Robert Williams has been appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs at Portland State University in Oregon. He will begin his new duties on July 1.
Dr. Williams comes to his new role from California State University, East Bay, where he served as dean of the College of Education and Allied Studies. Earlier in his career, he was a professor of counseling and associate dean of the Graduate College of Education at San Francisco State University. A licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Williams spent the 2001-2002 academic year as a visiting Fulbright Scholar with the department of government, sociology, and social work at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.
“My focus has always been on building systems that work for students,” said Dr. Williams. “When institutions remove unnecessary barriers and align their efforts, students — especially first-generation and low-income students — can see a much clearer path to opportunity.”
Dr. Williams earned his bachelor’s degree from historically Black Howard University in Washington, D.C. He holds a doctorate from the University of Missouri.
