Tania Williams to serve as student speaker at DSU commencement
May 5, 2025
When Tania Williams first enrolled at DSU, she was worried that she would just be a number, but her experience was anything but that. She’s excited to share that DSU impact with her fellow graduates on Saturday, May 10.
Williams, who earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration in cybersecurity, is serving as the student speaker at the commencement ceremony.
As an online student, she still found connection and support from faculty and fellow students. “I’ve had faculty check on me, meet with me at conferences, work with me on publications, and even give me a phone call or send me a text to see how I’m doing,” Williams explained.
She also was invited to join DSU’s Privacy Lab (PriLab) early on in her program, which allowed her to work with other students. Faculty, students, public government officials, and industry scientists work together in PriLab to address data privacy knowledge gaps through research and solution building.
“Those connections have been vital to my success,” she said, something she hopes others take away from their time at Dakota State.
One of her favorite memories of her time in the Ph.D. program was the study group she joined to prepare for comprehensive exams, but they stayed in contact and supported each other through the rest of their degree program.
“As students we certainly have the opportunity to grow our knowledge and our skills, but at the same time, we have the chance to collaborate, network, and create ties that will last a lifetime,” Williams said.
Williams lives in Rogersville, Ala., and is heavily involved in cybersecurity and STEM education in K-12 schools and universities. She hopes to continue developing new opportunities for students to learn about cybersecurity, which is necessary to secure the nation’s critical infrastructure and cyberspace.
“I want to do everything I can to get cybersecurity-related skills in people’s heads and hearts,” she said.