[{"id":1335,"date":"2026-05-08T11:06:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1335"},"modified":"2026-05-13T13:39:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:39:07","slug":"prospectus-newsletter-may-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/05\/08\/prospectus-newsletter-may-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Office of the Provost Prospectus Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Scaling impacts through academic internships<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the 2026 State of the University Address, President Rao encouraged us to be bold together and to consider how our work strengthens Virginia, the nation and the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way that we are answering this urgent call is by scaling opportunities for credit-bearing academic internships for VCU undergraduate students. Together, we can fundamentally expand the ROI of a VCU undergraduate degree through new avenues for impactful, real-world experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To support this key initiative, VCU is establishing the <strong>Academic Internships Office<\/strong>. The office will partner with VCU\u2019s academic units to design, source and sustain high-quality internships that benefit both students and organizations and count toward students\u2019 degree requirements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the most exciting part: <strong>Your VCU unit can create on-campus credit-bearing internships of your own.<\/strong> We are grateful to units already hosting non-credit interns through existing programs. Now we\u2019re seeking partners to create innovative opportunities that students can complete for credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please join this mission. <strong>Creating a credit-bearing internship within your unit provides:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tangible student-informed insights and outcomes for your team\u2019s objectives<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Professional development and mentorship opportunities for students, faculty and staff alike<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Student exposure to varied career pathways at VCU and beyond<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s be bold together!<\/strong><em> <\/em>Imagine the impact if every VCU office created at least one opportunity for an academic intern to learn and grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/FWCAoxZibSDJ3ZGP6\">Start an internship conversation today<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Academic Internship Office team will walk you through the process step-by-step.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/AndrewArroyo_sq.jpg\" alt=\"Andrew Arroyo\" class=\"wp-image-1336 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/800;width:179px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/AndrewArroyo_sq.jpg 800w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/AndrewArroyo_sq-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/AndrewArroyo_sq-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/AndrewArroyo_sq-768x768.jpg 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Sincerely yours,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Andrew Arroyo, Ed.D.<\/strong><br>Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Research and Impacts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"515\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.12.00-AM-1024x515.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1337 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.12.00-AM-1024x515.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.12.00-AM-300x151.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.12.00-AM-768x386.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.12.00-AM.png 1411w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/515;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Thank you to VCU&#8217;s faculty and staff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the final stretch of our academic year, the Office of the Provost thanks our incredible faculty and staff for their dedication to our students. The heart of this university isn\u2019t the brick and mortar; it\u2019s the late-night grading sessions, extended student support hours and all the extra efforts and sacrifices you make to help our students succeed. Thank you for making this another UNstoppable year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Arturo Saavedra named VCU\u2019s executive vice president and provost<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2025\/12\/Saavedra-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"Arturo Saavedra\" class=\"wp-image-1168 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2025\/12\/Saavedra-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2025\/12\/Saavedra-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2025\/12\/Saavedra-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2025\/12\/Saavedra-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2025\/12\/Saavedra-2048x1364.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/682;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed executive vice president and provost at Virginia Commonwealth University after serving in the role on an interim basis since December 2025. Saavedra will help lead academic planning and priorities during a vital time in VCU\u2019s evolution and momentum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cArt has brought innovation, integrity, a clear commitment to our complex mission, and a collaborative spirit to the important work of VCU\u2019s chief academic officer role,\u201d said VCU President <strong>Michael Rao, Ph.D<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saavedra\u2019s appointment culminates a national search and places a widely respected academic and health sciences leader in one of the university\u2019s most important positions at a time when VCU is building momentum in student success, research growth and cross-university collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>\u201cVCU\u2019s strength comes from its people and its mission, and I am committed to supporting faculty excellence, student success and the continued evolution of the university in ways that are bold, distinctive and mission-driven.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2013 Arturo Saavedra<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/22\/arturo-saavedra-named-vcus-executive-vice-president-and-provost\/\">Learn more about Provost Saavedra<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>VCU showcases leadership in undergraduate research with NCUR in Richmond<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"VCU students shine at the National Undergraduate Research Conference\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lY3X0cEREdw?start=3&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 5,000 undergraduate researchers gathered in Richmond for the <strong>National Conference on Undergraduate Research<\/strong> (NCUR), setting a national stage for the exchange of ideas, student scholarship and interdisciplinary discovery. VCU played a central role in this monumental event, the largest undergraduate research conference in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>\u201cIt means a lot to be able to share my work with people from all over the country. It\u2019s also really exciting it\u2019s at VCU this year, which makes it even more accessible for students like me. I think it really will help with my own personal development and to help me be able to feel like I am sharing my work professionally and hopefully opening doors to my future.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2013 Molly Goecker, Senior, Biology, Honors College<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/21\/vcu-showcases-leadership-in-undergraduate-research-with-ncur-in-richmond\/\">VCU students lead a NCUR<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Q&amp;A: Understanding \u201cwicked problems\u201d and how to solve them<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/DanielGutierrez1000x750.png\" alt=\"Daniel Gutierrez\" class=\"wp-image-1302 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/DanielGutierrez1000x750.png 1000w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/DanielGutierrez1000x750-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/DanielGutierrez1000x750-768x576.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1000px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1000\/750;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\"><strong>VCU Convergence<\/strong><\/a> faculty director, <a href=\"https:\/\/soe.vcu.edu\/about-us\/directory\/full-directory\/daniel-gutierrez-phd-lpc-csac.html\"><strong>Daniel Gutierrez, Ph.D.,<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>explains how \u201cwicked problems,\u201d big, societal problems that shift as you try to solve them \u2014 such as the growing mental health crisis in the U.S. He emphasizes the vital role of transdisciplinary collaboration, noting that interventions often improve one area while creating new pressures elsewhere. Addressing these challenges through community-led impacts is a key objective of the VCU Convergence Mental Health group, of which Gutierrez is also a faculty co-lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/20\/understanding-wicked-problems-a-conversation-with-daniel-gutierrez\/\">Exploring &#8220;wicked problems&#8221;<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>TEDxVCU Illuminate: At the intersection of art and medicine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"477\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.21.23-AM-1024x477.png\" alt=\"TEDxVCU\" class=\"wp-image-1338 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.21.23-AM-1024x477.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.21.23-AM-300x140.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.21.23-AM-768x358.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.21.23-AM.png 1347w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/477;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/arts.vcu.edu\/directory\/sterling-hundley\/\"><strong>Sterling Hundley, MFA<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> professor of communication arts took to the <strong>TEDxVCU<\/strong> stage to reflect on an unexpected intersection of art and medicine. As a co-principal investigator of the Applied Arts Lab Vertically Integrated Project at VCU, Hundley shared stories from his time documenting surgeries and complex clinical moments through drawings and how this experience relates to broader interdisciplinary work with VCU Health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Embedded inside operating rooms and hospital settings, sketching became a tool for slowing down, noticing patterns and translating high-stakes medical environments into observable and interpretable art. His reflections traced how the creative process can function inside systems defined by urgency and precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/28\/tedxvcu-illuminate-sterling-hundley-on-applied-arts-for-the-greater-good\/\">WATCH: Art for the greater good<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>VCU Globe students attend the inaugural Global Leadership Summit in D.C.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"549\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.23.01-AM-1024x549.png\" alt=\"Group of VCU student attendees at the Global Leadership Summit\" class=\"wp-image-1339 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.23.01-AM-1024x549.png 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.23.01-AM-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.23.01-AM-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.23.01-AM.png 1253w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/549;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>VCU Global Education Office<\/strong> coordinated its first Global Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. at the Institute of International Education (IIE) on April 17. Staff and leaders accompanied 28 VCU Globe students as they participated in a global engagement activity designed to provide an international leadership development experience, including networking opportunities and alumni engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the Summit, students engaged with global leaders and institutions, exploring how individuals and organizations in D.C. contribute to international cooperation and address global challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The students networked with VCU Globe alumni and professionals, heard how their international experiences shaped their personal and professional journeys, and gained insight into the many career pathways a global perspective can open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/global.vcu.edu\/newsroom\/2025-26\/global-leadership-summit\/\">Global Leadership Summit<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Break the Silos, Build the Brand: The New Enrollment Playbook<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"634\" height=\"796\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.26.08-AM.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of the article about Hernan Bucheli and Grant Heston\" class=\"wp-image-1340 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 634px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 634\/796;width:318px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.26.08-AM.png 634w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.26.08-AM-239x300.png 239w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 634px) 100vw, 634px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Published in the<strong> Journal of College Admission<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/semss.vcu.edu\/about\/senior-leadership-team\/dr-hernan-bucheli\/\"><strong>Hernan Bucheli, Ed.D.<\/strong><\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/marcom.vcu.edu\/contact-us\/#d.en.556854\"><strong>Grant J. Heston<\/strong><\/a><strong>, MBA<\/strong>, demonstrate a case study of recruitment innovation at VCU. They advocate that themes such as distinctiveness, shared ownership, brand experience and integration across the university are driving factors for successful enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong><em>\u201cToday\u2019s students don\u2019t judge your brand by billboards or sleek viewbooks. They judge it by how easy you make it to say \u2018yes\u2019. That mantra led to two new admission websites at VCU \u2014 both of which are seeing great success.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1HTDO6Fv5K14SMj6ZBFa41Y1Y7Ur4Ag4_\/view?usp=sharing\">View the enrollment playbook<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>29th Annual Graduate Research Symposium: celebrating scholarship<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"942\" height=\"700\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.28.41-AM.png\" alt=\"Graduate students answer questions about their research posters\" class=\"wp-image-1341 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.28.41-AM.png 942w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.28.41-AM-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.28.41-AM-768x571.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 942px) 100vw, 942px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 942px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 942\/700;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As a signature event of VCU\u2019s Research Weeks, graduate students gathered to showcase their essential roles in driving research, impacts and innovation. Sponsored by the <strong>Graduate Student Association<\/strong>, the unique program utilizes a student chair and committee to organize and facilitate the event to grow their research leadership capabilities. Top-scoring students were recognized with small monetary awards across four disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/gradschool\/2026\/05\/04\/29th-annual-graduate-research-symposium-celebrating-scholarship-embracing-impact-sharing-knowledge\/\">VCU graduate research symposium<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Recognitions<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Scott named an American Council on Education Fellow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Krista-Scott-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Krista Scott\" class=\"wp-image-1308 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 819px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 819\/1024;width:218px;height:auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Krista-Scott-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Krista-Scott-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Krista-Scott-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Krista-Scott-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/Krista-Scott.jpg 1638w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p>The <strong>American Council on Education<\/strong> (ACE) has selected <strong>Krista Scott, Ed.D.