The Wired Mind
Plugging into the heart of the brain
James Coan probes how the mind reacts to emotional situations, from holding hands to being homesick. Barry Condron blazes trails with computer images of fruit flies.
Explaining the World
Professor Lou Bloomfield demystifies the physics of everyday life
Lou Bloomfield, who teaches the popular introductory physics course "How Things Work," explains the science behind objects that students see every day.
According to Custom
Student Traditions at Virginia
As revered as the University's traditions are, some change with the times and others fade away entirely. Here's a look at just a few.
Murder, She Writes
From New York crime fighter to New York Times best seller
Linda Fairstein (Law ’72) earned the nickname "Hell on Heels" during her 25 years as chief prosecutor for Manhattan's Sex Crimes Unit. Having helped reform a judicial system myopic about violence towards women, she's turned her talents to crime fiction.
Anatomy of a Mystery
The Jefferson-Hemings controversy in the post-DNA era
Following a DNA study in 1998, many scholars believe that Thomas Jefferson likely fathered children by slave Sally Hemings. For others, the genetic findings deepen the mystery.
Sounding Off
The Virginia Center for Computer Music is Making Noise
A small outfit with a big reputation, this UVA program dispels the notion that computer music is nothing but monotonous bleeps and bloops.
Altered States
Scientists analyze the near-death experience
For the past 30 years, UVA psychiatrist Bruce Greyson has tried to reach a scientific understanding of the phenomenon known as the near-death experience.
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.
Down on the Corner
A stroll through the University’s neighborhood
Always an integral part of life at the University, the Corner has been shaped by a colorful collection of characters and establishments.
Putting Enemies on the Couch
Vamik Volkan’s unofficial diplomacy
A professor emeritus of psychiatry at UVA, Vamik Volkan occupies a rare niche in his profession, examining global politics and ethnic conflict through the prism of psychoanalysis.
Running on Respect
UVA's Sorensen Institute wants to clean up politics
In an era in which mudslinging has become a science, UVA offers a voice in the wilderness, calling for civility.
Know Your Lines
Getting into character
Go behind the scenes of the drama department's production of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man, where students learn about collaboration and taking risks.
Reflections of a Survivor
Movie conjures warm—and wrenching—memories for Mary Jane Tolley
We Are Marshall, based on a 1960 plane crash that claimed the lives of Marshall University's football team, brings many emotions to the surface again for Mary Jane Tolley (Educ '66), whose husband, Rick Tolley (Educ '64), was the team's head football coach.
The Experts
Alumni tell us how it's done
From training dogs to picking stocks, UVA graduates share advice on a variety of topics.
Into Africa
Lessons in cultural immersion
Seduced long ago by a lion's roar, environmental sciences professor Bob Swap introduces a new generation of students to a complex and changing Africa.
Shades of Blue and Gray
The Civil War in art and film
Civil War scholar Gary Gallagher surveys the visual arts to show how attitudes toward the war continue to change.
College Bound and Determined
Finding balance in the admission process
UVA's admission deans clear away some of the misinformation and media hype that surround the process of getting into a selective university.
After the Storm
Documenting the damage of hurricanes Katrina and Rita
After hurricanes ravaged an already fragile Gulf Coast, documentary filmmaker Christina Melton set out to tell the story from the viewpoint of those most affected.
Clock Work
Exploring the essence of time
From atomic clocks to circadian rhythms, time is relative. Authorities across a range of disciplines explain how they measure its passage.
Aiming High
Campaign chair Gordon Rainey on the University's $3 billion future
Excellence comes with a price: in the University's case, $3 billion. The chairman of the capital campaign explains what it's all about.
The Art of Giving It Away
Metal worker Gary Rosenthal trades profits for mitzvot
A leading designer and purveyor of Judaica, this Darden grad follows an equally creative business plan.
The Master Builder
Completion of the John Paul Jones Arena caps Dick Laurance's remarkable career
For the past 18 years, this construction wizard has steered UVA's highest-profile projects on time and on budget, smiling all the way.
The Cerenkov Blue
When UVA went nuclear
In 1960, UVA was on the vanguard of the emerging field of nuclear energy. Then came Three Mile Island.
