Featured News
Class of 2026: Sydney Hilovsky takes occupational therapy to the pool for children with autism
Hilovsky has been pursuing two doctoral degrees in the College of Health Professions, and her aquatic therapy project already has had real-world impact.
Collaboration in action. Impact by design.
When we created the Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences, our goal was clear: Prepare scholars who move research into practice, policy and communities. This issue reflects that mission in action.
Program ethics instructor Calvin Bradley earns doctorate in conflict analysis and resolution studies
Calvin Bradley Jr., Ph.D., an ethics instructor in the VCU College of Health Professions’ Ph.D. Program in Health Related Sciences, recently completed his own doctoral degree. This accomplishment further strengthens the interdisciplinary perspective he brings to the program.
Prescribing connection: Ph.D. student researches power of community for dementia patients
While dementia care largely focuses on medical interventions, social isolation remains an overlooked factor shaping quality of life for patients and their loved ones. Cathleen “Cate” Hawks, a student in the VCU College of Health Professions’ Ph.D. Program in Health Related Sciences, hopes her doctoral research, aided by a large private donation, will change that.
Ph.D. graduate’s research fuels surgical smoke legislation nationwide
Nearly 20 years after her doctoral studies, a VCU graduate’s dissertation continues to influence life-changing state laws — and might soon make waves at the federal level.
Ph.D. program guides Hawley in raising national voice in problem gambling
When Carolyn Hawley, Ph.D., first wrote a grant proposal on youth gambling, she didn’t expect it to define her career.
Ph.D. research project aims for oral health equity for Virginians with developmental disabilities
For many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a visit to the dentist can be overwhelming – sometimes impossible. Now, a new $200,000 grant is positioning Virginia Commonwealth University to help change that.
Turning isolation into action
Caterina LaRocca, OTD, was drawn to VCU’s Occupational Therapy Department in the College of Health Professions for its relationship with the Children’s Museum of Richmond. After all, she wanted to work with children, and she wanted to make therapy tangible.
