The University of Virginia is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review, scoring 93 of a possible 99 points in its methodology.

The education services company features UVA in its website resource, “The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2022 Edition,” released last week.

The Princeton Review chose the 420 schools in the guide based on its survey of administrators at 835 colleges in 2020-21 about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. The company’s editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points to select the schools.

“We strongly recommend the University of Virginia to students who care about the environment want to study and live at a green college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “UVA offers excellent academics and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that is exemplary on many counts.”  

Franek noted that The Princeton Review has seen an increasing level of interest among students in attending colleges with green practices, programs and offerings. Seventy-eight percent of the more than 11,000 college applicants who participated in The Princeton Review’s 2021 College Hopes & Worries Survey said that having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school. This was a 12% increase over the 66% so indicating on the company’s 2020 survey.

The profiles of schools in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges include “Green Facts” sections detailing such matters as the availability of transportation alternatives on campus and the percentage of the college food budget spent on local/organic food. The profiles also provide information about the schools’ admission requirements, cost, financial aid and student body demographics.

In its profile of UVA, The Princeton Review noted that the University was one of the original signers of the 1990 Talloires Declaration, the first official statement made by university presidents, chancellors and rectors of a commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education.

“If that isn’t proof enough that UVA has been historically keen on sustainability, take this into account: The university updated its energy and sustainability policy in 2006; dictated that all new building and renovation obtain LEED certification in 2007 (at last count, seven Gold, 12 Silver, 10 Certified, and pursuing certification for 14 additional projects); and completed a carbon inventory in 2008, the data from which was used to set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 2009 levels by 2025,” the review wrote. “Last year UVA became the first university in the nation to set a goal to reduce reactive nitrogen – a 25% reduction below 2010 levels by 2025.”

The review also lauded UVA’s initiatives in reducing energy and water usage and efforts to locally source the food served in dining halls, divert waste from landfills, and use environmentally friendly cleaning methods. It also cited several transportation initiatives, and curricular innovations including the Global Studies/Environments + Sustainability major as well as the Global Sustainability Minor.

Alumnus, BOV Member Receives Rare Lifetime Achievement Award

The American College of Surgeons on Sept. 1 announced that UVA alumnus Dr. L.D. Britt, a member of the Board of Visitors, would become only the fifth surgeon to receive its Lifetime Achievement Award in the organization’s 108-year history.

Britt said he was “deeply humbled” by the honor.

“I have never imagined receiving such recognition from my colleagues throughout the world,” he said. “Moments that stand out the most for me are always patient-related. Being able to use my medical and surgical expertise to assist and relieve someone with a malady or serious illness is the ultimate satisfaction that I can ever have. I thank God every day for these skills and the privilege to be a physician surgeon.”

Britt received the Award Oct. 24 during a virtual convocation ceremony that highlighted the ACS Annual Clinical Congress, one of the largest educational meetings of surgeons in the world, which also was held as a virtual event.

Britt is the Henry Ford Professor and Edward J. Brickhouse Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, where he also is professor in the School of Health Professions; professor in the Division of History of Medicine; and chairs the Council of Clinical Chairs. He also is Distinguished Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. L.D. Britt earned his undergraduate degree from UVA and serves on the Board of Visitors. (UVA Health photo)

A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons since 1989, Britt served as president of the organization from 2010 to 2011. He currently serves on the college’s Task Force on Racial Issues. He is a founding member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, and was co-chair of the Steering Committee that created the academy. He chaired the ACS Board of Regents from 2008 to 2009 and was vice chair from 2006 to 2008.

Britt has contributed 300 scientific peer-reviewed publications, written three textbooks, and serves on the editorial boards for the Annals of Surgery; Archives of Surgery; World Journal of Surgery; Journal of the American College of Surgeons; Journal of Trauma, Shock, and Critical Care; Journal of Surgical Education; and the American Surgeon. He is associate editor of the American Journal of Surgery and a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine. He has been the principal investigator and coinvestigator of multimillion-dollar National Institutes of Health research grants.

President George W. Bush recognized Britt for his leadership in medicine with a nomination and U.S. Senate confirmation to serve on the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University, and Britt was awarded the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Distinguished Service Medal at the end of his tenure.

The Atlanta Post highlighted him as one of the top 21 Black physicians in America, and Ebony magazine recently listed him as one of the nation’s most influential African Americans.

Britt is known for introducing the term “acute care surgery” and was a principal architect of this emerging specialty. He was also bestowed the unique designation of “Master of Critical Care Medicine” in 2015 by the American College of Critical Care, and accorded the Association of Program Directors in Surgery’s 2019 Silbergleit Award, making him only the third individual to receive this recognition for sustained leadership as an accomplished program director.

