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This is a real honor. I am deeply honored, humbled and grateful to be selected to serve as the 10th President of the University of Virginia.

I want to begin by thanking the Board of Visitors and the special committee for the confidence they have placed in me, and for the care and seriousness with which they carried out this process. I thank those who nominated me for the role. During this process, I saw firsthand how thorough and genuinely focused on UVA this work was, and I am grateful for it.

I am also grateful to the many students, faculty, staff, alumni, health care professionals and community members who shared their perspectives with the committee. Â鶹Æƽâ°æ strength has always come from the people who care so deeply about it. It is one of the many things that make this place so special.

I want to offer my sincere thanks to interim President Paul Mahoney for his leadership during this period of transition, and to President Emeritus Jim Ryan for his years of dedicated service to the University of Virginia and reappointing me twice. I am also thankful to President Emerita Terry Sullivan, who gave me the opportunity to come to UVA in the first place. I’ve learned from each of them, and I appreciate the care they have shown for this institution. I also want to thank Rector Rachel Sheridan and former Rector George Martin, who hired me initially, as well as the current and prior Board of Visitors who supported me along the way.

I also want to acknowledge Gov. Youngkin and Gov.-elect Spanberger. I admire their public service and the important role they play in UVA as a public university. I am proud Gov.-elect Spanberger is a UVA alumna, and I look forward to working with both of them, our Congressional delegation, and leaders across the commonwealth to support our students, faculty and mission.

The University of Virginia is unlike any other place. It is defined by academic excellence and a strong tradition of shared governance that places trust in faculty, students, and staff – and in the remarkable professionals who care for patients every day through our health system.

I love UVA for its ideas and research, and I believe in Â鶹Æƽâ°æ public service mission. We are a teaching and research university, committed to discovery, to rigorous scholarship and to preparing students for lives of impact.

I am a product of public school systems. I grew up in Maine and Alaska. I went to East Anchorage High School, which is the most diverse high school in America. To go to college, I needed need-based aid, and I am living proof that education can change people’s lives.

I applaud Â鶹Æƽâ°æ commitment to Access UVA and UVA Health’s commitment to saving and improving lives. My mother was a nurse and my father was a senior hospital administrator and my uncle was a preeminent neurosurgeon. I have great admiration for the incredible work of professionals in the UVA Health System.

One of the reasons I was motivated to take this job is the possibility of serving them and working closely with Dr. Mitch Rosner. Outstanding patient care is central to who we are as a university, and I take that responsibility seriously. I will begin by listening to the many stakeholders that want to be heard.

My connection to UVA is both professional and personal. My family and I have made Charlottesville our home for the last 11 years because we believe in this community and in the mission of this University. It is not just the place I work; it is where I live my life, on the Lawn in Pavilion I with my family and golden retriever Lawnie. Family members have worked for or attended eight different UVA schools. A fun fact is that we are an American, French and Belgian family and speak French at home.

Over the past decade at the Darden School of Business, I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary faculty, students and staff. That experience has shaped my understanding of what makes UVA special and what it takes to steward a great public university.

UVA is a large institution, spanning education, research, health care, athletics and public service. That diversity is a strength, and it requires leadership that builds trust and brings people together around shared goals.

I have been a student-athlete myself, both as an undergraduate and more recently while studying at Oxford, where tennis has remained an important part of my life. Athletics teaches discipline, teamwork and integrity, and I am committed to ensuring that UVA Athletics continues to demonstrate excellence, integrity, and a deep respect for the student-athletes who represent this university.

We must all acknowledge that these are high-tension times for this University and in higher education.

I want everyone to know that I stand before you as a mission-driven leader, not a politically driven leader. I want you to know that I stand before you because I love this University. I have spent my career working across party lines with governments around the world, in the United States, in the commonwealth of Virginia and here at UVA.

I believe that the best way forward is together. I take this role responsibility with the utmost seriousness and humility. This is a moment to move beyond division, to renew trust and to focus on what unites us.

I talk to a lot of people about UVA and no matter where they are from or where they fall on the political spectrum, we are all united by our love for UVA. I was reminded of this love at the Florida State football game this fall and the winning season that rallied the community.

I am committed to listening. In the weeks and months ahead, I look forward to spending time across Grounds, engaging with students, faculty, staff, and partners, and learning directly from you.

The challenges facing higher education are real, but so are the opportunities. UVA is exceptionally well-positioned to lead and to innovate, and I am as optimistic as ever about our shared future.

It is the honor of my professional life to serve this University, and I look forward to working alongside all of you as we write the next chapter of Â鶹Æƽâ°æ story together. I wish you a wonderful holiday.