Crystal Williams
American college president, educator, poet (born 1970)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Crystal Ann Williams (born 1970)[1] is an American educator and poet serving as the 18th president of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) since 2022.[2][3][4]
Cornell University
Crystal Ann Williams | |
|---|---|
Williams in 2025 by Jo Sittenfeld | |
| 18th President of the Rhode Island School of Design | |
| Assumed office 1 April 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Rosanne Somerson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1970 (age 55–56) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.[1] |
| Education | New York University Cornell University |
| Profession | Educator, poet |
| Website | www |
Career
Williams was raised in both Detroit, Michigan and Madrid, Spain.[2] She earned a BFA at New York University and an MFA in Creative Writing at Cornell University.[5][6]
Education
Williams began teaching at Reed College as a professor of English, becoming dean for institutional diversity from 2011 to 2013.[2] From 2013 to 2017, Williams worked at Bates College as the associate vice president for strategic initiatives and as a professor of English.[2] In 2017, Williams came to Boston University, where she first worked as the inaugural associate provost for diversity and inclusion before transferring into a broader role as vice president and associate provost for community and inclusion.[7]
In 2021, it was announced that Williams was leaving her position as vice president and associate provost for community and inclusion at Boston University to become Rhode Island School of Design's 18th president.[2] Williams became its first Black president on April 1, 2022.[2]
On March 17, 2025, RISD students and alumni opened an exhibition at Carr Haus, a student-run café open to the public, in support of Palestine. Four days later, following an online post by StopAntisemitism and "perceived threat of harm," Williams shut down the exhibition.[8] A student with work removed from the show said it "felt like censorship."[9] The premature closure was condemned by the National Coalition Against Censorship, among other community members.[10] Williams has previously threatened students with expulsion for pro-Palestine protest actions.[11]
The previous fall, Williams was profiled in the New York Times, saying of her own creative practice: "Poetry requires a kind of heart space and solitude I don't have."[12]
Williams has received grants and fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission, the Money for Women (also known as the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and the MacDowell Colony).[13] She received $635,176 in compensation from RISD in 2024.[14]