William Winders Named Associate Dean for Faculty Development
Posted March 18, 2026
William (Bill) Winders, professor in the School of History and Sociology (HSOC), has been appointed associate dean for faculty development in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, effective July 1.
He replaces Alasdair Young, professor and Neal Family Chair in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, who has served as interim associate dean since April 2024. Winders will collaborate with human resources and the faculty affairs team this summer to ensure a smooth transition.
“Bill’s deep experience with faculty issues and his devotion to shared governance and non-tenure track faculty make him an exciting addition to our College’s leadership team,” said Amanda Murdie, dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Regents’ Professor, and Ivan Allen Jr. Chair in Liberal Arts and Technology. “I’d also like to express my appreciation to Alasdair Young for his excellent work as interim associate dean over the past two years.”
As associate dean for faculty development, Winders will advise the dean, the college’s executive leadership team, and department/school chairs on matters related to faculty affairs. He will also support the needs of the faculty community and provide resources, mentorship, and leadership that promotes advancement of tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track, and research faculty, as well as research and teaching postdoctoral fellows.
Winders has many years of experience in administration, leadership, and the Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure (RPT) process. In HSOC, he served as the director of undergraduate studies from 2008 to 2014 and the director of graduate studies from 2014 to 2020. He has also served on HSOC’s RPT committee since 2009 and currently serves as the chair of the HSOC RPT Committee. He also serves as the Georgia Tech representative to the University System of Georgia Chief Academic Officer Advisory Group for Sociology.
Winders has chaired several faculty search committees and was involved in shaping and conducting the annual evaluation process for faculty.
A political sociologist, Winders’ research focuses on national policies, social movements, and inequality in a global context. His courses include Introduction to Sociology, Food and Society, Sociology of Development, and Social Movements. In addition to many journal articles and book chapters, he has written two books and co-edited one book. He is currently working on two projects aimed at producing book manuscripts – one examines the global meat industry and the other focuses on global food crises in historical perspective.
