Christian Williams
Department Chair, Director of CARES & Assistant Professor
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
DrPH (Community & Behavioral Health) East Tennessee State University; MPH East Tennessee State University
Location: JCM 438
615-460-6962christian.williams@belmont.edu
Biography
Christian L. Williams, DrPH, MPH, has served as the founding Chair and Assistant Professor of the Department of Public Health at Belmont University since August 2017. In this role, she teaches across the curriculum, coordinates fieldwork experiences for students, and oversees all administrative functions in the department. In addition to her work at Belmont, she is recognized as an Honorary Lecturer at Queen’s University in Belfast, where she frequently lectures in the College of Nursing and Midwifery, specializing in topics such as public health, population health, community health, and healthcare systems. Dr. Williams' consults as an Epidemiologist I at the Tennessee Department of Health, evaluating a CDC-funded grant aimed at reducing Alzheimer’s and Dementia in the state.
Dr. Williams previously served as the Public Health Competency Coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) where she developed learning opportunities for over 3,000 employees, coordinated internships and volunteer processes, and established a Commissioner’s Fellowship in Public Health. Dr. Williams also initiated the development of a state-level academic health department model, fostering collaboration between the Department and accredited public health programs in Tennessee.
Prior to coming to TDH, Dr. Williams contributed as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Western Kentucky University, teaching health care administration courses and facilitating community health forums for the Lost River District Health Department. As the Academic Health Department Coordinator at Sullivan County Regional Health Department, she launched the development of the Sullivan County Community Health Status Assessment and coordinated projects between ETSU College of Public Health and Sullivan County Regional Health Department.
Dr. Williams earned her DrPH in Community Health and MPH in Health Services Administration from the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Beyond her academic and professional achievements, Dr. Williams is deeply involved in serving the community. She is the Immediate Past President and Chair of the Advocacy Committee for the Tennessee Public Health Association (TPHA), showcasing her commitment to advancing public health at both local and state levels. She is an active member of the Junior League of Nashville and contributes her expertise to the Membership Engagement Committee of Leadership Health Care. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Nashville food scene with her husband, spending time with her three pets, traveling, and reading. Her work reflects a commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and innovative solutions for the betterment of public health systems and services.
Education
DrPH, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
MPH, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
BSPH, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
Responsibilities
Dr. Williams is the Chair of the Department of Public Health and teaches across the BSPH curriculum. She especially enjoys mentoring and guiding students new to public health.
Public Health Systems and Services
Workforce Development
Linkages between Academia and Practice
Health Services Administration
Health Policy
Epidemiologist I, Office of Patient Care Advocacy, Tennessee Department of Health (2023)
American Public Health Association
Tennessee Public Health Association
Honorary Lecturer, Medicine, Health, and Life Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast (2023)
Presidential Faculty Achievement Award Finalist, Belmont University (2023)
Doris Spain Award for Distinguished Service, Tennessee Public Health Association (2022)
Chaney Distinguished Professor Award Finalist, Belmont University (2022)
Member of the Year Award, Tennessee Public Health Association (2021)
Policy Action Institute Affiliate Scholar, American Public Health Association (2021)
Young Leaders Council (YLC) (2020)
Delta Omega Honor Society, Alumni Inductee (2019)
LEAD Tennessee Alliance 8, Tennessee Department of Human Resources (2017)
DEAL Scholar, Region IV Public Health Training Center (2016)
Brown Scholar, Keeneland Conference, Lexington, KY (2014)
LIFEPATH Scholar, East Tennessee State University (2012)
Dr. Jay L. and LeVenia S. Allen Memorial Scholarship, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University (2006 and 2007)
Dreyzehner, J, Williams, C, Harkness, E. (2017). More than Just an Intern: Utilizing the Post Graduate Medical Education Model to Increase the Value of Field Placement Experiences for Public Health Program Graduates. Pedagogy in Health Promotion.
Southerland, Jodi, Williams, Christian L., Dula, Taylor McKeehan, Slawson, Deborah Leachman (2015). School-Based Adolescent Obesity Prevention Programming: Perceptions of School Personnel in Southern Appalachia. Southern Medical Journal. SMJ-14-149R2.
Brooks, B, Blackley, D, Masters, P, May, S, Mayes, S, Williams, C, Pack, RP, (2014) Developing an Academic Health Department in Northeast Tennessee: A Sustainable Approach Through Student Leadership. Forthcoming in: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice .
Williams, C., Eaton, M., Engineer, C. (2016) Quality and Safety in Long-Term Care. In Dimensions of Long-Term Care Management: An Introduction (2nd edition). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Greever, C.J., Ward, R., Williams, C.L. (2014) The Growing Problem of Diabetes in Appalachia. In Clinics, Cultures, Communities: Appalachian Health Examined. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Press.
Williams, C.L., Bynum, L.A., Huddleston, H (2023, March) Leveraging Academic Partnership to Improve Health Outcomes in Rural Tennessee. Panel Presentation at: 2023 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Annual Conference, Arlington, VA.
Williams, C.L., & Sullenberger, S. (2022, February) Integrating ACEs and Trauma Informed Care Concepts into Undergraduate Public Health and Social Work Curricula. Members only webinar, Tennessee Public Health Association, Virtual.
Williams, C.L., & Sullenberger, S. (2021, October). Integrating ACEs and Trauma Informed Care Concepts into Undergraduate Public Health and Social Work Curricula. Oral roundtable at American Public Health Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO.
Williams, C.L., & Dambrino, K. (2021, October). Assessing Facilitators and Barriers to Flu Vaccine Uptake among Undergraduate College Students. Oral presentation at American Public Health Association Annual Conference, Denver, CO.
Williams, C.L. (2021, July).
Teaching Social Determinants of Health through Experiential Learning. Poster
presented at: 2021 Tennessee Interprofessional Practice and Education Consortium Annual Conference, Virtual.
Williams, C.L., Dambrino, K, Delano, G. (2020, September). Assessing Facilitators and Barriers to Flu Vaccine Uptake among Undergraduate College Students. Poster presented at: 2020 Tennessee Public Health Association Annual Conference, Virtual.
2023- BASIC Research Course Funding- Community Health Assessment & Improvement
2022- BASIC Research Course Funding- Community Health Assessment & Improvement