Jonathan Fries

Jonathan has spent the past 9 years working directly with transfer and non-traditional students and developing transfer retention initiatives to support them. He recently started at the University of Virginia (UVA) in June 2022, working in the University Career Center. He oversees the Business Community and is also part of the Exploration team, where he helps first- and second-year students explore their major and career options.

Before starting at UVA, Jonathan spent 15 years at the University of Lynchburg. During that time, he had many different roles. In his current last role as Director of First & Second Year Initiatives, Jonathan oversawsees Transfer, Adult Learner, Commuter, and Second-Year student services, as well as first-year initiatives. This includeds overseeing the transfer peer mentoring program, Transfer Orientation, Adult Orientation, Second-Year Welcome Week, Tau Sigma: Transfer Honor Society, and the Commuter Student Association. He spent the past 9 years working directly with transfer and non-traditional students and developing transfer retention initiatives to support them.

Jonathan has presented at numerous conferences on Transfer, First-Year, Second-Year, and Commuter students. Some topics have included “Creating an Innovating Transfer Student Experience,” “Creating Successful Transitions: The Transfer Orientation Experience,” “Lynchburg College Legacy: Blazing the Path to Staying Relevant in FYE,” “Drive-in and Stay: Transitioning Your Approach to Commuter Student Programming and Climbing the Second-Year Mountain to Success.” He has experience in developing guided pathway programs with the University of Lynchburg and the local community college in Lynchburg. Past leadership roles have included the NODA Region 8 Graduate Coordinator, Chair of the Staff Advisor Committee for the University of Lynchburg, and Co-Chair of Second-Year Success Committee, Co-Chair of First-Year Experience Committee, and Co-Chair of Lynchburg’s Transfer Task Force. He has co-coordinated the Emerging Leader Retreat for first- and second-year students at the University of Lynchburg for the past seven years.