VCU Rotaract

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Rotaract was organized in 2009 and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Richmond. Bi-weekly meetings take place on the VCU campus from August to May.

The club has been active in Polio Plus, Byrd Park Cleanup, and Meals on Wheels campaigns in the fall and Project WARM and the Rotary District 7600 RYLA Conference in February. For more information contact Mike Little, Club Adviser Rotary Club of Richmond at mwlittle@vcu.edu. We are on Facebook at Rotaract of VCU.  For activities this fall see below:

VCU Rotaract Officers

  • Niyomi Shah, President

    My name is Niyomi Shah - a student part of the GMED program at VCU! I have been involved with Rotary for many years — seeing my grandparents serve in Rotary as club officers back in India and witnessing the inspiring projects they conducted has ever since encouraged me to serve the community in a meaningful way! Hence, my involvement in recent years serving as President of my Interact high school club and now a part of the Rotaract leadership at VCU. I am so excited to lead our club this year, finding different opportunities for our members to make a positive impact on our community and across the world!

  • Aditya Kotha, Vice President

    I am a junior at VCU majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Psychology on the Pre-Medicine track. I am eager to serve as an officer for VCU Rotaract so that I can continue to put service above self and positively impact the Richmond community with others.

  • Shreya Balasani, Treasurer

    I am a sophomore at VCU majoring in Biology with a minor in Art History on the Pre-Med track. I was heavily involved with Interact throughout my high school experience and am so excited to continue that civic engagement here in Richmond through Rotaract.

  • Riya Achuri, Secretary

    I am in my second year of pre-med at VCU and have been a member of the Rotaract Club at VCU for the past year.  I am also part of an nationally university based organization Camp Kesem -dedicated to helping families that have been impacted by cancer. I am especially interested in Rotary and Kesem fundraising events in the upcoming year.

  • Dhanush Bearelly, Events/Service Projects

    I'm a student in the GMED Program at VCU! I’ve been passionate about service for years, inspired to improve access to STEM education and healthcare through my nonprofit, No Friend Left Behind. My leadership roles, including serving as Ohio HOSA’s State Vice President and organizing community projects in my hometown of Cincinnati, have reinforced my commitment to making a meaningful impact. I’m thrilled to contribute to the VCU Rotaract's mission, and I look forward to collaborating with our members to serve the community and create positive change.

  • Priyanka Patel, Public Relations & Social Media

    My name is Priyanka and I am a sophomore majoring In Chemistry, with a concentration in biochemistry. I am serving as the Public Relations and outreach officer for the Rotaract Club at VCU, and I am excited to be a part of the team.

  • Iyush Hoysal, Events & Service Projects

    I am a sophomore at VCU majoring in Bioinformatics with a minor in Chemistry and Computer Science, following the Pre-Medicine track. Inspired by my grandparents and great-grandparents, who were deeply involved with Rotary International, I am committed to continuing their legacy of service and making a lasting impact.