Drew Hess Named Interim Associate Provost for Academic Development and Operations at Washington and Lee

By News Office
April 15, 2025

Drew Hess, the Ehrick Kilner Haight Sr. Term Professor of Business Administration at Washington and Lee University, has been appointed to a one-year term as interim associate provost for academic development and operations, beginning July 1.

Hess succeeds Paul Youngman, who was named associate provost in 2018 and will be serving as interim dean of the College for the 2025-26 academic year. Hess will return to his role as professor and associate department head of Business Administration in July 2026.

As interim associate provost, Hess will serve on the Provost’s leadership team and support research and development opportunities across the University. He will oversee the Center for International Education, the Office of the Registrar, and the Office of Fellowships and Student Summer Research and manage the university’s budgets and space allocation. He will also direct academic advising, manage faculty award applications, and serve as the primary liaison for research compliance and strategic initiatives.

“I am honored to be named the interim associate provost at W&L,” said Hess. “It’s an exciting opportunity to support our faculty, staff, and students and to serve the institution that has meant so much to me over the years in a new capacity. I’m particularly excited about the cross-institutional nature of the associate provost portfolio. I look forward to working closely with areas of the institution I have had fewer opportunities to engage and leaning into more familiar areas.”

In addition to his duties as professor and associate head of the Business Administration Department, Hess is a member of the core faculty in Environmental Studies and an affiliate faculty member in Poverty and Human Capability Studies. He is currently chair of the International Education Committee and faculty athletic mentor to the baseball team. He has also served on the Faculty Executive Committee, the Employee Benefits Committee, the Investment Committee, the University Athletics Committee, the University Sustainability Committee, and as a faculty representative to the Board of Trustees.

He came to W&L in 2014, having taught previously at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. He holds a B.A. in business administration from W&L, an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Strategic Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Before returning to graduate school, he worked in banking at Fleet National Bank and Silicon Valley Bank in Boston.

Hess researches and teaches in the areas of social innovation, strategy, and international business. His research has appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Strategic Management Journal, Organization Science, IEEE – Transactions on Engineering Management, MIT Sloan Management Review, and The Wall Street Journal. Based on his research, he was awarded the 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Industry Studies Award for the best paper prize. While working toward his Ph.D., Professor Hess was also awarded a Kauffman Foundation Dissertation Fellowship.

“I look forward to welcoming Drew to the Provost’s Office,” said W&L Provost Lena Hill. “He brings rich experience from his committee work across the institution and leadership in his department. I am also eager to have his perspective on Academic Council, the group that thoughtfully steers academic affairs. Drew will bring fresh eyes to our collaborative work while simultaneously benefiting from this group’s collective experience. I anticipate a great year for Drew and our leadership team.”