Syracuse University

Ryan Williams’ engagement with the world got off to an early start. His childhood was spent not only in his hometown of Livonia, New York, but also in The Netherlands, as a result of his parents' employment. That overseas experience at a young age inspired in Williams a love of languages and a deep interest in international affairs.  He further pursued his interests throughout his college years, earning a bachelor's degree in French and German from Nazareth College, a master's in law and diplomacy from Tufts University's Fletcher School and an M.B.A. from the HEC School of Management in Jouy-en-Josas, France. Williams is also in the process of completing his Ph.D. in Political Science at the Maxwell School. 

Before deciding to move back to the States, he worked for a corporate finance firm in Berlin for a time. A job prospect that would have landed him in Baltimore fell through, but he took a chance and came back to America anyway.

“My timing wasn’t the best,” Williams said. “I moved back just a couple of weeks before 9/11, which made getting a job in investment banking that much more challenging. But the situation made me think about what I wanted to do with my life and to pursue my passion, which was international higher education.”

At the end of several months, he had five job offers—four in the private sector and one from Syracuse University as the assistant director of SU Abroad. “I decided to jump and take that position,” he said. “From there, I was recruited to join the International Relations Program at the Maxwell School as the graduate director.

In August, Williams was named director of the International Relations Program in Washington, D.C., based at  Greenberg House. In that role, he oversees programs for undergraduate and graduate students which include internships and for-credit coursework. He also teaches the Global Policy Seminar, which takes undergraduate students to various organizations and agencies in Washington, D.C., to learn about current foreign and national security policy. “Our students learn from people who are right in the thick of it, who research and create international policy every day,” Williams said.

It’s a full slate for the new director, but one he relishes. “For me, this is an opportunity to teach and to mentor students seeking careers in international affairs,” he said. “The D.C. program is designed to help students leverage the academic knowledge they gain on campus into professional skills and real-world experiences needed to spark successful careers.”