Photo: Sanjay Suchak
Multiple personnel searches are underway at the University of Virginia, thanks to a slew of academic and executive leadership vacancies across the institution.
In addition to the standard scrutiny of potential candidates, UVA must navigate public and political distrust in the institution following the rushed appointment of President Scott Beardsley, the departure of multiple Board of Visitors members, and an ongoing lawsuit against former medical leaders.
Six executive-level roles are currently filled by interim appointees: provost and executive vice president, dean of the McIntire School of Commerce, dean of the Darden School of Business, dean of the School of Medicine, CEO of UVA Medical Center, and chief of UVA Health Children’s.
The seniormost vacancy is the provost and executive vice president position, the chief academic officer of the university. Among other responsibilities, the provost directs UVA’s schools, libraries, art museums, and more. Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Brie Gertler stepped into the role in March 2025, when her predecessor Ian Baucom left to become president of Middlebury College.
According to Deputy Spokesperson Bethanie Glover, UVA hopes to fill the provost position this spring. Beardsley, who led the search committee before stepping down in mid-January, estimated that a new provost would be selected by March.
“In terms of process, the search committee, aided by the university’s Executive Search Group, will recommend several candidates to the president for consideration,” says Glover. “From there, the president will nominate the preferred finalist for the provost role to be elected by the UVA Board of Visitors.”
The BOV also lacks a rector and vice rector at press time, and has not set a date to select its new leadership.
“The Board of Visitors has a quorum and can meet and act if needed,” Glover says. “The Board may choose to call a special meeting to elect a rector and vice rector in the coming weeks, but we anticipate the newest members will be reviewed for confirmation by the General Assembly before that meeting occurs. There have been no interruptions in the university’s or the Board’s work.”
Glover did not provide a timeline or process for filling the McIntire or Darden deanships. Amanda Cowen has served as interim dean of McIntire since July 1, 2025. The Darden position, the newest vacancy, opened when Beardley became president January 1.
At UVA Health, leadership searches are also under way.
Mitchell Rosner filled one previously vacant role in September 2025 with his appointment as UVA Health CEO. Rosner’s predecessor, Craig Kent, and former School of Medicine Dean Melina Kibbe received a September 5, 2024, letter of no confidence signed by 128 UVA Physicians Group faculty. Neither immediately resigned, but both have since left the university.
Eric Swensen, public information officer for UVA Health, says the health center will conduct a national search for a dean, but a timetable has not yet been set.“The next step will be to engage with faculty members to get their input into the timing of the search and the search process,” says Swensen. Colin Derdeyn was appointed as interim dean in August, and began his term after a short transition period with Kibbe in September 2025.
Wendy Horton, former CEO of the medical center, was not mentioned in the September 2024 letter of no confidence, but was named in an ongoing lawsuit filed October 3, 2025. She left UVA the month prior, with Terrie Edwards stepping into the interim role on September 15, 2025.
A national search is underway for the next medical center CEO, with plans to start reviewing applications in the coming weeks. “A search for a leadership position like this typically takes six months,” Swensen says.
For the UVA Health Children’s chief, Swensen says, “we are using our established internal processes to determine next steps for permanent leadership.” Cindy Bo left the position in October 2025, with a press release citing “personal reasons.” Chief Strategy Officer Jason Lineen has been pulling double duty as the interim chief since her departure.
Beyond the senior-most roles, there are roughly 1,000 openings at UVA Health. Swensen says this is standard for an organization of its size, which employs more than 18,000 people across the University Medical Center, the University Physicians Group, the UVA School of Medicine, and UVA Community Health.
“These openings span a wide range of roles, with the largest share generally in nursing, research, and allied health, reflecting national workforce trends and evolving patient-care needs,” he says. “Staffing levels naturally fluctuate throughout the year based on patient volumes, market conditions and ongoing recruitment activity. We continuously evaluate those needs and prioritize hiring in roles that directly support patient care and operational readiness. We remain well-positioned to deliver high-quality care thanks to our dedicated teams across the health system.”
