Matt Banfield

As Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Virginia, Matt is responsible for various strategic, programmatic, and administrative functions of the provost's office, including the University Seminars program and the 4-VA at UVA initiative. Matt serves as the provost's office representative to the University's Policy Review Committee, and in his role as chair of the Undergraduate and Graduate Policy Committees, he is a liaison to school leadership in the creation of academic policy. Additionally, Matt represents the University in several advisory capacities before the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). Matt enjoys working across traditional boundaries and has supported several pan-university initiatives, including the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), UVA Innovates, and efforts to enhance microcredentialing and credential stacking.  

Before coming to the University of Virginia in 2017, Matt worked as a senior public affairs advisor in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C. office, where he worked with a wide variety of clients, including institutions of higher education, in pursuit of their federal legislative, regulatory, and funding priorities. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Matt served in the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), as well as a Washington, D.C. area public affairs firm. Matt holds an Ed.D. from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Virginia Tech.  

In addition to his professional commitments, Matt is a dedicated advocate for inclusive and accessible education in the Commonwealth; he served as the inaugural chair of the education and workforce committee of the gubernatorially-appointed Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and is a member of UVA’s Diversity Council. Additionally, Matt serves on the board of the Jamestown 4-H Educational Center and has served in several alumni board capacities for Virginia Tech. Matt is a 2018 graduate of the Sorensen Institute's Political Leaders Program.