Paul Youngman named associate provost at Washington and Lee

Paul Youngman, the Harry E. and Mary Jayne W. Redenbaugh Professor of German at Washington and Lee University, has been named associate provost of the university, beginning July 1. He succeeds Marcia France, who has held that post since 2017 and has been named the inaugural dean of undergraduate studies at Duke Kunshan University, in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, China.

As associate provost, Youngman will lead a number of university-wide initiatives, including student summer opportunities and the Summer Research Scholars program. He will co-chair, along with Human Resources Director Mary Main, the University Committee on Inclusiveness and Campus Climate (UCICC), which is the university’s principal committee on diversity and inclusiveness. He will support faculty development and take a leading role in curricular reform, student projects and faculty initiatives.

Youngman serves as the head of W&L’s Department of German, Arabic and Russian, is the founding chair of the Digital Humanities Working Group, and former chair of the International Education Committee. He came to W&L in 2012, having taught previously at the University of North Carolina- Charlotte. He holds a B.A. in business administration from W&L, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in German literature from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a recipient of the Bronze Star with “V” device.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work closely with Paul,” said W&L Provost Marc Conner. “He brings impressive experience to this position. He’s been a highly effective department chair, he’s been the driving force behind the successful Digital Humanities initiative, and he has chaired major university-wide committees. The role of associate provost demands the ability to lead projects, to work across all the academic units, and to collaborate with many areas of the university. Paul excels in these areas, and he will be a great addition to the provost’s office.”