Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the CEO. You should know Valporter. Joining me
today is doctor Elizabeth McLeod Walls, President of Washington and
Jefferson College in Washington, PA. Welcome, and can you tell
us just a little bit about the college.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Absolutely, Washington and Jefferson College is the eleventh oldest institution
of higher learning in the United States, which means that
we have a long and distinguished tradition of offering rigorous
education to undergraduate students. But the reason I'm sitting in
my seat as the fourteenth president of WJ is because
this institution, while being highly distinguished, is also very scrappy.
(00:40):
A number of years ago, WJ embarked on a series
of innovations within higher education that has positioned us to
serve a greater number of students. Two years ago, WNJ
lowered its tuition by forty four percent, making us more
accessible to students in southwestern PA and beyond. We also
added a nursing program, which has been full now for
(01:00):
two admission cycles. We have a waitlist, and we're currently
looking at adding additional health sciences programs, building on our
strong reputation for pre med and health sciences generally. Finally,
and truly Most importantly, we were the recipient of a
fifty five zero million dollar gift from Anika Ronsley, the
first female trustee of WNJ, and her gift allows any
(01:23):
qualified student from Washington County to attend WNJ tuition free.
We are distinguished, innovative, and accessible to students throughout the region.
I am so proud to advance the mission of one
of Pennsylvania's strongest and most important institutions of higher learning.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
That is incredible. That tuition free program is amazing. I know, so,
doctor McLoud Walls, you just became president of w and J,
as it is known around here, last summer correct July first,
And can you tell us a little bit about your
previous location and what brought you here?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Sure? So, I was president of William Jewel College in
Kansas City for eight years, and prior to that, I
was a dean at Nebraska Wesleyan University for four years.
I love higher education. I love private, small institutions of
higher learning, and I was very happy at William Jewel
and going strong. But we became empty nesters and WNJ
(02:19):
came calling, and my husband was the one who said, hey,
they've got a great reputation. You may as well have
a conversation with them, and I thought, Okay, I'll have
a conversation. And I was so blown away by the
conversations that I had with the search firm and with
W ANDJ generally, because truly it's a distinguished institution that
also is so willing to innovate, and that's vitally important
(02:42):
in higher education today. It's a stress to industry and
we have to find ways to be more relevant. So
I was really excited about what W ANDJ was offering.
And when I came for the interview in Pittsburgh, I
called my husband afterwards and I said, these are my people.
I mean, I just I fell in love with it.
So it has been a great fit and I love
everything that I get to do at WNJA.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Now you've talked about some of the programs that have
been started recently. What are some of the future goals
that you have for W and J.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Absolutely, so I mentioned health sciences, so we're doing a
deep dive. We added nursing that's been hugely successful for us.
That's in partnership and much needed, much needed. It's in
partnership with UPMC Washington, so that's really powerful and important
for our community. But we're looking at health sciences generally
because there's a huge need and we believe that we
(03:32):
could be a health science's corridor in partnership with UPMC
in the Washington area, so we're looking at that. We're
looking at graduate programs as well. In counseling. For example,
we have a Master's of Arts and Teaching that we
just launched, which is fully online. And we're also looking
at urban planning because municipalities in southwestern PA need people
to stay here and support our communities and economic development
(03:55):
within our communities, not go to the big cities in
Pittsburgh and DC and New York and want to be
focused on that. So those are some of the things
that we're exploring right now.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Athletics are a big part of college. Can you talk
a little bit about that at WID Presidents.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Absolutely. So. We have twenty six sports at WNJ, about
fifty percent of our student population, our student athletes. We're
proud D three and Cuba Institution. We just added women's
wrestling and men's volleyball, so that's going live in the fall.
We're recruiting for those programs right now. Our women's and
(04:31):
men's basketball teams just got advanced to the playoffs and
so we're excited about that. Absolutely, they start this week,
so we're cheering them on. And we have phenomenal facilities,
phenomenal coaches, and I absolutely love athletics at WNJ.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Do you have an interesting event coming up on March eighth,
the WOW Summit?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Can you talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So I was so excited to come to WNJ and
start a women's initiative because this has been an important
part of my career journey at institutions that I've served,
and I landed and found out they already were on it,
so Women of WNJ. So WOW was launched earlier this year.
