UVA Provost Ian Baucom Named Middlebury College President

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Ian Baucom, the University of Virginia’s executive vice president and provost, will leave his post in March to become the next president of Middlebury College in Vermont, the institutions announced Wednesday.

Baucom, who has served UVA for over a decade, will step down from his role as the university’s chief academic officer to lead the historic liberal arts college. He was hired as dean of UVA’s College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in 2014 and promoted to provost in 2021.

“Our lives have been blessed by being here in Charlottesville,” Baucom said in a statement. “And we will hold that as we move. But at the same time, I am also counting the days. I can’t wait to get to Middlebury and get going.”

UVA President Jim Ryan praised Baucom’s contributions, citing his leadership in curriculum improvements, faculty hiring, and research investments. “Ian has left an indelible mark on UVA,” Ryan said. “He is someone who is deeply motivated by mission, which made him a perfect fit for UVA, and now for Middlebury College.”

Middlebury College, founded in 1800, enrolls approximately 2,900 undergraduates and is known for its strong liberal arts programs and global education initiatives. Baucom will succeed Laurie Patton, who is stepping down to lead the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Baucom, a scholar of colonialism and slavery, has authored several books and led significant academic initiatives at UVA, including the hiring of 150 new faculty members and the overhaul of the university’s curriculum. He also played a key role in UVA’s response to the tragic 2022 shooting on campus, which claimed the lives of three students and injured two others.

“Good people can walk into the hardest of times and walk through them,” Baucom said, reflecting on the tragedy. “The compassion of our students carried us even as we knew we had a responsibility to hold them and walk with them.”

Brie Gertler, UVA’s deputy provost and senior vice provost for academic affairs, will serve as interim provost following Baucom’s departure. The university plans to launch a national search for his permanent replacement.

Baucom, who earned his doctorate in English from Yale University, said he was drawn to Middlebury’s commitment to the future while honoring its past. “Both institutions are part of the fabric of American history and, increasingly, world history,” he said. “It’s powerful, and I love it.”

Baucom will assume his new role at Middlebury in July 2025.