Michelle Ann Williams

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]

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 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.[8][9][10][11][12] 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.[13] In February 2017, Williams received the 2017 Trailblazer Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.[14]