Williams to
begin part-time role August 19
CONWAY, Ark. (August 8, 2024) — Hendrix College President
Karen Petersen has announced that Hendrix alumnus and longtime higher education
leader Ronnie D. Williams ’76 will begin work August 19 as Senior DEI
Strategist and Advisor.
Williams retired from the University of Central
Arkansas in 2021 having served in various roles, including Vice President of
Student Services and Chief Diversity Officer, over his four-decade long career.
The campus center there is now named in his honor, as is an endowed scholarship.
“He is charged with developing a strategic plan
for diversity, equity, and inclusion that will position Hendrix to be a place
of enhanced belonging as we enter our next 150 years,” wrote President Petersen
in an announcement to faculty and staff earlier today. “In addition, he will
serve as a mentor and advisor to students and staff.”
In this part-time position, he will report to
Provost Teresa Garrett.
“Coming into this role, it is a top priority for
me to support an inclusive supportive environment for all students,” said Garrett,
who joined the faculty July 1. “I am thrilled to have Ronnie as a partner in
this effort.”
A native of Menifee, Williams graduated from
Hendrix College in 1976 and earned a master’s degree from Arkansas State
University. His 2022 book, Markham Street, chronicles his family’s
quest for justice surrounding the death of his brother, Marvin Williams, who
died in police custody in 1960.
Active in civic life and community leadership,
Williams has chaired the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas
Educational Television Commission; and served on the Arkansas Supreme Court
Committee on Professional Conduct and the boards of the Arkansas Community
Foundation and the Faulkner County Shelter for Abused and Battered Women. In
2018, he received the Guy W. Murphy Distinguished Service Award, the highest
recognition from the Conway Area Chamber presented yearly to a person who has
demonstrated special service to the community.
About Hendrix College
Founded in
1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the
country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning
opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The
Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through
engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to
diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community
inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and
joy.”
—Hendrix College Statement of Purpose