Xavier Hickman

Dr. Xavier Hickman serves as the Director of Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at Arizona State University, where he plays a pivotal role in advancing ASU’s mission as the nation’s most innovative university. In this capacity, Dr. Hickman collaborates across a broad spectrum of departments and institutional partners to ensure that the university’s operational strategies and pan-enterprise initiatives are seamlessly executed. Working under the leadership of Dr. Chris Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, he provides strategic counsel and data-informed insights on emerging trends in higher education, leveraging both quantitative and qualitative analyses to guide decision-making on initiatives of institutional significance.

Complementing his administrative leadership role, Dr. Hickman holds academic appointments that allow him to share his passion for mentoring the next generation of scholars and professionals. As Honors Faculty in Barrett, The Honors College, he teaches Leadership in Theory and Practice, an interdisciplinary course that challenges high-achieving students to critically examine leadership frameworks—including adaptive, transformational, and servant leadership—through the lenses of government, social movements, sports, business, media, and beyond. Dr. Hickman also serves as a Faculty Associate in ASU’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, where he teaches in the Organizational Leadership program, fostering students’ abilities to connect leadership concepts to practical, real-world contexts and empowering them to drive meaningful change within their chosen fields.

Prior to joining Arizona State University, Dr. Hickman was deeply engaged in higher education leadership at in the President's Office of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Over the course of several years, he advanced from serving as a Public Relations Assistant to Special Assistant to the President, and ultimately to Deputy Chief of Staff, where he managed high-level strategic projects and cultivated relationships with a range of university stakeholders.

Dr. Hickman earned his Ph.D. in Instructional Management and Leadership from Robert Morris University. His research explored the evolving landscape of higher education leadership, with a particular focus on how executive leaders navigate and envision institutional futures during periods of disruption. His dissertation, “Postsecondary Executive Leadership: An Investigation into The Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education,” examined the lived experiences of university leaders during the global pandemic, offering critical insights into how their strategies and perspectives continue to shape the sector in a post-pandemic world. In addition to his doctorate, he holds an MBA and a BS in Business Administration from Robert Morris University.

Driven by a commitment to excellence in both administrative leadership and the academic enterprise, Dr. Hickman remains dedicated to fostering innovative, student-centered environments that prepare learners to tackle complex global challenges with confidence and purpose.