Special Announcement

It is exciting to come to the close of another school year! With Dean Apprey’s retirement last year, Dean Mason has ably served as the Interim Dean of OAAA for 2022-23. We are now receiving applications for the position of Associate Vice President and Dean, OAAA. To insure that we receive the broadest possible feedback from students, alumni, staff and friends of OAAA we invite your confidential feedback on the role and ideal candidate. The full position description can be found here.

Sincerely,

Malo Hutson
Dean & Edward E. Elson Professor of Architecture
Chair, Search Committee

UVA-Executive Search Group

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Spring 2023 Academic Calendar

Tuesday, May 2
Spring Term Courses End

Thursday, May 4 – Friday, May 12
Examinations

Sunday, May 7 & Friday, May 10
Reading Days

Friday, May 19 – Sunday, May 21
Finals Weekend

Student Spotlight: Cyrena Matingou

Cyrena Matingou is a Third Year student in the College of Arts and Sciences, currently living in South Riding, Virginia. At UVA, she is pursuing a major in Global Public Health and a minor in Statistics. She serves as the VP of Community Engagement for the Echols Council, Chair of Refusing the Narrative for Black College Women, and Program Director through Medical Services at Madison House. She also works as an Outreach and DEI Intern for the Echols Scholar Program. In her free time, Cyrena enjoys hanging out with her friends at the LGBTQ Center and making collages. After 4th year, she plans to complete her MPH at UVA and pursue a career as a physician and work in health policy/management to make healthcare more equitable.

Quote of the Week

‘Who you’re becoming is more important than who you’ve been.” – Tyler Lepley

Tyler Lepley (born March 24, 1987, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Benjamin "Benny" Young on the Tyler Perry produced prime-time soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots.

Selecting a Dean for a One-on-One Appointment

Many of you are aware of our spaces throughout Dawson’s Row, some have figured out ways to engage with our programming, and most of you have broken bread in Dawson’s Row with us and one another. In addition to the cultural programs we host, however, each Dean is available to meet with students to provide one-on-one support (i.e., academic, social, and emotional) to all our students.

For this transitional year, we have made a few significant changes to how students can make appointments with the Deans. All Deans are available to provide academic advising, support through difficulties, and sometimes, simply be a trusted mentor or guide.

Office of African-American Affairs: Schedule a Meeting with Your Dean

April 27th, from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, we invite you to join your peers at OAAA on Dawson’s Row to “sign-in” and celebrate. Proudly, this is an opportunity to publicly declare your school, your program and your major. From Architecture to Batten, McIntire to Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nursing to Education, School of Continuing and Professional Studies to the College of Arts and Sciences, we want to celebrate your arrival at this special moment in your UVA journey. It is not required, but feel free to wear the UVA gear that identifies your affiliation or institutional connection.

The afternoon will be filled with music, food, raffles (gift cards, ear buds, and an Apple Watch), commemorative t-shirts, an assortment of other school related swag, photo opportunities, and the welcoming comradery of your classmates. We know that you are busy, so feel free to drop by as your schedule permits. Allow us to celebrate you in the best possible way.

Congratulations on reaching this fantastic milestone! We look forward to gathering with you on Thursday, starting at 2:00 pm.

Dean Rucker
Cedric Bernard Rucker
Senior Associate Dean
Office of African American Affairs

Relax and Refresh with OAAA, Wednesday, May 3rd

A Moment In Black History

Did you know? James Alan McPherson received the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for Elbow Room, a book of short stories that explore the borderline between black and white America. McPherson (September 16, 1943 – July 27, 2016) was an American essayist and short-story writer. He was the first African-American writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and was included among the first group of artists who received a MacArthur Fellowship. He attended Morgan State University from 1963 to 1964 before receiving his undergraduate degree in history and English from Morris Brown College in 1965. In 1968, McPherson received a LL.B. from Harvard Law School. He was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship in 1981; in 1995, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; in 2000, McPherson's short story "Gold Coast" was selected for Best American Short Stories of the Century; and in 2011, McPherson was honored with the Paul Engle Award from the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature. In 2020, an Iowa City park was renovated and renamed after McPherson. Previously Creekside Park, James Alan McPherson Park serves as a memorial and a gathering space for the community. McPherson died in hospice on July 27, 2016, in Iowa City, Iowa, due to complications of pneumonia. He was 72. At the time of his death, McPherson was a professor emeritus of fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop

Opportunities with Deadlines

Office of Admission – Admission Counselor position

The Office of Admission just posted an Admission Counselor position. Peer Advisors, student leaders, student workers, and others that might be interested in this great opportunity for recent graduates to gain valuable skills while also giving back, please Apply Here! The Office of Undergraduate Admission at the University of Virginia invites applications for the position of Admission Counselor. Under the supervision of an Associate or Assistant Dean, the Admission Counselor performs duties related to the recruitment, evaluation, and enrollment of undergraduate students to the University. Reporting to the Vice Provost for Enrollment, the Office of Undergraduate Admission partners with the Office of Student Financial Services, the University Registrar, and the Virginia College Advising Corps, as a critical member of the University’s Enrollment team. We are seeking individuals who are interested in a career that is fulfilling and rewarding and who want to help us shape the University for the next decade and beyond. If there are students who want more information about the position or want to discuss the details, please contact Chelsea ‘CC” Duncan - Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach, Associate Dean of Admission.

The Charlottesville Freedom School Servant Leader Interns Positions Available

The Charlottesville Freedom School, hosted by UVA's Center for Race and Public Education in the South, is interviewing teachers (Servant Leader Interns) for Summer 2023. The position provides UVA students an opportunity to engage scholars in grades 3-8 in a five-week literacy and social justice education curriculum. The Charlottesville Freedom School is sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund and inspired by the freedom schools organized by the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Mississippi during the summer of 1964. If you are interested, please apply here.

Cornerstone Summer Institute Counselor Applications Now Open!

Wednesday, June 21-Friday, June 30 - In-Person and On-Grounds

Apply Now!

The UVA Cornerstone Summer Institute is an eye-opening weeklong summer program for high school students to learn about slavery and its legacies and develop thinking skills that prepare them for success in college and beyond. The program focuses on uncovering the history of the area through historical investigation, archaeological excavation, and community engagement. Counselors of this camp are facilitators of learning who help students reckon with their own racial identities and their place in the world. Each counselor will lead a project group of 5 campers and serve as a role model for all. Counselors will receive a stipend for the week of the camp. All meals and housing will be provided. For More Information. Contact Name Ashley Schmidt

OAAA E-Weekly April 25, 2023