‘A wrecking ball’ for change: Campus diversity inspires an alumnus to create change
By Anthony Langley For Matthew Shapiro (B.I.S.’13/H&S), his time at Virginia Commonwealth University reinforced a personal belief he already held: Diversity is special. “Throughout my time on campus I never saw one person who didn’t have their own story and experiences,” he says. “It helped me realize that when diversity is allowed to flourish, society […]
Playing for keeps: D.C. United player Andrew Dykstra keeps his eye on the goal
By Anthony Langley Andrew Dykstra (B.S.’08/H&S; M.S.’10/E) found his passion for sports early on as a 4-year-old constantly running outside to play. “I started soccer very early, wrestled in middle and high school, swam and even played football,” he says. As Dykstra entered his senior year of high school at Osbourn Park High School in […]
Sharing a common wealth: The AAAC Mentoring Circle connects students to mentors
By Anthony Langley A few years ago, Jeffrey Roberts (B.S.’87/E) and Gail Coles-Johnson (B.S.’86/B), members of VCU Alumni’s African-American Alumni Council, were looking for ways to create an intergenerational conversation between alumni and current students. But they weren’t sure of the best way they could go about it. “When we were in undergrad, we didn’t […]
Connecting for a cause
Bringing diversity and inclusion to VCU’s alumni By Anthony Langley “We wanted to create an opportunity to bring together our alumni groups and students,” says Wanda Mitchell, Ed.D., reflecting on Virginia Commonwealth University’s first Diversity and Inclusion Networking Reception, held in April as part of VCU Alumni’s Reunion Weekend. Mitchell, special assistant for university strategic […]
Field Trips
Students explore career opportunities by visiting alumni where they work By Anthony Langley Mark McKenzie, assistant director of Career and Industry Advising at Virginia Commonwealth University, has always enjoyed helping students find their way. That’s why he started Career Treks, a career exploration program that gives students the opportunity to survey careers in various industries […]
Family ties lead to VCU, and love, for alumni
By Anthony Langley A huge snowstorm hit Richmond, Virginia, in November 1987, blanketing the city and causing nearly everything to shut down, including Virginia Commonwealth University. If it weren’t for that snowfall, Catherine (B.S.’89/P; Pharm.D.’95/P) and Edward (B.S.’88/P) Cary might have never met. “There had to be 20 inches of snow, and everyone who lived […]
Alumna leads at the bedside and beyond
By Anthony Langley (B.S.’16/MC) When the United Network for Organ Sharing merged two units into a newly created department of member quality, the organization set its sights on finding someone with the right set of skills to help the organization, and its employees, navigate the new course. “Embarking on a journey from a compliance-focused organization […]
Behind the music
Professor and son pen VCU’s first alma mater By Anthony Langley A year and a half ago, Lemont “Monty” B. Kier, Ph.D., began reflecting on his time and experiences at Virginia Commonwealth University. “I’ve been here since 1977,” says Kier, who has taught and held various roles in VCU Life Sciences’ Center for the Study […]
Making a surgeon
By Anthony Langley Mireille Truong, M.D. (B.A.’03/H&S; Cert.’04/B; M.D.’08/M), had no idea what Richmond, Virginia, would be like. “I’m originally from Canada, so when I got here, everything was brand new to me,” she says. After her parents found jobs in the city, Truong, a college freshman at the time, moved to Richmond and, with […]
Giving with every swipe: Former Rams start new donation platform
By Anthony Langley In June 2015, Rob Brandenberg (B.I.S.’13/H&S) was visiting his friend and former Virginia Commonwealth University basketball teammate Darrell “D.J.” Haley (B.I.S.’13/H&S). The pair started discussing ways to give back to the Richmond, Virginia, community that had supported them so much during their time in college. A short time later, Haley came up […]