University of Virginia President Jim Ryan announced to the Board of Visitors today that Robert Ruff has committed $10 million for investment in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the University. Ruff’s gift will provide support for many of the top priorities set forth in the president’s 2030 Strategic Plan.
“Robert’s generosity as a committed alumnus and University citizen will propel UVA forward as we strive to become a more inclusive and welcoming community, and I’m deeply grateful for his ongoing support,” Ryan said. “Robert’s critical gift for the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers was key to this work, and his latest investment will strengthen UVA for generations to come.”
Ruff, a native of Dallas, is a 1981 graduate of UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce. After graduation, he returned to Texas, where he was a commercial banker for a decade before returning to his family’s retail hardware store business and, eventually, starting an artificial intelligence company that was active in developing global recruitment software.
Ruff’s support during the planning, development and construction of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers and his backing for the subsequent programming for that space was a precursor to his current gift. He provided funds for the memorial’s opening ceremonies, for continuing genealogical research and for the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive website.
“The Memorial to Enslaved Laborers has served as a truly unifying place for people to learn, grieve, rejoice and to rededicate themselves to a vision of a better and fairer future,” Ruff said.
He has also contributed to the IDEA Fund at UVA, which provides externships for undergraduates and for the development of a new educational initiative. The externship program, in conjunction with the UVA Career Center, was a three-year pilot program that provided weeklong externships with alumni mentors during the January term and summer session.
