Category: Newsletter

Ryan Keen (COL ’18), a 2018 Jefferson Trust grant recipient for The Human Library initiative, was recently selected as a Forbes Under 30 Fellow, and attended the Under 30 Summit in Boston. The summit focused on bringing together young professionals and leaders from around the world for an opportunity to connect and meet established leaders from various fields. Ryan wrote about The Human Library in his Forbes application, as it greatly shaped his experience while on Grounds and continues to grow as an engaging platform at UVA and in the greater Charlottesville community.

“As a Forbes Fellow, I was allowed to choose a “track” so that I could connect with leaders in a specific field. I chose healthcare as my track, which essentially allowed me to hear from individuals who have co-founded their own health-related initiatives and those who are leading innovative research from the nearby schools MIT and Harvard. It was amazing to be invited into a network of ambitious individuals with similar goals and to be able to share the mission of The Human Library. I’m proud that it has become such a strong and inclusive platform to share all of the amazing stories, and, with the strong support of the Jefferson Trust, it continues to grow and inspire dialogue. I’m really looking forward to seeing the organization’s development in the coming years.” Keen shared.

Ryan will attend Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health next fall to pursue a Masters of Science, after working in a lab at Harvard this year. He also plans to seek a medical degree in the future. Congratulations to Ryan for this distinguishing honor!

We hear the term ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ so much it becomes cliché, and few of the cited examples really muster the label.  For Tom White, however, it is a fitting description. Tom established a Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) at UVA using appreciated stock.  By giving stock, Tom avoided paying lump sum capital gains tax, gained a tax deduction, and also receives a seven percent annual return on the CRUT’s assets. Tom allocated the CRUT to the Jefferson Trust, which allowed him to give his daughter Elizabeth White Boutry (COL ’92) a seat on the board of trustees. Liz now has a vote in distributing nearly $1 million dollars in grant funding to students, faculty, and staff projects across Grounds each year.

Although Tom did not attend UVA, his father, T. Aubrey White, was a triple-Hoo; and his two daughters Elizabeth White Boutry (COL ’92) and Linda White Banta (COL ’82) as well as his granddaughter Isabel Banta (COL ’19) are also proud alumni.  Tom wanted to carry on the tradition of leadership in the family by making his gift to the Jefferson Trust.

As the stock market continues to climb, a CRUT can be a great way to give to UVA, minimize taxable income, and maximize a return.  It can truly be the gift the keeps on giving!

Seats at the Table, a film screened at the Virginia Film Festival this November focuses on a very important program that pairs University of Virginia students with incarcerated youth at a local, maximum-security, juvenile correctional facilities. The Books Behind Bars program, created by Professor of Russian Literature Andrew Kaufman, has been pairing the two groups of students for discussions of Russian literature since 2009. In mixed small groups, University and incarcerated students analyze and discuss works of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and other Russian authors. This innovative course allows students to engage in powerful discussions on difficult topics in a way that does not often occur anymore: What makes for a happy life? How can I be true to myself? What is my responsibility to others? Given that I will die, how should I live?

In addition to developing professional leadership skills like diplomacy, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, a number of University participants have been so dramatically impacted by this experience that they have changed career plans. Incarcerated resident participants report gains in academic, behavioral, social and personal development, in addition to an increased interest in attending college. Some have gone on to enroll in college, including one who had no plans to attend at the start of the program.

Books Behind Bars has received strong support from Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice. Andrew Block, director of DJJ, believes that inmates are people that should be invested in. As DJJ has moved toward a rehabilitative model, with a greater emphasis on education and a decrease in length of stay of the residents, they have asked that the program continue and expand to additional facilities. Early on, Dr. Kaufman received funding from the Jefferson Trust to expand and enhance this program, as well as a related research study. More recently, the College of Arts & Sciences at UVA has committed additional funding to ensure continuation of the course.

This powerful and moving documentary highlights the relationships forged between two very different student populations who find they have more in common than they could have imagined. Filmmaker Chris Farina’s mission is for Seats at the Table to serve as a tool for stimulating replication of this type of program, by sharing the story of this particular class while expanding the audience’s very understanding of what it means to be human. Throughout this recent screening of the film, the audience was actively engaged – laughing aloud at participant comments, cheering them on, even crying with them. It seems that Mr. Farina is well on his way!

