Barbara A. Williams | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of Maryland, College Park |
| Known for | Radio astronomy |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Delaware University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
| Doctoral advisor | Frank John Kerr |
Barbara Ann Williams is an American radio astronomer who was the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in astronomy (University of Maryland, College Park, 1981). Her research largely focused on compact galaxy groups, in particular observations of their emissions in the H I region in order to build up a larger scale picture of the structure and evolution of galaxies. Williams was named as the Outstanding Young Woman of America in 1986. She is a retired associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware.