Crystal Williams

Dear RISD Community,

It is with great sadness that I write to share the news that Trustee Bob Glass passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Bob was an enthusiastic champion of RISD. In 2012, a year after his daughter graduated from RISD, Bob joined the Board of Trustees. During his tenure, Bob served on numerous board committees, including the Museum, Finance, Academic and Student Affairs, Campus Facilities and Planning, and Education Mission and Strategy. In 2019, he joined the Museum Board of Governors, where he was a thoughtful and active participant who eagerly shared advice, suggestions, and connections in support of RISD. He also attended Fine Arts Committee meetings in an effort to be a more informed governor so he could offer his leadership in the most meaningful ways. His great love and appreciation for the arts were always apparent, and he was pivotal to the presidential search process and a widely respected and valued member of the Board of Trustees.

Bob’s wide-ranging expertise, insightfulness, generosity, and enthusiasm always enriched Board discussions and decisions, and greatly benefited RISD. His good humor, thoughtfulness, dedication, and whole-hearted support of our institution was boundless. He even rode with RISD’s cycling team! Bob is survived by his wife, Katy, and daughters, Grace 11 IL, and Melanie.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Bob’s family and friends. We will miss him greatly.

Sincerely,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President

On Friday, April 3, Met B will be reserved from Noon to 1:00 pm for any students, staff, or faculty who wish to be together at this time of loss. There will be no formal program or expectation to stay for the duration. Various staff members will be available to provide support and companionship, as well as a variety of support resources (information, therapy animals, creative activity supplies, refreshments, etc.). There will also be adjacent spaces for anyone who wishes to gather in smaller groups or for private one-on-one support.

Updated lists of available resources are attached to this message. Note, the second attachment is specifically for our community members currently in Florence. Please do seek support when you need it, and continue to take good care of yourselves and each other. 

RISD on-campus support resources

RISD support resources – Florence

Dear RISD Community,

We learned this morning the devastating news that a first-year RISD student, currently studying abroad, has passed away. We have contacted the student’s family and, out of respect for their privacy, cannot publicly share the student’s identity at this time.

The death of a student is a tragedy and a loss for not only the family, but for our community of students, faculty, and staff. At RISD, our networks and connections are deep and strongly felt. I know that many of you will receive this hard news with great sadness and even despair. The power of friendships and community in moments such as this is an important source of collective comfort and cannot be underestimated. So I urge each of you to care for yourselves and others as you can–and to do so together. When we have details about a community gathering, we will share that information. But please remember that we also have many resources immediately available to help support students, staff, and faculty. Those are listed below. 

We will soon begin reaching out to community members who were close to the student, including members of their cohort and faculty who had the student in class, to offer counseling and other forms of support.

Finally, as stated above, we have not yet received the family’s authorization to publicly share the student’s name. When possible, we will share that information with the community. 

With sadness,

Crystal Williams (she/her)
President

For Students:  

Students who would like an appointment to speak with a counselor at Counseling and Psychological Services - please call 401 454-6637. Someone will always answer the phone number to assist you, and appointment times will be made as widely available as possible.

For Faculty and Staff: 

For any faculty or staff needing personal support, Coastline EAP, our Employee Assistance provider, offers confidential counseling and referral/resource services 24 hours a day at 800 445-1195.

We encourage anyone who needs support to take advantage of these resources. In addition, we ask anyone who is concerned about the wellbeing of a RISD community member to contact RISD Public Safety at 401 454-6666, our counseling office at 401 454-6637, or to submit a Concern Assessment Response Evaluation (CARE) referral.