Impact volume 12

Looking up A new fund aims to give first-generation students more support to stay in college

Why I give ...

“My family taught me that giving to worthy causes is a privilege. I give to VCU specifically because it is such a terrific investment value.

With the opportunities a VCU education gives the students and the benefits VCU provides to the broader community, money donated to VCU creates value now that will also compound into the future. I give so that others may share in the value I received from my VCU education.”

Fred Bell (M.B.A.’90/B; M.A.’99/B) Black & Gold Loyalty Society member with 11 years of consecutive giving

The Black & Gold Loyalty Society honors alumni and their partners who have made gifts to VCU for five or more consecutive years. To learn more about the Black & Gold Loyalty Society, visit support.vcu.edu/loyalty.

Nurse anesthesia students Amanda Acuff and Daniel Jeong. See article, Page 20 Photo Jud Froelich

Features 2

Making news in NYC

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6

High hopes

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A gift from Robertson School alumnus Kirk Laughlin provides a stipend to send two journalism students to an internship to New York City.

VCU’s Neuromuscular and ALS Clinics are providing optimal care for ALS sufferers thanks to a fund created by late patient Victor Harper and his family.

On the cover First-generation student Candace Moore

The trouble with being first

New programs and funds target first-generation students in an effort to help them be more successful at adapting to, and staying in, college.

A helping handbook

Nurse anesthesia students attending this year’s Anatomy Camp in Tennessee benefit from a former faculty member’s gift of a new reference resource.

Photo Jud Froelich

Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Jay E. Davenport, CFRE • Development and Alumni Communications Melanie Irvin Seiler (B.S.‘96/H&S), miseiler@vcu.edu, (804) 828-3975; Mitchell Moore (B.S.’07/MC; M.S.’08/E), mooreml3@vcu.edu, (804) 827-3617; Emma Coates, ekcoates@vcu.edu, (804) 828-2694; Brelyn Powell, blpowell@vcu.edu, (804) 828-3797 Impact is published quarterly by the Virginia Commonwealth University Office of Development and Alumni Relations. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the editorial staff or the university. © 2017, Virginia Commonwealth University, an equal opportunity, affirmative action university campaign.vcu.edu support.vcu.edu • 1

MAKING NEWS IN NYC

Internship fund provides stipend for journalism student to make connections and gain experience of working life in the country’s media capital

Gabe Hauari

2 • Impact

T Hauari photos Jud Froelich

his summer, senior journalism major Gabe Hauari was one of two Virginia Commonwealth University Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture students to take part in a new internship program created by media entrepreneur Kirk Laughlin (B.S.’87/ H&S). Established with the goal of “building a bridge” between the school and the media hub of New York City, the Kirk Laughlin Internship Fund awarded both students a stipend of $5,000 to be used toward accommodations, travel and other expenses. Laughlin also helped secure the participation of the hosting companies.

“This type of experience is indispensable,” Laughlin said when the internship was announced in March. “It all starts to make more sense once you’re in there getting that kind of insidethe-newsroom stuff handed to you – like what to post on social media and how to serve the editorial mission of the publication you’re working at.”

Hauari set off for New York in June and returned in August.

This is his account of the experience.

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This past summer, I had the opportunity to intern in the one and only New York City at Source Media, a company that specializes in business-to-business digital media and journalism. I was selected to complete the 10-week internship through the Kirk Laughlin Internship Fund, a new program that was started by VCU alumnus Kirk Laughlin.

The Robertson School contacted me in May, notifying me that I was one of two selected recipients for the internship program, and by early June, I was all moved in and settled into my student housing in Manhattan. On my first day, I met my internship coordinator, John McCormick, and found out I would be writing for two of Source Media’s digital publications, Digital Insurance and Information Management.

These publications primarily cover technology as they pertain to the insurance and information-management industries. Having never covered these industries before, my first two weeks at Source Media were essentially a crash course in the jargon used in these industries.

On my first day, I met the other interns, who had come from all over the country with other internship programs, and toured the office. I spoke with the editors of each publication on the phone and got more familiar with my day-to-day tasks and the publications’ target audiences.

I would usually arrive at the office at 9:30 a.m. and start my day with a cup of coffee. My tasks differed a bit depending on the day.

Most days, I would check out wire services, Google and PR pitches looking for stories until a conference call at 10:15 a.m.

After the conference call, I was assigned one or two articles to write per day. A favorite piece I wrote was a feature story for Digital Insurance, about biometrics in the insurance industry.

I technically had four bosses during my time at Source Media, and it was them, along with Fred Bazzoli (editor-in-chief of Health Data Management), on my morning conference calls: John McCormick, leader of the technology-focused editorial group; Nathan Golia, editor-in-chief of Digital Insurance; David Weldon, editor-in-chief of Information Management; and Danni Santana, associate editor of Digital Insurance. Of the four, only John and Danni were in the office, as David and Nathan worked remotely. I primarily maintained contact with them via e-mail, phone calls or [messenger service] Slack.

Danni took me under his wing during my time at the company.

He showed me around, introduced me to several people and was always there if there was anything I didn’t understand about the material or if I had questions about how to write something. He 4 • Impact

taught me how to use Social Flow, the software Digital Insurance uses to manage its social media accounts, and how to use Source Media’s content management system.

Another person who took me under their wing was Amanda Eisenberg. She was an intern at Source Media last summer and was subsequently offered a full-time position there. She would always answer questions, have lunch with us and be there when we needed assistance. I honestly do not think I would have survived at the company had it not been for Danni and Amanda.

By the end of my internship, I had written more than 30 articles, posted on social media for one of the publications, Digital Insurance, and learned how to make updates to the website. I had interviewed people from many giant insurance companies, such as Munich Re and USAA. Living in New York City for 10 weeks was certainly an interesting experience. At first, I was homesick and missed my friends and family. After a while, however, I started to take advantage of the city and met some people who lived in my dorm.

When I heard I had been accepted for this internship, I was also sent a list of VCU alumni who live and work in New York City and who would be willing to meet up and talk. I took full advantage and met with each person on the list, even meeting up with some of them twice. I want to give a special shoutout to Matthew Anderson (B.S.’94/MC), Melissa Gramstad (B.S.’92/MC), Ayo Oladipupo (B.S.’10/MC) and Rachael Savage (B.S.’06/MC), who were all wonderful people and gave me fantastic advice on everything from future career plans to great places to eat in the city.

