Larry J. Sabato
Politics professor and director of U.Va.'s Center for Politics
The Next Goldwater?
New York Times "Room for Debate" / May 25
The academic performance of Division I athletes is improving under the watchful eye of the NCAA, an organization that has assembled one of the most comprehensive accountability systems in higher education. Many universities in the District, Maryland and Virginia drew praise in the latest round of NCAA academic scorecards. The list of public recognition awards for local teams, signifying that their academics rank among the top 10 percent nationally, is too long to recite. The University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the College of William and Mary all are represented.
President Barack Obama's sweeping spending plan for roads, rail and bridges is shrinking as it travels through Congress. … The gap between sources of funding for transportation infrastructure and the spending levels needed to maintain and improve it is at least $134 billion, a team of experts led by the University of Virginia found last year.
In order for public colleges and universities to remain viable and effective in the coming years, higher education leaders must revamp the way they do business and refocus on delivery modes that lead to higher rates of completion. Such are the main messages in a new report titled Front and Center: Critical Choices for Higher Education. Produced by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, the report calls on higher education leaders to “take several actions, none of them comfortable."
At most middle schools, teachers try to get their students to sit still and keep quiet, but at Charlottesville’s Jack Jouett Middle School this spring, with the help of U.Va. music professor Michelle Kisliuk, students are being instructed to get moving and make noise, lots of it.
The University of Virginia and a conservative advocacy group have agreed the university will turn over documents in response to a public information request by the group seeking documents related to the work of a former university climate scientist. U-Va. will comply with the request by Aug. 22.
Haley Stephens
Recent Nursing School graduate
Still Pondering How to Break the News
Wall Street Journal "Hire Education" blog / May 24
Neslihan Cevik
Post-doctoral fellow at U.Va.'s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture
Headscarf ban again becoming an issue in Turkish politics
Southeast European Times / May 24
Douglas Laycock
Law professor
Standing on Shaky Ground: Pastor Tax Break Threat Lessens
Christianity Today / May 24
Cale Palmer
Medical resident working in the Virginia Driving Safety Lab
Tough Decision: When to Give up the Car Keys
WVIR-NBC-29 / May 24
Christopher Ruhm
Professor of public policy in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy
Black-White Life Expectancy Gap Expands, Recession May Be ...
A new study at the UVA Medical Center is treating kids with peanut allergies by giving them a dose of the very food that makes them sick. It's giving hope to families in the area whose way of life revolves around avoiding peanuts.
The University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs convened a panel of elected officials, higher-education leaders, and policy experts in December to discuss how colleges can better contribute to economic growth. The bottom line, concludes a report on final recommendations from the conference, is that at a time of budgetary stresses, colleges must be rewarded by both state and federal governments for producing more graduates.
Millions of Virginian's tax dollars will go to help fight cancer at two Virginia hospitals, including one in Charlottesville. Supporters say the cash will also help fight a down economy. The General Assembly this year approved $5 million for Massey and $3 million for the Cancer Center at the University of Virginia.
One of the keys to the Virginia men's tennis team's making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA finals — other than amazing players and excellent coaching staff — was its fans. Wahoo Nation certainly did its part throughout the season and right through the championship match. An estimated 300 fans made the trip out to Stanford from Charlottesville.
The University of Virginia is among the nation's seven best colleges and universities for freedom of speech, an advocacy group says. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education gave UVa the "green light" rating based on whether school policies restrict speech protected by the First Amendment and whether the school had censored speech in recent years.
Work has finally begun on the massive $141 million, 180,000 square-foot Battle Building at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital, which will take three years to build and set the tone for future development between the Corner and the Downtown Mall.
For the fourth straight year, the Virginia men's tennis team entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed but could not capture the title. This time, the Cavaliers came up one victory short. USC defeated Virginia, 4-3, to win its third straight NCAA championship.
Someone is going to discover silicon's successor – something that makes faster, smaller, cheaper computer chips – and probably soon. And whoever does stands a good chance of dominating the chip industry for years to come. To encourage such research, the University of Virginia will unveil a new research center today.
Patty Heenan
Non-traditional student entering her fourth year at U.Va.
Arlingtonian Named Miss Congeniality in State Pageant
Arlington Sun-Gazette / May 24, 2011