Shameika Williams

Shameika Williams serves as an Assistant Professor of Public Health within the School of Arts and Sciences at the State University of New York at Old Westbury. She concurrently holds dual fellowships as a Social Justice Fellow at SUNY Old Westbury and a Faculty Fellow at the National Maternal Child Health Development Center, reflecting her commitment to equity-focused scholarship.

Her doctoral training in Health Education was completed at Columbia University, Teachers College, supplemented by a Master of Public Health degree and professional certifications including Certified Lactation Counselor and Community Breastfeeding Educator.

Dr. Williams' research critically analyzes how carceral systems disrupt maternal-child health trajectories and how structural racism manifests in breastfeeding practices and birth outcomes. Her work centers Black women's experiences through community-engaged frameworks, addressing systemic barriers in perinatal care while advancing birth equity initiatives across institutional contexts. This scholarship bridges public health theory with clinical practice to develop anti-racist interventions.

Her emerging publication record reveals a concentrated focus on violence-related mental health disparities, exemplified by her 2023 systematic review examining depression and PTSD interventions for Black women experiencing intimate partner violence. This work demonstrates methodological rigor while highlighting intersectional approaches to women's health crises.

Her professional recognition includes:

• Social Justice Fellow at State University of New York at Old Westbury
• Faculty Fellow at the National Maternal Child Health Development Center

Dr. Williams teaches transformative courses including Black Lives Matter, Women's Health, and Mass Incarceration: A Public Health Crisis, directly connecting classroom instruction to her research on structural inequities. Her prior leadership roles at NYC Department of Health, Columbia University, and Northwell Health demonstrate sustained commitment to translating research into health equity initiatives, though specific grant funding details remain undisclosed in available materials.