The Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia has selected Paul G. Mahoney to serve as interim president of UVA.
Mahoney is a David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor and served as dean of the School of Law from 2008-2016. He will assume the role of interim president Aug. 11.
In selecting the interim president, the board sought input from across the UVA community by establishing a website for nominations and hosting listening sessions with faculty, students, alumni and more. Several themes emerged from these meetings, including the importance of identifying an interim president with an established track record as a leader or former leader within UVA, strong academic credentials, and the ability to forge connections and build trust across a wide array of stakeholders.
“In the spirit of UVA’s shared governance model, we took these qualities and characteristics to heart in identifying the right person to shepherd UVA forward during this time,” Rachel Sheridan, the board rector, said. “We are confident that Paul’s longstanding connection to the University as a faculty member and dean of the Law School, as well as his extensive achievements as a lawyer, professor and public servant, make him the right leader to guide this institution as the search for a 10th UVA president gets underway. The board extends our heartfelt thanks to Paul for accepting this role, as well as to J.J. Davis for the stability and leadership she provided over the past several weeks.”
Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis, the University’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, began serving as acting president after Jim Ryan’s resignation in June.
Mahoney has been a member of the Law School faculty since 1990 and held several chairs and administrative positions before taking on the role of dean. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a past member of the Investor Advisory Committee of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Prior to joining the University, Mahoney worked in private practice with the New York firm of Sullivan & Cromwell and clerked for Judge Ralph K. Winter Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court. He is married to Julia Delong Mahoney, who also is a UVA law professor.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as the interim president of the University of Virginia and to support the extraordinary students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents who make this institution great,” Mahoney said. “I thank the board for the trust they have placed in me, and for arriving at this decision in a manner consistent with the University’s core values of shared governance, academic freedom and student self-governance. As a longtime member of this community, I care deeply about UVA’s education, research and patient-care mission and look forward to continuing that important work together.”
Scott Beardsley, the dean of the Darden School of Business, added, “Paul Mahoney is a strong, thoughtful leader that I have always found collaborative, pragmatic, trustworthy and forthright as both a colleague and Darden School Foundation board member. With a keen legal mind and intellect, and as a longstanding and outstanding faculty member with extensive experience as a former dean and leader at the University, Paul is an excellent choice.”
Law School Dean Leslie Kendrick agreed Mahoney is an excellent choice.
“Paul Mahoney is a brilliant and seasoned leader who is deeply invested in the success of the University,” Kendrick said. “Paul took over as dean of the Law School in July 2008 at the start of the financial crisis. Not only did he navigate that remarkably difficult period with a calm and steady hand, but he brought the institution out on the other side stronger than ever. Across the eight years of his deanship, he worked tirelessly toward one goal: the long-term health of the institution.”
As interim president, Mahoney will have the full authority of the presidency and will focus on keeping the University running smoothly while the search for a permanent president is underway.
