Nancy Williams, professor and head of the department of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University, has received the 2023-2024 John R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Kinesiology Association. She was recognized for her outstanding contributions to her department and its doctoral program.
Dr. Williams has served in her current role as head of the department of kinesiology for over a decade. She holds additional faculty appointments with the Integrative Biomedical Physiology program and the Center for Reproductive Biology and Health. Throughout her career, she has held many leadership positions within the American Kinesiology Association, including a term as president. In addition to her many affiliations, she conducts research that centers around the physiological and behavioral underpinnings of interactions between energy balance, reproductive function, bone health, and exercise performance.
Dr. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Ohio State University, and a doctorate in applied physiology from Boston University.