Harvard Ph.D. appointed Williams College president

Adam F. Falk brings a young new presence to the President's House in Williamstown.

Theoretical physicist Adam F. Falk, Ph.D. '91, has been appointed the seventeenth president of Williams College, effective next April. Falk, age 44, is dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins, a position he assumed on an interim basis in 2005 and on a regular basis the following year. Williams regularly scores among the top three liberal-arts colleges (with Amherst and Swarthmore) in magazine rankings.

According to the Williams release, Falk earned his bachelor of science degree at the University of North Carolina in 1987. Following his doctoral work at Harvard, he held appointments at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and at the University of California at San Diego; he joined the Hopkins faculty in 1994, and earned tenure three years later. During his graduate work at Harvard, he earned six awards for excellence in undergraduate teaching.

 

Related topics

You might also like

How J. Max Bond Jr. Honored Black History Through Architecture

A new book explores the Harvard-trained architect’s vision and impact, from Ground Zero to the Smithsonian.

How Facebook Escaped Harvard

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

Two Scientists Bring the Laboratory to the Stage

The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.

Most popular

Three Harvard Alumni and a Former Postdoc Named MacArthur Fellows

A labor economist, an organic chemist, a physicist, and a memory researcher were honored with 2026 “genius” grants.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Explore More From Current Issue

Colorful cartoon animals, including dogs, cows, rabbits, and a fence, on a pink background.

Inseparable cows, big dogs fostering a tiny kitten, and a show beagle’s second act

Runners compete on a track, with a Harvard athlete in the foreground and others behind.

After a historic 2025-26 season, athletes eye NCAA championships.

A woman with curly blonde hair sits casually against a stone wall, wearing a black top and jeans.

Chloe Chapin trains her Broadway costume designer’s eye on the history of men’s fashion.