Three University of Virginia faculty members have been named among the top 25 education scholars influencing public policy, and a half-dozen others made the 200-person list of the most influential education scholars in the country.
Carol Tomlinson tops all UVA faculty in her influence over national education policy.
Carol Tomlinson, William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor in the Curry School of Education, was ranked No. 16, and Curry Dean Robert Pianta came in at No. 20 in the “Rich Hess Straight Up Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings,” published annually by Education Week. The rankings recognize faculty members who “contribute most substantially to public debates about education,” based upon a point system that Hess developed.
Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology in the College of Arts & Sciences and a faculty affiliate of Curry’s Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, came in at No. 23.
The influential scholars also included a host from the Curry School’s Education Policy program, including University Professor of Economics & Education Sarah Turner (No. 143), Assistant Professor Benjamin Castleman (No. 159), Professor of Education Policy Jim Wyckoff (No. 161) and Assistant Professor Daphna Bassok (No. 187).
Educational leadership scholar Michelle Young, professor and director of the University Council for Educational Administration, was ranked 145.
Curry’s higher education program was represented by No. 104 Josipa Roksa, associate professor and associate director of the Curry School’s Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
Nursing Professor Earns Health System’s MLK Award
School of Nursing Assistant Professor Joel Anderson received UVA Health System’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award at a ceremony held Jan. 18.
Joel Anderson is the second consecutive School of Nursing faculty member to win the award.
The award, presented annually to a School of Medicine, School of Nursing or Medical Center faculty or staff member who best embodies King’s values, recognizes exceptional abilities in areas of cultural competence, health care disparities and fostering an environment of caring, diversity and inclusivity.
Anderson, who teaches statistics to graduate and undergraduate nursing students, studies non-pharmacologic interventions for symptom management and care-giver support with an emphasis on dementia care. A new member of UVA Nursing’s Aging Research Team, he studies the psycho-social impacts of dementia care-giving in an effort to develop tailored intervention strategies to alleviate care-giver burden.
Galloway Earns Thomas Jefferson Award for Conservation
The Virginia Museum of Natural History will present its Thomas Jefferson Award for Conservation to James N. Galloway, Sidman P. Poole Professor of Environmental Sciences, in recognition of his significant conservation efforts. Much of his research has focused on the cumulative impact of human-generated reactive nitrogen in the environment – and bringing it to the attention of policymakers and the public.
The museum’s 29th annual Thomas Jefferson Awards ceremony will be held March 24 at the Wayne Theater in Waynesboro. The awards honor individuals and corporations for outstanding contributions to natural science and natural science education.
Governor Awards BLAST Program for STEM Education Efforts
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium’s Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology, or BLAST, program – a joint effort of a partnership between the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the commonwealth of Virginia – received the 2016 “Programs That Work” award from the Virginia Mathematics & Science Coalition. The award recognizes exemplary science and integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs that show a positive impact on student or teacher learning.
BLAST’s award was one of 12 that Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe presented on behalf of the coalition during a Jan. 19 reception held at the Library of Virginia in Richmond.
BLAST participants test their earthquake-resistant designs during a recent summer program.
Since 2013, the BLAST program has offered a free, three-day, residential, summer experience in science, technology, engineering and math for rising ninth- and 10th-grade Virginia students at UVA and Virginia Tech. To date, 632 students have engaged in team-based activities designed to solve engineering and scientific challenges under the guidance of university faculty and students.
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium is a coalition of Virginia universities, state agencies, NASA centers and other Virginia institutions with a strong interest in STEM education, research and workforce development.
Brain-Immune System Study Among Top 10 Research Papers of ’15
A much-discussed UVA-led research paper outlining a previously unknown connection between the body’s brain and immune system has been named one of the top 10 research papers of the year by an autism advocacy group.
The science staff and scientific advisory board at Autism Speaks selected “Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels,” published in the prestigious journal Nature, for its list. The paper’s lead author, Jonathan Kipnis, a professor in UVA’s Department of Neuroscience, directs the Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, and the discovery was made possible by the work of Antoine Louveau, a postdoctoral fellow in Kipnis’ lab.
“This is a seminal study because it further reveals the machinery that connects the immune system and the nervous system,” said Daniel Smith, Autism Speaks’ vice president for innovative technology. “Crosstalk between those systems may go awry in autism, and we are now more empowered than ever to understand how and why.”
