MEDIA MEN T OR
Q&A
with IVAN
WILLIAMS
Ivan Williams, MBA ’96 is a former chemical engineer and oil executive who now focuses on something that first captivated his attention in high school: filmmaking. Today, he is a film, television and theater producer, and a staunch advocate of the arts at UCI. Besides being a UCI Foundation Trustee, Williams serves on multiple leadership councils and boards, and chairs the Dean’s Arts Board for the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Q. How did you become involved with CTSA? IW: In 2017, I attended a graduate student success celebration at UCI, and it ignited me. I knew it was time for me to step up and get involved. I asked, where does filmmaking sit at UCI? That simple question led to a meeting with the dean of humanities and the dean of the arts. In no time, CTSA Dean Stephen Barker had captured my attention and inspired me with his vision to leverage technology to push the frontier of art in new and exciting ways. A bold vision indeed, and one that I knew I wanted to be part of. So when he asked me to chair the CTSA Dean’s Arts Board, I jumped in without hesitation!
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