Jefferson Scholar alumnus and friend, Ned Brinkley, passes away

The Jefferson Scholars Foundation is deeply saddened by the sudden and unexpected loss of Jefferson Scholar alumnus Ned Brinkley. Ned was the Harry W. Gilbert Jefferson Scholar in the Class of 1987 and an active member of the U.Va. community while on Grounds, devoting his time and leadership to Students Against Racial Separatism and United Campuses to Prevent Nuclear War. He was also a help-line volunteer and vice president of the Queer Student Union. 

After U.Va., Ned attended Cornell University, where he received his Ph.D. in comparative literature and film. Eventually he married his love for writing and his deep love and passion for birds as the editor of North American Birds for more than 20 years. He was the author of the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America, and he co-owned a birders’ bed-and-breakfast in Cape Charles, Virginia. Our deepest condolences go to Ned’s family and loved ones.