- Ph.D., Counseling and Human Development: College Student Affairs Administration, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- Graduate Certificate, Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- M.A., Sociology of Education, Education Policy, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
- B.A., Interdisciplinary Arts, Hampshire College, Amherst, MA
Department of Education, College of Education and Social Services
Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
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Areas of expertise
- Career and Workplace Issues (wellness/ health, racism, bullying)
- Health Equity (HIV/AIDS & Stress/Allostasis)
- Higher Education (Access, social classism/ resource heading, career and identity development, mixed methods research)
BIO
Dr. Williams is an associate professor in the Department of Education, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is also an Osher Center for Integrative Health affiliate. Williams teaches across CESS, with a primary focus on student development theory, college student development, and organizational theory and administration. Her research and teaching expertise broadly examine issues of (in)equity. Specifically, she focuses on the nexus of education and public health, career and workplace issues anchored in a structural analysis of institutional and organizational effectiveness, and systemic and interpersonal barriers to societal, educational, and public health participation.
Dr. Williams is currently conducting a study on citation inequality, exploring the educative and professional implications of resource hoarding and citation vacuums in education, funded by the Spencer Foundation's racial equity grants program. She is also using her expertise in identity development scholarship to collaborate with researchers worldwide to explore autistic faculty identity development in the workplace. From 2022 to 2024, she held a National Academy of Education (NAEd)/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship examining Black college women’s attitudes, skills, and knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Williams’ personal and professional advocacy has recently appeared in and by National Geographic, National Public Radio (NPR), Essence, Politico, AIDS United, and the National Minority AIDS Council. Before joining the professoriate, she served across numerous campus administration functional areas, including housing and residence life, career services, academic affairs, and student engagement. Originally from Southwest Atlanta, Georgia, Williams obtained her Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research from the University of Georgia. She earned her bachelor's degree from Hampshire College and her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. She is a proud product of Atlanta Public Schools.
Courses
- EDHI 6210: College Students & Contexts
- EDHI 6310: Student Development Theory
- EDHI 6410: Higher Education Administration and Organization
- EDHI 6995: Graduate Independent Research
- CSYS 7491: Doctoral Dissertation Research
- EDLP 7993: Independent Study
- EDLP7491: Doctoral Dissertation Research
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- Diverse Issues in Higher Education Emerging Scholar (2025)
- Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award from NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Region I (2024)
- Emerging Scholar Award from ACPA: College Student Educators International (2024)
- Keynote speaker at 2023 ACPA College Student Educators International convention.
- Research and Scholarship Award, Coalition of Women’s Identities, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2023)
- Stellar 50 Award, African American Knowledge Community, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2023)
- Early Career Award from the Faculty Council, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2023)
- Joseph A. Abruscato Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship (2023), University of Vermont
- Outstanding Mentor to Graduate Students, Graduate Students and New Professionals – Community of Practice, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2022)
- Robert H. Shaffer Award for Academic Excellence as a Graduate Faculty Member, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Region IV-E (2021)
- First Place, Dissertation of the Year, American Association for Blacks in Higher Education (2020)
- Dissertation of the Year, Southern Association for College Student Affairs (2019)
- Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Pan African Network, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2019)
- Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Graduate Students and New Professionals Community of Practice, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2019)
Bio
Dr. Williams is an associate professor in the Department of Education, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical and Health Sciences in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is also an Osher Center for Integrative Health affiliate. Williams teaches across CESS, with a primary focus on student development theory, college student development, and organizational theory and administration. Her research and teaching expertise broadly examine issues of (in)equity. Specifically, she focuses on the nexus of education and public health, career and workplace issues anchored in a structural analysis of institutional and organizational effectiveness, and systemic and interpersonal barriers to societal, educational, and public health participation.
Dr. Williams is currently conducting a study on citation inequality, exploring the educative and professional implications of resource hoarding and citation vacuums in education, funded by the Spencer Foundation's racial equity grants program. She is also using her expertise in identity development scholarship to collaborate with researchers worldwide to explore autistic faculty identity development in the workplace. From 2022 to 2024, she held a National Academy of Education (NAEd)/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship examining Black college women’s attitudes, skills, and knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Williams’ personal and professional advocacy has recently appeared in and by National Geographic, National Public Radio (NPR), Essence, Politico, AIDS United, and the National Minority AIDS Council. Before joining the professoriate, she served across numerous campus administration functional areas, including housing and residence life, career services, academic affairs, and student engagement. Originally from Southwest Atlanta, Georgia, Williams obtained her Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Qualitative Research from the University of Georgia. She earned her bachelor's degree from Hampshire College and her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University, in New York City. She is a proud product of Atlanta Public Schools.
Courses
- EDHI 6210: College Students & Contexts
- EDHI 6310: Student Development Theory
- EDHI 6410: Higher Education Administration and Organization
- EDHI 6995: Graduate Independent Research
- CSYS 7491: Doctoral Dissertation Research
- EDLP 7993: Independent Study
- EDLP7491: Doctoral Dissertation Research
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- Diverse Issues in Higher Education Emerging Scholar (2025)
- Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award from NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Region I (2024)
- Emerging Scholar Award from ACPA: College Student Educators International (2024)
- Keynote speaker at 2023 ACPA College Student Educators International convention.
- Research and Scholarship Award, Coalition of Women’s Identities, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2023)
- Stellar 50 Award, African American Knowledge Community, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2023)
- Early Career Award from the Faculty Council, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (2023)
- Joseph A. Abruscato Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship (2023), University of Vermont
- Outstanding Mentor to Graduate Students, Graduate Students and New Professionals – Community of Practice, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2022)
- Robert H. Shaffer Award for Academic Excellence as a Graduate Faculty Member, NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Region IV-E (2021)
- First Place, Dissertation of the Year, American Association for Blacks in Higher Education (2020)
- Dissertation of the Year, Southern Association for College Student Affairs (2019)
- Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Pan African Network, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2019)
- Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Graduate Students and New Professionals Community of Practice, ACPA: College Student Educators International (2019)