Department Representatives
Department Representatives are official College Council liaisons to the myriad of educational departments in the College. In order to foster the Council’s goals of representing the needs and interests of College students and fostering student/faculty interaction, Department Representatives are charged with planning events for their major during the school year. Examples of events include guest lectures, discussions with professors, movie screenings, partnerships with UPC and other CIOs, and more. These representatives are also specially charged with cultivating resources for their major, especially for underclassmen, and themselves should act as a source of information in regards to questions about courses, professors, and more.
Applications to become a Department Representative will remain open throughout the year as the Council fills academic programs that are currently not represented on the Council. To inquire about whether your department is currently represented, contact the College Council President, Charles Liu, at wcw9bu@virginia.edu!
Apply to represent your Major as a College Council Department Representative! Department Representatives are typically third or fourth years who represent their major, so each representative must have officially declared the relevant major to apply. If you have any questions, please contact the College Council President, Charles Liu, at wcw9bu@virginia.edu.
African American and African Studies Department Representative – Jordan Scott
American Sign Language Program Department Representative – Ben Ward
American Studies Department Representative – Sana Friedman
Archaeology Department Representative – Tyler Glenn
East Asian Languages, Literature, & Cultures Department Representative – Fan Lin
Economics Department Representative – Delia Hughes
English Department Representative – Maeve Reynolds
Environmental Thought & Practice Department Representative – Caroline Lesser
French Department Representative – Najor Bennam
Germanic Languages & Literature Department Representative – Elise Orr
Global Studies in Culture & Society Department Representative – Sophie Guettel
Global Studies – Environments & Sustainability Department Representative – Emily Barker
Global Studies – Security & Justice Department Representative – Ben Prince
History Department Representative – Marianne Lyons
Jewish Studies Department Representative – Robby Lefkowitz
Media Studies Department Representative – Amanda Gagen
Neuroscience Department Representative – Haylee Ressa
Philosophy Department Representative – Paco de Amorrortu
Political Philosophy, Policy & Law Department Representative – Matt Marsden
Religious Studies Department Representative – Susanna Kharatyan
Sociology Department Representative – Nicole Miranda-Costa
Women, Gender & Sexuality Department Representative – Jacob Hobbs
Funding programs are available for student groups, faculty members and students conducting independent research!
\Thank you for your interest in the College Council Research Grants. These grants are intended to help fund the scholarly projects of students of the College of Arts and Sciences. The College Council, the governing body of the College of Arts and Sciences, sponsors these grants to promote a spirit of intellectual curiosity within the College, foster relationships between faculty and students, and best meet the needs of College students. Please contact uvacollegecouncilfunding@gmail.com with questions about the funding request or reimbursement process.
Grants offered
Semester Scholar Award - Applications are open for Spring Scholars!
These grants are intended to fund scholarly projects up to $1,800 (subject to change) that are conducted throughout the semester which contribute to student academia and innovation on Grounds. Scholarly projects include research in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences as well as creative and interdisciplinary projects. A diversity of applications from different disciplines and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. If you have any questions about the Spring Scholar Grant or the application, please contact Treasurer Kaushal Betha at fng6ft@virginia.edu before the application deadline.
The application and itemized budget outline can be found below. Please download a copy and submit all materials to uvacollegecouncilfunding@gmail.com.
Application: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11nzYlZla-z3q2qgs7RAxCEON2tru7IjRs7ypTNWyupU/edit?usp=sharing
Itemized Budget Outline: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KMJayL48Cha7Bgrz4tOSHB_yXD-yjHDJ4OBUzpQQ7hI/edit?usp=sharing
The Minerva Award
Minerva, found on the University seal, is the Roman symbol of knowledge and creativity, and it is this spirit that the College Council hopes to promote with the Minerva Award. Minerva Awards of up to $1,800 (subject to change) will be given to fund scholarly projects conducted by College students during the summer.
Eligibility and Criteria
The College Council Research Grants are available to any undergraduate student enrolled as a degree candidate in the College of Arts and Sciences. Grant proposals will be assessed based on the strength of the research question, the structure and organization of the proposal, and the integration of the project. Please note that non-experts will be reviewing the proposals and that the proposals should be written for a broad audience.
Strength of Research Question
- Presents innovative and original work
- Demonstrates both depth and breadth in their understanding of the subject
- Makes a significant contribution to the field of study
Structure and Organization
- Written in a clear, concise manner
- Explicitly states the goals of the research and how these goals will be met
Integration
- Incorporates different academic areas within the College
- Utilizes innovative approaches and perspectives
- Applies scholarly research in a manner that benefits the larger local or global community
In addition, it will be noted if the applicant has received additional funding for the same research project. In the spirit of fostering research among all undergraduates, priority will be given to students who have received no previous funding.
Faculty Support
Each project proposal must have a written letter of recommendation from a UVA faculty mentor who will serve as an adviser during the completion of the project. The faculty mentor should provide insight into their basis for concluding that the student can complete a high-quality research project. Additionally, if the project requires IRB approval, your faculty mentor should speak to your IRB approval status. Please ask your mentor to send the signed letter, on UVA letterhead, as an email attachment directly to uvacollegecouncilfunding@gmail.com by the same day the application is due.
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. Funding Regulations
- Projects, research, and purchases must comply with federal, state, and local laws.
- College Council grants CANNOT fund research stipends.
- The grants are disbursed to students through direct deposit after notification of selection. Students are on their Honor to spend the grant funds according to the submitted and approved budget.
- Grant recipients are required to submit a project and expenditure report by 9 am 3 weeks after funds are disbursed. If the project and expenditure report is not submitted on time, the student will be liable for all project expenses and have to repay College Council any grant awarded funds.
- If you have any concerns about the expenditure report, please contact uvacollegecouncilfunding@gmail.com.
- Grant recipients should use the resources freely available to them as University students whenever possible. Purchases of materials that are freely available at the University libraries or accessible through University journal databases, online subscriptions, or other electronic media will not be reimbursed. Grant recipients should perform a thorough and extensive search of University library resources before purchasing materials for their project.
- Grant recipients may not travel to any location with a U.S. State Department Travel Warning. If such a warning is issued while abroad, the recipient must leave the country immediately in the safest manner possible. Such warnings can be found here at Travel Advisories.
- Any projects involving the research of human subjects must receive IRB approval before they can receive any funding. More information regarding the IRB process can be found here: https://www.virginia.edu/vpr/irb/.
- All purchases that go beyond the above-stated regulations must be approved in advance by the Treasurer of College Council in consultation with appropriate University officials.
Violations of any of the above regulations will result in the cancellation of the grant.
Receipt of Award
Grant recipients will be required to meet with the Grants Chair to discuss grant requirements and payment procedures. Awards will be disbursed through direct deposit, which students must set up in their SIS accounts, using the following link. Recipients are on their Honor as students of the University of Virginia to spend the money as detailed in their approved budgets, and any changes to this budget must be reported to and approved by the Grants Chair.