<< Back to Faculty Brian N. Williams Associate Professor of Public Policy Education & Training PhD, University of Georgia 434-243-2116 bnw9q@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L044 Curriculum Vitae (706.89 KB) Courses taught Police-Community Relations Areas of focus Racial Justice and Equity Public Administration I am an Associate Professor of Public Policy in the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, after previous faculty appointments at Florida State University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Georgia (UGA), as well as administrative appointments at UGA and Vanderbilt. My research centers on issues related to demographic diversity, local law enforcement, and public governance, with special attention devoted to the co-production of public safety and public order. I am interested in understanding how the assorted experiences and perceptions of officers and members of the public affect the formation and functioning of their working partnerships to understand and mitigate or address community problems. I am currently involved in research projects that study how law enforcement professionals experience and manage work related trauma that they encounter during their daily routine. I am the author of Citizen Perspectives on Community Policing: A Case Study in Athens, GA (State University of New York Press) and have published in leading journals in public administration, public management, community psychology, education, and police studies. My research and engagement efforts have resulted in an appointment to serve on the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Trust Advisory Board as well as invitations to speak or participate in various gatherings, including the National Policy Summit on Community-Police Relations hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in 2014; the Trending Issues in Policing Summit hosted by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in 2016; the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Agencies Program Development Roundtable hosted by the National Institute of Justice in 2016; the Kettering Foundation’s Research Day in February of 2017; the Expert Review Panel for the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) Survey hosted by United States Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2018; and the 50th Anniversary of the Minnowbrook Conference hosted by Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2018. I have taught courses on public administration and democracy, public organizations, public management, ethics, co-production of public services, urban policy and administration, and human services administration and have served as a consultant, trainer or subject matter expert with police departments or public safety related agencies and other governmental and non-governmental entities. I have been recognized as a service-learning faculty fellow and was honored in 2012 to be designated as a Kavli Fellow during the National Academy of Sciences 24th Annual Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium, hosted on the campus of the University of California in Irvine, CA. Over the course of my career, I have served my institutions, schools or colleges, and departments of affiliation in various capacities. Similarly, I have provided service to my academic field, scholarly community, the community-at-large, and the law enforcement community at the local, state and federal levels. Recently, I completed my three-year term on the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) for the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). Related Content Resilience or Resignation? Panel and Discussion with Public Service Professionals Event "You can't pour from an empty cup." This is true for us all. For individuals working in healthcare, education, law enforcement, and many other fields, it can feel like the cup is broken. Brian N. Williams, Associate Professor of Public Policy in the Batten School, and PEGLLLLab Research Assistants Chloe Alpert, Zach Harris, and Scott Rykala will co-moderate a panel and discussion with professionals from these fields. Solomon and Williams Selected as Fellows by the National Academy of Public Administration News Ian Solomon, dean of the Batten School and professor of practice of public policy, and Brian Williams, associate professor of public policy, have been selected by the National Academy of Public Administration for inclusion in its 2022 Class of Academy Fellows. Batten Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research and Engagement News This academic year, Batten School professors won a slew of internal and external recognitions for excellence in teaching, service, research and engagement. The Regional Mental Health Crisis: A Public Awareness Campaign Event The Mental Health Crisis Public Awareness Campaign is a co-designed, co-creation of the Public Engagement in Governance Looking, Listening and Learning Laboratory (PEGLLLLab) in the Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy at the University of Virginia, in conjunction with the producers of the Emmy Award Winning HBO Documentary, Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops. Please join us for this event as we launch a public awareness campaign and focusing on the topic of the Mental Health Crisis that impacts all communities and the first responders who serve them. Batten Professor and Students are Helping Communities Rethink the Way They Respond to Mental Health Crises News Batten Professor Brian N. Williams and students from his PEGLLLLab are working with an award-winning documentary team to