A statement by 401 concerned faculty regarding the crisis of President Ryan’s forced resignation

Editor’s Note: This letter was sent via email to Rector Rachel Sheridan and Vice-Rector Porter Wilkinson of the Board of Visitors before it was published as a guest piece in The Cavalier Daily. There are approximately 400 University-affiliated signatories. 

On Friday, June 27, 2025, President James E. Ryan tendered his resignation as ninth president of the University of Virginia to the Board of Visitors. He did so under extraordinary and unprecedented pressure, including federal government threats to cut off all federal funds if he did not comply.

This situation has created a crisis of trust, confidence, and legitimacy across the UVa community. This crisis is the central issue to which the Board must respond through its words and actions in coming weeks and months.

At this moment, the status of President Ryan’s resignation remains uncertain because the Board has not met since early June and has provided no clear explanation of what happened. Nevertheless, Jennifer J. Wagner Davis, who served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer starting November 2018, has stepped into the role of Acting President pending appointment of an Interim President to serve until a search for a new president has been concluded.

We call on the Board to collaborate closely with faculty in appointing an Interim President to guide the university through this perilous time. An Interim President should be someone from the UVa community with deep institutional experience and a sterling scholarly reputation who can understand the full gravity of the challenges we face as an institution of higher learning.

We further call on the Board and an Interim President to provide a full, clear, and credible account of the circumstances leading to President Ryan’s forced resignation, including but not limited to: (1) the substance and timeline of deliberations that led to President Ryan’s decision to resign and the Board’s response to that decision; (2) the manner and sufficiency of the University’s response to Department of Justice demands; and (3) a recounting of all direct and indirect contacts between members of the Board of Visitors and officials at the Department of Justice and other outside bodies leading up to and following President Ryan’s resignation. The Board should appoint an independent body to conduct this investigation, including faculty chosen by the Faculty Senate. This is a crucial first step to reestablishing the trust and confidence that must be the basis for all subsequent actions. We do not believe a search for a new president can proceed without such an accounting.

When the Board does launch a search for a new president, the process must be open, transparent, and collaborative. As with previous presidential searches, faculty, students, alumni, and staff must be well represented on the committee if the outcome is to be legitimate. Given the gravity of the situation and the enormity of the stakes, which involve academic freedom, institutional governance, and the autonomy of the Commonwealth’s institutions of higher learning, anything short of transparency, goodwill, and a fundamental commitment to UVa’s independence will only deepen the crisis this turn of events has provoked and further harm the University’s reputation.

With all those who over two centuries have devoted their lives to making UVa one of the premier public universities in the country and one of the treasures of U.S. history, we commit ourselves to a robust defense of UVa and its mission to profess “the illimitable freedom” of the mind.

The signatories of this letter are listed below and number approximately 400. They can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

The opinions expressed in this guest letter are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. The letter represents the views of the signatories alone.

Tarek Abbas, School of Medicine

Roger Abounader, School of Medicine

Kimberly Acquaviva, School of Nursing

Gabrielle Adams, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Nate Adams, College of Arts and Sciences

Pia Adler, Center for American English Language and Culture

Jane Alison, College of Arts and Sciences

Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne, College of Arts and Sciences

David Auble, School of Medicine

Reid Bailey, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Spencer Bakich, Miller Center of Public Affairs

Lawrie Balfour, College of Arts and Sciences

Brian Balogh, College of Arts and Sciences

Julie Bargmann, School of Architecture

N. Scott Barker, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Shannon Barker, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Adam Barnes, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Elizabeth Barnes, College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Barolsky, College of Arts and Sciences

Ruth Barolsky, College of Arts and Sciences

Eugene Barrett, School of Medicine

Paula Barrett, School of Medicine

Charles Barzun, School of Law

Douglas Bayliss, School of Medicine

Sefan Bekiranov, School of Medicine

Peter Berg, School of Medicine

Ila Berman, School of Architecture

Anja Bielinsky, School of Medicine

Asher Biemann, College of Arts and Sciences

Colin Bird, College of Arts and Sciences

Ari Blatt, College of Arts and Sciences

Julia Blodgett, School of Education and Human Development

Aaron Bloomfield, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Aniko Bodroghkozy, College of Arts and Sciences

