Published by Art & Science Group
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is with mixed feelings that we announce the retirement of a founding principal of our firm, Richard (Rick) Hesel. Almost thirty years ago, over drinks, meals, and more drinks with his soon-to-be-founding partners, Rick played a central role in conceptualizing an idea for a firm that could help educational institutions answer the big, strategic questions that kept leaders up at night. Written on a napkin, a framework for a company was created, and through years of dedication, creative thinking, hard work, and collaboration with his partners, David Strauss and Ben Edwards, and later Craig Goebel and Nanci Tessier, Rick helped create a boutique consulting firm that has advanced the strategic interests of hundreds of institutions—colleges, universities, independent schools, non-profits, and foundations—across the country and around the world.
Written on a napkin, a framework for a company was created, and through years of dedication, creative thinking, hard work, and collaboration with his partners, David Strauss and Ben Edwards, and later Craig Goebel and Nanci Tessier, Rick helped create a boutique consulting firm that has advanced the strategic interests of hundreds of institutions—colleges, universities, independent schools, non-profits, and foundations—across the country and around the world.
Rick’s intellectual contributions to the work of Art & Science Group have been vast. From the development of our proprietary research methodologies to the creation of our omnibus student survey, studentPOLL, Rick’s ideas have served both the “art” of what we do through his unbound creative thinking, and the “science” of our work through his extensive research expertise. He has worked with numerous institutions over his nearly three decades at the firm— colleges and universities (to name a few) from Chicago, Yale, Dartmouth, Michigan, and Wake Forest to the University of London and The Open University in the United Kingdom, from Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Colorado College to Providence, Knox, and Albright; independent schools including Milton Hershey School, Riverdale Country School, Emma Willard, and Boys’ Latin, and other organizations from the Missouri Botanical Garden to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, American Council on Education, and Association of American Universities.
More meaningfully, Rick’s human contributions to Art & Science Group go far beyond the work we do. As a colleague, Rick has always been quick-witted, kind-hearted, honest, and agile. Over the years, he has fostered as many personal relationships with colleagues as he has professional ones—at times vacationing together, always ready to grab a meal, have a chat, or head to a baseball game or orchestral concert. He has engaged colleagues in a manner that removes boundaries and allows folks to experience a profound frankness that elicits thoughtful and authentic conversations. We take this opportunity to thank Rick for his sincerity, creativity, and integrity, which are qualities demonstrative of his exceptional role in the firm. Though his absence from the office will be ever notable, we are excited for him to enjoy this next phase of his life with his family and friends and look forward to hearing of his continued travels around the world.
Rick’s official last day at A&S will be June 30, 2023, and for those who would like to reach out to him with any notes or well wishes, you can contact him at hesel@artsci.com.
Sincerely,
David Strauss, Craig Goebel, and Nanci Tessier, on behalf of his friends and colleagues at Art & Science Group