Over more than a decade in higher education, Ms. Washington has built a reputation as a measured, forward-thinking student affairs leader. Ms. Washington most recently served as assistant dean of students at Maryville College in Tennessee, where she oversaw the institution’s student conduct system and provided strategic leadership for many aspects of student affairs and Maryville’s culture. Among her many accomplishments at Maryville, Ms. Washington created a student intervention team and implementation framework that resulted in a 20 percent improvement in first-year midterm success, in addition to developing a student success assessment plan to strengthen student retention and readiness.
“Our overall goal is to create the finest campus experience in the country, one in which every student can thrive and have access to all of the benefits of a Hampden-Sydney education. Desiree’s primary responsibility will be to foster a campus culture that reflects the high ideals and expectations of our mission and codes of honor and conduct,” said President Larry Stimpert. “Her engaging personality, student-centered approach, and proven record of leading collaborative student success initiatives will enable her to immediately begin contributing to and enhancing our campus culture. I am grateful to Dean of Students Richard Pantele ’13, who chaired the search committee, and to the faculty, staff, and student members of the committee for their service to the College. Please join us in welcoming Desiree to Hampden-Sydney.”
In addition to her work at Maryville, Ms. Washington has served previously as executive director of the Warrior Center for Student Success, Equity, and Inclusion at Texas A&M University; coordinator of online graduate student access and success at Spring Hill College; and coordinator of recruitment at George C. Wallace Community College in Alabama. Ms. Washington is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from Notre Dame of Maryland University. A native of Mobile, Alabama, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of West Alabama.
“Hampden-Sydney makes a real difference in the lives of its students,” said Ms. Washington. “I'm excited to be a part of the College’s historic mission and to contribute my skills and expertise to this community. I also believe that building long-lasting bonds with students is key to creating a supportive and engaging learning environment, and I look forward to learning from and working with the students, faculty, and staff of Hampden-Sydney, and helping them achieve their goals, whether that's through mentoring, advocacy, or other forms of support.”
“Hampden-Sydney’s culture and brotherhood are like nothing else in the nation, and as dean of students and an alumnus myself, I am thrilled to welcome Desiree to our community,” Dean Pantele said. “From the beginning of the search process, it was immediately clear that the College’s mission resonates strongly with Desiree, and I look forward to partnering with her as we foster an atmosphere of sound learning in which young men learn, grow, and become the best versions of themselves.”
As dean of culture and inclusion, Ms. Washington reports to the president and serves as a member of the College’s senior leadership team. She assumed her role on June 8.