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Research

The College of Humanities and Sciences develops and advances nationally recognized student and faculty scholarship, research and creative initiatives committed to addressing challenges in our urban Richmond community and beyond.

We aim to become a leader in integrating meaningful engagement with real-world challenges that support the development of global citizens.

Student Research

We have many faculty who are internationally recognized experts in their fields. In the College of Humanities and Sciences, we prioritize student engagement and interaction with faculty. We don't just want you to help with research, we want you to lead.

The diversity of our research means students can obtain hands-on experience in many different areas in order to find their passion. Many CHS faculty conduct community engaged research, which allows students the opportunity to conduct research that has a meaningful, positive impact on VCU and our Richmond community.

Learn more about student research

Faculty Research

Our faculty conduct research on an extraordinarily diverse set of topics, ranging from the understanding of the histories of Native American people, to addressing inequality and disparities in education, to climate change and the development of alternative and efficient energy sources.

CHS faculty regularly win a variety of prestigious awards, fellowships and scholarships, including Woodrow Wilson fellowships and Fulbright scholarships. They also hold some of the largest grants at VCU, including center grants from the Centers for Disease Control to prevent youth violence and from the Federal Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health to understand the health consequences of e-cigarettes and the impact of policies put in place to regulate them.

Student and Faculty Research in the News

Installation view of “Virginia & the Vietnam War” exhibit guest-curated by VCU history professor Emilie Raymond. (Photo provided by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture)

Nov. 26, 2024

Museum exhibition curated by VCU’s Emilie Raymond presents multifaceted picture of Virginia and the Vietnam War era

At the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, the history professor brings together narratives and objects that tell a wide-ranging story of veterans, families, refugees, activists and others.

Massimo Bertino, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Physics at the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences, is the first physicist to be named Innovator of the Year in the 17-year history of the award. (Photo: Karl Steinbrenner)

Nov. 22, 2024

VCU Innovator of the Year is ‘proof of pathway’ to success for physicists

Massimo F. Bertino is the first physicist to receive VCU’s highest honor for faculty researchers.