Dr. Dlynn Williams Named Dean of APSU’s College of Behavioral and Health Sciences

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University has named Dr. Dlynn Armstrong Williams, head of the University of North Georgia (UNG) Department of Political Science and International Affairs, as the next dean of the APSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences. She will begin her new role at Austin Peay on July 1.

“I’m excited to welcome Dr. Williams to Austin Peay because she is bringing such impressive experience, skills and scholarship to this University,” Dr. Maria Cronley, APSU provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, said. “Her background clearly shows that she has a serving-style of leadership, which perfectly fits the culture in Austin Peay’s College of Behavioral and Health Sciences.”

Williams previously served as interim associate vice president of International Programs at UNG. As department head, she oversaw several undergraduate and graduate degrees and supervised the creation of a departmental communication plan that integrated social media, the University website and alumni and donor outreach.

From 2006-2012, she directed the University’s Center for Global Engagement, where she created the Institutional International Plan and facilitated Memorandums of Understanding with programs in China, Korea, Switzerland, Egypt and Morocco.

In 1997, Williams received a Fulbright-Hayes grant that focused on Tunisia, and in 2019 she was awarded the Commander’s Award for Public Service by the U.S. Department of the Army. She serves on the Editorial Board for the International Journal of Security Studies, and she was previously a board member for the Georgia Political Science Association.

Williams earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Clarion University in Pennsylvania. She went on to receive her Master of Arts and her Ph.D. in political science from Miami University.

“I am excited to be part of an amazing group of professionals at APSU,” Williams said. “The College of Behavioral and Health Sciences (CoBHS) is a large and innovative college which is focused on meeting the needs of our local communities and the country. I look forward to working with all of the units within CoBHS as they continue to create an educated workforce that can contribute directly to the region following graduation.”

The APSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences oversees the University’s departments of Health and Human Performance, Criminal Justice, Leadership, Military Science and Leadership, Political Science and Public Management, Psychological Science and Counseling, Social Work, Sociology and Community Development and the School of Nursing. The college also oversees Austin Peay’s new Institute for National Security and Military Studies.

Information about the college is available at www.apsu.edu/behavioral-health.