- ABBY WILLIAMS -

I’m Abby, and I am an incoming PhD student at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) in the Creative Computing Lab, advised by Dr. Karen Brennan. My research explores how integrating computing into grassroots advocacy in ways that center art, culture, and storytelling can be a foundation for critical inquiry. I am especially curious about the ways in which action towards social change can be a powerful mechanism for learning.

As an early-career researcher and teaching fellow, I’m committed to cultivating personally meaningful learning experiences and an environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and intellectually challenged. It is in these moments that we are often most creative and passionate, in ways that are authentic to us.

Prior to HGSE, I graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor's degree in Education Studies: Education Research and Policy with minors in Informatics and Data Science. I was also a research assistant for R. Benjamin Shapiro at the Center for Learning, Computing, and Imagination (LCI).

Lately, I’ve been binge-watching Abbott Elementary, learning how to knit a scarf, and working hard to avoid setting off my fire alarm when cooking. I also enjoy listening to music, mostly R&B, and a bit of Afrobeats, Reggaeton, West Coast hip-hop, Jazz, and Soul. But above all, I love to eat, so if you have restaurant or recipe recommendations, let me know.

• Center for Learning, Computing, and Imagination
• University of Washington College of Education
• Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering
• CSE 12X

Let’s chat! Email me at abigailwilliams@g.harvard.edu or book a 30-minute meeting with me. Don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to connecting!