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About

Dr. Rachel Williams

Dr. Williams has more than 25 years of experience as an interdisciplinary arts scholar and administrator, while spending the majority of her career at public universities. Her areas of expertise include educational policy, affordability, conflict resolution, research, pedagogy and curriculum development. She is a dynamic, student-centered leader who understands how the arts support greater community health and well-being.

Dr. Williams comes to Radford from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she served since 2022 as dean of the Division of Liberal Arts. Prior to UNCSA, she spent 23 years at the University of Iowa in roles that included four years as chair of the Department of Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, three years as the university ombudsperson in the office of the president and 11 years as a dual-appointed associate professor.

As part of the college’s role as a cultural center for the arts in Southwest Virginia, we bring a wide variety of guest artists and creative scholars to our campus. These arts professionals not only bring high quality performances, exhibitions, and lectures to our campus, but also work closely with our students in the classroom. Having access to artists from the “real world” provides students with an important perspective in terms of developing career goals and networking opportunities.