Announcing UVA's Next Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer

Dear UVA Community,

We are thrilled to announce that Robyn Hadley, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of the Office of Scholar Programs at Washington University in St. Louis, will assume the role of Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer at UVA on June 1, 2021. Robyn will lead the team of more than 200 student affairs professionals and her portfolio will include the Office of the Dean of Students, Student Health & Wellness, the Office of African-American Affairs, and the University Career Center, as well as student-led organizations at UVA. 

An outstanding scholar-athlete and first-generation college student, Robyn is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar and a walk-on to the basketball team. She was named a Rhodes Scholar and continued her studies in political science at Oxford University. Her distinguished and entrepreneurial professional career includes leadership roles in the private sector, K-12 education, and higher education, and she is widely recognized as a champion for student access and equity in higher education. 

Robyn was recruited by WashU in 2013 to lead the John B. Ervin Scholars Program and University-wide initiatives to increase enrollment and support of historically underrepresented students, resulting in greater socioeconomic and racial diversity among the student body. Her portfolio now includes WashU’s merit scholar programs, disability resources, and recruitment and support for first-generation and low-income students. Robyn led and implemented a variety of innovative programs designed to help all students thrive both in and out of the classroom. 

Prior to her years at WashU, Robyn served the Alamance-Burlington School System in Burlington, North Carolina, where she founded the “What’s After High School?” Program, designed to increase awareness about college and career options for K-12 schools, students, and families. The author of Within View, Within Reach: Navigating The College Bound Journey—a guide for adults and parents assisting teenagers in the college exploration and application process—she also founded “The YESICAN Program,” a non-denominational, faith-based college access program for students in grades 3 through college and their families. 

Robyn began her career in business at JAMNC, a family-owned import/export management company based in Virginia, where she rose to the leadership role of President and COO and where she gained broad experience in management, marketing and sales, government relations, and business development. 

For her work with students and families, Robyn was named a “Champion of Change” by the White House and the U.S. Department of Education; “Woman of the Year” by the Burlington, NC Rotary Club; and a Magna award winner by The American School Board Journal and the National School Boards Association. She has also earned a Chancellor’s Medallion Award from Fayetteville State University; a W.E.B. DuBois Staff Mentor Award from WashU; and a Meritorious Service Award from the Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

The Search Committee, chaired by Margot Rogers, was unanimous in its support for Robyn, and we are grateful for their hard work to identify and recruit a successor to Pat Lampkin, who retired this month after more than 20 years in the role. We look forward to introducing Robyn to our student affairs division this week and to the larger community in the near future. 

Best,

Jim Ryan, President
Liz Magill, Provost