Carla Cotwright-Williams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carla Denise Cotwright-Williams
Alma mater	California State University, Long Beach Southern University University of Mississippi
Scientific career
Fields	Mathematician
Institutions	Department of Defense American University
Thesis	Clones and minors in matroids (2006)
Doctoral advisor	T. James Reid

Carla Denise Cotwright-Williams is an American mathematician who works as a leader and data expert for the United States Department of Defense. She helps the government understand and use large amounts of information. She was also the second African-American woman to earn a special advanced degree called a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Mississippi.

Discovering Math: Carla's Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Los Angeles

Carla grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Her father was a police officer. When she was a teenager, her family moved to a different neighborhood in Los Angeles.

She attended Westchester High School. During her summers, she joined special programs for students who might not have many chances to explore science and math. These programs included classes at the University of California, Los Angeles. She even got to visit NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center to see the Space Shuttle! She finished high school in 1991.

College Challenges and Triumphs

Carla started her college journey at California State University, Long Beach. She first studied engineering. Later, she changed her major to mathematics. At first, she found math challenging and her grades were not good enough. She was even asked to leave the university for a short time.

However, Carla worked very hard to improve her grades and was able to return. She showed great determination and eventually earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics in 2000. This shows that even when things are tough, you can succeed with effort!

Advanced Studies in Mathematics

After her bachelor's degree, Carla continued her studies. She earned a master's degree in mathematics from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2002. She had a mentor, Professor Stella R. Ashford, who encouraged her to focus on pure mathematics. This is a type of math that explores ideas for their own sake, rather than for immediate practical use.

Carla then went on to study for her doctorate at the University of Mississippi. While there, she was the president of the Graduate Student Council. She earned another master's degree in 2004. In 2006, she completed her Ph.D. Her advanced research focused on a topic called matroid theory, which is a branch of mathematics. Carla was the second African-American woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Mississippi. She was part of a group of four African-American students who all earned their doctorates in math that same year.

Carla's Career Journey: From Teaching to Government

Becoming a Professor

After earning her doctorate, Dr. Cotwright-Williams became a professor. She taught mathematics at several universities, including Wake Forest University, Hampton University, and Norfolk State University. As a professor, she worked towards a permanent teaching position.

Working with the Government

While teaching, Carla became interested in working for the government. She started studying public policy, which is about how governments make decisions and create rules. She also worked on research projects with NASA and the US Navy. These projects involved things like controlling drones and understanding how accurate measurements are.

In 2010, she earned a special certificate in public policy from Old Dominion University. She wanted to become a Congressional Fellow, which is a program that allows scientists to work with lawmakers. She applied twice and succeeded in 2012.

Helping with Data and Policy

As a Congressional Fellow from 2012 to 2013, Carla worked with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She served as a science and technology expert for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. She worked as a staff member for the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Her work included helping the government respond to important national events.

In 2014, she focused on making sure that information was accurate for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. In 2015, she joined the Social Security Administration as an IT Fellow. There, she used business analytics to help prevent misuse of information and manage large amounts of data.

In 2018, Dr. Cotwright-Williams joined the United States Department of Defense. She works there as a data scientist, using her math skills to help with important national security matters.

Inspiring Others in Math

Even with her busy government work, Dr. Cotwright-Williams still teaches part-time. She is an adjunct professor of mathematics and statistics at American University. She also helps lead the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), an organization that supports women in math.

Carla has some great advice for everyone: "Get out and talk to people and learn new things!"

Awards and Recognitions

Carla Denise Cotwright-Williams has received several honors for her work:

• She is an "Outside of Academia Member" in the National Association of Mathematicians.
• She was honored during Black History Month in 2017 by "Mathematically Gifted & Black."