<< 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 Courses taught Police-Community Relations 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 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. Batten Hour: “March Madness: Athletes, Activism and Policy Action,” with Terrell Jana (BA ’21) Event This special Batten Hour conversation will leverage the insights of professional athletes, activists and Batten alumni to highlight the challenges and opportunities that athletes face in promoting progress. Corrective Action as Collective Action News On UVA’s Lifetime Learning podcast, Batten professor Brian Williams argues that we should let diverse groups drive police reform. Batten Students Examine the Relationship between Police and Community News Through the Central Virginia Listening & Learning Exchange, Batten professor Brian Williams and his students are examining the problems of police and community relations and what can be done to resolve them. Brian Williams on the Past and Present of Racism in the Administrative State News Historic harms—discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, affect public perception of governmental institutions and their public administrators. Batten's Brian N. Williams speaks to how we could change American institutions and their public servants in the face of these harms. Professor Brian N. Williams Speaks on Police Brutality as 'Finch Podcast' Guest News Batten Associate Professor of Public Policy Dr. Brian N. Williams, discusses police-community relations, the Black Lives Matter movement, and equal justice through understanding as a guest on The Finch Podcast. Where Do We Go From Here? News “We’re at the intersection of past and present—and we're teetering a bit,” Batten professor Brian N. Williams told an online audience last week. “Evolution or revolution? Reform or riot? Progress or more protests? Should we defund and divest or deconstruct and reconstruct?” Expert Chat: “Where Do We Go From Here? What Can Colleges and Universities Do to Improve Police-Community Relations?” with Brian Williams Event Batten Associate Professor of Public Policy Brian Williams will join us for the weekly Expert Chats on the role of higher education in improving police-community relations. More details to come. What Colleges and Universities Can Do to Improve Police-Community Relations News What can America’s higher education system do to reduce the use of excessive force among police? As a public policy scholar who examines the interplay between race, policing and public governance, I see multiple things that colleges and universities can do to make a difference. View All
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.
Batten Hour: “March Madness: Athletes, Activism and Policy Action,” with Terrell Jana (BA ’21) Event This special Batten Hour conversation will leverage the insights of professional athletes, activists and Batten alumni to highlight the challenges and opportunities that athletes face in promoting progress.
Corrective Action as Collective Action News On UVA’s Lifetime Learning podcast, Batten professor Brian Williams argues that we should let diverse groups drive police reform.
Batten Students Examine the Relationship between Police and Community News Through the Central Virginia Listening & Learning Exchange, Batten professor Brian Williams and his students are examining the problems of police and community relations and what can be done to resolve them.
Brian Williams on the Past and Present of Racism in the Administrative State News Historic harms—discriminatory laws, policies, and practices, affect public perception of governmental institutions and their public administrators. Batten's Brian N. Williams speaks to how we could change American institutions and their public servants in the face of these harms.
Professor Brian N. Williams Speaks on Police Brutality as 'Finch Podcast' Guest News Batten Associate Professor of Public Policy Dr. Brian N. Williams, discusses police-community relations, the Black Lives Matter movement, and equal justice through understanding as a guest on The Finch Podcast.
Where Do We Go From Here? News “We’re at the intersection of past and present—and we're teetering a bit,” Batten professor Brian N. Williams told an online audience last week. “Evolution or revolution? Reform or riot? Progress or more protests? Should we defund and divest or deconstruct and reconstruct?”
Expert Chat: “Where Do We Go From Here? What Can Colleges and Universities Do to Improve Police-Community Relations?” with Brian Williams Event Batten Associate Professor of Public Policy Brian Williams will join us for the weekly Expert Chats on the role of higher education in improving police-community relations. More details to come.
What Colleges and Universities Can Do to Improve Police-Community Relations News What can America’s higher education system do to reduce the use of excessive force among police? As a public policy scholar who examines the interplay between race, policing and public governance, I see multiple things that colleges and universities can do to make a difference.