At William & Mary, our award-winning faculty aren’t just leaders in their fields — they’re mentors who know your name.
From day one, they support students in diving into hands-on research, exploring the world through 45+ study abroad programs and growing into innovators, educators, artists and changemakers under their guidance.
{{youtube:large:center|AgYJJPons7E}}
Our world-class faculty from six schools and dozens of programs are united by one mission: your success. They bring passion to the classroom — and a personal touch to every student’s journey.
William & Mary faculty are sought-after experts in their fields. Students can start researching as early as their first year and 85% of undergraduate students participate in faculty-mentored research. Explore faculty research by school.
“I love learning because my professors love teaching, and I really enjoy how they are instructors first and researchers and publishers second. They genuinely enjoy the relationships that they have with their students. They really want that kind of one-on-one connection. They want to know what you can do and they want the best for you.”
— Karena Richmond ’26, public policy major from Lexington, Virginia.
In 2024, W&M faculty published 29 books on topics including blind activism, witchcraft accusations in 1600s Spain, Euripides’ Alcestis, college student development, law and art therapy, plus a work of fiction.
Described as a "delicate balance of comedy and lecture," the annual Raft Debate features four W&M faculty members from diverse disciplines stranded on a desolate island with only a one-person life raft for escape to civilization. Which faculty member should survive for the sake of humanity?
W&M is the #1 public university for study abroad participation and our faculty are a significant factor in making the experiences special. Over 45 faculty-led programs across 55 countries and all seven continents are held during summer and winter breaks. W&M also offers study away programs at the Washington Center in Washington, D.C.
William & Mary faculty earn top honors — from the Guggenheim Fellowship to the Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award — for their innovation, teaching and mentorship. Their excellence is recognized across disciplines, year after year.
“(Shannon White, associate director of William & Mary’s Center for Geospatial Analysis) is always willing to offer her expertise, whether it be GIS, sewing projects or life in general. Those of us who are lucky to have her as a professor leave feeling not only more knowledgeable but also valued.” — Molly Moran ’24 geology major from Haymarket, Virginia
