(Book review) Our current cultural climate incentivizes black-and-white judgments about America’s past, making Thomas S. Kidd’s new biography, “Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh,” refreshing. His book provides a nuanced and intimate analysis of Jefferson that illuminates the man’s contradictory nature.
The courthouse shook from the cheers at the investiture congratulating the new chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. Samuel Bernard Goodwyn, a Southampton County native, was installed at the Richmond Supreme Court Building on June 8, becoming the second African American to serve as chief justice. Goodwyn graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and obtained his law degree at University of Virginia.
With the redistricting process now more or less complete, we have a relatively clear view of what the House playing field will look like. The short answer: Good for Republicans. And potentially very good for them. “Our ratings currently show 214 races at least leaning to the Republicans, 193 at least leaning to the Democrats, and 28 toss-ups -- a clear edge for Republicans,” wrote Kyle Kondik for the Crystal Ball at UVA’s Center for Politics.
Spanning 425 miles, Alaska’s Koyukuk River boasts scenic views, hiking opportunities and a variety of wildlife, including, apparently, some which roamed the earth more than 10,000 years ago. Adrienne Ghaly, a UVA environmental humanities research specialist, took to Twitter earlier this week to share the moment she caught on camera part of a woolly mammoth; a creature made all the more elusive due to the fact it’s long been extinct.
In the U.S., education is not a federal right. Such a right is enshrined in all 50 state constitutions, but not in the U.S. Constitution. The nation should consider establishing such a right through the courts, Congress, or a constitutional amendment, says Kimberly Robinson, a professor at the UVA School of Law and editor of “A Federal Right to Education: Fundamental Questions for Our Democracy.” America really has two educational systems, Robinson says.
Times have certainly changed in college athletics in the year since the NCAA opened the floodgates on student-athletes’ ability to profit from their name, image and likeness, even for a first-year head coach like Virginia’s Tony Elliott.
It should feel safe to assume that the average computer science graduate from Stanford University would ace a coding proficiency test. But Stanford CS grads don’t even make the top 10 list for high scorers on the General Coding Assessment, the test designed by CodeSignal and given to software applicants at most major tech companies. Ranked ahead of Stanford (at slot 13 on this year’s CodeSignal list) are schools like the University of Virginia (1) and Swarthmore College (10).
According to Dr. Bill Petri at UVA Health, monkeypox can spread through respiratory droplets, but there’s no need to fear it because it’s not like COVID. “There’s no risk of this becoming a pandemic,” said Petri.
The University of Virginia says its newest professor is one of the world’s most noted authorities on the Holocaust. Victoria Barnett will be joining the College of Arts & Sciences and bringing with her an expert’s perspective on the Holocaust. This is a part of the University’s rotating role as the Frank Talbott Jr. Endowed Visiting Professor.
(Subscription may be required) Former UVA standouts Heath Miller and Herman Moore are on the 2023 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation announced Monday.
(Subscription may be required) Three University of Virginia graduates who set off on a 250-mile canoe adventure to get better acquainted with the James River came away with enough discoveries to fill a documentary feature. Justin Black, Will Gemma and Dietrich Teschner directed “Headwaters Down: Thirteen Days on the James River: An Environmental Adventure Documentary,” which will be screened at a red-carpet event Wednesday at the Richmond International Film Festival.
A more traditional vaccine than some of the others, it might encourage some vaccine holdouts to get the shots, experts said. “There’s a lot of reasons that are not scientifically based for not having taken the vaccine (yet),” said Vivian Riefberg, a professor at UVA’s Darden School of Business. “This may convince some people because it’s traditional technology.”
Understanding the court’s reasoning first requires taking a look at the statute, said Lawrence B. Solum, UVA’s William L. Matheson and Robert M. Morgenthau Distinguished Professor of Law. “On the surface, ‘bees are fish’ looks absurd,” he said, laughing. “Because no one thinks bees are fish. But that’s not what the court is saying.”
Dr. Amalia Miller, professor of economics and graduate studies director at the University of Virginia, notes that “behavior that for boys is socially rewarded doesn’t fit well with good student behavior.”
(Subscription may be required) Dr. William A. Petri, a UVA Health physician-researcher who has answered dozens of your COVID-19 questions this year, tested positive for the virus this week. We asked him, when he felt better, to share his experience with readers.
In Ghana’s Northern Region, families obtain water by taking buckets to the local water source and back home. That water source, however, has been contaminated with human and animal waste. In 2008, Kate Cincotta founded the non-profit Saha Global, for which she is now executive director and helps women learn to treat and sell clean, affordable water to their community. Cincotta developed an interest in international development at UVA, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering and engineering business.
Experts say the inclusion of the Taiwanese flag in “Top Gun: Maverick” may suggest a shift in Hollywood away from its culture of deference to China’s red lines. “There have been several recent instances of big-budget U.S. films not getting into the Chinese market. Studios are aware of this and are making business decisions,” said Aynne Kokas, an associate professor of media studies at the University of Virginia and author of “Hollywood Made in China.”
(Subscription may be required) The next two years will be busy for the University of Virginia as a suite of construction projects wrap up, according to an update to the Board of Visitors on Thursday. “We’re going to be doing a lot of ribbon cuttings,” said Colette Sheehy, senior vice president for operations at UVA.
The man who led the UAE’s mission to Mars, Omran Sharaf, has been elected as the director of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Sharaf earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia in 2005.
The UVA Cancer Center is giving nonprofits and other groups across Virginia grants of up to $10,000 to support projects that address cancer education, prevention, and detection.