Recognition, respect and rankings
Old Dominion making great strides in the three R's

Old Dominion prides itself on being one of the state's leading research universities, and now it has the magazine to prove it. In this issue, we highlight Quest, a new slick, four-color publication that rolled off the presses late last year to rave reviews.

Its cover promises stories on faculty research, innovations and breakthroughs, and Quest delivers, with features on everything from Susan Kent's on-site studies of the "Bushmen" of Africa's Kalahari Desert to Dennis Darby's investigation of ice floes in the Arctic Ocean.

Also in this issue is a letter "home" from Samantha Salvia '96, the university's first Rhodes Scholar, who offers some interesting observations about her first year of study at Oxford. "I'm beginning to understand the British culture, at least as well as any American can hope to understand!" she writes.

And, to find out how that ferocious-looking lion on the cover came to be, look on the back page for the story about sculptor Kevin Gallup '85 and some photos of the making of Old Dominion's "lion king."

For a relatively young school (Old Dominion was founded in 1930 and has been a university only since 1969) your alma mater has done quite well in recent years in raising the level of its recognition. The national media "hits" from last fall alone (see story below) attest to the efforts of the Office of Institutional Advancement, the faculty - and alumni - to tell the Old Dominion story far beyond the confines of Hampton Roads.

In just the last few months, the university and its faculty have been cited or featured by national publications in stories on everything from Pfiesteria and vision problems in children to Mars exploration and Saddam Hussein.

A fall issue of Sports Illustrated even featured a story on NBA professional Mark West '83 for his off-the-court investment skills (see Page 10). These are just some of the bragging rights that you have as an alumnus/a of Old Dominion. And there are lots of other reasons to be proud of your alma mater. In terms of rankings and superlatives, consider the following:

  • Forbes magazine has ranked Old Dominion as one of the nation's top 20 "cyber-universities," thanks in large measure to the university's nationally acclaimed distance-learning network, TELETECHNET;
  • Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology credits Old Dominion with creating more jobs than any other college or university in the state for 1997;
  • Old Dominion is the only publicly funded, comprehensive research institution in the country to guarantee job-related experience to all undergraduates through its Career Advantage Program; and
  • The Coastal Physical Oceanography Program has been rated as one of the five best in the country. Old Dominion, is indeed, making a name for itself, and as a former student you have every right to be proud of your alma mater. G. William Whitehurst, former dean of students and current Kaufman Lecturer in Public Affairs, has a good line about a valuable lesson he learned from his years as a U.S. congressman: When you hear of some good news, stand next to it. There is much good news about Old Dominion these days, and more to come.

    We look forward to hearing your comments about Alumnews and your alma mater. Send your comments or letters to the editor to: Alumnews Editor, Old Dominion University, 100 New Administration Building, Norfolk, Va. 23529.

    - Steve Daniel, Editor

    OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY ALUMNEWS