News and events
From Chains to Change: Joy Bogese's Transformation from Addiction to Advocacy
Joy Bogese (M.S. '06) found redemption not amidst academic credentials, a thriving career, or middle-class comforts, but inside an unwanted haven: a jail cell. This was the battleground for her transformative victory over drug addiction. Emerging as a symbol of resilience, she's now a peer recovery specialist at Project Recover. Her past, once a source of anguish, now equips her as a formidable agent of change in the fight against addiction and reforming law enforcement attitudes.
Read more
South of the (Virginia) border, VCU alum Keith Rogers Jr., '10 M.P.A., takes the lead as city manager
With two VCU degrees, a decade in Richmond government and a stint in N.Va., Rogers is now leading Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Read more
VCU orientation leaders like Wilder School student Essence Palmer get lots of questions from new Rams. Here are her answers to some of the most common.
From places to eat to getting around – and even how to make friends – Essense Palmer, a criminal justice and homeland security and emergency preparedness student at the Wilder School offers experiences-based advice for incoming students.
Read more
A house divided: international organized crime expert reveals how the Russian war against Ukraine is transforming the operations of Europe’s largest criminal ecosystem
Nearly a year and half after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warzones, economic sanctions and shifting alliances are creating new long-term trends in local and global law enforcement. As a key hub of weapons, drugs and human trafficking, criminal activity in the region has large implications for Europe.
Read more.jpeg "Class of 2023 HIGHER Ground Women’s Leadership Development Program.")
HIGHER Ground Women’s Leadership Development graduates learn to lead with compassion.
Introducing Dr. Antoinette Allen, Ph.D., the new director of Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute and HIGHER Ground Program. Under her guidance, 34 leaders completed the transformative program, emphasizing compassion and growth. With a distinguished career at esteemed institutions like the Federal Executive Institute, IRS Leadership Academy, and FBI, Dr. Allen brings extensive expertise in leadership development.
Read more
“The State House vs. the Greenhouse: Reviewing the Landscape of Energy Policy and Climate Action in Virginia” with Damian Pitt, Ph.D.
Where does energy policy stand in Virginia? What are some leading strategies for advancing equity-focused clean energy? Damian Pitt, Ph.D., associate professor in the Wilder School’s urban and regional studies and planning program, addressed these questions and more during a virtual Lunch and Learn session titled, “The State House vs. the Greenhouse: Reviewing the Landscape of Energy Policy and Climate Action in Virginia” on June 21.
Read more
Keandra Davis: A Guiding Force for Racial Equity in Housing
Keandra Davis, a doctoral student at the Wilder School's public policy and administration program, is leveraging her lived experience and academic insights to enact change in urban policy. Raised in Miami's Liberty City, Davis witnessed stark housing inequities firsthand, kindling a deep-seated resolve that now propels her professional journey. Her work investigates the complex interplay of housing displacement, environmental risks, and emergency management within Miami's public housing sector.
Read more
Dean Susan T. Gooden Honored with Prestigious 2023 Rutledge Social Equity Award for Pioneering Work in Public Administration
Internationally renowned scholar Dr. Susan T. Gooden, Dean and Professor of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), has been honored with the prestigious 2023 Philip J. Rutledge Social Equity Award. This award, bestowed by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), underscores Gooden's commitment of over 20 years to advancing social equity.
Read more
Youth and confessions: Wilder School interrogation expert aids defense in acquitting juvenile suspect of murder
Hayley Cleary, a professor of criminal justice and public policy with a Ph.D. in developmental psychology, focusing on justice system-involved youth, recently served as an expert witness for the defense in the murder case acquittal of Terrell Jones.
Read more
VCU urban planning student helps ‘a very hopeful experiment’ take root in Richmond
With the rollout expanding this fall, Adelaide Alexander says participatory budgeting elevates social awareness and community engagement.
Read more