Edward L. Ayers

Across his storied career, which included 27 years as a professor of history at the University of Virginia, Edward L. Ayers was  named National Professor of the Year, received the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama at the White House, won the Bancroft, Beveridge, and Lincoln prizes in American history, and served as president of the Organization of American Historians. He was the president of the University of Richmond from 2007 to 2015, and currently serves as president emeritus and professor of humanities.