We had a soft launch at Homecoming in September with
(05:16):
a panel of women leaders talking about their experiences. They
were all WNJ alumps. And on March eighth, we are
going to have our next event, which is featuring panels
on STEM and also on communications and marketing great. So
it's a day long event followed by a dedication of
a new hall on our campus in nineteen seventy hall
(05:36):
which represents the year that women matriculated at WNJ. So
we're really excited about that. And then a happy hour,
So we hope that people sign up and come and
enjoy incredible conversation with amazing women.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And where can people get information about that event on.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Our website, So please check it out and sign up
and we'd love to see you.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
All right now. The community is a huge part. I mean,
you're right in Washington at a beautiful campus away. What
are some of the ways that your students are involved
in the community.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Oh, I'm so glad you asked that question. So our
students take service very seriously and it's part and parcel
of the co curricular experience at WNJ. So hundreds and
hundreds of hours of service that our students do for
the larger community. But particularly in the first few weeks
of the semester, of the fall semester, our students participate
in days of service in Washington County. One of the
(06:26):
things that we're really excited about is are Ronsley Scholars,
So the students who come tuition free to WNJ, they
give back, specifically by finding a volunteer opportunity in Washington
County where they can really contribute. So that's something that
we take seriously and that we really promote.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You have some famous grads of Washington and Jefferson, Paul do.
We sure do.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Chief among them is Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL,
pretty well known. Hey, Roger, this is a shout out
to you. Absolutely, But we also have incredible stories of
alums who are first generation students. By and large the Suns,
and I say Suns on purpose because we were all
mail until nineteen seventy of steel workers and coal miners
(07:13):
who went on to do incredible things in medicine. So
doctor Ron Salvidi is an example of this, where he
pioneered Lasik surgery for his patients and that has really
made an enormous difference in southwestern PA. Of course, but
I could go on and on. There's so many of
our grads who have done incredible things in the world
and who continue to.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And talking more about medicine. With the growth of your
medicine programs, I mean, Pittsburgh is becoming known as a
city for medicine totally.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So if someone is interested in finding out more about
attending WNJ or about any of your events, where can
they go?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Well, definitely the website, but I would also encourage folks
to just come to campus because our admissions house, which
is a nineteenth century, gorgeous Victorian home home. You walk
in that house and the warmth, the joy, the welcome
is so fantastic. We take great pride in that. And
if you just step foot in that house, someone's definitely
(08:11):
going to give you a tour of campus and tell
you everything that you need to know. So please stop by.
We would welcome you, we'd love to have you.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Thank you so much, Doctor Elizabeth McLoud, Wall's president of
Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA. This has been
the CEO you should know podcasts showcasing businesses that are
driving our regional economy part of iHeartMedia's commitment to the
communities we serve. Thank you for listening.
Welcome to the CEO. You should know Valporter. Joining me
today is doctor Elizabeth McLeod Walls, President of Washington and
Jefferson College in Washington, PA. Welcome, and can you tell
us just a little bit about the college.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Absolutely, Washington and Jefferson College is the eleventh oldest institution
of higher learning in the United States, which means that
we have a long and distinguished tradition of offering rigorous
education to undergraduate students. But the reason I'm sitting in
my seat as the fourteenth president of WJ is because
this institution, while being highly distinguished, is also very scrappy.
(00:40):
A number of years ago, WJ embarked on a series
of innovations within higher education that has positioned us to
serve a greater number of students. Two years ago, WNJ
lowered its tuition by forty four percent, making us more
accessible to students in southwestern PA and beyond. We also
added a nursing program, which has been full now for
(01:00):
two admission cycles. We have a waitlist, and we're currently
looking at adding additional health sciences programs, building on our
strong reputation for pre med and health sciences generally. Finally,
and truly Most importantly, we were the recipient of a
fifty five zero million dollar gift from Anika Ronsley, the
first female trustee of WNJ, and her gift allows any
(01:23):
qualified student from Washington County to attend WNJ tuition free.
We are distinguished, innovative, and accessible to students throughout the region.
I am so proud to advance the mission of one
of Pennsylvania's strongest and most important institutions of higher learning.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
That is incredible. That tuition free program is amazing. I know, so,
doctor McLoud Walls, you just became president of w and J,
as it is known around here, last summer correct July first,
And can you tell us a little bit about your
previous location and what brought you here?
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Sure? So, I was president of William Jewel College in
Kansas City for eight years, and prior to that, I
was a dean at Nebraska Wesleyan University for four years.
I love higher education. I love private, small institutions of
higher learning, and I was very happy at William Jewel
and going strong. But we became empty nesters and WNJ
(02:19):
came calling, and my husband was the one who said, hey,
they've got a great reputation. You may as well have
a conversation with them, and I thought, Okay, I'll have
a conversation. And I was so blown away by the
conversations that I had with the search firm and with
W ANDJ generally, because truly it's a distinguished institution that
also is so willing to innovate, and that's vitally important
(02:42):
in higher education today. It's a stress to industry and
we have to find ways to be more relevant. So
I was really excited about what W ANDJ was offering.
