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UVA TOP RESEARCH HONOR GOES TO CHEMISTRY PROFESSOR
A SYRIAN REFUGEE’S IMPROBABLE JOURNEY TO GRADUATING FROM UVA A&S
‘TOP CHEF’ A&S ALUMNA BRINGS CULINARY HISTORY BACK TO GROUNDS
ARTS & SCIENCES RECOGNIZES 19 RETIRING FACULTY
UVA STUDENTS JOIN BROADWAY TALENT FOR NEWSIES
The 19 honored professors whose careers span decades of teaching, research, and service have shaped generations of students and advanced scholarship across disciplines. Their collective impact on UVA highlights the lasting value of hiring top faculty who educate, mentor, and drive discovery for years to come.
Tanya Holland '87 returned to Grounds bringing Virginia’s culinary history to life for students in her Summer Sessions class. Her journey back to the classroom after achieving a nationally recognized culinary career reflects the lasting impact of a UVA education and showcases how alumni engagement can enrich student learning. Sustained support for A&S fuels innovative teaching programs like Tanya’s and helps connect former and current Hoos in meaningful ways.
For Dareen Aloudeh ‘26, the path to a UVA degree began nearly 15 years ago in war-torn Syria. She resettled in Virginia, learned a new language, and returned to school as an adult. This spring, she graduated from A&S with a double major in Biology and Middle Eastern Language & Literature and earned the University’s Cultural Fluency Award.
Chemistry professor Jill Venton has received the University’s highest honor for her groundbreaking discoveries in brain chemistry, furthering new understanding of neurological disorders. Sustained investment in research and education reflects critical support that enables faculty to advance discovery, train students, and extend UVA’s impact far beyond Grounds.
Echols Scholar alumnus Tim Ingrassia returned to Grounds as the keynote speaker for the 65th anniversary of the Echols Scholars Program, reflecting on the program’s lasting impact on his life. Ingrassia and his wife, Stephanie, are among Echols’ most generous supporters, making transformational gifts to the program and supporting research opportunities for Echols Scholars.
A newly installed radio telescope at UVA is opening powerful new pathways to uncover the mysteries of dark matter, one of the universe’s most elusive forces. Made possible through philanthropic support, this cutting-edge instrument gives graduate students and UVA Arts & Sciences undergraduates the opportunity to engage directly in advanced research.
The Echols Scholars Program marked its 65th anniversary, reuniting alumni and connecting them with current scholars on Grounds. Many generous Echols alumni supported and attended the event in celebration of the life-long skills this unique honors program fosters.
Strategic investments and cross‑disciplinary collaboration are ushering in a new era for UVA’s Department of Astronomy. Philanthropic support plays an important role in expanding access to world‑class telescopes, growing postdoctoral and research communities and leading national AI‑driven astronomy initiatives. Arts & Sciences’ investment in the size and scope of Astronomy studies is strengthening UVA’s ability to explore the universe and train the next generation of astronomers.
A chance observation in a chemistry lab led Professor Marcos Pires and his research team of students and scientists to uncover previously unseen behavior in how cells organize themselves, which could lead to advances in understanding how cells become susceptible to disease. Support for the Graduate Excellence campaign is enabling the University to generate ground-breaking research with teams of leading faculty, top PhD students and bright undergraduates working together on consequential scientific discovery.
New research from UVA Arts & Sciences neuroscientist Dan Meliza and his graduate students shows that zebra finches can predict missing sounds in birdsong, indicating predictive processes in the brain. Determining the brain’s innate and learned patterns that guide behaviors has implications for neuroscience and multiple human technologies, including AI. Funding from donors creates an engine of meaningful interdisciplinary discovery that engages faculty, students and researchers across the University.
Supported by donors who want to ensure UVA continues to attract the brightest minds, Psychology Associate Professor Hudson Golino has developed a strong interdisciplinary approach to researching AI, where PhD students and scholars collaborate and students prepare for the world beyond graduation.
Photographer and UVA Commonwealth Professor of Art William Wylie’s new book captures his 1,200‑kilometer journey through Japan. His reflections draw on insights he also teaches in a popular first‑year Engagements course on the art of walking.