Dr. Williams, an Indiana native, earned her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with specializations in Developmental Psychology and Gifted and Talented Studies in 2009 from Ball State University. Dr. Williams holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology (2006) and Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Science (2005; Magna Cum Laude), also from Ball State University. She was a 2000 graduate of the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities.
At Lourdes, she teaches several courses, including General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Introduction to Counseling, Dynamics of Marriage and Family, Pre-Professional Seminar in the Social Sciences, and Multicultural Diversity. She has also served on the Lourdes University Faculty Senate, Honors Council, and Rank and Promotion Committee. Prior to accepting the position at Lourdes, Dr. Williams taught for nine years in the Education Department at Heidelberg University, earning tenure and promotion while there.
Dr. Williams’ social justice-focused research examines the individual and contextual factors related to developmental and achievement outcomes for those from underrepresented populations. She has studied those within rural, gifted, LGBTQ, and first-generation student populations. Her research has been presented at various regional, national, and international conferences and published in many peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. Her work has been supported by several sources, including The Association for Institutional Research and the National Center for Education Statistics. Additionally, her research has been recognized by various organizations, including the Association for Institutional Research’s Charles I. Brown Fellow Award for Most Outstanding Dissertation Proposal and Heidelberg University’s Distinguished Research Award.
Dr. Williams is active within the professional community of psychology. She is a member of several divisions within the American Psychological Association, including the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. She has served on the editorial board for the Journal for the Advancement of Education Research and is currently a reviewer for the Educational and Developmental Psychologist and Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She has successfully applied her expertise to community projects, including her service on the board of directors for Seneca Mentoring Youth Links (SMYL), the annual Heidelberg University Human Trafficking Awareness Week, and the recent founding and chairing of GLSEN Northwest Ohio chapter.
