Alumni Spotlight

An Alumni Couple Goes for Gold3
John and Shannon St. Clair John St. Clair (Col ’99) and Shannon St. Clair (Col ’99) met at the U.Va. bookstore in August 1995. “Out of 5000 freshmen, John was in two of my classes our first semester and his dorm was Lile, which was right behind my dorm Tuttle,” says Shannon. John was a football player at U.Va. for five years. In 2000, he was drafted in the third round by the Rams and both he and Shannon moved to St. Louis. Shannon worked as a marketing coordinator for a commercial real estate firm and John proposed to...

Education in Kenya2
Doug Granger at the Brine Academy In July, Doug Granger (Educ ’06) visited Kenya with his wife and a couple of friends to take part in a mission conference through his church in Charlottesville. While in Kenya he visited a small school in the heart of Nairobi that provides education for children living in poverty. As an assistant principal in Albemarle County, Doug brought home a vision for excellent education and a desire to make Nairobi’s South B Slums a better place. Most children who attend the Brine Academy walk to school through narrow alleyways cut through the...

It Ain’t Easy Being Green1
Frogs are disappearing and Kerry Kriger (Engr ‘96) says their extinctions are a bellwether for the survival of other species and ecosystems. In 2008, he founded the nonprofit, Save the Frogs, which unifies the efforts of scientists, educators, policymakers and naturalists because “when we save the frogs, we’re protecting all our wildlife, all our ecosystems and all humans,” says Kriger. Save the Frogs campaigns against pesticides, habitat destruction and climate change. The organization and its supporters have held 143 events in 24 states and 21 countries. In the U.S., Save the Frogs has called on the Environmental Protection Agency to ban Atrazine, a...

The Case for Plain Talk0
From his experience in Texas as a judge, trial lawyer and supervisor of an 800-lawyer public agency, Kent C. Sullivan (Col ’78, Law ’82) knows the value of plain language in court cases. Sullivan, who has served as a justice for the Texas Court of Appeals in Houston, First Assistant Attorney General and a district judge, has been instrumental in working on the state’s Pattern Jury Charge Committee, a group responsible for formulating standardized jury instructions and questions for use in trials throughout the state. “There is no bigger nightmare, in my view, than finding out that you’re instructing people...

Career Change Pays Off0
Working the long hours necessary to advance at a New York law firm made Rosena Sammi (Law ’01) appreciate that life is too short not to pursue one’s passion. “I wanted to do something I truly loved,” Sammi says. “I had been taking night classes at Parsons School of Design as an outlet for my creativity, and I began to realize that I could turn my hobby into a career.” Her hobby—her passion—is jewelry design, and after a year spent developing a business plan, she launched Rosena Sammi Jewelry in January 2006. Her jewelry now is available at major...
HIGHLIGHTS

1976: A Royal Visit
On July 10, Queen Elizabeth toured the Academical Village, where 18,000 people watched her stroll down the Lawn.

What’s Up, Doc?
The human body is a complex machine of about 10 trillion interconnected cells. Researchers at the U.Va. Health System are working with new technology to keep everything from our brains to our blood sugar in good shape.

Theater as You’ve Never Seen It Before
Set designer Lisi Stoessel (Col '06, Grad '08) creates fantastical places.

A New Kind of Leader
The Batten School was created to develop 'challengers of the status quo.'

Over Seven Billion Served
Last October, the 7 billionth person on the planet was born. Professors explain the dynamics of the population boom and demographic transition.

Lady Gaga Recruits U.Va. Bullying Expert
Lady Gaga's lofty goal and a Foundation stacked with experts well-suited to help achieve it.

Can Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment Prevent Crime?
Why U.Va. students are teaching Russian literature at a juvenile correctional center

New & Notable
Listen to six innovative albums by 15 must-hear alumni musicians.

Jefferson’s Secret Bible
In the twilight of his life, Jefferson began exploring his faith and deepening his understanding of the Bible and Christianity.

What Can the New Frog in Town Tell Us About Our Eyes?
A biology student explains a U.Va. professor's new experimental animal

Where We Study
When finals are approaching at U.Va., the air seems charged with anticipation as students take to the libraries and cafés en masse and energy drinks fly off the shelves.

Eyes on the Olympics
U.Va. athletes play vital role in Team USA’s path to No. 1

Spirit of Adventure
Two documentaries portray challenging journeys and the importance of family

Wrapped in Mystery
A guide to U.Va.'s student societies.

Body Builder
Mike Curtis helps athletes recover from injuries and maintain peak form





