As an Engagement Associate with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), Dr. Bethany Williams (she/her/hers) manages CSPI’s relationships with state and local partners in the Southern region, providing guidance around equitable community engagement in food policy work and organizational power building. In addition to her role with CSPI’s partner network, including current and potential sub-grantees, Bethany leads the Engagement Team’s efforts in internal capacity building, which guides CSPI practices in community engagement across research, policy, advocacy, and cross-cutting issue areas. Through her work, Bethany contributes to CSPI’s missions of inclusivity, openness, accountability, kindness, and collaboration, with a strong skillset and passion to center the voices of those most impacted by food system inequities. Prior to joining CSPI, Bethany worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate and Adjunct Instructor at Washington State University Health Sciences Spokane, with research and teaching focused on serving families and under-resourced communities. Starting in 2021, she also serves as Co-Chair of the NOPREN Food Service Guidelines Workgroup. While pursuing her PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (2017-2020), Bethany served as USDA Study Coordinator, guiding community-based participatory research in local and statewide projects aiming to reduce childhood malnutrition. She earned her Masters (2017) and Bachelors (2015) degrees in Exercise Science from the University of North Florida.