Talithia Williams Kicks of Spring University Forum Series Feb. 7

Mon, 01/30/2023 - 02:54pm | By: David Tisdale

Internationally renowned mathematician and author Dr. Talithia Williams will get The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Spring 2023 University Forum series started when she presents “Data, Health, and Change” Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in historic Bennett Auditorium. Admission is free and members of the university and local communities are invited.

An associate professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, Dr. Williams holds degrees from Spelman College, Howard University, and Rice University. Her research involves creating statistical models that emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data and applying these models to problems in the environment; she has worked at NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the National Security Agency and as a research partner to the World Health Organization.

The author of Learning Statistics (2017) and Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics, Dr. Williams is also a co-host of the PBS NOVA series “NOVA Wonders,” and is the 2015 recipient of the Mathematical Association of America’s Henry L. Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching. She is best known for a TED talk, “Own Your Body’s Data,” which argues that simple data about our bodies can help us better understand our health.

University Forum is presented by the USM Honors College. Dr. Andrew Haley, an associate professor of history at USM, serves as director of University Forum. For questions about this event or the series, email forumFREEMississippi.