This internship reinforced that I want to pursue journalism as a career, and it opened my eyes to the different types of journalism out there. Before this internship, I was hellbent on pursuing sports journalism – and, admittedly, I still am, but Source Media allowed me to explore business journalism in a manner I never had before.

I feel like the experience better prepared me for the future because I worked in a real newsroom with real journalists. It was really cool to be edited and published by a professional editor. I also made connections, which are always important in any industry.

Overall, living in New York City and interning at Source Media is an experience I’ll never forget. If I were to thank everyone who made it possible for me to have this experience individually in this piece, it would go on for pages and pages and pages. You know who you are. And thank you for a truly unforgettable summer.

To learn more about the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture, contact Lauren Stewart (B.S.’10/MC; M.S.’11/MC), development and alumni relations manager, at (804) 827-3761 or stewartla@vcu.edu.

“I FEEL LIKE THE EXPERIENCE BETTER PREPARED ME FOR THE FUTURE BECAUSE I WORKED IN A REAL NEWSROOM WITH REAL JOURNALISTS. I ALSO MADE CONNECTIONS, WHICH ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT IN ANY INDUSTRY.” – Gabe Hauari, senior journalism major

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Jerry Creehan at the VCU Neuromuscular and ALS Clinics

6 • Impact

HIGH HOPES FAMILY OF LATE ALS PATIENT CREATES FUND TO HELP OTHERS BATTLING THE SAME DISEASE

BY BRELYN POWELL

S

Photo VCU Public Affairs

o far this year, Jerry Creehan, 64, has traveled to Aruba, Italy and Florida, and he attended the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina. From his travel calendar, you would never guess that less than a year ago, he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, the loss of the motor neurons that control muscle movement hinders mobility and vital functions, such as speech, swallowing and breathing. Life expectancy with ALS varies, but the average patient lives with the disease for two to five years after diagnosis.

Since his diagnosis in February, Creehan has received care at the Virginia Commonwealth University Neuromuscular and ALS Clinics, where a multidisciplinary team of providers has helped him manage the effects of his disease and continue to enjoy life.

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“

IF WE COULD RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE THAT I WILL NEVER SEE AND NEVER KNOW, MY FAMILY AND MYSELF WILL BE VERY HAPPY.” — VICTOR HARPER, 2014

From left: Anne Harper (center) with family members Jamie Harper (left), Landon Harper, Kathryn Harper and Frances Derrer; the ALS Clinic reception; Scott Vota, D.O. (fourth from right), with team members Melissa Byrne (left), Michelle Gebhardt, RN, Paula Brockenbrough, Jason Wong, M.D., Mandy Butler, Tamika Walthour and Stephen Cockburn, M.D.

“At my first appointment, they told me they want their patients to continue living their lives to the fullest,” he says.

“They’ve been very supportive of me so far.”

VCU’s ALS clinic moved into the VCU Health Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Wellness Center in Henrico, Virginia, in 2016. The new clinic is larger than the one it previously shared with VCU’s Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, which also moved to the NOW Center last year, and provides the space needed to accommodate a full team of specialists.

“We like to say our clinic is a one-stop shop,” says Scott Vota, D.O. (H.S.’06/M), chairman of the Department of Neurology in the VCU School of Medicine and director of the Neuromuscular and ALS Clinics at VCU. Vota is one of three neurologists at the clinic. The team also includes a physical therapist, a registered dietician, a respira­ tory therapist and several other specialists who all provide care ­specific to the unique needs of ALS patients.

“We have all of those providers at one location so that our pa-

8 • Impact

tients can receive the most convenient care possible,” Vota says.

The clinic’s new location prioritizes accessibility, with wide hallways and sliding doors that can be easily navigated by ­patients with limited mobility.

“Those details may go unnoticed by someone who isn’t wheelchair-bound, but it makes a big difference to people like me,” Creehan says.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The clinic is providing optimal care for patients like Creehan in part because of the Harper’s Hope Fund.

The fund was conceived by another ALS patient, Victor Harper, who died in February 2014. As he learned more about the disease, he grew passionate about finding a way to help other patients.

“If we could raise enough money to help people that I will never see and never know, my family and myself will be very happy,” Harper said in 2014.

Later that year, friends and family made donations in Harper’s memory to establish the Harper’s Hope Fund. Thanks to proceeds from the annual Harper’s Hope Golf Tournament and Auction and several other fundraisers, the fund grows each year, and Harper’s hopes for a better future for ALS patients seem more attainable than ever.

Gifts to Harper’s Hope support the clinical ALS program at VCU by bolstering resources for the multidisciplinary clinic in four areas: clinical care, research, patient support and outreach.

In 2016, two new team members were hired to help fulfill the Harper’s Hope mission. Tamika Walthour is a full-time clinical research coordinator who connects patients with clinical trials to develop new treatments, and licensed clinical social worker Melissa Byrne provides patient outreach and education services. A portion of their salaries is covered by the fund.

“Our family is so excited about the work the clinic is doing for ALS patients,” Harper’s wife, Anne, says. “Vic always said that if Harper’s Hope could make a difference in just one patient’s life, he would be happy. He would be so proud of what the fund has accomplished so far.”

Creehan still remembers how grateful he felt when he learned how much the quality of his care had been influenced

by Harper’s Hope. Now, he’s looking forward to finding ways to help raise money for the fund.

“Knowing what Harper’s Hope is doing for patients like me motivates me to pay it forward so that their work can continue,” he says.

MCV Foundation President Margaret Ann Bollmeier says that philanthropic support is essential in supporting the lifesaving care, research and education that happens on the MCV Campus and beyond every day.

“The generous donor and volunteer involvement we’ve seen over three years surrounding the Harper’s Hope Fund has been inspiring,” she says. “Vic Harper’s hope to improve the lives of those suffering from ALS is living on and coming to fruition thanks to his friends, family and the community.”

2017 HARPER’S HOPE EVENT RAISES $37,000 Vic Harper’s family and friends and members of the community gathered for the third annual Harper’s Hope Golf Tournament and Auction in June at the Country Club of Virginia. The event aims to raise funds toward making an impact on the research and care of ALS. More than 80 golfers participated in the one-day charity tournament. An event later that day attended by more than 150 people featured a silent auction, remarks by Scott Vota, D.O., and a live auction.

“In the three years since Harper’s Hope began, I am amazed at how this event has helped improve the quality of life of patients suffering with ALS,” Vota said at the event. “It has not only provided resources and services to our patients throughout the commonwealth but has helped VCU be able to participate in clinical trials and bring hope to our patients.”

