Karla Lavin Williams

Karla Lavin Williams is a full-time Associate Professor and Program Director for the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration at Loma Linda University, a role she has held since 2010. Her 25-year healthcare career spans leadership roles in sports medicine, allied health administration, and disaster/telemedicine research. She co-founded the nonprofit CARE (Community Allied Research & Education) and currently serves on multiple university committees including the SAHP Faculty Development Team and Distance Learning Committee.

Education: DrPH (Health Promotion & Education) and MPH (Health Administration) from Loma Linda University, B.S. in Kinesiology from Cal Poly Pomona. Professional certifications include Certified Health & Wellness Coach (2019) and Certified Professional Coach (2016).

Research focuses on emotional intelligence (EI) interventions to enhance resilience, leadership, and professional development in healthcare settings. Ongoing projects since 2014 investigate EI coaching's impact on student competencies. Key themes include faculty/student development, leadership training, and stress management in academia.

Over 15 presentations and publications since 2015 explore EI applications in healthcare education, including pandemic response strategies, positive psychology pedagogy, and competency-based assessment methods. Her work bridges theory and practice through workshops at Harvard Macy Institute and international conferences.

Program leadership responsibilities include curriculum development, student mentoring, regional accreditation, and program promotion. Her disaster preparedness projects with LLU Medical Center contributed to telemedicine advancements supporting local/federal agencies.