VCU's River Campus

The VCU Rice Rivers Center, a part of VCU Life Sciences, supports scholarship and student instruction across diverse disciplines, including water resources, climate science, wildlife conservation and wetlands restoration.

Located midway between Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia along the historic James River, our 360 acres of riparian marshes, tidal creeks and mature forests represent a unique outdoor laboratory for important applied research and innovative, experiential classes. The center’s modern facilities offer offices, classrooms, laboratories and overnight lodging for students, faculty, visiting scholars and community groups. State-of-the-art technologies are deployed onsite to collect information on air and water quality, fish and avian migrations, changing sea levels and a host of other critical data sources. Our ongoing partnerships with state and federal natural resource and earth science agencies provide significant training opportunities for student scholars.

Science that matters to everyone

News

Two men on a boat from VCU on the James River, with a sturgeon in a net

Jan. 8, 2025

Dr. Matt Balazik the subject of a Richmond Magazine story

The article focuses on VCU's ongoing effort to protect spawning sturgeon

Dr. Matt Balazik on stage accepting a T-Mobile Unconventional Award, holding the award

Oct. 14, 2024

Matt Balazik, Ph.D., receives national T-Mobile Unconventional Award

Financial award goes toward further sturgeon research.

Dr. Matthew Balazik pulls in a gill net on the James River near Osbourne Landing. All photos by Scott Elmquist

Sept. 23, 2024

Matt Balazik, Ph.D., the focus of Style Weekly's Sunday with Style

Even with decades of research, Atlantic sturgeon remain a puzzle despite having roamed local waters for thousands of years.

Research and Restoration

a warbler perched atop someone's hand

VCU researchers and partners study the breeding biology of the prothonotary warbler along the lower James River using the project and its data to explore population genetics, disease and migration ecology, the role of song and plumage in reproductive fitness, and the impact of climate change on diet and timing of breeding.