She replaces Suzanne LaBrecque, who accepted a position last year as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Houston-Victoria.

As vice provost, Williamson will be responsible for academic program oversight and development and will work closely with deans, associate deans and academic support services.

"I am very pleased to take on the challenges of the vice provost position as a permanent appointment," Williamson said. "UNT is at an exciting point in its development as an institution and is making significant contributions in instructional design and delivery even as it expands its contributions to basic and applied research. We are, indeed, a student-centered public research university -- and that is a powerful idea. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and students of UNT as we build the future together."

With 18 years of experience at UNT, Williamson has served in several administrative, teaching and scholarly positions at the university.

She had previously served as special assistant to the provost and vice president of academic affairs from July 2004 until accepting the role of interim vice provost in August 2006. As the special assistant, she helped lead the university in developing the academic plan and played a significant role in creating UNT's strategic plan, said Dr. Gary Krahenbuhl, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at UNT.

"Dr. Williamson knows UNT, its history, politics and character," Krahenbuhl said. "She is a team player in every sense of the word and has a deep commitment to UNT's future. She will be a catalyst for good as we move forward and implement aspects of the external peer report and lead the university to the next stage of its development."

After joining UNT in 1989 as an instructor in what was then the Center for Rehabilitation Studies, Williamson was promoted to assistant professor in 1992 and associate professor and chair of the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions in 1999. She has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several grants totaling more than $1.5 million, including a $355,573 grant from the Nursing, Allied Health, and Other Health-Related Education Grant Program to develop a smoking prevention CD for middle school and high school students. Williamson also received a Community Builders Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to work with homebuyers, community leaders, nonprofit organization directors and business owners.

An expert in aging and mental and physical disabilities, she has published articles in the Journal of Rehabilitation Administration and the Southwest Journal on Aging and has served as co-editor of a special edition of Southwest Journal on Aging.

Before joining UNT, she was a professional social worker in the mental health field, providing services to children and adults with mental and emotional problems. Her eight years at the Denton County MHMR Centers included both counseling and administrative positions.

Williamson holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Abilene Christian University and master's and doctoral degrees in social work from the University of Texas at Arlington.