As Chief Engineer and Principal Nuclear Physicist in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Technical Applications Division (TAD), Williams oversees all nuclear, geophysical, biological, chemical, and electrical engineering activities within the TAD and works with a team of scientists and engineers that devises nuclear tools for DoD use. His primary responsibility within the team is to ensure that the nuclear and radiological equipment being developed for DoD personnel meet mission requirements.

In addition to expert technical knowledge, communication skills are critical to his success. Earlier in his career, as a Senior Nuclear Engineer, he was responsible for briefing senior military and DoD officials concerning nuclear issues affecting national security. In his current capacity, he continues his high-level government interactions, participating on a senior-level White House steering committee and in other forums. Williams has developed an exceptional reputation for his ability to communicate scientific information clearly to those with and without scientific backgrounds.

His position at the DoD began after four years with the Prototype International Data Center (PIDC), the data processing headquarters for the Comprehensive [Nuclear] Test Ban Treaty. There he conducted analysis regarding atmospheric radionuclide monitoring and worked with meteorological models to depict hypothetical nuclear scenarios. He also instructed international scientists in nuclear science, engineering, meteorology, and atmospheric chemistry in preparation for their service as United Nations system scientists.

In 1999 while with the PIDC, he wrote a paper for and served as session chair at the seventh International Conference on Nuclear Engineering held in Tokyo, Japan. "I am very proud of this achievement," says Williams. As a result of his participation in this conference, he had the opportunity to tour some of Japan's nuclear facilities. "Through these tours, I gained perspective and was able to compare methods and approaches I observed with those used at U.S. facilities," Williams adds.

Earlier in his career, he worked for the Waste Policy Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Perspective

"Working in government, particularly for the DoD, I've learned to value my top cover--those who are my supervisors and leaders. There's so much you can learn from those who have had different experiences. I think asking them questions and taking the time to listen to their answers will help you go a long way in your career.

With respect to accomplishments in my career, I'd have to say that earning my P.E. license has been one of the most important--as significant as earning my doctorate degree. While earning a Ph.D. indicates that I've reached a major academic milestone, successfully passing the licensing exam demonstrates that I've achieved a rigorous professional standard in my field. Both are equally significant and very important to me.

I believe that hard work is important to success. But after developing a consistent, strong work ethic, you can graduate from working hard to working smart. Working hard exerts immense effort in order to achieve success. On the other hand, working smart requires hard work in the development of a success strategy, but that strategy may or may not involve tremendous effort. In many cases, working smart will involve teaming with the right set of people so that the workload can be distributed, reducing the level of effort required. In some cases, you will be able to minimize your effort and simply manage others as they work at the task."

Career Path