Overview
- The Board of Visitors elected Scott Beardsley as the university’s 10th president in a unanimous vote, with his term set to begin Jan. 1.
- The decision went forward after calls from Gov.-elect Spanberger, lawmakers, faculty and community organizations to delay the process until new board appointments are seated.
- Beardsley has led UVA’s Darden School of Business since 2015 and previously spent 26 years at McKinsey & Company, rising to senior partner and serving on its global board.
- Board leaders cited his administrative record and said his experience suits challenges facing higher education, including academic independence, research funding shifts and evolving athletics.
- The appointment follows Jim Ryan’s June resignation under federal pressure over DEI policies, and Ryan later alleged top board leaders worked with the DOJ and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office to push him out.