MCAN welcomes Tiffany Williams as first-ever director of equity strategy

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan College Access Network is pleased to announce the hiring of Tiffany Williams, Ph.D., as its first-ever director of equity strategy. In this role, Williams will expand the leadership team and provide an additional voice of accountability for MCAN’s internal and external equity policies and strategies.

“Improving equity in postsecondary education has been in MCAN’s mission since day one, and we are excited to welcome Tiffany Williams as director of equity strategy to help ensure our work is focused on improving outcomes for marginalized communities and actively closing equity gaps within our state,” said MCAN Executive Director Ryan Fewins-Bliss. “Meeting our Sixty by 30 attainment goal relies on building a more inclusive education system, and Dr. Williams brings invaluable experience, passion and accountability to the organization in support our internal and external equity efforts.”

Prior to joining MCAN, Williams worked as director of diversity & inclusion at Oakland University’s William Beaumont School of Medicine. In this role, she oversaw the diversity, equity and inclusion programming and initiatives for the entire OUWB community, as well as managing outreach programs. She also spent seven years as assistant director for pre-college programs at Oakland University, where she worked to encourage high school and college students to pursue postsecondary opportunities and graduate programs. She has more than 10 years of experience in administrative management roles related to student programming and student affairs, with a focus on improving preparation, access, success and retention for diverse student populations. Her research interests include college readiness, social justice and equity issues, retention and student sense of belonging among underrepresented student populations.

“Joining the MCAN team allows me to continue my passion for creating inclusive and equitable environments and to challenge the status quo to ensure equity is centered in all of our work,” Williams said. “MCAN is the leader of the state’s college access movement, and I look forward to supporting the mission to increase Michigan’s college readiness, enrollment and completion rates, particularly among low-income students, first generation college going students, and students of color.”

Williams earned a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy administration from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. She went on to get a post-master's graduate certification in higher education and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Oakland University.