After eight years at the helm of the City College of New York, where Dr. Gregory Williams grew enrollment at the minority-serving institution by 60 percent, instituted more rigorous admissions standards and launched the college's first capital campaign that raised more than $300 million, last fall he became the 27th president of the University of Cincinnati. Among the challenges Williams faces at the nearly 40,000-student urban research university is raising money for its $1 billion capital campaign, Proudly Cincinnati, and improving student diversity (its enrollment is 14 percent minority, of which 10 percent are Black) as higher admissions standards and the financial downturn threaten to derail the higher education aspirations of many. Williams, who ties his legacy as president to his ability to enhance diversity, has good reasons to carry the torch for under-represented minority and low-income students. This article presents an interview with Dr. Gregory Williams. In this interview, the longtime educator talks about how his background informs his leadership, the state of higher education and what he's working on at UC.