Tracyann Williams earned her Ph. D. and M. Phil. in English from The Graduate Center/City University of New York.  She also holds a Certificate in Women’s Studies. Before becoming the Director of Academic Affairs, she was full-time faculty for 13 years at The New School.  She has also taught Composition and Literature at LaGuardia College/ City University of New York.  Her current research focuses on mixed race women in modern fictions, a topic that influences the courses she offers in literature, gender studies, and African American studies.  She has received numerous awards and recognition for her research and teaching including a Helena Rubinstein Foundation fellowship and the Distinguished University Teaching Award from The New School in 2004.