Following an extensive national search, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has hired Dr. Emily Allen Williams as its new vice president and dean of academic affairs.
She will assume the position at the end of the month with the retirement of Dr. Steven Hardin, who is currently serving n the position. Williams has already been on campus and working with Hardin and Pitt-Bradford’s administrative team as they began working on the early stages of a strategic plan and handling the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Williams will serve on the President’s Cabinet.
“Emily has amassed an impressive academic portfolio during her 30 years in higher education,” said Dr. Catherine Koverola, Pitt-Bradford’s president. “She has a vast array of know-how that will enable us to enrich academic experiences for our students even more.”
Williams is an accomplished scholar who has conducted extensive research, both domestically and internationally, in the areas of Caribbean and British cultural studies and literature and was a Fulbright Scholar.
Additionally, she is an expert in academic assessment and accreditation and has helped to advance the areas of equity and access.
Her current research and writing focus on ways to mentor junior faculty and mid-level academic managers to strengthen academic structures to support student success.
She holds a Doctor of Arts in humanities with an emphasis on Caribbean and British cultural studies from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Arts in linguistics from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a certificate in management and leadership in education from Harvard University.
Williams began her teaching career at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where she taught and conducted research for 13 years.
Before her entry into academia, she worked for a decade in the arts as a grant director and arts program manager for the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs and the State of Georgia Council for the Arts. She has also worked as a performance poet and executive director of an Atlanta-based dance company.
A Fulbright Scholar, Williams has published six books and is a frequent contributor to Advice & News department of Higher Ed Jobs.com. She has also engaged in significant diversity, equity, inclusion, and access work to include trainings and consultations with organizations throughout Massachusetts, notably BRIDGE and Berkshire Community College.
Williams enjoys gardening, writing, reading, and cooking. In her non-working life, she spends time with her husband and dog, a little rat terrier. Williams has four grown children who are making amazing contributions to the world in their various professions.