Wanda Wigfall-Williams
Assistant Professor
School of International Service
Additional Positions at AU
Director, Intercultural and International Communication MA Program
Degrees
PhD, MS, Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University, BS, Psychology, Temple University
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, French
Book Currently Reading
Racecraft
Bio
Dr. Wanda Wigfall-Williams is the Director of the Intercultural and International Communication MA Program and Co-Director of the Global Media Program at American University’s School of International Service. She is an experienced interculturalist, conflict analyst, mitigator and practitioner with a focus on identity-based conflicts and communicating effectively across sectarian, race, ethnicity, class, age and gender differences. Dr. Wigfall-Williams joined the faculty in 2009. Prior to her arrival at American University, she taught at several institutions, including George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Columbia College, University of Ulster and Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
As a scholar-practitioner, she has negotiated with paramilitary leaders and militants; facilitated dialogues and focus groups in conflict zones, and worked to develop anti-human trafficking campaigns in Eastern Europe, West Africa, and Asia. Her teaching, research and practice are informed by her desire to give voice to the issues that marginalize and threaten the rights of minorities at risk.
After being the first American and first woman to be awarded the Tip O’Neill Peace Fellowship, Dr. Wigfall-Williams conducted extensive field research examining identity negotiation strategies within the context of mixed-tradition married couples in Northern Ireland, a society that continues to be divided based on religious affiliation and ethno-nationalism. She has expertise in program planning, implementation and evaluation for public sector entities such as the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as numerous private sector clients.
