News Briefs

Haidt wins state faculty award
Jonathan Haidt, associate professor of psychology at U.Va., was one of 11 college teachers from across Virginia who were named recipients Jan. 22 of the statewide Outstanding Faculty Awards, administered by the State Council of Higher Education. Each award carries a $4,000 prize.

Haidt, a member of the psychology faculty since 1995, has received several teaching awards at U.Va., including an All-University Teaching Award last year. In 2001, Haidt received the Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology, which is one of the two largest prizes ($100,000) in all of psychology and is awarded for the best research and theory in positive psychology. His research focuses on morality and emotions across cultures.

After last year’s General Assembly cut funding for the awards, TIAA-CREF Virginia stepped in to sponsor the award program.

ALUMNUS TIKI BARBER TO SPEAK AT VALEDICTION
Atiim Kiambu “Tiki” Barber, a professional football player and a 1997 graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce, will address U.Va.’s Class of 2004 at Valediction Exercises May 15 on the Lawn. Selected by the class, Barber is a star running back for the National Football League’s New York Giants.

Barber, a native of Roanoke, was perhaps most widely recognized as a record-breaking member of the U.Va. football team, and earned Atlantic Coast Conference recognition for both his academic and football achievements.

When not playing football, Barber has acted in the off-Broadway play, “Seeing Double,” and in the offseason works as the morning sports anchor for WCBS-TV in New York.

The affable Barber lives on the upper east side of Manhattan, where he is active in many charitable activities. He participates in the local D.A.R.E. program, the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the United Hospital Fund.

U.Va. No. 1 in Peace Corps volunteers
For the second year in a row, U.Va. is No. 1 among medium-sized schools for the number of alumni who enter the Peace Corps. U.Va. volunteers rose from 68 to 75 last year.

The Peace Corps released its 2004 list of “Top Producing Colleges and Universities” Jan. 16.

Among large schools with more than 15,000 undergraduates, the University of Wisconsin-Madison was No. 1. The medium-sized schools category comprises universities and colleges with 5,001-15,000 undergraduates. Following U.Va. were Georgetown and Cornell universities. The small schools category was led by the University of Chicago.

VABook! bringing Garrison Keillor to town
Author and public radio personality Garrison Keillor, host of the popular radio variety show, “Prairie Home Companion,” will participate in a free event during the 10th annual Virginia Festival of the Book on March 24 at 8 p.m. in the Charlottesville Performing Arts Center.

Keillor has been bringing news from his fictional Minnesota town of Lake Wobegon, live music and more, to listeners for the past 30 years. Among his numerous books for children and adults are “Lake Wobegon Days,” “The Book of Guys” and his most recent novel, “Love Me.”
As with all festival headline events, admission is free but seating is limited; 1,000 tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis March 24 beginning at 6 p.m. There is no pre-registered seating. For information, visit www.vabook.org or call 924-6890.

General Faculty Council meeting
The next meeting of the General Faculty Council will be Feb. 10 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Jordan Hall Conference Center Rooms G1 and G2. Jay Scott, associate dean for finance in the Health System, will be the guest speaker. For details, see: www.virginia.edu/genfac/.

Feb. 9: Teaching+ Technology applications due
Faculty who have innovative ideas about integrating teaching and technology may apply for a Teaching+Technology Initiative Fellowship for 2004-05. The purpose of the program is to promote interdisciplinary discussions of effective teaching and the development of methods for teaching with technology that can be adapted by other faculty. It is open to all faculty members.

Application information is available from deans, chairs and the Teaching Resource Center. Also see nmc.itc.virginia.edu/TTI. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with a TTI Instructional Technology Adviser on their proposals.

Applications must be sent to the Provost’s Office, c/o TTI Fellowship Program, by Feb. 9. Fellows will be announced in late March.

Dissertation fellowships
U.Va. doctoral students who are teaching in addition to pursuing their research may apply for one of five dissertation-year fellowships. Offered by U.Va.’s Faculty Senate, each fellowship pays $20,000. Fellowship recipients will include a Curry student, an Arts & Sciences student and three others who will be chosen University-wide.
The application deadline is March 1, and decisions on recipients will be made by April 15. For information, see www.virginia.edu/facultysenate/dissyr2004.html.

