Borderless classrooms, endless opportunities

Life Sciences represents the full spectrum of experiential and classroom studies of the natural world.

Lab coats and goggles give way to waders and sunglasses. Many courses in VCU Life Sciences allow our students to immerse themselves in experiential learning. Whether it is navigating the whitewater rapids on the Salmon River, banding birds on top of a mountain in Panama or gathering water quality data down the road at VCU Rice Rivers Center, our pathway to an education in the life sciences takes students to the research.

It's not where you start, it's where you finish. 

Not every one of our graduates began their educational journey with VCU Life Sciences. Our students have joined us from community colleges, four-year universities, even other fields of study within VCU. Our alumni can be found working at places like NASA, NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health and the Army Corp of Engineers. Whether they are taking wildlife photos for National Geographic or tracking Atlantic Sturgeon in the James River, their paths led them through our hallways. Hands-on student opportunities often lead to top-tier jobs as alumni.

four scenes: a person standing on a pier overlooking a body of water, a v.c.u. student group posing outside in a mountainous area, students working in a lab, and a group of people whitewater rafting

News

Amelia Johnson and Rice Rivers Center director Greg Garman stand next to an educational sign

Feb. 28, 2025

Amelia Johnson shares her work on Rice Rivers Center’s educational sign as part of VCU Library Community Zoom

Johnson’s Girl Scout Gold Award project captures attention outside of center visitors

John Jones, Ph.D., and Federal Work-Study students like Jade Underwood make sure that the campus' three Ram Fridges are stocked and monitored for safety. (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Feb. 27, 2025

Ram Fridges are giving new life to leftovers

As part of a three-year sustainability grant, the project, led by assistant professor John C. Jones, addresses food waste and food insecurity on campus.

VCU researchers analyzed data on eucalyptus tree spread in Australia as part of a worldwide replication study. (Getty Images)

Feb. 25, 2025

VCU researchers delve into one of biology’s scientific frontiers — by studying studies

Launched as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, the international initiative has significant implications for ecologists and evolutionary biologists.