The third annual Jefferson Trust grant recipients were announced Friday, with a total $470,000 to be dispersed among various University schools, departments and organizations.
Jefferson Trust Executive Director Michael Clarke? said the board of trustees, which consists of donors who gave more than $100,000 to the trust, works with deans and department heads throughout the University community to ensure a strong pool of grant applicants.
This year, the grants will be dispersed among many University institutions, according to a University press release, including the Engineering School, to create an international studies program for students and faculty; the Commerce School, to support the Global Partnership and Curriculum Development; and the Virginia Glee Club, to research and record songs demonstrating "the historical significance of the University's choral music legacy," the release stated.
The College was awarded the most money this year, receiving a total of $105,000,? Clarke said, which will be used to support various student programs within the College.
To facilitate student research in both the arts and sciences, Jill Urquhart, special assistant to the dean of the College, said the College sought funding for the College Science Scholars program and to initiate a College Arts Scholars program.
The College received $75,000 to provide cost-of-living stipends to students in the programs who will be conducting research over the summer, Urquhart said, either in Charlottesville or abroad.
The College also received $30,000 to help fund faculty who choose to teach fall College seminars with an academic advising component, called the College of Liberal Arts, Urquhart said.
The seminars, offered only to first-year and transfer students, are taught by "top-notch faculty ... and provide a more intimate setting for academic advising," Urquhart said.
Another beneficiary of the Trust, Madison House, will receive $50,000 to increase its program capacity, Clarke said.
Madison House Executive Director Kelly Eplee? said the grant will be used over the course of two years to fund a second staff member to help oversee more than 190 community service program leaders.
"Madison House is the largest co-curricular service model in the country," Eplee said, "Our programs are student-led and staff-supported, and we have the lowest staff-per-student ratio in the country ... We're appreciative to the Jefferson Trust for supporting us."
Responsibilities for the hired assistant will include helping current Associate Advisor? Elizabeth Bass? coordinate service projects with the student leaders, maintaining contact with community sites, preparing leadership materials and working out the details of training programs.
Additional funds have been awarded to the Center for Undergraduate Excellence, the Center for Global Health, the Architecture School and the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures.
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