VT College of Science Magazine Spring 2009 | Page 3

Tech: Invent the Future to improve facilities and sup-

uratively and literally. Final leaves were fluttering from

port faculty members and graduate students. And we

tree to ground. We had just elected a new president.

created the Institute for Advanced Study to incubate re-

Economic problems made us wonder what the future

search ideas to the point where they are likely to draw

would bring. But while the sense of change felt more

significant additional support.

pronounced than usual, in reality, change is a phenomenon that is always with us, like it or not.

The institute was created with younger faculty members
in mind. They are often the source of our most innovative ideas. As an academic further along in his career, I’m

familiar routines, and it creates the possibility that we

always inspired by the enthusiasm and fresh perspec-

will not correctly adapt to new demands. But change

tives of younger colleagues.

avoid stagnation.

But, as two profiles in this issue demonstrate, it is not
just the young driving our college forward. Jim McGrath

All organizations must adapt to change. For the College

of our chemistry department has had a long and distin-

of Science, this is especially true. Our two main jobs are

guished career but — considering how much research

research and teaching — making discoveries that will

on polymers he still produces — has not slowed a bit.

change the world for the better and preparing the next

Bill Starnes, one of our most distinguished alumni, is an

generation to do the same. Change is at the heart of

emeritus professor of chemistry at the College of Wil-

what we do.

liam and Mary, but has also maintained his passion for

It can be tough for complex organizations like colleges
to be flexible enough to react to new developments,
such as shifts in research funding priorities or shifting

making discoveries. Along with his wife, Sofia, Bill made
an extraordinary gift to our chemistry department that
will allow it to create a faculty chair.

attitudes toward technologies like nuclear power. But

I’m sure Jim and Bill have seen many changes in the

in the past five years, we have taken significant steps to

field of chemistry during their careers. If asked, I bet

improve our ability to respond to new opportunities.

they would say that continued success is due to their

The formation of the College of Science has allowed us
to focus fully on science-specific endeavors. To speed
the migration of research from lab to market, we started
cluster-hiring scientists from multiple disciplines whose
work complements each other in complex but promising areas, such as nanotechnology. We set ambitious
fundraising goals within The Campaign for Virginia

desire to discover even more than they already have. In
an ever-changing world, having an attitude like theirs is
the best predictor of success.

Lay Nam Chang
Dean, College of Science

Issue No. 6 sprINg 2009

Change can be frightening because it forces us to adjust

can also be thrilling. It forces us to grow, to evolve, to

M a g a z i n e

As this issue went to press, change was in the air — fig-

S C i e n C e

By Lay Nam Chang

o f

Change is for the Bold,
the determined, and the passionate

1
C o l l e g e

At the recent Dean’s Forum focussing on infectious diseases: left to right:
Gerhardt Schurig, Dean, Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Lonnie King, Centers for Disease Control; and Lay Nam
Chang, Dean, College of Science
For more information, see page 13