Jedediyah Williams



Hi! I teach high school Physics, Computer Science, and Robotics.

I like mathy science.









EDUCATION  |   RESEARCH  |   TEACHING  |   PUBLICATIONS  |   HONORS

Education

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

Research

My Projects

NASA Space Robotics Challenge, Phase 2, 2020-2021

Captain of Team Whalers, Finalists and Winners

Program details are available here.


NASA Space Robotics Challenge, 2016-2017

Captain of Team Whalers, Finalists

Letter from State Representative Fernandes after the qualifying round

Code


DARPA Robotics Challenge, 2013-2014

Member of Team TROOPER, Finalists

I ran experiments to characterize the behavior and grasping capabilities of the iRobot hand used on the ATLAS robot, and developed simulation models in Gazebo.


RPI-MATLAB-Simulator

• J. Williams, Y. Lu, S. Niebe, M. Andersen, K. Erleben, and J. C. Trinkle. RPI-MATLAB-Simulator: A Tool for Efficient Research and Practical Teaching in Multibody Dynamics. In J. Bender, J. Dequidt, C. Duriez, and G. Zachmann, editors, Workshop on Virtual Reality Interaction and Physical Simulation. The Eurographics Association, 2013. doi: 10.2312/PE.vriphys.vriphys13.071-080


NASA Sample Return Challenge, 2013-2014

Member of RPI Rock Raiders

I worked on computer vision for near and far object recognition for identifying objects of interest and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM).


Simulation Data Standard

• Y. Lu, J. Williams, C. Lacoursiere, and J.C. Trinkle. A framework for problem standardization and algorithm comparison in multibody dynamics. ASME International Design & Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers & Information in Engineering (IDETC/CIE) 2014.


Stochastic Characterization of Traction on Granular Terrain
• J. Williams, B. Frank, W. Burgard, J.C. Trinkle. Stochastic characterization of traction on granular terrain. Technical Report 12-06, Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. December, 2012.


Observations and Modeling of Extrasolar Planets
• J. Williams, M. Davidson, V. Strelnitski, and G. Walker. Improving the Precision of Differential Photometry on a Determined Target Using SysRem. In American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #213, volume 41 of Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, page 193, Jan. 2009. URL http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009AAS...21340214W
• S. Marshall, J. Williams, T. Mazeh, G. Walker, and V. Strelnitski. Using SysRem as an Alternative Photometry Technique. In C. Sterken, N. Samus, and L. Szabados, editors, Variable Stars, the Galactic halo and Galaxy Formation, February 2010. URL http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010vsgh.conf..221M


