Breaking: Scott Beardsley Becomes UVA’s 10th President—5 Big Changes on Day One

CHARLOTTESVILLE—In a move that instantly reshapes the leadership landscape of Virginia’s flagship public university, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors has voted unanimously to elevate Scott C. Beardsley, longtime dean of the Darden School of Business, to become UVA’s 10th president beginning Jan. 1 2026. Board rector Rachel Sheridan said the choice followed a five-month national search that reviewed 27 candidates and drew more than 100 nominations. “Dean Beardsley’s proven record of growing Darden’s global profile, recruiting top faculty and steering complex budgets convinced us he is the right leader for a pivotal moment in higher education,” she noted during Friday’s special session. Who is Scott C. Beardsley? • Beardsley, 62, took the helm at Darden in 2015 after rising to senior partner at McKinsey & Company, where he ran the firm’s worldwide leadership-development programs. • Under his tenure, Darden vaulted to repeated No. 1 rankings for faculty quality and career outcomes, opened a Washington-area campus and completed the $150 million Forum Hotel project. • The Vermont native holds an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan and a B.S. in electrical engineering from Tufts. “Carrying forward Mr. Jefferson’s legacy while preparing UVA for the fast-changing landscape of higher education and health care is the calling of a lifetime,” Beardsley said, pledging a “student-centered, results-driven” presidency focused on academic excellence, fiscal sustainability and public service. Political cross-currents The decision arrives amid partisan scrutiny. Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who takes office Jan. 17, had urged the GOP-appointed board to postpone its vote, calling the previous president’s summer departure “politically motivated.” Protesters gathered outside the Rotunda as the meeting convened, and higher-ed observers warn that a reconstituted board could revisit Friday’s outcome. Faculty representative James Lambert nonetheless praised the selection: “Beardsley understands shared governance and respect for scholarly freedom—qualities our community needs after a turbulent year.” Why the appointment matters • Research funding: UVA faces looming federal budget shifts that could squeeze its $431 million yearly research portfolio. • Athletics realignment: The Atlantic Coast Conference’s media-rights debate demands presidential stewardship. • Health-system expansion: UVA Health is negotiating new outpatient partnerships and a $600 million capital plan. Beardsley’s management credentials and Darden-forged donor network, supporters argue, position him to tackle those priorities quickly. Next steps for Grounds Interim President Paul Mahoney will work with Beardsley on a 12-day transition. Listening tours across UVA’s 12 schools are slated for February, and a formal inauguration is tentatively planned for early April. For students like third-year economics major Maya Hernández, the hope is stability: “We just want a leader who protects academic freedom and keeps tuition predictable.” Alumni, meanwhile, are watching fundraising; the university’s $5 billion capital campaign stands at 82 percent of goal, and Beardsley is expected to lean on his corporate network to close the gap. Bottom line Scott Beardsley’s leap from dean’s suite to president’s office places a globally seasoned strategist at the helm of a Top-5 public university—and sets the stage for fresh clashes between Virginia’s political parties over who ultimately guides the Commonwealth’s most storied campus.