By Karen Stokes
Dr. Williams demonstrating how robots can be used to teach exercise with Rosie the robot. (photo by Karen Stokes)
Marquette University student, John Williams always knew that he wanted to study computer science while growing up in College Park, Georgia.
“I grew up around computers so computer science was an option that stuck out because I was exposed early on,” Williams said.
Now Williams is looking forward to graduating in December with a degree in Computer Science.
Research shows that African Americans are underrepresented in computer science fields.
A study by the Computer Research Association reveals that concerning African American Bachelor degree enrollment and awardees there is a 5.6 percent representation in the computer fields and even less on the Masters and PH. D levels.
Marquette student, John Williams will be graduating in December 2016 with a degree in Computer Science. (photo by Karen Stokes)
According to the Harvard Business Review, many students decide early on not to give computer science a try. A key challenge is finding ways to inspire more students to try computer science.
By 2020, there will be an estimated 1.4 million engineering and computer jobs in the U. S., and there will not be nearly enough American computer science graduates to fill those jobs.
“A large part of the problem with attracting minority students into computer science programs has to do with awareness,” said Hakim Weatherspoon, assistant professor in computer science at Cornell University. “I think that if students understood the tremendous career opportunities for computer science graduates, there would be more interest.”
Williams (22), is a student of Dr. Andrew B. Williams (no relation) in the Electrical and Computer Science department at Marquette University.
Dr. Williams is a professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Marquette and is a Science Maker with the History Maker Back to School program. He was recently a featured speaker at the Milwaukee School of the Arts.
The Back to School with the History Makers program is a yearlong program that started Fall 2016, and will continue throughout the year with classroom and assembly visits from African American leaders.
Dr. Andrew B. Williams dives a presentation on Computer Science to students at Milwaukee School of the Arts. (photo by Karen Stokes)
History Makers, the nation’s largest African American video oral history archive is a non-profit organization which records the personal histories of well known leaders like President Barack Obama, General Colin Powell, poet Nikki Giovanni and computer engineer Dr. Andrew B. Williams.
“If we do not take seriously the need to motivate and channel our youth even in times of tremendous acrimony and discontent we will end up with a society that none of us want to have,” said Julieanna Richardson, founder and executive director of History Makers. “We are committed to the notion that our nation’s youth both minority and non-minority will benefit from the stories of real world African American high achievers who have overcome obstacles in their path of success.”
Dr. Williams was born in Junction City, Kansas, where crime levels tend to be higher than Kansas’s average level. But in junior high he became curious about the video games he played and saw it as a way out.
“I saw Asteroids, and was curious not only to play them but how do you build computer software,” said Dr. Williams.
Dr. Williams joined Marquette University after serving in 2004 as the assistant professor in computer and information department at Spelman College in Atlanta. In 2008, Apple Inc. CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs appointed him the first senior engineering diversity manager at Apple.
“Faith and God was a strong driving force in my life behind what I do and how I deal with obstacles,” Dr Williams said.
The students at Milwaukee School of the Arts appeared excited and were fully engaged in Dr. Williams lecture and how computers science fit in with what students already enjoyed doing.
Dr. Williams talked to the students about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). STEAM is a curriculum in educating students in those disciplines by implementing them together and how they can offer real world applications and solutions.
“You can have fun, be creative and you can use it to help people. A lot of the skills you need, you already have. You’re creative and if you see a problem you try to solve it,” Dr. Williams explained.
The computer science field is lucrative. Dr. Williams mentioned that salaries for computer engineering jobs after college started out at $80,000 a year and a Ph.D, Doctor of Philosophy, will make $1 million more than a person who doesn’t have a Ph.D.
Dr. Williams performed a demonstration with “Rosie the Robot” to illustrate how robots can be used in everyday life to solve problems. Rosie demonstrated how she could be used as an exercise coach through exercise and dance. Dr. Williams also discussed da Vinci surgical robots and how they were currently being used in healthcare.
“If you understand math, you can understand more about how robots work,” said Dr. Williams. “Math is a language to communicate an abstraction of something that’s real.”
The goal of Back to School with the History Makers is to motivate students, to be a part of the solution.
“It’s not the environment you grow up in that determines where you can go in life.
You can have high expectations,” Dr. Williams said. “ You need to have a vision that’s bigger than what your life is now. Get the education.”