Teaching



Publications

Journal Publications
  1. J. Williams. Building a Digit Classifier with MNIST. Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK-12, 117(2), 129-137, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5951/MTLT.2023.0187
  2. J. Williams, Y. Lu, and J. C. Trinkle. A geometrically exact contact model for polytopes in multirigid-body simulation. J. Comput. Nonlinear Dynam., 12(2), 2016. doi:10.1115/1.4034390
  3. D. M. Flickinger, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. Performance of a method for formulating geometrically exact complementarity constraints in multibody dynamic simulation. J. Comput. Nonlinear Dynam., 10(1), 2014. doi:10.1115/1.4027314
  4. M. Bedell, A. Villaume, L. Weiss, D. Sliski1, V. Strelnitski, G. Walker, J. Williams, A. Henden, and T. Krajci. Monitoring Hα emission and continuum of UXORs: RR Tauri. The Astronomical J., 142(5), November 2011. doi: 10.1088/0004-6256/142/5/164
Conference Papers
  1. J. Williams, Y. Lu, and J. C. Trinkle. A complementarity based contact model for geometrically accurate treatment of polytopes in simulation. In 10th International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control, volume 6, Buffalo, NY, 2014. ASME. doi:10.1115/DETC2014-35231
  2. Y. Lu, J. Williams, J. C. Trinkle, and C. Lacoursire. A framework for problem standardization and algorithm comparison in multibody system. In 10th International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control, volume 6, Buffalo, NY, 2014. ASME. doi:10.1115/DETC2014-35041
  3. Y. Lu, J. Williams, C. Lacoursire, and J. C. Trinkle. Standard interface for data analysis of solvers in multibody dynamics. In 4th Canadian Conference on Nonlinear Solid Mechanics (CanCNSM), Montreal, QC, Canada, 2013
  4. J. Williams, Y. Lu, S. Niebe, M. Andersen, K. Erleben, and J. C. Trinkle. RPI-MATLAB-Simulator: A Tool for Efficient Research and Practical Teaching in Multibody Dynamics. In J. Bender, J. Dequidt, C. Duriez, and G. Zachmann, editors, Workshop on Virtual Reality Interaction and Physical Simulation. The Eurographics Association, 2013. doi:10.2312/PE.vriphys.vriphys13.071-080
  5. D. M. Flickinger, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. Evaluating the performance of constraint formulations for multibody dynamics simulation. In 9th International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control, volume 7A, Portland, OR, 2013. ASME. doi: 10.1115/DETC2014-35231
  6. D. M. Flickinger, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. What’s wrong with collision detection in multibody dynamics simulation? In Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Karlsruhe, Germany, October 2013. doi:10.1109/ICRA.2013.6630689
Reports
  1. J. Williams, Y. Lu, and J. Trinkle. RPI-MATLAB-Simulator User Guide. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, November 2013
  2. J. Williams, B. Frank, W. Burgard, and J. C. Trinkle. Stochastic characterization of traction on granular terrain. Technical Report 12-06, Department of Computer Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, December 2012
Invited Talks and Presentations
  1. J. Williams. AI as a Technical Skill Set Instead of a Consumer Skill Set. CSTA New England 2024. November, 2024. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/csta2024/
  2. J. Williams. Hands-on Machine Learning. Massachusetts Teacher STEM Fair. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA. October, 2024.
  3. J. Williams. Numerical Computing with Data. NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition, Chicago, IL. September 2024. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/nctm2024/
  4. J. Williams. Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions, How AI Predictably Fails Unpredictably. AAPT Summer Conference. Boston, MA. July 8, 2024. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/aapt2024/
  5. J. Williams. The Mathematics of Robotics. NCTM Virtual Conference. April 2024. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/nctm2024virtual/
  6. J. Williams. AI is not what you think it is, unless you think it is hot garbage. ATMIM Spring Conference: All Students Deserve a Piece of Pi, Worcester, MA. March 14, 2024. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/atmim2024/
  7. J. Williams. Beauty, Utility, and Consequence in Mathematics. NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition, Washington D.C. October 2023. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/nctm2023/
  8. J. Williams. Packing and scheduling in 2d and 3d. Massachusetts Teacher STEM Fair. Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA. September 2023.
  9. J. Williams. The Ethics of a STEM Education in the Age of AI. Science Speaker Series, Maria Mitchell Association. April, 2023. Slides: https://jedediyah.github.io/mma2023/ Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P94cgwpUhHM
  10. The Nature of Nantucket Podcast. Maria Mitchell Association.
  11. J. Williams. Collaborative Data Science. NCTM Virtual Conference. March 2023. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/nctm2023virtual/
  12. J. Williams. Hard algorithms: Packing and scheduling in 2d and 3d. Massachusetts Teacher STEM Fair. Christa McAuliffe Center. October 2022.
  13. J. Williams. Breaking Bias in Data and Modeling. NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition, LA, CA. September, 2022. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/nctm2022/
  14. J. Williams. Data science and consequences in mathematical modeling. NCTM Fall Virtual Conference. November 2021. URL https://jedediyah.github.io/nctm2021/
  15. J. Williams. Data science and consequences in mathematical modeling. NCTM Centennial Annual Meeting and Exposition, Atlanta, GA. September 2021 (conference canceled).
  16. J. Williams. Feedback En Passant. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Share-A-Thon: Feedback Strategies. November 2020.
  17. J. Williams. Machine learning and the future of mathematical modeling. NCTM Centennial Annual Meeting and Exposition, Chicago, IL, April 2020 (conference canceled).
  18. J. Williams. Robotics and education. Science Speaker Series, Maria Mitchell Association, September 2016
  19. J. Williams, Y. Lu, and J. C. Trinkle. A complementarity based contact model for physically accurate treatment of polytopes in simulation. BIRS Workshop on Computational Contact Mechanics: Advances and Frontiers in Modeling Contact, February 2014. URL http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5147/videos/
  20. Y. Lu, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. A framework for problem standardization and algorithm comparison in multibody dynamics. BIRS Workshop on Computational Contact Mechanics: Advances and Frontiers in Modeling Contact, February 2014. URL http://www.birs.ca/events/2014/5-day-workshops/14w5147/videos/
  21. J. Williams and J. C. Trinkle. Determining contact and contact response between moving geometries in simulation. In 10th annual New England Manipulation Symposium (NEMS), Columbia University, New York, NY, May 2013
  22. J. Williams, J. Dong, D. M. Flickinger, and J. C. Trinkle. Team TROOPER in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute CS Poster Session, April 2014
  23. J. Williams and J. C. Trinkle. A stable and geometrically accurate contact model. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute CS Poster Session, April 2014
  24. Y. Lu, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. Team TROOPER in the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC). Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute CS Poster Session, April 2014
  25. Y. Lu, J. Williams, C. Lacoursiere, and J. C. Trinkle. Standard interface for solver comparison in multibody dynamics. In 9th annual New England Manipulation Symposium (NEMS), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, May 2013
  26. J. Williams, Y. Lu, and J. C. Trinkle. Improving multibody dynamics. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute CS Poster Session, March 2013
  27. D. M. Flickinger, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. Evaluating the performance of constraint formulations for multibody dynamics simulation. Portland, Oregon, 2013. ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC), 9th International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Control (MSNDC)
  28. D. M. Flickinger, J. Williams, and J. C. Trinkle. Simulation accuracy and computational performance of a rotating slender rod impacting a bed of rocks. Montreal, QB, Canada, 2013. 4th Canadian Conference on Nonlinear Solid Mechanics (CanCNSM)
  29. J. Williams and J. C. Trinkle. Stochastic characterization of traction on granular terrain. DARPA Maximum Mobility and Manipulation (M3) annual PI meeting, July 2012
  30. S. Marshall, J. Williams, T. Mazeh, G. Walker, and V. Strelnitski. Using SysRem as an Alternative Photometry Technique. In C. Sterken, N. Samus, and L. Szabados, editors, Variable Stars, the Galactic halo and Galaxy Formation, February 2010. URL http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010vsgh. conf..221M
  31. J. Williams, M. Davidson, V. Strelnitski, and G. Walker. Improving the Precision of Differential Photometry on a Determined Target Using SysRem. In American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #213, volume 41 of Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, page 193, Jan. 2009. URL http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009AAS... 21340214W
  32. J. Williams, G. Walker, and V. Strelnitski. Observations of exoplanets at Maria Mitchell Observatory. 97th meeting of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), October 2008

