Lisa Grady-Willis

program director and teaching professor of intergroup relations

Office: Tisch Learning Center, #205A
Phone: 518-580-5459
Email: lgradywi@skidmore.edu 

"As a teaching assistant at Cornell University, the course Racism in America set the standard for who I would become as an educator. The historical grounding coupled with the sociological interrogation of privilege and introduction to critical race theory, resulted in a transformative experience for students.  Every class that I have taught since then (70+) has included attention to multicultural and social justice competencies. As both a student and a teacher of Africana Studies I believe in an activist intellectual tradition."

Lisa Grady-Willis is an educator, administrator, and artist, whose work in intergroup relations is informed by a background in Africana Studies and Arts for Social Change. She has worked with individuals ranging from youth to elders; and organizations and institutions ranging from community centers and neighborhood improvement associations, to arts councils and foundations, to colleges and universities. Throughout her career she has remained committed to the creation of self-affirming spaces and inclusive learning environments.

From 2008-2011, Grady-Willis served on the faculty of Skidmore College’s theater department. She introduced courses in Black theatre and community-based theatre that remain a part of the campus curriculum to this day. Grady-Willis also had the privilege of teaching with IGR and contributing to a small think tank of faculty and staff convened to create metrics for continued assessment regarding program stability, growth, and student learning outcomes.

Grady-Willis rejoined the Skidmore community in the fall of 2019, following a position as the inaugural Director of Diversity Education & Learning for Portland State University. In this role she developed and facilitated learning opportunities specific to staff, faculty, administrators, undergraduate students, graduate students, and community partners. Exploring concepts such as implicit bias, microaggressions, cultural humility, and race, power and privilege; and addressing approaches such as inclusive curriculum, culturally responsive pedagogy, inclusive hiring and creating more equitable workplaces, she worked to keep equity and inclusion at the forefront of the institutional agenda. 

In addition to her time at PSU and Skidmore, Lisa Grady-Willis has held faculty positions at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Syracuse University, and Cornell University, as well as several years of non-profit leadership. 

"Whether I engage with individuals in a classroom or in a workshop setting, I strive to meet them where they are and to assist them in determining where they want to go. This approach reinforces the importance of facilitating a culture shift versus dictating a culture shift. I listen as much as I challenge.  As an educator I embrace the reality that education is by no means limited to the classroom. I believe in holistic education, recognizing that both academic affairs and student affairs are integral to student development. As an artist I bring my creative spirit to all that I do. As an administrator I embrace community-building as not only theory but practice. 

IGR recognizes the importance of training our students to become global citizens who care about the world around them. We confront issues related to race, religion, class, gender, ability and sexual orientation. Students of all backgrounds emerge from the program, not just as “student leaders” but as young adults eager to take on the world as leaders and agents of change."