Field Museum Women’s Board Elects First African American President

The Field Museum’s Women’s Board has elected Dr. Lynda Williams as its 29th president, the first African American woman to hold the office. Serving on the Board for more than 10 years, Williams has championed uplifting women’s voices in scientific and educational leadership. 

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve as the President of the Women’s Board,” said Williams. “I am excited to lead this amazing collective of women, who are dedicated to expanding the reach of the Field Museum and supporting our vision of providing opportunities for women in science.” 

In tandem with her work on the Museum Women’s Board, Williams serves as an Educational Leadership consultant to school administrators in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and suburban districts. Additionally, she is an assistant professor at National Louis University in the National College of Education.  As a member of the Women’s Board, Williams served as chair of its outreach committee, where she established the Board’s partnerships with CPS through the Women in Science program, and as a vice president and co-chair of the 2022 Women’s Board Gala: A Night at the Field Museum – the Museum’s first in-person gala following the pandemic. 

With a passion for mentorship, Williams has set out to further engage CPS in the Museum’s Women in Science program which raises funds for summer internships for high school and college students, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, and provides support to the Museum’s female scientists. A lifelong learner and educator, Williams worked for more than 36 years as a teacher, principal, director, and advisor for public and private schools in Illinois in addition to completing her doctoral degree (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership at Roosevelt University in 2015.

“Lynda is accomplished, hardworking, passionate, and dedicated to the Field Museum and the Women’s Board. I could not imagine a better leader to guide us through the next two years,” said Elizabeth Glass, outgoing President of the Women’s Board. 

The Women’s Board of the Field Museum was founded in 1966 to promote women’s interest in the museum and its activities and is dedicated to the Field’s success as a cultural institution and world leader in scientific discovery, collections management, education, and conservation. Through its fundraising events and activities, the Women’s Board raises more than $2.5M annually to support the Field Museum’s mission to connect all of us to the natural world and the human story.