Jill M Williams

Interests

Research

border studies; feminist geography; political geography; border enforcement; US-Mexico border; diversity and education; social justice and education; critical pedagogy

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Journals/Publications

• Williams, J. M., & Coddington, K. (2021). Feminist periscoping in research on border enforcement and human rights. Journal of Human Rights, 20(1), 143-150. doi:10.1080/14754835.2020.1850243
• Williams, J. M., & Coddinton, K. (2021). Feminist Periscoping in Research on Border Enforcement and Human Rights. Journal of Human Rights.
• Faria, C., Massaro, V., & Williams, J. M. (2020). Introduction to Special Issue: Feminist Political Geography: Emerging Trends. Environment and Planning C: Society and Space, 38(7-8), 1149-1159.
• Williams, J. M. (2020). Affecting Migration: Public Information Campaigns and the Intimate Spatialities of Border Enforcement. Environment and Planning C: Space and Politics, 38(7-8), 1198-1215.
• Williams, J. M., Boyce, G., Launius, S., & Miller, T. (2020). Alter-Geopolitics and the Feminist Challenge to the Securitization of Climate Policy. Gender, Place, and Culture, 27(3), 394-411.
  More info

  In the United States and beyond the challenges of global climate change are increasingly being governed via the militarization of nation-state borders rather than, or in addition to, the mitigation of carbon emissions and collective strategies for climate adaptation. In this article we apply the concept of “geopopulationism,” introduced by Bhatia et al. (this issue), to think through the zero-sum Manichaean logics of traditional geopolitical calculation and the ways these become applied to climate governance via the securitization of climate change-related migration. In order to disrupt this securitization of climate policy, we draw on the insights of feminist geopolitics and what Koopman calls “alter-geopolitics” to consider how contemporary grassroots movements like the Sanctuary movement and #BlackLivesMatter have made connections between political, economic and environmental vulnerabilities while developing relationships of solidarity and care that broaden, disseminate, distribute and regenerate security as an expansive and inclusive project. We conclude by considering ways that scholars can continue to ally ourselves with and contribute to these grassroots efforts.
• Williams, J. M. (2019). Affecting migration: Public information campaigns and the intimate spatialities of border enforcement. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 38(7-8), 1198-1215. doi:10.1177/2399654419833384
• Williams, J., Launius, S., Boyce, G. A., & Miller, T. (2019). Alter-geopolitics and the feminist challenge to the securitization of climate policy. Gender, Place & Culture, 27(3), 394-411. doi:10.1080/0966369x.2019.1620698
• Williams, J. M., & Tolbert, S. E. (2018). Finding the Freedom to Resist: Connecting Everyday and Spectacular Resistance. SocietyandSpace.org.
• Williams, J. M. (2017). Crisis, subjectivity, and the polymorphous character of immigrant family detention in the United States. TERRITORY POLITICS GOVERNANCE, 5(3), 269-281.
• Williams, J. M. (2017). Crisis, subjectivity, and the polymorphous character of immigrant family detention in the United States. Territory, Politics, Governance, 5(3), 269-281. doi:10.1080/21622671.2017.1284021
• Williams, J. M. (2015). From humanitarian exceptionalism to contingent care: Care and enforcement at the humanitarian border. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY, 47, 11-20.
• Williams, J., & Boyce, G. A. (2013). Fear, Loathing and the Everyday Geopolitics of Encounter in the Arizona Borderlands. GEOPOLITICS, 18(4), 895-916.
• Williams, J., & Massaro, V. (2013). INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL SECTION Feminist Geopolitics: Unpacking (In) Security, Animating Social Change. GEOPOLITICS, 18(4), 751-758.

Proceedings Publications

• Tolbert, S. E., & Williams, J. M. (2019, Spring). Becoming leaders of resistance in a post-truth era. In American Educational Research Association.

Presentations

• Williams, J. M. (2022). Public Information Campaigns, Affective Governmentality, and the Family. Migration Policy Centre Webinar Series: The role of information provision in migration governance: Informing to dissuade?. virtual, YouTube: Migration Policy Centre, European University Institute.
  More info

  Presentation in webinar series focused on researchers and policy makers in Europe.
• Fritzsche, L., Joshi, N., Kinkaid, E., & Williams, J. M. (2021). Anti-Racist Teaching in Geography: An Introduction and Invitation. School of Geography, Development, and Environment Colloquium Series. virtual.
• Williams, J. M. (2021). Fostering Diverse and Inclusive Classrooms. College of Science Teaching Assistant Training.
• Williams, J. M. (2021). Intersectional Perspectives on "Women" in STEM. American Association of University Women Arizona Chapter Fall Forum. Virtual: American Association of University Women Arizona Chapter.
• Williams, J. M. (2021, April). Gender Equity in STEM. Binational Spring Webinar Series: Present and Future Challenges on Gender Equality as a Human Right in Mexico and the US. online: SBS-Mexico Initiatives and UNISON.
• Williams, J. M. (2021, September). Intersectional Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM. Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Series, College of Veterinary, Agriculture, and Life Sciences. University of Arizona: ALVSCE Diversity and Inclusion council.
  More info

