William Acree, vice dean of interdisciplinary initiatives and innovation and a professor of Spanish, has been named a fellow with the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership.

The academy, a partnership between Arizona State University and Georgetown University, helps to train leaders and innovators in higher education. Its program combines three intensive in-person meetings with online seminars and one-on-one coaching, with the goal of generating new ideas for participants to take back to their home campuses.

“I’m thrilled to join a network of innovative leaders from such a wide range of institutions across the country, and to develop new outlooks and practices related to implementing innovative solutions at such a pivotal moment in the course of higher education,” Acree said.

Acree, who joined WashU in 2009, is a founding co-director of the Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures, a signature initiative of the Arts & Sciences Strategic Plan that catalyzes and supports bold collaborations with the goal of building the university of the future. He also developed A&S CREATES, a unique transdisciplinary experience for incoming doctoral students. The program, launched in Fall 2024, established a cross-departmental learning community and established a platform for graduate students to translate their scholarly research for new audiences.