Lakiesha Williams

{{Infobox person

| name = Lakiesha Williams

| image = Dr. Williams.jpg

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| nationality = American

| alma_mater = Louisiana State University
Mississippi State University

| occupation = Biomedical engineer

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Lakiesha Williams is a biomedical engineer and an associate professor at the University of Florida.{{cite web|url=https://www.bme.ufl.edu/dept-member/williams_lakiesha/ |title=Lakiesha N. Williams, Ph.D. - Associate Professor: Traumatic brain injury, soft tissue mechanics, bio-inspired design & materials characterization |website=University of Florida}} Williams specializes in traumatic brain injury and biomechanics. Specifically, her work involves the modelling and mechanics of soft tissue, and how outside influences affect their structure. Much of her work on repetitive brain trauma involves utilizing preclinical models to study the long term neurodegenerative effects of damages.{{Cite web |title=Lakeisha Williams {{!}} Mississippi State University News Archive |url=https://www.newsarchive.msstate.edu/our-people/2012/02/lakeisha-williams |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=www.newsarchive.msstate.edu}}

Biography

Williams grew up in New Orleans, with her dad working as a carpenter. Williams went on to become a first generation college student, college graduate, and Associate Professor.

=Education=

Williams received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Biological engineering from Louisiana State University in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biomedical engineering at Mississippi State University in 2006.

=Distinctions=

Sigma Xi - distinguished member{{cite web|url=https://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/critical-issues-in-science/diversity/women-in-stem/2021 |title=Women in STEM: 2021 |website= Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society}}
National Society of Black Engineers - member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers - member
MSU President's Commission on the Status of Minorities - Committee Chair, 2017{{cite web|url=https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2017/03/msu-recognizes-diversity-award-winners |title=MSU recognizes Diversity Award winners |website=Mississippi State University|date=23 March 2017 }}

=Awards and honors=

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering - Fellow 2020: for “outstanding contributions in traumatic brain injury research and for tireless advocacy of biomedical engineering to communities underrepresented in STEM.“{{cite web|url=https://aimbe.org/dr-lakiesha-williams-inducted-into-aimbe-college-of-fellows/ |title=Dr. Lakiesha Williams Inducted into AIMBE College of Fellows |website=American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering}}{{cite web|url=https://aimbe.org/college-of-fellows/directory/ |title= Fellow Directory |website=AIMBE}}
100 Most Inspiring Black Scientists- 2020: On June 19, 2020, Dr. Williams was recognized amongst colleagues as one of the most inspiring black scientists{{Cite web |last=Hinton |first=Antentor O. Jr. |title=100 more inspiring Black scientists in America |url=http://crosstalk.cell.com/blog/100-more-inspiring-black-scientists-in-america |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=crosstalk.cell.com |language=en-us}}
Minority Access Incorporated - National Role Model Faculty Researcher Award (Mississippi State University), 2017{{cite web|url=http://www.minorityaccess.org/role_arch.html |title=Minority Access' Role Models Project |website= Minority Access Incorporated}}
Mississippi Business Journal Top in Technology, 2017{{cite web|url=https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2017/07/mbj-top-tech-list-includes-msu-engineering-professor-entrepreneurship |title=MBJ 'Top in Tech' list includes MSU engineering professor, entrepreneurship leader |website=Mississippi State University|date=10 July 2017 }}
Mississippi's Top 21 Most Wanted in Technology, 2014
Bagley College of Engineering, Mississippi State University: Hearin Faculty Excellence Award, 2010{{Cite web |date=2010-11-23 |title=Hearin Faculty Excellence Award Winners - Industrial & Systems Engineering - Bagley College of Engineering |url=https://www.ise.msstate.edu/hearin-faculty-excellence-award-winners/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=www.ise.msstate.edu |language=en-US}}
Women of Color Magazine{{cite web|url=https://intouch.ccgmag.com/page/women-of-color-stem-magazine |title=About Women of Color Magazine |website=Career Communications Group}} - Rising Star Award, 2008{{cite magazine |author= |title=Rising Stars |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3sS4CNmD2XAC&dq=%22Lakiesha+Williams%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA51 |magazine=Women of Color Magazine |year=2008 |location= |publisher=Career Communications Group |access-date=}}

Selected publications

Williams has over 60 publications. Her most-cited work has been cited more than 90 times.

Myocardial scaffold-based cardiac tissue engineering: application of coordinated mechanical and electrical stimulations. B Wang, G Wang, F To, JR Butler, A Claude, RM McLaughlin, LN Williams. . .(2013)

Structural and biomechanical characterizations of porcine myocardial extracellular matrix. B Wang, ME Tedder, CE Perez, G Wang, AL de Jongh Curry, F To, ... (2012)

The effects of water and microstructure on the mechanical properties of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) horn keratin. MW Trim, MF Horstemeyer, H Rhee, H El Kadiri, LN Williams, J Liao, ... (2011)

Hyperbolic method for prediction of prefabricated vertical drains performance. SG Chung, NK Lee, SR Kim (2009)

Hierarchical multiscale structure–property relationships of the red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) beak. N Lee, MF Horstemeyer, H Rhee, B Nabors, J Liao, LN Williams (2014)

{{cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=OBvVgJsAAAAJ&hl=en |title=Lakiesha N. Williams: Associate Professor, University of Florida |website= Google Scholar}}