Carolyn Williams

Carolyn Williams is a Distinguished Professor of English at Rutgers University’s School of Arts and Sciences, serving as Chair of the Department of English since 2010. Her expertise lies in Victorian literature, theater, and cultural studies, with a focus on gender, poetry, and melodrama. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Virginia and a BA from Wellesley College.

• Directed Undergraduate Studies and the Writers at Rutgers program until 2010.
• Founded and led Writers House (2008–2010).
• Leadership roles include supervisory roles at The English Institute, The Dickens Project, and NAVSA.

Her research explores Victorian theater and literature, including studies on Gilbert and Sullivan, Walter Pater, and melodrama. Notable publications include *Gilbert and Sullivan: Gender, Genre, Parody* (2011) and *The Cambridge Companion to English Melodrama* (2018). Awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship (2004–2005) and the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching (1999).

Teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses on Victorian literature, autobiography, and theater. She also contributes to cultural initiatives like the Writers at Rutgers reading series, blending academic rigor with public engagement.