Office of the Provost

The Office of the Provost team sat down with two leading experts at Virginia Commonwealth University to discuss social media and its impact on youth mental health in Virginia. Robert L. Findling, M.D., M.B.A., Professor & Department Chair in the VCU School of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Patrick R. Mullen, Ph.D., Professor & Chair, Department of […]

Can we tap into the power of AI without Earth paying the price? Artificial intelligence can help scientists make sense of massive datasets, drive new innovations and predict how ecosystems will change. Yet its benefits are heavily dependent on data centers that rely on local water and power resources, affecting the environment and public perception. […]

The projects supported through the grants bring different perspectives together to tackle complex, ‘wicked problems’ that no single discipline can solve.

The convening, organized under the VCU Convergence mental health theme, produced a working list of projects on professional development, youth clinical services and community partnerships. What do you do with a problem that changes shape every time you try to solve it?The VCU Convergence Mental Health group, with the help of the VCU da Vinci […]

Nearly seven million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a number projected to nearly double by 2050. At Virginia Commonwealth University, researchers are adamant that the path forward is led through collaboration. As part of VCU Convergence, an interdisciplinary team of neurodegeneration experts is advancing full-cycle brain health research, from bench science to community-based clinical […]

VCU launched an interdisciplinary effort uniting health professions, medicine, nursing, and pharmacy to pursue a major neurodegeneration center grant. The team set summer research plans and a fall reconvening, advancing VCU Convergence’s mission to tackle complex brain‑health challenges collaboratively.

VCU’s inaugural Neuroscience Design Jam united clinicians, students, and innovators to turn surgical challenges into early medical‑device concepts, advancing VCU’s Convergence initiative by fostering interdisciplinary problem‑solving, rapid prototyping, and pathways to commercialization through TechTransfer and ongoing Vertically Integrated Project development.

Daniel Gutierrez explains that wicked problems are shifting, interconnected societal issues—like youth mental health—that evolve as solutions are applied. He emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration, noting that interventions often improve one area while creating new pressures elsewhere.

VCU used the AI Ready RVA conference to showcase Virginia’s push for human‑centered AI, highlighting cross‑sector collaboration, ethical innovation, and VCU’s Convergence AI initiative, which aims to translate AI research into community impact, workforce development, and responsible technological progress.

Virginia Commonwealth University faculty are invited to apply for new team planning grants designed to catalyze cross-disciplinary collaboration through VCU Convergence. VCU Convergence brings together faculty, students and partners from across the university to address complex societal challenges that cannot be solved by a single discipline. The deadline to submit proposals is April 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. EST