Feb 16, 2012 - Claremont, Calif. -

Talithia Williams, assistant professor of mathematics, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

Talithia Williams

SACNAS is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the success of Hispanic/Chicano and Native American scientists—from college students to professionals—including obtaining advanced degrees, careers and positions of leadership. Its annual meeting is the largest meeting of minority scientists in the nation; the Society's 2011 meeting had more than 3,500 participants. Board members provide leadership and contribute to the organization’s fundraising efforts.
 
Williams’ election to the SACNAS board is another sign of the growing collaboration between the organization and The Claremont Colleges. In 2011, Williams and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dagan Karp organized a conference on "Broadening Participation in the Mathematical Sciences" at which SACNAS Executive Director Judit Camacho delivered a keynote presentation. Camacho later returned to the HMC campus with members of the SACNAS board and met with HMC President Maria Klawe to discuss future collaborations.
 
Out of these discussions a Claremont Consortium-wide SACNAS student chapter was born and now HMC students not only plan events locally, but also promote attendance at the SACNAS national conference. Karp is the faculty sponsor of the 7-C SACNAS chapter and also serves on the SACNAS National Math Task Force. He has organized numerous mathematical symposia at SACNAS National Conferences.
 
"I'm immensely proud of the leadership roles professors Williams and Karp have taken with SACNAS, " said Andrew Bernoff, Chair of the Mathematics Department. "It is great to see our mathematics faculty embracing and advancing the College's commitment to diversity and outreach."
 
Williams joined the HMC faculty in 2008 after receiving her bachelor's in mathematics from Spelman College, her master's in mathematics from Howard University and her doctorate in statistics from Rice University. She has a passion and commitment to outreach. Last spring she organized the first Sacred SISTAHS math and science conference at HMC, which brought 140 middle- and high-school girls to campus. The event focused on empowering young African-American girls by introducing them to successful academic and professional role models.

Williams helped develop the Claremont-Long Beach Math Collaborative, a free, four-week, residential summer math program at HMC that brings motivated African American male eighth graders to The Claremont Colleges to live, learn and take part in inspiring math explorations. This summer Williams will facilitate the Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education (EDGE) summer workshop at Pomona College, which mentors women starting doctoral programs in the mathematical sciences.