Before pursuing graduate studies, Villamil worked for two years in her native country of Colombia as a communication specialist, implementing training and development opportunities for employees in various corporate settings. Once in graduate school, she focused her research agenda on communication processes surrounding diversity in organizations. Her dissertation examined identity negotiation processes among Hispanic professors in U.S. higher education institutions. In addition, Villamil works with a grant team funded by the U.S. State Department that brings college women from countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia to a leadership institute in the Midwest every summer to promote goodwill.