The live auction featured items including a Jefferson Hotel champagne brunch for four, tickets to the Richmond Forum to see former President Barack Obama and a New York City hotel stay and dinner.

“It’s very heartwarming and amazing to see so many people attend the event each year,” Anne Harper says. “Our family is grateful for their support. There are many charities where they could spend their time and money, and we’re grateful they choose Harper’s Hope.”

This year’s event garnered more than $37,000 in donations. To date, through the annual golf tournament, other fundraising events and individual contributions, nearly $420,000 has been raised for the Harper’s Hope Fund.

To learn more about the Harper’s Hope Fund, contact Brian S. Thomas, vice president and chief development officer at the MCV Foundation, at (804) 828-0067 or brian.thomas@vcuhealth.org.

ONLINE EXTRA Watch Victor Harper, his doctors and friends dis­cuss the importance of the Harper’s Hope Fund at support.vcu.edu/hope.

Jamie Harper at the auction

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School of Engineering receives VCU’s largest ever private grant B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D., the Floyd D. Gottwald Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering in the VCU School of Engineering, will continue to lead and serve as principal investigator for Medicines for All. The success of Gupton’s team was evident from the initial grant.

For instance, it was able to reduce the cost of nevirapine by more than 10 percent in less than one year.

“The Gates Foundation gave us $4.4 million to work on this first target molecule,” Gupton says. “If we reduced the cost 10 percent, then the payback period on the $4.4 million would be about a year. With now sustained savings of more than 10 percent, the payback period has been even shorter.”

Until now, the Gates Foundation grants allowed Gupton to work on one drug at a time. This latest award will allow him to look at multiple drugs in parallel.

This award also will fund the institute’s work on an additional 13 global health drugs over the next five years, both in market and in development.

“These funds will allow us to bring in additional senior scientists and allow them to equip their labs and staff them immediately,” Gupton says. “The funds and the milestones on the grant are B. Frank Gupton of Medicines for All not only linked to the drugs that we are optimizing but in how we create a Over the past four years, the Gates Foundation has awarded sustainable organization.” nearly $15 million to Medicines for All. During this time and This is the largest grant from a private entity in VCU history. with this support, Medicines for All has developed an innovative “With the grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, model that reduces the cost of manufacturing AIDS treatments scholars and researchers with the Medicines for All Institute such as nevirapine by accelerating the creation of more efficient will tackle the difficult work of improving the quality of life for ways of synthesizing the medications’ active ingredients. The those facing health-related adversities,” says VCU President institute has also worked closely with the Clinton Health Access Michael Rao, Ph.D. “Along with my colleagues, I look forward to Initiative and other implementation partners to transfer the new witnessing the good that will result from VCU’s work to develop processes to manufacturers so that more medications can reach affordable pharmaceutical treatments that will improve the communities in need. human condition for those who may have lost hope.”

Photo Dan Wagner, courtesy VCU School of Engineering

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Engineering has been awarded a $25 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to establish the Medicines for All Institute and to fund the institute’s work on a wide range of essential global health treatments. With this grant, the institute can help increase access to lifesaving medications for HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases around the world.

10 • Impact

Business and Athletics make a good team on summer road show VCU Athletics and the School of Business teamed up this summer to host a series of receptions for alumni and friends in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; and Philadelphia.

Bob Hansan (B.A.’86/H&S) and Kate Borges hosted in D.C. with Interim Dean of Business Ken Kahn, Athletics Director Ed McLaughlin and men’s basketball head coach Mike Rhoades (M.S.’02/E). The same VCU representatives were at the Philadelphia event, which was hosted by former VCU and NBA basketball player Gerald Henderson (B.S.’80/ H&S), while for the NYC reception hosted by Larissa and Michael Chaney (B.S.’81/MC), men’s basketball assistant coach Jeremy Ballard stood in for Rhoades.

Among other things, Kahn discussed the School of Business’s strategic plan, and VCU Athletics revealed its expectations for men’s basketball this season.

Massey showcases ‘Rock Star Women’ of cancer research Four of VCU Massey Cancer Center’s clinical and scientific women leaders were celebrated May 22 at the inaugural Rock Star Women of Massey event. Part of an expansion of Massey’s Women & Wellness Forum Series programming, the discussion series, sponsored by Hunton & Williams, is an opportunity for women to come together and gain insight into different facets of Massey’s research and cancer care.

Forty women, representing a spectrum of businesses and corporations, attended. Following a networking reception, they participated in an engaging panel discussion featuring Mary Helen Hackney, M.D. (H.S.’94/M); Vanessa Sheppard, Ph.D.; Mary Beth Tombes, R.N., C.C.R.C., A.C.N.P.-B.C. (Cert.’10/N); and Christina Wiedl, D.O., each of whose work impacts a different facet of cancer research. WTVR-CBS 6’s Reba Hollingsworth moderated the discussion. Additional “Rock Star Women” programs will be held throughout the year.

To learn more about VCU Massey Cancer Center, contact Cindy Zilch, chief development officer, at (804) 828-1452 or czilch@vcu.edu.

Davenport named new DAR VP Jay E. Davenport, CFRE, became the new vice president for Development and Alumni Relations at Virginia Commonwealth University on Sept. 25.

Davenport was previously associate vice president of individual giving and campaign management at Wake Forest University. His appointment follows a national search during which he “stood out as an experienced development professional with the vision and drive to further elevate the success of our development and alumni relations division,” VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., said in an email to colleagues, adding that he Jay E. Davenport, CFRE was excited to work with Davenport to deepen VCU’s connections with alumni and friends.

As VCU’s chief development officer, Davenport leads the advancement efforts for both the university and the VCU Health System, including advancement services, alumni relations, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, development and alumni communications, donor relations, regional philanthropy and the universitywide development staff.

His immediate responsibility is leading the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, the university’s largest fundraising effort in history, which concludes in June 2020. The campaign surpassed $540 million of the $750 million goal in October.

Before his previous role, Davenport had served in several other positions at Wake Forest since 2010, including assistant vice president of college development, assistant vice president of major gifts and associate vice president and campaign director.

Before that, he was director of development and team leader at Rice University and held fundraising positions as a college development director at the University of Memphis College of Business, Memphis, Tennessee, and Wright State University College of Engineering in Dayton, Ohio. Davenport began his higher education career as an assistant dean of admissions at Wittenberg University in 1995.

