Meet Zora Weir-Gertzog, a recent graduate who earned her bachelor’s degrees in Communication Arts (with a concentration in scientific illustration) and Biology!
While Zora came from a science-heavy educational background, she has also taken art lessons since she was seven years old. Her interest in combining the two intensified during her time at VCU and extends with the intention of going to graduate school for a master’s in medical illustration.
After taking a comparative vertebrate anatomy course at VCU and realizing there wasn’t a full catalog of diagrams for specimen dissection, Zora started working with professor, Gastòn Jofre, Ph.D., for an independent study to illustrate those diagrams. This past semester, she worked on a year-long project to re-illustrate all the diagrams for the anatomy class. This project is set to continue with students she has collaborated with.
Zora also served as president of the Communication Arts Student Advisory Board, has had multiple pieces commissioned by VCU Health, and set up projects for the Rice Rivers Center.
Read more about Zora’s background and accomplishments through the story link in our bio 🎨
Article originally published on VCU News
#vcuarts #vcuartsgrad #vcualumni #medicalillustration
Are you looking for some art credits? Check out the Applied Arts Lab at VCUarts!
🎨🩺 In Applied Arts Lab (AAL), students generate solutions to real-world problems using their skills in visual arts. Projects included in AAL have been Comics for Medical, 3D Graphics for Simulation, Game Development for Psychology, and Visual Design for the Richmond Animal League.
Applied Arts Lab is not only open to VCUarts students, but to ALL students! AAL provides a chance for students from departments such as medicine and science to work with artists and use their expertise on the subject matter to steer inquiry. 🧪💉
Reach out to Sterling Hundley and Jason Bennett for information on how to register!
[email protected] and [email protected]
See you in the lab! 🔬✨🌟
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@vcuarts@vcuslss
A couple weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting our inaugural SLSS Research Day
From student presentations and poster sessions to conversations across disciplines, the event showcased the incredible research, innovation, and collaboration happening throughout the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability.
Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, and helped make our first SLSS Research Day such a success. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Thank you to our incredible students, faculty, staff, and advisors for making the inaugural year of the VCU School of Life Sciences and Sustainability so meaningful and successful. Your passion, collaboration, and dedication helped shape the foundation of our community — and we’re just getting started. Here’s to an exciting future ahead!
Pollinator-friendly gardens are taking root across Richmond thanks to the VCU School of Life Sciences and Sustainability’s Native Plant–Pollinator Biodiversity Project.
Led by Dr. Colleen Higgins and SLSS student researchers, the initiative sold out all 30 student-grown native garden kits at the Maymont Herbs Galore sale while supporting ongoing citizen science research and urban biodiversity efforts.
Style meets sustainability
VCU’s Free Store just launched its Curated Closet—a student-led initiative keeping clothing in circulation and out of landfills. The project also highlights the impact of VCU’s Sustainable Innovation Certificate, offered through the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability.
It’s one more way sustainability is being put into action across campus—connecting creativity, accessibility and real-world impact.
Decision Day is here! Today we’re celebrating all future Rams making their choice — welcome to VCU SLSS!
Fall 2026 enrollment deadlines: First-year students should respond by May 1 (or within two weeks if accepted after April 1). Transfer students should respond by June 1 (or within two weeks if accepted after May 1).
Your next chapter starts now. #VCU #DecisionDay #FutureRams
Biology and sociology alum Krissi Vandenberg (B.S.’96, M.S.’07) turned her passion for animals and community activism into a leadership career with Vegan Action.
From her time at Virginia Commonwealth University to leading national advocacy efforts, her journey shows how interdisciplinary learning and purpose-driven work can create meaningful impact.
Read her story at the link in our bio
24 hours. Real problems. A lot of ideas in between.
BNFOthon brings students together to explore bioinformatics through collaboration, creativity, and a willingness to try something new.
From local trails to international adventures
Meet Ruby Stewart, a graduating environmental studies major from the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability, who turned her passion for the outdoors into a pathway for leadership and discovery. Through VCU’s Outdoor Adventure Program, Ruby has led trips across the U.S. and abroad, building community, resilience, and confidence along the way.
As she prepares to graduate, Ruby plans to continue guiding and inspiring others in the outdoors, starting right here in Richmond and beyond.
Read more about Ruby’s journey and how VCU helped shape her path, link in bio.
#VCU #VCUSLSS #ClassOf2026
Two Biology Honors College students are helping lead the way in undergraduate research.
At the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, SLSS students Molly Goecker and Brooke Schofield, both biology majors in the Honors College, presented research shaped by both scientific inquiry and personal experience.
Molly’s work explores how psilocybin could help address gaps in treatment for alcohol use disorder, particularly among underserved populations. Brooke’s research examines transcranial magnetic stimulation as a treatment for traumatic brain injury and PTSD-related symptoms.
Their projects reflect the depth, purpose, and impact of student research happening in SLSS.
Read more about their work and other VCU student researchers by clicking the link in our bio.
VCU Phage Lab @vcuphagepage presented research posters at the @vcuslss research symposium and during our last class. They were fantastic!! This brings our year of bacteriophage discovery and characterization to a close. Next week we will finalize genome annotations for Genbank, our lasting contribution to science. 🧬🧬🧬