Britt completed his undergraduate studies with distinction at UVA before earning a medical degree from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The Economist Again Ranks UVA McIntire’s M.S. in Commerce No. 1 in the U.S.

The Economist magazine has ranked the McIntire School of Commerce’s M.S. in Commerce program as the top fully U.S.-based master’s in management program, placing it sixth worldwide – the only program at a U.S.-based institution to rank in the world top 10.

The M.S. in Commerce also moved up a spot to earn the No. 1 rating for education experience, and achieved other high marks, which include ranking No. 4 in the world across subcategories such as career services, faculty quality, student salary earnings and personal development experiences.

“We are extremely pleased that The Economist continues to recognize the value of the M.S. in Commerce Program – and its excellence among the world’s best,” McIntire Dean Nicole Thorne Jenkins said. “Despite the many challenges of providing a truly global education during the pandemic, this ranking speaks to the ongoing acumen and creativity of our world-class faculty, who have nimbly updated the curriculum to meet the needs of students. By providing a unique and rigorous learning experience, the program prepares our students to tackle many business opportunities across the globe and meets the needs of employers intending to hire well-qualified MiM graduates.”

Rouss Hall, home of the McIntire School of Commerce. (Photo by Sanjay Suchak, University Communications)

Designed to give students an integrated, enterprise-wide view of business, the M.S. in Commerce program also develops in-depth skills in a functional specialty. The foundation of the program is a graduate-level version of McIntire’s Integrated Core, an intense curriculum that helps students cultivate their analytic, strategic and behavioral business skills.

Upon completion of the Integrated Core, students select and develop a specialty in one of three areas: business analytics, finance, or marketing and management. To complete their course of study, students take the Global Immersion Experience, a required faculty-led sequence of courses that purposefully guides students to explore business within a global context, culminating with on-site learning in locations around the world.

McIntire reports favorable career outcomes for the past two graduating classes of the M.S. in Commerce, with 96% to 97% of students reporting being employed or seeking further study within three months after graduation. The average base salary reported for 2020 M.S. in Commerce graduates was $70,553; the average bonus was $24,656.

McIntire’s ‘Global 3’ Rises on Both Financial Times and QS Rankings

The McIntire School of Commerce recently earned a pair of exceptional rankings for the school’s “Global 3” program.

The groundbreaking dual-degree program offered with two international partner institutions remains the highest recognized program with a U.S.-based campus for the second consecutive year on the Financial Times’ list of the world’s top master’s in management programs; Global 3 ranked No. 11 overall, up from No. 14 in 2020.

In addition, QS World University Rankings released its 2022 rankings for business master’s programs, with Global 3 named the No. 9 master’s in management program in the world, a three-spot jump up on the list from last year.

Launched in 2016, the Global 3 program provides a 10-month, three-continent course of study conducted at UVA in Charlottesville; Lingnan (University) College in Guangzhou, China; and Esade Business School in Barcelona, Spain. The program offers students the opportunity to earn two master’s degrees and a certificate: an M.S. in Global Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce, an M.Sc. in Global Strategic Management from Esade, and a certificate in International Business from Lingnan.

McIntire’s “Global 3” program earned recognition from the Financial Times and QS World University Rankings. (Photo by Sanjay Suchak, University Communications)

“It is exciting to see the Global 3 program continue to attract worldwide recognition for its strong academics and innovative format,” McIntire Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Management Professor Amanda Cowen said. “This program gives students the unique opportunity to live and study on three continents, at three top business schools, with an international cohort of peers.

“This approach develops students’ cultural capital and global business expertise, preparing them for challenging positions at organizations that operate around the world. Students also leave the program with a truly international network of colleagues who continue to support their personal and professional growth in the years to come.”

In addition to its prominent standing among the 100 programs ranked by the Financial Times for 2021, McIntire’s Global 3 received high marks for salaries earned by alumni (an average of $90,755) and overall alumni satisfaction (a 9.31 rating out of a possible 10). Global 3 also placed No. 9 for facilitating students’ international mobility within the category of international opportunities.

For the QS rankings, 159 programs in 33 countries were considered, with 53,792 employers, 42,639 academics, and 27,831 alumni surveyed. The 2021 release shows the Global 3 program placing among the top 6% overall).

Biomedical Engineer Receives NIH Director’s Early Independence Award

The National Institutes of Health announced Oct. 5 that Natasha Sheybani, assistant professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, is the recipient of the prestigious NIH Director’s Early Independence Award.

The award is given to outstanding junior scientists who have the intellect, scientific creativity, drive and maturity to bypass the traditional postdoctoral training period – which typically lasts three to five years – and immediately launch independent research careers.

