UVA taps new VP Student Affairs

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

Robyn S. Hadley, the incoming vice president and chief student affairs officer — Courtesy UVA

Robyn S. Hadley, a top administrator at Washington University in St. Louis whose focus has been helping historically underrepresented students succeed, will step into the role of vice president and chief student affairs officer at UVA on June 1.

Hadley will report to both UVA President James E. Ryan (Law ’92) and Provost M. Elizabeth “Liz” Magill (Law ’95). Her wide-ranging position will include oversight of the Office of the Dean of Students, the Department of Student Health, the Office of African American Affairs and the University Career Center. She succeeds Patricia M. Lampkin (Educ ’86), who announced her retirement last year after more than four decades at UVA.

“Provost Magill and I wanted to find a chief student affairs officer dedicated to expanding access, holistic student development, and creating citizen-leaders, and Robyn has a history of success in all of those areas and a background that allows her to build powerful connections,” Ryan said in a news release.

A first-generation college student from a small North Carolina town, Hadley was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and played varsity basketball for two years. She later studied political science as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.

Hadley led a successful business career before returning home and launching a program within the rural and mostly low-income area to raise awareness among students about college and career opportunities. President Barack Obama recognized her as a Champion of Change in 2012.

In 2014, she took the job at Washington University, where her role grew from boosting enrollment and support among historically underrepresented students to leading other student success and development initiatives. She is the university’s associate vice chancellor and dean for scholar programs.

“I’m very excited about meeting the student affairs team and others across Grounds, learning what they’re doing, and understanding how my experiences might enhance the great work that is already underway,” Hadley said in the news release.