August 23, 2023 •By Virginia Carter, vcc5d@virginia.edu

News in Brief: New Dean Named for Office of African-American Affairs

A UVA alumnus will return to Grounds to teach and to oversee the office where, as an undergraduate, he served as a Peer Advisor.

A 2004 alumnus of the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce has been named the new dean of the Office of African-American Affairs.

Darren D. Kelly will join the University on Oct. 2. He is currently an associate vice president at the University of Texas at Austin, where he oversees a 67-member team in the Division of Diversity and Community.

ā€œDarren will bring a unique combination of skills and experience to our division and the broader University,ā€ said Dr. Christopher Holstege, interim vice president and chief student affairs officer. ā€œHe has distinguished himself as a teacher, scholar, administrator and mentor.ā€

As a UVA undergraduate student, Kelly served as an OAAA Peer Advisor for three years while also participating in the Black Student Alliance and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and serving as a Class of 2004 Fourth-Year Trustee. He later earned his master’s and doctorate degrees from UT Austin.

ā€œI’m excited to be returning to UVA and Charlottesville,ā€ Kelly said. ā€œI cherish the opportunity to continue the outstanding work of OAAA, a unit that meant so much to me as a student. My family and I are grateful for this opportunity.ā€