Faculty Research News

SJ Sindu, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of English at VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences, teaches creative writing and released her first graphic novel, “Shakti,” this week. Here, she enjoys a cup of tea in her home office. (Max Schlickenmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

With graphic novel ‘Shakti,’ SJ Sindu shares ‘the kind of story that I wanted to have’ as a child

May 26, 2023

VCU creative writing professor blends Tamil mythology from native Sri Lanka, manga inspirations from childhood, LGBTQIA+ narratives and life lessons on emotions and bullying for middle-grade readers.

Ryan Smith is interested in cemeteries as sources to understand the past and as important subjects in their own right. (Contributed photo)

VCU history professor Ryan Smith to explore ‘Liberty and Death in St. John’s Churchyard’ on May 25

May 22, 2023

Smith’s lecture will draw from his most recent book “Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries.”

Jarrod Reisweber, Psy.D., in a scene from The TST Retreat, an immersive, interactive VR environment created to help individuals with addictions and mental health conditions and guide them toward recovery. (Image: Lighthouse XR)

Healing with a headset: Virtual Reality shows promise in treating substance use disorders

May 19, 2023

VCU psychologist will present clinical trial findings to Congress on June 7.

10 projects awarded funding from the VCU Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Fund

May 16, 2023

The fund awarded nearly $100,000 this year to faculty for research projects related to the arts, humanities and social sciences.

Keynote speaker Elizabeth Dougherty, eastern regional outreach director for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, said those who invent “have the power to change the world.” (Clement Britt)

Representing medical advances and transdisciplinary research, 22 VCU researchers are inducted into National Academy of Inventors

May 1, 2023

“The unstoppable knowledge creation and the transformative innovation being carried out here is felt locally, nationally and globally,” said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation.

Costa Samaras, Ph.D., principal assistant director for energy and chief adviser for energy policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology, gave a keynote address. (Photo by Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Symposium explores the ‘everything problem’ of climate change – and the path to combat it

April 27, 2023

The transition to a clean energy economy requires interdisciplinary solutions, as reflected in the VCU institute that is hosting this week’s event.

A VCU research team is developing a solution to help prevent infection and complications for patients receiving chemotherapy, dialysis and other treatments through their veins. (Getty Images)

With $1.52M grant, VCU chemistry professor seeks a solution to benefit chemo and dialysis patients

April 18, 2023

Xuewei Wang and his team are targeting the risk of clotting and infection in a common medical implant in veins.

Brooke Newman, Ph.D., is a leading historian of Britain focused on slavery and its legacies. (File photo)

VCU history professor Brooke Newman serves as lead researcher for Guardian’s investigation of British monarchy’s ties to slavery

April 6, 2023

Newman, whose forthcoming book is “The Queen’s Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery,” said “the British monarchy has refused to acknowledge or apologize for their historic links to slavery.”

Across VCU's campuses, instructors, researchers and clinicians have turned to VR for teaching, training and patient care. (Tom Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Virtual VCU worlds used to train, teach and treat in the real one

April 4, 2023

How researchers and faculty are building virtual reality applications to face society’s grand challenges.

VCU physics researchers Shiv N. Khanna, Ph.D., and Turbasu Sengupta, Ph.D., discovered that ligated metal chalcogenide clusters can serve as catalysts for the thermochemical CO2 conversion to formic acid. (Contributed image.)

VCU physics researchers’ discovery could offer a new strategy for capturing CO2

March 31, 2023

The new research, published in the journal Communications Chemistry, centers on formic acid, a low-toxic liquid that can be easily transported and stored at room temperature.