Tiffani L. Williams

Tiffani L. Williams is a Teaching Professor and Director of Onramp Programs in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and serves as a Dean’s Fellow in Inclusion, Belonging, and Engagement in the Grainger College of Engineering. Previously, she held roles as Director of Computer Science Programs and Professor of the Practice at Northeastern University-Charlotte (2017–2020) and was a faculty member at Texas A&M University’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (2005–2017).

Her research focuses on computer science education, computational biology, and inclusive science communication, with a particular emphasis on phylogenetic tree inference, high-performance computing, and diverse educational pathways. She pioneered programs like the iCAN accelerator to broaden participation in computing for non-CS graduates.

Her awards include the Denice Denton Emerging Leader ABIE Award, Radcliffe Institute Fellowship, and multiple teaching excellence honors from Texas A&M and Illinois. Her work bridges computational science and equitable education, with notable contributions to phylogenetic algorithms and reproducible research practices.

Recent courses include advanced computer science fundamentals and excursions in computing. She leads initiatives to address systemic inequities in STEM through curriculum design and inclusive pedagogy.