The University of Richmond has knack for inspiring our students to make strong, critical connections between seemingly disparate things.

Amanda Kwieraga, ’15, is a great example. She double majored in biology and studio art, and the unlikely-for-some combination has transformed her passion for science into stunning art. 

Kwieraga

We love that Richmond is the sort of place that encourages students to connect their passions and excel in multiple fields. 

“Richmond encouraged me to fully pursue and explore the two subjects I am most passionate about: biology and studio art,” Kwieraga said. “I loved exploring the parallels between the scientific process and the artist method.” 

Those connections made at Richmond stuck with Kwieraga, who completed a master’s this spring in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the University of Southern California. While completing her graduate degree, she began her latest art series, “Art for Science’s Sake,” to help make science more accessible to everyone through art. She’s using acrylic paint and ink on wood panels to convey the concepts of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.

All signs indicate this isn’t the last beautiful artwork we’ll see from Kwieraga. She recently accepted a job as a research assistant with a biotech company in San Diego, and writes she will continue to use new things she discovers through science to influence her art.

“Science is more than fat textbooks, complicated papers, and white-haired men in lab coats,” Kwieraga told the University of Southern California. “Science is beautiful. Science is art.”

We couldn’t agree more! Enjoy some of her latest artwork in the slideshow above.