And when I came for the interview in Pittsburgh, I
called my husband afterwards and I said, these are my people.
I mean, I just I fell in love with it.
So it has been a great fit and I love
everything that I get to do at WNJA.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Now you've talked about some of the programs that have
been started recently. What are some of the future goals
that you have for W and J.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Absolutely, so I mentioned health sciences, so we're doing a
deep dive. We added nursing that's been hugely successful for us.
That's in partnership and much needed, much needed. It's in
partnership with UPMC Washington, so that's really powerful and important
for our community. But we're looking at health sciences generally
because there's a huge need and we believe that we
(03:32):
could be a health science's corridor in partnership with UPMC
in the Washington area, so we're looking at that. We're
looking at graduate programs as well. In counseling. For example,
we have a Master's of Arts and Teaching that we
just launched, which is fully online. And we're also looking
at urban planning because municipalities in southwestern PA need people
to stay here and support our communities and economic development
(03:55):
within our communities, not go to the big cities in
Pittsburgh and DC and New York and want to be
focused on that. So those are some of the things
that we're exploring right now.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Athletics are a big part of college. Can you talk
a little bit about that at WID Presidents.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Absolutely. So. We have twenty six sports at WNJ, about
fifty percent of our student population, our student athletes. We're
proud D three and Cuba Institution. We just added women's
wrestling and men's volleyball, so that's going live in the fall.
We're recruiting for those programs right now. Our women's and
(04:31):
men's basketball teams just got advanced to the playoffs and
so we're excited about that. Absolutely, they start this week,
so we're cheering them on. And we have phenomenal facilities,
phenomenal coaches, and I absolutely love athletics at WNJ.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Do you have an interesting event coming up on March eighth,
the WOW Summit?
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Can you talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So I was so excited to come to WNJ and
start a women's initiative because this has been an important
part of my career journey at institutions that I've served,
and I landed and found out they already were on it,
so Women of WNJ. So WOW was launched earlier this year.
We had a soft launch at Homecoming in September with
(05:16):
a panel of women leaders talking about their experiences. They
were all WNJ alumps. And on March eighth, we are
going to have our next event, which is featuring panels
on STEM and also on communications and marketing great. So
it's a day long event followed by a dedication of
a new hall on our campus in nineteen seventy hall
(05:36):
which represents the year that women matriculated at WNJ. So
we're really excited about that. And then a happy hour,
So we hope that people sign up and come and
enjoy incredible conversation with amazing women.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And where can people get information about that event on.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Our website, So please check it out and sign up
and we'd love to see you.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
All right now. The community is a huge part. I mean,
you're right in Washington at a beautiful campus away. What
are some of the ways that your students are involved
in the community.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Oh, I'm so glad you asked that question. So our
students take service very seriously and it's part and parcel
of the co curricular experience at WNJ. So hundreds and
hundreds of hours of service that our students do for
the larger community. But particularly in the first few weeks
of the semester, of the fall semester, our students participate
in days of service in Washington County. One of the
(06:26):
things that we're really excited about is are Ronsley Scholars,
So the students who come tuition free to WNJ, they
give back, specifically by finding a volunteer opportunity in Washington
County where they can really contribute. So that's something that
we take seriously and that we really promote.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You have some famous grads of Washington and Jefferson, Paul do.
We sure do.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Chief among them is Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL,
pretty well known. Hey, Roger, this is a shout out
to you. Absolutely, But we also have incredible stories of
alums who are first generation students. By and large the Suns,
and I say Suns on purpose because we were all
mail until nineteen seventy of steel workers and coal miners
(07:13):
who went on to do incredible things in medicine. So
doctor Ron Salvidi is an example of this, where he
pioneered Lasik surgery for his patients and that has really
made an enormous difference in southwestern PA. Of course, but
I could go on and on. There's so many of
our grads who have done incredible things in the world
and who continue to.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And talking more about medicine. With the growth of your
medicine programs, I mean, Pittsburgh is becoming known as a
city for medicine totally.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
So if someone is interested in finding out more about
attending WNJ or about any of your events, where can
they go?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Well, definitely the website, but I would also encourage folks
to just come to campus because our admissions house, which
is a nineteenth century, gorgeous Victorian home home. You walk
in that house and the warmth, the joy, the welcome
is so fantastic. We take great pride in that. And
if you just step foot in that house, someone's definitely
(08:11):
going to give you a tour of campus and tell
you everything that you need to know. So please stop by.
We would welcome you, we'd love to have you.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Thank you so much, Doctor Elizabeth McLoud, Wall's president of
Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA. This has been
the CEO you should know podcasts showcasing businesses that are
driving our regional economy part of iHeartMedia's commitment to the
communities we serve. Thank you for listening.
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