Joanna Williams

Joanna L. Williams is an associate professor in the school psychology program. As a developmental psychologist, her primary interest is the period of adolescence. Her scholarship focuses on understanding the role of race and ethnicity in individual and interpersonal contexts and in school settings. This includes research on racial-ethnic identity, racial-ethnic diversity in adolescent friendship networks, and social network equity in classrooms. Her work is published in journals such as Child Development, Journal of Research on Adolescence, and Journal of Youth and Adolescence. Dr. Williams is also involved in efforts to translate the science of adolescent development into useful recommendations and practices for parents, educators, and policy makers. Dr. Williams is codirector of the National Scientific Council on Adolescence; a member of the National Academies Board of Children, Youth, and Families; and an affiliate of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication and Youth-Nex: The UVA Center to Promote Effective Youth Development.