<\/strong>, associate vice president for strategic enrollment management special programs, as an ACE Fellow for academic year 2026-2027. Following nominations by VCU senior administration and a rigorous application process, Scott will join a class of 31 Fellows in the program developed to identify and prepare faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u201cI have always believed that education is a fundamental right and a catalyst for transformative change, and this ACE Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to observe how diverse institutions navigate an ever-evolving environment.\u201d <br>\u2013 Krista Scott<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/21\/scott-named-ace-fellow\/\">ACE Fellows announcement<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>SCHEV Awards nominations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/nati.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/SCHEV-logo.png\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The 2027 SCHEV Outstanding Faculty and Rising Star Awards Call for Nominations is now open. This is a limited submission award. VCU&#8217;s internal deadline for submission of nominations to the Provost is July 17, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/faculty.provost.vcu.edu\/faculty-recognition\/schev-awards\/\">Learn more about nominations<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Events<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/ugeducation-1024x575.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1287 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/ugeducation-1024x575.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/ugeducation-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/ugeducation-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/ugeducation-1536x863.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/04\/ugeducation.jpeg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/575;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>VCU Undergraduate Education Course (Re)Design Workshop &amp; Expo<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Wed., May 13 | 10 a.m. \u2013 2:30 p.m.&nbsp;<br>VCU University Student Commons<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join colleagues to collaborate and reimagine VCU undergraduate education, one course at a time. This event is open to all faculty and staff instructors teaching undergraduate courses. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.<strong>&nbsp;RSVP by Fri., April 10&nbsp;<\/strong>to ensure organizers can properly plan for your sessions! Session facilitators will follow up with registrants. For more information, contact&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/massmail.vcu.edu\/trk\/click?ref=z173r7sgll_0-33e96_0_0x359e3dx04219\">svpacadaffrs@vcu.edu<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSelQ-396LimocAVEqYWDEjWlxr9dbjuwFqZJ-oyAjK6L0aBVA\/viewform\">Register<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1025\" height=\"577\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.32.27-AM.png\" alt=\"from research to recovery poster screenshot\" class=\"wp-image-1342 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.32.27-AM.png 1025w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.32.27-AM-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-13-at-11.32.27-AM-768x432.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1025px) 100vw, 1025px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1025px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1025\/577;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>9th Annual Research to Recovery Conference &#8211; May 20-21<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>VCU Rams in Recovery <\/strong>and <strong>VCU Rehabilitation Counseling<\/strong> welcome community members, professionals and researchers for two days of engaging talks and presentations focused on mental health, substance use and recovery. Talks will cover exploring basic research, wellness prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery. Continuing education credits (10) are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/r2r2026.sched.com\/\">Register and view event schedule<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Resources<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Generative AI survey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>VCU Technology Services<\/strong> and the <strong>Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence<\/strong> have launched an AI survey to better understand sentiments and skills surrounding the use of Generative AI tools. Learn more and take the survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/ai\/2026\/04\/16\/vcu-technology-services-and-center-for-teaching-and-learning-excellence-launch-ai-survey\/\">Take the survey<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>New Faculty Orientation<\/strong>: <strong>Save the Date: August 12, 12 p.m.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">The <strong>New Faculty Orientation<\/strong> introduces new faculty members to VCU\u2019s academic community, resources and support services and provides new faculty members an opportunity to network with other incoming colleagues as well as VCU\u2019s faculty and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/faculty.provost.vcu.edu\/professional-development\/new-faculty-orientation\/\">Learn more about new faculty orientation<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Partner with the VCU Health Hub<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/healthhub.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>VCU Health Hub<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>welcomes partnerships with organizations, researchers, students, and community leaders who share our commitment to health and well-being. If you\u2019re interested in collaborating on programs, research or other initiatives, please contact Sarah McCall at: <a href=\"mailto:mccalls2@vcu.edu\">mccalls2@vcu.edu<\/a> with questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this issue: VCU expands credit\u2011bearing internships, highlights major research events, announces Arturo Saavedra as provost, celebrates faculty achievements, and promotes upcoming academic programs, conferences, and resources supporting student success and interdisciplinary collaboration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[373],"tags":[326,394,393,398,374,396,392,397,377,395,314],"class_list":["post-1335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletter","tag-events","tag-internships","tag-may-2026","tag-news","tag-prospectus","tag-provost-events","tag-provost-newsletter","tag-recognitions","tag-research-impacts","tag-resouces","tag-spring-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1323,"date":"2026-05-06T10:29:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:29:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1323"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:50:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:50:43","slug":"driven-by-vcu-convergence-interdisciplinary-team-takes-aim-at-neurodegeneration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/05\/06\/driven-by-vcu-convergence-interdisciplinary-team-takes-aim-at-neurodegeneration\/","title":{"rendered":"Driven by VCU Convergence, interdisciplinary team takes aim at neurodegeneration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On April 29, an interdisciplinary group of researchers, clinicians and faculty gathered for the first planning meeting toward what could become a landmark effort in neurodegeneration research and clinical care. Bringing together participants from the <a href=\"https:\/\/chp.vcu.edu\/\">College of Health Professions<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/medschool.vcu.edu\/\">School of Medicine<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/medschool.vcu.edu\/\">School of Nursing<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pharmacy.vcu.edu\/\">School of Pharmacy<\/a>, the session marked the beginning of a collaborative push to position VCU as a national leader in understanding and addressing neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The meeting was the first step in planning a Center grant submission focused on neurodegeneration, a key area within the <a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\">VCU Convergence<\/a> Neuroscience theme.