Student Research News

VCU student Natasha Romero Moskala worked with Alex Keena, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, as a research assistant on the Guinier Project hosted by the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice at Harvard Law School. (Contributed photo)

A natural progression: VCU senior joins professor for Harvard research project into elections

March 7, 2025

Political science student Natasha Romero Moskala fills the role of research assistant alongside mentor Alex Keena.

Fosua Adu-Gyamfi is a senior biology major at VCU. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Fosua Adu-Gyamfi learns from undergrad experiences at both VCU and the National Cancer Institute

Feb. 17, 2025

The senior, who serves as a research assistant in a VCU lab studying alcohol use disorder, embraces research’s potential to improve the world ‘one question at a time.’

Phillip Glass, a physics graduate student, shows off pressure sensors on a glove, part of a suite of wearable prototypes to help patients with Parkinson’s disease. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

From fingers to toes, wearable and vibrating technology from VCU inventors could help Parkinson’s patients and others

Feb. 12, 2025

The flexible, lightweight glove and 3D-printed shoe sole might restore the brain-body feedback loop that mobility conditions can disrupt.

Aashka Patel was one of four VCU undergraduate student researchers to present their work as part of an inaugural showcase at the General Assembly Building. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Hoping to inspire change, VCU undergraduates highlight their research for Virginia lawmakers

Feb. 12, 2025

Three projects, which touched on health and the environment, were part of a statewide showcase Feb. 6 at Capitol Square during the annual General Assembly session.

Micah White, who is working toward his Ph.D. in counseling psychology, said, “I always try to approach my research by thinking about practicality, future impact and why anyone should care.” (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Micah White examines the intersection of social media and African American identity

Jan. 30, 2025

White, a VCU alum and counseling psychology Ph.D. student, is committed to conducting research that will make an impact beyond academia and benefit his community.

VCU students pursuing a new academic minor explored how the media cover AI – and how they often are framed together. (Getty Images)

As part of a new minor in practical AI, students explore its intersection with mass media

Jan. 7, 2025

Robertson School professor Joshua J. Smith’s class is developing a dataset that examines coverage of the technologies’ benefits, drawbacks – and the communications industry itself.

A year-end review of students and alums who earned prestigious scholarships through the National Scholarship Office

Nov. 11, 2024

Recipients represent a variety of fields and backgrounds, and their scholarships will provide invaluable opportunities to deepen their studies, gain new perspectives and grow in their fields.

VCU student Anirudh Mepperla (seated) and Kirk Richardson, associate professor in the Department of Focused Inquiry, with one of the nap pods recently installed on the fifth floor of Grace E. Harris Hall. (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

The bearer of good snooze: Undergrad’s research project is behind the new nap pods on campus

Oct. 30, 2024

Anirudh Mepperla and his Focused Inquiry professor, Kirk Richardson, put classwork into action.

Hope Ward’s work as a professional actor has inspired her research as a Ph.D. student at VCU. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Hope Ward studies paths to more equitable actor training programs

Oct. 23, 2024

Ward, a Ph.D. student, actor and director, finds inspiration in theater but also recognizes where it needs closer study and a commitment to marked improvement.

Moira Neve, a VCU graduate student in English, said their current research project has helped them develop a more complicated understanding of time and history. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Moira Neve studies visions of a queer utopia as described in an early 20th-century journal

Oct. 9, 2024

Neve said, 'I love the feeling of being in my own niche corner of this larger literary tradition, sifting through the archives only to arrive at new surprises every day.'