From President James Ryan

Sharing your stories, getting your steps in. 

Did you miss these two announcements from President Jim Ryan? 


Check them out after the jump!

Submit a video story for Double Take

As part of the upcoming inauguration weekend, I am asking for your help with a special event we’re holding called “Double Take: Stories That Make You Think Twice.”

I have always believed in the power of a story. Good stories can teach us, persuade us, or help us see the world in ways we didn’t before. And when we tell stories about ourselves, they help other people understand who we really are.

Good stories can also reveal something about a community, which is why, as part of my inauguration, I want to invite anyone affiliated with the university to tell their stories. We will listen, offer coaching, and ultimately choose 10 people to share their experiences in front of an audience.

The theme of this event will be one you may have heard me talk about before: building bridges. To me, building bridges is about establishing connections. Just like the brain builds connections across neurons as it develops and grows, a community is only as strong as the connections within it. We want to hear stories about bridges you’ve built—either here or at some other point in your life—and what happened as a result. Your story can be funny, sad, or anything in between. Whatever you want to share, we want to hear.

To ensure this is a meaningful experience for all involved, we will offer several different opportunities to share your story, both digitally or in person. You can submit a video (limited to five minutes or less) through your UVA Box account to inauguration@virginia.edu by October 1st. You can also visit a Story Stream trailer we’ll have parked next to Newcomb and Monroe Halls next week on September 24-28th – or, for a limited number of slots, you can sign up here to record your story at Madison Hall. In either case, you will have an opportunity to receive coaching or peer feedback.

The culmination of this experience will be an event on October 20th where a group of students, faculty, and staff will tell their stories publicly in Old Cabell Hall. I will be sharing one of my own, as will Dr. Vivian Pinn, and I encourage anyone who is interested to attend. I promise it will be worth your time.

Thanks in advance for your participation. I hope you are as excited as I am for this opportunity to end the inauguration weekend by listening with open hearts and minds to the many stories that make up UVA

Register for the Jim Ryan Community Bridges 5K Run/Walk

The Jim Ryan Community Bridges 5K Run/Walk will raise funds for the Center for Nonprofit Excellence and hundreds of local charities. Faculty and staff have the opportunity to join teams affiliated with their School or unit. Students have the opportunity to join teams affiliated with student organizations or their School. Teams with the highest participation and most raised will receive special recognition at the awards ceremony.

Every dollar raised will go to these local organizations. All those registered by September 30 will get a commemorative t-shirt!

For those interested, you can register at https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Charlottesville/CommunityBridges5K.

More details on the Run/Walk can be found here:

https://news.virginia.edu/content/your-marks-community-bridges-5k-runwalk-set-inauguration-weekend
https://news.virginia.edu/content/qa-learn-more-about-community-bridges-5k-benefitting-local-nonprofits

Thank you in advance for helping make the Jim Ryan Community Bridges 5K Walk/Run a success.