Va. Tech to lead cybersecurity workforce initiative
Virginia Tech has received a $1.5 million award to lead an initiative that could help close a gap in the cybersecurity workforce. The award, announced April 5, comes from the nonprofit Griffiss Institute, a New York-based STEM and defense technology incubator that runs the Department of Defense’s Virtual Institutes for Cyber and Electromagnetic Spectrum Research […]
White House taps Va. HBCU presidents for advisory board
The presidents of Virginia State University and Norfolk State University are on the list of intended appointees to the President‘s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Biden administration announced on March 31. Virginia State University President Makola M. Abdullah, Norfolk State University President Javaune Adams-Gaston and Janeen Uzzell, CEO of the [&hell[...]
The Visionary
The online version of this article includes additional material from Virginia Business’ interview with Pharrell Williams. Pharrell Williams is a 13-time Grammy winner, an Oscar nominee, a fashion designer, a film producer, a music superstar and innovator. He’s also a native Virginian — a point that comes across strongly when he discusses his business ventures […]
Hampton Roads universities ink deal to establish public health school
The presidents of Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday to establish Virginia’s first school of public health. The MOU solidifies the plan announced in January to develop a regional school of public health and address health inequities. The universities will now apply for accreditation […]
Sentara expands Healthier Communities Fund by $40M
Sentara Healthcare is allocating $40 million to expand its Healthier Communities Fund across Virginia and northeast North Carolina, with an aim to address health disparities that have been magnified by the impact of COVID-19 among underserved populations. Today’s announcement follows an initial $10 million the Norfolk-based health care system pledged in January to address health […]
Leadership lessons
Warren Thompson got his start as an entrepreneur at age 16, buying out his family’s hog business. It was a sideline enterprise his father had started at their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains to supplement his income as a teacher. Today, Thompson is the president and chairman of Reston-based Thompson Hospitality Corp., the nation’s […]
Sentara announces $10M community health investment
Norfolk-based Sentara Healthcare announced Thursday a $10 million investment to be split among grants to local universities as well as public health and health equity improvement initiatives. The Sentara Healthier Communities Fund will be disbursed during a two-year period among Sentara’s partner universities, including Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University; as well as Eastern[...]
Education
MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, PETERSBURG One of the state’s two land-grant universities, Virginia State was originally chartered in 1882 as the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. From an initial class of 126, the Petersburg campus now has 4,385 undergraduate and graduate students. Since arriving in 2016 from his role as provost and […]
Four Virginia HBCUs to receive support from Dominion
Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University and Virginia Union University are among 11 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that will share $25 million in support from Dominion Energy Inc., the Richmond-based utility company announced Thursday. The awarded funds — precise amounts going to each institution were not disclosed — are part of […]