Presidential Communications

Dear Spider Alumni and Friends, 

A new year at the University of Richmond has begun, and we are off to a fantastic start! I hope you had a great summer and found opportunities to learn, recharge, and connect. 

I did a few things that brought me joy this summer. My father, a physicist, recently retired from UMass Amherst after 56 years as a faculty member. I traveled with him to Bilbao, Spain, where he was recognized at an international conference that brought together 1,500 physicists (and one economist!). Tina and I also spent some time with our family on Cape Cod, preparing to welcome our first grandchild, who is due later this fall. 

Marking a Milestone

As I begin my fifth year at Richmond, it’s been exciting to meet and reconnect with our remarkable Spider students. I spoke with returning students and thanked them for leading orientation programs, providing mentorship in residence halls, and for everything they do to make UR relentlessly welcoming. I greeted incoming students and families during move-in and shared advice at welcome events across campus — from the Modlin Center to the Robins Center. I cheered alongside a big group of fans as freshman Emma Newman made her record-setting debut for Spider soccer, with four goals and an assist in her first college game! And I watched as Tina spoke to new Spiders embarking at UR, offering words of encouragement from the field of Robins Stadium.

I started at UR in 2021, around the same time as the Class of 2025. Tina and I even helped some of them move in; we watched them grow, excel in their studies, take on leadership roles, study abroad (75% did!), and explore career pathways, including with the mentorship of Spider alumni. As the Class of 2025 takes off for new destinations, it has been so rewarding to have a front-row seat to their achievements.

Our recent graduates have secured positions at sought-after companies and organizations, such as Accenture, PwC, L’Oréal, and Teach for America. I recently played a farewell game of ping-pong in Tyler Haynes Commons with a ’25 Spider on her way to a PhD program at MIT. Others are now starting their graduate studies at Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Yale, and eight are headed to Oxford as Jepson Scholars. Thank you so much to all our alumni and friends who provide opportunities for our students and help our graduates make connections.

Our Continued Progress

Thanks to our Spider community, our university continues to operate from a position of strength and achieve so much. Our outstanding faculty continue to produce research with real-world impact, and our students are being recognized for their excellence both in and outside of the classroom.

UR has also, once again, been recognized as a top university by the most recent Princeton Review, earning high marks for classroom experience, career services, and quality of life. These rankings are special because they are voted on by our students. They also correlate with what we are hearing on campus and with my optimistic view of our university and its future. I found the new category of “Most Politically Moderate Students,” in which Richmond ranked No. 1, interesting and encouraging. A liberal arts education should equip students to approach complex issues with balance, consider multiple sides of an argument, and engage in thoughtful dialogue. At Richmond, we are doing just that — as we challenge our students to grow and learn from each other.

Connections & Opportunities

I’m looking forward to connecting with UR alumni and friends at an event tonight in Washington, D.C. We have scheduled additional Presidential Receptions in Richmond on Dec. 10 and in Dallas on Feb. 19, 2026, with additional gatherings being planned for early April in New Jersey and New York. Please come see us if you are in the area. 

And, I hope you’ll save the date for Homecoming, Oct. 17–19. We will reconnect during Party Under the Lights at the Jepson Alumni Center and cheer on our student-athletes throughout the weekend. Spider football will take the field against Holy Cross in our first Patriot League home game of the season. We’re excited that Villanova and William & Mary will join us next year in the league. While you’re on campus, you can also visit the newly reopened areas of Boatwright Memorial Library. There are new installations on display in the Lora Robins Gallery, and we have expanded the 8:15 at Boatwright café with a delicious menu, including many items baked right on campus. You can also explore incredible walkways and terraces overlooking Westhampton Lake — as featured in the photo above.

Our continued progress is only possible thanks to our Spider community and everything you do for Richmond. As each graduating class joins the ranks of our alumni, our web grows bigger and stronger. Thank you so much for showing your Spider spirit, giving back, and staying connected. We hope to see you soon, and if you see me or Tina, please say hello. We love seeing Spiders wherever we go.

Here’s to another great year, together.

Kevin F. Hallock
President
Distinguished University Professor of Economics