Talithia Williams

Dr. Talithia Williams is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and co-host of the PBS series NOVA Wonders. She develops statistical models that emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data with environmental applications. Williams received her BS in mathematics from Spelman College, master's degrees in both mathematics from Howard University and statistics from Rice University, and a PhD in statistics from Rice University. Her professional experiences include...See more

Dr. Talithia Williams is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College and co-host of the PBS series NOVA Wonders. She develops statistical models that emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data with environmental applications. Williams received her BS in mathematics from Spelman College, master's degrees in both mathematics from Howard University and statistics from Rice University, and a PhD in statistics from Rice University. Her professional experiences include research appointments at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the National Security Agency (NSA), and NASA. Renowned for her popular TED Talk, "Own Your Body's Data," she has delivered speeches nationally and internationally on the value of statistics in quantifying personal health information. Dr. Williams has been recognized for the development of a cataract model used to predict the cataract surgical rate for developing countries in Africa. In 2015, she won the Mathematical Association of America's Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning College or University Mathematics Faculty Member. See less