Lorna Williams-Rolley Guides Chemistry Students to New Heights
By Kirsten Heuring
Media Inquiries- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
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In her free time, Lorna Williams-Rolley scales mountains. At work, she empowers graduate students to conquer their own academic peaks.
"I'm the one stop for grad students at any point in the program," said Williams-Rolley, the graduate program coordinator and academic program manager for Carnegie Mellon's Department of Chemistry. "I direct them where they need to go and see if I can help them solve their problems."
Williams-Rolley earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Grove City College in 2016 and began working in the Mellon College of Science in 2017. She earned her current position in 2018, and she said it was a good way to use her degree and experience in chemistry while helping others.
"I've always been good at organizing, and I was interested in a people-oriented role," Williams-Rolley said.
Williams-Rolley works with chemistry graduate students from application to graduation. She organizes recruiting visits for prospective students, connecting them with faculty and current students. Once admitted, she helps them find a research advisor and meet program requirements.
Along with offering advice, she helps plan graduation events and thesis defenses. She said she does her best to attend defenses so she can learn more about the students' experiences and accomplishments.
Bruce Armitage, professor and head of the Department of Chemistry, said her work helps the graduate student experience go smoothly.
"Lorna is the one constant in every student's experience here," Armitage said. "She is level-headed, discreet and shows excellent judgment."
Williams-Rolley also works with faculty on behalf of graduate students. She serves as part of the Department of Chemistry's Graduate Program Committee to share students' comments, which has helped the programs evolve every year.
"We make small improvements every year based on the kind of feedback I get or based on what students are coming to me to talk about," Williams-Rolley said. "They have really great ideas about communication or activities or mentoring they want to see, and we try to respond to what both the students and the faculty are looking for."
Williams-Rolley said one of the best parts of her work is seeing graduate students grow.
"I always enjoy interactions with students, especially because we have so many from across different countries," she said.
In her professional and personal life, Williams-Rolley embodies the spirit of a mountaineer. Just as she scaled Nevada's Mount Wheeler over spring break, her dedication to creating a supportive environment allows the students she works with to conquer their own summits.
"Lorna's love of the outdoors and the way she pursues challenges in her non-work life matches up perfectly with her ability to manage challenging things in her job," Armitage said. "Lorna is the bridge that brings everyone in the department together."
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