Rod N. Williams, Ph.D.

Enduring Achievement Award

Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement, Texas Tech University

At Purdue, I co-authored The Guide: Documenting, Evaluating, and Rewarding Engaged Scholarship. The Guide has been accessed by faculty in more than 100 colleges/universities worldwide. Based on the success of this Purdue-focused document, an expanded, more comprehensive version of the publication is being developed by a team of individuals led by me. Dissemination of the new resource will occur in conjunction with the Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC). Since transitioning to Texas Tech in 2024, I created the Engaged College Program. Five colleges are participating in this program designed to support colleges wishing to develop new or strengthen engagement initiatives. This initiative focuses on institutionalizing engagement in the areas of strategic planning at the college level in support of engagement, tenure and promotion policy revisions and recommendations, and community partnership formalization and infrastructure.

I am a native Hoosier growing up in a small farming community in southeastern Indiana. I attended Purdue for my BS, MS, and PhD. I was an extension specialist at Purdue for 25 years focusing on wildlife conservation and K12 stem education programming. I spent the last five years at Purdue in the Office of Engagement helping advance engagement rewards and recognition for faculty. I moved to Texas in 2024 to serve as the Vice Provost of Outreach and Engagement, a unit of more than 135 people. I have two children (Brayden, 26; and Lanie; 22). My wife and I became grandparents in the fall of 2025 to a beautiful granddaughter, Maevelyn Jo Williams. She is now 4 months old and we enjoy spoiling her from afar.