VCU sets sponsored research funding record
Virginia Commonwealth University set a record for its sponsored research funding — $464.6 million — in fiscal 2023, the Richmond public research university announced Friday. The total is a 14% increase since last year and a 71% increase over five years ago. “I’m proud that research is one of the fastest areas of growth and […]
Three Va. universities land on top patents list
Three Virginia research universities have made the National Academy of Inventors’ new list ranking the nation’s universities that were granted the most patents in 2022. The University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University each made the list released Aug. 30, ranking 43rd, 86th and 91st respectively. U.Va. had 52 patents issued in […]
Education 2023: MICHAEL RAO
In his 14th year at VCU, Rao has had a year of ups and downs. VCU opened its $125 million STEM building in April, and in May it announced an $18 million donation from Washington, D.C.-based real estate analytics company CoStar Group to build an academic building for arts and innovation. However, VCU Health made […]
Money machine
In 2009, Donald Hart found himself in an enviable position. Leading up to his graduation from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach, Hart had been accepted to a slew of the state’s public, four-year universities: Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Old Dominion University, George Mason University and James Madison University. Attracted by the […]
VCU names new engineering dean
Azim Eskandarian, a Virginia Tech mechanical engineering professor and department head, has been named the next dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering, VCU announced Tuesday. Eskandarian, whose appointment takes effect Aug. 1, will also serve as the William H. Goodwin Jr. Endowed Chair of the engineering college. He’s currently department head and […]
CoStar makes $18M pledge to VCU for arts building
CoStar Group, the Washington, D.C.-based real estate data analytics company with a large presence in Richmond, has committed to give $18 million to Virginia Commonwealth University to build an arts and innovation academic building in Richmond, the company announced Friday. The building, which will tentatively be named the CoStar Center for Arts and Innovation, will […]
Port of entry
By all accounts, the Port of Virginia and the overseas shipping industry as a whole are major economic drivers in the commonwealth, with an upward trajectory expected to continue. For fiscal year 2022, the port’s TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) container volume hit a record 3.7 million units, a 14.7% increase from 2021, which marked its […]
Va. launching semiconductor workforce initiative
The commonwealth is launching a Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology to foster a semiconductor industry workforce, funding its establishment with a $3.3 million Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the initiative Friday. In March, GO Virginia announced the $3.3 million grant to the program, then called the Virginia Nanotechnology [&hellip[...]
VCU to open $125M STEM building next week
Virginia Commonwealth University will open its $125 million College of Humanities and Sciences’ 168,000-square-foot STEM building during a ribbon cutting scheduled next week. The six-floor building, located at 817 W. Franklin St. in Richmond, will expand lab, classroom and office space for the college, which is home to 17 departments, two schools and three programs. […]
VCU names medical school dean
Dr. Arturo P. Saavedra will be the next dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs at VCU Health, the university announced Monday. His appointment is effective April 15. Saavedra is currently chair of the University of Virginia‘s dermatology department and interim CEO of the U.Va. Physicians […]
VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital names next president
Virginia Commonwealth University Health Community Memorial Hospital in Mecklenburg County announced Thursday that Sheldon Barr will be its next president, effective Dec. 11. Barr will be the first woman to lead the South Hill hospital in its 68-year history. “I am excited to deliver on VCU Health’s mission to preserve and restore health for all […]
Return on investment
Christina Fleming embarked upon a career in marketing with the goal of getting an executive MBA degree, but other commitments kept getting in the way. She got married, had two children and moved up the corporate ladder for 26 years, rising to chief marketing officer at Blackboard Inc., a global education technology company that was […]




















