Featured News
Every day College of Health Professions students, alumni, faculty and staff do extraordinary things. Read more about our latest achievements below.
CHP simulation lab upgrades raise the bar for OT and PT training
When they step into the simulation lab on the second floor of the College of Health Professions this fall, students will find it has undergone considerable changes. Thanks to a $108,000 allocation from the Higher Education Equipment Trust Fund, it now features a more immersive, hands-on training environment that reflects the evolving demands of modern health care.
Chu earns tenure and a $25,000 community engagement grant
Virginia Chu, Ph.D., OTR/L, is celebrating a dual milestone: her promotion to tenured faculty and a grant from the VCU Division of Community Engagement.
Reconfigured labs with cutting-edge technology enhance hands-on training
By strategically shuffling how it uses dedicated lab space, Radiation Sciences is introducing new technology and expanding hands-on training for future practitioners, which is critical in a field where pinpoint accuracy is the only acceptable treatment.
As gambling grows in Virginia, so does the need for support
In just a few short years, legalized gambling in Virginia has exploded, most notably with the opening of casinos across the state and booming online sports betting. However, are Virginians — and the state itself — truly prepared for the fallout that can follow when people slip from casual fun into problem gambling, with far more at stake?
OT Academy opens doors for aspiring clinicians
The annual five-day academy – presented by VCU’s Occupational Therapy Department – invites undergraduate students and recent graduates to explore careers in occupational therapy. The program also aims to help participants better understand the field, connect with peers and ultimately enroll in an OT graduate program.
Healing in the heart of displacement
When Waganesh “Waggy” Zeleke, Ph.D., returned to her native Ethiopia as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, she brought her personal history, native language and a deep commitment to healing trauma through culturally responsive care.
CHP faculty member joins national leaders in D.C. to advance brain injury care
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) researcher and survivor Kelli Talley, Ph.D., recently joined national experts and advocates at the U.S. Capitol to help shape the conversation on brain injury recovery and research.
Wilkins blends heart of a PT with vision of a hospital leader
Fully outfitted in scrubs, Joe Wilkins walks into the Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center and heads to the rehab unit. Long before he became the hospital’s president, Wilkins was a physical therapist – and that part of him shows up every first Friday of the month.
Kiefer helps pave way for new therapies for inherited muscle disorders
At the intersection of clinical practice, scientific discovery and international collaboration, VCU physical therapy researcher Mike Kiefer, DPT, Ph.D., is helping rewrite the future for patients with rare and progressive muscle disorders.
Laboratory manager’s career comes full circle
On any given weekday afternoon, you’ll likely find Colin Thibodeau, M.S., carefully pipetting reagents, arranging lab benches or chatting with a group of Medical Laboratory Sciences students gearing up for their next hands-on experiment.
