News Briefs

CVC: campaign hits home

With a shortage of both state funds and water, U.Va. employees are learning to get by with less. Through the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, employees can help those who face a lifetime of living on less. Each fall, employees receive pledge cards that provide a convenient means to give to charities. About 1,000 charities are included this year in the CVC.

The campaign officially begins with a kick-off brunch at Carr’s Hill Nov. 6. On Nov. 13, a nonprofit fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Newcomb Hall Ballroom. The fair features services and programs local charities provide.

Completed pledge cards are due to CVC area volunteers Dec. 6. For information, contact the CVC Office at 924-3939 or danarivera@virginia.edu. See also www.virginia.edu/cvc/

Traffic study gears up

The engineering firm of Kimley-Horn of Richmond is conducting a new comprehensive traffic study of the impact of the proposed Emmet/Ivy Garage.
The study will include extensive morning, afternoon and evening traffic counts, including one on the night of a basketball game, as well as counting turning vehicles at 17 intersections. The traffic counts, already under way, should be completed by the end of the month, except for the late November basketball game. Once the counts are tabulated, Kimley-Horn will present a model showing existing conditions to the public for review and validation before analyzing the impact of the garage on current conditions.

Matching gift eases crisis

Concerned that the quality of education might be suffering because of budget cuts, two alumni groups recently presented gifts totaling $300,000 to the University to preserve course offerings threatened by the state’s budget crisis. The U.Va. Alumni Association and the Arts & Sciences College Foundation each contributed $150,000.

Barnett awarded for teaching leadership

French professor Marva Barnett, the founding director of the Teaching Resource Center, will receive this year’s Elizabeth Zintl Leadership Award in recognition of her efforts to enhance the quality of teaching at U.Va. Through the center’s services in granting teaching fellowships, offering workshops and providing one-on-one consultation for faculty and graduate teaching assistants, Barnett has helped instructors improve their work in the classroom, benefiting hundreds of students.

Created by the Women’s Center, the award annually recognizes women working at U.Va. whose high degree of professionalism, creativity and commitment mirror the extraordinary service that the late Elizabeth Zintl gave to the University as the president's chief of staff until her death in 1997. The prize is supported by a gift from the late David A. Harrison III. Past recipients include Shirley Menaker (2002), Claire Cronmiller and Louise Dudley (2000).

Barnett, who has served in her role since 1990, will be honored at a Nov. 8 reception at 4:30 p.m. in Alderman Library’s McGregor Room. RSVP by Oct. 28 to 982-2361.

Library hours restored

Hours are being restored across most University libraries, thanks to a grant from the University's $6-million fund to help core academic activities.
Hours are being added as quickly as students and supervisory staff can be hired, said University Librarian Karin Wittenborg. For updates, see http://www.lib.virginia.edu/librarynews.html

Nicolas Cage, Roger Ebert go one-on-one

Nicolas Cage will attend the 15th Virginia Film Festival, presenting his directorial debut, “Sonny,” on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. in Culbreth Theatre.
Immediately following the screening, Roger Ebert will conduct an interview with Cage, who has starred in such films as “Raising Arizona,” “Moonstruck” and “The Rock.” At 10 p.m., Cage will introduce the 1995 film, “Leaving Las Vegas,” for which he won an Academy Award as best actor.

Chemist awarded for blood vessel research

Research that could one day rebuild damaged blood vessels brought top honors to Milton Brown, assistant professor of chemistry at U.Va. He won a 2002 Researcher of the Year award from the Carilion Biomedical Institute.

Brown, who also holds a medical degree, is currently working to develop compounds that control the growth of blood vessels. He shares the award with Ravi Saraf, associate professor of chemical engineering at Virginia Tech.

The two researchers have developed a compound that restricts blood vessel growth and that could potentially be used to attack cancer cells. They have also designed and produced the first small molecules known to promote blood vessel growth. These molecules could one day be used to repair the damage caused by coronary artery disease and diabetes.

What makes a museum tick?

A new class highlights the behind-the-scenes activities that keep the U.Va. Art Museum running smoothly. Led by museum staff, the class meets once a week in the museum and focuses on areas from strategic planning and fund-raising to educational outreach and maintenance of the artwork.

Plans are in the works to offer in-depth courses on different topics of museum operations and procedures each fall. The class is offered through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Changing drinking perceptions key to education

Students often believe that their peers drink much more alcohol than they actually do and alter their behavior to conform, said Alan Berkowitz, a leading alcohol educator.

In recent workshops on Grounds with students, faculty and staff, Berkowitz discussed how individuals can help change incorrect — but socially prevalent — perceptions about unhealthy activities, such as alcohol abuse. Ad campaigns and other marketing techniques that use social norms theory rely on facts instead of fear tactics, threats or gimmicks, he said.

Berkowitz’ visit was made possible by a U.S. Department of Education grant awarded to the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education.

Adopt an exhibit fosters art appreciation

The U.Va. Art Museum is expanding its educational outreach with a pilot program that allows art classes in Albemarle County schools to participate in the installation of exhibits.

