Melinda Walls

Mindy Walls oversees the Academic and Student Development functions of Waynesburg University. Her experience in strategic management and university-level administration and teaching, as well as her diverse background in entrepreneurship, law, public affairs and the development of academic programs have allowed her to thrive in various positions of leadership at Waynesburg University.

Over the course of the 2024-25 academic year, as interim provost, she led the four-member assessment team in developing a comprehensive assessment strategy and implementing an expedited assessment cycle for all academic and non-academic University programs, resulting in the reaffirmation of the University's accreditation with Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Ms. Walls came to Waynesburg in August 2018. She was appointed by President Lee to build a campus-wide infrastructure and culture around entrepreneurial leadership and the entrepreneurial mindset, which resulted in the creation of both the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program and the eHIVE, Waynesburg's hands-on center for the development of innovative ideas and ventures which includes a state-of-the-art makerspace, shop, classroom and collaborative learning space. Her leadership of these initiatives resulted in Waynesburg University being named the Outstanding Emerging Entrepreneurship Center by the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers and being recognized for Excellence in Student Engagement at the 2024 Deshpande Symposium. She also designed and led a team-taught course in product development for faculty members across several disciplines, earning the Rising Star for Curricular Innovation award at the 2022 Deshpande Symposium.

At Waynesburg University, Ms. Walls previously served as department chair for and professor of Business Administration. She was named a Justin G. Longenecker Fellow by the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for outstanding contributions furthering entrepreneurship education.

In her previous role as West Virginia University’s Assistant Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, she designed a nationally recognized entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem to connect the work of WVU’s individual colleges and centers across campus.

Ms. Walls was integral in securing $1.4 million in federal funding for the development of WVU’s Women’s Business Center, which opened in February 2017 and provides training and counseling to community-based businesses, as well as WVU’s LaunchLab Network, which is an applied innovation center for students.

At WVU, she also served as a Visiting Associate Professor and the Interim Director of the EQuad Program for the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and the Entrepreneurship Center Director for the College of Business and Economics.

Ms. Walls also served as the Senior Director of Corporate Development at Chesapeake Energy and has five years of experience practicing energy-related law.

Active in her community, she currently serves on the board of advisors for The EdVenture Group. She previously served as board chair and vice chair for the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, a national organization for entrepreneurship educators; board chair of the WVU Women’s Business Center Advisory Board; a member of the Monongalia – Preston United Way Board of Directors; and a member of the Finance Council at Saint Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Morgantown.

Juris Doctorate, West Virginia University

Bachelor of Science, Human Resources & Education, West Virginia University