Virginia Initiative 4-VA Earns International Award

4-VA, a statewide initiative that includes the University of Virginia, has been named a 2013 Computerworld Honors Laureate and will be recognized June 3 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

4-VA, recognized in the category for collaboration, is one of 267 organizations and businesses from 29 countries around the world awarded in almost a dozen categories.

Now in its 25th year, the 2013 Computerworld Honors Program recognizes individuals and organizations around the world for creating and using information technology to promote and advance the public welfare, benefit society and change the world for the better.

A collaboration among U.Va., George Mason and James Madison universities and Virginia Tech, 4-VA is advancing several initiatives to increase the number of college graduates, especially in fields important to the state’s economic development. Initiated by Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell in 2010, 4-VA is charged with increasing access to science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, courses for Virginia students. The program is credited with making significant headway on improving all Virginians’ access to higher education. 

Each 4-VA university reallocated facilities and technical staff to work with Cisco to implement two “TelePresence” rooms on each campus. This has enabled the universities’ presidents, provosts, vice presidents of information technology and other research and instructional faculty to meet frequently in a virtual environment to evaluate proposals and select those best suited to achieving the goals of McDonnell’s Higher Education Commission and his “Top Jobs” initiative.

Computerworld is part of International Data Group, whose goal is to serve the information and networking needs of senior information technology leaders.

“Computerworld is honored to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the 2013 class of laureates and to share their work,” John Amato, Computerworld’s vice president and publisher, said.

Media Contact

Anne E. Bromley

Office of University Communications