Marsha Rhea Williams

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Born (1948-08-04) August 4, 1948 (age 77)
Almamater
KnownforBeing the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science
Marsha Rhea Williams
Born (1948-08-04) August 4, 1948 (age 77)
Alma mater
Known forBeing the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science
Scientific career
Institutions
Thesis The Design of the Computer Assisted Query Language (CAQL) System  (1982)

Marsha Rhea Williams (born 1948) is an American educator and researcher, she is known for being the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science.[1] She held many academic positions and was most recently a tenured professor at Tennessee State University. Additionally, she advocates for greater minority representation in STEM fields.

Williams was born on August 4, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee, to parents James Edward Williams and Velma Lee Williams.[1] In 1969, she earned her B.S. in physics from Beloit College.[2] Afterwards, in 1971, she earned her M.S. in physics from the University of Michigan.[2]

After spending time in instructing positions, Williams arrived at Vanderbilt University to begin her doctoral studies. In 1976, she earned her M.S. in systems and information science at Vanderbilt.[2] Then, in 1982, she earned her Ph.D. in computer science. In accomplishing this, she became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science. For her Ph.D., she wrote her dissertation, “The Design of the Computer Assisted Query Language (CAQL) System,” which “examined the emerging field of user experience in querying large databases.”[2]

Career

Selected publications

References

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