The speaker for the A.E. “Mike” Bentzin community event in Watertown this week will be Dr. Talithia Williams.
A.E. Bentzin was a president of the school board and mayor of the city. A donation in his honor enables high-quality speakers to address the community once or twice a year and is made available through a gift to the community foundation. Announcements of such events are often publicized throughout the community with poster printing.
Williams is an associate professor of mathematics and the associate dean for research and experiential learning at Harvey Mudd College. Her work focuses on statistical modeling, mathematics, and data analytics. She develops statistical models that emphasize the temporal and spatial structure of data and applies them to problems in the real world.
She is also a host of the PBS series, NOVA Wonders, a mini-series on PBS that explores the biggest questions on the frontiers of science. A popular TED speaker, Dr. Williams is a passionate advocate for science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. She has also had research appointments at the National Security Agency, and both the Johnson Space Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA.
Dr. Williams holds bachelor's and master’s degrees from Spelman College and Howard University, as well as a Ph.D. in statistics from Rice University.
This event will take place this Thursday, May 19 at 7:00 pm in the auditorium of Watertown High School.
