College of Humanities and Sciences

Current StudentsFaculty & StaffGive

Student Research News

Student Tamara Eddy learned canoe skills on the third day of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Footprints on the James class this summer. Sitting in the front of a canoe, Eddy ran one of her first white water rapids at Powhite Ledges. It can be seen upstream from the Powhite Parkway. The image was taken with a GoPro mounted on the bow of the boat. (Photo: James Vonesh)

Footprints on the James continues to make a deep impression on VCU students

July 10, 2024

With the river as a classroom, the monthlong experiential learning program marks a decade of combining undergraduate research, teamwork – and plenty of paddling.

Skye Thurston, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and physics, was among the student researchers to feature their work at two recent poster symposiums. (Photo by Dina Weinstein, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Hundreds of posters reveal one compelling story of VCU student research

May 7, 2024

Undergraduate and graduate symposiums, part of annual VCU Research Weeks, highlight projects that touch on an array of disciplines, notable history and scientific potential.

Four current VCU students and two alums have received NSF Graduate Research Fellowships. (File photo)

Four VCU students and two recent alums selected for prestigious National Science Foundation funding

May 1, 2024

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports their advancement in STEM disciplines.

For VCU students, foreign expedition offered a river of knowledge and memories

April 29, 2024

They traveled to Mexico for a journey – and learning opportunity – of a lifetime.

Aditya Kotha and Andy Shar, who are both juniors at VCU, have earned Goldwater Scholarships. (Contributed photos)

Two undergraduates selected for prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

April 16, 2024

Aditya Kotha and Andy Shar reflect excellence in STEM and a commitment to research.

Sophomore Charmi Patel, shown here scanning replicas in a classroom inside VCU’s STEM Building, researched bone pathology in nonhuman primates with guidance from mentor Marie Vergamini. (Kevin Morley, VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Charmi Patel goes bone-deep behind the scenes at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

April 12, 2024

VCU sophomore studies skeletons of nonhuman primates for clues into death and disease.

Max Biscarr, a sophomore kinetic imaging major, performs an electronic music composition that incorporates air temperature data and soil temperature data collected at the VCU Rice Rivers Center. (Photo by Allen Jones, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

The sound of science: VCU students compose electronic music that incorporates environmental data gathered at VCU Rice Rivers Center

April 5, 2024

The ear, not just the eye, is a powerful route for experiencing and interpreting data, and a course that unites VCUarts and VCU Life Sciences is finding the harmony in nature.

Jennoa Fleming, a senior environmental studies major at VCU, researches the James River rock pools, focusing on a small aquatic snail. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Jennoa Fleming studies the small wonders of the rock pools to understand our future on Earth

March 27, 2024

Fleming has been researching the rock pools of the James River since she was a high school student. ‘Ecology is where I truly belong,’ she said. ‘I can’t imagine doing anything else.’

Jaelyn Jenifer said that when she transferred to VCU, “I wanted to put myself in a position to be challenged.” (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

How I found my research: Jaelyn Jenifer hopes to be a ‘guardian of public health’

March 7, 2024

Undergraduate student researcher and aspiring forensic toxicologist studies medications used in the treatment of HIV infections.

Tijana Simovic, a Ph.D. student at VCU, co-authored a recent study that shows young and regular users of e-cigarettes exhibit a reduced blood vessel function. (Photo courtesy of Paula Rodriguez Miguelez, Ph.D.)

Regular e-cigarette use could lead to premature vascular dysfunction, VCU study finds

March 5, 2024

As the devices grow in popularity, researchers warn that young adult users are showing reduced blood vessel function