College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences appoints Joel Williams associate dean of graduate studies

Joel Williams, Ph.D., has been appointed associate dean of graduate studies for the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS). His term begins January 1.

Williams serves as an associate professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences where he teaches graduate level courses in health determinants, epidemiology and evaluation.

In his role as associate dean, Williams will collaborate with faculty, staff and graduate students in each of the College’s seven academic departments to support graduate program excellence in alignment with the College’s strategic priorities and Clemson Elevate.

“CBSHS is a leader in graduate student education at Clemson University and across peer institutions,” said Williams. “I look forward to joining the College leadership team in this new role as we continue to elevate our program offerings and foster the academic and professional growth of graduate students through innovative, student-centered programs that are aligned with College and University priorities.”

During his time in the public health sciences department, Williams served on a taskforce to build the Department’s Ph.D. program in applied health research and evaluation. Later, he served as graduate program coordinator and assisted in the development of the applied health research and evaluation master’s program.

Over the last six years, he has served as chair of the public health sciences curriculum committee and as a departmental representative on the CBSHS curriculum committee and a college representative on the University graduate curriculum committee. He currently serves as departmental lead for assessment and accreditation and is a Faculty Senator for CBSHS.

“Dr. Williams has longstanding institutional knowledge and a deep understanding of graduate programming, including program development, modifications and evolution, that give him unique insight into the future of graduate studies in CBSHS and at the University,” said Leslie Hossfeld, dean of CBSHS. “After a competitive search, I am delighted he will serve in this leadership role as we continue to prioritize the graduate student experience, elevate student research opportunities and transform lives throughout South Carolina and beyond through graduate student outreach and service.”

Williams received a bachelor’s degree in exercise studies from Lander University and both a master’s degree and doctoral degree in health promotion, education and behavior from the University of South Carolina (USC). He also earned a graduate certificate in applied statistics and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric obesity prevention at USC.

The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) was established in July 2016. CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.