From the Dean

June 9, 2026

Dear Alumni and Friends,

What a glorious time spring is at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies! Trees unfurled new leaves and flowers bloomed across campus as we welcomed friends, families, and alumni to Finale and Commencement May 9–10 and to Reunion Weekend May 29–31.  

This year, we had special cause to celebrate during Commencement when our first legacy graduate received her diploma. We recognized five 2026 graduates who received full scholarships to attend University of Oxford master’s programs as Jepson Scholars.

Other 2026 grads are headed to graduate school at Boston University, Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, University of St Andrews, and University of Virginia, to name but a few. Still others have accepted jobs with Capital One, EY, JPMorganChase, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and more.  

At our annual Research Symposium in April, 18 students presented their research, including 12 who completed senior honors theses under the guidance of faculty mentors. Research topics covered rhetoric in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, a proposed U.S. conscription model, higher education responses to current events, and more.

Speaking of research, three faculty members published books in February and March. Recently, our faculty experts were quoted by Bloomberg, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and The Times (of London) and were published in yahoo!news.     

The consistent, generous support of our alumni and friends contributes greatly to the school’s success. This April during the University of Richmond’s annual UR Here Giving Day, the Jepson School ranked first among the five schools in fundraising for the second year in a row. I couldn’t be more grateful.

During Reunion Weekend, I caught up with many Jepson alumni who are doing great things in their professions and in society. It is an honor to serve as dean of a school that has so many exemplary graduates.

Thanks to our students, faculty, and alumni, the Jepson School continues #LeadingTheWay.

With gratitude,

Sandra J. Peart
Dean and E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies
President, Jepson Scholars Foundation