Dana Williams

Dr. Dana Williams is an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership MA program at the University of Denver, bringing over two decades of deep instructional and executive leadership experience to her courses. A proud DU alumna, she completed her principal licensure through the Ritchie Program in 2008 and earned her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in 2013. Dr. Williams currently serves as a Network Director of Elementary Schools for Denver Public Schools (DPS). Her career in education is rooted in the southwest Denver community of her childhood, where she served as a teacher and instructional coach at Goldrick Elementary, and later as an assistant principal, assessment specialist, and principal at University Park Elementary. Guided by a passion for leadership development, she has had the honor of coaching and developing more than 250 rising school leaders, many of whom serve as principals and assistant principals across the region today. Her early career also includes leading impactful nonprofit work in Chicago and Washington, D.C., following her BA in Communications and Intercultural Studies from Goshen College and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado Denver. As a lifelong practitioner-scholar, she is dedicated to cultivating a learning culture where every individual is seen, heard, and empowered to lead from their strengths. She firmly believes that Liberatory Design is essential for elevating stakeholder voices to dismantle complex systemic challenges, and she is thrilled to help DU students leverage Action Research to build the equitable schools that students deserve. Outside of her professional life, Dana is a lifelong Denver Broncos fan who cherishes traveling and exploring the outdoors with her husband and daughter.

Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

B.A. Communications and Intercultural Studies

M.A. Curriculum and Instruction