Maureen Williams, Ph.D.

An intrepid zoologist who is fascinated by the complex world of parasites and wants students to think about nature’s interconnections.

Spirited | Intrepid | Astute: A certified scuba instructor who loves to be outdoors, Maureen Williams brings her own hands-on experience into the classroom and Biology lab. She has published internationally collaborative research on subjects like parasite communities in coral reef fish in remote Pacific islands and on the resilience of Japanese river ecosystems during heatwaves.
How did you discover your love for zoology?: I have loved biology since I was in high school. When I was an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame, I studied abroad at Trinity College in Dublin, found myself in the zoology department, and completely accidentally found my home. It was one of the greatest years of my life and paved the way for me to return to Ireland to do a master’s at University College Dublin and a Ph.D. at Trinity College in zoology.
Your research specialty is parasite communities. What is the ecological significance of them?: I know it sounds really gross, but it’s actually one of the most interesting parts of biology. Parasites are everywhere and are up to about half of all species on earth. They do everything that you could imagine something doing in the most interesting and fascinating ways, and they have consequences for human and animal health. Every question that you could ask has a place in parasites. In particular, I study tropical diseases and parasite communities in fish and reefs.
What do you hope students will take away from your courses in Biology?: I want them to know that everything is interconnected and just how much the biological world depends on everything else in the biological world. I want them to know that life is varied and there will be a space for them to study or follow whatever path they find most interesting. More than anything, I want them to have a sense of accomplishment. Biology is a hard undertaking and I hope my students walk away feeling proud of everything they’ve accomplished.

Directory Profile for Maureen Williams

Volunteer

An SPCA volunteer, she is great at training dogs, and she has fostered many.

Sports

A huge fan of baseball, she has gone to 15 Orioles games in less than a year.

Travel

Her favorite travel experience was in Iceland, where she researched parasites in snails found on a local volcano.

Maureen Williams, Ph.D.

About Prof. Williams

Outside of the Classroom