Robert Hurt to step down as dean of Helms School of Government

Liberty University has announced the resignation of Helms School of Government Dean Robert Hurt.

Hurt has served as dean since 2019 and will leave Liberty at the end of the month to serve as general counsel at a Virginia-based healthcare data analytics firm.

Prior to his time at Liberty, Hurt served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011-2017 for Virginia’s 5^th District. While in Congress, he served as vice chair of the Capital Markets Subcommittee and the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee.

“We are grateful to Robert Hurt for his leadership and the talent and knowledge he shared with our students,” said Liberty Provost and Chief Academic Officer Scott Hicks. “He was intentional in preparing government students for the workplace, and we appreciate the way he used his previous experience to provide an outstanding template for how to integrate one’s faith into work in government.”

During his time at Liberty, Hurt developed numerous programs that offered students opportunities to engage with influential leaders in the nation’s capital and across the country, including the Washington Symposium, the creation of an annual public policy conference, and the Journal for Statesmanship and Public Policy. Hurt has also seen enrollment in the government program rise to 10,000 online and 900 residential students, and he cheered on Liberty’s pre-law competition teams to two national championships.

“I am so thankful that God is using Liberty University to prepare and send so many young men and women out to change the world for good — not for themselves, but for God, for their families, and for their country,” Hurt said. “It has been the blessing of a lifetime to be able to work alongside our outstanding Helms School faculty and staff to prepare the next generation of American leaders.”

Liberty has announced that Helms School of Government Associate Dean Dr. Joel Cox will serve as interim during the search for a new dean.