Damon A. Williams, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor, vice provost, and chief diversity officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has joined the Editorial Board of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, effective immediately.
“We are honored to welcome Damon Williams to our Editorial Board and look forward to his leadership and involvement,” says Lenore Pearlstein, co-publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity, along with Holly Mendelson. “Dr. Williams’ expertise will be of tremendous value as we continue important conversations on all facets of diversity and inclusion in our magazine. With the guidance of our prestigious board members, INSIGHT continually works toward the goal of achieving a truly inclusive culture on both academic and corporate campuses.”
Widely respected as one of the nation’s most dynamic and innovative leaders in diversity and inclusion management, Williams has consulted with more than 200 organizations to develop cutting-edge diversity strategies. The NAACP and 100 Black Men, among other organizations, have honored him for his work. Most recently, he received the Inclusive Excellence Award for Leadership, presented by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE).
“It’s an honor to serve on the Editorial Board as INSIGHT plays an important role connecting and informing the Strategic Diversity Leadership movement across all organizational sectors,” Williams said.
Williams recently authored two companion books on cutting edge leadership strategies: Strategic Diversity Leadership: Activating Change and Transformation In Higher Education and The Chief Diversity Officer: Strategy, Structure, and Change Management (with Katrina Wade-Golden, PhD), both published by Stylus Publishing.
Having served at UW-Madison since 2008, Williams launched the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement, with more than 300 full and part-time staff members dedicated to the division’s mission. He also has as part of his portfolio, the world’s only hip-hop urban arts scholarship program learning community, innovative campus-wide partnerships to enhance STEM achievement, leadership development initiatives for intercollegiate athletes, faculty diversification, research centers, and a four-city partnership with the Posse Foundation.
Along with his new role on the INSIGHT Into Diversity Editorial Board, Williams currently serves on the American Council on Education (ACE) Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board, the University of California, Berkeley Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board, the Gallaudet University Diversity Advisory, and the National Diversity Council Executive Board.
Williams received his PhD from the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education (CSHPE), and received both his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Miami University.
For nearly 40 years, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine has engaged readers in the goal of achieving a more truly inclusive culture on both academic and corporate campuses. Striving to advance the national conversation on diversity and inclusion, INSIGHT provides timely, thought-provoking news and resources; interviews with innovators, thought leaders and experts; explorations of best practices; profiles of successful programs and initiatives; and career advertising that connects potential employees with institutions and businesses choosing to embrace a workforce more reflective of our local and national communities.