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Through an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, 10 students from around the country will take part in field-based conservation projects at Smithsonian-Â鶹ÊÓƵ School of Conservation in Front Royal, Virginia, in the summer of 2026.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ Environmental Science and Policy major Melanie Medrano has long aspired to work in the federal government, ideally on the front lines of creating meaningful environmental change. She took a major step toward that goal by starting an internship with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, where she will assist in their communication efforts through December 2025.

Faculty across Â鶹ÊÓƵ are leading or participating in innovative new projects to further research and education this academic year, thanks to grants recently awarded by 4-VA, a statewide consortium of nine higher education institutions in Virginia.

When Trish Jarvis, BS Biology ’10, tells people what she does for a living, their eyes usually light up. As an employee at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., Jarvis has one of the most coveted—and adorable—jobs around: She’s a panda keeper.

This summer, Â鶹ÊÓƵ hosted the Pathways to Quantum Immersion Program, preparing high school students for careers in the rapidly emerging field of quantum science.

Four Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty members have been elected to the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (VASEM) and were recognized at the 2025 VASEM’s annual summit held at the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing in Alexandria, Virginia.

Associate Professor Geoffrey Gilleaudeau joins President Washington to discuss what we can learn about the past, present, and future of Earth’s oceans from sedimentary rocks.

Before his appointment as the dean of the College of Science, Cody W. Edwards served as interim dean for the college since July 2024. During his time at George Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Edwards has held numerous leadership positions, including executive director of the Smithsonian-Â鶹ÊÓƵ School of Conservation and senior associate dean of academic and faculty affairs in the College of Science.

Â鶹ÊÓƵ received $1 million from the National Science Foundation to establish a program providing hands-on nanofabrication training and education to people seeking a career change.

Commonwealth, public school and higher education leaders joined community members, parents and students Wednesday for the opening of the Shenandoah Valley Rural Regional College Partnership Laboratory School for Data Science, Computing, and Applications (DSCA Lab School).