Science magazine also named the discovery as one of 10 finalists for the biggest scientific discovery of 2015.
Only UVA Faculty Win IES Grant Awards in Both Pre-K, Higher Ed
The Institute of Education Sciences recently announced it would fund projects in two targeted areas of research: pre-kindergarten and higher education. UVA’s Curry School of Education is the only institution with faculty members winning grant awards in both.
With $5 million of funding from IES, Curry School Dean Robert Pianta and his team will conduct a school division-wide study of the policies and practices that support learning in PK-3 classes. Their research, beginning this fall and continuing through 2021, will take place in the Fairfax County Public School division, the 11th-largest in the U.S. with more than 2,000 pre-kindergarten students enrolled.
The research team will pay particularly close attention to instructional experiences and other resources for learning present in pre-K and elementary classrooms for the large group of low-income, immigrant and dual-language learners in the Fairfax schools.
“Our goal is to understand what happens in pre-kindergarten and elementary classes that leads to sustained academic and social success, particularly for learners from diverse backgrounds,” Pianta said. “To do that, we need to watch and see the classroom resources present for children and how these students do in first, second and third grades.”
To date, Ben Castleman’s research has focused on how the use of low-cost, highly personalized text messages improves the rate of high school graduates enrolling in college.
With nearly $4 million of funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, Castleman, a Curry assistant professor, and partners at Stanford University, Harvard University and Persistence Plus will study how mobile technology can also be used to improve college completion rates at open-enrollment institutions.
“We see in recent research that many college students who withdraw from their institution complete most of the credits they need to graduate before dropping out,” Castleman said.
Partnering with postsecondary systems and universities in New York, Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Washington, Castleman and his team will target currently enrolled students at broad-access, two- and four-year institutions who have completed at least half of the credits typically required for graduation and who exhibit risk factors for not graduating on time. Students will receive personalized text messages containing information, nudges and guidance about concrete steps they can take to earn their degrees. In some partner sites, students will also have access to dedicated advisers who will provide further customized support.
The project is set to begin this fall and continue through 2020.
National Association Taps Two Biomedical Engineers as Fellows
Shayn Peirce-Cottler
The new fellows will be inducted April 4 at the institute’s 25th annual meeting, to be held in Washington.
Peirce-Cottler was cited for “outstanding contributions to multi-scale computational modeling of tissue growth and adaptation,” according to the institution’s announcement.
Papin was recognized for “outstanding contributions to the development and application of computational methods to biochemical networks in metabolic engineering and infectious disease,” the institute wrote.
Jason Papin
205 UVA Physicians Honored on ‘Best Doctors in America’ List
The 2015-16 “Best Doctors in America” list, published by Best Doctors Inc., includes 205 UVA Health System physicians as among the best in their respective fields.
Approximately 5 percent of U.S. physicians earn this award, according to Best Doctors Inc. The honor is based on a confidential survey of more than 40,000 physicians who have been named to the most recent edition of Best Doctors in America.
Survey recipients are asked: “If you or a loved one needed a doctor in your specialty, to whom would you refer?” Survey results are then reviewed and verified by Best Doctors to assemble the final listing.
“We are pleased to see so many of our physicians recognized for the high-quality, excellent care they provide together with team members from throughout UVA Health System,” said Dr. David S. Wilkes, dean of the UVA School of Medicine.
