Shaping the Future

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…

Drawing From Nature

Mountain Lake Biological Station inspires art

Students carried five-gallon buckets that held their art supplies through the hardwood forest of the Appalachian Mountains. When they found something to draw, they turned the buckets over and used…

The Secret Life of a Raindrop

A raindrop is never just a raindrop. Its value changes from friend to enemy, moneymaker to toxin.

Following the Flow

U.Va. scientists and educators assess and improve water quality

Suzanne Maben, gray-green waders hugging her legs, forges into the middle of Paine Run and, like a nurse monitoring a patient, records the vital signs of the stream. The air…

University Joins Consortium Addressing Global Water Issues

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

Kerry Kriger (Engr ’96) founded Save the Frogs to protect amphibians

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…

Jewel Box in the Woods

Architect builds cabin by hand

When architect Olle Lundberg (Arch ‘79) bought 16 acres overlooking the virgin forests of the Gualala River canyon in California, the first thing he and his wife, Mary, did was…

What’s in the Water?

New website shows levels of pharmaceuticals in Virginia wastewater

Want to know what prescription and generic drugs are in your local wastewater? Now Virginia residents can check using a new website created by U.Va. engineering professors Lisa Colosi and…

Ticked Off Carnivores

Tick bites likely cause allergy to red meat

Ticks are icky. They spread Lyme disease. And now it appears they might interfere with your ability to enjoy a hamburger. A team headed by Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, U.Va. professor…

The Consequences of Dinner

How food shapes the U.S. economy and environment

Ever wonder how the food we eat gets to the supermarket?

Trees on the Move

Russian boreal forests undergoing change in vegetation

Until recently, the northern part of the Great Russian forest—which is the size of the continental U.S.—was populated with larch trees, while the slightly warmer southern part was populated by…

Step on the Gas

How nitrogen exposes human impact on the environment

If you want to better gauge how your lifestyle affects the environment, there is now a “nitrogen footprint” to set alongside your carbon footprint.A new Web-based calculator, created by U.Va.…

Bird Food Redux

Feathers and diet give insights into environmental health

For one U.Va. researcher, clues about the health of the environment lie in examining the feathers and vomit of birds.Charles Clarkson (Grad ’14), a doctoral candidate in environmental sciences, has…

Taking the Pledge

As part of national Campus Sustainability Day in October, University employees and students electronically “signed” an online pledge that reads, “I pledge to consider the social, economic and environmental impacts…

Sorting Through Garbage

U.Va. professor tackles the complexities of transporting trash

As a country, the U.S. produces the most trash on earth. Where does your garbage go?