Susan Williams, professor of English, ends her term as vice dean of the college on Aug. 31, having completed nine years of exceptional service to the university as vice provost for academic policy and faculty resources in the Office of Academic Affairs and as a leader in the college. She moved into the vice dean role in 2014 in order to draw on the unique perspectives she had gained as vice provost to help lead the college in making the structural and cultural changes needed to help bring it together at a pivotal time in its history. During her four years as vice dean, Williams built a faculty affairs office in the college; assisted with restructuring by revising policies and guidelines and leading searches for the chief administrative and human resources officers and for four cross-functional associate deans, including a new position leading diversity and inclusion initiatives; and implemented several new faculty awards, including reviving the distinguished college professor program. Williams brought to the college an understanding of promotion and tenure and of faculty rules that provided significant support to chairs and directors and created clearer processes for faculty.

She also served as the interim chief diversity officer over the last academic year and implemented search committee training in the college. In addition, she served as co-leader of the Global Arts and Humanities Discovery Theme for two years and assisted the college human resources, communications and IT teams with supporting the college’s academic priorities. She also worked with the advancement team and external Dean’s Advisory Committee to create strategies for enhancing and expanding the college’s endowed chairs and professorships. We thank her for her service to the college and the university and wish her well as she continues her distinguished faculty career at Ohio State and returns to the English department full time to continue her work on nineteenth-century American literature and culture.