Focus

Jobs requiring a bachelor's or advanced degree are on the rise. As part of the 2030 Strategic Plan, UVA will expand both in-person and online educational opportunities for working adults, especially the 1.1 million Virginians who have some college credits, but have not yet earned a degree.

Curry School professor Robert Tai is seeking ways to engage and sustain young students' early interest in science. His work is addressing the decline in science interest as children grow, a challenge that can have huge ethical, political, and social impacts.

UVA prepares more students than ever for in-demand jobs. Data shows that UVA is offering more and more students education in fields such as computer science and biomedical engineering, a reflection of industry trends. New programs focused on emerging technology and social impact have also proven popular.

Curry School faculty member Jennifer Chiu and colleagues found a meaningful way to incorporate computer science into fifth- and sixth-grade classes, instilling relevant skills required by virtually every sector of the next-generation workforce.

Dark Skies, Bright Kids is a primarily graduate student run program at UVA that provides outreach to elementary and early middle school-aged students in Charlottesville. The program brings astronomy into the classroom and fosters an early interest in science that is important to a future-ready workforce.

An up to $486,994 grant to the UVA-Wise Foundation will develop the Clinch River Ecological Education Center in St. Paul, Virginia. UVA's work on a grassroots effort known as the Clinch River Valley initiative set the process in motion and provided a foundation for the grant application.

The Contemplative Sciences Center at UVA is leading a push to transform students' lives, both during college and long after.

The Supporting Transformative Autism Research (STAR) initiative aims to improve the lives of individuals with autism through groundbreaking research and innovative models for intervention and training. Among multiple focus areas, the initiative will create a research-to-practice system to bring the latest evidence-based research into the community.

UVA is improving higher education access for low income, first-generation, and underrepresented students across the Commonwealth.

The School of Data Science – UVA’s 12th school and the first established since 2007 – will position the University as a global leader in efforts to improve society through teaching and research based on the powerful, emerging field of data science.

Saltville native Austin Widner has helped the University hone its outreach to students from rural areas west of Roanoke, where many students may have felt that UVA was unattainable.

A $9.9 million federal grant was award to the Virginia Department of Education in partnership with the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the University of Virginia. The grant will support statewide programs and initiatives that boost Virginia's early education system.