David Rudyard Williams (born 1954 in

Aruba Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...

) is the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of

Public Health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

at the

Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the public health school at Harvard University, located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. It was named after Hong Kong entrepreneur Chan Tseng-hsi in 2014 following a US$350 ...

, as well as a professor of African and African American Studies and of

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Education

Originally educated in theology and ministry at Caribbean Union College and

Andrews University Andrews University (Andrews) is a private Seventh-day Adventist university in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Founded in 1874 as Battle Creek College, it was the first higher education facility started by Seventh-day Adventists and is the flag ...

, Williams then studied public health and sociology. Williams holds a

Master of Public Health The Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Medical Science in Public Health (MMSPH) and the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) are interdisciplinary profes ...

from

Loma Linda University Loma Linda University (LLU) is a private Seventh-day Adventist health sciences university in Loma Linda, California. , the university comprises eight schools and a Faculty of Graduate Studies. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist educatio ...

and an MA and PhD in sociology from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

Career

From 1986 to 1992, Williams taught at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, where he held appointments in both sociology and public health. In 1992, Williams joined the faculty of the

, where his positions included Harold Cruse Collegiate Professor of Sociology, a senior research scientist at the Institute of Social Research, and a professor of

epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and Risk factor (epidemiology), determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population, and application of this knowledge to prevent dise ...

in the School of Public Health. In 2006, Williams joined

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

as the Norman Professor of Public Health. Williams was a senior research advisor for the 2008 PBS documentary series " Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick". His 2016 TED Talk entitled "How Racism Makes Us Sick" has been translated into 18 languages and has been viewed over 1 million times.

Research

Williams' research focuses on how social factors such as education, income, and race affect physical and mental health. He is also known for his research on the health effects of

racial discrimination Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their Race (human categorization), race, ancestry, ethnicity, ethnic or national origin, and/or Human skin color, skin color and Hair, hair texture. Individuals ...

. According to

, ScholarGPS, recognized Williams in 2023 as the leading scholar for citations in

African American studies Black studies or Africana studies (with nationally specific terms, such as African American studies and Black Canadian studies), is an interdisciplinary academic field that primarily focuses on the study of the history, culture, and politics of ...

Honors and awards

In 2001, Williams was elected a member of the

Institute of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...

(later the

National Academy of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineerin ...

). In 2007, he became a member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

. He is also a member of the

American Sociological Association The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded in December 1905 as the American Sociological Society at Johns Hopkins University by a group of fi ...

, the

American Public Health Association The American Public Health Association (APHA) is a Washington, D.C.–based professional membership and advocacy organization for public health professionals in the United States. APHA is the largest professional organization of public health pr ...

, and the

American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...

. In 2019, he became a member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

. In 2009, Williams was named the most highly cited black scholar in the social sciences by the '' Journal of Blacks in Higher Education''. He was one of the world's most influential scientific minds as listed by Thomson Reuters in 2015. In 2004, Williams was a recipient of one of the inaugural Decade of Behavior Research Awards from the American Psychological Association. In 2011, he received the Leo G. Reeder Award for Distinguished Contributions to Medical Sociology from the

. In 2013, Williams received the Stephen Smith Award for Distinguished Contributions in Public Health,

New York Academy of Medicine The New York Academy of Medicine (the Academy) is a health policy and advocacy organization founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York metropolitan area physicians as a voice for the medical profession in medical practice and public health r ...

. In 2014, he was the recipient of the Lemuel Shattuck Award for Significant Contributions to the Field of Public Health, awarded by the Massachusetts Public Health Association. In 2015, he received the Distinguished Leadership in Psychology Award from the

. In 2017, he was the recipient of the Leonard I. Pearlin Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Sociological Study of Mental Health.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, David R. 1954 births Living people Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health faculty University of the Southern Caribbean alumni Andrews University alumni Loma Linda University alumni University of Michigan alumni American sociologists American social psychologists Medical sociologists Yale University faculty University of Michigan faculty Members of the National Academy of Medicine Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences American Seventh-day Adventists Seventh-day Adventists in health science Seventh-day Adventist writers African-American sociologists African-American psychologists African-American male writers 20th-century African-American scientists 21st-century African-American scientists African-American Christians Aruban people of African descent Aruban emigrants to the United States Aruban Christians Aruban academics Saint Lucian people of African descent Saint Lucian emigrants to the United States Saint Lucian Christians Saint Lucian educators Recipients of the Order of Saint Lucia 20th-century American psychologists 21st-century American psychologists