Shaping the Future1

Winter 2011

One of the energizing aspects of daily life at U.Va. is the constant exposure to astonishing research, scholarship and other creative activities. Our faculty members are working at the leading edge of discovery to develop solutions to societal problems and to drive innovation in a multitude of disciplines. This work has real-world implications for all of us, because efforts under way now at U.Va. have the potential to improve human health, restore our environment, respond to natural disasters, and generally enhance the future that we—and our children and grandchildren—face. The American Cancer Society has estimated that 1,596,670 new cancer cases…

The Second-Story Walk0

Fall 2011

The cover story in this issue of Virginia describes the experience of living in the pavilions in the Academical Village. These original buildings, designed by Thomas Jefferson, give us a physical connection to the earliest days of the University, when the first professors and students converged on Charlottesville to give life to Jefferson’s great experiment in higher education. By Jefferson’s design, the first floors of the pavilions served as the classrooms, where faculty members and their student-neighbors came together to learn. Each of the early professors taught in a specific field —law, medicine, mathematics, natural history, and other disciplines spanning…

Balancing Priorities0

Spring 2011

Although we are still feeling winter’s effects in Charlottesville, the spring semester is well under way. Students and teachers have returned to their classrooms and laboratories, while those of us with administrative duties are working to ensure a well-planned, productive 2011 for the University. Part of our work this year will focus on the alignment between the University’s priorities and the priorities for higher education identified by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. The thousands of alumni, parents and friends who live outside Virginia may know little about the governor’s work on this issue. The following paragraphs describe how the governor’s priorities,…

A Culture of Caring0

Winter 2010

In August, when I became the University’s eighth president, I joined a community whose culture and traditions are unique among American universities. Part of what attracted me to the job is the distinctive quality of the student experience here. A clearly defined group of core values characterizes life on these Grounds. Honor and ethics, leadership and service, diversity, and collaboration in the pursuit of knowledge—these are the foundational values on which our community is built. These values permeate every aspect of student and faculty life. By living these values, our students learn to become ethical, engaged public citizens. Thomas Jefferson…

A Message from the Rector0

Welcome to Virginia, President Teresa Sullivan

Fall 2010

Terry told us early on that during her first 100 days in Charlottesville she planned to walk, talk and drive her way around the University and the Commonwealth—to listen and to learn. So if you happen to be on Grounds this fall, you are likely to run into our new president. If you see her, please introduce yourself—and tell her why you love the University of Virginia. Her husband of 39 years, Douglas Laycock, a fellow debater she met while an undergrad at Michigan State, has joined the faculty of the School of Law, much to the dean’s delight. Doug…

So Long, Old Friends3

A final message from President Casteen

Summer 2010

If my memory is correct, my first report to alumni, students’ families, and staff and faculty must have gone out in mid-fall 1990. In those days, I sent letters that took shape over several weeks in typewriters and later on word processors. Over time, the letters, then reports, and now pages in U.Va. Magazine and sometimes email reports have become for me important (and thoroughly pleasant) chances to share what I am thinking about and seeing in our University, and requests for advice, which has come back regularly and proved to be very useful. Thank you for that. These responses…

President’s Letter: Building Blocks0

Spring 2010

Art and Science1

Winter 2009