research assistant

graduate researcher

assistant professor

postdoctoral fellow

graduate assistant

Virginia Commonwealth University

Specifically working in the Office of the Vice President of Research and Innovation (OVPRI) at VCU is very stressful. Expect to work your full 8 hours and be expected to make up ANY time missed or use your PTO for like a 20 minute increment (or any other trivial time amount).

I learned a lot in my time at VCU but that was because I took the initiative to go from being a Laboratory Technician at a low salary, to a lab technician with an okay salary, to this position making a decent salary not having a Masters degree at the time of hiring. Please note: if your degree has nothing to do with what you do for your job, you will not get any raise despite gaining a whole graduate degree?

Due to management expectations and personalities, I also had to regularly explain the use of my ADA accommodations to my boss... who refused to acknowledge or abide by the signed document she agreed to follow when I received my accommodations initially.

A typical work day-- expect to pay for parking if you don't use the city transit... or you may fear of getting ticketed or towed if parking in the wrong space. 

The HR department is there to preserve the company... not to help you in situations where your supervisor has overstepped boundaries and regularly creates unrealistic expectations.

The coworkers are great but you will generally bond over how management needs to be retrained or replaced because it was emotionally taxing to work in this position or similar positions especially.

The hardest part of the job was once you screw up, it felt like you were on a constant slide downward and you could never really fix the mistake but add onto the initial issue. I believe this was a singular MANAGEMENT issue.

The most enjoyable part of the job were the benefits and the coworkers I worked with.

Position demands excellent customer service skills and is responsible for providing secretarial and administrative support
to Purchasing staff and process small purchase requisitions as assigned.
Essential Duties
1. Administers department files in accordance with Virginia Public Records Act; establishes file categories,
establishes and maintains cross-referenced files.
2. Compiles statistical data into routine and ad hoc reports; creates databases, performs data entry, participates in
purchasing projects by researching or providing relevant information; prepares reports accurately and within the
allowed time frame.
3. Screens visitors, telephone calls, and incoming mail, personally answering those inquiries which, in the
employee’s judgment do not require further response by the Director or Purchasing staff.
4. Prepares documents, memos as requested.
5. Ensures purchase orders and supporting documentation are delivered to vendors by facsimile or by other delivery
methods as requested by Purchasing staff.
6. Operates and maintains all standard office machines such as faxes, telephones, copiers.
7. Orders and checks in supplies and materials.
8. Monitors and manages Purchasing budget and advises Director when accounts require additional action.
9. Receipts bids/proposals immediately by affixing date/time stamp, posts bids on Onvia/Demandstar, NNPS
website, and bid board in accordance with government laws/policies and procedures.
10. Issues solicitation plans and specifications, properly recording receipt of payment, and issues refunds per
established procedures.
11. Accurately processes assigned requisitions and prepares purchase orders within allotted timeframes; ensuring
correct delivery/bill to locations, sufficient detail/specification

VCU Dental Care was an experience to say the least - just not one I would recommend.  

VCU SOD is still trying to rebuild what once was a vibrant and somewhat more enjoyable place to work before the COVID pandemic but between constant questionable changes, financial "budgeting" and absolutely zero room for employee growth still makes VCU Dental Care a pointless investment in the long run.

Unless you have goals to pursue dentistry (Dental/Hygiene School etc.), don't expect this environment to be anywhere near meaningful unless you are in with the right group of people. This is a educational establishment. There are hardly any raises or bonuses and if you do get a pay raise, you can put in your best effort, maintain a positive attitude, and still end up with the same “raise” as someone who barely lifts a finger and doesn't show up to work.

The leadership still leaves a lot to be desired. The dean of the dental school gave off serious Mr. Krabs type energy - only cares about all the money the school is making and not so much the employees that make it all possible. I lost count of how many times I introduced myself, only for him to still have no idea who I was or which department I worked in even after several run ins. 

Some departments in the school manage just fine and then some others not so much. Toxic environments, messy unorganized management and high turnover are still present here. They still haven't done much to improve this. All they care about is their shiny new dental building going up in the year 2060.

All jokes aside, If you are looking for a structured, enjoyable place to work, this ain't it and if it is? Enter at your own risk!

"Make it Real"


Let me preface this by saying that this is about the predoc/student clinic. Steer clear if you care about your mental health. If you’ve ever worked in any other healthcare environment, prepare for the culture shock of how unprofessional this place is. Management and HR will lie to and on you regularly. They will come up with irrelevant reasons to keep you from accruing and using your earned PTO. The director also plays favorites and targets anyone they don’t like. Probably why the turnover is so high. Everyone is scared of being retaliated against because of it happening in the past. Training here means you sit with someone for a couple days & are expected to read a 90+ page google doc that is updated daily with no notice. The google doc is also very rarely helpful in answering questions regarding how to perform your job.  Most of the information in it is the director’s version of company policies that are not actually in the approved employee handbook.  This is an ongoing issue because they often make changes to processes without communicating to everyone involved and explaining the new process. Management often refuses to or simply can’t answer your questions because of their own lack of understanding. Every perk and benefit you think you’re getting with this job will be stripped away at some point to better meet the business’s needs…

If you’re that interested in working at the dental school, try literally any other department. I hear pretty good things from other employees in the rest of the building.

In the course of my academic career at VCU, I have gained a wide variety of experimental skills in nanofabrication and nanomaterial characterization. My current research focuses on multiferroic nanomagnetic logic using strain-induced clocking in the fields of computing and signal processing which would drastically reduce energy dissipated during device operation. To this end, I have worked on optimizing the nanomagnet fabrication process while gaining proficiency in various nanofabrication tools and equipment such as the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)/Electron-beam Lithography (EBL), and RF-Sputtering as well as in nanomaterial characterization techniques such as Atomic/Magnetic Force Microscopy (AFM/MFM). I had the opportunity to train on and use the various tools available at VCU's Nanomaterials Characterization Center (NCC). I was able to showcase my research through various research awards supported by the College of Engineering (second place –Outstanding Research Award, 2012-13) and interact with industry representatives at the regularly-scheduled job fairs on campus.

In addition, as a Ph.D. student at VCU, I have had the great fortune of becoming a well-rounded student through my positions of President of the Graduate Mechanical & Nuclear Engineers organization and Secretary of the Engineering Graduate Students Association. Supplementing this has been my work with several outreach programs, for instance, in the organization of workshops for the Math-Science Innovation Center for grades 6-8, and in the mentoring of a high school student through the Richmond Area Program for Minorities in Engineering (RAPME).

My day usually begins with returning phone calls and emails from faculty/staff and students.  I work with a wide range of individuals, primarily current and prospective students and advisors both at VCU and other schools nationwide. As a transfer advisor, I serve as a liaison between VCU and other colleges, often traveling within the state to meet with their advising staff and administration.   

As previously mentioned, I have many roles as a transfer advisor.   I analyze transcripts from prospective students and  provide evaluations of their coursework.  From there, I discuss the student's area of interest, review the curriculum and assess their progress.  My job requires me to be knowledgeable of all of VCU's programs as well as all schools within the Virginia Community College System.  In addition, I design course maps for students to complete at their current school prior to transferring. These course maps are designed to prepare the student for entrance into their program at VCU. 

Being an advisor requires excellent communication and critical thinking skills, as well as an abundance of patience.  
Working with individuals of all ages and backgrounds has given me a greater appreciation of diversity. 

The most rewarding part of my career is being able to help young people achieve their academic and professional goals.  

My experience at VCU Recreational Sports has varied throughout my time here. My first year was very enjoyable regarding management, job culture, work/life balance, etc. We were going through changes in management at this time, but those who took over while this process was going on did so with ease. However, once new management (current management) came in the job changed completely. 
New management had a lot of great ideas that they wanted to implement, however they did not take into account of the employees whatsoever. It seemed it was forgotten that the employees were students working at a student facility. I often felt many work complications were handled very unprofessionally. The level of respect and humanity we were treated with was extremely low often times. I want to clarify that these actions were not from all management at VCU Recreational Sports, but the facilities management. The student staff are amazing and fun to work with. The level of flexibility with shifts and schedules is also a great positive. With changes in the way management operates and work culture, this could really have the potential to be an amazing place to work.

As my time at VCU's hospital and clinics was limited to an unpaid extern, I myself cannot directly comment on the compensation and immediate job benefits provided to employees.  I can, however, emphasize that one of the evident long-term benefits to working for the university's hospital is the abundance of continuing education opportunities provided for employees, which can open up many doors for career advancement.

A typical workday sees little downtime for most labs, however employees are provided with a 15- and 45-minute break.

The atmosphere is not only highly academic but also one of intense coordination; the labs within the system fulfill specialized roles while remaining in constant communication with each other through the LIS.  Many of the supervising staff are also instructors at the university and are very good about providing guidance.

I started my class very casual with 15 mins of just cool animation projected on the big screen. No discussion, no breaking things down, just sitting back and enjoying well animated pieces. They would turn in their 3 second animation assignment from last class. We would discuss and go over the movement and frame rates. Then I would talk about the next movement or technique we were going to try. I would play examples of my own work illustrating the techniques and would sometimes act it out for them. I would end class either watching their past assignments to let them see what their new techniques could do for it, or show them a piece demonstrating what we went over. 

Most rewarding thing from the job was the fact that not only did i convert sculpture, painting, fashion design, and interior design students into animators that went on to study in the program. But I also still get emails from my students wanting me to critique their work while after the class was finished. 



Good faculty support, but if you're a student and anything right of left wing, its not worth it. It shouldn't matter, and I don't mix work and politics myself, but all the students around me are obsessed with all the left wing talking points, to the point where you are socially ostracized for any beliefs that are christian, right wing, whatever. I know multiple people, myself included, that have been to therapy because of anxiety over being yelled at during the work day, people getting in your face, etc. Again, shouldn't matter and in my ideal world I'd have no idea what politics anyone at work/school has, but when you messed up a word, and you have two people get two inches close to your face, screaming at you that you are ***ist and a horrible person (yes, multiple times in my own workspace alone), it messes that goal up. Safe space this is not unless you toe the party line.

But like I said, I love most of the faculty, and they haven't be apart of that and I have no idea what any of their politics are aside from social media posts, so if you can avoid students if you're not hard left wing, you're golden and it will be a good experience.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Research assistant 7 salaries reported	$36,571 per year
Graduate researcher 6 salaries reported	$30,600 per year
Assistant professor 6 salaries reported	$87,067 per year
Postdoctoral fellow 13 salaries reported	$55,071 per year
Graduate assistant 6 salaries reported	$26,583 per year

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