On July 23, the University's Center for Politics will host Virginia politicians from the past and present for the 2004 General Assembly Project. The three panel discussions -- "Governing as a Citizen Legislature," hosted by former Virginia Gov.
This fall's entering first-year class will have more minority students and be better qualified academically than last year's, according to preliminary figures released by University officials last Thursday. Of the 3,165 students in the class of 2008 who have accepted offers of admission as of late June, 10 percent are black, 14 percent are Asian and Asian-American and 5 percent are Hispanic --- all 1 or 2 percentage point increases from last year. Valerie Gregory, director of the Minority Outreach Office and assistant dean of admission, said she was not surprised by the increase in minority acceptances, and said she hopes to see the numbers rise even more. Standardized test scores are also higher than last year, with combined SAT scores of the middle 50 percent in a range of between 1,250 and 1,430 points, an increase of 10 points on each end since last year. The increase in minority acceptances at the University is contrary to results seen at peer institutions such as the University of Michigan and University of California at Berkeley, both of which experienced decreases in minority acceptances. University officials attributed the greater diversity this year to increased numbers of minority and total applications, as well as strong efforts by the Minority Outreach Office which was aided by more funding. A total of 15,245 students applied for admission to the class of 2008, and 5,763 were offered admission. "This year there was more money available to do more traveling and reach out a little more," Gregory said.
While Arizona wildfires rage several thousand miles away from Charlottesville, University star-gazers are feeling the heat. The University is one of a number of other institutions nationally which own part of the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham, part of the National Park in the Pinaleno Mountains in Arizona.
At a special July 1 Charlottesville City Council meeting, first-term councilor David Brown was elected mayor.
After two weeks of showing at theaters nationwide, Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11" is still drawing lines outside of Charlottesville's own Vinegar Hill Theater.
The first members of the class of 2008 attended orientation last week, during the opening session, which began Thursday, July 1. It was the first of eight orientation sessions to be held this summer, plus one additional session that will be held in the fall, Summer Orientation Director Tabitha Enoch said. Enoch said there were only minor changes made to this year's orientation process. Incoming students will now meet with their orientation leader and group at the beginning of the first day, rather than at the end.
At a time when headlines such as "Study Shows Youth Vote Down" and "College Students Apathetic" are commonly seen in the newspaper, 20-year-old College of William & Mary student Serene Alami was trying to get involved with politics in her college town of Williamsburg. However, when Alami and three other students announced their intention to run for Williamsburg City Council in January and began recruiting students to register to vote, the city of Williamsburg began denying college students the right to register there. Last week, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Virginia Supreme Court to hear Alami's case. Alami, a college junior, works, lives and registers her car in Williamsburg, while her parents live in Roanoke.
In anticipation of House Bill 751, an amendment to Virginia's 1997 Affirmation of Marriage Act sponsored by Sen.
Rising University fourth year John Steve Catilo drowned in the Potomac River Friday morning while coaching a group of novice rowers. Catilo, who had been a member of the crew team at T.C.
Monroe Hill, a historic building located adjacent to Brown Residential College and former residence of President James Monroe, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 8.
The University community can now enjoy the "new Dell" located along Emmet Street, across from the Central Grounds Parking Garage. The "new Dell," which refers to the valley between Emmet Street and McCormick Road, was officially finished May 11, and showcased at a media briefing last Friday. The project, which began in April 2003, cost $1.2 million to complete, according to Dick Laurance, project director of the John Paul Jones Arena. The pond, though aesthetically pleasing, serves a functional purpose, Laurance said. "It is part of the University-wide storm water management project," Laurance said.
Monday was the last obligatory City Council meeting for Charlottesville Mayor Maurice Cox and Vice Mayor Meredith Richards.
Capt. Humayun S. Khan, CLAS 2000, became the first U.Va. alumnus to die in Iraq on June 8 when two Jordanian suicide bombers detonated a car bomb in front of the forward supply base, Camp Warhorse, in Baquaba, Iraq, where Khan was stationed and assigned to perimeter protection. On the morning he was killed, Khan spotted a vehicle with Jordanian plates and painted like a taxi traveling erratically through traffic.
The University's Institute on Aging recently awarded $150,000 in grants for pilot research projects to six University faculty members. "Over the past century science has extended the life expectancy of humans and now the Institute on Aging wants to improve the quality of life during those extra years," said John Lach, electrical and computer engineering professor and grant recipient. The Institute began to advertise applications for the pilot project grants, designed to stimulate research on topics related to aging, in March, Director Timothy Salthouse said. The Institute received 41 applications from 40 different disciplines and over 100 people throughout the University, Institute Administrator Sara Agre said. Agre and Salthouse, along with the Institute's advisory board, narrowed the applications down to six projects that would each receive a portion of the $150,000 total awarded. "We were looking for projects that were likely to generate data that would eventually result in successful applications for external funding," Agre said. A pilot or preliminary project is the first step in receiving a research grant, Salthouse said. "You first have to demonstrate that your ideas are feasible when applying for a research grant," he added. The recipients will spend the next year, beginning July 1, using their pilot grants preparing to apply for research grants which can be up to three times as much as the original amount awarded, Salthouse said. Agre explained each project's budget was addressed and evaluated to determine what percentage of $150,000 each group would receive. The six recipients of the grants are Prof.
Representatives from across the state convened in Charlottesville last weekend to learn from each other about preparing for and preventing natural disasters at the very first Virginia Hazard Mitigation Summit, hosted at the University June 16 through 18. More than 100 local and state government officials, community leaders and emergency management officials attended the conference in Newcomb Hall that addressed issues such as avoiding loss of life in the event of a disaster, keeping costs low and recovering quickly from disasters.
An ambitious fundraising campaign, faculty recruitment and future construction on Grounds were among the topics presented to and discussed by the University's Board of Visitors June 11 and 12 in the board room of the Rotunda.
Last Saturday evening, the University Art Museum celebrated the 30-year anniversary of its reopening with its Exquisite Collage event that doubled as a fundraiser. In addition to a display of 20 paintings by Monty Montgomery of Cilli Designs, guests enjoyed four food themes, dancing and live music by DJ After Dark. The event "was a kick-off celebration," event manager Mike Alexander said.
Current and future construction projects on Grounds were the focus points of the "U.Va. Today Community Briefing," held Tuesday evening in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom. About 100 community members and University employees attended the event, hosted by the University's Community Relations Department. "It is a forum designed to help residents know about [the University's] thoughts for the future," Director of Community Relations Ida Lee Wootten said. University Architect David J.
Last week's headline "Second phase of Aquatic and Fitness Center open to public" mistakenly suggested that the facility addition is open to use by the general public.
In a strong show of support for the Special Committee on Diversity's recommendation to establish a chief officer for diversity and equity at the University, President John T.