Interim VP Ed Grier has returned to his role as dean of the VCU School of Business. campaign.vcu.edu support.vcu.edu • 11

Recent gifts continue parent’s commitment to VCU Rice Rivers Center Patti Chrzan, mother of Casey Seelig (M.S.’10/H&S), has continued her tradition of annual giving to VCU Rice Rivers Center with two recent gifts totaling almost $2,000.

Chrzan has supported the center for more than 10 years, with a lifetime giving total of more than $24,000. Her most recent gifts, which were matched by her employer, Microsoft, will be counted toward the $1 million Mary Morton Parsons Foundation challenge grant. All gifts pledged to the center through May 31 will be matched 1-to-1 toward construction funding for an onsite research building.

Chzran recognizes the impact VCU Rice Rivers Center has on the environment as well as the part it played in her son’s education. “Casey utilized the resources at Rice Rivers Center while he was a student at VCU and received financial assistance while working on his graduate degree,” she says. “VCU has given us so much, and the Rice Rivers Center has done such an

amazing job. Giving back in this way is meaningful and deeply touches my feelings about conservation.”

VCU Rice Rivers Center Director Greg Garman, Ph.D., remembers Seelig’s time at the field station. “Casey was a graduate student in the VCU Fisheries Ecology Lab, and his thesis research contributed significantly to our understanding of larval fish ecology in large tidal rivers,” he says. “He focused on native, migratory fishes that are commercially, culturally or ecologically significant, and his work definitely advanced the mission of the Rice Rivers Center.”

Support like Chrzan’s enables Rice Rivers Center to continue to provide an experiential learning environment to students from multiple disciplines.

To learn more about VCU Rice Rivers Center, contact Catherine Dahl, director of development and special projects for VCU Life Sciences, at (804) 827-7372 or ccdahl@vcu.edu.

Baldacci gives $1.1 million to H&S Best-selling novelist David Baldacci (B.A.’83/H&S; H.L.D.’01) and his wife, Michelle, have made a $1.1 million gift to VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences.

Of the total, $1 million will create the Baldacci Student Experiential Learning Endowed Fund, which will grant financial support to academically promising and hardworking students of diverse areas of study and backgrounds so they can pursue internships, conferences, research and social entrepreneurship opportunities.

The remaining $100,000 will establish the Baldacci Political Science Endowed Scholarship, which will provide financial support to an undergraduate student majoring in political science who is also engaged as a volunteer in the community or working while attending VCU. The scholarship is the first for the Department of Political Science and one of the largest in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

“Our continuing partnership with VCU is incredibly meaningful to us both,” Baldacci says. “The endowed fund 12 • Impact

David and Michelle Baldacci with H&S Dean Montse Fuentes, Ph.D., and VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., at a recent alumni reception held by the Baldaccis at the novelist’s Reston, Virginia, office

and endowed scholarship will provide direct support to any university’s most important asset: its students. We look forward to helping VCU students in achieving their full potential as students and in their endeavors after graduation.”

To learn more about the College of Humanities and Sciences, contact Bethanie Constant, senior director of development, at (804) 828-4543 or constantb@vcu.edu.

MCV Foundation board Chair Harry Thalhimer presents Ken Wright with the Michael B. Dowdy Award.

Photo Kevin Schindler

MCV Foundation celebrates leadership, support at board meeting MCV Foundation trustees, staff, partners and friends gathered for a board meeting and dinner in June to celebrate the culmination of a remarkable year on the MCV Campus.

During the dinner, three former board members were awarded lifetime honorary trustee status for their significant contributions over the years: Bertha Rolfe (B.S.’47/P), a foundation board member for 18 years; George Vetrovec, M.D., a foundation board member for 12 years; and Harold F. Young, M.D., a foundation board member for 18 years.

Board Chairman Harry Thalhimer presented four recipients with MCV Foundation awards during the dinner reception.

Longtime donor and VCU friend C. Kenneth Wright (H.L.D.’11) received the Michael B. Dowdy Award, for a volunteer who has played a lead role fundraising for the MCV Campus. In 2015, Wright made a gift to name the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research. His giving to the university is more than $40 million.

Kenneth Ellenbogen, M.D., received the Robert Irby Award, which is presented to a faculty member who has assisted with major fundraising efforts. As chair of the Division of Cardiology and director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology and pacing, Ellenbogen is a champion of the Pauley Heart Center and has helped raise millions of dollars from grateful patients.

John Martin received the Eugene P. Trani MCV Campus

Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional dedication and support of the MCV Campus. Martin served on the MCV Foundation board for more than 20 years, chairing the communications committee and playing a key role in the foundation’s brand refresh by leading a brand research project.

John Duval received the Jerome F. Strauss Award, which is given to VCU Health personnel who have demonstrated extraordinary service and stewardship to MCV Campus alumni, donors or other members of the community. Duval served as CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics and vice president for clinical affairs for 13 years. Under his leadership, VCU was recognized as one of the top hospitals in the country and the top hospital in Virginia.

In addition, Thalhimer announced that in the fall, MCV Foundation will present MCV Hospitals Auxiliary with a special award to recognize its long-term relationship with VCU Health.

MCV Hospitals Auxiliary provides support to patients, visitors and staff of VCU Health through service and fundraising, which includes funding more than 50 patient comfort and employee support projects each year.

To learn more about the MCV Foundation, contact Brian S. Thomas, vice president and chief development officer, at (804) 828-0067 or brian.thomas@ vcuhealth.org.

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THE TROUBLE WITH BEING FIRST

College life is AN ADJUSTMENT for any student, but for those BLAZING A TRAIL in their family, the difficulty can be even greater. NEW INITIATIVES aim to help first-generation students STAY THE COURSE.

BY EMMA COATES PHOTOS BY JUD FROELICH

AS A CHILD, Candace Moore found refuge at school.

“A lot of times, that was the only way I was able to eat,” she says. “Literally eat. There’s no food in the house. There’s nothing at home, the lights are off, the water is not working.”

Moore’s parents were both recovering from drug addictions and in and out of prison; often, they were neither physically nor emotionally available. School was an antidote to what she describes as the “chaos” at home. “I can eat, I can wash my face, I can have a social interaction with someone who is logical and makes sense.”

A gifted, inquisitive student, Moore sensed, too, that school could help her meet more than just her most basic needs.

“I knew that was my way out,” she says. “I knew, I don’t want this life that I’m in right now. My education? That is a source of freedom. It’s a source of luxury. And it’s something within my reach.”

Hannah Johnson also knows the power of education to help recover from a broken home life. After her father died when she was 2, her mother developed a drug problem. Her Richmond, Virginia-area school became her haven.

