Campaign Launch Events

Generously sponsored by the MCV Foundation and the VCU Foundation.

Celebrations marking the public launch of the largest fundraising campaign in Virginia Commonwealth University’s history take place Sept. 23-24. Please join us.

 For questions or special accommodations, contact Terry Clark, senior executive assistant to the vice president for development and alumni relations, at (804) 827-0536.

 

Friday, Sept. 23

The Make It Real Series: Highlighting the Finest of VCU’s People, Environments and Innovations

The Make It Real Series of tours, talks and demos across the university spotlights the people, places and innovations of VCU that are changing lives, challenging the norm and attracting attention across the country and the globe. Sign up at www.support.vcu.edu/mirevents to join us for one or more of these events. Registration closes Sept. 20.

Changing the Game: A Tour of the Basketball Practice Facility
9:30-10:30 a.m., Basketball Practice Facility, 1300 W. Marshall St.
Opened in 2015, VCU’s Basketball Practice Facility is a game-changer for the coaches and student-athletes who use it. With state-of-the-art courts that monitor performance during play, weight and sports medicine rooms, players’ lounges and even a hydrotherapy tub, the 62,000-square-foot facility is an awe-inspiring home away from home for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Come see the space for yourself. Thirty-minute tours begin at 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Online registration required. Parking available for a fee in the West Broad Street parking deck. 

The Zeitgeist of Zeitguide: It’s What You Need to Know
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., University Student Commons Theater, 907 Floyd Ave.
The VCU Brandcenter’s two-year, full-time master’s program develops the best creative problem-solvers in the world. This special campaign launch edition of its Friday Forum speaker series features Brad Grossman, founder and CEO of Zeitguide, a cultural compendium that helps CMOs, CCOs, CEOs and their entire organizations know what to read, what to see, what to hear, why it’s important and how it can inform decision-making. Online registration required. Parking available for a fee in the West Main Street parking deck; metered spots also available near the Commons.

Eat and Greet to the Beat: Jazz Brunch with Student Leaders
11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., University Student Commons Commonwealth Ballroom, 907 Floyd Ave.
Meet current student leaders from throughout the university and hear how their experiences translate in the real world at an informal jazz brunch sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs. Talented students from the VCU Jazz Studies program perform under the direction of Tony Garcia, professor of music and director of jazz studies. Online registration required. Parking available for a fee in the West Main Street parking deck; metered spots also available near the Commons.

A Tour of the Center for Human Simulation and Patient Safety
1-2:30 p.m., McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E. Marshall St., floors nine and 10
How does a doctor learn how to care for a patient? At VCU, one way is through medical simulation. Take a tour to meet the actors who play the role of standardized patients and see the mannequins that simulate childbirth, trauma care and abnormal heart and lung sounds. Students and faculty show visitors how the latest technology enhances the educational experience at this “drop-in” event. Arrive anytime and plan to spend about 30 minutes touring the facility. Online registration required. Complimentary valet parking is available on East Marshall Street between 12th and College streets.

The Big Draw: Q&A with Comic Artist Alumni
1-2:30 p.m., VCU James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave., Room 303
VCU communication arts professor and comic book expert Christopher Irving welcomes alumni Charles Vess (B.F.A.’74/A) and Reilly Brown (B.F.A.’03/A) to campus to talk about their careers and the comic industry. Vess’ award-winning work has appeared on the covers of Marvel and DC publications as well as in books and art galleries. Brown is a writer and artist on comics including The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hercules and, perhaps most notably, Deadpool. Online registration required. Online registration required. Parking available for a fee in the West Main Street parking deck; metered spots also available near the Cabell Library.

Blood, Breath, and Beyond: A Demonstration of How the School of Nursing Is Advancing Clinical Research
1:30-2:30 p.m., Sadie Heath Cabaniss Hall, 1100 E. Leigh St.
Two School of Nursing labs come under the spotlight in these demonstration/tour sessions. The Physiological Monitoring Lab is equipped with state-of-the-science portable equipment for collecting and measuring exhaled breath, heart rate variability, vital signs and other important physiologic states. The Biobehavioral Research Lab houses all equipment for analysis including multiplex and molecular biology applications. Tours and demonstrations of each will run for 30 minutes, allowing registrants to experience both within the hour provided, if desired. Online registration required. 

Art and the Creative Economy: A Tour of the VCUarts' Depot
2-3:30 p.m., VCUarts Depot, 814 W. Broad St.
The state-of-the-art renovation of the VCU School of the Arts’ Depot has breathed new life into the former trolley station. Join VCUarts faculty for a look at the building’s history, to check out the latest student exhibit in the Depot Gallery and to enjoy a demonstration in the motion-capture studio, tours of the dance and kinetic imaging studios and more. Online registration required. Parking available for a fee in the West Broad Street parking deck; metered spots also available near the Commons.

Innovation at VCU: Medical Research, Education and Clinical Care
3-4:30 p.m., Molecular Medicine Research Building, 1220 E. Broad St.
An insider’s look at the exciting work of the scholars, researchers and clinicians at
the forefront of their fields. Marsha D. Rappley, M.D., VCU vice president for health sciences and CEO of VCU Health, leads a panel of faculty through a discussion highlighting some of the latest advances in research, treatment and patient care at VCU Medical Center. Online registration required. Complimentary valet parking is available on East Marshall Street between 12th and College streets.

In Real Life: A Conversation with Distinguished VCU Alumni
7-8:30 p.m., VCU James Branch Cabell Library, third floor, Event Hall, 901 Park Ave.
Moderator Aaron Gilchrist (B.S.’03/H&S), anchor of News4 Today for NBC Washington, leads a panel of his illustrious fellow alumni: best-selling novelist David Baldacci (B.A.’83/H&S; H.L.D.’01), artist and MacArthur Fellowship winner Tara Donovan (M.F.A.'99/A); renowned trauma surgeon Tom Scalea, M.D. (M.D.’78/M), and health policy leader Marilyn Tavenner (B.S.’83/N; M.H.A.’89/AHP) in a discussion about their careers and the influence of their alma mater. Questions collected from the audience and via Twitter. Online registration required. Parking available for a fee in the West Main Street parking deck; metered spots also available near the Cabell Library.

Saturday, Sept. 24

The Broad Street Mile
10 a.m.-1 p.m., Broad Street between Belvidere Street and Hermitage Road
The VCU Broad Street Mile combines a festival, a 5K and fun runs along Richmond, Virginia’s, main thoroughfare, Broad Street. This year’s event includes the new Spirit of Giving race, where runners, including students, faculty, staff and alumni run for a selected charity in a friendly fundraising competition. Register to donate or to participate at vcubroadstreetmile.com.