UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Iggy Provencio, Professor of Biology

“Immediately after graduating college, I went on to be a technician at a research lab in Boston. We worked on circadian rhythms.

“So I became really interested in circadian rhythms, and the two places in the country that were really well known for this area of study were Northwestern University and then UVA.

“UVA had just hired Mike Menaker to be the chair of the biology department. Mike is one of the founding fathers of our field. So those were my two choices. I went and saw Northwestern and loved it. Then I came and saw UVA and loved it even more.

“It was extraordinary. It was March 17th, 1989. It was an absolutely beautiful day, and UVA won out over Northwestern.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Iggy Provencio, Professor of Biology

“I was not here for this, but there was an event where some of the younger faculty decided to get together. They called it the “Emergency Beer”; they went to Michael’s Bistro and had an emergency beer.

“What precipitated this meeting was a faculty meeting, where several of the more senior faculty members had provided their vision for the biology department for the following ten years. The younger faculty were horrified.

“And the younger faculty came up with their own ideas of where the department should go, and they generated a white paper. They presented the white paper at a faculty meeting then, and to the credit of the senior faculty, they accepted that white paper wholeheartedly. They essentially said, you know, this is going to be your department, and this sounds like a good idea. Let’s proceed.”

UVA Stories: Iggy Provencio - 2008 Election by wtju

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Iggy Provencio, Professor of Biology

“If there is one skill that a student should gain once he or she graduates the university is critical thinking. Being able to read something or hear something and question it.

“It may very well be that what they’ve read is true. But hopefully they’ve arrived at that conclusion after having looked at it critically and perhaps looked at other references or other sources. If I accomplish anything here, the one thing I’d be most proud of would be educating students to the extent that they question everything.

“I would hope that that’s something that all universities and colleges do, but really, really emphasize that you have to think critically and develop your own belief system based on facts. Facts are important things.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Iggy Provencio, Professor of Biology

“I then went on to do my postdoc with Mark Rollogg. Mark was interested in the skin cells of frogs that turned color in response to light.

“So by definition, they were photoreceptors; they were light-sensitive cells. And Mark had this suspicion that the proteins that were involved in mediating this color change were similar to the proteins that we have in our eyes, that we use for vision and perhaps for resetting the [biological] clock.

“So we thought we’d give it the old college try, and sure enough we stumbled upon this new protein which we named melanopsin, because it came from the melanophores of frogs. But ultimately we found that in fact cells that contain this photopigment melanopsin are found in the eye, they are found in the mammalian, including the human eye. And they appear to be involved in resetting the clock.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Iggy Provencio, Professor of Biology

“If there is one skill that a student should gain once he or she graduates the university is critical thinking. Being able to read something or hear something and question it.

“It may very well be that what they’ve read is true. But hopefully they’ve arrived at that conclusion after having looked at it critically and perhaps looked at other references or other sources. If I accomplish anything here, the one thing I’d be most proud of would be educating students to the extent that they question everything.

“I would hope that that’s something that all universities and colleges do, but really, really emphasize that you have to think critically and develop your own belief system based on facts. Facts are important things.”

UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.

Iggy Provencio, Professor of Biology

“I then went on to do my postdoc with Mark Rollogg. Mark was interested in the skin cells of frogs that turned color in response to light.

“So by definition, they were photoreceptors; they were light-sensitive cells. And Mark had this suspicion that the proteins that were involved in mediating this color change were similar to the proteins that we have in our eyes, that we use for vision and perhaps for resetting the [biological] clock.

“So we thought we’d give it the old college try, and sure enough we stumbled upon this new protein which we named melanopsin, because it came from the melanophores of frogs. But ultimately we found that in fact cells that contain this photopigment melanopsin are found in the eye, they are found in the mammalian, including the human eye. And they appear to be involved in resetting the clock.”

UVA For Your Benefit - Episode 1 - Draft 1

UVA For Your Benefit - Episode 1 - Draft 1

Distinctive in color and design.