The 2026-27 Jepson Leadership Forum presents Indigenous Leadership: Tradition, Sovereignty, and Survival. Indigenous peoples around the world manage complex relationships with states while sustaining governance systems that predate colonial boundaries. In the United States, Native nations continue to defend their sovereignty and counter cultural misrepresentation. In sub-Saharan Africa, traditional authorities often bridge customary law and state institutions. Across these and other contexts, Indigenous leaders confront shared challenges: safeguarding land and resources, preserving cultural knowledge, securing legal recognition, and advocating for their communities within national and international frameworks. This forum convenes scholars, practitioners, and Indigenous leaders to examine how these leadership systems operate, how they evolved over time, and why they remain vital today.
At the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, leadership is more than a subject — it’s a lived experience. The 2024–25 Dean’s Report celebrates how our students, faculty, and alumni bring leadership to life through challenging academic work, hands-on research, real-world experiences, and global engagement.
Jepson faculty help students hone their leadership skills. They also hold prominent places in national and international media, providing insightful opinions and expert views on leadership and issues of the day.
Graduates leave Richmond with knowledge of leadership frameworks and with the critical thinking and communication skills that enable them to excel in their chosen careers.
The University of Richmond will award more than 1,000 degrees during Commencement ceremonies on May 9 and 10.
A UR alum, Turner double majored in mathematics and music and is a talented vocalist who appeared on The Masked Singer.
Julian Maxwell Hayter, professor of leadership studies, wrote the epilogue in the book The Buried Cause: Unearthing Hidden History in the Lee Monument Cornerstone, published by University of Virginia Press.
Julian Maxwell Hayter, professor of leadership studies, wrote the chapter “Unveiled History: Confederate Memorialization and the Politics of Race and Place after Emancipation” in U.S. History in 15 Photographs: 1865 to the 21st Century, published by Bloomsbury Press.
Vladimir Chlouba, assistant professor of leadership studies, published "Seeing women govern encourages support for women in politics — with no apparent backlash from men" in The Conversation US.
Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies, co-published "The Importance of Approbation in The Wealth of Nations" in The Independent Review.
Leadership studies professor Thad Williamson authored this piece.
Research by Christopher von Rueden, an anthropologist and leadership studies professor, is featured.
Professor emeritus Donelsyn Forsyth is quoted.
Leadership studies professor emeritus Donelson Forsyth is quoted.