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(09/09/08 4:55am)
In the same year that the American Institute of Chemical Engineers celebrates its centennial, the University’s Chemical Engineering Department will celebrate the progress it has made since its own opening in 1908, according to Don Kirwan, professor of chemical engineering and chair of the department committee for planning.On the weekend of Sept. 26 to 27, faculty, students and alumni will meet for various events to celebrate the department’s centennial, Chemical Engineering Prof. Jack Hudson said. “It’s going to be quite the festive occasion, with a lot of celebrating going on,” he noted.The weekend’s events will begin Friday, Sept. 26 with a reception in the chemical engineering courtyard, Kirwan said, and the following morning will feature a symposium in the Dome Room of the Rotunda, at which department Chair Robert Davis will discuss the status and future of the department. Mark Davis, a professor at the California Institute of Technology, will also speak, Kirwan said, and a small panel of University chemical engineering alumni will discuss their views on engineering higher education. Kirwan said all University students are welcome to attend the Saturday morning activities, but noted that, for the most part, the weekend’s events will be solely comprised of faculty, alumni, graduate students and “representative undergrads,” such as student officers.The chemical engineering department will hold another centennial celebration in the form of a reception at the AIChE’s annual meeting in November, Kirwan added.During these centennial celebrations, the chemical engineering department can look back at the dramatic changes the department has made since its inception. The University’s chemical engineering department graduated its first three students with a bachelor of science degree in 1912, Kirwan said. Now, nearly 20 times that number of undergraduates are in the program, Kirwan noted, also adding that the graduate program, not developed until the 1960s, now is home to 50 doctoral students and residents.
(09/09/08 4:54am)
While monthly donor giving to the University’s eight-year Capital Campaign decreased from $45 million in June to between $8 and $9 million in July, Robert Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs, said the Capital Campaign remains ahead of schedule and does not face any unusual hurdles at this time.As of the most recently audited totals from July, the campaign has received $1.743 billion, roughly 58 percent of its $3 billion goal for 2011, Sweeney said. In general, he said, the University receives about $25 to $30 million each month, but noted “the giving [often] does not come in equal amounts.” As a result, Sweeney said it is not uncommon to have a significant month such as this past June, followed by a month such as July, which featured a lesser donation total. Besides, Sweeney said, this fluctuating feature of the campaign could be expected, given the past giving history for certain months of the year.University President John T. Casteen, III stated in an e-mail that the summer months in particular are usually among the lowest in terms of donation totals, adding that they are not a reflection per se of the campaign as a whole.“This is an eight-year campaign,” Casteen stated. “We are just beyond halfway. No single month or even single fiscal quarter tells much of a story.” The country’s current economic situation, however, has had a big impact on the state of donor giving from month to month, because many people are more hesitant to give in rough times, according to Sweeney.“During economic downturns, the idea is to continue keeping visits with prospects, involving them, telling them about the needs of the University ... to have a consistently excellent program that is doing the right thing month after month,” Sweeney said, noting that the state of the economy does not affect how the University solicits potential donors. That being said, Casteen stated, the economy could still have a further impact on the campaign.“If the current slowdown evolves into a full-blown recession, most or all campaigns will fall behind their time lines — ours may,” he stated. He noted, though, that the University has not fallen behind on a giving timeline since 1990.Board of Visitors Secretary Sandy Gilliam also expressed a positive outlook, noting that Capital Campaign giving typically increases in October, November and December, as the end of the fiscal year approaches. Moreover, Sweeney said, the University still aggressively seeks donations and remains optimistic overall.“Are we ahead of the projection?” Sweeney questioned. “Are we where we need to be? I think we are.”
(08/27/08 9:55pm)
In addition to security measures already in place such as text-message and e-mail alerts, the University is implementing additional procedures and modes of communication to create a safer community more prepared for emergency situations.Currently, sirens are being installed around Grounds, allowing the University to alert students of emergency situations, Director of Emergency Preparedness Marjorie Sidebottom said. She added that the sirens are intended to prompt students to check their e-mail, cell phones and the University Web site for more information. The sirens are not yet operational, she said, but they are being placed around Grounds to cover the largest area possible. Proposed locations include North and Central Grounds as well as areas near the stadium, the South Lawn and health centers.She noted, however, that the sirens, which can be heard 360 degrees around the apparatus, are not designed to alert students to go inside or to explain the specifics of a situation.“The siren itself, if you hear it, should tell you to look at your text messaging and e-mail,” Sidebottom said, adding that the University Web site, as well as the LCD screens in Newcomb Hall, will also provide up-to-date information.To ensure efficiency, several tests will be done once the sirens have been installed to see if there is a large enough range, Sidebottom said. Students will be informed before any tests take place, she said. Looking into the best ways to communicate with students, the Office of Emergency Preparedness also recently has considered using instant messaging as well as Facebook. Prof. Ben Shneiderman from the University of Maryland, College Park is familiar with using social networking sites as emergency communication tools. An article he wrote in February 2007, just months before the shootings at Virginia Tech, led to discussion about emergency communication online, he said. The University of Maryland at College Park now has a Facebook group dedicated to emergency awareness, he added. In addition to considering how various technologies could help to create a safer atmosphere on Grounds, University officials and students are also working with first-year and transfer students to help acclimate them to their environment and inform them of University procedures in the event of an emergency situation. New students received a binder at orientation from Hoos Ready, a student-led safety awareness group, with “almost every phone number or link for emergency or safety information,” Sidebottom said. A procedures page, designed so new students and guests can accurately convey their location to the necessary professionals in case of emergency, was also posted in dormitories and will be placed around Grounds, she added. Incoming students were also told to inform their parents how to correctly respond in the event of an emergency, Sidebottom said, noting that parents should try to use e-mail and avoid calling the University in the case of an emergency so phone lines are not tied up. Further safety measures recently added around Grounds include a GPS system for University buses, which Sidebottom said allows students alone or in small groups to avoid waiting outside for extended periods of time. Crosswalks with lights have also been added.Sidebottom noted that there are always ways to improve emergency preparedness, and a majority of the ideas for improvements come from student input.
