Form, function improve in University’s updated home page
Ten-year-olds don’t often need facelifts — unless they happen to be Web pages. U.Va.’s decade-old home page got a makeover last month, including new features, new photos and a Spanish-language option. There are links to oft-visited sites, including Web mail, and new customization options. More changes may be in the works to keep pace with the fast-moving Internet environment, said the page’s chief architect, Nancy Tramontin, director of the Office of Web Communications. (Aug. 19)

Students connect science with human side of heath care
Gross anatomy, behavioral science, pathology and biochemistry are courses typically included in the first two years of a medical student’s curriculum. U.Va.’s School of Medicine has introduced a new class — believed to be the first of its kind in an American medical school — that offers students a way to understand the link between their science-based courses and real-world patient care experiences. (Aug. 13-15)

Dewey Cornell’s project effective; school violence declining
The emotional scars inflicted by teasing and bullying are far more significant than what was once thought, even sometimes driving one to commit murder, says Dewey Cornell, a professor of clinical psychology and director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project. Project leaders have worked with hundreds of Virginia schools on issues of bullying prevention, student threats of violence and school safety policies, among others. The result: school violence is on the decline. (Aug. 16)

Volunteers honored for more than 4,500 service hours
Seventy area teens involved in the U.Va. Health System’s Junior Volunteer Program were recognized for their hours of service at a ceremony held Aug. 13. The eight-week program offers a variety of opportunities for involvement throughout the hospital, ranging from providing service in the Child Care Center to assisting with flower delivery. (Aug. 16)