“My mother was never emotionally or physically abusive, just kind of neglectful in her parental duties,” Johnson says.

“I didn’t really have anyone else, so even though I was the weird kid at school, I thrived off getting an education and learning new things and reading.”

Johnson and her mother became homeless after their Social Security benefits from her father’s death decreased when she turned 16.

“We lived off and on in motels and with other family members,” she says. “I probably moved 10 times or more my last two years of high school.”

Johnson had long harbored an ambition to attend college. “My mother only had a high school diploma, and I’d seen how far that had gotten her,” she says. “So I wanted to save myself.” She set her sights on becoming a teacher.

14 • Impact

Hannah Johnson (left) and Candace Moore

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DIFFICULT PATH

Moore is now in her senior year at Virginia Commonwealth University, pursuing a double major in psychology and professional science through the College of Humanities and Sciences.

She is 35 years old. Though her early instincts told her that education was her path to a better life, her journey, perhaps inevitably, was not straightforward.

After graduating from Open High School in Richmond in 2000, Moore was attracted by the promise of New York and went to college in Long Island, but she had to leave after one semester because her loans did not cover her expenses. Back in Richmond, she took a full-time job to start paying off the resulting debt, but desperate to get back to school, she enrolled again, at VCU, in 2003. This time, she was working full-time, paying off her loans, studying and paying tuition out of pocket.

It wasn’t sustainable.

“For a number of years, I was like, ‘Let me step back,’” Moore says. “‘Let me focus on work, because I need to survive. I need to live. I need to eat.’”

She became a part-time makeup artist for M.A.C. cosmetics and worked her way up to become an assistant manager as well as a master class teacher. But she never lost the drive to continue her education. In 2013, she cashed out her 401K and returned to VCU. She has been in school full time ever since.

HEAD START

Johnson, by comparison, got lucky. Her arrangement of living with a family member had been guaranteed only until she graduated from high school, and just as she was beginning to fear homelessness again, she received an invitation from VCU to join its Summer Scholars program.

Run by VCU’s Division of Strategic Enrollment Management, Summer Scholars is a five-week, live-in program designed to give first-generation students – those who are the first in their family to attend a four-year college to pursue a bachelor’s degree – a head start on their college careers.

Incoming freshmen take classes, earn college credits and start building a base of friends. The program also incorporates cultural experiences, such as museum visits. The idea is that college life becomes more familiar and comfortable to this group of students, for whom it is anything but, before classes begin in earnest in the fall.

16 • Impact

Johnson joined the program’s inaugural year, for which SEM had selected first-generation students with grades in a certain range. For in-state students like her, the cost of tuition, room and board for the program is slightly more than $4,300; for out-of-state students, it is more than $8,000.

“I looked at it and first, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m going to be able to do this,’” Johnson says. But thanks to a contribution from SEM, which gave every student $1,000 toward the program (students with very low expected family contributions now receive an additional $500), and scholarships of about $3,000, she could “bite the bullet,” as she puts it.

For Johnson, the housing component was key.

“I was just so happy that I could walk into a place and know that it couldn’t be taken away from me,” she says. “Yes, I’m excited to go to college, but I’m really excited that I have this opportunity where I can feel safe. Because that was the first time that I had my own bed since I was either a freshman or sophomore in high school.”

Johnson is now in her junior year at VCU and is pursuing a dual degree in history and elementary education. She gets by on loans, grants and financial aid. Summer Scholars, she says, ultimately gave her much more than a roof over her head.

“It gave me an edge going into my freshman year,” she says.

“I was able to get to know the campus, get an idea of what college classes would be like, and it gave me confidence that I was capable of this level of work because, at first, I felt like an imposter.”

VULNERABLE POPULATION

At Virginia Commonwealth University, one-third of first-year students are first-generation. Thankfully, not all of them have experienced the same hardships as Johnson and Moore, but in general, they face a higher-than-average number of obstacles.

And it’s not just about money – although those barriers range from lacking financial literacy and needing parental backing to secure loans to coming from households with a lower median income and being more likely to have dependents. These issues can result in students having to work more and borrow more than their peers, which can negatively impact their chances of earning a degree.

Just as tough are language and social barriers. According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, first-generation

students are less likely to speak English as a first language, and they often demonstrate a lower rate of college readiness in key academic areas. Family members who haven’t experienced college find it more difficult to understand the demands of college life and struggle to provide the right support or encouragement. And, as Johnson knows firsthand, there’s the feeling of just not belonging.

A 2011 report from the Higher Education Research Institute showed that first-generation students were 14 percent less likely to complete a college degree in six years than peers whose parents had at least some college experience. A report published in The Journal of Higher Education in fall 2006 found that the odds of graduating in four years were reduced for first-generation students by 51 percent. Taking the second year of higher education as an example, the same study found that first-gen students were 8.5 times more likely to drop out in this period than students whose parents had graduated from college.

“You’re the first in your family who’s looking toward graduating from college. That can be overwhelming,” says Daphne Rankin, Ph.D. (M.S.’98/H&S; Ph.D.’04/GPA), associate vice provost in VCU’s Division of Strategic ­Enrollment Management.

Rankin’s primary focus is on initiatives that promote the success of all students and, as a result, improve retention and graduation rates. Programs like Summer Scholars for first-gens help a vulnerable portion of the student population.

“I don’t want any students to feel like they’re an imposter; I don’t want them to feel like they’re at a disadvantage,” she says.

“I want to help them be connected and have community within the university.”

RESOURCES FOR SUCCESS

As well as Summer Scholars, SEM puts on First Gen Fridays, a monthly event where first-generation students gather with faculty, staff and administrators who were also first-gen students to network and learn about resources that support student success.

SEM also administers the Altria Scholars program, which was established with a $500,000 gift from the Altria Group in 2015 to provide scholarships and mentorship opportunities to high-achieving, first-generation business and engineering students. In two years, 56 juniors and seniors have received schol-

campaign.vcu.edu support.vcu.edu • 17

“

I WAS JUST SO HAPPY THAT I COULD WALK INTO A PLACE AND KNOW THAT IT COULDN’T BE TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. ...

BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD MY OWN BED SINCE I WAS EITHER A FRESHMAN OR SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL.” — Hannah Johnson

arships, and 100 freshmen and sophomores have benefited from working with a progress coach, who connects them academically and socially to the university community and related resources.

