Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth is the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and Provost at Western Governors University (WGU) and leads WGU’s Schools of Health, Education, Technology, and Business, and more than 80 programs. In this role, she is responsible for academic affairs, including academic program offerings, faculty mentors, credential integrity, accreditation and compliance, program development, curriculum and instructional design, and assessments.

Dr. Hills McBeth brings a fresh perspective to academia. Before joining WGU in 2024, Dr. Hills McBeth served as the senior vice president and chief program officer at Strada Education Foundation, where she led the programmatic work to deploy Strada’s unique combination of philanthropy, impact investments, and research to transform the postsecondary education-workforce landscape to drive more equitable outcomes.

With nearly three decades of leadership experience in higher education, Dr. Hills McBeth began her journey at the University of Utah, where in addition to her academic pursuits she was a captain and All-American soccer player. From there she embarked on a trailblazing career at the University of Utah, scaling global and domestic internship programs, and leading academic programs, executive education, and student services efforts at the Eccles School of Business, Sorenson Impact Institute, and the Hinckley Institute of Politics. In Utah's president’s office, she led university-wide strategic planning, presidential initiatives, and innovation efforts, including developing an outcomes-based finance model and leading an entrepreneurship challenge with a coalition of national universities. Dr. Hills McBeth has developed and taught in-person, hybrid, and online courses in political science, business, and higher education at the University of Utah and Purdue University.

Dr. Hills McBeth holds a doctorate degree in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania and both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Utah. When she's not shaping the future of education, you’ll find her soaking up the beauty of Salt Lake City with her husband and three boys. From biking to skiing and everything in between, Dr. Hills McBeth thrives in the great outdoors, embodying the same spirit of adventure she brings to her professional endeavors.