Southwest Baptist University News
Release
Contact:
Charlotte Marsch, Director of Marketing and Communications
(417)
328-1803 / cmarsch@sbuniv.edu
Meilani Williams to join CIS
Department faculty
BOLIVAR, Mo. —Meilani Williams will be joining
the Southwest Baptist University Computer and Information Sciences Department in
the fall as a faculty member.
“We are
unbelievably excited,” said Dr. Tim DeClue, CIS Department Chair. “Not only is
Meilani a great addition to the Department, she is also an SBU alum, a dynamic
academician with a track record of success and an accomplished computing
professional. We are very fortunate to have someone of her caliber join
the SBU CIS team.”
Williams
is from Leavenworth, Kan., and attended SBU from 2004 to 2008, graduating with
a double major in computer science and mathematics. While at SBU, she was twice
elected president of the ACM Student Chapter, volunteered as an SBU Ambassador,
was a member of DaVine and the Intercultural Club, received several prestigious
scholarships, was awarded a summer research internship at the University of
Delaware, and was a member of the nationally ranked and award-winning CIS
Department ACM/AITP competitive computing team.
Her
senior year, Williams won three national awards at the 2008 AITP National
Collegiate Conference in Memphis, Tenn.
Outside of classes, she was active at
First Baptist Church of Bolivar where she ministered to youth as a Bible study
leader and worship leader and also served in the college ministry leadership
and worship team. She participated in several international mission trips and
was also an Alpha House crisis pregnancy education team volunteer.
After her
graduation from SBU, Williams worked for Cerner Corp. as a systems engineer and
is currently employed as a IT manager at Booz Allen Hamilton in Kansas City. She
completed her master’s degree in information systems in 2010 and currently
holds an active U.S. government security clearance. Her future plans
include entering a Ph.D. program in computer science soon after beginning her
tenure at SBU in August.
Williams’
future plans also include marriage. She is engaged to Mr. William Conley
Jr., with their marriage planned for July 3, 2013.
SBU’s CIS
Department houses three degree programs (computer science, information science,
web systems and design), five full-time faculty, two faculty associates and
close to 100 students majoring in the computer or information sciences. SBU is
one of the leading producers of software engineers in the United States among
evangelically Christian institutions.
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Southwest
Baptist University is a leader among private universities in truly integrating
Christ-centered academic pursuits with comprehensive professional programs at
an affordable price. At SBU, the faculty and staff create a caring, academic
community to prepare students to be servant leaders in a global society. For
more information, visit www.SBUniv.edu.
