Brittany M. Williams

Dr. Brittany M. Williams serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of Vermont's College of Education and Social Services, where she teaches core courses in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESA) graduate program including student development theory, college student contexts, and organizational theory.

Her academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in Counseling and Human Development: College Student Affairs Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research from the University of Georgia, an M.A. in Sociology of Education and Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from Hampshire College.

Dr. Williams' research program critically examines inequity through multiple lenses, with primary focus on Black women and girls. Her work investigates identity development trajectories, career navigation challenges in predominantly white institutions, supervision dynamics, and social class influences on student experiences. She positions education as a fundamental social determinant of health, particularly examining racial health disparities through qualitative methodologies that center marginalized voices.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a growing emphasis on health equity initiatives intersecting with higher education research. Her scholarship consistently addresses systemic barriers faced by Black women administrators, basic needs insecurity among college students, and citation inequality in academic publishing - demonstrating a clear trajectory toward community-engaged health equity research.

Her exceptional contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards:

• Diverse Issues in Higher Education Emerging Scholar (2025)
• Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award from NASPA Region I (2024)
• Emerging Scholar Award from ACPA (2024)
• Research and Scholarship Award from ACPA's Coalition of Women's Identities (2023)
• Stellar 50 Award from NASPA's African American Knowledge Community (2023)
• Joseph A. Abruscato Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship at UVM (2023)
• Outstanding Mentor to Graduate Students from ACPA (2022)
• Robert H. Shaffer Award for Academic Excellence (2021)
• Dissertation of the Year from the American Association for Blacks in Higher Education (2020)

Dr. Williams currently leads significant research initiatives including the NIH-SEPA funded New American Youth on the Rise program supporting immigrant girls in STEM and health careers, and a Spencer Foundation study on citation inequality. As a dedicated mentor, she has received multiple awards for her guidance of graduate students and co-founded the #SisterPhD and #CiteASista mentoring communities that continue to empower Black women scholars despite platform changes. Her advocacy work has been featured in National Public Radio, AIDS United, and the National Black Women's Health Imperative.

She actively contributes to the Larner College of Medicine's health equity research efforts through community-based participatory projects with New American populations in Burlington, VT, and maintains affiliations with the Center on Disability and Community Inclusion.