I am pleased to share that Erin Williams Benson, Ed.D., will join Brown as director of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

Erin brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, with deep expertise in disability services, accessibility, student support and inclusive learning. She joins Brown from the University of Georgia, where she has served as director of accessibility and testing since 2018 and leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for accommodations, disability resources and outreach, accessible media and technology, and testing services.

At UGA, Erin led the successful merger of the university’s Disability Resource Center and University Testing Services, bringing the two operations together into a unified Accessibility and Testing department. Her work has also included extensive partnership with faculty and academic departments to advance Universal Design for Learning, accessible course design and inclusive teaching practices, as well as collaboration across student affairs, information technology, facilities and other areas of the University.

That collaborative approach will be important at Brown. While SAS plays a central role in working directly with students to determine and implement reasonable accommodations, creating an accessible learning environment is a shared responsibility. Erin brings significant experience helping institutions move beyond a model focused solely on individual accommodations toward one that considers accessibility proactively in teaching, technology, policies, spaces and systems.

Erin completed her Doctor of Education degree in Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development at the University of Georgia in May 2026. She also holds a Master of Public Administration and Policy and a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from UGA, as well as a postsecondary Universal Design for Learning credential from CAST. Her work has included national presentations on disability and universal design and international engagement supporting disability inclusion and UDL initiatives in Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

I also want to thank Allen Kropp, who has served as interim director, and the entire Student Accessibility Services team for the care, flexibility and leadership they have shown during this transition. In addition to providing important continuity for students and campus partners, the team successfully launched Accommodate, Brown’s new platform for managing accessibility and accommodation services. I am also grateful to the members of the search committee for the time, thoughtfulness and care they brought to this process.

Please join me in welcoming Erin to Brown. I look forward to the experience, perspective and collaborative leadership she will bring to SAS and to our broader work to ensure that students can fully access and participate in the Brown experience.

Sincerely,

Patricia Poitevien, MD, MSc, FAAP
Vice President for Campus Life