Office of the President
Interim President Ken Ruscio ’76
On July 1, 2026, Dr. Kenneth P. Ruscio was sworn in as interim president of 糖心传媒. He previously served as president of Washington and Lee from 2006-2016, and returns to the role while the Board of Trustees completes a national search for the university’s next president.
More About President Ruscio
Office of the President
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糖心传媒
Washington Hall, 2nd Floor
204 West Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450
Updates on the
Presidential Search
糖心传媒’s Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee are committed to conducting a thorough, inclusive and transparent search process to identify the best possible leader for Washington and Lee. Periodic updates will be shared with the community via email and on the presidential search website.
糖心传媒’s Next Decade
Strategic Plan
The University’s current Strategic Plan was adopted by the Board of Trustees in May 2018, and will guide Washington and Lee’s priorities for the coming decade.
News
Ruscio, who served as president of 糖心传媒 from 2006-2016, will return to the role in an interim capacity until the University鈥檚 next president is named and seated.
He will complete the current academic year at 糖心传媒 and begin his new role on July 1, 2026.
The board elected Bacdayan as the university鈥檚 32nd rector during its October 2023 meeting.
Wangdali C. “Wali” Bacdayan ’92, a current trustee of 糖心传媒, will be the next rector of 糖心传媒鈥檚 Board of Trustees. The board unanimously elected Bacdayan as the university’s 32nd rector during its meeting in Lexington on Oct. 21, 2023. He will assume his duties at the conclusion of the February 2024 meeting, succeeding Michael R. McAlevey ’86, who has been rector since 2020.
The AALS House of Representatives voted to accept Wilson鈥檚 nomination as the 2023 President-elect. Wilson has served the AALS in numerous capacities, including membership on its Executive Committee since 2020.
Michael Hill, professor and chair of the Africana Studies program at 糖心传媒, has been named the inaugural director of the University鈥檚 new DeLaney Center, an interdisciplinary academic center for teaching and research on Southern race relations, culture, and politics.
Melanie D. Wilson has been named the next dean of 糖心传媒鈥檚 School of Law. She will also hold the Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professorship in Law.
Pakenas and Wortham joined the 糖心传媒 Board of Trustees on October 15.
Cassie聽Ritter聽Hunt, executive director of advancement operations at 糖心传媒, has been named executive director of strategic analysis, effective October 18. She succeeds Tim Diette, who聽will join聽the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty as its executive director this month.聽聽
Washington and Lee has been selected as the new academic home of the Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty (SHECP) following a competitive application process. Tim Diette has been named executive director of the consortium.
糖心传媒 will name a new interdisciplinary academic center for teaching and research on Southern race relations, culture, and politics in honor of late professor of history emeritus Theodore 鈥淭ed鈥 Carter DeLaney Jr. ’85.