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Tomika Ferguson, associate dean of student affairs and community engagement in the School of Education; Cristina Stanciu, director of the Humanities Research Center; Ashley Shoell-Gonzalez, program service coordinator for the Ryan White Program; John Jones, assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability; VCU President Michael Rao; Aarushi Khanna, a student in the School of Nursing; and Christopher Brooks, professor in the School of World Studies, at this week’s PACME ceremony. (Skip Rowland)

This year's PACME honorees are committed to the success of the VCU community

April 14, 2026

Tomika Ferguson of the School of Education earned the capstone award of the program, which recognizes contributions among students, faculty and staff that support cross-cultural relations and a welcoming environment.

Saif Alotaibi, a biology major, has embraced the wealth of research opportunities that VCU offers for undergraduates. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

World@VCU: Saif Alotaibi from Kuwait

April 9, 2026

‘You can do research as an undergraduate at VCU. You get so lost because of how many opportunities there are.’

Rohit Paradkar, a junior majoring in bioinformatics, is VCU’s 19th Goldwater Scholar in the past 20 years. (Contributed image)

VCU undergraduate selected for prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

April 8, 2026

Rohit Paradkar, a junior in the Honors College, is studying bioinformatics and researching cancer treatment.

William Thomas has dived into research while at VCU, including researching sickle cell disease – a condition that he has himself. (Jonathan Haff, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Class of 2026: William Thomas explores biology, medicine and his own disease

March 27, 2026

Sickle cell disease interrupted his freshman year, but the experience inspired him to join a VCU lab focused on the condition.

Pablo Lopez-Bustamante will earn a Ph.D. in integrative life sciences from VCU in May. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Class of 2026: Pablo Lopez-Bustamante spreads seeds of knowledge

March 26, 2026

Earning his Ph.D., the tropical ecologist has worked with Catherine Hulshof’s Biodiversity Research Lab to enhance tree and forest data from the Americas and the Caribbean.

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.

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.

Five Questions with Math, Physics, and Biology Student Rehan Adatia

Feb. 24, 2026

The triple major is expected to graduate in May 2026.

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.

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.