Prof. Xiaochao Zheng is the winner of the 2023 Alumni Association Distinguished Professor Award.  From UVAToday:

She piques student interest by framing physics as a science that answers fundamental questions, said one nominating colleague who provided text from Zheng’s class syllabus as an example: “Why does the sun shine? Why is sky blue? What is heat and what causes it? Can time flow backwards? Physics provides answers to all these questions, and many others you may have about the physical universe.”

For more, see
https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-recognizes-professional-expertise-personal-kindness-outstanding-faculty