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W&M gets $100 million boost for coastal research
Jane Batten, the matriarch of a Hampton Roads family known for philanthropy, pledged $100 million to William & Mary in July to boost coastal and marine science research toward finding global solutions for flooding and sea-level rise. The newly named Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences will expand the Virginia Institute of Marine Science […]
Top Five August 2024
The five most popular daily news stories on VirginiaBusiness.com from June 12 to July 12 included news of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees now holding a majority on the governing boards of Virginia‘s state colleges and universities. 1 | Youngkin peppers university boards with GOP power players New members included some conservative movers […]
Changing of the guard
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. William G. Kelly covered a lot of ground during his first year as president of Christopher Newport University. “I wanted to commit myself to listen and learn, so I invited students to walk with me at 6:30 a.m. every single Wednesday,” Kelly says, estimating that about 15 students and […]
ODU names inaugural director of supply chain/logistics school
Old Dominion University has named Kuntal Bhattacharyya as inaugural director of its new School of Supply Chain, Logistics and Maritime Operations (SSCLMO), the university announced Tuesday. Previously, Bhattacharyya worked as project director of Indiana State University’s Logistics 4.0 Innovation Hub, where students study artificial intelligence, machine learning and the management of logi[...]
Liberty, Falwell Jr. reach global settlement
Liberty University and Jerry Falwell Jr. have reached a global resolution agreement that settles all three lawsuits between the Lynchburg private Christian university and Falwell, Liberty’s former president and chancellor who was forced to resign in 2020 in disgrace. In a joint statement released Friday afternoon, Liberty and Falwell said that Liberty’s board of trustees […]
Batten donates $100M to expand W&M marine, coastal research
Jane Batten, the matriarch of a Hampton Roads family known for its philanthropy, has pledged $100 million to William & Mary to boost coastal and marine science research towards finding global solutions for flooding and sea-level rise, the Williamsburg university announced Wednesday. The newly named Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences will expand the […]
Virginia is CNBC’s Top State for Business for record sixth time
Virginia regained its crown as the No. 1 state in CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business rankings released Thursday, winning the top spot for a record sixth time. The cable business news network once again praised Virginia for having “the nation’s best education system and policies that give companies room — both literally and […]
Youngkin peppers university boards with GOP power players
With Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees slated to hold majorities on the state’s university boards beginning July 1, the governor announced dozens of last-minute university board appointments Friday afternoon, shortly before the members’ four-year terms take effect Monday. Although many of the new appointees are the usual mix of Virginia business leaders and former state legislato[...]
The wedding day
When Alondra Rodriguez considered which school to attend for pre-med, she found herself puzzled by Old Dominion University — and why it didn’t have an affiliated medical school. “U.Va. has their own med school,” she thought. “Why don’t they just do that?” Rodriguez, who already had a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Liberty University, ultimately […]
AMY SEBRING
The Virginia Tech motto — Ut Prosim (from the Latin for “that I may serve”) — was made to order for Amy Sebring, who describes herself as “a servant leader.” In her dual roles as the university‘s executive vice president and COO, the Tidewater native and daughter of two civil servants has to keep many […]
TIFFANY FRANKS
Ahead of her first job interview there, Tiffany Franks visited Averett University‘s campus with her husband to scope it out — a bit of “mystery shopping,” if you will. “We fell in love,” she recalls. “It was a match made in heaven.” Franks became Averett’s 14th president in 2008, making her the first woman to […]
PAULA PANDO
If there’s an overarching theme to Paula Pando’s presidency of Reynolds Community College, she says, it’s removing barriers to completing degrees for the 15,000-plus students who attend classes each year at the college’s various campuses. Such efforts have included opening food pantries, providing mental health services and establishing the Finish Line Fund, which provides [...]