Rankin would like to have more scholarship money available for Summer Scholars and other initiatives, and she would like to be able to send more students and faculty to off-campus conferences such as AL1GN (the Alliance for the Low-Income and First-Generation Narrative), which is designed to empower and connect low-income and first-generation students and the faculty who teach them. But resources are tight.

“We’ve been doing this on a shoestring,” Rankin says.

A recent $10,000 pledge from Warren Karesh, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’70/D; H.S.’72/D), has established the VCU First Generation Fund, which aims to help Rankin’s office broaden its capabilities in these areas. Karesh, an orthodontist who retired in 2004, says growing up in a small South Carolina farming town where many families did not consider college opened his eyes to the link between higher education and a “healthy, happy population that takes pride in their accomplishments.”

A video about Summer Scholars and Johnson’s story, specifically, inspired his gift.

18 • Impact

“The result of this first-generation VCU effort will be less crime, less hopelessness found in drug abuse and a cohesive society,” Karesh says. “Hannah Johnson is an example of this narrative. It is a social imperative that we tell her story.”

FULFILLING GOALS

Moore’s tenacity in pursuit of her education has finally paid off. In summer 2017, before her final year, she learned that she was one of a handful of students nationwide selected as a National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program Scholar. A scholarship award will cover her tuition and living expenses for the year. She will become a paid research trainee at the NIH next summer. After graduation, she will complete one year of employment at the NIH as a research trainee, another scholarship benefit. Though she still plans to apply to graduate school, her attendance will now be deferred.

A sincere believer that her past has made her the passionate, focused person she is today, Moore hopes to channel those qualities into her career as a researcher and clinician focusing on diseases and disorders that are prevalent in at-risk or underserved populations.

In VCU, Moore says she has found support, belonging and purpose; a drive for pursuing knowledge and innovation that matches her own; and professors who are as committed to their students’ success as they are to their academic fields. She has sought connection through clubs, mentoring relationships and research assistantships. She calls VCU “home.”

Though Moore did not take part in the Summer Scholars program – her 2013 enrollment at VCU came a couple of years before its creation – she is glad that others are benefiting and says it’s important that more first-generation students have easier access to higher education than she had.

“These programs, they allow people like myself to come to school and stay in school. Graduate. Fulfill our goals. Continue to engage with other students,” she says. “And in that engagement, the students are also learning from us. It’s a symbiotic relationship; we’re better together than we are apart.”

Moore adds that she has benefited from federal student support services such as TRIO, through which she attended last year’s AL1GN conference, and other achievement awards and scholarships. She has worked in a lab through the VCU Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Program, for which she received a small stipend. “But the money just doesn’t add up,” she says.

Despite the difficulties she has faced as a first-generation, low-income student, Moore argues that the presence of students like her, who offer perspectives from all different walks of life, is the best way to advance learning and growth for the entire student population. It’s already the essence of the VCU experience.

“VCU is all about diversity and ‘Let’s make it real,’” she says.

“Well, to make it real, we must now look like the world in order to prepare us, not just academically but also socially, to engage with all individuals from a humanistic platform. We need that.”

CHANGING LIVES

That sense of diversity and openness has helped Johnson find her place, too.

“I’m in this place where I feel accepted and not weird,” she says. “I feel like no one really cares that I was homeless or that my mom was a drug addict or anything like that, because the kids here come from so many different ways of life. And for the most part, I’ve only gotten support for my experiences.”

And now Johnson is focusing on supporting others. For the past two summers, she has worked as a literacy counselor at

The Summer Camp for Girls, a residential summer camp in Washington, Maine, for inner-city and rural girls ages 6 to 18 from low-income and foster homes. The camp aims to help them learn about themselves, develop vital skills and realize their intellectual potential and leadership abilities.

During the school year, she has done a lot of advocacy work for homeless students, and she is heavily involved with Camp Kesem at VCU, which supports children in the local community dealing with a parent’s cancer by providing a weeklong summer camp and yearlong peer support. Last year, she was in charge of the organization’s largest fundraiser, which raised $12,000 in three hours. Her work there, she says, has encouraged her to keep pursuing her goal of working with children “and making sure they have a space where they feel comfortable and happy.”

Johnson describes her experience at VCU as nothing less than lifechanging.

“I feel more confident about my future, and I feel able to see what I’m going to be doing in the future in terms of my career and, hopefully, if everything goes well, the rest of my life,” she says. “I see it as an opportunity for me to graduate college and get a master’s degree and do the job I love and eventually buy a house, which is something I’ve always dreamed of.”

Johnson and benefactor Karesh both hope her example will inspire others to support students like her.

“What I constantly hear is that people who live in a cycle of poverty are never able to get out of that, and it drains resources from some other people,” Johnson says. “But when you support first-generation college students, what you’re supporting is ending that cycle of poverty and allowing these students to better their lives and better the next generation – the children they have. So I think it’s really impactful. You’re not just impacting that one person and their future career, you’re impacting an entire generation and all the generations that come after.”

To learn more about the VCU First Generation Fund, contact Michael P. Andrews (M.S.’05/E), executive director of annual giving, at (804) 828-0236 or andrewsmp@vcu.edu. To learn more about the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management, contact Daphne L. Rankin, Ph.D., associate vice provost for strategic enrollment management, at (804) 827-8204 or dlrankin@vcu.edu.

O N L I N E E X T R A Watch a video about the Summer Scholars program at support.vcu.edu/scholars.

campaign.vcu.edu support.vcu.edu • 19

A helping handbook Nurse anesthesia students take on Anatomy Camp with the help of a new resource

BY BRELYN POWELL

R

egional anesthesia is a challenging field of study for those on course to become certified registered nurse anesthetists. Those administering this type of anesthesia, which is used to numb large areas of the body, require a thorough knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, and any CRNA will tell you that a textbook is no match for hands-on experience.

First-year students in the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia program in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions tackle this daunting unit during Anatomy Camp.

20 • Impact

Nurse anesthesia students, clockwise from left, Michelle Jump, Kathryn Esworthy, Amanda Acuff and Aaron Storsved use the handbook for reference.

The workshop takes place at the East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine, with which the VCU nurse anesthesia department has maintained a partnership for more than 10 years. During the event, VCU nurse anesthesia students and ETSU medical students and interns rotate through stations to practice major regional anesthetic techniques in the school’s cadaver laboratory.

“Anatomy Camp is one of the highlights of the program,” says M.S.N.A. student Brian Widener, who attended in 2016.

“It’s an immersive, intensive way to get experience that usually takes years to build – and to get that experience early.”

