The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) recently announced the appointment of Brian N. Williams, Ph.D., to the board of directors for its H. George Frederickson Center for Social Equity at the annual conference in Minneapolis earlier this month.

The Frederickson Center collaborates with ASPA’s other units to advance projects and initiatives aligned with their shared missions to promote excellence in public service, including the advancement of social equity as one of its core values and as embedded in its Code of Ethics.

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve on the H. George Frederickson Center for Social Equity board as our efforts continue to encourage, facilitate and sustain fairness in public policies and administration across all levels of government, the non-profit sector and in society overall,” said Williams.

“We are in a defining moment in time, with wicked problems and grand challenges. These serve as opportunities to continue the American experiment of forming a more perfect union, but with a greater appreciation of deep, lived experiences of ‘we the people.’ I look forward to assisting in developing and implementing tools and assessments to help individuals and organizations increase their professional competence in social equity that enhances wellness and well-being at the individual, organizational, communal, and societal level.”

Williams is an associate professor of public policy at the Batten School, and founder and director of the Public Engagement in Governance Looking, Listening & Learning Lab (PEGLLLLab). His research focuses on demographic diversity, local law enforcement and public governance, with an emphasis on public safety and order. He is particularly interested in how the varied experiences and perceptions of officers and the public influence the formation and functioning of their working partnerships in understanding, mitigating, and addressing community problems.

Williams, fellow professor Kyle Dobson, and Batten lecturer Sarad Davenport recently hosted a day-long summit in Charlottesville focused on community well-being, the latest in a series of community-oriented conversations and listening sessions centered on Williams’ and Dobson's research and Davenport’s expertise in human-centered design.

Williams holds various national and local positions relevant to his work in public safety and social equity. He serves as a National Academy of Public Administration fellow, co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration, symposium editor for the Journal of Social Policy and Public Management, executive board member of the American Society for Public Administration Criminal Justice Section (ASPA-CJ), faculty affiliate for The Center for Race, Public Education in the South (CRPES), and faculty affiliate for The Equity Center at UVA.