Accolades: Politics Scholar James Ceaser Wins Bradley Prize

The excellence of scholarship in politics and corporate law at the University of Virginia was recently reflected in a range of awards going to faculty members, including politics professor James Ceaser; Craig Volden, professor of public policy and politics; and law professor Brandon Garrett. In addition, the U.Va. Children’s Hospital received recognition for several programs and specialties, and a longtime assistant to Darden students caught the Alumni Association’s attention.

Here is a roundup of some recent U.Va. accomplishments.

Ceaser Receives Bradley Prize, Often Called the Conservative Nobel

James W. Ceaser, Harry F. Byrd Professor of Politics, joins a prestigious group of individuals the Bradley Foundation has recognized over the years – including political columnist George F. Will, who presided over this year’s ceremony June 3 in Washington, D.C. and won a Bradley Prize in 2005.

Ceaser, a faculty member since 1976, directs the Program for Constitutionalism and Democracy at U.Va. and is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

The Bradley Prizes recognize innovative thinkers and dedicated practitioners who have made contributions in areas consistent with the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation’s mission to strengthen democratic capitalism and limited government.

The other 2015 prize winners: Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn; women’s rights activist and critic of Islam Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who founded the AHA Foundation; and retired U.S. Army Gen. Jack Keane, who chairs the Institute for the Study of War. Each winner received $250,000.

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation is devoted to strengthening American democratic capitalism and the institutions, principles and values that sustain and nurture it. Its programs support limited, competent government; a dynamic marketplace for economic, intellectual and cultural activity; and a vigorous defense, at home and abroad, of American ideas and institutions. 

Volden’s Book on Legislative Effectiveness Wins Prize

The American Political Science Association’s 2015 Gladys M. Kammerer Award goes to Craig Volden, professor of public policy and politics in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and co-author Alan E. Wiseman of Vanderbilt University, for their book, “Legislative Effectiveness in the United States Congress: The Lawmakers,” published by Cambridge University Press.

The book and its companion website, www.thelawmakers.org, provides a wealth of information on the effectiveness of members of Congress, according to who introduces a bill and if it becomes law. The book covers 1973 to 2008, while the website has been updated through 2012. The database will be periodically updated in two-year increments.

The Kammerer Award is given annually to the best book published during the previous calendar year in the field of U.S. national policy.

The authors will receive the award at the association’s meeting in San Francisco in September.

U.Va. Law Professor Brandon Garrett Wins McFarland Prize

School of Law professor Brandon Garrett, whose work has brought new insights into corporate prosecution and criminal convictions, has received the Law School’s Carl McFarland Prize. The prize is awarded each year in the spring to a junior faculty member for outstanding research.

A faculty member since 2005, Garrett published the book, “Too Big to Jail: How Prosecutors Compromise with Corporations,” in fall 2014. It examines how corporate offenders often avoid sentencing and jail time through deals with prosecutors.

U.Va. Alumni Association Honors Darden’s Amanda Mills

The U.Va. Alumni Association presented Amanda H. Mills, a registrar associate at the Darden School of Business, with its Distinguished Service Award.

Wendy Huber, assistant dean for Darden’s residential MBA program, called Mills an “office ninja, serious and focused,” while always being “warm, caring and willing to listen” to students.

The annual award recognizes a member of the University community who has exhibited leadership qualities that inspire others. Mills received $5,000 in cash for the award and was recognized at an April 17 ceremony.

The Alumni Association gave its Distinguished Professor Award, which includes $10,000 and life membership in the Alumni Association, to Herbert “Tico” Braun, an associate professor of history. The annual award recognizes a member of faculty who has excelled as a teacher, shown concern for students and made significant contributions to the life of the University for more than 10 years.

U.Va. Children’s Hospital Honored for Supporting Breastfeeding

The U.Va. Children’s Hospital has earned an international award for its support of breastfeeding mothers from the International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants Care Award. The Children’s Hospital’s Breastfeeding Medicine program includes lactation consultants, pediatricians and nutritionists. Support is available seven days a week, and the program provides both inpatient and outpatient assistance for new mothers.

Four U.Va. Children’s Hospital Specialties Ranked in U.S. News

Four U.Va. Children’s Hospital specialties have earned national rankings in the 2015-16 U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” guide.

The four ranked specialties are: pulmonology at No. 37, urology at 41^st, orthopedics at 47^th and neonatology at 50^th.

The U.S. News rankings are based on a range of criteria that include patient safety and patient outcomes; use of best practices, including measures to prevent infections; whether hospitals provide specialized clinics and programs; the availability of advanced technology; and a national survey of pediatric specialists.