Dr. Williams is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech’s Department of Computer Science. She is a mixed-methods computer science researcher and designer whose work is at the intersection of identity, culture, and computing in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI).

Her research examines digital technology use among populations with low resources due to systemic injustices, and explores tech-enabled solutions to either highlight injustices or find future alternatives (i.e., anti-racist design).

She has received over $300,000 in grants and fellowships, including the Microsoft Research Dissertation Fellowship, GEM Fellowship, Generation Google Scholarship (formerly known as Google’s Women Techmakers Scholars), and the Rackham Graduate School Merit Fellowship.

Dr. Williams has completed research internships at Adobe Research and Microsoft Research. Prior to her PhD, she worked in industry as a software engineer and product manager at Xerox, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the U.S. Department of State.