launch pilot programs in three different cities to address the growing mental health crisis. Batten Researcher Brings Police, Students Together to Better Understand Each Other News Police and students can learn from one another if they talk more, according to Batten's Brian N. Williams, an associate professor of public policy. Reimagining Policing: Procedural Policing to Procedural Justice Workshop Relational policing is at an inflection point. The public’s trust and confidence in this vital institution of democracy is suffering. This has had a corrosive impact on police morale and has sparked public protests in Charlottesville and Albemarle County – and, indeed, in communities across the nation. On August 19-20, 2021, the Batten School brought together a cross-section of community leaders and engaged citizens for a workshop to learn about and consider new pathways forward for policing on Grounds, in Charlottesville, and across Albemarle County. Policing After George Floyd: Where Do We Go From Here? News In a commentary for Bloomberg Law, Batten's Brian N. Williams and co-author Carmen J. Williams, a third-year law student at the UVA School of Law, say the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd marks a turning point. The path forward requires enacting needed reforms and courageous leadership by prosecutors and others. Navigating the Derek Chauvin Trial for the Murder of George Floyd: At an Inflection Point - The Law & Policing Event As part of an ongoing series, UVA Law professor Anne Coughlin and Batten School professor Brian N. Williams will co-moderate a panel discussion that draws upon subject matter experts to discuss a range of police topics, including the history of the profession, its culture, standards and training, accountability mechanisms and future efforts to reform. View All
Resilience or Resignation? Panel and Discussion with Public Service Professionals Event "You can't pour from an empty cup." This is true for us all. For individuals working in healthcare, education, law enforcement, and many other fields, it can feel like the cup is broken. Brian N. Williams, Associate Professor of Public Policy in the Batten School, and PEGLLLLab Research Assistants Chloe Alpert, Zach Harris, and Scott Rykala will co-moderate a panel and discussion with professionals from these fields.
Solomon and Williams Selected as Fellows by the National Academy of Public Administration News Ian Solomon, dean of the Batten School and professor of practice of public policy, and Brian Williams, associate professor of public policy, have been selected by the National Academy of Public Administration for inclusion in its 2022 Class of Academy Fellows.
Batten Faculty Recognized for Excellence in Teaching, Service, Research and Engagement News This academic year, Batten School professors won a slew of internal and external recognitions for excellence in teaching, service, research and engagement.
The Regional Mental Health Crisis: A Public Awareness Campaign Event The Mental Health Crisis Public Awareness Campaign is a co-designed, co-creation of the Public Engagement in Governance Looking, Listening and Learning Laboratory (PEGLLLLab) in the Frank Batten School of Leadership & Public Policy at the University of Virginia, in conjunction with the producers of the Emmy Award Winning HBO Documentary, Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops. Please join us for this event as we launch a public awareness campaign and focusing on the topic of the Mental Health Crisis that impacts all communities and the first responders who serve them.
Batten Professor and Students are Helping Communities Rethink the Way They Respond to Mental Health Crises News Batten Professor Brian N. Williams and students from his PEGLLLLab are working with an award-winning documentary team to launch pilot programs in three different cities to address the growing mental health crisis.
Batten Researcher Brings Police, Students Together to Better Understand Each Other News Police and students can learn from one another if they talk more, according to Batten's Brian N. Williams, an associate professor of public policy.
Reimagining Policing: Procedural Policing to Procedural Justice Workshop Relational policing is at an inflection point. The public’s trust and confidence in this vital institution of democracy is suffering. This has had a corrosive impact on police morale and has sparked public protests in Charlottesville and Albemarle County – and, indeed, in communities across the nation. On August 19-20, 2021, the Batten School brought together a cross-section of community leaders and engaged citizens for a workshop to learn about and consider new pathways forward for policing on Grounds, in Charlottesville, and across Albemarle County.
Policing After George Floyd: Where Do We Go From Here? News In a commentary for Bloomberg Law, Batten's Brian N. Williams and co-author Carmen J. Williams, a third-year law student at the UVA School of Law, say the conviction of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd marks a turning point. The path forward requires enacting needed reforms and courageous leadership by prosecutors and others.
Navigating the Derek Chauvin Trial for the Murder of George Floyd: At an Inflection Point - The Law & Policing Event As part of an ongoing series, UVA Law professor Anne Coughlin and Batten School professor Brian N. Williams will co-moderate a panel discussion that draws upon subject matter experts to discuss a range of police topics, including the history of the profession, its culture, standards and training, accountability mechanisms and future efforts to reform.