Michelle Ann Williams
Michelle Williams | |
|---|---|
| File:Hsph dean williams-05noshadow-e1589913774233.jpg | |
| Dean of the Faculty, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Julio Frenk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Alma mater | Princeton University Tufts University Harvard University |
| Website | Official bio |
Michelle Ann Williams is a Jamaican-American epidemiologist serving as the dean of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.[1]
Early years
Williams was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and immigrated to New York with her family at age 7. [2] She completed her undergraduate studies at Princeton University, receiving an AB in biology in 1984. She received an MS in Civil Engineering in 1986 from Tufts University, and two degrees from Harvard University, a SM in demography and population sciences, in 1988, and a ScD in epidemiology in 1991.[3]
Career
After a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Washington School of Public Health, she joined the University of Washington faculty as an assistant professor of epidemiology in 1992. She became an associate professor in 1996, and a full professor in 2000.[1]
She returned to Harvard in 2011, becoming the first Stephen B. Kay Family Professor of Public Health and chair of the Department of Epidemiology.[4][5] In addition to contributing to over 400 scientific papers, she was also the faculty director of the Harvard Catalyst’s Population Health Research Program and the Health Disparities Research Program.[6] The previous Dean, Julio Frenk, left the position in August 2015 to become president of the University of Miami.[7]
In December 2019, members of the faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School Public Health met without Dean Williams and considered voting for "no confidence" in the Dean's leadership.[8] They cited concerns revealed in the annual Faculty Priority Survey related to insufficient faculty governance and poor communication from the Dean's office that played a role in the departure of more than 40 faculty from the school over the past 2 years. In interviews with the Harvard Crimson newspaper, faculty and staff also described a "toxic culture" fomented by Williams and her deputy, Michael J. Grusby, the latter who oversaw human resources and whom employees reported feeling uncomfortable bringing their concerns to given his "demeaning and disrespectful" treatment. The faculty ultimately decided not to vote against the Dean, expressing "reservations about the optics of censuring Harvard's first black dean of a professional school and the school's first female dean" (Ashish K. Jha, the school’s then Dean for Global Strategy, advised that such a move would harm the school institutionally). Following a detailed investigation published by the Harvard Crimson in January 2020,[9] Michael Grusby stepped down from his administrative positions.[10]
Honors and recognitions
In 2011 while she was at the University of Washington, Williams received a Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from the National Science Foundation for her work in developing the Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program, which is designed to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral science research careers.[11][12][13][14][15] At the time of the award, she had mentored 23 MD graduates, 28 PhD graduates, and 67 Master's degree graduates, twenty of whom were faculty in institutions of higher learning in the United States and abroad.[16] In February 2017, Williams received the 2017 Trailblazer Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.[17]
References
- ^ a b "Michelle Williams to lead Harvard Chan School". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Freyer, Felice (20 February 2016). "Harvard names new public health school dean". Boston Globe. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Michelle Williams faculty profile". Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Kay Professorship attracts leader in maternal and infant health". Harvard Public Health. Winter 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health". Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Research Gate profile for Michelle Williams". Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Frenk named new president of University of Miami". Harvard Gazette. Harvard University. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "Citing Toxic Culture and Administrator Departures, Harvard School of Public Health Faculty Repeatedly Weighed Voting No Confidence in Dean". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "Citing Toxic Culture and Administrator Departures, Harvard School of Public Health Faculty Repeatedly Weighed Voting No Confidence in Dean". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "Top Harvard School of Public Health Administrator Grusby To Step Down from Three Posts". Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "Award Abstract #0938297". National Science Foundation. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT)". UW Today. University of Washington. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "HSPH MIRT Program". Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ "Multidisciplinary International Research Training (MIRT) Program". Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Varner, Lynne (25 January 2011). "The secret is there is no secret". Seattle Times. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Gray, Leila (21 January 2011). "President Obama honors UW epidemiologist Dr. Michelle Williams as one of the nation's outstanding mentors". UW Today. University of Washington. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ^ Abruzzese, Rob (21 February 2017). "U.S. Attorney's office hosts annual Black History Month event". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. J. Dozier Hasty. Retrieved 27 February 2017.