PennPIRG Staff
Rich Williams is the PennPIRG students Higher Education Advocate.
Since 2008, Williams has worked to represent college students before the White House, Congress and the Department of Education. His expertise is federal higher education policy, including affordable textbooks, student aid, grants, and loans. His views and opinions have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today and other publications.
A first generation college student, Williams started organizing for higher education while a student at Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. He spearheaded a statewide affordable textbooks campaign, organizing public university students, professors and Regents to introduce and pass a bill in the state legislature making textbooks more affordable. He graduated in 2008 with a degree in history.
Internships
Work on important issues, learn valuable skills, get hands-on experience, and make a difference.
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Student leaders educate the campus about income inequality during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. -
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We collect petition signatures - lots of them! -
Hunger and Homelessness intern Roua Aboukhadijeh collecting interview footage on campus for a short film on poverty. -
Students campaign for High Speed Rail. -
Fast Trains ARE Cool. -
Students volunteer at a local garden for the National Hunger Cleanup. -
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Volunteers wear the textbook mascot costumes to educate students about affordable textbook alternatives. -
Students posing with the textbook Rebellion books, We Want Cheaper TEXTBOOKS!! -
Textbook Rebel and Mr. $200 drew attention to outrageous textbook prices. -
Six media outlets covered a stop on the Textbooks Rebellion tour to promote affordable alternatives to outrageously expensive textbooks.