C.L. Bohannon, School of Architecture 

Steven Boker, College of Arts and Sciences

Matthew Bolton, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Trey Boone, College of Arts and Sciences

Alison Booth, College of Arts and Sciences

Larry Bouchard, College of Arts and Sciences

Dawn Bourne, School of Nursing

Josh Bowers, School of Law

Erik Braun, College of Arts and Sciences

Herbert Braun, College of Arts and Sciences

Anna Brickhouse, College of Arts and Sciences

Butch Brodie, College of Arts and Sciences

Jazmin Brown-Iannuzzi, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Emily Burrill, College of Arts and Sciences

John Bushweller, School of Medicine 

Francesca Calamita, College of Arts and Sciences

Ross Cameron, College of Arts and Sciences

John Campbell, College of Arts and Sciences

Bradley Cantrell, School of Architecture

Lauren Cantrell, School of Architecture

James Cargile, College of Arts and Sciences

Christopher Carter, College of Arts and Sciences

Tyler Carter, College of Arts and Sciences

James Casanova, School of Medicine

John Castle, School of Medicine

Margaret Cavenagh, School of Architecture

Steph Ceraso, College of Arts and Sciences

Sumita Chakraborty, College of Arts and Sciences

Mrinalini Chakravorty, College of Arts and Sciences

Chris Chang-Bacon, School of Education and Human Development

Robert Chapel, College of Arts and Sciences

Griffith Chaussee, College of Arts and Sciences

Harsha Chelliah, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Jack Chen, College of Arts and Sciences

Jodie Childers, College of Arts and Sciences

Danielle Citron, School of Law

Erin Clabaugh, College of Arts and Sciences

Anna Clay, College of Arts and Sciences

Jenny Clay, College of Arts and Sciences 

Gerald Clore, College of Arts and Sciences

James Coan, College of Arts and Sciences

George Cohen, School of Law

Linda Columbus, School of Medicine 

Chris Colvin, College of Arts and Sciences 

John Comazzi, School of Architecture

Anthony Corbeill, College of Arts and Sciences

Robert Cox, College of Arts and Sciences

Janay Crabtree, College of Arts and Sciences

Sheila Crane, School of Architecture

Frederick Damon, College of Arts and Sciences

Brian Davis, School of Architecture 

Timothy Davis, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

John D'earth, College of Arts and Sciences

Douglas DeSimone, School of Medicine

Daniel Devereux, College of Arts and Sciences

Christa Dierksheide, College of Art and Sciences

Dudley Doane, International Studies Office

Chad Dodson, College of Arts and Sciences

Carrie Douglass, College of Arts and Sciences

Rita Dove, College of Arts and Sciences

Kandioura Drame, College of Arts and Sciences

Robin Dripps, School of Architecture

Keith Driver, College of Arts and Sciences

Kateri DuBay, School of Medicine

Frank Dukes, School of Architecture

John Echeverri-Gent, College of Arts and Sciences

David Eddy Spicer, School of Education and Human Development

Mark Edmundson, School of Arts and Sciences 

Edward Egelman, School of Medicine

Daniel Ehnbom, College of Arts and Sciences 

Elizabeth Ellcessor, College of Arts and Sciences

Daniel Engel, School of Medicine

Howard Epstein, College of Arts and Sciences

Maria Esparza Rodriguez, College of Arts and Sciences

Sarah Ewald, School of Medicine 

Charles Farber, School of Medicine

Robert Fatton, College of Arts and Sciences

Anne Fernando, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Corinne Field, College of Arts and Sciences 

Francesca Fiorani, College of Arts and Sciences

Joshua Fischman, School of Law

Nichole Flores, College of Arts and Sciences

Tatiana Flores, College of Arts and Sciences

Douglas Fordham, College of Arts and Sciences

Joe Fore, School of Law 

Susan Fraiman, College of Arts and Sciences

Alicia Frantz, College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Freedman, College of Arts and Sciences

