Stories from the Road: Teaching in Sarajevo

A handful of my family and friends expressed concern over my decision to spend a year teaching in Bosnia...

A Million Stories to Tell

Service in Iraq motivates veteran to study Arabic, pursue journalism

I moved to Egypt in August to study Arabic at the American University in Cairo. I came by way of U.Va., but more by way of Iraq, a place I’ve never left far behind. I was a soldier there from 2004 to 2005, and I feel compelled to re-engage the Middle East on civilian terms.

Surprise of a Lifetime

Val Ackerman (Col ’81) honored for achievements in basketball

Val Ackerman Photo courtesy of the Basketball Hall of FameVal Ackerman’s trip to China for the 2008 Olympics will be memorable for several reasons.For one, both the men’s and women’s…

Elephant Speak

What the 2004 tsunami can tell us about animal communications

The Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake resulted in a human death toll of a quarter million people, but few animals perished. Drawing on his pioneering research about elephant behavior, Michael Garstang, an emeritus professor of environmental sciences at U.Va., is on the hunt to find out why.

A Run to Remember

Beijing native bears Olympic torch in China

Thousands of my friends have asked me one question: How did I get that special honor as a torch bearer? That’s a long story to tell.

A Bug Before a Bang

Glitch doesn't diminish proton collider's promise

Though the launch of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator was marked by a ding instead of a bang, the Large Hadron Collider still holds the promise of unlocking secrets about the essence of matter and insights into the Big Bang.

No Country for Slow Players

International soccer requires "faster, dirtier" approach to game

Becky Sauerbrunn (Col ’08) will remember her first international soccer match for all the right reasons—and one she’d just as soon forget.

The Power of Rice

Darden students develop energy source

In villages throughout India, huge piles of rice husks—a byproduct of rice milling—sit slowly rotting. Proving the old adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, two Darden students have started a business that uses these discarded but plentiful rice husks as fuel for two generators that are providing power to about 10,000 rural Indians.

New World Views

Map collection charts course of understanding

Did you know Virginia was once believec to be only a 10-day march from the Sea of China? An exhibit at the Special Collections Library shows how views of North America evolved as navigation, printing and cartography advanced.

The Tibetan Connection

The University's unique relationship with an ancient culture

The people and culture of Tibet have been a part of the U.Va. community for decades, and a new center provides a fresh link to an area of growing international focus.

Cuba from the Bottom Up

After Fidel, life's little struggles go on

Nowhere has news of what was, by all accounts, one of the most anticipated transitions of power been received with more yawning than in Cuba itself.

A Legume With Fight

U.Va. professor helping to protect food staple

African cowpea farmers have long known their worst enemy. They call it “witchweed,” a parasite so virulent that it threatens to decimate what is a food staple for millions of…

The Bore Hole: An Essay

What is clean water worth?

When Kenda Mutongi (Grad ’93, ’96), a history professor at Williams College, returned to her village in Kenya to organize the digging of a well, she met unexpected resistance.

Promises Kept

Wounded Army veteran battles back

After two tours of combat and a suicide bomber's attack that left him badly injured, Dan Glanz is walking the Lawn this spring.

The Accidental Altruist

Why Conor Grennan started an orphanage

He meant to take a year's vacation from his stressful job, but instead he found a new mission in the streets of Katmandu.