Research

VCU’s strategic research priorities plan seeks to enrich the human experience and advance human health and well-being through exceptionally creative, collaborative and community-engaged research. It is an outgrowth of the research goals set forth in VCU’s Quest 2025: Together We Transform strategic plan.

The VCU Arts Research Center advocates for the unique nature and innovative possibilities of creative research practice within the university and across society. We foster programs and discoveries that confront real-world challenges through interdisciplinary arts research, such as using dance to address systems of racial oppression; building empathy in health practitioners towards ALS patients using VR; or utilizing sculptors to design better breast reconstructions.

Our community of artists, designers, performers and scholars generates new knowledge and insights into human experiences that can transform our relationships to each other and to the world.

As we move from distinction to preeminence … we will innovate to change better, faster and with greater focus than our peers around the nation. And we will stay true to our roots of discovery in science, scholarship and creative expression to unfailingly serve the public good.

VCU President Michael Rao, Quest 2025: Together We Transform

About The Arts Research Center

Christiana Lafazani clafazani@vcu.edu, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research

Melyatta Powers powersmu@vcu.edu, Senior Executive Director of Finance

Tabatha Dunlap tadunlap@vcu.edu, Assistant Director of Finance

Aaron Anderson adanderson@vcu.edu, Faculty Liaison for Arts & Health Projects, Associate Chair for Theatre 

Tracy Leipold tlleipold@vcu.edu, Coordinator, Arts Research