Alicia Williams: 'Step out of your comfort zone and try joining a club or applying for an interesting position'

Alicia Williams

Statistical Science

Alburquerque, NM

What accomplishments/activities are you most proud of while at Cornell?

I am most proud of the project I worked on as a research assistant with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology under Dr. Ashley Dayer. The project focused on understanding media portrayals of the conflict between humans and piping plovers, an endangered shorebird, in order to improve conservation management strategies. I was inspired that our work could be turned into tangible recommendations for action. I’m especially proud of co-authoring a journal article on our work and presenting our research at the International Symposium on Society and Resource Management.

What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?

I will treasure the experiences I have had living in Carl Becker House for the past three years. When I first moved into Becker as a sophomore, I was impressed with the strong sense of community among the residents and was motivated to apply to be one of Becker’s "Active Citizens" to help organize events and participate in the community. I have met so many wonderful people through living in Becker and have enjoyed participating in all the events Becker has to offer.

Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most? How or why?

Working in Professor Jeffrey Scott’s entomology lab has influenced my education the most. Dr. Scott approaches his research with hard work and passion, which has inspired me to pursue research in the future. At Dr. Scott’s lab, I found a welcoming community of researchers who were always willing to answer my questions and have helped me learn so much about entomology. In particular I found a great role model in graduate student Jamie Freeman. Her intelligence and dedication had a profound impact on my career at Cornell, and she exemplifies the high caliber of students at Cornell.

If you were to offer advice to an incoming first year student, what would you say?

I would encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try joining a club or applying for a position that you are interested in. Cornell has so many amazing opportunities to offer. I would also encourage you to make time to explore Ithaca and take advantage of all the high quality restaurants located nearby.