Nathalie Williams

Nathalie Williams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. She holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Puget Sound (1998) and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan (2009). Her research focuses on migration patterns during conflict, natural disasters, and climate change, emphasizing why many populations remain non-migrant despite such crises. She uses agent-based modeling to study macro-level demographic shifts, notably in Nepal and Thailand, and develops innovative data collection methods like mobile phone records to track post-disaster migration. Affiliations include the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, South Asia Studies Center, and Southeast Asia Studies Center.

Research interests include migration decision-making, fertility during conflict, and the intersection of values/beliefs with migration destinations. Current projects involve panel data from Nepali migrants across 100+ countries and post-violence mobility tracking via mobile data. She teaches courses such as JSIS 300 (Claims and Evidence) and JSIS 595 (Research Tutorial).

Her work spans Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Persian Gulf. Notably, she was named co-editor of the International Migration Review and commented on graduate student impacts in the Seattle Times. She is currently not accepting new MA/PhD students for 2025-2026.