Duane A. Williams, Ph.D., is the Associate Vice Provost for Student Success and Retention at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. In this role, he oversees the Undergraduate Academic Advisement, the Student Academic Success Center, the First-Year Experience program, and other initiatives related to student success within the Division of Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost. 

Dr. Williams earned his Ph.D. in Family Science and Human Development from Montclair State University. His research focuses on individuals who were the first in their families to attend and complete a college degree, and were the first in their families to attain White-collar professional careers. His scholarly work has been published in the Journal of First Generation Student Success, the Journal of African American Studies, and the Journal of Access, Retention, and Inclusion in Higher Education. 

Dr. Williams’ research focuses on the experiences of Black First-Generation Professionals in the workplace; complexities of upward mobility, Black identity development, family relationships, and mentorship. His research recognized that as individuals gained upward mobility, equating to status, financial stability, and flexibility, they also experienced some form of loss -- connection to family and a changed relational bond. Ambiguous loss and Black identity development theoretical frameworks were used in his research.