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1547-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1332 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1547-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1547-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1547-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1547-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1547-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/683;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By the session conclusion, the group had developed concrete next steps, including plans to conduct preliminary research this summer and reconvene in the fall to build on that work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>\u201cThe time is now for us to collectively build on the immense progress of our neurodegeneration scientists, VCU Richmond Brain Health Initiative, and VCU Health Guide program to continue to innovate and support individuals and families managing brain health and dementia locally and nationally.\u201d <\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><strong>\u2013 Faika Zanjani, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The planning meeting reflects the core mission of VCU Convergence, which brings together faculty, students and community partners across disciplines to tackle complex, real-world problems. Neurodegenerative diseases, shaped by biological, behavioral, social and environmental factors, are precisely the kind of challenge the initiative was designed to address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019s mission to tackle complex brain\u2011health challenges collaboratively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2240,"featured_media":1324,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-convergence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2240"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1319,"date":"2026-05-06T10:13:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1319"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T15:49:15","slug":"from-operating-room-to-innovation-sprint-convergence-neuroscience-and-da-vinci-center-drive-collaboration-with-design-jam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/05\/06\/from-operating-room-to-innovation-sprint-convergence-neuroscience-and-da-vinci-center-drive-collaboration-with-design-jam\/","title":{"rendered":"From operating room to innovation sprint: Convergence Neuroscience and da Vinci Center drive collaboration with design jam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On April 16, the <a href=\"https:\/\/davincicenter.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation<\/strong><\/a>, in collaboration with <a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\"><strong>VCU Convergence Neuroscience<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/techtransfer.research.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>VCU TechTransfer<\/strong><\/a>, hosted the inaugural<strong> Neuroscience Design Jam<\/strong>. The two-hour event challenged interdisciplinary teams to translate real-world clinical problems into early-stage medical device concepts with&nbsp; clear pathways for prototyping and commercialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Neurosurgery faculty presented clinical challenges while teams worked through a rapid design thinking process, defining problems, generating ideas and pitching early concepts. The concepts selected are eligible for further development through VCU TechTransfer, offering participants a direct pathway to protect intellectual property and explore commercialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This is about creating a bridge between discovery and impact,&#8221; said <strong>Lloyd Young<\/strong>, executive director of the da Vinci Center. &#8220;We&#8217;re bringing students into the earliest stages of innovation, working alongside clinicians, understanding real problems and learning how ideas can move beyond the classroom into prototypes, patents and, ultimately, the market.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Neuroscience Design Jam is part of VCU&#8217;s broader Convergence initiative, which brings together disciplines to tackle complex, real-world problems. &#8220;Neurodegenerative diseases and neurological disorders don&#8217;t live in a single discipline and neither should the solutions,&#8221; said <a href=\"https:\/\/provost.vcu.edu\/about\/meet-the-provost\/\"><strong>Provost Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D<\/strong><\/a>. &#8220;This collaboration reflects what VCU Convergence is all about: connecting expertise across medicine, engineering, business and design to accelerate discovery and amplify impact.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"772\" data-src=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1347-1-1024x772.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1329 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1347-1-1024x772.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1347-1-300x226.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1347-1-768x579.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1347-1-1536x1159.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1060\/2026\/05\/A08A1347-1-2048x1545.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/772;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Every day in the operating room, we encounter challenges that could be solved with new tools or technologies,&#8221; said <a href=\"https:\/\/neurosurgery.vcu.edu\/about\/our-team\/david-d-limbrick-jr-md-phd.html\"><strong>David D. Limbrick Jr., M.D., Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/neurosurgery.vcu.edu\/\"><strong>Department of Neurosurgery<\/strong><\/a> chair and leader of VCU Convergence Neuroscience. &#8220;What&#8217;s exciting about this Design Jam is the opportunity to bring fresh perspectives into those challenges.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the event, promising concepts will continue development through a <a href=\"https:\/\/vip.vcu.edu\/all-teams\/#daVinci\"><strong>Vertically Integrated Project<\/strong><\/a> team, where interdisciplinary student teams work alongside faculty and clinicians to advance prototypes, business models and clinical applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;This is just the beginning,&#8221; Young said. &#8220;We&#8217;re building a model where students, faculty and partners can collaborate across disciplines to solve real problems, and where those solutions don&#8217;t stop at ideas, but continue all the way to impact.