  Intersectional perspectives and approaches are critical for understanding the way in which issues of diversity and inclusion shape diverse student experiences and outcomes in higher education. In this presentation, I will discuss recent efforts to use an intersectional approach to understand disparities in STEM student outcomes at the University of Arizona and how our findings can be used to inform diversity and inclusion efforts.
• Williams, J. M., & Coddington, K. (2021, Spring). (Re)Producing family, deterring migration: Representations of family in public information campaigns in the US and Australia. "What do we say to migrants throughout their journey?” Disputed communication strategies and informational practices between spaces of origin, transit and destination. Virtual: Universite Libre de Bruxells.
• Williams, J. M., & Tolbert, S. (2021, April). Finding the Capacity to Resist: Science Classrooms as Spaces of Radical Openness. American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting. virtual.
  More info

  While there is increasing attention to education (as both site and process) in geographic research, very few geographers have explored the science classroom in particular as a unique site of/for educational resistance. Drawing on insights gained during an 18-month collaborative project with public school science teachers in southern Arizona, this paper examines the interesting and unexpected ways in which neoliberal policies have produced science classrooms as particularly powerful sites from which resistance can emerge. For example, widespread teacher shortages (particularly of math and science teachers) have created feelings of empowerment and agency among teachers that allow them to resist destructive educational reforms in various ways. At the same time, the increasingly central role math and language arts testing has played in shaping teacher and school evaluations gives science teachers a promising level of autonomy within their classrooms. Throughout, we pay particular attention to the way in which everyday resistances taken at the scale of the individual connect to large-scale collective resistance. In doing so, we link the sites of the classroom to the street and the state house as teachers work to find the space and the capacity to resist harmful education policies and create meaningful change. In doing so, our presentation encourages geographers to pay attention to the way in which resistance to neoliberal education reforms emerges across scales and from particularly situated sites.
• Williams, J. M., & Murphy, S. U. (2020, November). "To say I've lost motivation is an understatement.": Inequity and STEM student experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. University of Arizona School of Information Colloquium Series. Tucson, AZ.
• Williams, J. M., Tolbert, S., & Meyer Krause, C. (2019, Spring). "This whole process has turned me into 'that teacher'": Teacher Leadership in a Post-Truth Era. American Educational Research Association. Toronto, Canada.

Poster Presentations

• Gallagher, L. K., Williams, J. M., Lazzeri, D., Chennault, C., Jourdain, S., O'Leary, P., Condon, L. E., & Maxwell, R. M. (2021). Sandtank-ML: An Educational Resource at the Interface of Hydrology and Machine Learning. American Geophysical Union Conference. New Orleans, LA.

Others

• Granillo, A. B., Murphy, S. U., & Williams, J. M. (2021, July). Arizona Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars Program Evaluation and Scale-up Study, Report 1.
  More info

  Report on phase one of a research project evaluating the impacts and best practices of the Arizona Science, Engineering, and Math Scholars Program
• Greenberg, E. F., & Williams, J. M. (2021, July). Bio/Diversity Project Report: 2020-21.
  More info

  Report outlining impact and outcomes of The Bio/Diversity Project, with a focus on the transition to 100% online programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Murphy, S. U., & Williams, J. M. (2021, June). An Intersectional Analysis of STEM Student Outcomes.
  More info

  Drawing on earlier analysis of female students in particular, this report takes an intersectional approach to understanding STEM student outcomes at the University of Arizona. Drawing on over 40,000 student records from between 2014-2020, we analyzed entry, persistence, and graduation trends among female, under-represented minority, first generation college going, and Pell eligible students at the institutional, college, and departmental scales. The results demonstrat staistically significant disparities in some STEM student outcomes across teh instersectional groups and offer a more fine-tuned analysis of these demographic factors shape the liklihood that students will enter, persist, or succeed in STEM at the University of Arizona. This report provides data and insights critical to informing institutional policies and practicies focused on addressing disparities in STEM student outcomes at various scales. This report was made possible with funding from the UA Office of Societal Impacts and Technology and Research Initiative Fund.
• Williams, J. M. (2021, June). Earth Conservation Internship Program Evaluation Report, 2020-21.
• Williams, J. M., & Anderson, K. (2020, June). Evaluation of the Earth Camp Conservation Internship Program. Southwest Institute for Research on Women/Women in Science and Engineering Program.
  More info

  Evaluation report for the Earth Conservation Internship Program produced for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and National Forest Foundation.
• Williams, J. M., & Gruza, S. (2020, in progress). Bio/Diversity Project Impacts Report. Southwest Institute for Research on Women/Women in Science and Engineering Program.
• Williams, J. M., & Murphy, S. (2020, June). Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on University of Arizona's STEM Graduate Students. Southwest Institute for Research on Women/Women in Science and Engineering Program.
• Williams, J. M., & Murphy, S. (2020, June). Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on University of Arizona's Undergraduate STEM Students. Southwest Institute for Research on Women/Women in Science and Engineering Program.
• Murphy, S. U., & Williams, J. M. (2019, December). Report on the Status of Women in STEM at the University of Arizona. SIROW/UA.
  More info

  Produce a report providing an overview of enrollment, retention, and graduation rates among female students in STEM fields and colleges at the University of Arizona. This is the first report of its kind produced and provides valuable information for informing program development and institutional initiatives to better support female STEM students.