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The Olsen Endowments and Jesser Hall renaming: Alumnus Greg Olsen has pledged $25 million, the largest gift in UVA Engineering’s history, to support faculty recruitment, Ph.D. fellowships and strategic initiatives. Combined with $11.5 million in matching funds, the total impact will be $36.5 million. Olsen is dedicating his gift to his own former Ph.D. adviser, materials science and engineering professor emeritus William A. Jesser. Olsen was Jesser’s first doctoral student back in 1968, and Jesser went on to chair the department for 12 years. A UVA Ph.D. graduate in materials science, Olsen built a successful career in fiber-optic and infrared technologies, became the third civilian to travel in space, and has remained a committed supporter of the University. His investment strengthens UVA’s ability to attract top scholars, advance research and expand opportunities for future engineers.
https://giving.virginia.edu/node/14921
https://www.engineering.virginia.edu/news-events/news/materials-science-and-engineering-building-renamed-esteemed-professor-emeritus
https://engineering.virginia.edu/news-events/news/hoos-who-inspire-gregory-olsen
The Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fellows program provides students with unparalleled opportunities to engage in research, entrepreneurship and global experiences. From building medical devices to addressing sustainability challenges, fellows gain hands-on experience that prepares them for impactful careers. This program is powered by donors who believe in the potential of the next generation of engineering leaders.
In 2017, with a $15 million gift from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation and $15 million in matching funds from the University, the Engineering School created the A. James Clark Scholars Program to provide financial aid and academic opportunities to a cohort of undergraduate students. To date the program has supported over 114 students. This extraordinary partnership with UVA Engineering inspires generations of students and creates an enduring legacy of excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, business and global engagement.
https://giving.virginia.edu/stories/a-well-engineered-program
https://engineering.virginia.edu/offices-programs/clark-scholars/program-overview/scholar-experience
https://engineering.virginia.edu/news-events/news/graduating-stars-prepare-launch-their-careers
On a mission
“Whether it’s a pandemic-level virus, bacteria or something on a mission to Mars, our bodies are going to have some kind of adaptive immune response.”
Malcolm O’Malley (Engr ’23)
As a biomedical engineering doctoral student and intern for NASA, Malcom O’Malley is exploring how the human immune system responds to the extreme conditions of space. Malley is the recipient of the Donald and Jean Heim Scholarship and a Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship. His groundbreaking research investigates potential immune vulnerabilities astronauts may face during long-duration missions.
It all started with a trip to the doctor where he learned he was allergic to shellfish and curiosity about the prescribed treatment. O’Malley’s desire to better understand the mechanisms and connections between what triggers different immune system reactions combined with his interest in integrating datasets into biological insights inspired him to shift his major from computer science to biomedical engineering as an undergraduate student. An internship at NASA during his time as a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student provided the opportunity to further immunology research by using statistical analysis to understand the massive amounts of life sciences data NASA researchers have gathered about exposure to decreased gravity, social isolation, and increased radiation.
“Whether it’s a pandemic-level virus, bacteria or something on a mission to Mars, our bodies are going to have some kind of adaptive immune response,” he said.
Pioneering Approaches
“We aim to develop nanoparticle formulations that modulate the immune system to enhance immunotherapy.”
Evan Scott David Goodman Family Bicentennial Professor in Nanomedicine and Thomas A. Saunders III Family Jefferson Scholars Foundation University Professor
Evan Scott, professor of biomedical engineering is breaking new ground in the field of biomaterials. His research focuses on developing innovative systems to improve immune system responses, with wide-ranging applications in vaccines and immunotherapy.
“We aim to develop nanoparticle formulations that modulate the immune system to enhance immunotherapy,” he said. He and his team are also developing cancer gene therapies that can target specific cells within tumors, forcing them to produce and local release tumor-fighting molecules.
Thanks to campaign support, Scott’s lab is pioneering new approaches that could revolutionize how diseases are treated.
Creating a Smarter Watch
“Our goal with this technology is to develop a clinic on the wrist, like a full medical lab that goes with you everywhere all the time.”
Amanda Watson Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Amanda Watson is a trailblazer in wearable technology. She is creating devices that could redefine how we monitor and improve health.
Watson’s lab is developing a smartwatch that tracks vital signs more effectively. “Our goal with this technology is to develop a clinic on the wrist, like a full medical lab that goes with you everywhere all the time.” She is also developing advanced sensors for clinical use.
Both devices use optical absorption spectroscopy, based on how specific wavelengths of light penetrate the skin and reflect, to ascertain states of health. “Our sensor basically takes a profile of the human body,” she said. “So instead of looking at just a couple of colors, we look at the whole spectrum. And then we try to pull that signal apart to tease out things like glucose, maybe cortisol, carbs, fats and proteins.”
Graduate students don’t simply provide extra brainpower for research. They set in motion a cycle that lifts the entire...
The largest donation in University of Virginia School of Engineering history began with a chance encounter more than half...
Just months after joining the faculty at UVA’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, Evan Scott is already making headlines for...
Engineering alumni Sid and Jane Rudolph, members of UVA’s three pan-University giving societies, are investing in a new generation...
Dudley and Barbara White make a $6.1 million commitment to the School of Engineering and Applied Science.