University of Richmond President Emeritus Ed Ayers Appointed to State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — Edward L. Ayers, president emeritus and Tucker-Boatwright Professor of the Humanities at the University of Richmond, has been appointed by Governor Abigail Spanberger to serve on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), effective July 1. 

Ayers will fill SCHEV’s newly established seat representing Virginia’s nonprofit private colleges and serve as a dedicated representative for independent colleges and universities. A distinguished historian, Ayers served as the University of Richmond’s ninth president from 2007 to 2015. Before his time at UR, Ayers served as dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia.

"Throughout my career, I have seen the transformative power of higher education in the lives of students and in the future of our communities,” said Ayers. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with colleagues from across the Commonwealth to help advance policies that strengthen higher education, expand opportunities for students, and ensure Virginia's colleges and universities continue to serve the evolving needs of our communities."

Ayers has been named National Professor of the Year, received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama at the White House, served as president of the Organization of American Historians, and won the Bancroft Prize for distinguished writing in American history.

He also served as founding chair of the board of the American Civil War Museum and is the executive director of New American History, an online project based at the University that helps students and teachers see the nation’s history in new ways. His 12th and most recent book is American Visions: The United States, 1800-1860. Last fall, Ayers was named the 2026 Fritz and Claudine Kundrun Fellow by the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies.

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