Ty’Aija Williams ’25
B.S., Biology, Chemistry Minor
Hometown: Lynchburg, Va.
Like thousands of Hollins graduates before her, Ty-Aija Williams fell in love with campus at first sight. “Nature brought me to Hollins with its mountain views,” she says. “And once here, I grew with the community.”
Williams found her academic home in biology, forming a close bond with her advisor, Mary Jane Carmichael, assistant professor of biology and environmental studies. “Dr. Carmichael is a genius in biology and a constant source of support,” says Williams, who joins the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on June 3, 2025. “She supported me, especially on my journey to the military.”
As a sophomore, Williams worked with Carmichel to study how environmental moisture impacts stomatal density in ground ivy, comparing samples from wet and dry field sites. In the Dana Science Building, she learned software and statistical analysis. For another project, she spent hours on the bridge near Williamson Road, tracking changes in stream life and tree foliage over the fall semester.
With a chemistry minor complementing her STEM interests, she later joined Carmichael’s biogeochemistry research on plant-atmosphere gas exchange in a wetland mesocosm. Williams analyzed the impact of wind speed on methane and carbon dioxide emissions using custom-built artificial trees placed in a campus lake and a controlled wind tunnel.
Outside the lab, Williams was active in the Hollins Outdoor Program (HOP) and served as the lacrosse captain for two years. “I love helping people grow,” she says. “Leading was stressful—I worried about injuries—but I learned to trust myself and not live in doubt and fear.”
At Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, she’ll train as an engineer, building bridges and support structures for troops. “I’ve always wanted a toolbox of skills and to work outdoors,” she says. “Now I get both.”
Favorite Mentor: Mary Jane Carmichael, assistant professor of biology and environmental studies.
Highlights
- Mentor, first-generation and low/limited-income Hollins Trip Leader, Hollins Outdoor Program
- Captain, Lacrosse
- Administrative and clinical intern, Bradley Free Clinic
- Athletics department assistant
- Teaching assistant, Community School
