Julian R. Williams is an equity-focused, dynamic, higher education leader.  He is a product of and a steadfast believer in the transformative power of higher education to change lives and change trajectories. 

Throughout his career he has been a catalyst for the creation of campus environments that are designed to cultivate student succes, growth, and a steadfast commitment to inclusive excellence. 

Julian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University College of Law.

During his career he has led in senior leadership roles at public universities and private universities and colleges. In 2020, he was appointed as the University of South Carolina’s first vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

In this role he serves as the university’s chief diversity officer and leads the Division of Access, Civil Rights and Community Engagement. He has been a change-agent at USC through the creation of new initiatives like the Bridge to Faculty Program, a post-doctoral fellowship program designed to positively increase faculty diversity through cohort-style mentorship and development.

Prior to USC, Julian served as vice president for Compliance, Diversity and Ethics at George Mason University.  He has also served as director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Officer at Vassar College, and as the director of the Office of Equity and Diversity at Monmouth University. Julian has also worked as a civil rights attorney in the state of Michigan.

A futurist, a visionary leader, and a recognized national expert in the area of student success, diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, he is currently an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow and has served on the executive board for the American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity, and is also a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and previously served as President of the organization’s Mid-Atlantic chapter.