Sign on with Im-Rec Sports
Don’t give up on those New Year’s resolutions to get fit or de-stress. Intramural-Recreational Sports offers a range of programs for adults and youth this spring. Open registration began Jan. 22, and classes and teams are still taking participants and don’t begin for a few weeks. Check out the schedules on the IM-Rec Web site at www.virginia.edu/ims/program-schedule/registration.html. Spring program brochures also are available at the IM-Rec Sports Business Office in the Aquatics and Fitness Center.

Integrated System shifts to usability and support
Now that the Integrated System Project is in place, the office’s “role has changed from getting a system in to making it work for people,” said Virginia Evans, assistant vice president for the renamed Integrated System Deployment & Support.

The new name indicates a shift in priority from meeting a deadline for bringing up a system to deploying the system so that departments can fully and productively utilize its capabilities, said Yoke San Reynolds, vice president for finance.

For the ISDS staff this means new duties: being responsible for staying on top of system upgrades and helping offices and departments solve problems or difficulties as they arise.

The Integrated System Web site at www.virginia.edu/integratedsystem/ has also been redesigned with users in mind, noted Evans.
ISDS is now engaged in the first upgrade that incorporates new and better navigation and will position the University to add improved functionality, Evans said. Changes will be rolled out in May.

New University map published
A new and updated “University Visitor Map & Guide” has just been published, including recently constructed buildings, as well as a more detailed guide to the Grounds.

U.Va. offices and departments may purchase maps from Chem Stores by entering an internal requisition into the Integrated System, with the item #51197. The cost is $20 per packet of 50 maps. If you need assistance processing an internal requisition, contact the ISDS Help Desk at 243-7550. Those outside the University may purchase the maps by calling the University Bookstore at 924-3721. The map is distributed to individual visitors for free at U.Va.’s Information Center on U.S. 250 West.

Off the Shelf
Recent books by U.Va.
faculty and staff
• Molly Katherine Ness, Curry School doctoral student. “Lessons to Learn.” Routledge Pub.

“Lessons to Learn” is an oral history of Teach For America. The book includes essays and interviews from 150 past and present young college graduates who teach in the nation’s poorest schools. These young teachers reflect on their challenges, successes and lessons learned.

• Peter Ochs, professor of religious studies, and Nancy Levene, editors. “Textual Reasonings: Jewish Philosophy and Text Study at the End of the Twentieth Century.” Eerdmans Pub.

• Peter Ochs, professor of religious studies, and Michael G. Cartwright, editors. “The Jewish-Christian Schism Revisited,” by John Howard Yoder. Eerdmans Pub.

• William E. Jackson, associate professor of German. “Ardent Complaints and Equivocal Piety: The Portrayal of the Crusader in Medieval German Poetry.” University Press of America.

• Scott Saul, assistant professor of English. “Freedom Is, Freedom Ain’t: Jazz and the Making of the Sixties.” Harvard U. Press.

• Susan Fraiman, professor of English. “Cool Men and the Second Sex.” Columbia U. Press.

• Randy L. Bell, assistant professor of education, Norman G. Lederman and Judith S. Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology. “Constructing Science in Elementary Classrooms.” Pearson Allyn & Bacon.

• Kenneth Seidelmann, research professor of astronomy, and Jean Kovalevsky, Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur. “Fundamentals of Astrometry.” Cambridge U. Press.

• Nicholas C. Edsall, professor emeritus of history. “Toward Stonewall: Homosexuality and Society in the Modern Western World.” Univ. of Virginia Press.

• Michael J. Klarman, James Monroe Professor of Law and history professor. “From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality.” Oxford U. Press.

Off the Shelf
Recent books by U.Va.
faculty and staff
• Jenny Strauss Clay, professor of classics. “Hesiod’s Cosmos.” Cambridge U. Press.

• Debra Nystrom, lecturer in English. “Torn Sky.” Sarabande Books.

• Stephen Railton, professor of English. “Mark Twain: A Short Introduction.” Blackwell Pub.

• Judith L. Kovacs, assistant professor of religious studies, and Christopher Rowland, Queen’s College. “Revelation.” Blackwell Pub.