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VCU\u2019s inaugural Neuroscience Design Jam united clinicians, students, and innovators to turn surgical challenges into early medical\u2011device concepts, advancing VCU\u2019s Convergence initiative by fostering interdisciplinary problem\u2011solving, rapid prototyping, and pathways to commercialization through TechTransfer and ongoing Vertically Integrated Project development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2240,"featured_media":1321,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346],"tags":[348],"class_list":["post-1319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-convergence","tag-convergence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2240"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1319"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1319\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1300,"date":"2026-04-28T13:20:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T17:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1300"},"modified":"2026-05-05T12:56:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T16:56:02","slug":"tedxvcu-illuminate-sterling-hundley-on-applied-arts-for-the-greater-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/28\/tedxvcu-illuminate-sterling-hundley-on-applied-arts-for-the-greater-good\/","title":{"rendered":"TEDxVCU Illuminate: Sterling Hundley on Applied Arts for the greater good"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At <a href=\"https:\/\/ramsconnect.vcu.edu\/tedxvcu\/remodeled-home-\/\"><strong>TEDxVCU\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> Illuminate event on Saturday, April 11, <a href=\"https:\/\/arts.vcu.edu\/directory\/sterling-hundley\/\"><strong>Sterling Hundley<\/strong><\/a>, BFA, MFA, professor of communication arts took the stage to reflect on an unexpected intersection of art and medicine. As a co-principal investigator of the <a href=\"https:\/\/vip.vcu.edu\/all-teams\/#AppliedArts\"><strong>Applied Arts Lab Vertically Integrated Project at VCU<\/strong>,<\/a> Hundley shared stories from his time documenting surgeries and complex clinical moments through drawings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>We draw for a lot of reasons to understand, to communicate, to observe. But it turns out I wasn\u2019t drawing to see, I was drawing to think.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than simply recording what he saw, Hundley described drawing as a way of thinking. Inside operating rooms and hospital settings, sketching became a tool for slowing down, noticing patterns and translating high-stakes medical environments into observable and interpretable art. His reflections traced how the creative process can function inside systems defined by urgency, precision, and technical expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also connected these experiences to broader interdisciplinary work through the Applied Arts Lab VIP, including additional collaborations with <strong>VCU Health<\/strong> and research-driven projects that extend beyond the hospital system. From visualization efforts tied to large-scale scientific observation to student-led work translating complex systems into accessible visual language, Hundley highlighted how artists are actively contributing to problem-solving across medicine, engineering and technology &#8211; all with a focus on making people&#8217;s lives better. His talk pointed to a larger idea: that artists should not only operate outside of systems like healthcare and science, but should be increasingly embedded within them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>As you sit still long enough, you start to notice patterns, and the chaos becomes more understandable.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch Hundley\u2019s full presentation here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"TEDxVCU 2026: Illuminate\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vX58uK0UGkI?start=5548&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At TEDxVCU\u2019s Illuminate event on Saturday, April 11, Sterling Hundley, BFA, MFA, professor of communication arts took the stage to reflect on an unexpected intersection of art and medicine. As a co-principal investigator of the Applied Arts Lab Vertically Integrated Project at VCU, Hundley shared stories from his time documenting surgeries and complex clinical moments [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2240,"featured_media":1316,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2240"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1312,"date":"2026-04-22T14:23:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1312"},"modified":"2026-04-22T14:23:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:23:51","slug":"arturo-saavedra-named-vcus-executive-vice-president-and-provost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/22\/arturo-saavedra-named-vcus-executive-vice-president-and-provost\/","title":{"rendered":"Arturo Saavedra named VCU\u2019s executive vice president and provost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>This story was originally reported and written by Grant Heston with <a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/\">VCU News.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed executive vice president and provost at Virginia Commonwealth University after serving in the role on an interim basis since December 2025. The Board of Visitors will officially consider the appointment at its meeting later this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His appointment is the conclusion of a national search and places a widely respected academic and health sciences leader in one of the university\u2019s most important positions at a time when VCU is building momentum in student success, research growth and cross-university collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cArt has brought innovation, integrity, a clear commitment to our complex mission, and a collaborative spirit to the important work of VCU\u2019s chief academic officer role,\u201d said VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D. \u201cHe has created alignment across units while keeping our focus where it belongs: on the success of students at all levels, faculty excellence, our commitment to VCU\u2019s mission, research growth that will strengthen Virginia and opportunities for Virginians and strengthening VCU\u2019s connectivity throughout the university and its many affiliated entities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saavedra\u2019s appointment reflects the confidence VCU\u2019s leadership has in his ability to help guide an institution that is both highly ambitious and deeply committed to public service. VCU\u2019s public mission \u2014 and the complexity that comes with it \u2014 depends on extraordinary people who are deeply committed to learning and teaching, adapting to current and future generations of learners, discovery of the unknown and creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am honored to serve as executive vice president and provost in a permanent capacity and thank President Rao and the Board of Visitors for their confidence,\u201d Saavedra said. \u201cVCU\u2019s strength comes from its people and its mission, and I am committed to supporting faculty excellence, student success and the continued evolution of the university in ways that are bold, distinctive and mission-driven. I look forward to working with colleagues across VCU to build on the strong momentum already underway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As executive vice president and provost, Saavedra will help lead academic planning and priorities, with responsibility for advancing student success, faculty achievement, innovation in teaching and research and collaboration across disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere was widespread agreement that Art is the right person at just the right time to serve as the leader of a faculty that is among the most innovative, dynamic, and caring in the country; a faculty committed to the challenging work of a university that is as committed to research, creativity, solving problems and saving lives as it is shaping the next generation of leaders in their fields,\u201d Rao said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Previously, Saavedra served as dean of the VCU School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs beginning in 2023. In those roles, he helped lead one of the university\u2019s most complex and high-impact academic units while also contributing to the broader direction of the institution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saavedra\u2019s background makes him particularly well suited for this role at VCU, where the connections among education, discovery and patient care are central to the university\u2019s identity and impact. He brings experience as a physician-scientist, an academic leader and a senior administrator who understands the scale, complexity and opportunity of a major public research university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This story was originally reported and written by Grant Heston with VCU News. Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed executive vice president and provost at Virginia Commonwealth University after serving in the role on an interim basis since December 2025. The Board of Visitors will officially consider the appointment at its meeting later this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7,5],"tags":[171,102,149,150],"class_list":["post-1312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-affairs","category-faculty-affairs","category-provost","tag-academic-affairs","tag-faculty-affairs","tag-provost-office","tag-vcu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1304,"date":"2026-04-21T15:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1304"},"modified":"2026-04-21T15:24:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:24:19","slug":"four-things-about-ptr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/21\/four-things-about-ptr\/","title":{"rendered":"Before the April 24 deadline: Four things to know about post-tenure review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Four things to know about post-tenure review\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/19gpLtrTUc0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dear colleagues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you likely know, VCU is seeking feedback on updates to our post-tenure review policy. I encourage everyone to take part in the open comment period, which is underway. Please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.provost.vcu.edu\/ptr\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/faculty.provost.vcu.edu\/ptr\/\">the post tenure review policy webpage<\/a> to learn more and be sure to share your thoughts by the April 24 deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This topic has raised strong feelings among some faculty \u2014 in part because of disagreement with aspects of the proposal, and in part because of misinformation about what is being proposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is why it is important to share what this policy is, what it is not, and how your input can help strengthen it. Here are four things to know about post-tenure review:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>First, this is not the elimination of tenure or academic freedom. <\/strong>Tenure and academic freedom are essential to VCU. They are central to our success in teaching, research and service, and to the impact we have on our students, patients and communities. That will not change: tenure and academic freedom must be protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Second, VCU already has a post-tenure review policy. <\/strong>VCU has had a post-tenure review policy since 1997, as have all other public Virginia institutions. What is being discussed now is an update to a policy that has not been revised in 13 years. The goal is to better align VCU with other public R1 universities and ensure we have a modern framework that supports faculty development while protecting the important principles of tenure and academic freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Third, the proposed policy would make the review process clearer, faster and more defined. <\/strong>It would change what triggers post-tenure review, shorten the maximum length of the improvement plan from two years to one, and require that the plan include clear, measurable and achievable goals for the faculty member. It would also establish a more defined timeline for review and clarify who determines whether the improvement plan has been successfully completed. There are two milestones in the process at which a faculty member can appeal, and there is the opportunity at each step of the process for the faculty member to provide a response. In short, the goal is a process that is more current, more consistent and clear, and easier to understand.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fourth, this policy draft has already changed significantly because of faculty input, and it can be strengthened with further feedback. <\/strong>Based on feedback from the Faculty Senate in early March, the draft of the post tenure review policy was significantly revised, with more than 60% of the policy changed. That matters because it shows this process is not closed. Feedback has informed the policy to date, and responses from the open comment period will result in additional revisions. I strongly encourage you to <a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.provost.vcu.edu\/ptr\/\">read the proposed policy and share your input<\/a> during the open comment period, which began on April 6 and ends on April 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for your dedication to VCU and for participating in this process. Your voice matters, and it will help make this policy stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.<br>Interim Executive Vice President and Provost<br>Virginia Commonwealth University<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear colleagues: As you likely know, VCU is seeking feedback on updates to our post-tenure review policy. I encourage everyone to take part in the open comment period, which is underway. Please visit the post tenure review policy webpage to learn more and be sure to share your thoughts by the April 24 deadline. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2410,"featured_media":1214,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5,339],"tags":[386,368,372,385,370,384,314],"class_list":["post-1304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-affairs","category-provost","category-provost-messages","tag-academic-freedom","tag-feedback","tag-open-comment-period","tag-policy-updates","tag-post-tenure-review","tag-post-tenure-review-policy","tag-spring-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2410"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1297,"date":"2026-04-21T12:28:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1297"},"modified":"2026-04-22T09:22:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:22:12","slug":"vcu-showcases-leadership-in-undergraduate-research-with-ncur-in-richmond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/21\/vcu-showcases-leadership-in-undergraduate-research-with-ncur-in-richmond\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU showcases leadership in undergraduate research with NCUR in Richmond"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>More than 5,000 undergraduate researchers gathered in Richmond for the conference, creating a national stage for the exchange of ideas, student scholarship and interdisciplinary discovery.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"VCU students shine at the National Undergraduate Research Conference\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lY3X0cEREdw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Virginia Commonwealth University played a central role this spring as Richmond hosted the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), the largest undergraduate research conference in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>VCU showed up strong at NCUR, with 487 student presenters sharing work across disciplines spanning science, engineering, health, humanities and the arts. The breadth of student participation reflected the university\u2019s growing emphasis on undergraduate research as a high-impact educational experience that connects classroom learning with real-world inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-students-at-national-conference-on-undergraduate-research\"><strong>Meet seven VCU students who presented at NCUR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><em>\u201cIt means a lot to be able to share my work with people from all over the country. It\u2019s also really exciting it\u2019s at VCU this year, which makes it even more accessible for students like me. I think it really will help with my own personal development and to help me be able to feel like I am sharing my work professionally and hopefully opening doors to my future.