Four Williams faculty members have been promoted to associate professor with tenure, effective July 1, 2017. They are Rashida Braggs, Africana studies; Nicolas Howe, environmental studies; Tim Lebestky, biology; and Catherine Stroud, psychology.

Portrait of Professor Nicolas Howe
Nicolas Howe
Portrait of Professor Rashida Braggs
Rashida Braggs

Braggs introduces a performative lens to African diasporic cultural expressions including jazz, mass media and sports. She teaches courses on graphic novels, jazz, migration, music in African-American literature, performance studies and sports, and she is affiliated with the comparative literature and American studies programs. Braggs serves on the Claiming Williams Committee.


Howe examines the role of religion in American environmental thought and how religious beliefs have shaped the American landscape and continue to shape contemporary environmental politics. He teaches courses on climate change, environmental humanities, and religion and ecology, among others. Howe is a member of the Campus Environmental Advisory Committee.

Portrait of Professor Tim Lebestky
Tim Lebestky

Lebestky, a behavioral neurogeneticist, is interested in the genes and molecules that modulate behaviors and internal arousal states in the brain. His research uses the fruit fly as a genetic model system to understand molecular regulation of grooming, sleep and optomotor behaviors. Lebestky recently received a grant from the Hellman Family Foundation.

Portrait of Professor Catherine Stroud
Catherine Stroud

Stroud’s research focuses on the origins and consequences of depression. She examines the interface between depression and the social environment, exploring reciprocal associations among stress, interpersonal relationships and depression in studies that examine children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. Stroud teaches courses on experimentation and statistics, psychological disorders and clinical and community psychology.