New U.Va. Rector and Vice Rector Will Take Office in July
Source: Charlottesville NewsPlex
With the July 1 turn of a two-year cycle, the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors will have new leadership.
John O. “Dubby” Wynne (Law ‘71) of Virginia Beach, who was elected vice rector two years ago, will begin his two-year term as the University’s 40th rector, or chairman of the board. He succeeds W. Heywood Fralin of Roanoke, who will remain on the board until 2012.
Wynne said that he is looking forward to the challenges of the coming year, noting that he and the board will preside over a number of major University leadership changes. Last week, University President John T. Casteen III announced that he would step down on Aug. 1, 2010. READ MORE »
U.Va. baseball misses chances at College World Series, but looks toward next year
Source: Steven Pivovar, The Roanoke Times
Virginia’s first trip to the College World Series provided the Cavaliers with a lifetime of memories.
First, they’ll have to wrestle with thoughts of what might have been.
Virginia’s stay in Omaha ended Wednesday night with a 4-3, 12-inning loss to Arkansas. The Cavaliers were one strike away from closing out the Razorbacks in nine innings. They had the winning run 90 feet from home in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, and the tying run at third base in the 12th.
“We had opportunities from the bottom of the ninth right there until the end,’’ Virginia right fielder Dan Grovatt said. “We just didn’t come up with the big hit.’’ READ MORE »
U.Va. Med School Dean is One of 11 Leading Scientists Nationwide Appearing in GQ Magazine as ‘Rock Stars of Science’
Source: UVaToday
Nationally recognized University of Virginia researcher and physician Dr. Steven T. DeKosky adds another distinction to his scientific career, appearing as a “Rock Star of Science” in the June issue of GQ magazine with such rock celebrities as Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Black-Eyed Peas member and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” co-star Will-i-am, and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry.
DeKosky, vice president and dean of U.Va.‘s School of Medicine, and 10 other leading medical researchers nationwide turned in their lab coats for a designer menswear photo shoot as “Rock Stars of Science,” a new public service campaign sponsored by GEOFFREY BEENE GIVES BACK and GQ magazine. The campaign spotlights the need for greater funding for medical research and strives to make science a more attractive career choice for tomorrow’s stars. READ MORE »
Balz, Dobie and Watson are demolished this summer
Source: Brian McNeill, Daily Progress
The University of Virginia is poised to demolish three 43-year-old dormitories and replace them with a pair of modern residence halls.
U.Va. will raze Balz, Dobie and Watson halls [this summer], clearing the way for construction to begin on the new residence halls, which will be linked by a new one-story student activity center.
“I don’t want to say that [Balz, Dobie and Watson] are decrepit, but they’re aging,” said Don Sundgren, U.Va.’s chief facilities officer. “These sorts of buildings have a lifespan. And they’ve reached the end of that lifespan.”
The project — officially known as the Alderman Road Residence Area Phase II — is projected to cost between $66.4 million and $72.4 million. READ MORE »
VIDEO: DOBIE FALLS
Comments
Ah, the years fly! When I arrived in 1967, Watson House was my home; as new construction, it was surrounded most of the year by a sea of mud. Actually, I was kind of surprised it still remained standing after some of the dorm parties, which as I recall might include warfare with Dobie.
During my first year at UVA I lived in Metcalf dorm off of Emmet Street. Has this been torn down too and, if so, when? Thanks for your reply
Nope. Metcalf is still standing strong, as are the rest of the "Old Dorms" or McCormick Road Residence Halls.
I lived in Balz my first year...I'll never forget the tone of voice from a UPS driver when he said "I have a package here for Balz - is that some kind of a joke??".
I'd title this one "Dobie Dented!" They may have ended their useful life functionally speaking, but construction-wise, they still look pretty rock-solid.
Sigh. If only Dobie had been designed with white columns and a portico, it might still be standing. :)
I attended UVA in the 70's. In those days there were not phones in individual rooms, but rather a central pay phone for the whole dorm. The women of Balz used to answer the phone, "Hello, you got Balz."
Is this apochryphal or do I accurately remember the Hancock and Balz intramural sports group?
In the blink of an eye, Dobie goes down and Chi Psi goes inactive. Somebody is erasing a big part of my History.
This reminded me of "Watson Beach" and many other random first year memories of Suite 220. But really, if they were going to tear dorms down, they should have started with Gooch, "where you have to go down to get up."
I hope that Webb, my old house, doesn't get razed soon. It's right in front of Watson, so it may be deemed as standing in the way of progress soon. But I'm all for what makes U.Va. the nation's best institution. We've got to compete with these schools who are not nearly as fine as U.Va. that have brand-new, luxury dormitories that can seal the decision for some prospectives, even if they're the more vain ones.
I was one of the original residents of The Dobie Dude Ranch -- 211 Dobie. The Observatory Hill dorms were so new in September 1967 that we didn't get desks until the end of Orientation Week. Over the next couple of weeks we finally got the full complement of furniture for the suite's living room and mirrors for each room -- until then we had to use the mirrors in the bathroom in order to tie our ties.
If Dobie survived all of the football players living there during first year, then how on earth could it be ready for demolition?? AHHHH the year was 1979.... I remember living in Balz and attending many of those wild Dobie parties right next door. Good memories!! Also "on the beach" behind the dorm on the hill and listening to The Who out the window on someone's stereo. How did we ever get anything done?? What a blast!!!
I was at UVA 1948-57, a long time before Balz was built. But I knew Professor Albert George Adam Balz, who was a professor of Philosophy, a subject in which I minored and almost went for a doctorate . . but I stayed with mathematics. Balz lectured about Rene Descartes, being a world-authority on Descartes. We used to joke that Balz' lectures about Descartes' "clear and distinct ideas" were quite the opposite. I would like to think, however, that a more lasting tribute to Professor Balz could be erected that would last a bit longer.
Oh my god that's depressing! I actually cried when I watched this demolition clip. I was at UVA 1986-1991 and not only lived in New Dorms (Tuttle) but spent summers there as a counselor and eventually head counselor of the Summer Enrichment Program. So many memories of great times in the New Dorms, and I'm struck by the irony of the fact that the New Dorms are now so old they are being knocked down.
NOW there's absolutely no way my kids will ever believe me when I tell them I lived in a dorm named "Balz" when I was 17!
I lived in Balz during my first year in 1992. I distinctly remember the slogan among those living in Dobie, situated as it was between Balz and Watson (which housed some Echols scholars), was that they "lived between the 'Nads and the Nerds". It seemed clever at the time, not as much now.
Please tell me that the replacements for those wonderful repositories of first year memories will be LEED certified platinum (Green) Buildings!
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