William H. Robinson facts for kids

William Hugh Robinson is an American engineer. He is a professor of electrical engineering at Vanderbilt University. He also helps lead the university as a Vice Provost.

Professor Robinson studies and designs advanced computer systems. These systems are used in everyday products and in industries. He also works to make engineering more open to everyone. He leads projects that help people from groups who haven't always had many chances in engineering.

Early Life and Education

William Robinson studied electrical engineering at Florida A&M University. After that, he went to the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing. There, he earned both his master's degree and his doctorate (PhD).

His PhD research was about designing computer parts. He finished his PhD in 2003. Soon after, he became an Assistant Professor of Engineering.

Research and Career

At Vanderbilt University, Professor Robinson leads a research group. It's called the Security And Fault Tolerance (SAF-T) Research group. His team focuses on building computer systems that are safe and reliable. These systems are used in factories and in medical devices.

Professor Robinson also studies how information can be shared safely between computer networks. In 2010, he became the first African-American to earn tenure in his engineering department. Tenure means he became a permanent professor. He won awards from Florida A&M University for being a successful alumni.

Helping Others in Science

Professor Robinson works hard to make science and engineering more diverse. He is the chair of the 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee. This group helps young people in the community.

In 2016, he won an award from Vanderbilt University. It was for his research on fairness and diversity. That same year, he became an Associate Dean at the university. He also helped write a book called Diversifying STEM. This book looked at how race and gender affect who joins science and engineering fields.

Professor Robinson leads a program at Vanderbilt University. It's called Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative. This program tries to understand why some engineers, especially those from diverse backgrounds, might not get hired or stay in their jobs. In 2019, he was chosen to lead the Vanderbilt University Diversity Council. He helps run a program that offers special jobs to researchers from groups who have been left out in the past. In 2020, he became the Executive Director of the Provost's Office for Inclusive Excellence. This means he helps make sure everyone feels welcome and included at the university.