Let’s Do The Extraordinary: How Darden’s Thought Leadership is Shaping Business and Society

The Power of Bold Ideas

What happens when the world’s toughest challenges meet the innovative spirit of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business? At Darden, bold ideas shape business and society. Faculty tackle pressing questions — How can business prioritize all stakeholders? What makes for effective ethics guardrails? Can competitors collaborate to solve big problems? — delivering insights that drive real change.

Laura Morgan Roberts

This isn’t research confined to labs or locked away in academic journals. As Laura Morgan Roberts, Frank M. Sands Associate Professor of Business Administration and an expert in leadership and organizational behavior, puts it: “People often think about research as something that happens in a lab, tucked away … and that’s not how we are engaging in thought leadership.”

Darden’s faculty members identify real-world challenges, collaborate across disciplines and translate insights into practical impact. Their work influences boardrooms, shapes policy, and prepares the next generation of leaders to think courageously and creatively.

Beyond Theory: Ideas With Impact

For business leaders like Connie Hallquist (MBA ’91), president of Garnet Hill and a member of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees, the School’s approach stands apart: “It’s not theoretical, it’s not obtuse. It’s not something that you just read in a book and have to absorb. These are practical, real-life examples of what is happening in the business world.”

Shane Dikoli

This hands-on, solutions-focused mindset defines Darden’s research ethos. As Shane Dikolli, Bank of America Professor of Business Administration and an expert in executive compensation and managerial performance evaluation, explains, “Most research starts out with a conceptual idea that’s based on something that’s been observed in practice.” Through rigorous analysis and collaborative inquiry, faculty untangle complex concepts to reveal “elegant simplicity” — solutions that work in the real world.

Collaboration at the Core

Doug Thomas

At Darden, collaboration isn’t just encouraged — it’s essential. Faculty from diverse disciplines co-teach classes, write cases together and exchange ideas in a culture of open dialogue. As Doug Thomas, Henry E. McWane Professor of Business Administration and an expert in technology and operations management, notes: “The collaboration across faculty in all disciplines is not like anything I’ve ever seen. Our offices are intermingled. We co-teach together, we write cases together and that helps build this general management mindset of the School.”

This spirit of collaboration extends beyond the classroom, as faculty engage with business leaders, policymakers and global organizations to ensure their research drives meaningful change. Carl Peoples (MBA ’94), managing director at Goldman Sachs and a member of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees, underscores the impact: “I think the Darden idea is to wrestle expertly with really difficult topics. They’ve done the work, they’ve wrestled with the problem, they’ve identified and delivered solutions in the real marketplace.”

That same mindset also defines Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning — where real-world challenges, rigorous thinking and collaborative problem solving come together to transform leaders at every level. As academic director of the Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning, Thomas helps extend this spirit of inquiry and impact far beyond the MBA classroom.

Investing in Excellence: Faculty Forward

Darden’s commitment to thought leadership is backed by bold investments in faculty excellence. Through Faculty Forward, Milestone II of the Powered by Purpose campaign, the School is securing the resources needed to attract and support the world’s brightest minds.

Darden is fundraising for several opportunities that will strengthen the School’s faculty and elevate teaching excellence. Among them, a proposed $55 million endowment fueling groundbreaking research, interdisciplinary innovations and next-generation educational content. Additionally, a $30 million investment aims to establish a Center for Transformational Learning, advancing teaching excellence and providing faculty and students with the resources they need to excel.

By supporting these initiatives, donors can help drive the future of business education, ensuring Darden remains a global leader in faculty excellence and innovative teaching.

The Next Generation of Leaders — And Ideas

Fundraising for thought leadership not only attracts the best faculty to Darden, it helps keep them here, ensuring they develop into the next generation of great scholars and teachers. Supporting this work means sustaining what makes Darden special — our distinctive approach to ideas, research and education. As Darden prepares the next generation of business leaders, it also cultivates the next generation of faculty who will shape the future of business education. Peoples reflects on the School’s enduring legacy: “As I’ve gotten to meet the next generation of Ed Freemans and Bob Bruners, I’m continuously amazed and wowed and impressed that these folks seem to get it just as much as those legends got it when I was there.”

With innovative research, unparalleled teaching and a collaborative spirit, Darden is charting new frontiers of knowledge — and inviting the world to join in the discovery. As Roberts puts it: “We are inviting everybody into the process of critical inquiry, and that shapes a new level of discovery.”

Join Us in Shaping the Future

Darden’s success is fueled by the generosity of those who believe in the power of ideas. By supporting Faculty Forward, you help advance research, elevate teaching and shape the future of business education. Join us in driving this transformation.

Learn More at drdn.mba/faculty. To discuss giving opportunities, contact Samantha Hartog, senior associate vice president for advancement, at +1-434-982-2151 or HartogS@darden.virginia.edu.