru and tripti jena on a sunny oceanfront

The Jenas give to honor VCU’s impact on their family

April 26, 2021

Tripti Jena, M.D., and Purusottam “Puru” Jena, Ph.D., credit much of their family’s well-being to the careers and community they found when they joined Virginia Commonwealth University in 1980.

aerial view of hibbs hall on the v.c.u. monroe park campus

15 faculty and staff members honored at annual awards ceremony

Oct. 29, 2021

The awards celebrate excellence of faculty and staff in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Paying it forward

Nov. 4, 2021

Through their scholarship, Iris Harrell and Ann Benson help first-generation students reach their capacity.

a group of indigenous women performing a ritual dance

Humanities Research Center supports Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival and launches Karenne Wood writer/artist residency

Nov. 30, 2021

With a rich menu of more than 20 films, The Pocahontas Film Festival showcased the work of nationally-acclaimed Indigenous filmmakers from the United States and Canada, as well work by emerging local artists.

Segal appointed interim chair of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics

Jan. 4, 2022

Rebecca Segal, Ph.D., has been at VCU since 2006 and is a professor of applied mathematics.

Franklin appointed chair of the Department of Biology

March 24, 2022

Rima Franklin, Ph.D. is an associate professor of biology as well as an affiliate faculty member of the Rice Rivers Center.

Ingrassia appointed interim dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences

May 6, 2022

Catherine Ingrassia, Ph.D., will begin her tenure as interim dean on July 1.

folders with headings that say funding, research, and grants

26 CHS faculty awarded grants through the One VCU Research Strategic Priorities Plan

June 29, 2022

The projects span a variety of interests, including healthcare, education, identity and sustainability.

A panel of speakers sitting in front of a large wall with the words:

Humanities Research Center co-leads international symposium on Indigenous media and literature

July 21, 2022

The center’s director co-organized the event, an opportunity for scholars to discuss Indigenous publications and print culture as part of the center’s ongoing initiative, “On Native Ground.”

Major gift funds new position for an interdisciplinary mass spectrometry faculty

Sept. 7, 2022

The $500,000 gift is the second largest one-time donation in the department’s history.

join us for theorizing political martyrdom (george floyd, ashli babbitt and the crisis of american democracy) on september 11, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. in richmond salons 1 and 2 in the university student commons

2022 Elske v.P. Smith Distinguished Lecture

Sept. 6, 2022

Andrew Murphy, Ph.D., formerly of the Department of Political Science presents, "Theorizing Political Martyrdom: George Floyd, Ashli Babbitt, and the Crisis of American Democracy."

a three-person band giving a performance on stage

Conference celebrates Black and Indigenous sound in the early Atlantic world

Nov. 9, 2022

The event was capped off by a performance from "Mexilachian" band Lua Project.

elizabeth canfield in front of a vibrant mural

VCU GSWS professor works to improve the university that she was never meant to attend

Oct. 20, 2022

Deflected from her medical school dreams, Liz Canfield dug into activism and abolitionist thought.

Glover’s work on self-determination is not just theoretical but deeply personal

Oct. 24, 2022

The activist, performer and iCubed scholar studies and celebrates the embodied knowledge of marginalized communities.

poster featuring various images of native americans for the pocahontas reframed film festival at the v.m.f.a.

Pocahontas Reframed 2022 recap

Dec. 14, 2022

The annual Native American film festival featured more than 20 films, musical performances, readings and more.

alix bryan-campos in a classroom showing a student something on her laptop

Bryan-Campos isn’t just teaching journalism, she’s cultivating citizens

Oct. 31, 2022

Capital News Service students leverage technology in a new context.

greg smithers posing near statuettes of the letters v.c.u. on the v.c.u. campus

From Two-Spirits to Long Man, Smithers brings contemporary understanding to Indigenous heritage

Nov. 7, 2022

The professor of history works to provide “intellectual multivitamins” to students and readers, inspiring them to do their own research.

chelsea williams having a discussion with another person at barnes and noble at v.c.u.

iCubed scholar seeks answers for how racial and ethnic identities form and change

Nov. 16, 2022

Chelsea Williams’ research seeks a broader view on intimate questions of identity.

mary caton lingold reading a book at an outside table at v.c.u.

English professor’s sound studies unearth forgotten musical histories of the African Atlantic

Nov. 22, 2022

Mary Caton Lingold interprets Atlantic Africans’ musical performances in the 1600-1800s and what they might have meant to the people performing them.

Reynolds appointed interim associate dean of research and operations

Jan. 18, 2023

Angela Reynolds, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics and director of the doctoral program in systems modeling and analysis.

thank a teacher in the v.c.u. college of humanities and sciences

Thanking Our Teachers

Feb. 9, 2023

The impact of a great teacher on a student is immeasurable; just ask the students below. Through their dedication to their field, their students and their community, teachers – professors, advisers, mentors, teaching assistants – can leave an impression that lasts long after the semester ends. We’d like to give a shoutout to those in VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences who continue to guide and inspire our students. Break out the tissues!

kristina hood giving a presentation at the v.c.u. barnes and noble

VCU researcher seeks to end the stigma around the “secret club no one wants to belong to”

Feb. 15, 2023

iCubed scholar Kristina Hood wants to help those who endure fertility challenges and pregnancy loss.

Four students and one faculty member holding up trophies

Revolutionizing the classroom: Re-engagement projects propel dynamic teaching, advancing student success

June 20, 2023

The VCU College of Humanities and Sciences’ 2022-23 re-engagement grants offered faculty members new opportunities to connect with their students. Get a glimpse at four unique projects.

Mary Caton Lingold sitting at a picnic table with a book open in front of her

Mary Caton Lingold appointed director of Media, Art and Text Program

June 26, 2023

The MATX program is an interdisciplinary doctoral program between the Department of English, the Robertson School of Media and Culture, and the School of the Arts, and is housed in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Kevin Allison Ph.D., speaking into a microphone

Kevin Allison appointed chair of the Department of Psychology

June 26, 2023

Allison recently served as associate chair in the Department of Psychology and as associate vice president for strategy and development in the Office of the President.

Loss of a beloved colleague, Matilde Moros

Aug. 18, 2023

Dr. Matilde (“Mati”) Moros, an associate professor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, passed away on August 10, 2023.

Joseph Reiner appointed chair of the Department of Physics

Aug. 24, 2023

Joseph Reiner, Ph.D. is a professor of physics who specializes in experimental biophysics and nanoscience.

Debbie Polo and Catherine Ingrassia at Faculty Convocation

Deborah Polo receives the Distinguished Teaching Award at Convocation

Sept. 7, 2023

Polo has taught at VCU since her undergrad days in the early 1980s, and has taught most introductory courses in the Department of Chemistry.

Four people posing with naming plaques - Michal Coffey, Mike and Sally Hunnicutt, and Catherine Ingrassia

A heartwarming tribute emerges in VCU's new STEM Building - 817WF

Sept. 11, 2023

Dr. Mike Hunnicutt honors longtime VCU chemistry professor, administrator Dr. Sally Hunnicutt, with named spaces in new STEM Building - 817WF

The passing of colleague David Golumbia

Sept. 21, 2023

Golumbia, an associate professor in the Department of English, was an expert on cyberlibertarianism, bitcoin, blockchain and the logic of computing.

Shawn Utsey appointed acting chair of African American Studies

Sept. 29, 2023

Utsey is a professor with joint appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Department of African American Studies.

Thoughtful mentors, tough questions: Arnethea Sutton’s journey to a career in health disparities research

Jan. 4, 2024

The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences professor and VCU Health Pauley Heart Center researcher shares her passion for improving patient outcomes.