CMSRU names first Professor Emerita
Charlene Williams, PhD, professor of biomedical sciences and the very first biomedical science faculty member hired to teach at CMSRU, has retired effective July 1. In late June, Rowan University’s Board of Trustees approved her designation as Professor Emerita, making her CMSRU’s first faculty member with emeritus status.
“Dr. Williams has had an impressive career as a researcher and an educator,” said Annette C. Reboli, MD, dean of CMSRU. “Being named our first ‘Professor Emerita’ is a significant honor, and we are so pleased we could recognize the valuable contributions she has made at CMSRU in this way.”
Dr. Williams joined CMSRU in 2011, prior to the school’s official opening, and was the first faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Prior to joining CMSRU, she spent 20 years at Thomas Jefferson University.
“I wanted to come here to be part of a start-up,” Dr. Williams explained. “It’s wonderful to see how much we have grown, and I look forward to seeing even more growth in the future.”
Dr. Williams was an Active Learning Group facilitator and was course director of Fundamentals. Her research interests are in the area of rheumatic diseases.
Dr. Williams has authored over 70 scientific publications and has contributed 10 book chapters to various volumes devoted to rheumatic diseases. She has received NIH and private research grants, and in 2005, was awarded the Stewart J. McCracken Award for Achievement in Rheumatology Research by the National Arthritis Foundation. An international leader in her field, Dr. Williams has served on numerous NIH grant review committees and has presented the results of her research at many professional and scientific meetings, including this year's annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Williams was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2010.
As Professor Emerita, Dr. Williams hopes to continue to make intellectual contributions at CMSRU through voluntary lectures and mentoring students and junior faculty. She will continue doing research at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as visiting professor for the Medical College of Wisconsin.
“We send our best wishes to Dr. Williams in her retirement and we look forward to her returning to campus soon to share her wisdom and knowledge with our current and future students,” added Dr. Reboli.