The UVA physicians honored on the 2015-16 list, in alphabetical order:
- Mark F. Abel, Pediatric Specialist
- Reid Barton Adams, Surgery and Surgical Oncology
- Gerald Thomas Albrecht, Pediatric Specialist
- Alan P. Alfano, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Bennett A. Alford, Pediatric Specialist and Radiology
- Mark W. Anderson, Radiology
- Stacey M. Anderson, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- J. Fritz Angle, Radiology
- Ashok R. Asthagiri, Neurological Surgery
- Kristen A. Atkins, Pathology
- Kenneth A. Ballew, Internal Medicine
- John Barcia, Pediatric Specialist
- Barrett H. Barnes, Pediatric Specialist
- Eugene J. Barrett, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Robert W. Battle, Cardiovascular Disease
- Daniel M. Becker, Internal Medicine
- James D. Bergin, Cardiovascular Disease
- David L. Bogdonoff, Anesthesiology
- W. Kline Bolton, Nephrology
- Stephen M. Borowitz, Pediatric Specialist
- Christiana M. Brenin, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Steve F. Brockmeier, Orthopedic Surgery
- Thomas E. Brown, Orthopedic Surgery
- James A. Browne, Orthopedic Surgery
- Ted M. Burns, Neurology
- Christine Burt Solorzano, Pediatric Specialist
- Stephen H. Caldwell, Hepatology
- Leigh Cantrell, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Jeannean Carver, Pediatric Specialist
- Catherine F. Casey, Family Medicine
- Jennifer E. Charlton, Pediatric Specialist
- Kenneth J. Cherry Jr., Vascular Surgery
- Abhinav (Bobby) Chhabra, Orthopedic Surgery and Hand Surgery
- Christian A. Chisholm, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Karl T. Clebak, Family Medicine
- Brian P. Conway, Ophthalmology
- Thomas G. Cropley, Dermatology
- Quanjun "Trey" Cui, Orthopedic Surgery
- Alan Dalkin, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Kelly M. Davidson, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- John Densmore, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Paul Diamond, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- David R. Diduch, Orthopedic Surgery
- Patrick Michael Dillon, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Gerald R. Donowitz, Infectious Disease
- Michael Douvas, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- David B. Drake, Plastic Surgery
- Robert Dreicer, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Donald J. Dudley, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Kimberly P. Dunsmore, Pediatric Specialist
- Charles G. Durbin Jr., Critical Care Medicine
- Linda R. Duska, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- William Jeffrey Elias, Neurological Surgery
- Gina G. Davis Engel, Family Medicine
- Avery Jennings Evans, Radiology
- William S. Evans, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Karen Diane Fairchild, Pediatric Specialist
- James E. (Jef) Ferguson II, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Nathan Benjamin Fountain, Neurology
- Charles M. Friel, Colon and Rectal Surgery
- Deborah K. Froh, Pediatric Specialist
- Thomas J. Gampper, Pediatric Specialist and Plastic Surgery
- John Day Gazewood, Family Medicine
- Joyce B. Geilker, Internal Medicine
- Myla D. Goldman, Neurology
- Howard P. Goodkin, Pediatric Specialist
- Matthew J. Goodman, Internal Medicine
- Kenneth E. Greer, Dermatology
- William W. Grosh, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Leigh B. Grossman, Pediatric Specialist and Infectious Disease
- Elliott C. Haley Jr., Neurology
- Miriam E. Halpern, Pediatric Specialist
- Peter S. Ham, Family Medicine
- William G. Harmon, Pediatric Specialist
- Madaline Harrison, Neurology
- Jennifer Harvey, Radiology
- George T. Hashisaki, Otolaryngology
- Ziv J. Haskal, Radiology
- Fern Hauck, Family Medicine
- Evan Heald, Internal Medicine
- Steven Heim, Family Medicine
- Ira Marie Helenius, Internal Medicine
- C. D. Anthony Herndon, Pediatric Specialist
- Peter W. Heymann, Pediatric Specialist
- Kathie L. Hullfish, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- John Jane Jr., Pediatric Specialist
- Jeffrey G. Jenkins, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Mary Elizabeth Jensen, Radiology
- Karen C. Johnston, Neurology
- David E. Jones, Neurology
- Kambiz Kalantari, Nephrology
- David Kaufman, Pediatric Specialist
- John Allen Kern, Thoracic Surgery
- Bradley William Kesser, Otolaryngology
- Tamila L. Kindwall-Keller, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Susan E. Kirk, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Benjamin D. Kozower, Thoracic Surgery
- Christopher Kramer, Cardiovascular Disease
- Arun Krishnaraj, Radiology
- Irving L. Kron, Vascular Surgery and Thoracic Surgery
- Charles N. Landen, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Susan Laurie, Internal Medicine
