Gareth Williams
Education:
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
Communication
University of Maryland
2019 : 2022
Master of Arts
Communication, Public Relations
University of Maryland
2016 : 2019
Graduate Certificate
Digital Studies in the Arts and Humanities
University of Maryland
2017 : 2019
Master of Arts
Liberal Arts
St. John's College
2006 : 2008
Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude
English Writing, Psychology
Towson University
1999 : 2001
Experience:
Within NREL's Cybersecurity Science and Simulation Group, I performing research to secure our energy systems from cyberattack and improve resilience to disruptions of any type. I develop and implement approaches for monitoring and evaluating the cybersecurity of research and development projects, and I support NREL’s partner organizations in the analysis, establishment, and implementation of cybersecurity plans and processes.
2023 : Present
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Senior Researcher, Policy & Practice of Energy Cybersecurity
I worked with clients to identify and develop strategies for engaging target audiences, including media selection, text and material development, and metrics and follow-through. I brought extensive applied project management experience and academic study of program and organizational strategic management, approaching organizational strategic communication as an essential function of organizational management. I supported extended work in cybersecurity program development, including outreach communication, meeting facilitation, and development of strategic planning documents.
2018 : 2022
Beam Reach Consulting Group
Communications Strategist
2019 : 2022
University of Maryland
Doctoral Candidate
I earned a PhD in Communication at the University of Maryland, specializing in public relations, nonprofit and public sector management, and digital humanities. I tought undergraduate courses in oral communication, professional writing, and public relations.
2016 : 2019
University of Maryland
Doctoral Student, Graduate Assistant
As Technical Communications Team Lead, I coordinated the broad talents of Energetics Incorporated’s award winning writers and editors to meet diverse client needs. We collaborated with Energetics technical and graphic design personnel to meet client needs under tight deadlines and to exact specifications.
I also worked with Energetics technical staff to facilitate industry and government workshops and to produce the resulting publications. These publications ranged from a short raw results and meeting summary to a multiple-hundred page technical analysis and industry or technology roadmap.
2010 : 2016
Energetics Incorporated
Team Lead, Technical Communications
Company: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Years of Experience: 24
I earned my PhD in Communication at the University of Maryland, specializing in strategic communication, public relations, nonprofit and public sector leadership, and digital humanities. I have taught undergraduate courses in strategic communication, professional writing, public relations, public speaking, and strategic interviewing.
In the context of strategic communication, I research how organizations influence their political and cultural environments through ethical and unethical communications. I have focused on the qualities of ethical and credible communication and the use of misinformation and disinformation to undermine public perception. I bring to my research my broad background in humanities and digital humanities and the intellectual curiosity that drove me through my multi-stage academic and professional careers.
My dissertation explores how cybersecurity challenges facing critical infrastructure organizations were compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, and includes exploration of an emergent theme of compounding influence of the digital divide in rural, underserved communities. This study leverages my professional experience and extensive research in cybersecurity and resilience for critical infrastructure and applies evolving communications theory in a qualitative inquiry. I Interviewed representatives from public utilties nationwide as well as representatives of advocacy organizations, information sharing organizations, federal agencies, and the intelligence community. I also reviewed thousands of publicly available utility communications to distill how the influences of other organizations were represented in utility communications to publics.
A Project Management Institute-certified Project Management Professional, I previously led an award-winning technical and outreach communications team at Energetics Incorporated, an engineering and program management consulting company specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. I have twenty years of experience writing, editing, structuring, and coordinating the development and production of commercial and technical documents, and acquiring and managing staff. Published works include empirical and rhetorical studies, technical analyses and reports, promotional literature, and poetry.
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