Dr. Mary Gentile, professor at UVA’s Darden School of Business and founder of the Giving Voice to Values method, shares: “Start from the premise that we do not need to agree on everything in order to work together effectively; rather, we need to agree only on the core set of shared values that are universal and required for us to work and live together harmoniously. Normalization – that is, understanding that such differences are a normal and predictable part of our experience – brings down the emotion and allows for more creative approaches to communication.”
For those who are tired of having to tell people that they’re still on mute or would rather that cameras stayed firmly switched off for their 8 a.m. meeting, the idea of technology becoming even more embedded into our everyday lives can be a turn-off. “I actually think that there are pros and cons to technology becoming more human,” said Roshni Raveendhran, an assistant professor at UVA’s Darden School of Business who specializes in the psychology of technology and the future of work.
Increased security measures in the wake of Jan. 6 have deepened the rift between the city and its federal overlords. “Fortress D.C.,” as it’s sometimes called, puts locals and tourists alike on edge. “I walk through Washington now and I feel less secure than I did 20 years ago, because everywhere there’s a signal of fear,” says Elizabeth Meyer, a professor at the UVA School of Architecture.
In the face of climate change, Texas can no longer put off big questions about how it regulates power generation, said Andres Clarens, a civil engineering professor who helps lead UVA’s Environmental Resilience Institute. Whether or not lawmakers believe last week’s unprecedented storm was the result of a changing climate, new federal carbon standards, the growth of electrical vehicles and other factors demand action now. “We should be fixing the grid and course correcting for the future,” Clarens said. “The GOP can either lead on this stuff, or they can get left behind.”
In Virginia, more women are seizing power. There are seven Democratic women in the state’s Senate and 25 in its House, along with four Republican women in the Senate and six in the House – 30% of the legislature. Ten years ago, when Del. Eileen Filler-Corn was first elected, the total was 19 women in the House and eight in the Senate – 19.3%. Filler-Corn “gained power mainly the traditional way, proving herself dedicated, competent and hard-working over years in the House of Delegates,” said Larry Sabato, director of UVA’s Center for Politics.
Ann O’Leary, who had originally been floated as a potential alternative to Tanden in November, is once again being considered for the position. She served as California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chief of staff until late December, but some say her former role may present the White House with another challenging confirmation hearing. David Leblang, a UVA professor of politics and public policy, said O’Leary “would suffer in a confirmation hearing because of her tie to Newsom. Even though she left in December, I think that’s still the stamp she will be carrying for a bit.”
Several Biden nominees of color are facing questions and potential complications. “If it was just Tanden, I’d say her circumstances are sufficiently unusual that we might not want to generalize. But it’s not just her,” said UVA political science professor Jennifer Lawless, an expert on gender and politics. “If you’ve got a handul of nominees who are either women or people of color systematically experiencing more hurdles and doubt than white men going through the confirmation process, that raises a flag. That’s sexism and racism.”
The question of religious freedom is the main issue animating people against the Equality Act. UVA law professor Douglas Laycock has criticized the measure since its 2019 introduction. While he supports adding sexual orientation and gender identity to federal anti-discrimination statutes, Laycock believes that this bill goes too far in limiting people’s ability to defend themselves against discrimination claims. “It protects the rights of one side, but attempts to destroy the rights of the other side,” he said.
The Virginia Film Festival and the Virginia Festival of the Book will team up to present a livestreamed conversation with author Mike Harris at 4 p.m. March 23. Harris will speak about “Mike Nichols: A Life,” his biography of the renowned improv comedian and stage and film director, with moderator, filmmaker and VAFF associate programmer Joe Fab.
An upcoming paper by academics from the UVA School of Law and the University of Toronto argues that index providers may be considered advisers under the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act as interpreted by the court and that the SEC should clarify when index providers cross the line into providing investment advice by adopting a safe harbor rule or interpretation.
“Racial disparities in health care, both access to care and quality of care, are the product of systemic racism and individual prejudice,” says Sophie Trawalter, a UVA associate professor of public policy and psychology whose research focuses on social diversity. The evidence is compelling, she says, and speaks for itself. One such study Trawalter worked on investigated the role of unconscious bias in a sample of 222 soon-to-be health care professionals.
As Americans across the country are on the hunt toward herd immunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic, UVA researchers are analyzing the results of COVID-19 antibody testing done around the state.
As Americans across the country are on the hunt toward herd immunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic, UVA researchers are analyzing the results of COVID-19 antibody testing done around the state.
If you’ve been less productive during the pandemic and miss the days when we hugged our friends and family members freely, a UVA professor says you’re not alone – and not to blame. We are, he says, hard-wired to hug, and doing so frees our brains to focus on other things.
Opposition to the bill has come from Republicans, but some Democrats also have voiced concerns about what Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun, called “the unintended consequences” of imposing additional costs on public colleges and universities that could contribute to higher tuition rates. The appropriations subcommittee amended the bill to delay its application to the Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Virginia health systems by two years – until July 1, 2023 – because of estimates that it could increase their procurement costs by up to $37 million.
Last month, a few days before the U.S. women’s national soccer team played its first match of the year, Coach Vlatko Andonovski summoned defender Becky Sauerbrunn for a meeting. He needed a captain, not just for two upcoming friendlies, but for the Olympics this summer and perhaps beyond. During Andonovski’s first 15 months in charge, several players, including Sauerbrunn, had filled the role, but the captain’s armband needed a full-time home. “That was not what I was expecting going into that conversation – at all,” Sauerbrunn, a UVA alumna, said Tuesday.
UVA doctors recommend women hold off on scheduling their annual screening mammogram between their first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I think starting with outdoor venues is a good way to take a baby step toward loosening restrictions and seeing what happens,” said Dr. Taison Bell, a UVA infectious disease expert. “Of all the sorts of activities we do, those outdoors are the lowest risk. Just because there’s nothing better than outdoor ventilation.”
UVA assistant mens basketball coach Brad Soderberg will be inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
(Commentary) According to Kirt von Daacke, UVA associate professor of history, we must learn from the past, no matter how complex it may be. But many of these memorials are not necessarily the best way to learn from the past. We need to reframe the monuments and statues in a way that makes sense and is more inclusive.