• Richard Handler, professor of anthropology, editor. “Significant Others: Interpersonal and Professional Commitments in Anthropology.” U. of Wisconsin Press.

• Ricardo Padron, assistant professor of Spanish. “The Spacious Word: Cartography, Literature, and Empire in Early Modern Spain.” U. of Chicago Press.

• Jeffrey Hopkins, professor of religious studies. “Maps of the Profound: Jamyang Shayba’s ‘Great Exposition of Buddhist and Non-Buddhist Views on the Nature of Reality.’” Snow Lion Pub.

• Joseph M. Scolnick Jr., professor of political science, and N. Brent Kennedy, former vice chancellor, U.Va.’s College at Wise, editors. “From Anatolia to Appalachia: A Turkish-American Dialogue.” Mercer U. Press.

Germany trip offered in March
Germany’s Berlin and Dresden will be the destinations of the next travel opportunity for U.Va. employees March 6-13, brought to you by Human Resources and Travel Counsellors, Inc.

The trip includes air transportation from Washington, six nights at a first-class hotel, baggage handling and daily continental breakfast. Optional sightseeing tours will be available. The cost is $949.

International departure taxes and custom fees are not covered. The travel program is open to current and retired faculty and staff and their guests. Volunteers and others who work at U.Va. are also
eligible. Contact Jackie Cooke at 4-4430 or jmc8e@virginia.edu.

Teen Health Center holding Open House
Do you know a teenager who needs some health attention in a supportive and friendly atmosphere? The Teen Health Center is holding an Open House Feb. 6 from 1-4 p.m. for health care professionals, parents and teens. The center provides primary care for youth between the ages of 12 and 20, with special attention to adolescents. It also delivers community-based programs, such as a peer health educator program in some local high schools. Meet the clinicians and staff to learn about teen health issues and helpful resources. The Teen Health Center is located across from the corner of West Main and 14th streets.

In Memoriam
• Dr. Andrew P. Somlyo, chairman of U.Va.’s molecular physiology and biological physics department and professor of internal medicine in cardiology at the U.Va. Health System, died suddenly Jan. 14. “Dr. Somlyo was a highly dedicated and passionate biomedical researcher and mentor, and he will be deeply missed by all of us at the University of Virginia, as well as by his many colleagues throughout the world,” said Dr. Arthur Garson Jr., vice president and dean of the School of Medicine.

• William Andrew Thompkins, 97, of North Garden, died Jan. 9, in Charlottes- ville. He worked part time at the University for a number of years.

• William Cleerdin, 56, of Crozet, died Jan. 18. He was a carpenter in the Housing Office until October 2003.

• Ruth “Elizabeth” Thomas, 96, of Albemarle County, died at home Jan. 19. She served as head of the secretarial pool at the School of Law for many years.

• Margaret Mason Taylor, 84, of Charlottesville, died Jan. 19. Taylor, a School of Nursing alumna, was head of the hematology lab before retiring from U.Va.

Research applications due
The Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards program, which funds approximately 40 research projects for $1,000-3,000 each, will be open to first-year students for the first time, as well as second- and third-year students. Applications, which require a faculty sponsor’s letter of support, are due Feb. 2 to the Center for Undergraduate Excellence office. The program will fund outstanding projects to be carried out in the summer or the next academic year. See the Web site at http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/cue for information.

Notable
Awards and achievements of faculty and staff
• Michael Kubovy, professor of psychology, and Judith Shatin, professor of music, have each been awarded a residency at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy, this summer. Kubovy will work on a new print and multimedia edition of his book, “The Psychology of Perspective and Renaissance Art.” Shatin, also director of the Virginia Center for Computer Music, will work on a chamber piece commissioned by the newEar Ensemble of Kansas City for a premiere in fall 2004.

• Kevin Everson, assistant professor of art in the McIntire Department of Art, competed in the Sundance Film Festival, held Jan. 15-25, with his short experimental film, “Pictures from Dorothy.” The film explores the relationship of the characters from the “Wizard of Oz” to jobs today. In his fourth time at the festival, Everson screened his film in the “Frontiers” category.

• Jay Fox, professor of microbiology at the School of Medicine, has been elected to a four-year term on the executive board of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities. The association is an international society dedicated to advancing core and research biotechnology laboratories.