<p>I've never really heard anyone bragging about it, and their website for bio wasn't awe inspiring...</p>
<p>I'm hopefully going to be a pre-med with heavy leanings toward research. (I'm want to be a research MD)</p>
<p>This provides a good answer–from UVa internal report a couple years ago.</p>
<p>Biology
Biology ranks number 42 in USNWR, on the same level as Purdue, Penn State and Ohio
State, but well below UNC (number 26). The TT Faculty numbers 27, unbelievably the
same since 1968. We are told that this is only 65% of the size of the median for top 20
Biology Departments (as may be true for other several other CLAS science departments).
There were no retirements or hires for 10 years until one senior and two junior faculty
were recruited this past year. Rundown bio labs reflect the low ranking.
The undergraduates are taught by quality scientists assisted by 11 TAs for Introduction to
Biology, alone. Nevertheless, there is a need to modernize courses: there is only one
course in genomics, none in bioinformatics. There are multiple opportunities for joint
teaching and collaborative research between CLAS and SOM. Prominent examples exist
in Chemistry and Biology. Further opportunities exist in genomics, bioinformatics, brain
imaging, and a wide range of cell biology and biochemistry areas.
Current annual research expenditures are $8.3M, which comes to about $300,000 per
year for TT Faculty. Hopefully, recruitment will generate a major increase in funded
work in this department. There have been remarkable improvements in the department
during the past 4 years – from autocratic leadership and factionalized faculty to collegial
Ecological and Evolutionary Biology and Cell and Molecular Biology subgroups, with
good linkages. Promotions and tenure review are regularized; annual reviews occur for
faculty.
A frequently mentioned frustrations is the failed senior faculty search for the Ivy Chair
($1.5M) in Morphogenesis and Regenerative Medicine. They had three good female
candidates; needed $600-800K for renovations. The reason given was that they could not
mobilize the support of the Dean, Vice President or Provost. Other frustrations:
• Graduate student support is inadequate and not competitive with national quality
departments.
• This department seems leery of BOV recruiting costly older “free agents”, using
the sports analogy. It would prefer to recruit a number of assistant professors to
build for the future. Nevertheless, a strong BOV hire, who chose to affiliate with
Biology for his/her primary appointment and wants to help Biology improve
could be significant.</p>