The University of Virginia on Monday appointed an interim president following his predecessor’s abrupt resignation, which was brought on by pressure from the Trump administration’s crackdown on the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

The university board tapped Paul Mahoney to replace James Ryan, who announced his resignation in late June. UVA is one of many public universities undergoing federal scrutiny related to DEI practices.

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The Department of Justice launched an investigation into UVA in response to complaints of race-based discrimination on campus, eventually demanding Ryan’s resignation. The embattled president chose to comply despite previously planning to resign at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Now, Mahoney takes on the new role amid continued federal pressure.

“I think my first goal is going to be to reach out to as many constituencies as possible to get their perspectives and concerns and ideas,” he told the New York Times regarding the Trump administration’s investigations into the university, which he had not been briefed on yet.

The university’s board members, all of whom were appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), said Monday they intend to select a permanent replacement within the next four to six months.

Mahoney, who once served as a dean at UVA’s School of Law, will assume the interim role on Aug. 11.

“I thank the board for the trust they have placed in me, and for arriving at this decision in a manner consistent with the University’s core values of shared governance, academic freedom and student self-governance,” he said in a statement. “As a longtime member of this community, I care deeply about UVA’s education, research and patient-care mission and look forward to continuing that important work together.”

UVA is subject to losing federal funding if it doesn’t comply with the Trump administration’s anti-DEI efforts. The federal government cut more than $64 million in grants to Virginia’s flagship university, according to Charlottesville Tomorrow.

While the university remains reticent on the DEI issue, UVA’s Darden School of Business has suspended its ties to several organizations, such as the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, which sought to promote black, Native American, and Hispanic representation in business schools.

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George Mason University also faces pressure from the Trump administration over DEI, with multiple investigations being led by the DOJ and the Department of Education.

Meanwhile, a judge rejected Youngkin’s appointees from serving on the boards at UVA, George Mason, and the Virginia Military Institute last week while the case moves forward. One of those appointees, former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, was absent from Monday’s UVA board meeting because of the order.