About Kevin F. Hallock

Kevin F. Hallock is the 11th president of the University of Richmond. He enjoys working and engaging with UR’s students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends. And he believes that the University can become even more remarkable by converging resources and energy around five strategic priorities: academic excellence, belonging & community, access & affordability, well-being, and experiential learning & community engagement.

An award-winning teacher, Kevin is a labor market economist and the author or editor of 11 books and over 100 publications. He holds the appointment of Distinguished University Professor of Economics at UR and most recently taught a First-Year Seminar for Richmond students on why people earn what they earn.

Kevin is a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He serves on the boards of the Jepson Scholars Foundation, Venture Richmond, and Homeward, a Richmond nonprofit dedicated to preventing, reducing, and ending homelessness. He co-founded PayStandards, a software company that uses analytics to improve pay equity and strengthen the pay-to-performance link, and he now serves as Senior Advisor.

After graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Kevin earned his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University. For sixteen years, he served on the faculty of Cornell University, where he was most recently Director of the Institute for Compensation Studies and Dean of the SC Johnson College of Business.

Kevin and his wife, Tina, grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. They live in Richmond with their rescue dogs, Mabel and Matilda, have been married for 32 years, and have two grown children, Emily and Tyler. The Hallocks are avid fans of Spider Athletics, UR’s artistic performances and exhibitions, and opportunities to celebrate the University’s students, staff, and faculty.

Leadership Values

Integrity. Everything we do should be done honestly, objectively, fairly, and by the book. I cannot stress this enough. Indeed, if we are to fulfill our mission of preparing students for responsible citizenship and leadership, we must now and always model integrity.
Transparency. We are all better off when all University constituents are well-informed. To that end, I pledge to always be as transparent with you as I can. This does not mean we can discuss private matters or the details of things such as individual personnel decisions. But I have worked hard throughout my career to be transparent and will continue to do so.
Effort. Working hard is important, plain and simple. I think that our outcomes are some function of ability, effort, and luck. I can’t do much about my luck, but I can control my effort and strive to improve my abilities. So, I work very hard, and I respect hard work. But I don’t expect anyone to sacrifice their well-being. We must strive to find balance, which brings me to my next value.
Well-Being. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we must always take time to care for ourselves and look out for one another. That is why I intend to continue the University’s good work of fostering a culture of well-being. We are so fortunate to have a beautiful new Well-Being Center and excellent programs such as UR WELL. I will strive to model behavior that speaks to our university’s focus on well-being.
Inclusion and Belonging. To speak of a true community is to speak of an inclusive community in which all members can achieve an enormous sense of belonging. This is a particularly salient issue at our university and in our country. We should all be proud that our students increasingly hail from diverse backgrounds; represent diverse beliefs; and come from all over this nation and planet, as do our staff, faculty, and alumni. But there is more work to do. I intend to build on the University’s good work ensuring everyone feels a true sense of belonging — and ask that you join me and embrace this endeavor as a shared responsibility.
Collegiality and giving the benefit of the doubt. I believe being kind, caring, empathetic, and patient as much as possible is essential. People are often so busy that we sometimes work at cross purposes and don’t hear one another. Universities can and must serve as models of constructive dialogue, especially across difference. As is often the case in complex institutions, not everyone here agrees on everything — and that is good — but everyone cares and wants to make Richmond even better. I believe the best way to do so is to make it better together.

“I love Richmond’s combination of an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education with excellent professional schools. From the creative work and research among the faculty, the intellectual energy and curiosity of the community, and the intense focus on the holistic development of students and care for their well-being.”

President Kevin Hallock

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About Kevin F. Hallock

Leadership Values