Sophia Williams is a multigenerational Deaf anthropologist-in-training. She earned dual undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Anthropology, and Criminal Justice from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). As a Fulbright Scholar, she completed an MA in Medical History and Humanities at the University of York (UK). She has presented her work internationally and volunteered with The Lyme Museum, the first museum dedicated to the lived experiences of people with invisible illnesses and disabilities.

Sophia’s experiences have examined health in diverse contexts, from Romania to Indonesia, through a combination of fieldwork and remote collaboration. She is committed to learning from and working alongside deaf communities globally, including but not limited to Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and hard of hearing individuals. Her work recognizes that experiences of illness and disability vary across cultural and communal contexts and cannot be reduced to a single, uniform narrative.

While at Gallaudet, Sophia will explore how deaf signers in the U.S. understand chronic and invisible illness. Following the fellowship, she intends to pursue a PhD and specialize in medical anthropology. Sophia is deeply grateful for this opportunity and looks forward to engaging with both the Gallaudet and broader deaf communities in DC— and beyond.