Following a national search, University of Virginia leaders have named Nicole R. Hall as the University’s new senior associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students. She will replace Cedric Bernard Rucker, who was named to the role on an interim basis in 2023.
The move is a promotion for Hall, who joined the Division of Student Affairs two years ago as associate vice president for career and professional development. Her first day in her new role will be March 24.
“Nicole came to UVA as a national leader with broad experience in student development,” Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer Kenyon R. Bonner said. “In her time at UVA, she has led the Career Center team in an innovative direction, all in the service and growth of students and their career readiness.
“Several qualities come to mind when I think of Nicole, among them excellence, compassion and humility," Bonner continued. "Her leadership and team-building skills lead to solid partnerships. She truly cares for those around her. She has a talent for relating to students and partnering with them to ensure they are on the pathway to thrive and succeed.”
Board of Visitors Vice Rector Carlos M. Brown and board member Amanda L. Pillion, who both serve on the board’s Committee on Academic and Student Life, said Hall was the right choice.
Cedric Rucker is stepping down as interim dean of students. Rucker agreed to serve in that position while UVA searched for a permanent replacement. (Photo by Erin Edgerton, University Communications)
“The dean of students is a highly visible and vital link with the student body, student leaders, administrators, parents and community members,” Brown said. “Nicole brings a solid track record to this position, and we are grateful for all the ways she will enrich and champion the student experience in coming years.”
“Nicole understands what makes the UVA student experience special,” Pillion added. “She is poised to make a difference in the lives of students with her visionary ideas, her broad experience in student development and her skills to lead, mentor and partner.”
Reporting to Bonner, Hall will work from the Office of the Dean of Students on the second floor of Peabody Hall. She will oversee several areas, including the Hoos First program serving first-generation and limited-income students; Student Engagement; Rotunda and University Events; Fraternity and Sorority Life; Multicultural Student Services’ Office of African-American Affairs; and Orientation & Transition Programs.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Nicole Hall to this role,” President Jim Ryan said. “Nicole brings a wealth of experience in higher education and has become deeply connected to the UVA community since she arrived on Grounds. She’s someone who cares a great deal about our students and their success, inside and outside of the classroom, and at UVA and beyond. I’m confident that students will benefit from her leadership and support.
“I’m also grateful to Cedric Rucker for his service, and for helping to set the stage for Nicole’s success in the months and years ahead.”
Prior to coming to UVA, Hall served as director of career and professional development at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She previously served in leadership positions at Wake Forest and Pepperdine universities, and she is a volunteer with the National Association of Colleges and Employers professional organization. Hall is chair-elect of the association and will become its chair 2026.
Hall earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University, an MBA from Pepperdine University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
