Dear Members of the TC Community,

I am delighted to announce that Portia Williams, Associate Provost for International Affairs and founding Director of the Office of International Affairs, has been appointed as Associate Vice Provost for Academic Planning at Teachers College, Columbia University, effective May 1, 2022.

In her new role as Associate Vice Provost, Portia will foster a climate of academic innovation while assisting in the establishment and achievement of college-wide academic goals with the primary focus on curriculum alignment, new program development, non-credit programming, accreditation and compliance. In addition to these responsibilities, Portia will create and manage a process for reviewing and monitoring the success of academic departments and work with them to coordinate the management of field placements and academic space. She will also supervise the offices of accreditation, continuing education and compliance.

Portia brings to this new role a long history of extraordinary leadership in international affairs at TC, where she has fostered the growth and flourishing of the College’s internationalization efforts since 2008. She has guided policy and practice for institutional partnerships and collaborations; overseen the Office of International Students and Scholars; served as the Campus Administrator for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program; and facilitated a range of programming initiatives involving faculty, students and international stakeholders. She is known as a gifted and energetic administrator who has substance, integrity and a formidable skill set, along with a deep knowledge of how to get things done at TC.

Portia also brings to this role a deep commitment to innovation and growth in response to evolving conditions in the field. As Associate Provost of International Affairs, she has focused on expanding and deepening collaboration with international partners to ensure we understand and are aligned with their priorities and concerns, and are able to engage in ethical, sustainable research and knowledge-sharing. She will bring this same focus as she works with departments across the College to identify and respond to emerging trends and opportunities and strengthen TC’s position as a leader in education, health and psychology.

Portia is a former Spencer Research Fellow, David L. Boren Fellow, and Peace Corps Volunteer and has held faculty appointments at Georgetown, American, and George Washington Universities; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Shkodra in Albania. She holds an Ed.D. in International Educational Development and Policy Studies and an M.Ed. in International Family and Community Education from Teachers College, as well as an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Please join me in congratulating Portia. I know that everyone at TC will benefit from her tremendous expertise, energy and commitment to excellence.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Rowley signature
Stephanie J. Rowley
Provost, Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs