Just months after joining the faculty at UVA’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, Evan Scott is already making headlines for groundbreaking research that could transform how the body accepts transplanted organs without compromising the immune system.

Widely recognized for his innovative use of nanotechnology to combat diseases and disorders, Scott recently co-authored a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science detailing how nanoparticles can help the cells of transplanted hearts in mice resist attacks from the immune system—a breakthrough that could revolutionize transplant medicine.

Scott’s arrival at UVA is already having an impact across Grounds, where he is set to lead the Institute for Nanoscale Scientific and Technological Advanced Research, or nanoSTAR, amid the launch of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, as well as support UVA’s Cancer Center.

Scott has also been appointed to be the Thomas A. Saunders III Family Jefferson Scholars Foundation Distinguished University Professor—making him one of a select group of UVA faculty members honored with the University Professor designation and the first to be funded by the foundation. University Professors are appointed by and report directly to the provost and president and represent the pinnacle of academic distinction at UVA.

The buzz surrounding his appointment comes as no surprise to Jimmy Wright, president of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to attracting talented students and faculty to the University.

“Scott exemplifies the kind of extraordinary educator and leader we’ve been fortunate to bring to UVA in recent years,” said Wright.

The Power of Faculty Excellence

Scott’s early career was turbocharged in 2015 when he received the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, a $1.5 million grant that allowed him to expand his focus beyond heart disease to include conditions like allergies, cancer, and infectious disease. Now, his work in organ transplantation could have broad implications for treating diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and even advancing cell therapy.

Before being recruited to UVA, he had established himself as a rising star at Northwestern University, with more than 80 publications, 21 patents, and nearly 30 career-affirming awards, including the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Nano Research Young Innovator Award in Nanobiotechnology, the Biomedical Engineering Society Mid-Career Award, and the BMES Young Innovator of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. His move to Charlottesville this fall marks a major win for the University.

While the Jefferson Scholars Foundation is best known for attracting exceptional students to UVA through its merit scholarships, in 2011 the foundation launched a new effort to benefit the University: a series of $5 million endowed professorships designed to recruit world-class faculty across a range of disciplines. Scott is one of 10 professors currently supported by the foundation, which also funds faculty in UVA’s College of Arts & Sciences, Darden School of Business, McIntire School of Commerce, School of Education and Human Development, School of Law, and School of Medicine.

“University Professorships are a powerful tool for recruiting leaders in their field like Scott,” explained Wright, “and we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have generous benefactors like the late Tom Saunders, his wife Jordan, and their daughter Calvert Saunders Moore step forward to support faculty excellence in this meaningful way.”

The Saunders Impact

University Professorships rank among the highest level of funding for endowed professorships at UVA. The Saunders family’s contributions to Scott’s professorship, matched by UVA’s Bicentennial Professors Fund, total $10 million. Additionally, the Saunders family has funded a second University Professorship through the foundation that will be filled in the coming years.

Tom Saunders (Darden ’67) was a steadfast advocate for advancing faculty excellence at UVA. Before his passing in 2022, he shared his vision in an interview with UVA Today.

“With the endowment of these University Professorships, we advance the University’s ability to attract and retain internationally recognized science professors to help ensure that the University continues to be one of the greatest educational institutions in the United States,” he said.

A prominent figure at UVA for decades, Saunders played key roles on both the Darden Board of Trustees and the Board of Visitors. He was also instrumental in founding the University of Virginia Investment Management Company. His daughter, Calvert Saunders Moore (Col ’90), continues her father’s legacy of philanthropy.

“Our family remains focused on ensuring that the nation’s most outstanding faculty members are teaching at UVA,” she said. “My father had a lifelong passion for science, and I know he would be so proud to see his name attached to the kind of work Professor Scott is pursuing.”

To date, the Jefferson Scholars Foundation has secured approximately $190 million for endowed professorships, with five more positions actively being filled. Ultimately, the foundation intends to support 25 to 30 professors, including several University Professors.

Bill Polk (Col ’78), chairman of the foundation’s board of directors, is among the benefactors inspired to endow a University Professorship.

“Great faculty attract great students, who in turn attract more exceptional faculty,” Polk noted. “The virtuous cycle strengthens the University, and the foundation’s track record of success at bringing great talent to UVA gave my wife Carrie and me confidence that this was the right investment.”

Wright affirmed this sentiment. “The investment that the foundation’s benefactors are making in faculty excellence at UVA is substantial,” he said.

For Scott, it’s an investment that holds enormous potential. “It’s fundamental to have the kind of ample funding the foundation is providing,” he said. “It will allow me to expand my work in the same ways that the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award has over the last decade.”

The future of Scott’s research is undoubtedly bright, with the potential to reshape medicine on a global scale. As the Jefferson Scholars Foundation continues to invest in faculty excellence, its impact will resonate far beyond UVA, ensuring the University remains a leader in innovation and scholarship across many disciplines for years to come.