George Mason’s Fuse tech hub opens to public
On the third floor of George Mason University’s new state-of-the-art Fuse tech hub, robots jumped, begged, rolled over and offered a mechanical paw to shake Friday while a small drone hovered above. The endearing welcome by George Mason’s RobotiXX Lab robots offered a brief glimpse into the future for the group of academics and students […]
U.Va. Darden School dean reappointed to third term
Scott C. Beardsley, dean of the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, has been reappointed to his third term as dean, which starts Aug. 1, 2025, and extends through August 2029, U.Va. announced Wednesday. Named dean in 2015, Beardsley is now the university’s longest serving current dean and has raised more than $610 million […]
Engineering without boundaries
The surging demand for energy. The country’s aging, overwhelmed electrical grid. Threats of cyberattacks. The explosion of interest in — and confusion about — artificial intelligence. These real-life problems don’t know boundaries. Neither should the search for solutions, says Azim Eskandarian, dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Engineering. Cross-disciplinary learning[...]
Virginia 500 Spotlight: Tracy Fitzsimmons
What I enjoy about my career: There is nothing better than being there to witness students have a “light bulb moment” or land their dream first job. Most interesting place I’ve traveled: Bhutan. Their commitment to Gross National Happiness is fascinating and instructive. My thoughts on artificial intelligence: AI is coming either for our jobs […]
U.Va. Wise receives largest ever donation
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise has received its largest ever donation, $11.2 million, from The Bill Gatton Foundation, the Wise County college announced Monday. The late Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton, a successful businessman who owned the Gatton Automotive Group with dealerships in Kentucky and Tennessee, made significant gifts to the University of Kentucky […]
Community colleges accomplish much on shoestring budgets
A flat tire can mean different things to different people. Maybe it’s a postponed appointment and a call to AAA. Or maybe you have to get a ride to work from your spouse. But for some folks, a flat tire can start a snowball effect. “For so many, that flat tire, that’s the end, right? It […]
Top Five November 2024
1 | U.S. port strike stops cargo operations at Port of Va. About 45,000 union dockworkers walked off the job at every major port along the East and Gulf coasts until they ended the strike after reaching a tentative deal three days later. (Oct. 1) 2 | Three Va. universities have […]
U.Va. dedicates Ramon W. Breeden Jr. Commerce Grounds
The University of Virginia on Friday dedicated the Ramon W. Breeden Jr. Commerce Grounds plaza and officially named “Breeden Way,” located adjacent to the McIntire School of Commerce. The honor is in recognition of Breeden’s legacy as founder and chair of Virginia Beach-based real estate company The Breeden Co., as well as his philanthropy to […]
SCHEV approves ODU/NSU Joint School of Public Health
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has approved the Joint School of Public Health (JSPH), offered by Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University, the schools announced on Thursday. Council members approved the school at a Sept. 17 meeting, according to a SHEV spokesperson. “We have a real opportunity to create and […]
Va. universities take ‘heavy hand’ with protest policies, advocate says
RICHMOND, Va. — Students, lawmakers and free-speech activists question if updated university policies that regulate student demonstrations violate First Amendment rights. After campus protests that led to some clashes with police, institutions such as Virginia Commonwealth University, James Madison University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech adopted similar policies. The new rules b[...]
A time of transition
Turns out, Charlie King isn’t a gone fishin’ sort of retiree. Back in 2021, King retired after serving as James Madison University’s chief financial officer and senior vice president of administration and finance for 25 years. King and his wife, Sherry, knew they wanted to stay in the area after retirement. Their son Garrett works […]