News

Casteens give $500,000 for scholarships

University President John T. Casteen, III and his wife, Betsy Foote Casteen, have given a $500,000 gift to endow scholarships for the children of University employees, Capital Campaign Chairman Gordon Rainey announced Saturday at the Campaign's gala. The gift, implementation of which was given to the Board of Visitors, will be added to other contributions to create an endowment to be used in the future, Casteen said. The gift will be used to attract faculty members to the University who might be dealing with college costs for their children or buying a home, Casteen said. "I'm trying to hire faculty that have established reputations but are in their middle years ... [when] the issue of not having this kind of support regularly turns up," he said.

U.Va. lands on list of most fit college campuses in nation

Men's Fitness magazine has ranked the University of Virginia 11th on its list of the top-25 fittest college campuses in America in its second annual survey. Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa.

Friends remember U.Va. student Elizabeth Hafter

The University lost a model student and a selfless, compassionate friend when graduate Education student Elizabeth "Lizzy" Hafter became a victim of homicide over the weekend, friends of Hafter said. The FBI confirmed yesterday that Hafter's body was discovered Sunday on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Augusta County, Va.

University alumnus appointed to Justice Dept. post

University alumnus William Moschello (CLAS '90) was recently appointed the U.S. Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General. The principal associate deputy attorney general is the chief associate to the deputy attorney general, who advises the attorney general on policy matters. "I'm the number one who reports to the deputy," Moschello said. Before being appointed to this position, Moschello said he served as the assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, which is a Senate confirmed position. According to Moschello, in his previous position he worked on crafting the renewal of the USA PATRIOT Act of 2005, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. "Will is a very good lawyer who is a prodigious worker and has a wonderful demeanor that puts everyone at ease," said Kyle Sampson, chief of staff at the Department of Justice.

Singing out Strong

Law professors receive distinction

The University Board of Visitors, in conjunction with the University Law School, recently appointed Kenneth S.

Greek Week undergoes changes

Members of the Inter-Fraternity Council, Inter-Sorority Council, National Panhellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council joined together in initiating changes to the annual Greek Week festivities, which took place last week.

Diversity: Will It Top the Charts?

As the University works to maintain its status as a top school among both private and public universities, it is embarking on a new strategy to improve its national rankings.

Reported death shakes community

Students were stunned last night as they reacted to the reported murder of Curry School Graduate student, Elizabeth Hafter.

City Council to support property tax adjustment bill

City Council members decided to support a state bill that would allow Charlottesville officials to tax residential properties at lower rates than commercial properties at last night's meeting. The bill, introduced in the House of Delegates in January by Dels.

Honor Committee to host community forum

The Honor Committee recently discussed plans for a community forum meeting to be held Oct. 15 in the Rotunda Dome Room. According to A-J Aronstein, vice chair for community relations, the meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be "a normal Committee meeting, but basically we will have it be really informative instead of debating things," Aronstein said. Unlike normal Committee meetings, a closed session will not follow the open meeting.

Allen: debate should move past allegations

Last night Sen. George Allen, R-Va., gave a two-minute television address in an effort to redirect coverage of his campaign for Senate reelection against opponent, Jim Webb.

JMU plans to cut 10 athletic programs

On Friday James Madison University's board of visitors approved a plan to bring the JMU Athletics program in compliance with Title IX, by cutting 10 of the school's 28 athletic programs.

Reports: student missing, man wanted

NBC29 News reported late last night that a manhunt is underway for William Ashby, a Georgia man who is wanted in conjunction with an apparent homicide on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Augusta County.

Professional football players Tiki, Ronde Barber host gala attended by major Campaign contributors, over 1,100 alumni

Truly a red carpet affair at John Paul Jones Arena, Saturday night's gala played host to major Capital Campaign contributors and over 1,100 alumni. Hosted by Tiki and Ronde Barber, the gala was an evening of "homegrown" entertainment, according to Christine Gustason, chair of the Campaign Gala Committee. According to Gustason, she and the committee worked on the endeavor for nearly 16 months, researching the records and writings of Thomas and Martha Jefferson and interweaving what they found into the night's festivities. "Everything that you will see tonight, including the menu, is inspired by Jefferson's writings," she said. The black-tie affair was an effort to recognize the various contributions made to the University by both donors and volunteers. "The point of the gala is to honor the donors and have a chance to bring everyone together that's been working so hard to raise money for the University," said Gustason, adding that the evening was also a time "to celebrate, to have a chance to really say this is a wonderful place, this is a fabulous opportunity and bring everyone together ... to celebrate that we've raised one billion dollars." One Campaign contributor, Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, was specifically recognized during the evening.

Teammates disagree on Allen accusations

Was U.S. Sen. George Allen a racist or a well-read Civil War buff when he attended the University as an undergraduate over 30 years ago?

University kicks off $3 billion Capital Campaign

Fall wasn't the only thing that arrived in Charlottesville this past weekend. Thousands of alumni descended upon Grounds as the Board of Visitors launched the public phase of the University's Capital Campaign, a $3 billion fundraising initiative aimed at establishing the University as a "privately funded public institution." With over 50 special events planned, including a fireworks show over the Rotunda and a gala event playing host to nearly 1,100 invited guests, the kickoff attracted famous alumni faces such as Tiki and Ronde Barber, Katie Couric and Paul Tudor Jones, the son of the namesake of the University's new basketball arena. "I'm just really very happy I could be a part of this," Couric said.

Board of Visitors votes for divestment from Sudan

Last Friday the University's Board of Visitors approved the divestment of funds in corporations that do business with Sudan. Following both the U.S.

Retired prof. earns first Jefferson Scholars Award

Retired University History Prof. Norman Graebner was honored Friday with the inaugural Jefferson Scholars Foundation Award for Excellence. Before receiving the award, Graebner presented a lecture titled, "Realism Amid the Perils of Partiality." The lecture and award presentation were part of this weekend's festivities surrounding the official launch of the University's Capital Campaign. "It is fitting that as the University is embarking on this campaign to secure its place as a global leader among the centers of learning, we should hear from one of the most distinguished professors," noted Doug Holladay, chair of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation Board of Directors. Graebner taught at the University from 1967 until 1986 and was named the Randolph P.

Three new students report suspected cases of mumps

Three more cases of mumps infections are suspected in University students. These cases are in addition to the two cases reported last week. All three cases are currently being investigated by the Health Department, Student Health Director James Turner said.