Honors for Arts & Sciences

In government and foreign affairs, Larry J. Sabato, Robert Kent Gooch Professor, won the Thomas Jefferson Award, the University’s highest honor, and was named Virginian of the Year 2001 by the Virginia Press Association. Inis L. Claude Jr., professor emeritus, received an Honorable Achievement award from the Academic Council on United Nations Studies for distinguished contributions to the international community. Congress appropriated $1 million for the Youth Leadership Initiative, a direct democracy program of the Center for Governmental Studies.

In English, Rita Dove, poet and professor, received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Pratt Institute.

In physics, Despina Louca, assistant professor, received a 2001 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities. The award includes a $5,000 unrestricted research prize that is matched by the home institution.

In environmental sciences, the National Science Foundation awarded the Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center an additional $305,000 for field station improvement.

In biology, Barry Condron, assistant professor, is one of five people nationwide to be in the third class of the William Keck Foundation’s Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research Program. The program includes an award of up to $1 million to each scholar’s university to support the scientist’s research activities for up to five years. Condron’s research investigates development of neurons in the brain.

In psychology, Ronald Gaykema, research assistant professor, received a $60,000 Young Investigator grant from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression to study anxiety disorders.

In statistics, Daniel M. Keenan, associate professor, received a National Science Foundation grant that will allow him to take medical school courses that will fortify his medical background to improve his ability to work in biostatistics.

In philosophy, Mitchell S. Green, associate professor, was named a National Humanities Center fellow for 2001-02.

In media studies, Johanna Drucker, Robertson Professor, received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for seminars to develop a master of arts degree in digital humanities.

In chemistry, Lester Andrews, professor, received the Ellis R. Lippincott Award from the Optical Society of America.

In German, Benjamin K. Bennett, Kenan Professor, gave the graduation speech at Jena University in Germany in June. He spoke, in German, on “Freud and the De-Nationalization of Literature.”