The UVA School of Medicine’s research program is on the rise, moving up to No. 36 nationally in total funding from the National Institutes of Health. (University Communications photo)
The University of Virginia School of Medicine research program has climbed to No. 36 nationally in total funding from the National Institutes of Health, a new analysis from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research finds.
With more than $203 million in NIH awards in fiscal year 2025, UVA moved up three spots, according to the report.
The School of Medicine has risen steadily from 43rd in fiscal 2020 to 42nd in 2021 and 2022, to 38th in 2023, 39th in 2024 and now 36th.
“Our scientists and clinicians are doing incredible work to advance discoveries from bench to bedside and to accelerate how quickly we can get new treatments to the patients who need them,” Dr. Colin Derdeyn, the school’s interim dean, said. “Federal research funding makes that possible, and the NIH supports the large majority of the work we do.
The Blue Ridge Institute’s Robert Roskoski Jr. and Tristram G. Parslow compiled the new figures based on year-end composite data they obtained from the NIH’s online grants database. The Blue Ridge Institute, an independent nonprofit based in North Carolina, has compiled the research funding rankings every year since 2006, and the rankings have become a widely accepted benchmark for research program success.
Ken Ono, the University’s most celebrated math professor, is the 146th UVA faculty member elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. (University Communications photo)
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has elected mathematics professor Ken Ono as a member of its 2025 class of fellows, which includes nearly 500 scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished career achievements.
In naming Ono to its mathematics section, the academy – one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals – cited his “distinguished contributions to the field of number theory, applications of mathematics to Olympic sports, mentoring of mathematics students at all levels and outreach to the public.”
A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor, and fellows are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity, according to the academy’s announcement.
Ono is among 146 fellows elected from UVA throughout its history, according to an academy database, beginning with chemistry professor Dr. John Mallet in 1876.
The annual Fellows Forum will be held May 29 in Washington, D.C.
Ono is currently on leave to work with Axiom Math, a firm applying artificial intelligence to mathematics.
A UVA student participates in the planting of a forest patch on Grounds, one of the many activities initiated through the Decarbonization Academy. (University Communications photo)
Second Nature, a national nonprofit dedicated to accelerating climate action in higher education, recognized 鶹ƽ Decarbonization Academy with a 2026 Climate Luminary Honors award. Six colleges and universities were recognized for their leadership and innovative approaches to addressing climate change across six categories: decarbonization, justice, community, workforce, research and climate resilience.
Engineering professor Lisa Colosi Peterson and the University Committee on Sustainability started the Decarbonization Academy in 2022 as part of 鶹ƽ 2030 Sustainability Plan. 鶹ƽ Office for Sustainability now administers the summer program that brings UVA students, faculty and staff together to advance real-world campus decarbonization projects.
Faculty and staff contribute research-driven perspectives and mentorship, guiding students through the creation, research and implementation of their projects. Several projects have had a meaningful impact around Grounds and beyond, including the installation of six Miyawaki-style forest patches, the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the development of 鶹ƽ carbon removals policy.
Each year, 20 to 25 students enroll in the academy. Alana Cohen, a fourth-year environmental science major, said, “The Decarbonization Academy was a great opportunity to connect with other students passionate about sustainability and learn from experts in their respective fields. Designing and implementing my own project about something I am passionate about was an amazing opportunity and prepared me for greater undertakings in the future post-undergrad.”
Law professor Kenneth Abraham is to be the guest of honor for a celebration of his writing at the University of Connecticut in June. (Contributed photo)
The Insurance Law Center at the University of Connecticut School of Law will honor UVA law professor Kenneth S. Abraham for his contributions to tort and insurance law on June 5. The event also marks the 40th anniversary of Abraham’s first book, “Distributing Risk: Insurance, Legal Theory, and Public Policy.”
Abraham is a David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law.
In announcing the celebration of Abraham’s writing, the Insurance Law Center described “Distributing Risk” as “a landmark work that brought modern legal theory to the study of insurance.”
“Over a career spanning six books, more than 100 law review articles, and various awards … Professor Abraham continues to shape how generations of scholars, students, and practitioners understand tort and insurance law,” the announcement said.
A.E. Dick Howard, 鶹ƽ Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law Emeritus, is the latest recipient of the University of Richmond School of Law’s William Green Award. (Contributed photo)
The University of Richmond School of Law presented its 2026 William Green Award for Professional Excellence to retired law professor A. E. Dick Howard during a ceremony in March. Established in 1987, the Green Award is presented to a distinguished lawyer whose career offers an inspirational model for students, according to Richmond Law.
Howard is the Warner-Booker Distinguished Professor of International Law Emeritus.
The school’s announcement called Howard “one of the nation’s foremost constitutional scholars and the principal draftsman of Virginia’s 1971 Constitution.”
The Green Award is the Richmond School of Law’s highest honor and represents the most distinguished recognition it bestows upon a member of the legal profession.
In his remarks, Howard shared highlights from his storied career, including his clerkship with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, his role in drafting Virginia’s present constitution and his opportunity to work with constitution-makers in post-Communist Central and Eastern Europe.
He gave a special recognition to a cornerstone group that has impacted his career – his students – describing them as cordial, civilized and fun. “To teach law anywhere is wonderful, but to do so at places like Richmond and UVA is really special.”
Mark Luellen, senior vice president for external relations, is among three Virginia higher education leaders on the Virginia Business list. (Contributed photo)
Virginia Business magazine has selected Senior Vice President for External Relations Mark Luellen to receive a 2026 Virginia Business C-Suite Award, recognizing executives who “consistently demonstrate remarkable leadership skills, integrity, values, vision, commitment to excellence, company performance and community engagement.”
Luellen was one of three honorees in the higher education category, alongside Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, provost and vice-chancellor of Virginia Wesleyan University, and Towuanna Porter Brannon, president of Virginia Peninsula Community College.
Dr. Jayakrishna Ambati, director of 鶹ƽ Center for Advanced Vision Science, is shaping the future of ophthalmology, says The Ophthalmologist. (Contributed photo)
The Ophthalmologist included Dr.Jayakrishna Ambati, director of 鶹ƽ Center for Advanced Vision Science, in its 2026 Power List of 50 “ophthalmology leaders and influencers whose achievements have advanced or made a significant impact in the field the last 12-18 months – and will go on to shape its future.”
After two decades of research, Ambati and colleagues have formulated two drugs that have shown promising results for treating geographic atrophy – an advanced, progressive form of dry age-related macular degeneration that causes permanent, irreversible loss of central vision.
A sustained-release implant drug, Kamuvudine K-8, is undergoing phase 2 trials. A second drug, Kamuvudine K-9, is “showing promise” in clinical trials for diabetic macular edema and thyroid eye disease, Ambati said.
Harvard University is also evaluating the latter drug for effectiveness against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Amabati said.
“Throughout this journey, our guiding star has been the reward of improving the sight and the lives of countless millions around the world who are afflicted with devastating illnesses,” Ambati said.
Assistant Director of University News and Chief Copy Editor, UVA Today Office of University Communications
danh@virginia.edu 434-924-6857