\u201d <\/em><em><br><\/em><em>&#8211; Molly Goecker, Senior, Honors College Biology<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond presentations, NCUR served as a convening point for deeper conversations about the future of research, innovation and education. A highlight of the conference was VCU\u2019s leadership panel, <strong>\u201c<\/strong>Beyond the Podium: Confluence of Science and Arts in the Age of AI,<strong>\u201d<\/strong> which brought together university leaders to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education and how institutions can prepare students to engage with emerging tools responsibly and effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Panelists included <a href=\"https:\/\/provost.vcu.edu\/about\/meet-the-provost\/\"><strong>Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, VCU interim provost and executive vice president; <a href=\"https:\/\/research.vcu.edu\/about\/vp-for-research-and-innovation\/\"><strong>P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>, vice president for research and innovation; <a href=\"https:\/\/arts.vcu.edu\/directory\/carmenita-higginbotham\/\"><strong>Carmenita Higginbotham, Ph.D<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong>, dean of the School of the Arts and special assistant to the provost; and <a href=\"https:\/\/directory.business.vcu.edu\/profile.php?urn=mgupta2\"><strong>Manu Gupta, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, who moderated the discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will always need people who are trained well,\u201d Saavedra noted. \u201cWe will always need a community that rises up and sees the full picture. There\u2019s nothing to be scared about and everything to be excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scale of NCUR underscored the importance of undergraduate research as a national priority across higher ed, while VCU\u2019s role as host and sponsor highlighted its commitment to expanding access to meaningful research experiences. As part of the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/assessment-accreditation-and-compliance\/accreditation\/institutional-accreditation\/quality-enhancement-plan\/\">Every Ram is a Researcher\u201d<\/a> initiative, one out of every three VCU students is currently engaged in research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NCUR reinforced VCU as a Carnegie R1 institution and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vcu.edu\/research\/\">Top 50 public research university <\/a>(National Science Foundation), with more than $550 million in sponsored research funding in FY 2025 supporting discovery and innovation across disciplines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For VCU students, NCUR offered not only a platform to present their work, but an opportunity to engage with a national community of scholars, exchange ideas across institutions and see firsthand how research can shape future academic and professional pathways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vcu.exposure.co\/students-find-inspiration-during-renowned-research-conferences-visit-to-richmond\">https:\/\/vcu.exposure.co\/students-find-inspiration-during-renowned-research-conferences-visit-to-richmond<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-students-at-national-conference-on-undergraduate-research\">https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-students-at-national-conference-on-undergraduate-research<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 5,000 undergraduate researchers gathered in Richmond for the conference, creating a national stage for the exchange of ideas, student scholarship and interdisciplinary discovery. Virginia Commonwealth University played a central role this spring as Richmond hosted the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), the largest undergraduate research conference in the country. VCU showed up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2240,"featured_media":1298,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[118],"class_list":["post-1297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-success","tag-student-success"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2240"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1297"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1297\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1292,"date":"2026-04-21T11:10:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T15:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1292"},"modified":"2026-04-17T13:14:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T17:14:31","slug":"2026-commencement-invitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/21\/2026-commencement-invitation\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 VCU Commencement celebration and invitation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Dear faculty colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we reach the final stretch of our academic year, we would first like to thank you for your dedication to our students. The heart of this university isn\u2019t the brick and mortar; it\u2019s the late-night grading sessions, the extended office hours, and all the extra efforts and sacrifices you make to help our students succeed. Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the finish line in mind, we are reaching out to remind you that all faculty are invited to attend Virginia Commonwealth University&#8217;s Commencement on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 10 a.m., at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. With school and college commencements, final exams, and a multitude of other deadlines, we recognize that time is even more valuable at the end of the semester. Your presence helps provide closure for our students, celebrates your shared victories, and shows the strength of our VCU community.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please RSVP by using this\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/6Q4f2YjSSYSXs2AJA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">form<\/a>. For any questions you may have, please email <a href=\"mailto:UNIVevents@vcu.edu\">UNIVevents@vcu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you again for all that you do for our students and this university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With gratitude,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.<\/strong><br>Interim executive vice president and provost<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Kathleen Moritz Rudasill, Ph.D.<\/strong><br>Senior vice provost for faculty affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Andrew T. Arroyo, Ed.D.<\/strong><br>Senior vice provost for academic affairs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All faculty are invited to attend Virginia Commonwealth University&#8217;s Commencement on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 10 a.m., at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Your presence helps provide closure for our students, celebrates your shared victories, and shows the strength of our VCU community.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1293,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,5],"tags":[310,379,381,383,380,382,111],"class_list":["post-1292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-affairs","category-provost","tag-310","tag-commencement","tag-faculty-invitation","tag-graduation","tag-vcu-commencement","tag-vcu-community","tag-vcu-faculty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1292\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1307,"date":"2026-04-21T08:58:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1307"},"modified":"2026-04-22T09:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:15:20","slug":"scott-named-ace-fellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/21\/scott-named-ace-fellow\/","title":{"rendered":"Scott named an American Council on Education Fellow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p>The American Council on Education (ACE) has selected <a href=\"https:\/\/semss.vcu.edu\/about\/senior-leadership-team\/dr-hernan-bucheli\/\"><strong>Krista Scott, Ed.D.