The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors unanimously selected Scott C. Beardsley, dean of UVA’s Darden School of Business, to serve as the university’s next president, the board announced Friday. The move caps a contentious search process that unfolded amid clashes between the GOP-appointed board, the Trump administration, state legislators, and faculty and alumni critics who urged a pause until a new governor could fill board vacancies. Beardsley will assume the presidency on January 1, 2026, after a search committee vetted more than 100 nominations and recommended finalists. The board cited Beardsley’s record at Darden — enrollment growth, fundraising gains, program expansion and faculty governance stability — in announcing the choice. Governor Glenn Youngkin’s appointees pushed the timeline forward despite calls from Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger and others to delay the vote. An accompanying opinion piece urged campus leaders and stakeholders to accept the result and shield UVA from partisan attacks, framing Beardsley as a pragmatic steward rather than a political actor. But faculty skepticism, a divided governing board, and the incoming Democratic governor’s authority to appoint replacements mean the new president faces a fraught start. The selection will shape UVA’s relationship with state government, federal regulators, and campus constituencies during a period of heightened scrutiny over diversity initiatives and institutional autonomy.