Andrew (Andy) Wilson, PhD

Senior Associate Vice President for Student Success

Dr. Andy Wilson serves as the Senior Associate Vice President for Student Success, providing strategic leadership to enhance academic achievement and career development across the University. He leads a broad array of programs and services including Career Communities, Employer Relations and Communications, First and Second Year Advising, New Student Programs, Scholars Programs, Student Accessibility Center, Student-Athlete Support Services, Student Employment, and Tutoring Center.   

Prior to his current, he was Dean of Student Development at Johns Hopkins University, where he led initiatives supporting undergraduate and graduate students through coaching, civic engagement, and mentoring. He played a key role in implementing programs that raised retention, degree attainment, and career outcomes with a specific focus on first-generation and limited-income students, supported by a historic $1.6 billion gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies. 

Dr. Wilson has also held leadership and faculty roles at Emory University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Virginia Commonwealth University. With over 25 publications and 75 presentations, his teaching and research focus on high-achieving first-generation and limited-income students, peer relationships, assessment, and leadership in higher education. He has contributed to conversations on student retention and success for the New York Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Chronicle of Higher Education, among other outlets. 

He has also held leadership positions in several national professional associations including the American College Personnel Association, Association of Student Conduct Administrators, Association of College and University Housing, and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He currently serves as the Vice President of Virtual Programming and Engagement with the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities Student Success Network. 

Dr. Wilson has been honored by his students and colleagues with numerous awards including the Winthrop University Distinguished Professional Award, Dedication to Students Award, and a Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award. He holds a PhD in counseling and human development from the University of Georgia, a master’s in higher education from Virginia Tech, and a bachelor’s degree from Winthrop University. Originally from Charleston, SC, Dr. Wilson is an avid tennis fan, finished over 20 marathons, and serves as a mission ambassador for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and President of the Winthrop University Foundation Board.