Dr. Jessica Williams honored by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
April 19, 2019
Dr. Jessica Williams, Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Converse, was honored by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities at the association’s annual Excellence in Teaching Awards banquet on April 9, 2019.
Dr. Jessica Williams joined the Converse faculty in 2015. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in mathematics from the University of Iowa and a B.A. in mathematics from Transylvania University.
Dr. Williams has taught 17 distinct Converse mathematics courses over a wide range of topics. She was a 2015-2016 Mathematical Association of America Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching) fellow, a program in which she attended and organized mathematics education workshops at several national conferences. Dr. Williams is dedicated to innovative teaching and has re-designed and taught a variety of advanced mathematics courses in an inquiry-based learning style. She has delivered presentations on course design, active learning, and teaching techniques at multiple regional and national conferences.
In 2016, Dr. Williams co-authored a peer-reviewed article in the mathematics journal Communications in Algebra. Her current research applies graph theory to self-assembling DNA nanostructures. Dr. Williams served as mentor to one undergraduate student’s research project as part of the 2018 SCICU student-faculty research program. Many Converse students have attended conferences alongside Dr. Williams, often presenting senior capstone and honors thesis projects.
President Krista Newkirk praised Dr. Williams for, “creating an engaging learning environment where students feel empowered, gain confidence in their abilities, and find a love for complex mathematics.” Provost Jeffrey H. Barker adds that, “Dr. Williams is a truly gifted teacher engaged in the content of her discipline as well as in developing cutting-edge teaching models to help students succeed in mathematics. She has revamped the Mathematics program at Converse, led the development of data analytics at the College, and more than doubled the number of Math majors.” Converse is proud that Dr. Jessica Williams is its 2019 South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching Award recipient.
