The University of Virginia is the second-best public university in the nation, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report. UVA tied for No. 2 with the University of California-Los Angeles, reclaiming the spot it lost last year, when it fell behind UCLA for the No. 3 ranking.
(Co-written by Meg Heubeck, director of instruction for the Youth Leadership Initiative at UVA’s Center for Politics) Millennials may be turned off by the current political system – but now there’s a new platform to engage them. America’s Mock Election was created in the summer of 2015 in reaction to this pattern of nonparticipation in state, federal and local elections.
(By Kyle Kondik of UVA’s Center for Politics) When the Founding Fathers created our electoral system, they might have been surprised to discover, more than two centuries later, that these two things could be true at the same time: One, that the country had embraced mass democracy, including giving the franchise to men and women of all races, incomes and classes; and two, that despite doing that, the country was still using the Electoral College system that they had implemented at the dawn of the country – a system not designed with the intention of promoting mass democracy.
UVA President Teresa A. Sullivan looked forward to the school’s bicentennial celebration during her annual address to the Faculty Senate on Monday.
On the surface, the low approval ratings for Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump present a prime opportunity for a candidate like Mr. Johnson, who is socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Even so, that intriguing blend of policies has made it difficult for the Libertarian ticket to attract stray Democrats or disenchanted Republicans in large numbers. “The Libertarians just break too much from traditional GOP orthodoxy on foreign policy and social issues to get a big amount of Republican support,” said Kyle D. Kondik of UVA’s Center for Politics.
For Trump, it’s a far different story. The loss of North Carolina, which the 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney stole back from Barack Obama, could prove fatal to his chances. “He needs to hold on to every state Romney won, which includes North Carolina, and win 64 more electoral votes to win a majority of 270,” says Geoffrey Skelley, an associate editor at Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, an election analysis website moderated by the University of Virginia.
Third-party candidates are usually an afterthought in presidential elections, but Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein could impact the outcome of this year’s race, analysts say. “Johnson tends to hurt Clinton slightly more than Trump,” Geoffrey Skelley, of UVA’s Center for Politics, said. “This is surprising because Libertarian voters tend to be predominantly male and white, two demographics that are more Republican-leaning as a whole.”
Want to start your own business and be your own boss but don’t know what it’ll take? Professor S Venkatraman, Professor of Business Administration at UVA’s Darden
Among political scientists, the most sophisticated, recent attempt to evaluate legislator effectiveness was created by Craig Volden, a UVA professor, and Alan Wiseman, a Vanderbilt University professor.
Larry Sabato, a veteran political scientist at UVA, said Clinton's team should release a full health record. "We really haven't gotten very much, essentially a letter from her doctor," he told CNN, but added that Trump should be held to the same requirement.
Michigan's 1st and 7th districts are the types of races that Democrats need to win to regain the House, but the districts have been drawn to favor Republicans, said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at UVA’s Center for Politics. “Michigan is a good example of the problems the Democrats have in the House. Michigan leans Democratic in presidential years – (George H.W.) Bush was the last Republican to carry it. Yet Republicans control the House delegation,” Kondik said.
For those who are already in a routine, what are the benefits of high-intensity intervals? “With athletes, like everyone else, it improves VO2 max and lactate threshold,” says Dave Hryvniak, a doctor with UVA sports teams.
(By Sheetal Sekhri, associate professor of economics) Groundwater reserves in India are a vital resource that support livelihood for around 53 million Indians and provide drinking water to around 80 percent of the rural population. It is vital for the country’s food and drinking water security. Yet, recent trends show significant depletion in the aquifers.
(By W. Bradford Wilcox, a UVA sociology professor) When it comes to education, Florida faces a paradox: Its public schools are highly rated, but its students register just average scores and high suspension rates. Strong inputs, middling outcomes. What gives?
Domestic violence is a big problem in this country, with as many as one in three women reporting abuse in the course of their lives. In some cases, the risk increases during pregnancy, but a new UVA study shows it’s possible to protect women by screening for danger during pre-natal visits.
As the number of people who live in Virginia continues to increase, so does the number of those needed to care for a population that’s increasingly aging. UVA’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service projects there will be 11,302 people over the age of 75 in Albemarle and Charlottesville in 2020. That number is expected to double to nearly 23,000 by 2040.
A drug already being tested in people as a treatment for cancer appears to show great promise in halting melanoma skin cancer. Pevonedistat works in a way differently than intended and could also be effective against other cancers, says a new study from the UVA School of Medicine.
A hospital with a STEMI program has systems to rapidly identify a STEMI heart attack and mobilize a specialized treatment team with the goal of opening the artery within 90 minutes, and preferably 60 minutes, of arrival. The UVA Health System has been a leader in this field for many years, with times significantly faster than average, and is in the top 10 percent of hospitals across the nation for treating STEMI promptly.