(08/23/08 7:07am)
The National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Environment Report Card recently revealed that although the University is not ranked as one of the top environmentally friendly schools nationally, it leads the commonwealth in its effort to support environmental sustainability.According to Mary Burnette, NWF associate director of communications, the report card was the final result of the NWF’s sustainability and environmental performance survey, which measured participating schools’ progress in terms of environmental operations, such as energy and water conservation, as well as institutions’ efforts to educate students about environmental issues.The goal of the survey was to “asses to see what progress has been made and review areas that need the most improvement” since the NWF last completed this report in 2001, Burnette said. While none of the 1,068 participating colleges and universities were graded individually, institutions were noted for having exemplary programs in certain areas.The University was given exemplary status in four of the survey’s 18 different categories, Burnette said, adding that the University had more exemplary categories then any other Virginia school. According to the report, the University received high marks for environmental goal setting, supporting and evaluating faculty, plans to do more with transportation programs and plans to do more with green landscaping.Julia Monteith, senior land use planner for the Office of the Architect, is very familiar with the type of survey the NWF utilized.“Our office has been involved with various different surveys that deal with sustainability,” she said, adding that most surveys tend have an angle that they pursue, so it is hard to compare results.According to Monteith, the University has multiple ways of looking out for the environment. One such way is through the University’s commitment to following the requirements of the Leadership in Energy Environmental Design building certification, as set by the U.S. Green Building Council, for buildings constructed on Grounds. Builders must document how the building is planned, designed and constructed, Moneith said.The University also looks for ways to conserve both energy and water, Monteith said. She noted that dining halls around Grounds are currently planning to begin composting and using locally grown food, as well as looking into alternative options other than using trays. As the University looks for new ways to “go green,” the NWF will also be using the survey’s results to put its Campus Ecology program to better use, working with institutions to help implement these environmental practices. “Part of [the] NWF Campus Ecology program is to work with schools to help implement these green practices,” Burnette said. “We see which schools and which areas are needing more support.”
(04/22/08 4:00am)
In just a few years, students strolling on Grounds -- and not just those on the Lawn -- may notice themselves literally stepping on or passing by history as a result of a project recently approved by the Board of Visitors.
(04/16/08 4:00am)
Beth Hellwig, one of three finalists for the dean of students position, addressed a group of faculty and students yesterday in the Dome Room of the Rotunda about how she could use her past experiences to accomplish her future goals if she is selected for the job.
(04/14/08 4:00am)
From the College to the Engineering School and extending to all arms of the University, there is neither much variation in the evaluation procedures that lead to raises in faculty salaries nor many differences in how a new hire's salary is determined. Nevertheless, setting faculty salaries is a nuanced process with many contributing factors influencing why one professor or administrator makes more than another.
(04/02/08 4:00am)
After a selection process involving tests, seminars and interviews, 47 prospective University students were offered admission to the University as Jefferson Scholars Monday.
(03/28/08 4:00am)
No fewer than six vehicles were the targets of an unidentified shooter or shooters in and around Interstate 64 in Albemarle County early Thursday morning, according to a Virginia State Police press release.
(03/21/08 4:00am)
Nursing School Dean Jeanette Lancaster spoke before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies last week, asking for increased funding for nursing education in the 2009 fiscal year budget.
(03/14/08 4:00am)
After 54 cases of mumps were reported during fall 2006 and winter 2007, University administrators were quick to warn students about two possible cases of the disease reported this week.
(03/12/08 4:00am)
Undergraduate student Steven Daniel Barber learned yesterday that his appeal to the University's College at Wise regarding his expulsion was denied. Barber recently was told he was not welcome on Wise's campus after the discovery of three guns in his car located on campus.
(02/27/08 5:00am)
As Internet transactions grow increasingly common, University Student Financial Services launched its new online payment system, QuikPay, on ISIS yesterday.
(02/22/08 5:00am)
The Corporation for National and Community Service recognized the University last week for its dedication to community service and welcomed it to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
(01/30/08 5:00am)
Virginia's population has grown by more than half a million residents since 2000, according to a report released Monday by the University's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. As the commonwealth's population increases, University administrators are preparing to accommodate a larger student body.
(11/30/07 5:00am)
The University Health System recently selected Claraview, a strategy and technology consulting firm, to develop a "data warehouse" that will be used to improve the quality of patient care and to maximize efficiency.
(11/28/07 5:00am)
Future soldiers could one day drive humvee-like vehicles featuring ballistic armor manufactured from an advanced material created in the University materials science and engineering department.
(11/16/07 5:00am)
Despite updates to the current Virginia Election and Registration Information System, several area registrars have voiced concerns about the system's ability to function adequately.
(10/31/07 4:00am)
In conjunction with Substance Abuse Awareness Week, Scott Swartzwelder, psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor at Duke University Medical Center, presented a lecture in the Special Collections Library last night titled "Dude: Where's My Car? Alcohol, Memory and the Brain." Coordinated by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team, Substance Abuse Awareness Week features a number of events organized through the combined effort of student groups to promote awareness about risky drinking behaviors.
(10/26/07 4:00am)
Through planning and advanced notice to voters, election officials and the University Department of Parking and Transportation hope to prevent a concert by the Police from interfering with voting in the upcoming elections.