Sharon Owlett has a long history with the Jefferson Trust. When the Trust was first formed, she was approached by Michael Clarke with the chance to be a part of the Trust’s inaugural Board of Trustees. “It was impossible to turn down the opportunity to work together with other dedicated alumni to build an organization that would foster programs both large and small across Grounds.” Sharon served as the first Chair of the Grants Committee and was key to constructing the grants process. She describes her first stint with the Trust as “one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was challenging, deeply rewarding, and fun, all at the same time.” It took little persuasion for Sharon to return to the Trust for a second term; she is currently in her eighth year as a Trustee!

Cavalier pride runs deep in the Owlett family. Besides being a 1975 Law School graduate, Sharon is the mother of two double-Hoos, both of whom graduated from the College, then pursued graduate degrees (Law for one and Curry for the other). She has a stepbrother and two nephews that are UVA grads as well. Being a Trustee has allowed Sharon to enhance her connection to the University, due to the people she has been able to meet and get to know. She has been able to work closely with the wonderful staff of the Alumni Association, her fellow Trustees (who span all the schools of the University and multiple generations), and, of course, the applicants who come from every corner of the University community. It has created a “multi-layered connection with UVA [that is] hard to duplicate,” she says.

Sharon remains very involved at UVA outside of the Trust, having previously served on the Law School Alumni Council (including being Chair of National Appeals) and currently serving on the UVA Law School Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Outside of the University, she has sat on and/or advised several non-profit boards, including The Highland School in Warrenton and, currently, The Children’s Health Foundation in Norfolk.

It’s hard to pick a favorite trustee memory when there are so many, according to Sharon. What has always resonated with her the most is “hearing from the people that our grants have benefited: you know you’re doing good things when you see the difference we as a University can make in people’s lives, both here on Grounds and around the world.”

“Being able to help bring people’s ideas to life is an experience everyone should have,” Sharon says. She recommends getting involved with the Trust, because “The vision and the passion of the Trust’s applicants are energizing to see – it’s absolutely amazing to have a front row view of the intellectual, entrepreneurial and humanitarian talent that makes up this University. Having a role in fostering that talent enriches our Trustee group in indelible way.”

Please welcome Brent Percival to The Jefferson Trust as our new Director of Development. Brent started with the Trust in mid-October, just in time to join the Trustees of the Trust at the annual Fall Board Meeting. Brent comes to the Trust from the UVA Health System Development Office, where he spent three years working with alumni from the medical school. Before joining UVA, he worked in development for Auburn University, and in advertising with Media General. Brent brings a background in gift planning, and a passion for the Trust!

While attending college, Brent was involved with student projects, therefore knows first-hand the power of alumni involvement in enhancing the student experience.  As a result, he is excited to work with current and future trustees in expanding and enhancing the Trust to best meet the needs of a growing University.

A native of Woodbridge, VA, Brent now lives in Charlottesville with his wife, Erin, four-year-old son, Ethan, and eight month-old daughter, Adelaide.

You can reach Brent at bp8x@virginia.edu or 434-243-8118 with any Development questions.

2018–19 Grant Proposal Now Available

The Jefferson Trust is excited to announce our new web-based grant proposal form is now available!  Visit our Apply page to learn more about the application process and view the form.

Also, make plans to attend our applicant information session on Wednesday, September 5th at 4 p.m. at Alumni Hall.

Proposal submission deadline is October 1, 2018.

With the start of the 2018–19 fiscal year, the Jefferson Trust is excited to welcome James Aldigé as our new Vice-Chair. Although new to the Trust, James has been an active alumnus since his graduation from the College in 2003. He is a member of the Alumni Association’s Board of Managers, sits on the reunion giving committees (additionally serving as his 15^th Reunion co-chair), participates in the Jefferson Scholars National Selection Committee and the Advisory Board for the UVA Licensing and Venture Group seed fund, is Co-chair of the David Magoon Jefferson Scholarship Initiative, and guest lectures at the Darden School of Business.

James considers his time at UVA impactful in helping to shape who he is today. “It gave me a chance to pursue a variety of interests, take on leadership roles, and make great friends. I believe in the mission of the University and its strong commitment to a campus-based undergraduate education and student self-governance.” As an undergraduate student, he was an Echols Scholar, lawn resident, a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, IMP Society, TILKA Society, 13 Society, and the Raven Society. Other involvements included Fourth Year Trustees, Inter-Fraternity Council community service chair, Big Sibling program director at Madison House, and Habitat for Humanity house coordinator.

