As of Aug. 18, Melinda Walls is the new Waynesburg University Provost. Walls previously served as the Interim Provost for the 2024-2025 school year.

“She stepped in and has really provided excellent leadership and has strong support from a number of segments in the University’s community,” Waynesburg University President Douglas G. Lee said. “We’ve got such good momentum right now, it was important to keep the momentum moving ahead. She was spearheading that momentum and doing such an excellent job that we wanted her to continue that role.”

In addition to being the university’s provost, Walls also serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the W. Robert Stover Chair for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and the Associate Professor of Business Administration. 

Walls’ work as a professor has made the transition seamless from professor to provost.

“I’ve been in higher ed for over 20 years and I spent 13 years at WVU where I started as an academic advisor,” Walls said. “I think all of that experience really helped prepare me for this job because I understand how it all fits together.”

Walls is excited and honored for her position, but also acknowledges that a lot of people aren’t sure exactly what her role is.

“Nobody knows what it means!” Walls said. “The provost is the chief academic officer of any university; the basic academic stuff of the university reports up through me, so the department shares all reports to me. What’s different about my role here than at some other universities, student development reports up through me.”

Walls is admired by the people around her and is a great fit for the job.

“If you met her, you know she’s enthusiastic, approachable and has a wonderful personality,” Lee said. “It’s really the total package of what we would like to see in a provost here.”