In The News

Duke basketball will dip a toe into international waters Saturday by offering a Mandarin broadcast of its game against Virginia. The broadcast, featuring three undergraduate student announcers, will be the first of its kind for the Atlantic Coast Conference. It will be available live and on demand on the Duke sports website.

The University of Virginia's Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree-completion program, which features part-time evening classes tailored to working adults, will be offered in the Richmond region starting in fall 2012 through new partnerships with John Tyler and J. Sargeant Reynolds community colleges.

In anticipation of the January 17 federal holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., UVA announced a community celebration featuring two weeks of events to honor the doctor and his legacy.

With six public universities in Virginia named “best values” in quality and affordability, the commonwealth can boast again this year about its higher education system. The University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, Virginia Tech, University of Mary Washington and James Madison and George Mason universities have done particularly well despite the lack of necessary financial support from Virginia’s government.

Willard Finley U.Va. graduate and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates Willard Finney, delegate, lawyer, dies Franklin News-Post / Jan. 12

Former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond Law School graduate Editorial: Sen. Kit Bond: A friend to the Jewish community St. Louis Jewish Light / Jan. 12 Winonah Peters Greene 105-year-old master's degree graduate Brooksville resident has seen lots of changes in her 105 years St. Petersburg (Fla.) Time / Jan. 13 Edd Houck Earned a master's degree in education; former Va. state senator Houck to receive award for support of education Culpeper Star-Exponent / Jan. 13 Laura Lantz U.Va. alumna; by day, a designer of video and computer games; on nights and weekends, a circus performer Local performers form a di...

Matthew Moran Current student, unofficial aid too newly elected State Sen. Greg Habeeb Special election winners scramble to 1st workday in General Assembly Roanoke Times / Jan. 13

Harry Harding Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy U.S. Seeks To Revitalize Ties With China NPR "Morning Edition" / Jan. 12 John Monahan Law professor Commentary: Joe Klein: Arms and the Unbalanced Time / Jan. 13 and Experts Say Violence Not Necessarily Linked to Mental Illness Voice of America / Jan. 12 Brian O'Connor Head baseball coach Virginia high schools ban high-powered new baseball bats Norfolk Virginian-Pilot / Jan. 12 Stephen Railton English professor in the College of Arts & Sciences and Mark Twain expert Editorial: Resist editing Twain's &...

In Richard Crozier’s studio behind his Preston Place home, about 1,000 of his original works line shelves and baskets on the floor. You could find a football field, lay them all out, and spend hours looking at an impressionistic map of Charlottesville, composed entirely of the many moments Crozier spent brush in hand. Crozier (whose work is on view at UVA’s Ruffin Gallery through January 28) retires from UVA this year after 36 years.

Todd Sechser Assistant professor of politics in the College of Arts & Sciences Commentary: Would a nuclear-armed Iran really be so dangerous? Christian Science Monitor / Jan. 12

For the longest time, Jon Fried had a dream. The Crozet resident, one of the top Special Olympics tennis players in the world, badly wanted to bring a tournament to the area. In 2008, he got his wish when the Special Olympics Xperience Tennis Invitational debuted at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville. … The University of Virginia men’s and women’s tennis programs have supported the event since its inception.

Virginia legislators will consider whether to bar illegal immigrants from enrolling in state's public colleges and universities. Del. Christopher Peace's bill would amend state law to explicitly prohibit people who are in the United States illegally from being admitted to Virginia's public two-year or four-year institutions.

A Virginia legislator is trying to change the rules on state college admissions, which many parents say favor out-of-state students. Del. Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax, would like to regulate the minimum number of in-state students that state colleges like the University of Virginia and William & Mary may admit.

Which came first: the black hole or its home galaxy? This chicken-and-egg analogy is an issue raised with the discovery of a massive black hole inside a tiny, dwarf galaxy, and it may provide clues to the formation of the universe. … "This is a very strange galaxy in which to find a supermassive black hole," said Amy Reines, the University of Virginia astronomer who discovered the object.

The American Enterprise Institute is releasing a paper today confirming what nearly every educational consultant or guidance counselor providing college advice already knows—graduation rates matter to parents. … Not surprisingly, graduation rates correlate nicely with generally accepted views of quality. For example, the University of Virginia and Georgetown University—both considered first-rate postsecondary institutions—share six-year graduation rates of about 93 percent.

Also features Canfora's design.

Growing up poor can suppress a child's genetic potential to excel cognitively even before the age of 2, according to research from psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin. … The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, was co-authored by K. Paige Harden of The University of Texas at Austin, Mijke Rhemtulla of The University of Texas at Austin and the University of British Columbia, and Eric Turkheimer and David Fask of the University of Virginia.

A total of $1,052,000 in tobacco commission funding is headed to Halifax County for the Center for Coatings Applied Research and Education, after members of the Southside Economic Development Committee approved a grant request from the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority Tuesday in Richmond. … The University of Virginia is a partner in the project.

A team led by U.Va. architecture professor Anselmo Canfora won first place in a competition to design homes that can halt the spread of infectious diseases. The design will be constructed in Haiti.

Adam Cristman A soccer player at U.Va. Galaxy sign forward Adam Cristman from D.C. United Los Angeles Times / Jan. 11   Stephanie Allen Deal Who received a bachelor’s in commerce Deal wins Greene treasurer race Media General News Service / Jan. 11   Andres Ricardo Gluski Who received a Ph.D. in Economics and International Finance and Masters in Economics from University of Virginia. Cliffs Natural Resources Board Elects Two New Directors Stockhouse / Jan. 11   Manoj Sinha and Charles W. Ransler Who pursued M.B.A.s at the Darden School of Business A Light in India New Yor...