Crystal Williams

Crystal Ann Williams is an American university president, educator, and poet. She currently serves as the President of Rhode Island School of Design. Raised in both Detroit and Madrid, Spain, Williams holds a BFA from New York University and an MFA from Cornell University. Her poems have been featured in various publications, including The American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, and Ms. Magazine. Williams has also performed her poetry at numerous venues across the country, including as a member of the 1995 Nuyorican Poets Café National Poetry Slam Team. She has received grants and fellowships from organizations such as the Oregon Arts Commission and the MacDowell Arts Colony. Prior to her current position, Williams taught at Reed College and served as the dean for institutional diversity from 2011 to 2013.