Phone:

(812) 855-0635

Email:

rwoodrin@iu.edu

Areas of Interest:

Higher education budgeting and finance

Public affairs education

Print-quality photo

Dr. R.J. Woodring is Associate Dean for Student Success and Administration at the Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. An entrepreneurial higher education leader, he combines strategic vision with effective execution to create educational experiences that prepare students for lives of meaning and impact.

Woodring leads a broad portfolio spanning recruitment, admissions, advising, career services, international programs, and leadership initiatives serving nearly 3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. He has launched and scaled several experiential learning initiatives, including the Next Generation Leadership Program, the Washington D.C., Accelerator Program for master’s students, and expanded international internship and study abroad opportunities. Under his leadership, the school has achieved record enrollment growth alongside strong retention and graduation rates. Its public affairs graduate program is consistently ranked No. 1 by U.S. News & World Report.

He also plays a central role on the school’s administrative leadership team, providing guidance across budget and finance, marketing, human resources, and facilities. He is widely recognized for his ability to build relationships and coalitions and is a frequent contributor to IUB campus committees, most notably serving on the recent budget model redesign committee and co-chairing the student success pillar of the campus strategic plan, IUB 2030.

Before joining O’Neill, Woodring served in the IU Office of the Provost, contributing to financial planning for the Bloomington campus, and in the Division of Student Affairs, supporting student leadership, engagement, and fraternity and sorority life. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years helping lead his family’s automotive business —an experience that continues to inform his pragmatic, results-oriented approach to strategy, markets, and organizational performance.

His teaching and scholarship focus on leadership, public service values, and higher education administration. His work has been published in the Journal of Public Affairs Education, and he presents nationally on leadership development and student engagement.

Woodring holds a Doctor of Education and a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas.