Ben Allen is the executive director of the UVA Equity Center. A Charlottesville native, a quadruple Hoo, a former teacher and assistant principal, a former officer in the Army National Guard, and a current member of the Army Reserves, Ben's story is deeply connected to both the Charlottesville community and the university. In his role at the Equity Center, he's working to bridge the gap between UVA and the local community, ensuring that the university is not only a great place to learn but also a good neighbor.

This week, President Ryan sits down with Lillian Rojas, the now-graduated Student Member of UVA's Board of Visitors. Lillian recently received her BA in Public Policy at the Batten School, served for 3 years on the Student Council, and mentored students in the Latino Peer Mentor Program. In this episode, they discuss her path to UVA, balancing leadership and schoolwork, and the responsibility that come with representing students on the BOV.

This episode of Inside UVA was originally recorded on the week of April 29th, 2024.

This week, President Ryan sits down with Kenyon Bonner, UVA's Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer. Bonner joined UVA this January after nearly two decades in Student Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, including most recently as the Vice Provost for Student Affairs. They discuss his path to Student Affairs, the lessons he's learned in working closely with students over the decades, and his mission to help students of all backgrounds find a sense of belonging at the University. Plus, his love for music production and whether he'll bring "Riding in Cars with Kenyon" over to UVA.

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dean Risa Goluboff, the twelfth and first female Dean of the University of Virginia School of Law. Dean Goluboff is a renowned legal historian whose scholarship focuses on the historical development of American constitutional and civil rights law; she's been teaching at UVA for more than twenty years, with additional faculty appointments at the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies, the Department of History and the Miller Center for Public Affairs. She's a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the American Law Institute, and chair of the advisory board for UVA's Karsh Institute of Democracy. In this episode, they discuss Dean Goluboff's journey to UVA and the remarkable changes to the Law School under her tenure. They also discuss her favorite parts of being Dean and what lies ahead after she steps down at the end of the semester.

This week, President Ryan sits down with Dr. Wendy Horton, the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Virginia Medical Center. Dr. Horton stewarded UVA's response to the coronavirus pandemic, helped craft the Health System's 10-year Strategic Plan, and has been named to Modern Healthcare's list of top 25 women leaders in health care. In this episode, they discuss the difficult work of coordinating the University's response to a worldwide pandemic, the day-to-day of running an entire medical center, and the challenges that lie ahead for health care broadly.

This week, President Ryan sits down with Alexandra Walsh, a UVA swimmer who has broken NCAA, American, and US Open records; she also won a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 200m individual medley. They discuss Alex's upbringing, her daily routine on the UVA swimming team, and what's next in her career: from the NCAA Swimming Championship to professional athletics and beyond.