Education: JAMES E. RYAN

A first-generation college student who graduated summa cum laude from Yale University and graduated first in his University of Virginia law class, Ryan previously served as dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and clerked for the late U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.

Ryan came to Mr. Jefferson’s University in 2018 and has succeeded in raising $4 billion three years ahead of schedule for its “Honor the Future” capital campaign, which has a goal of raising $5 billion by 2025. In March, U.Va.’s board of visitors voted unanimously to extend his employment agreement to 2028.

Ryan launched the 2030 Plan, a strategic plan advancing the goal of making U.Va. both “great and good,” and has made significant progress in implementing it. After recruiting a new executive team, he has been instrumental in launching new schools and programs, including the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the School of Data Science.

An avid runner who opens his morning jogs to students, faculty and staff, Ryan serves on the board of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation and is an adviser for Harvard spinoff tech company BrainCo Inc. and the Progressive Education Institute.