About Us
The William Joiner Center is named after William (Bill) Joiner, an African American veteran who served as the university’s first director of Veterans Affairs until his untimely death in 1981 from liver cancer associated with his exposure to Agent Orange while serving in the military. The center promotes research, curriculum development, public events, and educational, cultural, and humanitarian exchanges which foster greater understanding and innovative means of addressing the consequences of war. Responding to wars in the 21st century, the Joiner Center has begun to focus on the consequences of the Global War on Terrorism, particularly as manifested in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.Staffed by veterans and others affected by wars from Vietnam through Iraq, the center is located at the University of Massachusetts Boston at Harbor Point on the 10th floor of the Joseph P. Healey Library.
The center seeks to serve veterans and all victims of war and to create a public space where the issues of war and their human, social, political, and environmental consequences can be openly discussed, debated, and analyzed.The center seeks to promote the advancement of knowledge and critical thought in these areas and the creation of fresh and enduring solutions.