- Kenneth V. Leone, Neurology
- Mark Lepsch, Family Medicine
- Paul A. Levine, Otolaryngology
- D. Scott Lim, Pediatric Specialist
- Kant Yuan-Kai Lin, Pediatric Specialist
- Kenneth C. Liu, Neurological Surgery
- Zhenqi Liu, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Andrew Lockman, Family Medicine
- Thomas P. Loughran Jr., Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Carl Lynch III, Anesthesiology
- Barbara Gail Macik, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- John MacKnight, Internal Medicine
- John C. Marshall, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Gabrielle Marzani-Nissen, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry
- G. Paul Matherne, Pediatric Specialist
- Alan H. Matsumoto, Radiology
- Karen Maughan, Family Medicine
- Anthony McCall, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Daniel F. McCarter, Family Medicine
- Christopher McCartney, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Nancy L. McDaniel, Pediatric Specialist
- Eugene D. McGahren, Pediatric Specialist
- Timothy E. McLaughlin, Family Medicine
- Mark D. Miller, Orthopedic Surgery
- Stacey E. Mills, Pathology
- Susan C. Modesitt, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Peter A. Netland, Ophthalmology
- Steven A. Newman, Ophthalmology
- Victoria F. Norwood, Pediatric Specialist
- Mark D. Okusa, Nephrology
- Edward H. Oldfield, Neurological Surgery
- M. Norman Oliver, Family Medicine
- Jayashree Parekh, Nuclear Medicine
- Joe S. Park, Orthopedic Surgery
- Stephen S. Park, Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology
- James W. Patterson, Dermatology and Pathology
- Spencer C. Payne, Otolaryngology
- Richard D. Pearson, Infectious Disease
- William Petri, Infectious Disease
- Lawrence H. Phillips II, Neurology
- JoAnn Pinkerton, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Thomas A. E. Platts-Mills, Allergy and Immunology
- George D. Politis, Pediatric Specialist
- Susan Pollart, Family Medicine
- Maria G. Portilla, Eating Disorders and Pediatric Specialist
- Barbara Tyl Post, Internal Medicine
- Benjamin W. Purow, Pediatric Specialist and Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Mark S. Quigg, Neurology
- Michael Ragosta, Cardiovascular Disease
- Sean Reed, Family Medicine
- Patrice K. Rehm, Radiology
- David Repaske, Pediatric Specialist
- Karen S. Rheuban, Pediatric Specialist
- George Rich, Anesthesiology
- Tyvin Andrew Rich, Radiation Oncology
- Bradley Moreland Rodgers, Thoracic Surgery and Pediatric Specialist
- Mark J. Romness, Pediatric Specialist
- C. Edward Rose, Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine
- Mitchell H. Rosner, Nephrology
- John C. Rowlingson, Anesthesiology
- Mark A. Russell, Dermatology
- Michael Salerno, Cardiovascular Disease
- Richard Santen, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- William Michael Scheld, Infectious Disease
- David Schiff, Neurology
- Bruce D. Schirmer, Surgery
- Christopher I. Shaffrey, Orthopedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery
- Mark E. Shaffrey, Neurological Surgery
- Jason Sheehan, Neurological Surgery
- Frank H. Shen, Orthopedic Surgery
- Adam L. Shimer, Orthopedic Surgery
- Costi D. Sifri, Infectious Disease
- Robert A. Sinkin, Pediatric Specialist
- David Craig Slawson, Family Medicine
- Craig Slingluff, Surgical Oncology
- Justin S. Smith, Neurological Surgery
- Diane G. Snustad, Geriatric Medicine and Internal Medicine
- Michael C. Spaeder, Pediatric Specialist
- Richard Stevenson, Pediatric Specialist
- Mark H. Stoler, Pathology
- James L. Sutphen, Pediatric Specialist
- Jonathan R. Swanson, Pediatric Specialist
- Angela M. Taylor, Cardiovascular Disease
- W. Gerald Teague Jr., Pediatric Specialist
- Curtis G. Tribble, Thoracic Surgery
- Amy L. Tucker, Cardiovascular Disease
- Ronald B. Turner, Pediatric Specialist
- Gilbert Rivers Upchurch Jr., Vascular Surgery
- Mary Lee Vance, Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Dennis G. Vollmer, Neurological Surgery
- Linda A. Waggoner-Fountain, Pediatric Specialist
- David B. Weiss, Orthopedic Surgery
- Lynda T. Wells, Pediatric Specialist and Anesthesiology
- Mark R. Wick, Pathology
- Robert Phillips Wilder, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Michael E. Williams, Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Barbara B. Wilson, Dermatology
- William Grady Wilson, Medical Genetics and Pediatric Specialist
- Brian Wispelwey, Infectious Disease
- Andrew M. D. Wolf, Geriatric Medicine and Internal Medicine
- G. Frederick Wooten Jr., Neurology
- Bradford Worrall, Neurology
- Pearl Lee Yu, Pediatric Specialist
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February 2, 2016
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