Sheybani, who started a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University late last year, returned to UVA Engineering this fall with her own research lab and a new role on the faculty. She is UVA’s first recipient of this award.

The Early Independence Award was established in 2011 and is part of the NIH’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program, which supports scientists who are pursuing innovative research that has the potential for a broad impact in biomedical, behavioral or social sciences.

Formerly a standout graduate student, Natasha Sheybani, right, has returned to UVA as a faculty member with her own lab, thanks to a prestigious NIH award. (UVA Engineering photo)

The award will provide Sheybani with $250,000 in direct research costs annually for up to five years to support the establishment of her lab, which will explore non-invasive paradigms for advancing precision immunotherapy in solid cancers using focused ultrasound and quantitative imaging.

In 2018, Sheybani received a coveted F99/K00 Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellow Transition Award from the NIH National Cancer Institute. The award is intended to aid students who aspire to start an independent cancer research lab.

And for her work on focused ultrasound in biomedical engineering professor Richard Price’s lab, the health news website STAT named Sheybani a “Wunderkind” in 2020 as part of an annual competition that highlights the great work of young scientists. She was one of just 26 scientists to earn this recognition nationally.

Law School Associate Dean Wins Statewide Poetry Award

Annie Kim, assistant dean for public service in the School of Law, won the 2021 Library of Virginia Literary Award for poetry at a virtual ceremony Oct. 16.

Poet Annie Kim, an assistant dean at UVA’s School of Law, won the Library of Virginia’s top poetry prize.

The award recognized Kim’s poems in the book “Eros, Unbroken,” which explores the complicity between art, intimacy and violence between two musicians in 18th-century Spain. Kim’s first collection, “Into the Cyclorama,” won the Michael Waters Poetry Prize, and “Eros, Unbroken” won the Washington Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the 2020 Foreword INDIES Poetry Book of the Year.

Among the other finalists for the poetry award was English professor Kiki Petrosino for her collection, “White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia.”

The Library of Virginia established its annual Literary Awards program in 1997 to honor Virginia writers and celebrate their contributions to the literary landscape of the state and the nation, according to the organization’s website.

Kim directs the Mortimer Caplin Public Service Center and the Program in Law and Public Service at the Law School.

Rosenbach Lectures Uncover the First Mass Media Campaign to Abolish Slavery

When did the first humanitarian mass media campaign begin, and what did it accomplish? Who were the social media influencers of the time? In what forms was this message transported through print? Can echoes of this campaign still be heard today?

University Professor Michael Suarez, executive director of the Rare Book School, recently delivered the 90th annual A.S.W. Rosenbach Lectures – the oldest book-historical lecture series in the U.S. (Contributed photo)

Michael Suarez, executive director of the Rare Book School and University Professor, delivered the 90th annual A.S.W. Rosenbach Lectures – the oldest series of book-historical lectures in the United States – on Oct. 25, 26 and 28 at the University of Pennsylvania. “Printing Abolition: How the Fight to Ban the British Slave Trade Was Won, 1783-1807” offered a fresh perspective on British abolition, richly informed by political prints and personal correspondence, newspapers and pamphlets, account books and committee minutes, parliamentary reports and private diaries.

Suarez traced the production and distribution of abolitionist print, revealing the hidden networks that variously sustained the first humanitarian mass media campaign. Creating ties to the humanitarian campaigns of our time, Suarez considered forced migration, human trafficking and modern-day slavery, and what the drive to stop Britain’s shameful trade can teach us today.

Suarez, a Jesuit priest, also is the editor-in-chief of Oxford Scholarly Editions Online. He recently completed a term as a Distinguished Presidential Fellow of the Council on Library and Information Resources in Washington, D.C., and was nominated by President Obama to the National Council on the Humanities.

Since 2008, three of Suarez’s publications have been named Books of the Year by the Times Literary Supplement. The Sunday Telegraph (London) said his “Oxford Companion to the Book” was “colossal … a paradise for book lovers,” while the Wall Street Journal called it “a fount of knowledge where the Internet is but a slot machine.”

Professors Elected to American Law Institute

School of Law professors John Duffy and Ruth Mason have become members of the American Law Institute. The ALI announced their election Oct. 15.

There are now 28 members of the UVA Law faculty currently affiliated with ALI.

The institute produces scholarly work meant to update or otherwise improve the law. The organization includes judges, lawyers and law professors from the U.S. and around the world who are “selected on the basis of professional achievement and demonstrated interest in improving the law,” according to the institute’s website.

Duffy, who joined the Law School faculty in 2011, and Mason, who joined in 2013, were among 24 new members inducted nationwide.

