A Message From the Dean

THE STARS THAT CONNECT US

Every August, when I welcome new students at Old Cabell Hall for their First Lecture, I encourage them to take a moment to walk the Lawn at night. As they look up to the stars, I hope they experience not only a sense of peace in the beauty of the night, but also a sense of belonging.

I remind them that those same starry skies were scanned 200 years ago by Thomas Jefferson as he envisioned the launch of a great university. The enslaved Africans who built this University also looked up into these same starry skies, and I encourage our new students to trace their steps as well. From those contradictory beginnings, this University was born to advance the democratic experiment.

Our democracy depends on a free and educated society, and constantly expanding the American social contract has been a key part of the story of UVA and the College. I encourage all of our students to study the entire history of our Grounds. In the last 75 years alone, our community has been shaped by the signing of the GI Bill, the Civil Rights Movement, and the first cohort of 450 women who graduated from UVA in 1974.

From that foundation, I ask them to study what delights them, to question what they need to question, and to bring all of their passions, energies, convictions, and individual talents to the history and tradition of this place — to conserve it and to make it new. I urge them to use their unique and substantive UVA experience as a springboard into the world.

To deliver on the promise of a UVA education for our students, to expand knowledge for the Commonwealth, and to serve the global common good, we need your participation. It is my sincere hope that you join us, to conserve UVA and make it new as we Honor the Future with this campaign.

Ian Baucom
Buckner W. Clay Dean of Arts & Sciences

Volume 37 | Number 2 | Fall 2019

Published by the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Publisher
Eugene R. Schutt, Jr.
President, College Foundation

Editor
John A. Carfagno
Director of Communications

Art Director
Krista King

Creative Direction and Design
Journey Group

Managing Editor
Lorenzo Perez

Contributing Editors
Angela Ross
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Communications, College Foundation
Kennedy Kipps
Vice President of Administration, College Foundation
Evan Kutsko
Director of Videography & Multimedia, College Foundation

Project Manager
Kelli Martin

Copy Editor
Sheila McMillen

Contributing Writers
Matt Kelly
Caroline Kettlewell
Caroline Newman
Lorenzo Perez

Contributing Photographers
Dan Addison
Molly Angevine
Bethany Bandera
Hunter Hall
Sanjay Suchak

Cover Photo
Tom Daly

A&S Magazine | Aug-Sep 2022 Edition

Getting to Know New Arts & Sciences Dean Christa Davis Acampora

Christa Davis Acampora joined the University of Virginia on September 1 as the new dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

Loneliness Is Epidemic. This UVA Professor Is Searching for a Cure

Loneliness has reached epidemic proportions in America, and psychology professor Adrienne Wood’s search for a cure has won her one of the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards.

The Charlottesville Civil Rights Tour visits the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, the first memorial in the United States dedicated to the legacy of enslaved Black people, lynching victims and African Americans harmed by rac

Bearing Witness to History

The Charlottesville Civil Rights Tour continues the work started by the late Julian Bond during his teaching tenure in the College, bringing UVA students, faculty and community members to landmark sites of the Civil Rights Movement in the Deep South.

Q&A: Continuing the Legacy of a Legendary Economics Professor

A new endowed chair honoring the career of Professor Ken Elzinga has brought noted antitrust expert Julie Mortimer to UVA.

A&S Magazine | May-June 2022 Edition

Making an Impact by Investing in Faculty

College alumni and friends who want to give something back are finding that the investments they make in the University’s faculty are paying important dividends.

Teaching Economic Models Transformed with Virtual Reality

An innovative teaching method has enabled a College economics professor to demonstrate complicated principles via VR goggles to enhance student learning.

The Key to Clean Energy, on a Nanoscale

A young UVA chemistry professor has emerged as one of the most promising researchers in the field of developing renewable fuel and chemical sources.

Breaking Barriers in the Sciences

The Class of 2022 includes impressive female Ph.D.s who are inspiring the next generation of young women to pursue what has long been considered a male-dominated scientific community.

A&S Magazine | March-April 2022 Edition

Transformational Leadership

After eight transformational years in the College, the esteemed A&S Dean moves on to a larger role at UVA as Provost.

Chemistry’s State-of-the-Art Home

After a six-year renovation, the College of Arts & Sciences' chemistry building is welcoming students back to a facility designed for cutting-edge science and to inspire scientific community.

The Art of Success

For many College alumni, arts degrees have paved the path to success in a wide range of careers.

Mapping the Unmapped in Outer Space

Researchers from the Department of Astronomy are among the select group awarded coveted observation time with the Webb Space Telescope.

A&S Magazine | September - October 2021 Edition

Cultivating Democracy in the Next Generation

The Democracy Initiative’s Student Advisory Council Offers Undergraduates a Voice in One of UVA’s Most Important Missions

Pandemic Inspires Resilience and Innovation in the Arts

Being an educator during a pandemic hasn't been easy, especially for those teaching aspiring actors, musicians and artists, but adapting to the challenge has had some surprising results.

Highly Competitive Undergraduate Major Launches New Program in Fundamental Neuroscience

One of the College’s most sought-after undergraduate STEM majors is about to take a giant step forward.

Summer CONEX Program Eases the Transition to College

For some high school graduates, summer can be a time of anxiety about the challenges that college life will bring. This UVA program gives incoming first years the quantitative skills and a community of support to face those challenges with confidence.

Giving