James Edward Ryan (born September 21, 1966) is an American legal scholar, serving as the 9th president of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

from August 1, 2018, to July 11, 2025. He served as the 11th dean of the

Harvard Graduate School of Education The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) is the education school of Harvard University, a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1920, it was the first school to grant the EdD degree and the first ...

from 2013 to 2018.

Early life and education

Ryan was raised in

Midland Park, New Jersey Midland Park is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,014, a decrease of 114 (−1.6%) from the 2010 census count of 7,128, which in turn reflected an ...

, attending local public schools. He graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and the

University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...

, where he was a member of

Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is an American collegiate honor society that recognizes leadership and scholarship. It was founded in 1914, at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and has chartered more t ...

Career

Ryan clerked for chief judge of the 9th Circuit J. Clifford Wallace and then Chief Justice

William Rehnquist William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1, 1924 – September 3, 2005) was an American attorney who served as the 16th chief justice of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2005, having previously been an associate justice from 1972 to 1986. ...

. He served as Matheson and Morgenthau distinguished professor of law and Weber research professor of civil liberties and human rights at the

, before taking the role of dean of the

from 2013 to 2018.

University of Virginia

On September 15, 2017, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors unanimously voted Ryan as the next president of the University of Virginia. On August 1, 2018, he assumed the 9th presidency of the university. On October 19, 2018, Ryan announced full scholarships for in-state undergraduates from families earning under $30,000, and full tuition for those earning under $80,000. In June 2025, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reported that the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...

had pressured Ryan to resign as part of resolving a civil rights probe into UVA's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. On June 27, Ryan informed the university's board that he would resign. On July 2, the university announced that Ryan would return as a professor following a

sabbatical A sabbatical (from the Hebrew: (i.e., Sabbath); in Latin ; Greek: ) is a rest or break from work; "an extended period of time intentionally spent on something that’s not your routine job." The concept of the sabbatical is based on the Bi ...

. His last day as the university president was set as July 11.

Personal life

Ryan lives with his family in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...

. Prior to accepting the UVA presidency, Ryan lived in

Lincoln, Massachusetts Lincoln is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,014 according to the 2020 United States census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base who live within town limits. The town, located in the MetroWe ...

, with his wife, four children, and various animals including two cats, two dogs, and nine chickens.

Publication

Ryan authored the book of ''Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions'', as well as the book of ''Five Miles Away, A World Apart: One City, Two Schools, and the Story of Educational Opportunity in Modern America''.

References

External links

Harvard Graduate School of Education biography

University of Virginia biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, James Edward 1966 births Living people 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers Harvard University faculty Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States People from Midland Park, New Jersey Presidents of the University of Virginia University of Virginia School of Law alumni University of Virginia School of Law faculty