Sept. 13, 2006 -- Grants from Dominion totaling $520,000 will support a range of initiatives at the University of Virginia, including expansion of a century-old building for business studies, an ongoing analysis of mountain streams, and collaborative approaches to natural resource management. 

"These grants will advance our efforts to prepare the business leaders of the future and to safeguard precious natural resources," said University President John T. Casteen III. "We are grateful for Dominion’s generosity, which will yield tangible benefits for our students and for the citizens of the Commonwealth."

The grants were made to the University through the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion, one of the nation’s largest producers of energy.

“We’re always interested in making investments that improve the quality of Virginia’s business climate and support our environmental resources,” said Dominion Foundation President William C. Hall, Jr. “The Dominion Foundation grants will strengthen and develop programs to further advance the University’s excellence in those fields.”

The grants include:

• $350,000 for a seminar room in the McIntire School of Commerce’s “Back to the Lawn” Project. The seminar room will be part of a new complex that includes the renovation and expansion of Rouss Hall, a century-old structure that is one of three buildings designed by McKim, Mead and White on the University’s historic Lawn. The room in the Rouss Hall addition will be used for seminars led by faculty and visiting executives, interviews, corporate meetings, and student presentations.

• $100,000 for the Department of Environmental Sciences to update chemical analysis equipment for the Shenandoah Watershed Study and Virginia Trout Stream Sensitivity Study. Since 1979, the study has measured the impact of air pollution on the mountain streams of Virginia, including chemical analysis of stream water at 150 sites across the western portion of the state.

• $50,000 to support the Integrated Core Experience program, or ICE, a two-semester course of study for all third-year students in the Commerce School. Students taking part in ICE work in teams to analyze real-life business problems, then present and defend their solutions to classmates, faculty, and participating corporate representatives.

• $20,000 to support the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute, or VNRLI, a partnership of the University of Virginia’s Institute of Environmental Negotiation, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and the Virginia Tech Center for Economic Education. Founded in 1999, the VNRLI develops collaborative approaches to protecting and managing natural resources for multiple uses. Through a nine-month program, VNRLI fellows enhance their knowledge of complex natural resource issues and build their skills in conflict resolution, collaborative problem solving, and leadership.

Dominion (NYSE: D) is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, with an
energy portfolio of approximately 28,100 megawatts of generation. Dominion also serves retail energy customers in nine states. Through the Dominion Foundation, the company
contributes more than $10 million annually to non-profit organizations in the states it
serves. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.