lisa grady-willis
visiting assistant professor and associate director intergroup relations program

Lisa Grady-Willis is the associate director of the Intergroup Relations program. Her work in intergroup relations is greatly informed by a background in Africana Studies. 

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 in the area of arts for social change.