Articles about U.Va. Women & AlumnaeRead about the accomplishments of alumnae, female professors, and female students of the U.Va. community and celebrate women who are making a difference today. WLP NewsWomen in Leadership Conference 2010 Women in Leadership and Philanthropy at the University of Virginia presents the second Women in Leadership Conference on February 18 and 19, 2010, on the U.Va. Grounds. Please join us to hear about “Leading by Example” from featured speakers Sara A. James (Col ’83), award-winning correspondent for Dateline NBC, and Cheryl D. Mills (Col ’87), counselor and chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is appearing in conjunction with her selection as the U.Va. Women Center’s 2010 Distinguished Alumna of the Year. Our sessions will explore a number of issues, including women in the Islamic world, women and healthcare, the future of media, entrepreneurship, career success, economic resiliency, women leading global change, women in transition and other topics of current interest. An invitation with more information will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please visit our conference Web site at www.virginia.edu/womeninleadership/conference. Student SpotlightU.Va. Undergraduates Present Research
University of Virginia undergraduates presented research on modern music, fat stem cells, and a social services project in Nicaragua, among many topics, to a full house on Sept. 4. Among the students who presented, along with their research topics, were:
U.Va. Law Student Vallas Makes Mark Through 1,500 Hours of Pro Bono Service
With 1,562 hours of pro bono service during her three years at the University of Virginia, graduating law student Rebecca Vallas has broken a school record for devotion to public service. Vallas has more hours than anyone who has ever volunteered through the Law School's Pro Bono Program, which encourages law students to dedicate at least 75 hours to pro bono work during their three years at Law School. Students have donated more than 85,000 hours since the program began in 1999. A psychology major at Emory University, Vallas always envisioned herself as a social worker helping female abuse victims, and worked in internships to pursue that goal. Read more. Focus on the FacultyMacArthur Fellows Announces Deborah Eisenberg as Grant Recipient
The MacArthur Fellows program named University Creative Writing Prof. Deborah Eisenberg as one of its 24 recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship grant. The honor, also known as a “genius grant,” awards $500,000 during a five-year period to creative individuals in a variety of fields. Past University honorees include University professor emeritus Terry Belanger, former director of the Rare Book School, in 2005; Research Neurosurgery Prof. Janine Jagger in 2002; and Chemistry Prof. Brooks Pate in 2001. Read more. Arts and Sciences Professor of Environmental Science and Politics Publishes “Trashy” Book
In her new book entitled, Garbage In, Garbage Out: Solving the Problems with Long-Distance Trash Transport, Associate Professor Vivian Thomson addresses the political issues related to waste generation, transport, and disposal. She argues that trash management reveals a great deal about state, federal, and local government policy and who has the power in this interplay. Read more.. University Researchers Find Large Saturn Ring
University and University of Maryland researchers have discovered Saturn’s largest ring, potentially solving a 300-year-old astronomical mystery. University Astronomy Research Scientist Anne Verbiscer, along with University Astronomy Prof. Mike Skrutskie, has confirmed the existence of the immense ring using the Spitzer Space Telescope. Discovery of the ring provides a critical link between Saturn’s two moons, Phoebe and Iapetus. Read more. Wendy Yarno Is New Halsey Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science
Wendy Yarno, the former chief marketing officer for Merck & Company Inc., is the new Brent Halsey Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the U.Va. School of Engineering and Applied Science. Yarno spent 26 years in the pharmaceutical industry, much of it in leadership positions. Starting in 2006, she served as the chief marketing officer at Merck and was responsible for the global marketing and medical support organizations. "When you are in these kinds of positions and have worked across these kinds of organizations, there are a lot of lessons you learn that you never would have found in college textbooks," Yarno said. "You really learn these lessons when you are faced with major situations and must make decisions with people of all types of backgrounds, experiences and points of view." Read more.. New LeadershipKim Tanzer Appointed Dean of University of Virginia School of Architecture
Kim Tanzer, a professor of architecture whose teaching and research encompass three key areas – the relationship between the human body and the built environment; environmental design and sustainability; and African-American neighborhoods and their role in social equity – became dean of the University of Virginia's School of Architecture on July 1. Tanzer, a University of Florida architecture professor and practicing architect, succeeds Karen Van Lengen, who stepped down at the end of June after serving as dean for 10 years. Read more. Elizabeth Bass Becomes Interim Director of Madison House
Madison House, the student volunteer organization at the University of Virginia, has announced the appointment of Elizabeth Bass as its interim executive director. Bass, a six-year veteran of the organization, has been its associate director since early 2004. "Elizabeth Bass has an extraordinary passion for Madison House and unique understanding of our overall mission as well as our day-to-day operations," said Ryan Vaughan, co-chairman of the Madison House Board of Directors. "We look forward to working closely with her as we continue to serve the community and enrich the lives of our student volunteers." Read more. UVa Making a DifferenceAlumna Appointed First Female, African-American President at Historic Girard College
Autumn J. Adkins (A&S ’94) became the first female and first African-American president of Girard College, the historic private boarding school for low-income students that during the American civil rights movement fought against admitting students of color. “Today is a remarkable day for Girard, and a great day for the city,” said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, on-hand for the October 16 ceremony, “The appointment of Autumn Adkins marks the final chapter in the Philadelphia civil rights story that grew up around these walls nearly 50 years ago. At the same time, her appointment also opens a new chapter in Girard’s storied history, one that suggests that Girard’s best days lie ahead.” Prior to her appointment, Adkins spent six years as assistant principal at Friends Seminary, a private, coeducational Quaker prep school in Manhattan. She also served as Dean of the Upper School at the exclusive Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. Read more. Alumna Shapes the Small Screen as HBO Production Chief
Janet Graham Borba (A&S ’79) is vice president of production for HBO, a position in which she has overseen the highly acclaimed miniseries Angels in America, John Adams, and upcoming projects with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Brad Pitt. Graham Borba teaches at the Stark program at USC and is an active member on the board of the Virginia Film Festival. She considers the festival, which brings films and filmmakers to the University, both an entertaining and educational affair. “It’s important to show young people that these careers are accessible and sane,” she says. Read more. Professor Engineering Unique Solutions to Common Medical Problems
Biomedical engineer and professor Shayn M. Peirce-Cottler, one of the University of Virginia’s most prolific inventors, has developed a number of innovative tools to assist clinicians in battling some of medicine’s most difficult challenges. Peirce-Cottler’s work with special cells found in fat, or adipose, tissue could have a tremendous impact on the treatment and prevention of many complex medical conditions. “It’s important to me to engage in invention and develop solutions to help real patients,” she says. “Having that tangible impact on human health is why I became a biomedical engineer.” Read more. Sylvia Terry, Long-time Peer Advisor Program Coordinator, Reflects on 30 Years at UVa
Sylvia Terry, associate dean of the Office of African-American Affairs, retired after nearly 30 years at the University, leaving a legacy of black student retention through her tireless development and management of the Peer Advisor Program, an effort that is close to her heart. Students in the Peer Advisor Program, which pairs upper-class students with first-year students to help them get acclimated to and thrive at U.Va., became her extended family. Students in the program came to rely on her like a mother away from home. Said Terry, “I think I'm lucky in this career because I had a vision and I was allowed to work it. I always say, with the Peer Advisor Program in particular, it was like being given a piece of clay and saying, ‘Here, this is yours. Work with it. Shape it.’” Read more. Other Articles about U.Va. Women & Alumnae |