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Women’s Spirituality Co-Chair and Associate Professor Annette Williams is retiring this year after an illustrious career.
With great joy and deep appreciation, the Department of Women’s Spirituality announces the retirement of Program Co-Chair and Associate Professor Annette Williams as she prepares to retire from CIIS and turn a beautiful new page in her life’s journey.
After several decades of visionary scholarship, inspired teaching, and steadfast service, Professor Williams has left an indelible mark on the Women’s Spirituality program and the broader CIIS community. Her presence, wisdom, and care have shaped generations of students, colleagues, and friends.
Throughout her tenure at CIIS she demonstrated exemplary scholarship, teaching, and service, leaving an indelible mark on both our department and CIIS as a whole, as well as in the field of Women’s Spirituality through her research and her mentorship. Her research explored profound themes of soul healing, wounded female sexuality, and women’s spiritual power within the Yorùbá Ifá tradition. Her dissertation, "Our Mysterious Mothers: The Primordial Feminine Power of Àjé in the Cosmology, Mythology, and Historical Reality of the West African Yoruba," was recognized with the 2016 Kore Award for Best Dissertation by the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology.
As a recognized scholar and an initiate and student of the Yorùbá Ifá tradition, Professor Williams has lectured on the philosophy and lived experiences of the tradition, inspiring students and faculty alike. She has shared her talents and expertise through a variety of presentations and public engagements. Her publications and media contributions are significant, including interviews, book chapters, and documentary appearances that highlight her expertise and commitment to expanding academic and public discourse on women's spirituality and cultural traditions.
Her pivotal research on these subaltern and underrepresented traditions has been critical in helping CIIS fulfill its vision of transdisciplinary and diverse scholarship, and shaping the curriculum at CIIS through courses that explore critical perspectives on spirituality, feminism, and decolonial thought. During her time as faculty, she chaired six dissertations, each of which has contributed to the dissemination of new knowledge rooted in decolonial methodologies and respect for diverse expressions of the Sacred.
Professor Williams has provided extensive and exemplary service to both the Department of Women’s Spirituality and the broader CIIS community. She first joined CIIS as a student in 2003 and served Women’s Spirituality as both a program assistant (2003-6) and program coordinator (2006-10). She brought to both these roles a wealth of administrative experience from her prior career in business. After earning her Ph.D. in 2014, Professor Williams joined Women’s Spirituality as core faculty and chair in 2016.
During her nine-year role as department chair, Professor Williams led with consistency, compassion, and acumen and earned great respect from many colleagues, both faculty and staff. Her commitment to inclusivity, mentorship, and collegiality has left a lasting legacy.
Anna Corwin, Program Co-Chair, and Violeta Krasnić, Program Coordinator, Women’s Spirituality
During her nine-year role as department chair, Professor Williams led with consistency, compassion, and acumen and earned great respect from many colleagues, both faculty and staff. Her commitment to inclusivity, mentorship, and collegiality has left a lasting legacy. She has worked tirelessly to support students, engage with the broader community, and advocate for meaningful institutional growth.
She has also served on several CIIS committees, and in numerous leadership roles outside of CIIS. In 2009-10, she served as co-chairperson of the Goddess Studies section of the American Academy of Religion/Western Region. She has served on the advisory board for the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology since 2020.
Though her daily presence at CIIS will be deeply missed, we look forward to gathering in honor of Professor Williams, all she has shared, and all that lies ahead for her.
The CIIS community is invited to join two celebrations: one honoring Williams and Shoshana Simons — who is retiring from the Expressive Arts Therapy program, will be held on Thursday, May 15 from 1-3 p.m. Pacific Time online and in Namaste Hall on campus. The second, hosted by the Department of Women’s Spirituality, will be on Friday, May 16 from 5-7:30 p.m. Pacific Time, online and in the 1st Floor Art Gallery at CIIS. Our CIIS community can access the event details on Connect.
Graduating students will have a special opportunity to learn from Professor Williams’ spiritual wisdom as she will deliver the invocation during CIIS’ 57th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 17, at A.C.T.'s Toni Rembe Theater.
Exploring the convergence of philosophy, gender studies and social justice
Professor Emerita Shoshana Simons, who retired from Expressive Arts Therapy this year, delivered the address to graduating students at CIIS’ 57th Commencement.
Expressive Arts Therapy congratulates professor and former program chair Shoshana Simons on her retirement.
Humanistic Astrologer Jessica Lanyadoo returns to CIIS Public Programs for a conversation with Associate Professor Sonya Shah on individual and mutual healing using the guidance of the cosmos and the power of community.
