The board of trustees of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, has selected Melva K. Williams as the institution’s seventh president and chief executive officer.
“I am honored and energized to serve as Huston-Tillotson ’s second female president,” Dr. Williams said. “I look forward to advancing an aggressive agenda that will ensure Huston-Tillotson ’s continued success.” At a news conference on her first day in office, Dr. Williams added “We won’t be the quiet school here in downtown Austin. We will find ourselves in places where we can partner and really expand our wings.”
Huston-Tillotson University enrolls just over 1,000 students, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 60 percent of the student body.
Prior to coming to Huston-Tillotson University, Dr. Williams held numerous positions within the Southern University System in Louisiana including, executive associate to the chancellor, assistant vice chancellor and vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at Southern University-Shreveport, vice chancellor at Southern University-New Orleans, and system chief of staff. Earlier she was a professor and associate dean at Centenary College of Louisiana. Earlier this year, she was one of three finalists for the presidency of West Virginia State University.
Dr. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and a master of public administration degree from Grambling State University in Louisiana. She earned a doctorate in higher education from Jackson State University in Mississippi.