After UVA, James went on to earn an MPhil in Economic History from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has worked in multiple capacities in the investment field, and currently is a Managing Partner of Clio Asset Management, an investment advisory firm based in Charlottesville. James is excited to be joining the Jefferson Trust.  “Having been a part of the Jefferson Scholar interview process for many years now, I always come away from those weekends with a renewed sense of optimism about our collective futures, based on the exceptional achievements and aspirations of the applicants. At the Trust, I am excited to see what talented students can achieve now that they are on Grounds and have the opportunity to put their ideas into action for the betterment of the community, and I look forward to playing a small role in that process.”

Words on Paper, a 2018 grant, is the brain child of Environmental Sciences Professor Deborah Lawrence. The concept involves undergraduate students studying the development of climate science history and climate policy history. With this knowledge, students create interactive art of key texts (“engagement experiments”) to share with the community on Grounds and eventually in Charlottesville high schools. Combining experiment with performance art, students will guide others through our country’s climate story, ultimately curating a series of art shows based on these shared experiences. The project has already started on Grounds, but funding from the Jefferson Trust will aide in taking the concept into area schools.

This past spring, tables were setup around Grounds asking people to participate in writing about the climate story, choosing from various prompts such as sharing a fact about the history of climate science, policy history, why they care about climate change, or how they are modifying their effect on climate change. Then, the class displayed these written responses in the Mural Room at Clark Hall, encouraging people to continue to add their thoughts on climate policy and change as the art was on display. Environmental Sciences Professor Scott Doney commented that the exhibit was “a good way of engaging people in an optimistic way and breaking down the polarizing debate that often surrounds discussions about climate change.”

The art installation was only the first step in this project according to Professor Lawrence. Next, the class took the pieces of paper from the exhibit in Clark and created art as a group project. “We’re going to show the potential impacts of climate change if action isn’t taken,” shared one student. Along with the art, the class participated in the Earth Week Expo, and the project will be taken off Grounds to work with area high schools to further share the climate story. “So far, we’ve touched 1,000 people, and we hope to go even further,” commented Professor Lawrence.

UVA’s Medical Design Program addresses the rapidly changing landscape of healthcare by teaching medical students design thinking as a framework for developing and leading new approaches to patient care throughout their careers.

“It’s more than a design course. You learn how to listen and what it means to truly empathize with a patient.”
—Dhruv Desai (SMD ’19)

Design thinking is a structured, team-based approach to problem solving and innovation that is widely taught, primarily in business schools. At UVA, the Medical Design Program offers first-year medical students the opportunity to use design thinking to improve patient care. Through a series of monthly hands-on ‘sprint-style’ design workshops and structured research experiences, students learn design-based approaches to clinically relevant skills like patient interviewing, synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research data, and use of prototypes to rapidly test and refine ideas in context of team-based healthcare environments. Students work directly with faculty physicians, patients, nursing, and other healthcare team members.

Since the 2015–16 academic year, teams of students have addressed topics such as: Preventing patient falls; Comfort in the Emergency Department waiting room; Transparency inpatient admissions; Reimagining the waiting room; Comfort and privacy for hallway bed patients; Empowering patients with information.  In addition to the impact on student learning, data gathered during these exercises has resulted in actions taken in patient-care and design concepts at the medical center.

The program has been highly successful and popular with students since inception, and interest continues to grow. In addition, course alumni join a growing community of medical designers at UVA. Throughout their time at the medical school, they can participate in special events on grounds and put their design training to work through summer experiences, ongoing involvement in the program as peer mentors and teaching assistants, fourth-year research electives, and work as physicians-in-training and emerging healthcare leaders.

UVA is one of only a handful of medical schools in the country offering this type of program, and is already emerging as a national leader in the concept of applying design thinking to medicine. The teaching team leading the initiative was invited to present at Stanford’s Medicine X conference in both 2016 and 2018. Jefferson Trust funding has allowed the program to get off the ground, and in 2017, additional funding was secured through the School of Medicine to develop open-access, online learning materials to bring design thinking education to a broader audience of UVA medical students as well as students and faculty at other medical schools. You can learn more about this fascinating program at uvamedical.design.