In 1981, a groundbreaking medical achievement in Norfolk, Virginia helped change reproductive medicine in the United States forever. More than four decades later, that historic moment continues to receive national recognition.
Old Dominion University is featured in a new timeline created by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), which highlights defining achievements and transformative contributions public universities have made to the nation ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University is recognized — through the efforts of Georgeanna Jones, MD, and Howard Jones, MD, and the former Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine — for helping make history with the birth of the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby in the United States.
Elizabeth Carr was born at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk, delivered by Mason Andrews, MD, a key founder of Eastern Virginia Medical School, which was integrated into Old Dominion University in 2024 following a multi-year exploration and planning process. The pioneering moment represented a turning point in reproductive medicine, positioning the institution as an early leader in fertility research and opening the door to hope for millions of families.
The timeline showcases how public and land-grant universities have helped advance the nation through breakthroughs in healthcare, science, technology, education and public service while expanding opportunity and strengthening communities.
“For generations, public universities have served as engines of opportunity, discovery and impact,” said Old Dominion University President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. “This recognition is a meaningful reminder of the role institutions like Old Dominion University play in advancing knowledge and improving lives far beyond our campus. We are honored to be included among the APLU’s recognition of contributions that have helped shape the American story.”
Founded in 1980, less than a decade after the community-driven establishment of Eastern Virginia Medical School, the Jones Institute became internationally recognized for its leadership in reproductive medicine and served as a trailblazer in the modern academic medicine, research and healthcare missions of Old Dominion University.
“For more than 50 years, our community has relied upon the expertise of our students, residents, providers and researchers to transform healthcare right here in Hampton Roads and beyond,” said Alfred Abuhamad, MD, executive vice president for health sciences. “Today, that legacy continues with cutting-edge patient care innovations, including the creation of artificial intelligence (AI) models to advance cancer treatments and more.”
The APLU timeline, launched May 11 as part of the organization’s broader commemoration of America’s upcoming semiquincentennial celebration, showcases the lasting role public universities have played in shaping the nation’s progress and future.
In addition to this leading contribution to America’s progress, Old Dominion University has experienced many firsts and been a leader on the national stage for decades.
In 1958, only five years after launching the institution’s first bachelor’s degree programs, Old Dominion University became the first higher education institution in Virginia to offer for-credit courses taught over open-circuit television.
The University launched its pioneering TELETECHNET distance learning program in July 1994 and was the first institution in the country to use satellites to bring online learning to U.S. Navy sailors abroad through the Ships at Sea Program in 1996. Known today as ODUGlobal, the University has conferred more than 23,000 online degrees and has a worldwide enrollment of nearly 7,300 students.
In October 2025, Old Dominion University debuted MonarchSphere, a first-of-its-kind AI innovation and enablement ecosystem for higher education powered by Google Cloud. MonarchSphere emerged from a multi-year strategic effort to build a secure and scalable institutional artificial intelligence ecosystem for faculty, researchers, students and institutional teams. Leading the nation with this technology, in partnership with Google Cloud, Old Dominion University has created a new standard for the intelligent university of the future.
With a legacy of firsts and a history of innovation that is woven into the very fabric of the institution, Old Dominion University will continue to transform American ingenuity for generations to come. Learn more about the University’s historic past and its innovative future.
