Influenced by strong examples in his life who taught him that education is important, Mark L. Williams, PhD always wanted to teach and become an academic. Although he did not come from a privileged background, Dr. Williams went on to obtain a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Iowa in 1976. He obtained a Master of Arts in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1979. He completed his education by obtaining a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from the University of Iowa in 1983. He began his career in 1982 as a visiting assistant professor in the department of political science at the University of Rhode Island. From 1983 to 1987, he served as an assistant professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. From 1987 to 1994, he served as the vice president of research at Affiliated Systems Corporation, also in Houston. From 1994 to 1999, he served as the vice president of behavioral research at NOVA Research Company in Bethesda, MD. From 1999 to 2003, he
returned to education, serving as an associate professor of behavioral science in the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). In 2003, he was promoted to the role of full professor of behavioral science and held the position until 2010. From 2011 to 2013 he served as the chair of the department of health policy and management at Florida International University, where he is currently a professor and also briefly served as the acting dean from 2013 to 2016.
Throughout his career, Dr. Williams has also held several positions outside of his primary appointments in education and research. He has always wanted to work with underserved communities. For decades, he has been active in global HIV prevention and stabilization. In his efforts in the fight against HIV, Dr. Williams has worked with the Good Neighbor Health Clinics and the Houston Health Department, as well as the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the American Journal of Public Health, the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, Baylor College of Medicine, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Florida Department of Health. In addition, he has also contributed countless chapters and articles to books and professional journals, given lectures in the field, and acted as a peer reviewer for myriad journals in the field. In his spare time, Dr. Williams enjoys reading, movies, and gardening. Looking toward the future, he plans to venture into administration in order to better contribute his skills at the university level.
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