Episode 43 – From Peace Corps To PhD

Host: Dr. Jeremy Waisome & Dr. Kyla McMullen

Guest: Ihudiya Finda Williams

Twitter:
.@iogburu

Episode Description: At the age of 14, Ihudiya Finda Williams knew 2 things: she loved to code and she wanted to be in the Peace Corps. On this episode, listen in as she shares lessons learned that led from corporate internships to Africa to Harvard.

Ihudiya Finda’s Bio – Ihudiya Finda Williams is a Ph.D. Candidate in the School of Information at the University of Michigan. She is interested in understanding the impact of technology on low-income African Americans across the United States. She recognizes the great diversity of this community, and enjoys researching questions at the intersection of race, class, and technology. Her dissertation focuses on understanding the digital literacy experiences of formerly incarcerated African American men and their social support. She is an alumnus of Harvard Graduate School of Education and Rochester Institute of Technology. Prior to becoming a doctoral student, Ihudiya worked as a software engineer and product manager in various sectors of industry including Booz Allen Hamilton, Uplift Education Charter School, and the US. Department of State. Ms. Williams is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Botswana 2011 – 2014).