Lea Williams, Ph.D., has been named Provost and Dean of the Faculty at Norwich University after two decades of service within the institution. Her appointment comes after a period of transition in academic leadership, during which she served as interim provost and worked closely with LtGen John J. Broadmeadow ’83, USMC (Ret.), the university’s president.
As provost, Dr. Williams will act as Norwich’s chief academic officer, overseeing all academic programs, faculty affairs, and institutional learning initiatives. She emphasized her commitment to maintaining continuity and advancing the university’s mission through collaboration with campus partners. “General Broadmeadow has been really supportive and a great partner in navigating the transition in May, and then really trusting me to run with things immediately,” said Provost Williams. “I appreciate that confidence in me.”
LtGen Broadmeadow highlighted Dr. Williams’s connection to Norwich: “Dr. Williams has demonstrated, time and again, that she understands the heart of Norwich University — our faculty, our students, and our mission. Her appointment as Provost reflects both her exceptional qualifications and the trust she has earned across this institution.”
Dr. Williams acknowledged recent leadership changes but stressed that Norwich’s academic foundation remains strong due to its dedicated faculty and staff. “That can feel destabilizing, but the reality is the foundation is super solid,” she said. “The faculty are continuing to deliver a great curriculum and all sorts of excellent experiences for our students.” She added: “They know their jobs and they do them well, no matter what movements are taking place at the executive level. That has been tremendously reassuring.”
Having joined Norwich in 2006 after teaching at Presbyterian College in South Carolina, Dr. Williams brought experience from various educational settings including graduate work at University of Oregon and teaching abroad at Université François Rabelais in France.
Reflecting on her early days at Norwich, Dr. Williams noted her appreciation for students’ focus on contribution and service: “I really like the students here because they’re just so focused on making a contribution and serving in some capacity,” she said.
In her role as an English and communications faculty member, Dr. Williams specialized in war literature and helped create new courses such as one on Vietnam War literature that included travel to Vietnam for experiential learning.
She credited early support from colleagues for shaping her engagement with Norwich: “My chair at the time, Dr. Patricia Ferreira, said, ‘We are here to learn from you as much as you’re here to learn from us,’” recalled Provost Williams.
Over her tenure at Norwich University, Dr. Williams held several leadership positions including department chair of English and communications; associate provost; interim dean of both Liberal Arts and Arts & Sciences colleges; as well as coordinator for faculty development programs.
“I just got involved and tried to do a good job teaching,” she said about her path into administration roles.
Her experience coordinating faculty development provided insight into research across departments: “I got to see the research going on across the institution, and it was very inspirational,” she said.
As provost now responsible for all academic programs—and working alongside departments including Corps of Cadets—she will focus on student success by fostering cross-campus collaboration: “Having served Norwich at nearly every level of academic leadership during her tenure, Dr. Williams brings a unique perspective to the role of Provost,” LtGen Broadmeadow stated.
Provost Williams cited growing cooperation between campus units aimed at supporting student well-being through initiatives like weekly meetings by the Care Team: “They meet weekly and are looking at ways to make sure students who might be struggling are receiving the support they need,” she explained.
Looking ahead, community engagement will shape academic priorities under her leadership: “I want to hear from the community,” she said regarding plans for listening sessions with faculty senate members.
Among ongoing projects is further development of outdoor experiential learning—a tradition dating back over 200 years—to enhance hands-on education opportunities: “I’m very excited about leaning into experiential hands-on outdoor learning for our students,” she said.
Provost Williams also underscored preparing students for post-graduation careers as an ethical obligation: “We need to make sure that we’re properly educating our students but also that we’re preparing them for their future after graduation.”
Summing up her outlook upon assuming this new role within Norwich University’s leadership team she remarked: “This University has given me so much… To be entrusted with this role is truly an honor.”