<\/strong><\/a>, associate vice president for strategic enrollment management special programs, as an ACE Fellow for academic year 2026-2027. Following nominations by VCU senior administration and a rigorous application process, Scott will join a class of 31 Fellows in the program developed to identify and prepare faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scott previously served VCU as interim associate vice president for summer studies and special programs, as well as associate dean for enrollment and student success. Scott earned a doctorate in education from the Ohio State University, and an M.Ed., B.S. and B.A. from the University of Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have always believed that education is a fundamental right and a catalyst for transformative change, and this ACE Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to observe how diverse institutions navigate an ever-evolving environment,\u201d Scott said. \u201cI am deeply appreciative of the support to pursue this opportunity am honored to represent VCU in this cohort. I look forward to a year of intensive learning and growth, and am excited to bring bringing back new insights to further our commitment to excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Established in 1965, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acenet.edu\/Programs-Services\/Pages\/ACE-Fellows-Program.aspx#section-3\"><strong>ACE Fellows Program<\/strong><\/a> is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education through its distinctive and intensive, nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. Over 2,500 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the decades, with close to 150 Fellows currently serving as presidents and provosts, and many more serving as senior administrators and deans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Dr. Krista Scott\u2019s selection as an ACE Fellow is a well-deserved recognition of her exceptional strategic leadership, institutional vision, and deep commitment to student success,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/semss.vcu.edu\/about\/senior-leadership-team\/dr-hernan-bucheli\/\"><strong>Hernan Bucheli, Ed.D.<\/strong><\/a>, vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success.\u201cAt a time when higher education requires leaders who can think boldly, act collaboratively, and guide organizations through change, Krista stands out as exactly that kind of leader,\u201d Bucheli added. \u201cWe are proud of this recognition and confident that her ACE Fellowship experience will further strengthen the impact of her leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ACE Fellows Program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of job experience and skills development into a single year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the placement, ACE Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of colleagues across the country and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About ACE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The American Council on Education is a membership organization that leads higher education with a united vision for the future, galvanizing our members to make change and collaborating across the sector to design solutions for today\u2019s challenges, serve the needs of a diverse student population, and shape effective public policy. As the major coordinating body for the nation\u2019s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of about 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Please join us in congratulating Krista Scott, VCU associate vice president for strategic enrollment management special programs, who was selected as a 2026\u201327 ACE Fellow. The fellowship will deepen her leadership experience through mentorship, campus placements, and national networking, strengthening her future impact at VCU and in higher education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1874,"featured_media":1308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[388,391,389,337,387,314],"class_list":["post-1307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-provost","tag-ace","tag-ace-fellowship","tag-american-council-on-education","tag-excellence","tag-krista-scott","tag-spring-2026"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1874"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1301,"date":"2026-04-20T14:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T18:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/?p=1301"},"modified":"2026-05-05T09:24:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:24:48","slug":"understanding-wicked-problems-a-conversation-with-daniel-gutierrez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/2026\/04\/20\/understanding-wicked-problems-a-conversation-with-daniel-gutierrez\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Wicked Problems: A conversation with Daniel Gutierrez"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>What is a \u201cwicked problem?\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wicked problems are these big societal problems that shift as you try to solve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, let\u2019s imagine a community responding to a growing mental health crisis. Schools are overwhelmed, ERs are full and families want help. So the first move makes sense \u2014 you expand services. But Clinicians start saying, \u201cWe\u2019re treating downstream what\u2019s being created upstream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the problem lens widens. Now we\u2019re talking about housing instability, economic stress, loneliness and community violence. And that is the wickedness of it. The problem changes as you engage it. The causes are interconnected, the boundaries of the problem keep moving, and even defining what the problem is dependent on where you stand in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The causes are interconnected; stakeholders see them differently. There\u2019s no clear endpoint and no single right answer. A wicked problem is a problem that doesn\u2019t stay still long enough to be solved\u2014it changes as you engage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What does it take to solve wicked problems?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wicked problems demand transdisciplinary approaches because they exist between systems. Any piece of reality that is fundamentally interconnected and constantly changing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wicked problems are dynamic. If you take a single-discipline approach to the problem, you may not even notice how it is changing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In your experience, what are some wicked problems that illustrate these complexities?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see this clearly in areas like youth mental health, substance use and chronic loneliness. Teaching coping skills and offering therapy, helps the individual,&nbsp; but only to a point. If that same young person is dealing with housing instability, under-resourced schools, or constant online comparisons, the conditions shaping their distress remain active. So the response expands. Invest in schools, support families, build community programs. That helps too, but more slowly, and now the problem starts to shift. Is this a mental health issue, an education issue, or an economic issue? Who is responsible for responding?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As each part of the system is addressed, new pressures show up elsewhere. Expanding access to care increases demand and strains providers. School-based supports help students but stretch educators beyond their roles. Social interventions take time, while families are asking for immediate relief. Each intervention improves something while complicating something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is an area that the <a href=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/academics.provost.vcu.edu\/vcu-convergence\/\">VCU Convergence<\/a> Mental Health group is addressing, and under the leadership of Dr. Patrick Mullen we are engaging schools and community groups to best define the work that needs to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel Gutierrez explains that wicked problems are shifting, interconnected societal issues\u2014like youth mental health\u2014that evolve as solutions are applied. He emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration, noting that interventions often improve one area while creating new pressures elsewhere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2240,"featured_media":1302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-convergence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2240"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1301\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/provost\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]