Student Research News

Gabriella Daire, a junior at VCU, has been selected as a recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship. (Contributed photo)

VCU undergraduate earns Goldwater Scholarship, a highly sought-after honor for students in STEM fields

April 19, 2023

As a Goldwater Scholar, biology researcher and Richmond native Gabriella Daire pursues her interest in space medicine.

Olive Blackstone is graduating with a 3.9 GPA and is double majoring in criminal justice and psychology. (Photo by Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Class of 2023: With a mind on crime, Olive Blackstone pursues justice and understanding

April 18, 2023

Blackstone has explored criminal justice and psychology at VCU, both in and out of the classroom.

Four VCU students, three alumni selected for prestigious NSF grant

April 14, 2023

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides three years of financial support to help exceptional graduate students advance their studies in STEM-based disciplines.

Emma Geisler served as an honors fellow with the Humanities Research Center. (Tom Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Class of 2023: Emma Geisler finds her footing with an interdisciplinary approach and a new interest in research

April 7, 2023

Geisler, an interdisciplinary studies major, hopes to continue to study public health with a focus on immigration after graduation.

Danielle Ansong, a first-generation Ghanaian American, chose to attend VCU because of its diversity and the sterling reputation of its School of Medicine. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Danielle Ansong pursues longtime interest in medicine with research and volunteer work

March 1, 2023

Ansong, a VCU junior and president of the African Student Union, volunteers as an EMT and greeter and helps with the Simple Sunflower program.

Emily Pitts, a sophomore anthropology major, paints a 3-D-printed replica of the JB55 Connecticut "vampire" skull. (Brian McNeill, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

19th-century ‘Connecticut vampire’ receives forensic facial reconstruction with help from VCU researchers

Jan. 3, 2023

VCU team from Virtual Curation Laboratory provides 3-D digital model of skull of man who died in the 1830s and then received unusual burial.

Octavia Christopher, a biology major in the College of Humanities and Sciences, was one of three spring 2022 VCU graduates to earn Fulbright grants this year. (Contributed photo)

A Year in Review: 21 VCU students, recent alumni receive national, international scholarships and fellowships in 2022

Dec. 13, 2022

Standouts strengthen their expertise, experience and credentials through prestigious scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

This week, Gladys Shaw, left, will be graduating with a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the VCU School of Medicine. She and three other graduating students were part of VCU's Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Ph.D. Program. (Courtesy of Gladys Shaw).

Class of 2022: Four standouts in research training program for underrepresented students earn their doctorates

Dec. 9, 2022

The Initiative for Maximizing Student Development program at VCU expands opportunities for biomedical students from historically excluded groups. Four Ph.D. students from the program will be graduating this month, the biggest class in its history.

Eric Escobar-Chena, a biology major who will graduate in December, is a teaching assistant in a VCU entomology course and works in VCU's "bug lab." (Photo by Kevin Morley, University Marketing.)

Class of 2022: In the ‘Bug Lab,’ Eric Escobar-Chena gained a passion for research and a respect for insects

Nov. 18, 2022

Biology major is considering graduate school opportunities in ecology with a focus on field work and beetles.

Divorce or relationship discord between parents is associated with children's risk for the potential of alcohol use disorder as adults, a study co-authored by a VCU Department of Psychology doctoral student found. (Getty Images)

Divorce or relationship discord between parents may indicate children’s genetic risk for future alcohol misuse

Nov. 16, 2022

A study, co-authored by a VCU developmental psychology doctoral student and a Rutgers researcher, found that experiencing adversities around divorce and marital discord can be “one pathway through which genetic risk for alcohol problems is passed from parents to their children.”