Mike Williams

Mike Williams is a part-time lecturer and research affiliate in the Biology Department at Western Washington University (since 2015), previously serving as a full-time faculty member at Butte College (2006–2015). He holds a Ph.D. in Botany (Plant Ecology, 1995), an M.S. in Botany (1980) from the University of Tennessee, and a B.A. in Botany from the University of California, Santa Barbara (1976). His research focuses on plant systematics, restoration ecology, and plant reproductive biology, with technical expertise in wetland inventories, endangered species surveys, and ecological restoration design.

His professional experience includes leading a 6,000-acre natural reserve for the University of California, Santa Barbara, and serving as a principal ecologist in his own firm, managing projects across the western U.S. Notable awards include the Outstanding Teacher of the Year (2014), Excellence in Teaching (2012), and a National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant (1986–1988). He has contributed to ecological restoration initiatives, policy reviews on exotic genotypes, and wildlife management studies in national parks.

Williams has actively engaged in advising roles through his consulting work and academic service. His grants include NSF support for dissertation research. He has been involved in the Society for Ecological Restoration, Botanical Society of America, and other environmental organizations. His work extends to tribal lands stewardship and collaborative projects like the Golden Gardens Park restoration and Sagehen Creek Basin vertebrate studies.