Duffy is the Samuel H. McCoy II Professor of Law and the Paul G. Mahoney Research Professor of Law. He has written articles in numerous prominent law reviews on a variety of subjects, including administrative law, constitutional law, law and economics, patent law and legal innovation.

He is also co-author of five editions of the widely used casebook “Patent Law and Policy: Cases and Materials,” and of the American Bar Association’s “A Guide to Judicial and Political Review of Federal Agencies.”

John Duffy, left, and Ruth Mason are the 27th and 28th UVA Law professors elected to the American Law Institute. (Contributed photos)

In the field of intellectual property, Duffy has been identified as one of the 25 most influential people in the nation by The American Lawyer and one of the 50 most influential people in the world by the U.K. publication Managing Intellectual Property. In the field of administrative law, Duffy is a past recipient the Annual Scholarship Award conferred by the American Bar Association’s Section on Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice for the best piece of scholarship in the year, for the article “Administrative Common Law in Judicial Review.”

Mason is the Edwin S. Cohen Distinguished Professor of Law and Taxation, and Class of 1941 Research Professor of Law. Her research focuses on taxation, especially issues related to cross-border taxation – including citizenship-based taxation and taxation within federations and common markets. Her recent work considers multilateral efforts to reform corporate taxation. Mason has an abiding interest in the dormant commerce clause and tax discrimination, and her work in this area has been cited by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mason has been a visiting professor at Yale Law School and Université Paris 1 (Panthéon Sorbonne). She was a Fulbright senior scholar at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. As professor-in-residence at the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation in 2018, Mason delivered the 2018 Amsterdam Distinguished Lecture in Taxation. Her lecture focused on the application to U.S. multinational companies of the EU prohibition of tax state aid.

Mason co-edits Kluwer’s Series on International Taxation, and she is a member of the editorial board of the World Tax Journal. She also has served as national reporter for the United States to the International Fiscal Association.

Patient Ergonomics Pioneer Earns National Honors

Rupa Valdez is a leader in working to improve the ways people manage chronic health conditions in home and community settings. (Photo by Tom Cogill)

Rupa Valdez, an associate professor in public health sciences and engineering systems and environment, has been honored with two national appointments. She will serve on the Board of Directors for the American Association for People with Disabilities and on the Patient Engagement Advisory Panel for PCORI, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Earlier this month, Valdez also received the Jack A. Kraft Innovator Award from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society for her pioneering work in creating and growing the field of patient ergonomics. She was also named as associate editor for Ergonomics, one of the leading publications in the field of human factors and ergonomics.

Valdez is a leader in merging the disciplinary traditions of systems engineering, public health sciences, and cultural anthropology to improve the ways people manage chronic health conditions in home and community settings. Her work is highly community-engaged and many of her partnerships focus on working with historically underserved communities to advance health equity.

Women’s Bar Association Recognizes Law Dean

The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia honored Risa Goluboff in September for becoming UVA Law’s first female dean in 2016. (Contributed photo)

The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia honored School of Law Dean Risa Goluboff at its Stars of the Bar event Sept. 22, at which Goluboff and other honorees spoke.

This year’s theme was “Getting Back to Basics,” recognizing women for being first in their respective roles. Goluboff became the Law School’s first female dean in 2016.

Law Professor Elected to Board of Directors

Law professor Megan Stevenson explores the intersection of economics and the law. (Contributed photo)

School of Law professor Megan Stevenson was elected to the American Law and Economics Association board of directors, effective Sept. 1. The association is dedicated to the advancement of economic understanding of law and related areas of public policy and regulation.

Stevenson, an economist and criminal justice scholar, has conducted empirical research in various areas of criminal justice reform, including bail, algorithmic risk assessment, misdemeanors and juvenile justice. Her research on bail was cited extensively in a landmark federal civil rights decision, O’Donnell v. Harris, and received widespread media coverage.

Graduate Architecture Student’s Dissertation Honored

Graduate architecture student Matthew Slaats’ dissertation research focused on working with grassroots, Black-led social movements. (Contributed photo)

School of Architecture graduate student Matthew Slaats earned a citation from the Graham Foundation for his dissertation, “Infrastructures of the Marvelous: Exploring contemporary, Black grassroots social transformation in the Southern United States.”

Slaats is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, in the Constructed Environment Program. His dissertation research is focused on working with grassroots, Black-led social movements, to recognize the ways they imagine and build new economic and political systems in response to long-term disinvestment and disenfranchisement.

The 25th edition of the foundation’s Carter Manny Awards recognized emerging talent in the field of doctoral dissertation writing and research in architecture and design fields.