A graphic that has a large white number 10 with a yellow ribbon over it that says \"under 10\" in white letters.
VCU to celebrate 15 notable alums at biennial Alumni Stars event

Oct. 19, 2026

VCU Alumni honors accomplished recent graduates with 10 Under 10 awards

Ten Rams who earned their first VCU degree within the past decade will be recognized Oct. 25.

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By Mark Newton

Artists, advocates and authorities who recently graduated from VCU and have already gone onto do great things will be honored this month.

The new inductees to VCU Alumni’s annual 10 Under 10 list come from as far as VCUarts Qatar and have earned as many as three degrees from VCU. All graduated within the past decade, and several have returned to campus to help the next generation of students. The 10 honorees will be celebrated Saturday, Oct. 25, at an invitation-only event at VCU’s College of Health Professions.

This year’s recipients of the 10 Under 10 awards are:

Two photos of women from the shoulders up. Both women have a yellow circle around them.
Heba Al Tamimi, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’20) and Rian Chandler-Dovis (M.S.’17).
  • Heba Al Tamimi, D.D.S. (D.D.S.’20, School of Education). An award-winning dentist at Aesthetic Dentistry of Charlottesville, Virginia, where she has become known for combining advanced technology with individualized, patient-centered care.
  • Rian Chandler-Dovis (M.S.’17, VCU Brandcenter). Chief operations officer and managing partner at Brand Federation, a Richmond-based consultancy focused on organizational brand strategy.
A photo of a woman and man from the shoulders up. Around each of them is a yellow circle.
Nada Raafat Elkharashi (B.F.A.’17, M.F.A.’21) and Riley Goodman (B.F.A.’18).
  • Nada Raafat Elkharashi (B.F.A.’17, M.F.A.’21, VCU School of the Arts in Qatar). An interdisciplinary designer, researcher and VCUarts Qatar educator whose NRK Interdisciplinary Research Design Co. investigates how our surroundings impact daily life.
  • Riley Goodman (B.F.A.’18, School of the Arts). Photographer, multimedia artist, historian and brand designer whose work weaves a vast visual narrative inspired by historical accounts, folk-based storytelling, dreams and familial legends.
Two photos of women from the shoulders up. Both women have a yellow circle around them.
Candice Hatcher-Solis, Ph.D. (Cert.’10, Ph.D.’16) and Sana Hosseini, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’21).
  • Candice Hatcher-Solis, Ph.D. (Cert.’10, Ph.D.’16, School of Medicine). Acting deputy director and division chief within the Space Systems Engineering Directorate of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration.
  • Sana Hosseini, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’21, College of Engineering). A respiratory drug delivery expert at Aptar Pharma whose work focuses on advancing inhaled therapies for vaccines and novel complex medicines.
A photo of a man and woman from the shoulders up. Around each of them is a yellow circle.
Ian Kunkes, Ed.D. (Ed.D.’22) and Haley Mulder, Ph.D. (B.S.’16, M.S.’18, Ph.D.’22).
  • Ian Kunkes, Ed.D. (Ed.D.’22, School of Education). A leader in higher education disability and accessibility services and the co-founder and CEO of EdPros, a consulting firm strengthening disability resource and accessibility operations for institutions nationwide.
  • Haley Mulder, Ph.D. (B.S.’16, M.S.’18, College of Humanities and Sciences, and Ph.D.’22, School of Pharmacy). Chief toxicologist for the Maryland State Police, overseeing breath alcohol, blood alcohol and blood drug programs for impaired driving investigations.
A photo of a man and woman from the shoulders up. Around each of them is a yellow circle.
Samuel Obeng, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’17) and Lark Washington (M.U.R.P.’20).
  • Samuel Obeng, Ph.D. (Ph.D.’17, School of Pharmacy). A pharmaceutical scientist and the director of  brain drug discovery research at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.
  • Lark Washington (M.U.R.P.’20, L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs). Chief operating officer of Homeward, the foundation of the Richmond region’s collaborative and coordinated network of homeless service providers.