James Edward Ryan was born on September 21, 1966. He is an American law expert. From August 1, 2018, to July 11, 2025, he worked as the 9th president of the University of Virginia. From 2013 to 2018, he worked as the 11th dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Early life and education

Ryan grew up in Midland Park, New Jersey, and attended local public schools. He graduated from Yale University and the University of Virginia Law School, where he was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.

Career

Ryan worked as a clerk for Chief Judge J. Clifford Wallace of the 9th Circuit and later for Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He taught as a Matheson and Morgenthau distinguished professor of law and a Weber research professor of civil liberties and human rights at the University of Virginia School of Law. He later became dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2013 to 2018.

On September 15, 2017, the University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted unanimously to select Ryan as the next president of the University of Virginia. He began his presidency on August 1, 2018.

On October 19, 2018, Ryan announced that in-state undergraduate students from families earning less than $30,000 would receive full scholarships, and those earning less than $80,000 would receive full tuition.

In June 2025, The New York Times reported that the United States Department of Justice had asked Ryan to resign as part of an investigation into the University of Virginia's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. On June 27, Ryan told the university's board that he would resign. On July 2, the university announced that Ryan would return as a professor after taking a leave of absence. His final day as president was scheduled for July 11.

Personal life

Ryan lives with his family in Charlottesville, Virginia. Before becoming the president of UVA, Ryan lived in Lincoln, Massachusetts, with his wife, four children, and several animals, such as two cats, two dogs, and nine chickens.

Publication

Ryan wrote the book Wait, What?: And Life's Other Essential Questions, as well as the book Five Miles Away, A World Apart: One City, Two Schools, and the Story of Educational Opportunity in Modern America.