Williams is a Professor and incoming department chair of Communication Studies, as well as an affiliate faculty in the Colorado School of Public Health. Her work focuses on how organizational communication processes and practices influence organizational member health and safety in a variety of contexts.

Williams’ most recent research focuses on how organizations respond to crises (including the COVID-19 pandemic), ensure organizational learning and use wearable health technologies. She is especially interested in practices that ensure high reliability in contexts where errors can be catastrophic (e.g., the fire service) and how those practices might be used in other contexts.

Williams co-edited Organizations, Communication, and Health (winner of the 2017 NCA Organizational Communication Division Edited Book Award) and has published numerous articles and book chapters.

She received her B.A. in organizational communication and business administration from Alma College and earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in organizational communication at Purdue University.