Professor Rohan Williamson

Rohan Williamson is an internationally-respected scholar in finance, who specializes in risk management, financial services, international finance, corporate governance, corporate liquidity and the importance of culture on finance and economic decisions. He is a research Associate at the National Bureau for Economic Research; a private, nonpartisan organization that facilitates cutting-edge investigation of major economic issues and disseminates research findings to academics, public and private-sector decision-makers, and the public. His research and work provide significant insights regarding the intersections among real-world corporate finance issues, academic research and policy. He has received several prestigious awards recognizing his research, leadership, and overall career achievement.  

Beyond his academic work, at Georgetown Professor Williamson has served in various leadership positions over his career. He was Vice Provost for Education; responsible for academic affairs for approximately 6,700 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate students. During his tenure, he spearheaded initiatives to navigate myriad challenges related to the COVID pandemic. He presided over examination of the core curriculum, expanded co-curricular opportunities and created a unique academic program to engage students during the summer. Professor Williamson has also served as the Interim Dean of the McDonough School of Business and a member of the MSB Academic Leadership Council. He currently serves on the Internal Advisory Committee for the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University. For his profession he has served as the VP of Global Services for the Financial Management Association, and is currently, the Chairman of the Committee on Racial Diversity for the American Finance Association and member of the Board of Directors of the Western Finance Association.  

Along with his academic and leadership roles, he has served in consulting roles to law firms, corporations and government agencies. He has served on boards for several corporations and is on the Finance Advisory Board of the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Professor Williamson is the founder and former Chairman of the Board of the UNITY Youth Development, Inc., a 501c(3) non-profit organization that has impacted the lives of over 2,000 youth through scholastic, cultural and recreational activities in Silver Spring, MD and surrounding communities.  Prior to his academic career, he was an Aircraft Research Engineer for Lockheed Corporation before moving to Chrysler Corporation as an analyst and manager in the office of the Chief Financial Officer.

Professor Williamson received his PhD and MA from The Ohio State University, an M.B.A from Atlanta University and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton. He received The Ohio State University Pace Setters Award and the Thaddeus Spratlen Alumni of Color Distinguished Educator Award from The Ohio State University and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society.  He is also the parent of a 2014 and 2018 Georgetown graduates.