Bernadette Williams-York

Dr. Bernadette Williams-York has been an educator in health professional programs for nearly 20 years. She currently serves as associate professor and program director of the Division of Physical Therapy in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. She has previously held faculty and administrative appointments at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama; Howard University in Washington, D.C.; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Dr. Williams-York received her Bachelor of Science degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana; a Master of Science degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham; and a Doctor of Science degree from Rocky Mountain University in Provo, Utah.

Dr. Williams-York is a board-certified geriatric specialist and has been a licensed physical therapist for more than 30 years. She is also a published author and has received federal funding for her research in health disparities, healthcare workforce diversity, health promotion, and aging. In addition, Dr. Williams-York has presented nationally on the effect of implicit bias on physical therapist–patient interactions. Dr. Williams-York is a member of the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CEDI) in the School of Medicine at UW and serves as the vice president of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consortium for the Academic Council of Physical Therapy Education.