Inside UVA

A rare “Triple Hoo,” Robert Hardie earned his B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1987, followed by an M.B.A. in 1995 and a Ph. D. in Management in 1999 from UVA’s Darden School of Business. As he prepares to conclude his term as rector on July 1, 2025, he joins us to reflect on his time at UVA — as a student, a board member, and rector.

Students in the class of 2025, Desiree Ho and Karly Scholz spent the last four years at UVA becoming stronger advocates for democracy. The two join us today to discuss how they have sought to make the most of their time at the university, their work with the Karsh Institute of Democracy, and their plans for the future.

Melissa Stark has worked in broadcasting for over 25 years and is the sideline reporter for Sunday Night Football. Working as a reporter, journalist, and correspondent, Melissa has covered sporting events ranging from football to the Olympic Games. She joins us today to discuss her work, and how she was able to build a career as a woman in sports broadcasting.

Meg Jay, PhD, is a developmental clinical psychologist who specializes in twentysomethings. She is the author of multiple books including The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age, and The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter. She joins us today to discuss her work, her own early adulthood, and how we can better understand this pivotal age.

Since 2001, Gregory Fairchild has taught strategic management, entrepreneurship, and ethics in Darden's MBA and Executive Education programs. He has received several awards for teaching excellence at the Darden School and serves as the Dean and CEO of UVA Northern Virginia. He joins us today to talk about his leadership in expanding UVA's presence in Northern Virginia and to celebrate the grand op...

Amor Towles is a celebrated novelist, known for  Rules of Civility ,  A Gentleman in Moscow , and  The Lincoln Highway . His latest work,  Table for Two , is a collection of short stories and a novella. Amor's journey from studying literature at Yale and Stanford to two decades in finance to becoming a best-selling author illustrates, among other things, the lifelong pursuit of learning and creati...

Will Shortz is the editor of the New York Times Crossword and NPR's Puzzle Master. He sold his first puzzle at the age of 14, earned a degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles, and later came to UVA to study law. Will Shortz has served as the editor of the New York Times crossword and NPR's Puzzle Master for over 30 years, and has become a prolific name in the world of puzzles.

Ben Allen is the executive director of the UVA Equity Center. A Charlottesville native, a quadruple Hoo, a former teacher and assistant principal, a former officer in the Army National Guard, and a current member of the Army Reserves, Ben's story is deeply connected to both the Charlottesville community and the university. In his role at the Equity Center, he's working to bridge the gap between UV...

Dr. Rachel Wahl is an associate professor in UVA’s School of Education and Human Development, where she focuses on fostering meaningful dialogue across political and social divides. As part of the Social Foundations Program in the Department of Leadership, Foundations, and Policy, and director of the Good Life Political Project at the Karsh Institute of Democracy, Rachel engages students in constr...

UVA Alum Chris Long was a star player on the UVA football team, earning all American honors and serving as captain. He went on to the NFL, where he played for 11 years on three teams, and won back to back Super Bowl championships for two different teams. Chris was recognized in 2018 as a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and his jersey number 91 has retired from the Virginia Cavaliers football pro...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Lillian Rojas, the now-graduated Student Member of UVA's Board of Visitors. Lillian recently received her BA in Public Policy at the Batten School, served for 3 years on the Student Council, and mentored students in the Latino Peer Mentor Program.  In this episode, they discuss her path to UVA, balancing leadership and schoolwork, and the responsibility tha...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Kenyon Bonner, UVA's Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer. Bonner joined UVA this January after nearly two decades in Student Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, including most recently as the Vice Provost for Student Affairs. They discuss his path to Student Affairs, the lessons he's learned in working closely with students over the decade...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dean Risa Goluboff, the twelfth and first female Dean of the University of Virginia School of Law. Dean Goluboff is a renowned legal historian whose scholarship focuses on the historical development of American constitutional and civil rights law; she's been teaching at UVA for more than twenty years, with additional faculty appointments at the Carter G. Wo...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dr. Wendy Horton, the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Virginia Medical Center. Dr. Horton stewarded UVA's response to the coronavirus pandemic, helped craft the Health System's 10-year Strategic Plan, and has been named to Modern Healthcare's list of top 25 women leaders in health care. In this episode, they discuss the difficult work of coordi...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Alexandra Walsh, a UVA swimmer who has broken NCAA, American, and US Open records; she also won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 200m individual medley. They discuss Alex's upbringing, her daily routine on the UVA swimming team, and what's next in her career: from the NCAA Swimming Championship to professional athletics and beyond.

This week, President Ryan sits down with Carolyn Cullen, UVA HR's Director of Talent Management. She oversees workforce and succession planning, professional development, and career navigation--and she also leads the UVA Cornerstone Program , a leadership development program that brings together employees from UVA's many departments to build relationships, develop careers, and solve complex proble...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Professor William Wylie, an internationally-renowned photographer whose work can be found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and more. They discuss his early passion for rock climbing, his path through academia, and the unique nature of photography as an art form--especia...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Danielle Citron, a legal scholar, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and expert in privacy law. Among other things, she's the Jefferson Scholars Foundation Schenck Distinguished Professor at the UVA's School of Law, director of UVA Law Tech Center, and vice president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative. They discuss Professor Citron's work in the space of pro...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dr. John Lukens, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at UVA. Dr. Lukens is an expert in neuroimmunology--his lab explores the immune pathways responsible for inflammation in the brain. The more we understand how these pathways work, the more we can target them with drugs and treatment regimens, potentially combatting neurological disorders earlier and more...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Andres Pedroso, UVA's Director of Tennis and Head Men's Tennis Coach. Coach Pedroso is a former pro tennis player, two-time National Tennis Coach of the Year and three time ACC Coach of the Year--and he led UVA's Tennis team to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. They discuss his early dedication to the sport, the rigors of the professional athletics, and...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dean Cedric Rucker, veteran of Admissions and Student Affairs at both UVA and the University of Mary Washington. Dean Rucker describes his early life under segregation in Virginia, his time as the first Black male student on campus housing at Mary Washington, and his 40-year career in Admissions and Student Affairs, first recruiting students and then buildi...

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dr. Bruce Greyson, a Professor of Psychiatric Medicine and former Director of UVA's Division of Perceptual Studies. Dr. Greyson is an expert on near-death experiences--the unusual experiences reported by patients who come close to death or are pronounced dead, which include enhanced thinking, strong emotions, paranormal experiences, and visions of another r...

Welcome to another season of Inside UVA! This week, President Ryan sits down with Malcolm Brogdon--an NBA player for the Portland Trail Blazers, Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association, an activist and philanthropist, as well as a Double Hoo. Malcolm discusses his time playing for UVA Basketball under Tony Bennett, his decision to finish his Master's before joining the NBA, l...

Tim Longo has been UVA's Chief of Police and Associate Vice President for Safety and Security since 2019, and he served as Charlottesville's police chief for fifteen years before that. In this episode, he and President Ryan discuss his long history in law enforcement, his duty to UVA students and parents, and what he thinks police need to do to rebuild trust in local communities. They also discuss...

Madison Morey is the libero and team captain for UVA Women's Volleyball. In this episode, she discusses her rise to the role of captain, the importance of discipline and communication in the student-athlete life, and her growth-focused mindset for dealing with failure and overcoming adversity.