Honors

Exemplary service to the students of Massachusetts, 2022
As a member of the Principal and Teacher Advisory Cabinet. Recognition from MA Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.

Semifinalist, 2023 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, 2022
MA Department of Secondary and Elementary Education

NASA Space Robotics Challenge Phase 2 Top 5 Winner Overall, 2021
Captain, Team Whalers

NASA Space Robotics Challenge Phase 2 Qualification Winner and Finalist, 2021
Captain, Team Whalers

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2020
2019 Massachusetts Awardee in Mathematics

State Finalist for Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 2019
Massachusetts Finalist in Mathematics

AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award, 2018
Awarded by the College Board

NASA Space Robotics Challenge Qualification Winner and Finalist, 2017
Captain, Team Whalers

DARPA Robotics Challenge, 2014
Member of Team TROOPER, Finalists

McKinney Poetry Contest Winner, 2014
First Prize awarded for "Cindy"

NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellowship, 2011
Awarded through RPI's Triple Helix Project, directed by Prof. Ron Eglash

Valuable contribution to Nantucket Public Schools, 2010
Awarded by Nantucket School Committee

Valuable contribution to Nantucket Public Schools, 2009
Awarded by Nantucket School Committee

Microcontroller Master, 2005
This playful title was granted annually to a UMass Amherst computer engineering major for the best (most efficient) PIC implementation of a challenge algorithm. My winning strategy was to simply double the memory space required, which saved a clock cycle with each swap of values in an array.