Foundation Council Welcomes Meredith Woo and Charles F. Bryan, Jr.

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We are pleased to announce that two new members have joined The Foundation Council: the Dean of the University of Virginia’s (UVA) College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Meredith Jung-En Woo, and Dr. Charles F. Bryan, Jr., a distinguished historian and past CEO of the Virginia Historical Society (VHS).

Dr. Woo has been particularly instrumental in enhancing the College’s scholarly visibility in the sciences, global studies, and research. She has already connected the Foundation with mutual friends and collaborators in the U.S. and could be instrumental in extending our mission in Asia.

During his 20-year tenure Dr. Bryan oversaw campaigns that raised more than $110 million, quadrupled the size of the VHS headquarters building and museum in Richmond, and significantly expanded statewide programs. He has Parkinson’s and is interested exploring treatments like focused ultrasound that help patients deal with this progressive disease. He started the Movers and Shakers group in Richmond.

Meredith Woo, PhD

Meredith Woo is Dean of both the College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia (UVA). During her six-year tenure (2008-2014), she has enhanced the College’s scholarly visibility, particularly in the sciences, global studies, and collaborative and multidisciplinary research.

Prior to coming to UVA, she served as professor of political science and associate dean for the social sciences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and at Northwestern University. She has consulted with the World Bank, the US Trade Representative, Asian Development Bank, and the MacArthur Foundation, among others.

An expert on international political economy and East Asian politics, she has written and edited seven books and was the executive producer of an award-winning documentary film, Koryo Saram: The Unreliable People, about Stalin’s ethnic cleansing of Koreans living in Far Eastern Russia during the Great Terror.

A native of Seoul who was educated in Seoul and Tokyo through high school, she came to the United States to study at Bowdoin College in Maine. She completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in international affairs, Latin American studies, and political science at Columbia University.

Charles F. Bryan, Jr., PhD

Born and raised in McMinnville, Tennessee, and a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Dr. Bryan served the U.S. Army as a tank platoon commander in the 194th Armored Brigade and then instructor at the U.S. Army Armor School at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

After completing his PhD in history from the University of Tennessee, he spent 30 years as a historian working in museums and historic sites, the last 20 as President and CEO of the Virginia Historical Society. During his tenure at the VHS, Charlie oversaw campaigns that raised more than $110 million, quadrupled the size of the VHS’s headquarters building and museum in Richmond, and significantly expanded statewide programs and services.

Upon Charlie’s retirement from VHS in 2008, the board of trustees named its new education wing in his honor. In addition, the Virginia General Assembly named him the Outstanding Virginian of 2009 for “his distinguished contributions, outstanding achievements, and inspiring leadership and service to the citizens of Virginia.” The same year, the American Association for State and Local History presented him with its highest award for “his extraordinary service in the field of public history.”

After retiring from VHS, Charlie and Dan Jordan, the retired president of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, formed Bryan & Jordan Consulting, LLC, which specializes in helping nonprofit organizations in strategic planning, board development, executive searches, and fundraising plans.