Why Life Sciences and Sustainability?

At the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability, students don't just study science; they use it to change the world.

Whether it's protecting ecosystems, advancing human health, or finding new meaning in complex biological data, our students graduate with the skills to make a difference. Through hands-on experiences in biology, environmental studies, and bioinformatics, SLSS equips students with the tools to tackle today's most pressing challenges - and thrive in careers that matter. 

Learn more about the value of an SLSS degree.

News

The Distinguished Faculty Awards honorees will be recognized at the VCU Faculty Recognition Gala on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Aug. 27, 2026

VCU honors seven with 2026 Distinguished Faculty Awards

Their work touches on medicine, the humanities, public service and education.

This summer, Aarushi Rao worked with Guangwei Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the School of Medicine, to develop a tool that helps researchers analyze screening images from experiments more efficiently. (Dean Hoffmeyer, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Aug. 27, 2026

In VCU neuroscience lab, undergraduate Aarushi Rao brought brainpower to new software

The sophomore Honors College student and biology major spent her summer with researcher Guangwei Zhang, developing a tool to improve analysis of images.

Isra'a Nour, a 2015 VCU graduate, serves as a program manager for Open Society Foundations. (Contributed photo)

Aug. 19, 2026

Meet-a-Ram: Isra’a Nour’s humanitarian work is rooted in her VCU anthropology and biology courses

The 2015 graduate, powered by her service in Sudan, now works in the U.S. to support human rights, equity and justice.

SLSS Spotlight