ROBERT L. WILLIAMS ’94

ROBERT L. WILLIAMS, 38, a mediator at RESOLVE and The Meridian Institute in Oregon, whose long battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine, led him to become a spokesperson for the disease, died Oct. 26, 2009. He received his degree with honors from the College of Social Studies and later received an MS from Oregon State University. He was an active member and leader in the Association for Conflict Resolution, Environment and Public Policy Section. Despite his AS, he competed in triathlons and became a ranked amateur, ultimately qualifying three times for the national team and representing the U.S. in 2008 on Team USA, competing in the long course world championship in the Netherlands. In addition to raising funds for AS, he spoke at medical schools in order to make physicians more aware of the symptoms of the disease. His sister predeceased him. Among those who survive are his parents, five aunts and uncles, and numerous cousins, in addition to many supportive co-workers, teammates, and friends.