Physics professor Massimo Bertino holds up a small piece of glass in a room with computers and scientific equipment

Faculty Research

Our faculty conduct research on an extraordinarily diverse set of topics.

Their work ranges 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.

Faculty Research in the News

Seeing double: VCU anthropologist Bernard K. Means’ latest project includes 3D-printing his own skull. (Jonathan Haff, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

May 22, 2026

Hit by a cyclist, VCU professor has a 3D brainstorm

Bernard K. Means, director of the Virtual Curation Lab, turned his CT scan into a skull model that could offer lots of creative opportunities.

Evolution may alter or improve the long-term effectiveness of nature-based solutions for urban resilience, new VCU research finds. (Getty Images)

May 14, 2026

VCU researcher examines nature-based solutions for changing cities – by taking evolution into account

Evolutionary geneticist Brian Verrelli usually studies the past. Now, he’s looking to the future as cities adapt to climate change.

Serpentine forests damaged by Hurricane Maria, like this one in Puerto Rico’s Isabela region, recovered faster than expected after the storm. (contributed photo)

April 29, 2026

Puerto Rico’s forests recovered in unexpected ways post-Hurricane Maria, VCU research finds

Biology professor Catherine Hulshof studies extreme environments, like Puerto Rico’s forests, to find out how they may react as the climate changes.

Faculty Research Videos