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Peggy
Harrison
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Bertram Ellis Jr. (center), a 1975 and '79 U.Va. alumnus and
Internet businessman, stands with the deans whose schools will
benefit from a $10 million gift he and his wife gave to U.Va.,
Edward A. Snyder (left) of Darden and Melvyn P. Leffler, of
Arts & Sciences. Ellis currently sits on the Darden School Foundation
Board of Trustees. |
$10 million gift caps
U.Va. reunions weekend
By
Carol Wood
Internet
businessman and University alumnus U. Bertram Ellis Jr., chair and
chief executive officer of Atlanta-based iXL Enterprises, and his
wife Deborah Hicks Ellis have given $10 million to the University.
The
gift, one of the 10 largest in the University's history, is to be
divided between Ellis' two U.Va. schools, the College and Graduate
School of Arts & Sciences, from which he graduated in 1975, and
the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, from which
he earned an MBA degree in 1979.
In
announcing the unrestricted gift during the June 3-4 reunions weekend,
University President John T. Casteen III called the gift "another
signal of the Ellises' commitment to and affection for the University."
The
Ellises have been involved in University life and interested in
helping to shape its future since he graduated from the College.
Last year, Ellis was the chief architect of "e-summit@virginia,"
helping to bring together almost 100 U.Va. alumni leaders in the
Internet world for a conference on the impact of new technology.
"Bert
and Debbie consistently have given their time, their incredible
energy and their financial support to University programs during
the past 25 years," Casteen said. "Their gift today sets
the standard for leadership among their generation. We are deeply
grateful for their generosity of spirit."
"Debbie
and I have been extremely lucky in our lives. We are committed to
distributing 90 percent of our financial wealth during our lifetimes
to institutions and organizations that have a positive impact on
us, our family, and our communities," Ellis said. "This
gift to U.Va. can help propel the University to even greater heights.
I am honored to have this opportunity to give back." Full
story.
First
USEM fellows chosen
By
Louise Dudley
Demonstrating
the close ties between innovative research and teaching, two U.Va.
professors known for their dedication to both have been selected
to receive the University's first Storrs and Shaughnessy University-Seminars
Sabbatical Fellowships, President John T. Casteen III has announced.
The
two competitive fellowships, granting a semester's research leave
at full pay, are open to faculty members who have taught in the
University Seminars program, which features leading professors in
small, intensive classes designed to promote critical-thinking skills
for first-year students. The resulting research projects are aimed
at publishable works that will become the subject of future USEMs.
Full story.
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