Ruth Waalkes

Background

Ruth Waalkes is associate provost for the arts and executive director of the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech. She oversees strategic campus-wide integration of the arts at Virginia Tech, and leads community-based arts initiatives on behalf of the university across the region. Since joining Virginia Tech in 2009 as the founding executive director of the $100 million Moss Arts Center, which opened in 2013, Ruth established the vision for, launched, and now directs the center and its professional presenting and exhibition programs. Ruth came to Virginia Tech from the University of Maryland, College Park where she was director of artistic initiatives for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Prior to that, her career included serving as executive director of Volunteer Fairfax; and artistic producer of the International Children’s Festival at Wolf Trap while at the Arts Council of Fairfax County, where she was director of visual and performing arts programs. Ruth is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with more than 30 years' experience in nonprofit management in both the arts and social service sectors.