INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Martin University is pleased to announce that Dr. Toni Williams has been named Provost/Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. Previously, she served as the School Director and Chief Academic Officer for the University Heights Excel Center, an Indianapolis public charter school.
Williams’ role will include overseeing the university’s academic programs and strategic plan through collaboration with faculty, staff, administration, and other university stakeholders.
“We are looking forward to the significant contributions Dr. Williams will make in helping to advance our university's academic enterprise and intellectual life," said Dr. Sean Huddleston, President of Martin University. “In addition, she has a strong research and leadership background in helping students transition to college and the workforce, which will greatly benefit Martin and our important role in the community.
In 2006, Williams conducted organizational research that brought awareness to the educational gap between GED and Adult High School Learners, which led to a grant to help students in transition. In 2009, she was honored by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue for her volunteer work at a local high school that helped more than 100 at-risk students in jeopardy of not graduating. In 2018, she organized a women’s conference where attendees openly discussed their journey to spiritual fulfillment, received free medical screenings, met with educational professionals, and were offered scholarships. In 2020, she volunteered to help train public school teachers as they transitioned to online learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As an educator in several states for the past 19 years, I have had the opportunity to work in different environments and learn from persons and organizations with major academic difficulties,” said Williams. “I bring this knowledge and experience, plus what I’ve learned as a volunteer in schools with a high population of socio-economically disadvantaged students, and want to make a difference at Martin University.”
Williams holds an Ed.D in Leadership and Management from St. Thomas University, a Master’s degree in English from Fort Hays State University, a Bachelor’s degree in English from Thomas Edison State University, and an Associate’s degree in Education from Burlington County College.
Founded in 1977, Martin University is Indiana's only Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) of higher education. It is steeped in a history of service, and its mission is to educate and develop diverse workforce-ready students in an inclusive, supportive, and collegiate environment. Martin University's vision is to elevate the landscape while providing transformative opportunities, inclusive support, and service to our communities.