Academic Notes

Brain Drain?

A new study indicates that some cognitive skills peak at the age of 22, then begin a slow decline a few years later. Timothy Salthouse, a UVA professor of psychology, conducted a seven-year study that indicated a decline in measures of abstract reasoning, brain speed and puzzle-solving at 27.

Computer Labs Booted

The Division of Information Technology and Communication will phase out public computer labs by the summer of 2011. Ninety-nine percent of undergraduates own laptops, officials say, and lab space can be used for academic purposes.

Hospital in Top 100, Again

The UVA Medical Center is one of 15 major teaching hospitals to be ranked among the nation’s top 100 hospitals, according to a study by Thomson Reuters. This is the eighth year the Medical Center, one of just two hospitals in the state to be selected, has received the honor.