Sherwood Frey, Darden School of Business

Peter Furia, College of Arts and Sciences

Kevin Gaines, College of Arts and Sciences

James Galloway, School of Medicine 

Lu Gan, School of Medicine 

Mariano Garcia-Blanco, School of Medicine 

Lara Gastinger, School of Architecture 

Jennifer Geddes, College of Arts and Sciences

Rachel Geer, College of Arts and Sciences

Amanda Gibson, College of Arts and Sciences

David Gies, School of Law 

Daniel Gingerich, College of Arts and Sciences

Lawrence Goedde, Fralin Museum of Art

Greg Goering, College of Arts and Sciences

Lisa Goff, College of Arts and Sciences

Bonnie Gordon, College of Arts and Sciences

Esperanza Gorriz, College of Arts and Sciences

Ian Grandison, College of Arts and Sciences

Cristina Griffin, College of Arts and Sciences

Don Griffin, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Paul Groner, College of Arts and Sciences

Jeffrey Grossman, College of Arts and Sciences

Young Hahn, School of Medicine 

Grace Hale, College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Halliday, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Law

Adrian Halme, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine 

Martien Halvorson-Taylor, College of Arts and Sciences

Jack Hamilton, College of Arts and Sciences

Marie Louise Hammarskjold, School of Medicine 

Richard Handler, College of Arts and Sciences

Andrew Hayashi, School of Law

Gregory Hayes, College of Arts and Sciences

Matthew Hedstrom, College of Arts and Sciences

Natasha Heller, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah Hellman, School of Law

Eric Hendrickson, School of Medicine 

James Henry, College of Arts and Sciences

Ira Herbst, College of Arts and Sciences

Janet Herman, College of Arts and Sciences

Nizar Hermes, College of Arts and Sciences

Scott Heysell, School of Medicine 

Jay Hirsh, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine 

Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton, College of Arts and Sciences

John Holbein, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Paige Honsby, College of Arts and Sciences

Janet Horne, College of Arts and Sciences

James Howe, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Robert Hueckstedt, College of Arts and Sciences

Amy Hunsaker, UVA Library

Noelle Hurd, College of Arts and Sciences

Ashley Hurst, School of Nursing 

Cathy Hwang, School of Law

Patrick Jackson, School of Medicine 

Sebastian Jackson, College of Arts and Sciences

Karen James, College of Arts and Sciences

Kevin James, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Caroline Janney, College of Arts and Sciences

Ashley Jardina, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Vikram Jaswal, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah Johnson, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Paul Jones, College of Arts and Sciences

Scott Jones, School of Medicine 

Andrew Kahrl, College of Arts and Sciences

Nitya Kallivayalil, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah Kang, College of Arts and Sciences

Katja Kasimatis, College of Arts and Sciences

Raymond Keller, College of Arts and Sciences

Mona Khafif, School of Architecture 

Clare Kinney, College of Arts and Sciences

Michelle Kisliuk, College of Arts and Sciences

George Klosko, College of Arts and Sciences

Thomas Klubock, College of Arts and Sciences

Kimberly Krawiec, School of Law

Christopher Krentz, College of Arts and Sciences

Thomas Kriete, College of Arts and Sciences

Cheryl Krueger, College of Arts and Sciences

Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner, College of Arts and Sciences

Mary Kuhn, College of Arts and Sciences

Krishan Kumar, College of Arts and Sciences

Kyrill Kunakhovich, College of Arts and Sciences

James La Fleur, College of Arts and Sciences

Nicholas Landry, College of Arts and Sciences

Harold Langsam, College of Arts and Sciences

Nana Last, School of Architecture 

Kathryn Laughon, School of Nursing 

Gordon Laurie, School of Medicine

David Law, School of Law 

Jennifer Lawless, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah Lawrence, College of Arts and Sciences

