James E. Ryan serves as the ninth president of the University of Virginia. Since 2018, Ryan has worked with dedicated colleagues across Grounds to craft and secure approval of a strategic plan for the University; secured funding and approval for a new School of Data Science; secured lead gifts for the Karsh Institute of Democracy and a new Performing Arts Center; and publicly launched a $5 billion capital campaign that has raised more than $4 billion in philanthropy, including nearly $1 billion in scholarships and professorships. In fall 2018, he announced that students from Virginia families earning less than $80,000 a year would be able to attend UVA tuition-free, and those from families earning less than $30,000 would have tuition, room, and board covered.