Venture summit brings in businesses

A collection of some of the nation's top venture capitalist firms, including many of their senior managing partners, came to Charlottesville last Thursday and Friday for the University's Venture Summit, a one-and-a-half day program organized by the Office of the Vice President for Research. The program consisted of a variety of event intended to establish the University as a global destination for technology-based ventures, Vice President for Research Tom Skalak said.

Research leads to tumor treatment

New radio technology - known as Gamma Knife eXtend - will make it easier to treat large brain tumors and tumors near sensitive brain components. The technology has a re-locatable frame without pins that can be used directly on the patient, meaning it does not require a rigid frame fixation, said Jason Sheehan, associate professor of neurological surgery and radio oncology at the University.

Community airs budget concerns

Charlottesville City Council held a public forum Wednesday night to allow residents to discuss the city's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011. The discussion largely focused on the budget's allocation of $10 million to various nonprofit organizations.

Research shows hand sanitizers more effective against cold

University Medical School researchers concluded Wednesday that hand sanitizing is more effective against fighting the common cold than hand washing. The research, fully funded by The Dial Corporation in Scottsdale, Ariz., was divided into two experiments. During the first experiment, researchers placed a virus on volunteers' hands and asked them to clean their hands either using water, using soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. "While the hand washing removed the virus, [it] is statistically significantly worse than hand sanitizers [used] just for removal of viruses from hands," said Pediatrics Prof.

Widespread cheating leads to honor forum

The Honor Committee sponsored a forum last night to discuss ethical academic responsibility and the differences between faculty and student expectations of academic ethical principles. The forum was held in the wake of strong faculty and student response to the statistical analysis of the final examination results for PHYS 142E, held in spring 2008.

Award honors Sandridge

[caption id="attachment_33948" align="alignleft" width="274" caption="Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will have his name attached to the University Department of Human Resource's Outstanding Contribution Award.

Brightman steps down as manager of endowment fund

Christopher Brightman, CEO of the University of Virginia Investment Management Company, which manages the University's endowment, has resigned for unspecified personal reasons. According to Pensions & Investments, a financial newsletter, Brightman said he plans to return to the investment management industry in the future. "I have the utmost regard for the staff and board of UVIMCO," Brightman said.

Councils celebrate the arts

[caption id="attachment_33879" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Student Council, together with the Arts & Sciences Council, will assist in putting on a celebration of women and the arts Saturday.

Policy talks draw leaders to Grounds

Experts from China, France and the United States convened on Grounds for a three-day conference that ended yesterday to discuss how non-governmental organizations help to shape public health polices. The Trilateral Conference on HIV/AIDS and Public Health Access, hosted in Newcomb Hall's South Meeting Room, was co-sponsored by the University's Center for International Studies and the Paris-based Institute for Research and Debate on Governance, an organization that in part aims to analyze the interaction taking place between NGOs and state authorities, especially through forums such as the one on Grounds, according to the conference proposal. "A Franco-Chinese forum was organized in Beijing in 2007 concerning the role of NGOs in education and health care," the conference proposal states.

Engineering School hosts academic ethics discussion

The Engineering School will host a forum focused on "ethics and academic life" today from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

City officials narrow down FY 2011 budget proposals

Charlottesville City Council is in the process of amending City Manager Gary O'Connell's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal of about $140.8 million, which is about $1.7 million lower than the fiscal year 2010 budget. "Much of the challenge in developing the FY 2011 Proposed Budget was balancing revenues and expenditures given the decreases in local revenues and state funding, and the needs to maintain quality services," according to the proposal. Leslie Beauregard, director of Budget and Performance Management, said the city must cut some expenditures because several revenue sources have declined.

Amazing But True

House passes health care reform package

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to provide health care to 32 million uninsured Americans in a 219-212 vote Sunday, with all Republicans in opposition.

UJC holds first public mock trial

[caption id="attachment_33860" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The University Judiciary Committee staged an open mock trial Monday evening in Newcomb Ballroom.

City cannot enforce snow removal fines

A local judge ruled last week that the City of Charlottesville does not have the legal authority to enforce a local ordinance that brings criminal charges against parties for not clearing their sidewalks of snow immediately, according to state code. After this winter's barrage of snow storms in the area - which ultimately cost the University $1 million in dealing with the aftermath - some local residents and businesses had been facing fines for not shoveling their sidewalks within 12 hours after the snow ceased falling, City spokesperson Ric Barrick said.