SCHEV approves VCU Life Sciences as an academic unit and life sciences doctoral program

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

RICHMOND, Va. – The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has approved the Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences as a formal academic and instructional unit, and has approved the unit's first academic degree program – a Ph.D. in Integrative Life Sciences.

"The approval of VCU Life Sciences as a new formal academic unit within the University represents the realization of the VCU Strategic Plan to play a national role in the life sciences revolution of the 21st century," said VCU President Eugene P. Trani, Ph.D. "VCU Life Sciences integrates the university's remarkable assets in the life sciences across our academic and medical campuses."

VCU Life Sciences functions as a university-wide integrative structure of research and curricula that draws largely upon existing schools and departments. "Now that VCU Life Sciences is a formal instructional unit we can take full advantage of interdisciplinary opportunities, as we are not constrained by the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines," said VCU Vice Provost for Life Sciences Thomas F. Huff, Ph.D. "In fact, we are now able to approach the study of life as a continuum from small molecules to large landscape-scale ecosystems."

The Ph.D. program in Integrative Life Sciences is unique. It is  believed to encompass more faculty and disciplinary areas than any other life sciences program in the United States. "This exciting program puts VCU at the forefront of universities," said program director Leonard A. Smock, who also chairs the Department of Biology.

The SCHEV action also formalized VCU Life Science's oversight of two university centers – the Center for Environmental Studies and the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity (CSBC). In addition to their research and service activities, these centers coordinate VCU's academic curricula in environmental studies and bioinformatics. They also promote and integrate these curricula across the university�s other curricula.

The mission of the CSBC is to build an academic community centered on integrative discovery science, systems biology and the principles of complexity to address the challenges of the life sciences revolution of the 21st century. "SCHEV approval of our center represents a critical validation of this goal," said Greg A. Buck, Ph.D., CSBC Director. "The new Ph.D. program provides our students a streamlined option to obtain their doctoral training and become the creative leaders of future biological and biomedical research."

Two VCU facilities are administered by VCU Life Sciences -- the Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani Center for Life Sciences on VCU's academic campus and the Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, located along the James River in Charles City County, about 22 miles from VCU�s campuses.

"We plan to create many new and innovative academic programs within VCU Life Sciences in future years," said Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D., VCU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.  "We are very happy and excited about having VCU Life Sciences as the newest part of our academic enterprise."