The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors unanimously selected Scott C. Beardsley as the university’s next president, concluding a contentious search that intersected with state politics and federal scrutiny. The vote, taken by a GOP-majority board appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, installs the Darden School dean effective Jan. 1, 2026. Faculty, deans and alumni had urged delay until the incoming Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, could fill vacant board seats. Beardsley, a former McKinsey partner and long-serving Darden dean, inherits a polarized campus and a board whose legitimacy has been questioned by state lawmakers and the governor-elect. The selection follows James E. Ryan’s resignation earlier this year amid pressure related to diversity and equity policies and a federal settlement that divided campus opinion. University leaders and trustees framed the appointment as a bid for steady institutional management. Campus groups and the incoming governor, however, signaled skepticism and said they will monitor the transition closely — setting up an early test of Beardsley’s ability to bridge governance and political fault lines.