“Adopt an Exhibit” is designed to foster understanding and appreciation of art and further relate art to the students’ curriculum and culture, said Jane Anne Young, director of education at the museum. “They will learn what an exhibit is and how it is put together.”Village School sixth-grade students collected materials for artist Michele Leavitt to use in the creation of her installation piece, “Tears,” on exhibit at the museum through Dec. 1. Murray High School students worked with Leavitt to install the work.

Sabato gets out the vote in all 50 states…

Students in grades K-12 will vote online in a mock election sponsored by the University's Center for Politics. For the first time, schools in all 50 states will be participating in the program, which was founded in 1998 by Larry J. Sabato, U.Va.
professor of politics. Voting will run through Nov. 1. Students' ballots will include the same races that will appear on their parents' ballots Nov. 5.

The National Youth Leadership Initiative, which runs the mock election, is designed to foster greater interest and participation in American politics and government.

… Then predicts the outcomes

Look at election-year politics through Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball. He analyzes upcoming mid-term races, as well as a look ahead for 2004 contests. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics, will offer updated predictions in a variety of races at http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball

Parents can invest for children’s college tuition

The Virginia College Savings Plan, offered by the state, has some new features. State employees opening new accounts in the Virginia Prepaid Education Program or the Virginia Education Savings Trust qualify for reduced application fees if they make payments on their accounts through payroll deduction. The newest college savings option, CollegeAmerica,SM is available to employees who work with a financial adviser. CollegeAmerica features 21 mutual funds offered by the American Funds. Additional information is available online at www.Virginia529.com.

Off-Grounds living guides

This fall, U.Va.’s Community Relations Office has distributed nearly 2,000 “Off-Grounds Living Guides” to student renters, and hundreds of magnets listing contact information should neighbors have concerns about student noise, trash, behavior or parking.

Both the guide and magnet were developed in collaboration with the city’s Neighborhood Development Services Office; city, county and University police; and University deans of student affairs.

Minority health fair Oct. 26

The U.Va. chapter of the Student National Medical Association will hold a community health fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26 at Buford Middle School. The students will address health issues facing members of the Charlottesville community.

SNMA conducted research on local health issues and sorted them into two categories: major health issues of concern, including diabetes, hypertension and teen pregnancy; and major causes of death in Charlottesville: heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Founded in 1964, SNMA is the oldest and largest minority medical student organization in the country. The organization addresses the health concerns and needs of underserved minority populations. More information can be found at www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/snma.

Student scholarships available for global health

If you know students who are interested in visiting foreign countries to help improve health care and related problems, tell them about the travel awards offered by the Center for Global Health. An informational meeting will be held Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in Jefferson Hall.

The center will support 2003 summer or fall research projects to second- and third-year undergraduates, professional students and graduate students. The program aims to encourage U.Va. students to work on interdisciplinary health-related research on some aspect of health and the alleviation of diseases of poverty. The students will work in an impoverished area for a minimum of six weeks.

An application, along with faculty letters of endorsement, résumé, a statement and official transcripts must be submitted by Dec. 6. Contact Breyette Lorntz at 243-6237 or lorntz@virginia.edu, or April Ballard at 243-6383 or aballard@virginia.edu for information. Notification of the award recipients will be made in mid-February.

U.Va. women in the arts

The Women’s Center is featuring women artists who are U.Va. alumnae, faculty or students in the second half of a yearlong series called “Artists of Vision,” aligned with the University’s Virginia 2020 planning initiative themes.
Upcoming participants include alumna Julie Lynn, who heads the independent production company Mockingbird Films. She will speak Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. in Clark Hall Auditorium on producing the award-winning show, “Wit,” for HBO.

On Nov. 9, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa, another alumna, will perform in a jazz concert with the group Married Couple at Starr Hill Music Hall.

On Nov. 14, U.Va. architecture dean Karen Van Lengen will speak on the University’s famous architecture and its relationship to race and gender. Her talk will be at 7 p.m. in the Newcomb Hall Board Room.

What’s on TV?

UVA NewsMakers will air a recent Explorations in Black Leadership program Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Vernon Jordan, a former Civil Rights leader and former adviser to President Bill Clinton, and Annette Gordon-Reed, author of “Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson: An American Controversy,” discuss the book they co-authored, “Vernon Can Read.”

UVA NewsMakers, which airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. and Fridays at 11 a.m. on Adelphia Public Access Ch. 13, spotlights noteworthy individuals who give talks on Grounds.

“Ethically Speaking,” a program produced by the U.Va. Institute for Practical Ethics and Charlottesville PBS, will focus on “Wealthy Candidates, Winning Campaigns” on its Oct. 31 show. Host John Jeffries, dean of the U.Va. Law School, talks with political analyst Larry Sabato and law professor Lillian BeVier, both from U.Va., on WHTJ-TV at 8:30 p.m. The show is broadcast again on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Corrections

• The benefits open enrollment period closes Nov. 30. For information: http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/clasben.html.

• The College has not put its entire course registration and academic advising program online. Students will continue to meet with advisers and register in the customary way, but the College will no longer send registration cards and PACE forms to advisers. They can be accessed online and sent to students via e-mail.