Digest -- U.Va. Top News Daily

Police urge victims of stalking to report crimes Stalking cases on college campuses go unreported more and more each year. Matt Markon, program attorney for the Stalking Resource Center, part of the National Center for Victims of Crime, presented University Police officers with a day of in-service presentations and training on Oct. 14. He showed officers new research and techniques from other jurisdictions. Stalking is a behavior that often goes hand-in-hand with other crimes, such as domestic violence. Following or spying on someone is usually a stalker’s pattern, but repeated hang-up phone calls or threatening messages and viruses via e-mail could also be their work. (Oct. 26)

Andrew Shurtleff

To retain state certification, U.Va. police officers must have 40 hours of training every two years. In addition to the stalking program, officers receive training in such areas as conducting investigations and tactical driving. Here, they get self-defense training at the Cage in U-Hall.

Next Charter briefing Nov. 17
University President John T. Casteen III is leading a third round of employee briefings to explain the Commonwealth Charter Initiative and what it means to U.Va. and its employees. The next briefing will take place Nov. 17, from noon to 1 p.m., in the auditorium of the new Small Special Collections Library. The University has held five previous employee briefings around Grounds. Audio and videotapes of the earlier sessions are online at: www.virginia.edu/chartereduniversities. Tapes and CDs of the briefings also are available for checking out from University Relations (924-1400) or from the University Library. (Nov. 5)

Miller Center receives $2 million gift
The University’s Miller Center of Public Affairs has been given a $2 million unrestricted gift by John and Rosemary Galbraith. The donation is a “vote of confidence in the fine work of the Miller Center,” said Mr. Galbraith, who is a member of the center’s governing council. With the Galbraith’s support, the center will be able to continue its goal of documenting and preserving the history and workings of the American presidency. Aside from gifts by the Miller Center’s founder, Burkett Miller, the Galbraith gift is the largest in the Miller Center’s history. (Nov. 2)

Health System gets cancer treatment system
Virginia residents and those from throughout the mid-Atlantic region now have access to one of the world’s most advanced cancer treatment systems. The Health System has installed a $2.7 million TomoTherapy Hi-ArtSystem. The radiation therapy machine treated its first patient in early November. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, which generally delivers treatment to a tumor from a few different directions, the TomoTherapy System precisely pinpoints the tumor and delivers radiation from 360 degrees. (Oct. 28)