Will has presented empirical and conceptual scholarship at national and international conferences hosted by organizations including the Association for the Study of Higher Education, the American Educational Research Association, the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, and the Southeast Philosophy of Education Society. Collaborative scholarship with colleagues has appeared in journals such as the Review of Higher Education, the Journal of College Student Development, and Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences.
Williams, K.L., Walker, W.B., Jr., Callan, I.N., Lin, E.X. (In Press). Contemporary challenges and tensions of conservatism in American higher education. In K.L. Williams (Ed.), Role Strain, Adaptation and the Future of Equity Work in Higher Education: A Festschrift in Honor of Phillip J. Bowman. Emerald Publishing.
Williams, K.L., & Walker, W.B., Jr. (In Press). Role strain and adaptation: A Primer. In K.L. Williams (Ed.)., Role Strain, Adaptation and the Future of Equity Work in Higher Education: A Festschrift in Honor of Phillip J. Bowman. Emerald Publishing.
Williams, K.L., Walker, W.B, Jr, & Callan, I. (In Press). Measuring the margins: Role strain at the intersection of race and gender for Black undergraduate women in computing. In K.L. Williams (Ed.)., Role Strain, Adaptation and the Future of Equity Work in Higher Education: A Festschrift in Honor of Phillip J. Bowman. Emerald Publishing.
Stich, A. E., Walker, W., Cash-Williams, M., and Jarell, D. (In Press). Capitalizing on time and space: Place-based aid and the value of lifting financial burden for low-income students. Higher Education Politics and Economics.
Williams, K. L., Walker, W. B., Jr., & Callan, I. N. (2026). Connecting qualitative experiences to quantitative measurement: Reflections on doing and extending critical quantitative research in STEM. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 67, 1-5.
Williams, K. L., Dillon, E., Jones, J., Carter, S., Walker, W., & Melchior, S. (2026). Proving Our Worth: HBCUS, STEM Partnerships, and the Marginalization of Black Women in Industry Settings. Review of Higher Education, 49(2), 143-170.
Stich, A. E., Malik, A., Walker, W. B., Jr., Callan, I. N., Cooper, C., & Rodriguez, J. (2025). The rapid suppression of diversity, equity, and inclusion in United States higher education. Journal of Research and Innovation in Higher Education, 6(1), 119-141.
Goodman, M.A., Ardnt, A.L., Walker, W.B., Jr., & Carpenter, K. (2025). Politics, leadership, and the future of college student governance. Journal of College Student Development, 66(1), 120-123.
Walker, Jr., W. B., Riley, A., Tobin, M., & Ada, J. (2023). Overworked and Underpaid: Manifestations of Burnout Among Student Affairs Professionals at Midwestern University. Journal of the Student Personnel Association at Indiana University, 104–121.
Walker, Jr., W. B. (2022). Let’s Rethink the Role: A Critical Reflection Addressing Responsibilities of Undergraduate Resident Assistants. Journal of the Student Personnel Association at Indiana University, 21–29.
Walker, W.B., Jr. (2026). Strategic directions for the revision of the client satisfaction survey: Report and Recommendations. UGA Small Business Development Center.
Walker, W.B., Jr. (2026). UGA SBDC Workplace Survey 2025: Report of the qualitative data and related recommendations. UGA Small Business Development Center.
Walker, W.B., Jr. (2026). UGA SBDC Workplace Survey 2025: Report of the quantitative data and related recommendations. UGA Small Business Development Center.
Baser, S.M., Walker, W.B., Jr., Dean, M.T., & Maldonado, M. (2025). State Reauthorization Policies: Toolkit. State Higher Education Executive Officers Association [SHEEO]. https://sheeo.org/wpcontent/uploads/2025/07/StateRea uthorization_Toolkit.pdf
Baser, S. M., Walker, W. B., Jr., Dean, M. T., & Maldonado, M. (2025). State reauthorization research: Technical appendix (pp. 1–19). State Higher Education Executive Officer Association (SHEEO). https://sheeo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/StateAuhorization_TechnicalAppendix.pdf
Baser, S.M., Maldonado, N., Dean, M.T., Walker, W.B., Jr., Ness, E.C. (2025). State postsecondary authorization: A mixed-methods analysis of reauthorization processes and agency capacity. State Higher Education Executive Officers Association [SHEEO]. https://sheeo.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Baser-etal_StateRenewalProcesses_SHEEOReport.pdf
Williams, K.L., Callan, I., & Walker, W.B., Jr, & Dillon, E. (In Development). Syntax, sisterhood, and strain: A phenomenology of black undergraduate women in computing at an HBCU. The target outlet is the Journal of Higher Education.
