Fall 2008
Features
New World Views
Did you know Virginia was once believec to be only a 10-day march from the Sea of China? An exhibit at the Special Collections Library shows how views of North America evolved as navigation, printing and cartography advanced.
The University and the Civil War
Nick Taylor’s debut novel, The Disagreement, is set at the University’s Medical School during the tumult of the Civil War.
The Vanished Prince
Howard Scherry’s life direction was determined early on, when as a student he encountered the words of the legendary aviator and author.
The Tibetan Connection
The people and culture of Tibet have been a part of the UVA community for decades, and a new center provides a fresh link to an area of growing international focus.
Behind the Scenes
At an institution as large as UVA, it’s easy to forget that it consists of many individually moving parts. We profile a few of the 13,500 employees who keep the University humming every day.
A Balm for Burns
Burn victims suffer a unique agony. The pain of their injury is compounded by the rigorous cleansing required to ward off infection, a common and often fatal complication.
A Walk on the Lawn
Nearly 6,400 degrees were conferred during Final Exercises on May 18. For the first time in University history, more than 10 percent of the graduates were international students.
The Big Picture
A new video board will be installed in Scott Stadium in time for the 2009 football season.
The Power of Rice
In villages throughout India, huge piles of rice husks—a byproduct of rice milling—sit slowly rotting. Proving the old adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, two Darden students have started a business that uses these discarded but plentiful rice husks as fuel for two generators that are providing power to about 10,000 rural Indians.
Admission Dean to Retire in 2009
Three decades and 451,908 applications later, Blackburn, 66, has announced that he will retire in June 2009.
Fighting Fair
A bipartisan panel of statesmen, scholars and military experts convened by UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs has issued a call to change the process by which the nation’s leaders address decisions about going to war.
Chinese Spoken Here
While Elizabeth Wesner was filling out her application to the Curry School of Education in 2004, she felt like something was missing. When asked to indicate which language she wanted to be certified to teach, she created her own box and wrote "Chinese."
Q&A
Darden professor and former economist for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Ronald T. Wilcox examines the causes and consequences of America’s aversion to saving
University Notes
A round-up of news briefs from around the University.
Say Hello to the Future
A number of key leadership positions have been filled in recent months around Grounds. The following is a brief introduction to the people who will help guide the University in coming years.
Sports Shorts
Dawn Staley becomes head women's basketball coach at the University of South Carolina, Angela Hucles qualifies for the Summer Olympics, and other stories.
Making Sport of Water
Such is the appeal of water sports—dancing on the thin line between two elements, riding on surface tension, moving faster on water than legs can travel on land.
Basketball Beats Ballet
The world of ballet might be a better place if Debbie Ryan (Grad ’77) had made a different choice as a child, but the world of basketball would be poorer.
Fountain of Youth
This year, a bumper crop of talented young players—eight in all, including two from the Netherlands—makes the odds good for a threepeat.
A Tackle to Remember
Dombrowski also became pretty good at football. He played a central role in UVA’s success in the 1980s, including Virginia’s first bowl game, a 27-24 victory over Purdue in the 1984 Peach Bowl.
No Country for Slow Players
Becky Sauerbrunn (Col ’08) will remember her first international soccer match for all the right reasons—and one she’d just as soon forget.
New & Notable
Nine new books from alumni and faculty.
Comic Wizard
He points out the stigma attached to comic books—that it’s for geeky kids with Coke-bottle glasses and pocket protectors—is out the window.
Mom’s the Word
They just felt compelled to create a magazine that, as thinking mothers, they would want to read.
A Long Paper Trail
A 40-year effort by UVA to acquire the papers of Harlem Renaissance poet Anne Spencer finally met with success in June.
1825–1939: The Anatomical Theatre
Thomas Jefferson designed the Anatomical Theatre in 1825.
Tomorrow Takes Shape
President Casteen discusses new deans and other administrators joining the University in 2008.
Crossing the Aisle
Virginia was a smaller state in 1968, and its politics had been one-party Democratic for the previous swath of the 20th century.
Admission FAQs
How does the University regard transfer students, particularly those from community colleges?
Teen Angst and Parental Stress
For those of us who fear that all our efforts to raise our children to be bright, polite and responsible have failed miserably, Peter Sheras has a message: Don’t give up.
R&D In Brief
Hillary Bart-Smith works on an autonomous undersea vehicle based on manta rays, Laura Galloway analyzes the maternal effect in plants and more.
Tapping Into the Brain
Cognitive science professor Dennis Proffitt works on a new device to help patients with paralysis communicate.
Lost Flower Power
A study by UVA researchers suggests that air pollution may be a cause for the decline in populations of pollinating insects, including bees.
Post-Combat Care
UVA plastic surgeon Adam Katz finds new applications for a fat grafting procedure.
Learning the Ropes—and Stairs
First-year orientation helps air anxieties, build sense of community.
