Williams Named American Council on Education Fellow

The American Council on Education (ACE) has named Harvey Mudd College Associate Professor of Mathematics Talithia Williams an ACE Fellow for academic year 2015–2016.

The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing emerging leaders for senior positions in college and university administration. Forty-seven Fellows, nominated by the senior administration of their institutions, were selected this year following a rigorous application process. As an ACE Fellow, Williams will attend retreats and interactive learning opportunities in addition to being placed at another institution to increase her understanding of higher education challenges and opportunities. Williams’ final placement is currently being determined.

Her passion for integrating the educational process with real-world statistical applications drives Williams’ research, which emphasizes the spatial and temporal structure of data with environmental applications. She has spoken throughout the country about the value of statistics in quantifying personal health information. Her recent TED talk, “Own Your Body’s Data,” has garnered nearly one million views. She is also a recent recipient of the Mathematical Association of America’s Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning Faculty Member.