Andrew B. Williams
{{Short description|American engineer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andrew B. Williams
| image = Andrew B Williams, Ph.D., M.B.A, portrait.png
| education = Rockhurst University, M.B.A
The University of Kansas, PhD in Electrical Engineering
Marquette University, M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering
The University of Kansas, B.S. in Electrical Engineering
| occupation = Dean of Engineering and the Louis S. LeTellier Chair for The Citadel School of Engineering in Charleston
Associate Dean Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and Spahr Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
| employer = The Citadel School of Engineering, Charleston
The University of Kansas
Marquette University
AppRobo LLC
Spelman College
The Boeing Company
Apple
University of Iowa
GE Healthcare
| known_for = Humanoid Robotics, Diversity in STEM
| notable_works = Author of the book "Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives"
}}
Andrew B. Williams is an American academic in the field of engineering. He is currently the Dean of Engineering and the Louis S. LeTellier Chair for The Citadel School of Engineering in Charleston.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-03|title=Dr. Andrew Williams to lead The Citadel School of Engineering|url=https://today.citadel.edu/dr-andrew-williams-to-lead-the-citadel-school-of-engineering/|access-date=2021-10-29|website=The Citadel Today|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029144217/https://today.citadel.edu/dr-andrew-williams-to-lead-the-citadel-school-of-engineering/|url-status=live}} It comes with a rank of Colonel in the SCM. He was the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Kansas, and the Charles E. and Mary Jane Spahr Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Education
Williams graduated from the University of Kansas in 1988 with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. He then attended Marquette University and earned an M.S. degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering in 1995 before returning to the University of Kansas and graduating with a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering in 1999. His thesis was on learning ontologies in multi-agent systems. He was the first African American to graduate from the University of Kansas with a Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering.{{Cite web|title=Andrew Williams's Biography|url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/andrew-williams|access-date=2020-10-14|website=The HistoryMakers|language=en|archive-date=2020-10-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019093825/https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/andrew-williams|url-status=live}}
Career and research
In 1999, Williams was appointed as an assistant professor in the electrical and computer engineering department at the University of Iowa where he started RAMP-IT, a computer and robotics day camp for underrepresented students. In 2004, Williams served as department chair in Computer and Information Sciences at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA and as a Research Affiliate at Georgia Institute of Technology in the Human-Automation Systems Lab.{{Cite web|date=2018-08-28|title=Andrew Williams|url=https://engr.ku.edu/andrew-williams|access-date=2020-10-14|website=School of Engineering|language=en|archive-date=2021-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227091525/http://engr.ku.edu/andrew-williams|url-status=live}} In 2012, Williams joined Marquette University as a professor and the John P. Raynor, S.J., Distinguished Chair of Electrical & Computer Engineering. There he directed the Humanoid Engineering & Intelligent Robotics (HEIR) Lab.{{Cite web|title=Are Americans Getting Smarter About Obesity?|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=251955361|access-date=2020-10-21|website=NPR.org|language=en|archive-date=2015-09-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930221418/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=251955361|url-status=live}} Williams's research is in humanoid robotics and AI, intelligent humanoid coaches, and cooperative autonomous systems.
Williams was the first Senior Engineering Diversity Manager at Apple Inc. under Steve Jobs.{{Cite web|date=2015-10-19|title=Andrew B. Williams|url=https://www.gemfellowship.org/alumni/gem-alumni-association/andrew-williams/|access-date=2020-10-14|website=The National GEM Consortium|language=en-US}} He was named a National Science Foundation ScienceMaker for his national efforts to increase STEM diversity. While at Spelman College, he founded and directed the SpelBots, an internationally known all-female RoboCup robotics team.{{Cite web|last=Parks|first=Clinton|date=2005-06-24|title=Spelman Students 'Score' Using Advanced Technology|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/spelman-students-score-using-advanced-technology|access-date=2020-10-14|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en|archive-date=2022-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004123131/https://www.science.org/content/article/spelman-students-score-using-advanced-technology?cookieSet=1|url-status=live}} He also authored the book Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-20|title=Meet the Director|url=https://engr.ku.edu/meet-director|access-date=2020-10-14|website=School of Engineering|language=en|archive-date=2020-10-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018125515/https://engr.ku.edu/meet-director|url-status=live}}
Selected publications
- "Learning to Share Meaning in a Multi-Agent System," J. of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, vol. 8, no. 2, 165–193, 2004.
- Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives (with E. Gilbreath), Moody Publishers and Institute for Black Family Development, Chicago, 2009.
- "The Potential Social Impact of the Artificial Intelligence Divide," Ethics, Safety, and Trust in Intelligent Agents, AAAI 2018 Spring Symposium, Stanford, CA, March 2018.
Awards and honors
{{BLP unreferenced section|date=October 2020}}
- National Science Foundation ScienceMaker{{Cite web|title=Andrew Williams's Biography|url=https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/andrew-williams|access-date=2021-02-22|website=The HistoryMakers|language=en|archive-date=2021-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415020826/https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/andrew-williams|url-status=live}}
- Mike and Joyce Shinn Innovator and Leader Award, KU Black Alumni Network{{Cite web|title=Kansas Engineer - Fall 2017|url=https://issuu.com/ku_engineering/docs/fall_2017_magazine_-_final|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Issuu|date=13 February 2018 |language=en|archive-date=2022-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004123131/https://issuu.com/ku_engineering/docs/fall_2017_magazine_-_final|url-status=live}}
- Selected as TEDx UW-Milwaukee speaker
- Marquette University Tribee Award, HEIR Lab, Student Chapter of the Year
- 20 Most Creative Milwaukeeans, Milwaukee Magazine, November 2013{{Cite web|date=2013-12-02|title=Andrew Williams|url=https://www.milwaukeemag.com/AndrewWilliams/|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Milwaukee Magazine|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004123131/https://www.milwaukeemag.com/AndrewWilliams/|url-status=live}}
- NPR's Tell Me More Black Tech Game Changers{{Cite web|title=A Day In The Life: Blacks At The Cutting Edge Of Innovation|url=https://news.wbfo.org/post/black-tech-game-changers|access-date=2021-02-22|website=news.wbfo.org|date=27 November 2013 |language=en|archive-date=2014-03-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314095044/http://news.wbfo.org/post/black-tech-game-changers|url-status=live}}
- IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Speaker
- National Academy of Engineering Frontiers in Engineering Participant
- GEM Consortium Alumni Mentoring Award
- Marquette University Young Engineering Alumni Award{{Cite web|title=biographical information files, v-w // Archives // Raynor Memorial Libraries // Marquette University|url=https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/SuperA/univ-a-4-5s9v-w.php|access-date=2021-02-22|website=www.marquette.edu|archive-date=2021-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303090418/https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/SuperA/univ-a-4-5s9v-w.php|url-status=live}}
References
External links
- [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=IG3K0WoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao Andrew B Williams] publications indexed by Google Scholar
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Andrew B.}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:American electrical engineers
Category:University of Kansas alumni
Category:Marquette University alumni
Category:University of Kansas faculty