Walker, W.B., Jr. (2026, February 5-6). 21st Century Administration and Governance of Colleges and Universities: A Two-Part System of Tension in Review [Paper Presentation]. 78th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Philosophy of Education Society (SEPES), Birmingham, AL.
Williams, K.L., Callan, I, Walker, W., & Dillon, E. (2025, November 13). Syntax, sisterhood, and strain: A Phenomenology of Black undergraduate women in computing at an HBCU [Paper Presentation]. Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference.
Stitch, A., & Walker, W. (2025, November 15). Capitalizing on time and space: Place-based aid and the value of lifting or reducing financial burden for low-income students [Paper Presentation]. Association for the Study of Higher Education Annual Conference.
Williams, K.L., Mackroy, K., Walker, W., & Gosha, K. (2025, May 19-23). Empowering Black computing students: A case study of an organization's social media strategy [Paper Presentation]. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), EdMedia World Conference on Educational Technology. Barcelona, Spain.
Williams, K.L., Walker, W., & Callan, I. (2025, April 23-27). Intersectionality and Black undergraduate women in computing: A critical quantitative approach to measurement development [Poster Presentation]. American Education Research Association (AERA) 2025 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
Walker, W. (2024, November 20-23). Student engagement, voice and power: A critical discourse analysis of academic governance [Poster Presentation]. Association for the Study of Higher Education 2024 Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Williams, K.L., Walker, W., Callan, I., Ahmad, I., Steiner, K., & Rasale, S. (2024, June 5-6). Measuring Black undergraduate women’s intersectional experiences in engineering/computing: Preliminary scale development insights [Roundtable Discussion]. SIARM for STEM Education Research 2024 Conference, Chicago, IL.
Williams, K.L., Ahmad, I., Walker, W., Callan, I., Steiner, L., & Rasale, S. (2023). Construction of an intersectionality scale for Black undergraduate women in computing [Conference Presentation]. Blacks in Computing Education (BICE) 2023 Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Walker, Jr., W.B., & Hoyt, C. L. (2022, February 16-19). University diversity rationales: The case for moral rationales [Poster Presentation]. Society for Personality and Social Psychology Annual Convention, San Francisco, CA.
Identifying The Pathway to Inclusive Excellence: A Case Study Investigating the Development of a Strategic Diversity Plan at a Highly Selective Liberal Arts College
Abstract: Leaders of higher education institutions are constantly considering how they may transform campus environments to be more welcoming to students with marginalized identities. Thus, to create these environments, leaders typically utilize a process known as strategic diversity planning. Strategic diversity planning is a widely practiced phenomenon within the higher education industry. However, we still know relatively little about it. First, the existing research has disproportionally placed large public institutions and university systems at the center of attention. Secondly, in some cases, the existing literature has favored aspects such as the content of strategic diversity plans, while paying less attention to the specific factors of change that undergird the development of a strategic diversity plan. Finally, the literature has not paid much attention to the specific agents of change who show up to do the work of strategic diversity planning. Therefore, to address these challenges, this study aimed to better understand how institutional leaders at a highly selective liberal arts college developed a strategic diversity plan. Using a single-site, qualitative case study approach, data from two sources were collected and analyzed thematically. The findings of the study reveal critical components of the process for strategic diversity planning at a highly selective liberal arts college and the nature of students’ involvement in processes of strategic (diversity) planning.
The Case for the Moral Rationale of Diversity
Abstract: Although there is much literature highlighting the instrumental benefits of diversity (Gurin et al., 2002; Gurin et al., 2004; Hurtado,2006; Jayakumar,2008), little research focuses on the effects of diversity that arise because of moral rationales for diversity. Expanding on the question of the effect of diversity rationales, this study measured the relationship between institutional rationales for diversity and undergraduate students’ perceived sense of belonging. Using a one-tailed multivariate analysis of variance (N=257), our results show that the moral rationale for diversity has more beneficial outcomes for undergraduate students, regardless of race or ethnicity. More specifically, our analyses show that undergraduate students attending an institution that affirms the moral rationale for diversity would perceive themselves as having a greater sense of belonging and identity safety. Results of this study further indicate that institutions ascribing to the moral rationale for diversity would be perceived as better at promoting diversity, as evidenced by a lower presence of discrimination and a larger number of campus community members identifying prejudiced incidents as discriminatory. As collegiate institutions become more diverse, institutional leaders and policymakers must actively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to transform campus cultures and climates. The results of this study offer a compelling way to move towards these actions.