Recent events

Alumni Relations welcomes freshmen to campus

Freshmen (top) fill Monroe Park for the first Ram Spirit Walk as VCU Alumni Association President Dan Massey and board member Aaron Gilchrist rouse the crowd.

More than a thousand Virginia Commonwealth University freshmen gathered in Monroe Park in September for a pep rally and the first Ram Spirit Walk into Convocation to kick off the 2008-2009 academic year.

The pep rally, emceed by 2003 VCU graduate and VCU Alumni Association board member Aaron Gilchrist, co-anchor of NBC-12 Today, featured the VCU cheerleading squad and the Clover Hill High School Marching Band. Gilchrist taught the new students the VCU fight song and the band led the crowd through Monroe Park and to the Landmark.

VCU Alumni Association President Dan Massey (B.S.’92/B) also urged the crowd to get involved on campus – now and in the future.

The rally was part of a weeklong series of “Welcome Week” activities that helps students get acclimated to the college environment before the start of classes. The event was co-sponsored by University Alumni Relations and the new Barnes & Noble @ VCU.  All participants received a sling bag commemorating the event.

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Singers celebrate in China

Emerson Hughes (B.M.E’65/A) celebrates turning 65 with his wife, Kathy (B.M.E’65/A) during a trip with the Commonwealth Singers.

VCU Commonwealth Singers traveled to China for performances at two major concert halls and Fudan University.

The tour was organized as a Mid-Atlantic Choral Tribute to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. During the trip, John Guthmiller, director of choral activities and chairman of the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Music, conducted the Commonwealth Singers — a select choral ensemble of VCU students — and ensembles from four other schools in concerts at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and at the Cultural Arts Center in Shanghai.

In addition, the ensembles performed a series of smaller concerts as individual groups at such locations as the Great Wall and Fudan University, one of VCU’s 16 partner institutions.

Several alumni accompanied the students on the tour. Emerson Hughes (B.M.E’65/A), who owns Holiday Barn Pet Resorts with his wife, Kathy (B.M.E’65/A), celebrated his 65th birthday during the trip.  

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Economics professor shares insights with alumni

George E. Hoffer, Ph.D, had about 50 alumni and friends of the VCU School of Business on the edge of their seats as he spoke about the drastic effects today’s economic turmoil, cascading fuel prices and changes in consumer behavior have wrought on the U.S. automobile industry. Hoffer, a professor of economics at the School of Business, spoke in September for the Investors’ Circle Forum.

Hoffer is beloved by his students, especially for his enthusiastic teaching style, and is frequently quoted in the national media because of this in-depth knowledge and expertise on the transportation industries. Many who attended the forum, such as William M. Ginther (B.S.’69/B; M.S.’74/B) had studied under Hoffer.

“Dr. Hoffer is the instructor who best held my attention when I attended evening classes at VCU, and, just like tonight, I looked forward to hearing what he had to say and never grow tired of hearing him share his insights,” said Ginther, chairman of the VCU School of Business Advancement Advisory Committee.

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Business alumni go one-on-one with coaches

Women's basketball head coach Beth Cunningham chats with alumni from the School of Business.

The four-story atrium in Snead Hall looked a lot like a pep rally when about 75 alumni and friends of the VCU School of Business gathered in September to meet the Rams’ basketball coaches and get an early shot at purchasing tickets for the upcoming basketball season.

For many alumni, this was their first visit to the state-of-the-art building, which opened in January and was named for Tom and Vickie Snead, 1976 graduates of the School of Business.

The highlight of the event was question-and-answer sessions with Beth Cunningham, women’s head basketball coach, and Anthony Grant, men’s head basketball coach.

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New Nursing group helps young alumni reconnect

Faculty member Tanya Huff chats with recent grads Heather Busch (B.S.'07/N), Christie Gaskins (B.S.’07/N) and Ashley Millham (B.S.'07/N).

The gathering was the first event for a new group in the school, Nursing GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade). The GOLD group is geared toward baccalaureate graduates of the past decade and offers periodic, brief, informal events.

Next up: plans to attend a VCU basketball game in the winter, with more events to come.

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Ph.D. program hits milestone

The School of Allied Health Professions recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Ph.D. program in Health Related Sciences. More than a third of the program’s alumni attended a dinner at the Bull & Bear Club to commemorate the milestone.

During the event, each alumnus received individual recognition, and special acknowledgment was offered to the six faculty members who have been a part of the program since the beginning.

Dean Cecil B. Drain described program’s history and announced plans for expansion to accommodate more as the need for researchers and educators grows.

The Ph.D. program in Health Related Sciences is the only distance-based Ph.D. program for the allied health professions in the country and is consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation.

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Dental hygiene pioneer visits students

Kim Isringhausen (right), director of the Division of Dental Hygiene, presents Dr. Esther Wilkins with a plaque making her an honorary alumna of the VCU Dental Hygiene program.

One of the legends in dental hygiene, Dr. Esther Wilkins, visited faculty, students and alumni Sept. 19 to kick off events leading up to the 40th Anniversary Celebration of Dental Hygiene at VCU during April's Reunion Weekend.

Wilkins, a dental hygienist, dentist and periodontist, is the author of “The Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist,” also known as “the hygienist’s Bible.”  Now in its 10th edition, the book has served as the primary textbook for generations of dental hygiene students.

After a day of clinic rounds, classroom visits and other activities, Wilkins joined faculty, students and alumni at the MCV Alumni House for a reception and book signing.

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Med school hits the road

Bert Wellons (M.D.'61/M) (second from left), and his wife, Florence Lee, (left) enjoy catching up with School of Medicine Dean Dr. Jerry Strauss, senior development officer Joy Sanders and Tom Holland, associate dean for development.

In September, about three dozen alumni and friends of the medical school gathered at the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville.

School of Medicine Dean Dr. Jerry Strauss and Ike Wood (M.D.’ 82/M), who is the medical school's senior associate dean for Medical Education and Student Affairs, shared news about the medical school's largest incoming class and plans to bring innovations to the curriculum.

The dean also recently traveled to San Antonio and met with alumni. In the New Year, Strauss has plans to visit Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

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Pharmacy graduate program marks 50 years

John and Marge Ruggiero and Bill and Phyllis (Ph.D.'83/M) Soine catch up at the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program's 50th anniversary reunion. Ruggiero is dean emeritus of VCU School of Pharmacy, and Soine is professor emeritus of medicinal chemistry.

For the second year, the VCU School of Pharmacy combined its annual Research and Career Day for students and alumni with a Graduate Alumni Reunion.

The Oct. 16 reunion, which marked the graduate program's 50th anniversary, featured alumni lectures earlier in the day at Biotech One and an evening reception at the Scott House.

School of Pharmacy alumni, students, faculty and emeriti faculty mixed, reminisced and heard brief presentations by Susanna Wu-Pong, director of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program; Bill Barr, professor in the Department of Pharmacy; and Victor Yanchick, dean of the school.

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