Press Release

For Immediate Release
March 29, 2010
Sheryl Hayes
PH: 434-924-6562
FAX: 434-296-4714
Email: sheryl@virginia.edu

VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR THE HUMANITIES FINALIST FOR CBIC SPOTLIGHT AWARD

Charlottesville, VA--The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) announced today that it has been selected as a finalist for the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) 2010 Spotlight Award for its nationally recognized edUi conference.   Held on September 21-22, 2009, the conference sought to raise the level of knowledge about web design, web site usability and the fundamental principles of web user experience among schools, museums, universities, historic societies, and scholars working on digital projects. The conference attracted 185 attendees from around the United States.

The Spotlight Award is presented annually to the enterprise or individual who has brought the most significant positive attention to the region, as evidenced by media coverage, business and/or academic interest and public awareness.  The edUi 2009 conference brought several internationally recognized experts--"rock stars" of the web design world, putting Charlottesville in the company of cities like Boston, Seattle, London, Sydney and San Francisco who have hosted these speakers for similar events. In addition to bringing participants from around Virginia, edUi  also attracted representatives from such corporations as Apple and User Interface Engineering; from universities such as Cornell, Kansas State, Michigan State, MIT, Northwestern, Syracuse, and  Xavier; and from such as diverse organizations as Florida Humanities Council, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, and the Town of Lexington, VA. 

CBIC is the preeminent private-sector advocate and catalyst for entrepreneurship and technology-based economic development in the Charlottesville region. It serves its members by providing advocacy, educational programming, and by bringing people together through its network of members and contacts. Awards will be presented on Wednesday, June 2, 2010, at a dinner at Farmington Country Club.

The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities is a non-profit educational organization, created in 1974. VFH is a catalyst for the cultural, civic, artistic, and educational vitality of the Commonwealth whose purpose is to understand the past and confront issues in the present, in order to help shape a more promising future.  VFH seeks to discover and share untold stories, encourage lifelong learning, and promote civil discourse.

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“Virginia Foundation for the Humanities -- Shaping our Common Story”