Dr Lisa A. Williams joins Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, in her efforts to increase the participation of women and girls in STEM

Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith and her team welcome Dr Lisa A. Williams as a new Chief Investigator of the Women in STEM Ambassador, an initiative funded by a $1.5M Federal Government grant hosted at UNSW to improve the participation of women and girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). 

Dr Williams is a social psychologist whose research examines the dynamics between emotional experience and social interaction. Much of her research focuses on how positive emotions that arise in the context of social interactions function at the interpersonal, interpersonal, intergroup, and societal levels. She is currently Associate Dean, Equity Diversity and Inclusion in the UNSW Faculty of Science and previously a member of UNSW’s Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) Ltd/Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team.

Dr Lisa A. Williams

Women in STEM Ambassador, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, says “Associate Professor Williams brings a wealth of academic expertise to our team at a time where our data-driven approach to gender equity in STEM is gathering pace. I’m particularly looking forward to applying her insights to our Future You program that is breaking new ground in challenging stereotypes about STEM careers for young people.” 

Professor Emma Johnston, Dean of Science, says: “Associate Professor Lisa Williams is a great addition to the Women in STEM Ambassador program, hosted at UNSW Science. Associate Professor Williams will broaden the Women in STEM Ambassador’s research expertise and I look forward to working with her and Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith on this important equity in science initiative.” 

Dr Lisa A. Williams, “I’m keenly looking forward to helping build the empirical evidence supporting the efficacy of programs to shift the dial towards gender equity in STEM”.