John Lazo, School of Medicine

Chinh Le, School of Law

Melvyn Leffler, College of Arts and Sciences

Phyllis Leffler, College of Arts and Sciences

Daniel Lefkowitz, College of Arts and Sciences

Michael Lenox, Darden School of Business

Manuel Lerdau, School of Medicine

Ilya Levental, School of Medicine

Melissa Levy, School of Education and Human Development

Gwendolyn Lewis, College of Arts and Sciences

Erik Linstrum, College of Arts and Sciences

Xiaorong Liu, College of Arts and Sciences

Antonia LoLordo, College of Arts and Sciences

Garrick Louis, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Claire Lyu, College of Arts and Sciences

Yi-Hsuan Ma, College of Arts and Sciences

Amber Mackey, College of Arts and Sciences

Christine Mahoney, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Richard Mailman, School of Medicine

Ekaterina Makarova, College of Art and Sciences

Aron Marie, College of Arts and Sciences

Worthy Martin, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Ruth Mason, School of Law

Kim Brooks Mata, College of Arts and Sciences

Charles Mathewes, College of Arts and Sciences

Armin Mattes, College of Arts and Sciences

Fred Maus, College of Arts and Sciences

Cliff Maxwell, College of Arts and Sciences

Jerome McGann, College of Arts and Sciences

Karen McGlathery, EngagedUVA

Deborah McGrady, College of Arts and Sciences

Mary McKinley, College of Art and Sciences

Susan McKinnon, College of Arts and Sciences

Molly McShane, School of Law

Anne Meng, College of Arts and Sciences

Carol Mershon, College of Arts and Sciences

Peter Metcalf, College of Arts and Sciences

Doug Meyer, College of Arts and Sciences

Elizaeth Meyer, School of Architecture

Erik Midelfort, College of Arts and Sciences

Sid Milkis, College of Arts and Sciences

Clint Miller, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Sarah Milov, College of Arts and Sciences

Andrew Mondschein, School of Architecture

Kelly Moore, College of Arts and Sciences

Briana Morrison, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Suzanne Morse Moomaw, School of Architecture

Alexander Motchoulski, College of Arts and Sciences

K. Sara Myers, College of Arts and Sciences

Mohan Nadkarni, School of Medicine

Kristen Naegle, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Eric Nagy, College of Arts and Sciences

Shankar Nair, College of Arts and Sciences

Kathryn Neeley, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Laura Newman, School of Medicine

Peter Norton, College of Arts and Sciences

Brian Nosek, School of Medicine

Paulina Ochoa Espejo, College of Arts and Sciences

Peter Ochs, College of Arts and Sciences

Vanessa Ochs, College of Arts and Sciences

Amy Ogden, College of Arts and Sciences

Peter Onuf, College of Arts and Sciences

Kelly Orians, School of Law

Walter Ott, College of Arts and Sciences

Gary Owens, School of Medicine

Brian Owensby, College of Arts and Sciences

Ricardo Padron, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah Parker, College of Arts and Sciences

John Parker, College of Arts and Sciences

Karen Parshall, College of Arts and Sciences

Brad Pasanek, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Lisa Peterson, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Leonid Petrov, College of Arts and Sciences

Andrei Petrovic, College of Arts and Sciences

Olivier Pfister, College of Arts and Sciences

Amanda Phillips, College of Arts and Sciences

Spencer Phillips, College of Arts and Sciences

Lucia Phinney, School of Architecture

Stephen Plog, College of Arts and Sciences

Simone Polillo, College of Arts and Sciences

Rebecca Pompano, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Rachel Potter, College of Arts and Sciences

Dennis Proffitt, College of Arts and Sciences

Ling Qi, School of Medicine

Jahan Ramazani, College of Arts and Sciences

Erik Ramirez-Weaver, College of Arts and Sciences

Lisa Reilly, School of Architecture

David Rekosh, School of Medicine

Paul Reynolds, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Stephen Rich, School of Medicine

Richard Ridge, School of Nursing

Jeana Ripple, School of Architecture

Albert Rivero, College of Arts and Sciences

Deborah Roach, College of Arts and Sciences

Kimberly Robinson, School of Law

Caroline Rody, College of Arts and Sciences

Charlotte Rogers, College of Arts and Sciences

Gillet Rosenblith, College of Arts and Sciences

Claire Ross, Retired Faculty Association

Marlon Ross, College of Arts and Sciences

James Rovnyak, College of Arts and Sciences

Jennifer Rubenstein, College of Arts and Sciences

Chris Ruhm, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Christine Ruotolo, UVA Library

