Category: UVA

Environmental advocates spoke out against towering power lines they hope wonGuv,!v,,ut become the new symbol of rapid development in Northern Virginia, during the Virginia Environmental Law JournalGuv,!v,,us Fall Symposium Nov. 2. The proposed Mid-Atlantic National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor designated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has stirred up controversy in the heart of the fastest-growing region in Virginia, where part of the corridor will be located.

Northern Virginia is located in what the DOE considers a critical congestion area, which runs from the Washington, D.C., area to New York City. The DOE has the authority to designate land for these corridors, allowing utility companies to potentially acquire protected land to use for their transmission facilities. Experts representing a variety of views convened at the symposium to debate the issues that arise from building more high-voltage power lines in the state.

For more on the story, read Emily Williams report on the U.Va Law School news site.

Dr. Stuart Davies specializes in tropical ecology and plant taxonomy at Harvard University. An Australian by birth, he has spent much of his time in Southeast Asia studying the long-term effects of environmental stresses on rain forests.

While conducting field research, he spent several years teaching at universities in Malaysia and Brunei. He has published articles on the effectiveness of managed forest regeneration, on the impact of soil properties on biodiversity, and the evolutionary history of the paleotropical genus Macaranga.

For more information, visit the Jefferson Society’s website.

With some studies showing that mental exercise, such as crossword puzzles and playing chess, can help individuals stave off the sort of cognitive decline that comes with normal aging. It may not seem so far-fetched. Timothy Salthouse, a Brown-Forman Professor of Psychology at UVA says not so fast…

Are you looking for something to stimulate your mind? Are you having those conversation blahs? Then join me, Jacob Canon, for The Oscar Show. Airing every Wednesday at 11:55 AM, this weekly program will focus on research and studies from the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Virginia. Topics will vary from Physical Sciences to Psychology to Medical Research to Current Events including the Decision to Vote and Motherhood Timing. So join me, Jacob Canon, here anytime or for the latest show at 91.1 WTJU, Wednesdays at 11:55 AM for the Oscar Show. Stimulate your MindGuv,!V| Your FriendsGuv,!V| Your Life.

This edition was originally broadcast on October 17, 2007

Click here for more episodes of The Oscar Show.

In her study “The Effects of Motherhood Timing on Career Path,” U.Va. economist Amalia Miller examines the effects of motherhood delay on the career earnings of women in their 20s and early 30s. Her study brings several interesting and exciting new points to the discussion.

For more information about the show or to see the full text, visit the Oscar Show’s blog.

University of Virginia Chemistry Professor Kevin Lehmann, who has created a spectroscope that utilizes continuous wave lasers to perform Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy or CRDS. Lehmann’s contribution to the field demonstrated that these lasers can be used instead of the costly, cumbersome pulsed lasers formerly used for CRDS. His advancement in the technology has been utilized in healthcare, manufacturing and his own field chemistry.

For more information about the show or to see the full text, visit the Oscar Show’s blog.

Cheryl Gomez is the Director of the Utilities for the University of Virginia, and she joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to talk about UVa’s efforts to conserve energy and water. For instance, the University reached its peak water consumption in 1999, and has reduced usage by a third in that time. Gomez discusses that and other initiatives on this installment of the show.

U.Va Physics Professor Lou Bloomfield is the co-host of a new show on the Discovery Channel called “Some Assembly Required.” The program, which debuts in late December, will seek to explain the science behind how things are made. Bloomfield joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s “Charlottesville–Right Now!” to talk about what viewers can expect.

David Gies joins Coy Barefoot on WINA’s Charlottesville–Right Now to give an update on the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea program. He talks about what he learned after this summer’s voyage.