Director of Operations

Lydia is a former corporate and governance attorney with a JD from the University of Michigan. She received her undergraduate degree in Economics with a Concentration in Business from Kalamazoo College, where she was a four-year starter and captain for the Women’s Soccer Team. Lydia began her legal career in private practice in Chicago and spent several years working in-house at United Airlines and Walgreens before taking a pause to focus on her family and volunteer in the community. Coming out of that season at home, Lydia is excited to draw upon her past work and volunteer experience to make an impact in the university setting. 

Lydia, her husband Kurt and their three school-aged children (Kamden, Beckett and Emmaline) relocated from the Chicago area to Charlottesville in 2025 after feeling called specifically to the UVA community. They are loving life in a college town, the mountains and exploring local trails. In addition to her role at the Study Center, Lydia volunteers with Athletes in Action at UVA, co-leads a community group through Trinity Presbyterian Church and is a member of the Saugatuck Yacht Club Sailing Program Board of Directors. She and her family can also be found paddleboarding and sailing in West Michigan during the summer months.

lydiamathas@studycenter.net