Rodney Ridley

Dr. Rodney Ridley, associate provost and vice president, is the chief operating officer of the institute.
Ridley has more than 28 years of higher education experience and has held myriad positions from research assistant and engineering professor to his current role as executive director of The Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Wilkes University. He also has served in numerous private sector engineering capacities, earned numerous awards, including the 2017 Pennsylvania Acceleration Educator of the Year and holds 27 U.S. patents.
Ridley earned a doctorate in engineering science and mechanics and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University as well as a bachelor’s degree in physics from Lincoln University.