Noah Salomon, College of Arts and Sciences

Ellen Satrom, UVA Press

Jeffrey Saucerman, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Cora Schenberg, College of Arts and Sciences

Taylor Schey, College of Arts and Sciences

Drew Schield, College of Arts and Sciences

Len Schoppa, College of Arts and Sciences

Richard Schragger, School of Law

Mark Schwartz, College of Arts and Sciences

Todd Sechser, College of Arts and Sciences

Shelby Sender, College of Arts and Sciences

Jennifer Sessions, College of Arts and Sciences

Jessica Sewell, School of Architecture

John Shepherd, College of Arts and Sciences

Lois Shepherd, School of Law

Crystal Shin, School of Law

Sandhya Shukla, College of Arts and Sciences

Karl Shuve, College of Arts and Sciences

Matthew Siebert, School of Architecture

David Singerman, College of Arts and Sciences

Kevin Skadron, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Michael C. Smith, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Michael J. Smith, College of Arts and Sciences

Mary Lou Soffa, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 

Avril Somlyo, School of Medicine.

Harald Sontheimer, School of Medicine

Brady Spencer, School of Medicine

Elias Spiliotis, School of Medicine

Janet Spittler, College of Arts and Sciences

Rebecca Stangl, College of Arts and Sciences

Katie Stranix, School of Architecture

Adriana Streifer, Center for Teaching Excellence

Kyle Sturgeon, School of Architecture

Michael Suarez, College of Arts and Sciences

Patricia Sullivan, College of Arts and Sciences

Ann Sutherland, School of Medicine

Lean Sweeney, College of Arts and Sciences

Uday Tak, School of Medicine

Lukas Tamm, School of Medicine

Bethany Teachman, College of Arts and Sciences

Brian Teare, College of Arts and Sciences

Judith Thomas, UVA Library

Dominique Tobbell, School of Nursing

Herbert Tucker, College of Arts and Sciences

Siva Vaidhyanathan, College of Arts and Sciences

Karen Van Lengen, School of Architecture

Rip Verkerke, School of Law

Melissa Vise, College of Arts and Sciences

Penny Von Eschen, College of Arts and Sciences

Holly Vradenburgh, College of Arts and Sciences

Rachel Wahl, School of Education and Human Development

Peter Waldman, School of Architecture

David Waldner, College of Arts and Sciences

Cynthia Wall, College of Arts and Sciences

Denise Walsh, College of Arts and Sciences

Gerald Warburg, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Alfred Weaver, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Tyler Weaver, School of Medicine

Gweneth West, College of Arts and Sciences

Emily Wettstein, School of Architecture

Lindsay Wheeler, Center for Teaching Excellence

Judith White, School of Medicine

Stephen White, College of Arts and Sciences

Jarred Whitlock, School of Medicine

Patricia Wiberg, School of Medicine

Henry Wilbur, College of Arts and Sciences

Bruce Williams, College of Arts and Sciences

D. David Williams, College of Arts and Sciences

Richard Wilson, School of Architecture

Timothy Wilson, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

Nicholas Winter, College of Arts and Sciences

Elizabeth Wittner, Center for American English Language & Culture

Dorothy Wong, College of Arts and Sciences

Adrienne Wood, College of Arts and Sciences

Katelyn Wood, College of Arts and Sciences

Mike Wormington, College of Arts and Sciences

Bradford Worrall, School of Medicine

Caitlyn Wylie, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

William Wylie, College of Arts and Sciences

Joshua Wythe, School of Medicine

Jie Yang, School of Medicine

Chan Choo Yap, School of Medicine

Chongzhi Zang, College of Arts and Sciences

Cong (Ellen) Zhang, College of Arts and Sciences

Jochen Zimmer, School of Medicine

Hui Zong, School of Medicine