UVA Darden Professor Greg Fairchild to Lead University’s Growth in Northern Virginia

By Brian Coy

Today the University of Virginia opened a new chapter in its strategic expansion in one of the most dynamic regions in the country.

UVA | NOVA will be UVA’s campus in Northern Virginia, beginning with a site in the Rosslyn neighborhood of North Arlington and ultimately expanding to other sites in the region. The campus will build upon, and bring together, existing programs and serve as a platform for significantly expanding offerings – including in-person, online and hybrid instruction – targeting those who are interested in advancing in their careers.

“UVA | NOVA will be the center point of our efforts to better serve the commonwealth by bringing new academic programming and research to Northern Virginia,” UVA President Jim Ryan said. “This initiative will allow us to build on the strong foundation we have in Northern Virginia and to better meet the needs and interests of people who live and work in the region. We hope to help serve those in Northern Virginia who are looking to gain additional skills that will help further their careers.”

UVA Darden School of Business Professor Greg Fairchild, the inaugural dean and CEO of UVA | NOVA, will lead UVA’s growing presence in Northern Virginia. Fairchild is currently the Isidore Horween Research Professor of Business Administration at UVA’s Darden School of Business. He has received a number of awards for teaching excellence at the Darden School and was named in 2018 as Poets & Quants MBA Professor of the Year. He also played a central role in the Darden School of Business’ recent strategic expansion in Northern Virginia.

“Northern Virginia is an important economic, technological and academic hub for our commonwealth and our country,” Fairchild said. “I am thrilled to have this opportunity to build on the strong commitment the University has made in the region and to work with our partners to expand our academic offerings, research operations and the physical spaces from which we will launch that important work.”

In the near term, the UVA | NOVA initiative will include expanded course offerings in several schools, including the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Education and Human Development, the Darden School of Business, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and the School of Data Science. UVA will also offer a new degree beginning in the fall of 2022: a part-time MBA program in the Darden School.

The launch of UVA | NOVA is just the beginning of the University’s plans for growth in the region. Fairchild and University leaders are already developing new academic offerings in the area. UVA|NOVA will also be a “Grounds away from Grounds” for local students, alumni and community members to gather with each other and University leaders through meetings, conferences and other events.

“UVA’s growing presence in Northern Virginia is a big opportunity for several University schools and programs to expand the reach of our academic programming and research, and to serve more students along the way,” Robert C. Pianta, dean of the UVA School of Education and Human Development, said. “We are particularly excited that this opportunity will support our efforts to engage professionals in the education and health sectors. I am thrilled by the progress the University is making in the region and eager to see what comes next under Greg Fairchild’s leadership.”

University Provost Liz Magill added, “The UVA | NOVA campus will allow this University to take the next step forward as a leader in one of the most important economic regions in the nation. I look forward to working with Greg Fairchild, our school deans and our many partners in the region on this major initiative to offer people in the Washington, D.C., area more opportunities to learn and advance their careers through the University of Virginia.”

This story originally appeared in UVA Today.