A longtime businessman and philanthropist, C. Kenneth Wright helped build today’s Virginia Commonwealth University through his significant contributions. As a young man, Wright washed cars for a local automobile rental business. After serving in World War II in the...

Dr. Craig Sirles, BA ‘75/H&S, is a self-described “dedicated and serious student of words” so it is no surprise that his love of language and writing led him to be a student in the Department of English in the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. His studies put...

Dabney (B.S.’75) and Joseph (B.F.A.’76) Cortina hit it off instantly when a friend introduced them at Virginia Commonwealth University almost 50 years ago. They’ve been married for more than 40 of those years. “VCU has always played an important role in our lives,...

Bestselling novelist and Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus David Baldacci along with his wife, Michelle, generously established two scholarship awards in the College of Humanities and Sciences with a $1.1 million gift — one that provides experiential learning...

Dorothy Fillmore earned her master’s in English/English Education at VCU in 1984, and worked as an adjunct faculty member in the department from 1984-1986. Soon after, she began her 35-year career in academic advising and administration at VCU, connecting with and...

In 2023, Elise Blankenship, Ed.D., a retired associate professor in the VCU School of Education, pledged a $1.75 million estate gift to provide scholarships for full-time upper-level and graduate students in the school. Blankenship’s pledge will be added to the Jean...

Eric Witzig (M.S.’95/GPA) walked the streets of Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years as both a uniformed police officer and homicide detective. Some of his major cases included the 1981 attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. and...

When Goldie Zimberg (B.A. ’72/H&S) moved to Richmond in 1951 with her husband, the opportunity to pursue an undergraduate degree became a reality. While her husband, Yale, completed a surgical internship and residency program at the Medical College of Virginia, she...

When Iris Harrell’s parents got divorced during her junior year at what is now the University of Mary Washington, her college education was left in jeopardy. She didn’t have enough money to supplement the scholarships that had allowed her to be the first member of...

It’s always been about stories for Jeffrey Blount (B.S. Mass Communications, ’81). More importantly, it’s always been about telling stories. That, the human ability to relate a story to another human in a manner that is informative and creative, has been the one...

An endowed scholarship in the VCU School of Business honors the memory of local entrepreneur Karen Riefner Evans (B.S.’83). The fund was created in 2018 by Evans’ husband, Jim, while Karen was in treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer. “Karen’s treatment...

Two years after graduating from the VCU Department of Communication Arts, Jim Gregory (B.F.A.’71) moved to New York and founded his own company. Over 40 years, his small advertising agency became a renowned branding consultation firm, garnering heavyweight clients...

Joanne Kerbs Caramanica had been working with foster children in Prince William County, Virginia, in the early 1980s, when she enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University’s new Master of Social Work program. Drawn to the field since she was a child, it was a natural...

Jose Ortiz, (BS, Physics and Computer Engineering ’08 and MS Electrical and Computer Engineering ’10) has worked as an avionics lead engineer on several record-breaking, unmanned aircraft projects since completing his undergraduate and graduate studies at VCU. A...

Julia (B.S.’01) and Nicholas Cain (B.S.’01) were two of the first graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University’s chemical engineering program, enrolling in 1997 and earning their bachelor’s degrees in 2001. They went on to become part of the leadership team that...

After graduating from VCU with degrees in music education, Kathy (B.M.E.’65) and Emerson (B.M.E.’65) Hughes spent many years teaching music and performing in Richmond. In 2018, they turned their attention to the students at VCUarts with a gift to the school’s...

Kevin Theisen established a generous award in the Department of Chemistry to recognize students with an interest in software programming. As a successful software developer and entrepreneur, Kevin knows the potential for new ideas and applications in this specialized...

Lidia Marisa Vallarino, Ph.D., who retired as a professor from the Department of Chemistry in the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, died January 22, 2017. Affectionately known in the department “Dr. V,” she was a prolific scholar, authored over 80 publications...

VCU Department of History alumnus ​Marc Noble​ (BA ‘72/H&S) generously established the Marc Noble Scholarship in the History of Technology award in 2013. Marc, who received a bachelor’s degree in history from VCU and a master’s certificate in project management from...

Dr. Miles Johnson, professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Biology, taught at VCU from 1968-1995. He started at the university on July 1, 1968—the first day the university became formally known as VCU. Miles is a plant taxonomist and taught in the...

A gift made in fall of 2019 by Patricia T. Kirkpatrick established a need-based student scholarship. Patricia, a retired Richmond native who now lives in Northern Virginia, made the gift on behalf of herself and her late husband, David W. Kirkpatrick, to support the...

Dr. Peter Zucker, MS ‘81/H&S and PhD ‘84/H&S, completed his graduate work at Virginia Commonwealth University in counseling psychology. After graduate school, he held positions as a supervisor, manager, clinical director and administrator in residential treatment...

Tom Keller (B.F.A.’08) is remembered as a skilled welder and hardworking member of the VCU theatre department shop, but most of all as a warm, affable person who welcomed new students to the program and took them under his wing. “He was just a great guy to work with....

Even as technology continues to help people connect from a distance, Sharon and Baxter (B.S.’75; M.B.A.’76) Phillips would like to see Virginia Commonwealth University students pursue opportunities for hands-on, international experiences. “The world feels like it’s...

Teri Stockham, MSFS, PhD (Ph.D. Pharmacology and Toxicology ’87/School of Medicine) always knew she wanted to be in the field of forensic science. Well before television crime scene investigation dramas boosted the visibility of the profession, Teri had already...

Todd Emerson, BA English ’93, enjoys a successful career in technology but it wasn’t an education in computer science that led him down his path. His fascinating start actually began in the VCU Department of English with a challenge that helped him realize the...

Victor Narro (BA history ’86/H&S) encountered professors who profoundly contributed to the formation of his political and social justice conscious during the course of his VCU undergraduate experience. Taking courses in history, political science and philosophy were...

William Conway is best known for co-founding the Carlyle Group, the global investment group he co-led for 30 years; he now serves as co-chairman of the board. Before founding the Carlyle Group, Conway excelled as senior vice president at First National Bank and chief...

William E. “Bill” Blake, Jr., Ph.D., and his wife, Miriam (B.S.’69; M.Ed.’76), made their first gift to Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992, establishing the William E. and Miriam S. Blake Fund. The gift marked Bill’s retirement from 27 years of full-time...