Alyson G. Wilson is Vice Provost for Research at William & Mary, where she is responsible for developing and executing a strategy to expand and strengthen the university’s research enterprise while advancing its commitment to teaching excellence, undergraduate research, and interdisciplinary graduate education. In this role, she works closely with university leadership, deans, faculty, and research partners to enhance research infrastructure, increase external funding opportunities, and position William & Mary for continued growth and impact as a Carnegie R1 research university.
Wilson brings extensive experience in research leadership, innovation, and academic administration. Prior to joining William & Mary, she served as Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Initiatives and Commercialization at North Carolina State University and also held the role of Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. There, she managed the university’s intellectual property portfolio, cultivated new research partnerships, advanced institutional research initiatives, and strengthened the university’s research reputation. She also oversaw federal research compliance and supported the execution of sponsored grants and contracts across a broad range of disciplines.
A nationally recognized statistician and research leader, Wilson has helped expand research engagement in areas including national security, defense, data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. Her career reflects a commitment to building collaborative research ecosystems, developing strategic partnerships across academia, government, and industry, and creating opportunities that enable faculty and students to pursue innovative, high-impact scholarship.
Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Rice University, a master’s degree in statistics from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Ph.D. in statistics from Duke University. Before entering academia, she worked in the private sector applying statistical methods to assess the reliability of defense systems, experience that continues to inform her interdisciplinary approach to research, innovation, and public impact.
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