Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University of Virginia sustains the ideals of developing, through education, leaders who are well prepared to help shape the future of the nation and the world. Consistently ranked as one of the top public universities, UVA values the quality of research, scholarship, creative arts, and innovation because of the dual mission inherent in its identity as a collegiate research university. The University is large enough to support excellence in research and teaching, yet small enough to promote the collegiality and the interplay of ideas that are critical for academic leadership and innovation.