Photo Jud Froelich

Nicole Damico, Ph.D. (B.S.’97/N; M.S.N.A.’99/AHP; Ph.D.’04/AHP), assistant professor and director of professional practice in the VCU Department of Nurse Anesthesia, coordinates the weeklong workshop each year. She says that regional ­anesthesia has become a more prominent part of CRNA practice in recent years.

“During their clinical training and after they graduate, they’re going to be responsible for performing these techniques on real patients, so we expect them to walk away from Anatomy Camp with a pretty solid understanding of human anatomy relevant to regional anesthesia,” she says.

Students begin preparing for Anatomy Camp weeks in advance. Before arriving on campus at ETSU, they are responsible for studying foundational material on their own – a task that Widener says can be intimidating.

“There’s just so much to cover,” he says. “Before last year’s camp, I spent days just trying to organize it in a way that made it more manageable.”

This year’s attendees benefited from the introduction of a game-changing new resource to help with that task: a pocket-size handbook of streamlined reference materials for each student to carry with them throughout the event. Lecture slides, anatomical charts, step-by-step procedural instructions and sample ultrasound images fill the book’s pages, which are laminated and easy to sanitize after use in the cadaver lab.

“They have everything you studied ahead of time but organized in a way that’s concise, efficient and accessible,” Widener says.

The new handbooks are the first benefit to come from the Elizabeth Glenn Howell Nurse Anesthesia Anatomy Camps, Workshops and Student Laboratory Fund. Created by Elizabeth Glenn Howell (M.S.N.A.’04/AHP), a former faculty member in the nurse anesthesia department, the fund serves to improve programs in the nurse anesthesia department, like Anatomy Camp, that provide students with hands-on learning experiences. Fifty-eight handbooks were made and distributed to the VCU M.S.N.A. students.

Although Anatomy Camp did not exist when she was a student at VCU, Howell had the chance to experience it when she joined the department as an assistant professor in 2008.

“I got to see how beneficial it was for the students to work with cadavers when learning regional anesthesia,” Howell says.

“Opportunities like that really help them build confidence.”

“They have everything you studied ahead of time but organized in a way that’s concise, efficient and accessible.”

— BRIAN WIDENER, FIRST-YEAR M.S.N.A. STUDENT

Recognizing the importance of hands-on learning e­ xperiences for students, Howell decided to endow a fund to support that facet of their training. She created it, with a gift of $10,000, when she left her teaching position in 2012 to spend more time with her young children.

“The program is important to our students, so I wanted to do something to make sure it had the financial backing it needed to continue providing for them,” says Howell, who now works as a CRNA at Stony Point Surgery Center in Richmond, Virginia.

Dean of the VCU School of Allied Health Professions Cecil B. Drain, Ph.D., R.N., C.R.N.A, F.A.A.N, says that gifts like Howell’s are among the most significant sources of funding for such programs.

“These experiences provide our students with the skills that will help them perform in their careers,” he says. “I can’t thank our alumni enough for their continued support of our programs and their investment into the success of our students.”

First-year M.S.N.A. student Michelle Jump (B.S.’14/N) says that the handbooks helped her and her classmates make the most of their time in the cadaver lab during Anatomy Camp.

“That time was ideal for digging deeper and putting the knowledge into practice, and we were able to approach the experience in a more thoughtful way,” she says.

As Jump enters her second year in the nurse anesthesia program, she is ready for whatever comes after graduation.

“I feel well-equipped because of the experiences I know I will have as a student,” she says. “I know I’m building a skill set that will help me jump into my career and do anything that’s asked of me with confidence.”

To learn more about the Department of Nurse Anesthesia in the VCU School of Allied Health Professions, contact Heather Millar (M.B.A.’08/B), director of development, at (804) 628-3787 or hemillar@ vcu.edu.

campaign.vcu.edu support.vcu.edu • 21

James Branch Cabell Library

VCU Libraries matches $1 million Cabell challenge VCU Libraries has achieved a major fundraising goal by matching a $1 million challenge from the Cabell Foundation.

The fundraising challenge was issued by the foundation in December 2015.

The Cabell Foundation, a prominent Central Virginia philanthropic group, seeks to make a lasting, positive impact on the Richmond region by strengthening key educational and cultural institutions and projects. The aim of the challenge grant was to stimulate philanthropic support of VCU Libraries as well as provide essential funds to fulfill the rich promise of the newly renovated James Branch Cabell Library. The challenge was a success on both fronts: VCU Libraries exceeded the monetary goal 90 days before the deadline and expanded its community of supporters, with a record 434 gifts and pledges from alumni, faculty, staff, community members and others.

The Cabell challenge illustrates the power of gifts of all amounts to make a difference. Of the 434 donations, four were $100,000 or more and 23 were in the $10,000-$99,000 range.

The remaining contributions, making up the majority, were $1,000 or less. The Cabell Foundation matched each donation dollar for dollar, bringing the campaign total to $2 million and doubling the impact of every gift.

“We are so grateful to see the work of VCU Libraries and its important role at the university and in the community recognized 22 • Impact

with this vast outpouring of philanthropy,” says University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider.

The funds from the campaign have been invested in the New Building Fund, which enhances library spaces with new technology and equipment, and the Library of the Future Fund, which replaces and updates worn or outmoded furnishings and equipment.

“The foundation is pleased to support this important project for VCU and the Richmond community,” says Cabell Foundation Executive Director Jill A. McCormick. “I hear nothing but excitement about the building and the role it plays in fostering not only scholarship but a sense of place.”

The majority of gifts were given by alumni, says Kelly Gotschalk (B.F.A.’90/A; M.A.’97/A), director of development and major gifts for VCU Libraries.

“The success of this challenge speaks to the value of the library to the university and to the community. There is not one school or unit at VCU that is not served in some way by VCU Libraries,” Gotschalk says. “The spectrum of donors to this challenge is amazing. They come from all disciplines and areas of the university: alumni, faculty, staff and friends, and each and every gift helped us to reach our goal.”

To learn more about VCU Libraries, contact Kelly Gotschalk, director of development and major gifts, at (804) 827-1163 or kjgotschalk@vcu.edu.

AHP fund honors professor

To learn more about the School of Allied Health Professions, contact T. Greg Prince, senior director of development, at (804) 828-7247 or tgprince@vcu.edu.

Pharmacy couples co-endow fund Two VCU School of Pharmacy couples have joined forces to give back to the program that has given them so much.

