Office of the Provost Prospectus Newsletter (September 2026)
Convergence for the common good
There is something uniquely powerful about a university: artists and engineers, scientists and philosophers, physicians and economists working just a few streets apart. Each brings different ways of seeing the world and imagining what comes next. VCU Convergence is about creating more opportunities for those perspectives to come together, ask new questions and turn shared curiosity into action.
At its heart, VCU Convergence is also about taking on the “wicked problems” that resist easy answers. Challenges like mental health, neurodegeneration and the responsible use of AI are interconnected and constantly evolving; progress in one area can reveal new challenges in another. No single discipline can address that complexity alone. Convergence brings together different forms of expertise — including community members — to better understand these problems, adapt as they change and build solutions that reflect the full complexity of the world around us.
We’ve recently awarded 15 planning grants connecting 70 faculty members across disciplines. And we are just getting started. Our new VCU Convergence website highlights the work underway, the people making it possible and new opportunities to get involved as we continue building what comes next.
Sincerely,
Daniel Gutierrez, Ph.D., LPC, CSAC
Assistant Vice Provost, Office for University Convergence Initiatives
Explore the new VCU Convergence website
Research and impacts
VIDEO: Life Design at VCU
VCU’s Life Design program encourages students to explore their interests, experiment and learn along the way. In this video, undergraduate Emma Miskelly shares her journey of discovering how to turn her love of music into action as an artist. It’s a great example of how curiosity, trial and error and deep dives can lead somewhere meaningful.
VCU Strategic Plan
VCU has introduced Uncommon Future, its new strategic plan through 2032, centered on graduating “Uncommon Heroes” by revolutionizing the student experience and igniting discovery. President Michael Rao is calling on the community to help shape the plan by sharing bold ideas and identifying barriers to its goals.
VCU honors seven with 2026 Distinguished Faculty Awards
Seven faculty members were recognized for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service at this year’s Distinguished Faculty Awards, one of the university’s highest honors for its educators and researchers.
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VCU Convergence awards nearly 70 faculty members $150,000 in seed grants
15 transdisciplinary faculty teams received seed funding for projects that bring different perspectives together to tackle complex ‘wicked problems’ that no single discipline can solve.
Faculty Fellows Program brings together educators and administrators
Now in its ninth year, the Office of the Provost’s Faculty Fellows Program has produced more than 35 fellows, giving faculty part-time administrative experience alongside their teaching load and a direct line into university-wide initiatives.
VCUarts Dean Carmenita Higginbotham to step down
Carmenita Higginbotham, Ph.D., will step down as dean of the School of the Arts at the end of the academic year, capping a tenure that saw VCUarts rise to No. 2 nationally and secure funding for the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation. Executive Vice President and Provost Arturo Saavedra said Higginbotham “has established transformative initiatives that will positively impact this university for many years to come.” A national search for her successor will launch this year.
Weeks of Welcome 2026: Early Assessment Highlights
Student Affairs shares early data and highlights from this year’s Weeks of Welcome, offering a first look at how the fall kickoff programming landed with students.
Nearly 50 VCU faculty honored for their research and teaching
Nearly 50 faculty members were recognized through the NIRA and PEIA awards, celebrating research impact and teaching excellence across the university.
VCU’s Daniel Gutierrez receives $3 million grant to train mental health professionals worldwide on spiritually competent care
Gutierrez will use the funding to train mental health professionals worldwide in spiritually competent care, expanding a research focus he has built over the years at VCU.
VCU Global Education Offices partners with the Universidad Espíritu Santo (UEES), Ecuador
The two universities are working on a “2+2” agreement with the VCU School of Business, which will allow students to study for two years at UEES, and then two years at VCU for their bachelor’s program.
New Saxbys Cafe Blends Lattes with Learning
VCU’s new Saxbys cafe in Snead Hall is more than a coffee stop. Located in the School of Business, the student-run location gives students hands-on experience managing a cafe from the ground up, hiring their own team and building real-world business skills.
Open Science Framework to end Open Data repository service
VCU Libraries flags an upcoming change: the Open Science Framework is discontinuing its Open Data repository service. Researchers using OSF for data storage should take note.
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Call for applications: Faculty Learning Community “Reimagining the Classroom with Service-Learning”
VCU Libraries flags an upcoming change: the Open Science Framework is discontinuing its Open Data repository service. Researchers using OSF for data storage should take note.
Learn more>>
How VCU and the community work together to bring about positive change
Community engagement is core to VCU’s mission. This story spotlights the Division of Community Engagement’s Health Hub and Mary and Frances Youth Center, along with partnerships across Richmond and Petersburg that earned VCU a 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.
Join VCU LINK
VCU LINK connects faculty, staff and students with campus resources, opportunities and services in one central hub. Faculty and staff can help grow this resource in two ways: encourage your students to create a VCU Link profile and connect with alumni in their field of interest, and consider joining the platform yourself as a mentor for students navigating their career paths.
Events
2026 Associate Professor Conference
Friday, September 18, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Undergraduate Education Course (Re)Design Workshop & Expo
Friday, October 9, 2026 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
National Conflict Resolution Day 2026
Thursday, October 15, | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Transformative Learning Week: Host a Program or Event
October 26–30, 2026