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

Shakespeare and Stephen King Have a Lot in Common

Caroline Bicks, the celebrated Shakespeare scholar, studies how horror and fear work in literature. 

Harvard Elects New Overseers, HAA Directors

Leaders for the governing board and alumni association were chosen by an alumni vote.

Phi Beta Kappa Speakers Call Out a ‘Deeply Troubling’ Moment

Former Harvard President Lawrence Bacow and poet Meghan O’Rourke urge graduates to focus on character and “radical attention.”

Most popular

Don’t Be A ‘Solo Superhero,’ Jonny Kim Tells Harvard Alumni

The astronaut, doctor, and Navy SEAL delivered keynote remarks at the University’s Alumni Day festivities.

Harvard Honors Its Oldest Alumni

At 97 and 101, Linda Cabot Black ’51 and William “Bill” Dubey ’46 led the way on Alumni Day.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

Historical scene in colonial Boston depicting British soldiers confronting civilians, with smoke rising, in a city street.

Houghton Library Displays Revolution-era News and Propaganda

A new exhibit reveals how early Americans learned about the war.

Colorful illustrated map of Colonial Cambridge and the Harvard College campus featuring buildings of the campus, houses, Cambridge Common, and the Charles River

250 Years Ago, Harvard Was Home to a Revolution

A look at the sights, sounds, and characters that put the University on the frontlines of history

A colorful hummingbird hovering by vibrant flowers.

Discoveries

Short takes on cutting-edge research