
Talithia Williams
Associate Professor of Mathematics at Harvey Mudd College Known for her Popular TED Talk
Renowned for her popular TED Talk, “Own Your Body’s Data”, Dr. Talithia Williams takes sophisticated numerical concepts and makes them understandable to a wide audience. She demystifies the mathematical process in amusing and insightful ways, using statistics as a way of seeing the world in a new light and transforming our future through the bold…
Categories :
Full Bio
Renowned for her popular TED Talk, “Own Your Body’s Data”, Dr. Talithia Williams takes sophisticated numerical concepts and makes them understandable to a wide audience. She demystifies the mathematical process in amusing and insightful ways, using statistics as a way of seeing the world in a new light and transforming our future through the bold new possibilities inherent in the STEM fields.
Dr. Williams develops statistical models which emphasize the spatial and temporal structure of data and has partnered with the World Health Organization in developing a cataract model used to predict the cataract surgical rate for countries in Africa. Through her research and work in the community at large, she is helping change the collective mindset regarding STEM in general and math in particular – rebranding the field of mathematics as anything but dry, technical or male-dominated but instead a logical, productive career path that is crucial to the future of the country. She is active in her faith community and serves with her husband as a Christian marriage mentor couple, all while being the mom of three amazing boys.
Testimonials
Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!

LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!

MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!

SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!

SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!

CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!

PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.

GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.

FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!

FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
The STEM Mindset: Creating the Future Generation
Recognized for her innovative teaching and inspiring outreach to promote the power of a STEM education, Williams shares how to cultivate the STEM mindset, effectively aiding students, parents, and educators in seeing themselves as future scientists and engineers. Employing the rousing and highly informative speaking style of her hit Ted Talk “Own Your Body’s Data,” Williams shows how much STEM affects our daily lives — and how numbers can leap off a page or screen, infuse us and our surroundings, and help us better understand and actively engage the world in which we live.
Bringing Diversity to STEM: A Lesson in Disruptive Innovation
Meeting the demands of a 21st century STEM workforce requires that we look beyond traditional talent pools to recruit and train individuals typically underrepresented in math, science and engineering. Noted for her work in STEM outreach, Dr. Williams explores how disruptive innovation can motivate girls of color and other underrepresented groups to embrace technology, become open to pursuing STEM degrees, and envision themselves as future STEM leaders. By challenging the status quo, we allow for ongoing innovative contributions to our society and the world in general.
Becoming an Agent of Change for Inclusive Education
K-12 systems and college campuses are microcosms of our increasingly diverse society. We must all respond appropriately and sensitively to this diversity, work diligently to close achievement gaps, and become inclusive agents of change. In this lively, interactive presentation using role playing and case studies, Dr. Williams proposes solutions to equity and diversity issues that include deploying data to make unbiased decisions. Taking on a challenging issue with humor and valuable insights, Dr. Williams inspires educators to become change agents that ensure that our educational institutions remain welcoming and supportive of future generations of students.
Innovative Technology: Engaging Students in Mathematics
When it comes to inspiring the future productivity and innovation of our nation, educators are the on the front lines. Mathematical learning experiences that incorporate real world data are important tools for student learning and improve student retention of course material. In this talk, Dr. Williams discusses how we can incorporate innovative technology, along with best practices in and out of the classroom to better facilitate teaching and learning while also mitigating the mathematics achievement gap. Through the use of technology and data analytics within the classroom, we can connect students to mathematical ideas in rich and meaningful ways, giving rise to their success in mathematics and beyond.
Using Data-informed Decisions to Drive Student Success in Higher Ed
The college experience thrives on relationships. Administrators, staff and faculty frequently make tough decisions that can have an incredible impact on our student’s lives. But, what data should our campus community have access to? And how can data be used effectively to shape the student experience, whether at community colleges, private liberal arts, public or research universities? In this talk, we’ll explore the changing culture of higher education data analytics and discuss effective techniques for engaging campus constituencies.
Personal Health Data Mining: The Empowered Patient
Dr. Williams makes a compelling case that healthcare providers should encourage patients to measure and record simple data about their bodies daily. Based upon her hit TED Talk, “Own Your Body’s Data,” Dr. Williams shares how patients should be monitoring their personal data by using both everyday technologies and high-tech wearables. With these devices, healthcare consumers can easily quantify everything from heart rate and sleep patterns to body temperature and fertility. However, what is the average patient to do with the massive amounts of data being collected? Dr. Williams believes empowered patients sharing this information with their healthcare providers not only strengthens doctor-patient dialog, but also enhances patient outcomes.
Data Driven Strategies for Eliminating Health Disparities
When considering factors such as race, gender, income and geography, various U.S. populations face higher rates of disease and mortality. In spite continuing efforts to reduce health disparities, they remain a persistent challenge in our communities. However, using a data driven approach to target these populations will help to develop interventions and track progress over time. In this talk, Dr. Williams discusses how data is essential for understanding social determinants of health and provides suggestions for improvement.
Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics
From rocket scientists and code breakers to computer programmers and data scientists, discover the incredibly inspiring stories of more than 30 women who fought through the obstacles, shattered the stereotypes, and embraced their STEM passions. Loaded with more than 200 photos and original interviews with several amazing women in mathematics, this is your chance to be moved, to be inspired, and to celebrate the women who have turned the male-dominated math world upside down!
Videos
Books
News
Testimonials
GET IDEAS

1 HOUR OR LESS