Dean's Profile

Dawn Williams has been a member of the Howard University faculty since 2003 in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies where she most recently served as Department Chair. Underlying all of her work are premises that include the indoctrination of social justice through teaching, research, service, and professional development. Her teaching experience spans approximately two decades. She has taught elementary students, high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, and Ph.D. STEM faculty.

During her time as Department Chair she successfully led the initiative to obtain institutional membership with the University Council on Education Administration (UCEA); increased visibility and community outreach by establishing academic partnerships with local school districts to offer doctoral programs focused on executive leadership; helped to coordinate the national Howard University Urban Superintendent Academy in collaboration with the American Association of School Administrators; and established an Education Leadership Advisory Board to advise the department faculty on leadership and research preparation of aspiring principals, superintendents, and policy professionals.

Dr. Williams is author and co-author of approximately 25 articles, book reviews, and book chapters that highlight the impact of K-12 macro-educational policies targeted for urban school reform. Over the past decade, she has been a recipient of several grants totaling approximately $3.3 million funded by the National Science Foundation. Her research in the STEM and educational policy arena are focused on issues of access and diversity while promoting a conscious social justice agenda.

Dr. Williams earned a Ph.D. and M.A. in Educational Policy Studies with dual residency in Educational Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Elementary Education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.