News briefs and announcements
Grammy nominations go to eighth blackbird
“strange imaginary animals,” a CD by the University’s ensemble-in-residence, eighth blackbird, has generated Grammy Award nominations for best chamber music performance, classical contemporary composition and producer of the year, classical.
Winners will be announced at the 2008 Grammy Awards ceremony Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.
eighth blackbird earned one of five nominations for best chamber music performance for the entire CD. Composer Jennifer Higdon received the classical contemporary composition nomination for “Zaka,” one of the CD’s six tracks. Judith Sherman was nominated for producer of the year, classical, for “strange imaginary animals” and four other CDs.
Food bank receives gift
Dining Services and the Volunteer Action Council presented a $1,200 check to the Central Virginia Food Bank following a “donate a meal” campaign in the dining hall. Students passing through the Heilman Center donated meal punches or dining dollars for a week in November to raise the money.
Leadership program for school administrators in fourth year
Fifty assistant principals from Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield and City of Richmond public school districts have enrolled in the University’s Next Generation Leader-ship Academy.
The program is offered through the Center for Education in Leadership, a partnership between the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and School of Continuing Studies.
In its fourth year, the academy provides leadership education to local school administrators. The nine-month curriculum started in September and has five more sessions before commencement in June. Spring sessions will feature University faculty and other lecturers speaking on group dynamics and leadership, ethics and leadership, communication and leadership, and equity and race in schools. Participants listen to faculty presentations in the morning, and in the afternoon they discuss how to apply those lessons to their school districts.
The National Association of Counties recently recognized the program with an achievement award for crossing jurisdictional boundaries.
Richmond and Turkish students exchange print portfolios
Students from the University of Richmond and Bilkent University in Turkey have exchanged portfolios of prints created on their respective campuses. Ten students from each institution contributed a print to the portfolios and also printed copies for each of the other students and their professors at each institution.
The Bilkent prints will hang in the International Gallery in Puryear Hall through 2008. The University of Richmond has had an exchange agreement with Bilkent University since February 2006.
Robins School faculty will teach in Vienna
Three members of the faculty of Robins School of Business will teach in a summer program at the Vienna School of Business. Dana Lascu, Carol Lawrence and Andrew Szakmary will teach in the school’s International Summer University. The university is one of Richmond’s exchange partners.
“I think this is another important step in intensifying the academic relations between our two universities,” said Wolfgang Obenaus, program director for international business at the Vienna School of Business.
SAE to freeze for Special Olympics
Members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity are preparing to take the “Plunge.” More than 45 members will be “freezin’ for a reason” Feb. 2 when they dive into the frigid Virginia Beach waters to raise money for Special Olympics Virginia during the 16th annual Polar Plunge.
“SAE partnered with Special Olympics Virginia in 2006 and raised nearly $25,000,” said Andrew Luccio, SAE’s philanthropy chair. “It was an extremely rewarding experience, and we are proud to team up with Special Olympics Virginia again this year.”
SAE already is well on its way to reaching this year’s goal of $25,000 through coin collections, individual “plunger” fundraising efforts and word of mouth. Luccio said they are contacting SAE alumni, working with newly inducted SAE members to collect money in the residence halls, and reaching out to the campus in order to reach their target. Visit firstgiving.com to support SAE and Special Olympics Virginia.
UR-VCU EduLead program awarded contract from Louisiana Department of Education
EduLead, a partnership program between UR and Virginia Commonwealth University to improve K–12 school leadership, instruction and student achievement, has been awarded a $273,486 contract from the Louisiana Department of Education. The funds will be used to design and develop a leadership program for the Louisiana School Turnaround Specialist Program (LSTS).
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation seeks nominees for scholarships
Each year the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (www.jackkentcookefoundation.org) awards approximately 40 scholarships of up to $50,000 a year to outstanding students beginning their first graduate or professional degree program. The University may nominate up to two eligible students or recent graduates. At a minimum, each candidate should be a college senior or recent graduate (since 2003), have a GPA of 3.5 or above, plan to begin graduate school in fall 2008, have unmet financial need and be nominated by the University.
The application process is extensive, and most of it should be done online. The foundation does not accept applications directly from students or graduates. The University’s internal deadline is Feb. 28. For more information, contact Dr. R. Kirk Jonas, at rjonas@richmond.edu or 484-1565.
Junior wins VFIC/HRH scholarship
Richmond junior Colleen Muldoon of Plymouth, Mass., has been named one of six recipients of a Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges/HRH scholarship.
The scholarships recognize juniors at VFIC’s 15 member colleges and universities who show academic promise, an interest in finance as a career and leadership in extracurricular activities. They must be majoring in marketing, business, economics, finance, mathematics or a related field.
Recipients receive $2,500 during the junior academic year and an additional $2,500 their senior year. The winners are encouraged to apply for paid summer internships at HRH, the country’s eighth-largest insurance brokerage.