VCU showcases leadership in undergraduate research with NCUR in Richmond
More than 5,000 undergraduate researchers gathered in Richmond for the conference, creating a national stage for the exchange of ideas, student scholarship and interdisciplinary discovery.
Virginia Commonwealth University played a central role this spring as Richmond hosted the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), the largest undergraduate research conference in the country.
VCU showed up strong at NCUR, with 487 student presenters sharing work across disciplines spanning science, engineering, health, humanities and the arts. The breadth of student participation reflected the university’s growing emphasis on undergraduate research as a high-impact educational experience that connects classroom learning with real-world inquiry.
Meet seven VCU students who presented at NCUR
“It means a lot to be able to share my work with people from all over the country. It’s also really exciting it’s at VCU this year, which makes it even more accessible for students like me. I think it really will help with my own personal development and to help me be able to feel like I am sharing my work professionally and hopefully opening doors to my future.”
– Molly Goecker, Senior, Honors College Biology
Beyond presentations, NCUR served as a convening point for deeper conversations about the future of research, innovation and education. A highlight of the conference was VCU’s leadership panel, “Beyond the Podium: Confluence of Science and Arts in the Age of AI,” which brought together university leaders to examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping higher education and how institutions can prepare students to engage with emerging tools responsibly and effectively.
Panelists included Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., VCU interim provost and executive vice president; P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation; Carmenita Higginbotham, Ph.D., dean of the School of the Arts and special assistant to the provost; and Manu Gupta, Ph.D., vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, who moderated the discussion.
“We will always need people who are trained well,” Saavedra noted. “We will always need a community that rises up and sees the full picture. There’s nothing to be scared about and everything to be excited about.”
The scale of NCUR underscored the importance of undergraduate research as a national priority across higher ed, while VCU’s role as host and sponsor highlighted its commitment to expanding access to meaningful research experiences. As part of the “Every Ram is a Researcher” initiative, one out of every three VCU students is currently engaged in research.
NCUR reinforced VCU as a Carnegie R1 institution and a Top 50 public research university (National Science Foundation), with more than $550 million in sponsored research funding in FY 2025 supporting discovery and innovation across disciplines.
For VCU students, NCUR offered not only a platform to present their work, but an opportunity to engage with a national community of scholars, exchange ideas across institutions and see firsthand how research can shape future academic and professional pathways.
Read more:
https://news.vcu.edu/article/vcu-students-at-national-conference-on-undergraduate-research
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