Savaughn E. Williams is an acting assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington. She will be receiving her Ph. D.  from the University of Kansas. She has received her M.A. from Ball State University, and B.A. from Oklahoma Baptist University. 

Ms. Williams specializes in interpersonal communication focusing on relationships such as friendships, families, organizational interactions, and more. Her research utilizes critical qualitative methods such as interviews, photovoice, ethnography, and autoethnography to better understand questions around identity, race, and relationships. She utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to theory through utilizing communication theories and critical theories to help explore and better understand underrepresented populations. Through her work she has explored interracial friendships, families in a nonprofit, Black women in academia, and Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC) veterans with PTSD. She is most interested in highlighting underrepresented people and community engaged research. 

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles 

Williams, S.E., Gist-Mackey, A. N., & Jewell, A. (2023). Colorblind on the color line: Critical ethnography of racial inequity in a human service organization serving a community of families at the margins. Human Communication Research, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqad014

Brewer, M., Williams, S.E., & Wilson, M. (2022) Black women in academia. Women in the Academy, 30(2) 25-50. https://online.pubhtml5.com/nsco/hchw/#p=30 

Published Book Chapters  

Williams, S.E. (2023). Say his name and pray it’s not your loved one. S. Symons-LeBlanc, & S. O’Shay (Ed.) 2nd edition of Casing the Family: Theoretical and Applicable Advances in Family Communication. Kendall Hunt 

 Mapes, M., Williams, S.E., Brewer, M. (2023) Feminist grief. In P. English-Schneider & D. Randall-Griffiths (Eds) Narrative and Grief: Autoethnographies of Loss. Lexington. 

Gist-Mackey, A. N., Williams, S.E., Jewel, A. (2023) Whitewashing the walls: Leading Organizational change from cultures of mistrust to celebrating sisterhood. In B. Van Gilder, J. Austin, & J. Bishop (2023). Communication and Organizational Changemaking: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Routledge.  

Williams S.E. (2022). Sexuality in my reality: An autoethnography on a Black woman’s sexual journey. In Blithe, S. & Bauer, J. (Ed), Badass feminist politics: Exploring radical edges of feminist theory, communication, and activism.  

Denker, K. J., Rausch, K., & Williams, S.E. (2020). Learning through the process: Failure, frustration and forward movement in autoethnography. In Herrmann, A. (Ed.), The Routledge International Handbook of Organizational Autoethnography.

Williams, S.E., & Denker, K. J. (2019). I get it from my Mama: Doing race, doing gender. S. Symons-LeBlanc (Ed.). Going Behind Closed Doors: Case Studies in Family Communication.