Biography

Ciara J. Williams is the Assistant Dean for The Office of Academic Innovation & Student Success in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.

Prior to joining Howard, Ciara began her career in education with Prince George’s County Public Schools and later transitioned to higher education. As Director of Professional Pathways at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, she led the LEAD Professional Pathways initiative, embedding career exploration into each student's academic and extracurricular journey. Under her leadership, the number of career exploration and externship courses increased significantly each semester. She managed partnership success teams, enhancing experiential learning, streamlining processes, and fostering growth with key stakeholders like faculty, alumni, and industry leaders.

While at Howard University, Ciara has revolutionized the College of Arts & Sciences scholarship process, implementing an online system that increased efficiency by 75%, allowing COAS students to easily apply for numerous donor scholarships each semester. Her leadership has also been crucial in the college's experiential learning and globalization initiatives. Ciara oversees the COAS Study Abroad 890 Courses, working closely with the leadership team to make study abroad opportunities more accessible and equitable. This focus on global engagement is designed to empower COAS students as global citizens, equipping them with diverse cultural perspectives and skills essential for a globally interconnected world. Her efforts ensure that Howard students are not only prepared academically but are also exposed to international experiences that foster a deeper understanding of global communities.

A proud native of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Ciara earned a bachelor's degree in Education from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore. She is now a Doctoral Candidate at Morgan State, continuing her commitment to educational excellence and leadership. A dedicated advocate for holistic student success, she aims to create spaces where students can thrive both academically and personally. Ciara lives by the timeless words of Dr. Maya Angelou: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”