VCU School of Pharmacy faculty member Krista Donohoe, Pharm.D. (Pharm.D.’10/P; Cert.’10/AHP), and her husband, Brendan, and Gretchen and Don Brophy (M.S.’04/M), both in their 22nd year as professors in the school, have established the Krista and Brendan Donohoe/Gretchen and Donald Brophy Recruitment Scholarship.

A recruitment scholarship is offered to a competitive applicant who has been accepted to the school but who has not yet officially enrolled, with the goal of securing his or her commitment to the institution. Such awards are often instrumental in recruiting top-performing students.

To learn more about the School of Pharmacy, contact Ellen Carfagno, director of development, at (804) 828-3016 or emcarfagno@vcu.edu.

Rams in Recovery students, staff and supporters with VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D.

Photo Pat Kane, University Public Affairs

Photo Robert Benson/VCU Libraries

Faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the VCU School of Allied Health Professions’ Department of Health Administration raised more than $25,000 to endow a scholarship in honor of Yasar Ozcan, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’88/AHP), who retired this spring after 38 years of service to VCU. Mitchell Harris, Pharm.D. (M.S.H.A.’17/AHP), and two of his peers from the department’s Class of 2017, Kelechi C. Ogbonna, Pharm.D. (M.S.H.A.’17/AHP), and Bethany Baker, Pharm.D. (M.S.H.A.’17/AHP), assisted in planning and fundraising for the scholarship. After just seven weeks, they had garnered support from more than 100 donors.

Ozcan came to VCU as a senior research associate in 1979 and ultimately became a professor teaching health analytics and decision support. The Yasar A. Ozcan Leadership Scholarship will be awarded to one or two health administration students annually who possess strong leadership qualities and an analytic aptitude.

Challenge grant met, renewed for Rams in Recovery A $15,000 challenge grant issued by the JHW Foundation last fall to help support students in Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rams in Recovery collegiate recovery program was matched after only 45 days. Now, the foundation has renewed its challenge and will again match all gifts to Rams in Recovery dollar-for-dollar up to $15,000.

Funds raised from the challenge meant the program could fully staff its “recovery clubhouse” and will enable VCU to staff recovery housing in the fall.

VCU has continued to deepen its commitment to collegiate recovery and is the only school in Virginia that has a full-time recovery support staff person, recovery housing and a space on campus for students in recovery. Now 60 students are engaged in the program.

“The community literally saved me,” one student says. “I felt so alone until I started going to the meetings, where people are so welcoming and real with each other.”

Program coordinator Tom Bannard (M.B.A.’16/B) is proud of everything the program has achieved. “In the midst of an unprecedented opioid epidemic, our students in recovery are a light and a hope,” he says. “We would not have nearly the support that we do without private philanthropy.”

To learn more about making gifts to support Rams in Recovery and other student programming, contact Chad Krouse, senior director of development, regional giving, at (804) 828-2346 or cmkrouse@vcu.edu. To learn more about the program, visit recovery.vcu.edu or email recovery@vcu.edu.

campaign.vcu.edu support.vcu.edu • 23

VCU launches dedicated gift planning website The VCU Office of Gift Planning has launched a new website designed to make it easier for donors to make a lasting investment in the future of Virginia Commonwealth University.

The site, vcugiftplanning.org, offers suggestions on how donors can put their assets to work with tax-efficient charitable strategies and how to take advantage of the many tax benefits of making a planned gift.

Tax-wise information on how and what donors might give will help avoid an unnecessary amount of assets going to pay state and federal taxes. In addition, a secure online wills planner explains the entire process of creating a will and facilitates sending it electronically to an attorney for completion.

Personal, financial and estate planning resources such as downloadable brochures, gift calculators and videos aim to assist donors in creating a plan that is right for them. A news section offers the latest information from Washington, D.C.; finance news; and tips for savvy living. Alternatively, users can sign up to receive a monthly e-newsletter delivering the same news to their inbox.

“The Office of Gift Planning assists alumni and friends as they consider estate and planned gifts to support the great work of the many schools, departments, units and affiliated foundations of VCU,” says Doug McCartney, J.D., executive director of gift planning. “The new VCU gift-planning website is a resource that provides great breadth and depth of information that users can access on their own time and at their own pace.”

To learn more, visit vcugiftplanning.org or contact Doug McCartney, J.D., executive director of gift planning, at (804) 828-5563 or dwmccartney@vcu.edu.

Campaign counter (as of Oct. 10)

Leslie Altaffer Development coordinator VCU Massey Cancer Center (804) 682-9100 laltaffer@vcu.edu

Angela D Bartee Assistant director of alumni relations School of Business (804) 828-5308 adbartee@vcu.edu

Jay E. Davenport, CFRE VP of Development and Alumni Relations Office of Development and Alumni Relations (804) 828-2343 jedavenport@vcu.edu

Eric M. Peters Marketing communications manager MCV Foundation (804) 828-2358 eric.peters@vcuhealth.org

Catherine A Policastro Special events and fulfillment director VCU Athletics (804) 828-3956 capolicastro@vcu.edu

Rachel Southard (M.B.A.’17/B) Donor relations associate VCU Institute for Contemporary Art (804) 828-1896 rpsouthard@vcu.edu

Leslie Stewart

$543.1M

$750M GOAL To learn more about the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, visit campaign.vcu.edu.

24 • Impact

Development team welcomes new members

Senior major gifts officer VCU Health (804) 828-3291 leslie.stewart@vcuhealth.org

By the numbers More than five years after its quiet launch and a year after its public launch, here’s a look at what the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, with a goal of $750 million, has achieved so far.

$543.1M

Total raised toward campaign goal

26,354

86,714

Number of campaign donors

50

New endowed chairs and professorships

222

Number of alumni donors to the campaign

New endowed scholarships and student support funds

63

New endowed faculty support and research funds

To learn more about the Make It Real Campaign for VCU, visit campaign.vcu.edu.

Figures as of Oct. 10

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Richmond, Virginia Permit No. 869

Virginia Commonwealth University Development and Alumni Relations Box 843042 Richmond, Virginia 23284-3042

“Though it is a challenging journey to becoming a physician-scientist, my decision is continually reinforced by my incredible experiences as an M.D.Ph.D. student in the Center for Clinical and Translational Research: Cancer and Molecular Medicine Ph.D. program.

Donors like Ken Wright offer the validation needed to sustain trainees. His support has provided me with the tools for achieving my goals and the opportunity to put them into practice at this early stage.”

Audra Iness Student in the School of Medicine’s M.D.-Ph.D. program