Kyle R. Williams Named Assistant Vice President and Dean of Intercultural Engagement

Kyle R. Williams, a dedicated educator and administrator with extensive experience in community building and culturally responsive pedagogies, has been named Assistant Vice President and Dean of Intercultural Engagement at Oberlin College and Conservatory. He began September 16.

Prior to Oberlin, Williams served as special advisor to the Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life at Emory University in Atlanta. He has performed a variety of roles within student affairs at Oglethorpe University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Texas A&M University-Commerce, among other institutions.

"Kyle is a highly skilled and knowledgeable scholar-practitioner who embodies the seamless integration of theory and practice," says Karen Goff, Vice President and Dean of Students. "His student-centric philosophy will help to facilitate spaces that transcend diversity and prioritize inclusion and belonging for all students, so that they can be active co-creators-rather than passive observers-of intercultural connections.

"Kyle's commitment to enhancing the student experience aligns perfectly with the overall vision of Student Affairs. Furthermore, his depth and breadth of expertise within Student Affairs is an added value, which will help to advance the work within our division. I am thrilled and excited to welcome Kyle to the Student Affairs Team and the Oberlin community."

Williams arrives at a time of great energy in the Center for Intercultural Engagement, or CIE. This fall, it celebrates the creation of a new office-Gender and Attraction Initiatives (GAI)-and christens new spaces in Wilder Hall for the Office for Disability and Access and the Multicultural Resource Commons (MRC). CIE also includes the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life (ORSL) and International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).