UVA Darden School of Business

A historic $43.4M investment from Kathy and David LaCross (MBA ’78) to the UVA School of Education & Human Development is advancing a new early childhood learning center in Charlottesville — serving children from birth to age five while addressing critical kindergarten readiness gaps.

At Darden, the LaCross family’s philanthropy also established the LaCross Institute for Ethical AI in Business and supported The Forum Hotel, LaCross Botanical Gardens and student housing, shaping both innovation and the Darden experience.

Read more: https://drdn.mba/4dTfguL

We're thrilled to welcome Patrick Higgins (MBA ’16) back to Darden as Managing Director of the LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Business!

A proud double Hoo and experienced technology strategist, Higgins returns at a pivotal moment for organizations navigating the opportunities and challenges of generative AI. We look forward to the next chapter of the Institute’s work under his leadership as it continues to shape the future of ethical AI in business.

Read more at The Darden Report: https://drdn.mba/4wWEZdb

Madelyn Merchant (MBA ’25) turned a second chance into a transformational five-year gift from Golub Capital, helping reshape Darden’s Board Fellows Program and expand opportunities for students to serve local nonprofits.

Today, the program is growing rapidly, expanding to Executive and Part-Time MBA students, and aiming to serve more than 100 fellows annually within five years.

Merchant’s journey, from Oracle and Wayfair to startup leadership and nonprofit advocacy, highlights the power of persistence and purpose-driven leadership.

Read more at The Darden Report: https://drdn.mba/4nTpdf0

Some of the photos and the moments that made this year special 💙🧡

Paul Matherne is retiring from UVA Darden after a remarkable career spanning pediatric cardiology, medical research, hospital leadership and teaching.

He first came to Darden in 2008 as an Executive MBA student looking for new ways to solve challenges at work, and discovered a fundamentally different way of thinking.

That new perspective shaped his leadership roles for the rest of his career, including serving as chief medical officer of the UVA Health System during the early days of COVID-19, all while cultivating a teaching career at Darden and shaping the School's offerings on the intersection of business and healthcare.

Known for his warmth, energy, and signature bowtie, Paul brought the case method to life while encouraging students to embrace curiosity and ambiguity.

Read more at The Darden Report: https://drdn.mba/3POsH5V

Professor Saras Sarasvathy is retiring from Darden after more than 20 years of teaching, and we are celebrating a career that has reshaped how the world thinks about entrepreneurship.

As the architect of effectuation, Sarasvathy reframed entrepreneurship as a learnable method grounded in action under uncertainty. Her teaching and research at the School has transformed generations of founders and scholars around the world.

But perhaps her most lasting impact is this: she made entrepreneurship feel possible for far more people.

As we celebrate her legacy, we want to know: What’s one idea, moment, or lesson from Saras that has stayed with you?

Read more at The Darden Report: https://drdn.mba/3POsz6r

We’re thrilled to share that Darden’s Christoph Herpfer has been named to Poets&Quants’ prestigious “40 Under 40” list of top MBA professors globally!

A passionate educator and finance scholar, Professor Herpfer is known for his dynamic teaching style and commitment to advancing healthcare education at Darden.

From co-leading the Darden Healthcare Initiative to developing and teaching the School’s first Healthcare Finance course, he’s helping shape the future of healthcare business education through both research and practice.

Read more from Poets&Quants here: https://drdn.mba/4dQ1M2O