Long before enrolling at UC Berkeley, Brandon Williams was driven by the desire to gain new perspectives and seek out new experiences. He traveled to Egypt, Indonesia and India, immersing himself in Arabic and Indonesian while conducting independent research.
At Berkeley, he used what he learned in his travels to develop a bold, internationally focused dissertation as a Berkeley History Ph.D. student. After graduating, he switched focus, deciding to apply his global and historical perspectives by working at a national laboratory. As a senior fellow at the Center for Global Security Research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Williams researches emerging technologies, innovation and national security policy.
He spoke to Berkeley Social Sciences about his time at UC Berkeley, his nontraditional career path and the importance of being able to translate different skills. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Can you tell us about your background and how you ended up at UC Berkeley?
Brandon Williams: I took a longer path to get to Berkeley. I applied to a wide range of programs before getting into Berkeley, but I got in after pursuing research abroad in Egypt, Indonesia and India. I was fascinated by the world around me, and I wanted to experience all of it. During my time abroad, I learned Arabic and Indonesian. There weren’t enough documents in Egypt, so I eventually abandoned my research there, but that wasn’t the case for Indonesia. Although the environment was changing rapidly; while I was there, I did intensive language training, completed a fellowship and conducted research for my dissertation.
My time abroad situated and prepared me to understand alternative stories. Learning new languages, and also translation, accustomed me to new cultures. My fieldwork prepared me to navigate different settings. Outside of flexible skills like those, the research I conducted while abroad also qualified me for different fellowships and awards. I had always dreamed of doing a dissertation project that was bolder and more international, and that idea, coupled with the skills I’d learned abroad, is what ultimately got me into UC Berkeley.
I picked Berkeley because I knew it would support me intellectually. I knew it would give me the resources I needed to write a high-quality dissertation. It had a reputation for being a leader, and it had amazing historians. History had always been my passion, and I wanted to write the best dissertation I could. The best place to do that was Berkeley. I earned my Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley in May 2020.
What led you to pursue a career outside the traditional fields associated with history?
Brandon Williams: My time at UC Berkeley gave me a historian’s perspective. I saw the world changing, and I wanted to use the analytical and research skills I’d learned to make sense of it. I especially wanted to apply those skills to influence policy. Pursuing an alternative career was also an opportunity for me to continue growing professionally. I wanted to keep confronting difficult problems after graduation. So, I turned hard into cybersecurity and emerging technologies.
Having a caring mentor that was willing to foster my talent enabled me to pursue a non-traditional career. I had amazing mentors at UC Berkeley, especially my Ph.D. mentor Daniel Sargeant, a UC Berkeley history professor. He helped hone my skills for my current position and make my knowledge legible for new audiences. One of my supervisors at Livermore helped me to build my network and experience as well.
Can you tell us more about your current role?
Brandon Williams: Right now, I’m currently away, but I was a senior fellow at the Center for Global Security Research at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. I examine the intersection of emerging technologies, innovation and national security policy. I spend a lot of time organizing workshops and doing administrative work.
How has your history degree helped you in your current role?
Brandon Williams: Being able to think historically about the problems that the United States faces has been critical. It enables you to see the pitfalls and gaps in issues related to foreign policy; and in my case, it enabled me to understand the bipolar struggle between the U.S. and China. My history degree allows me to contribute to an intellectual culture in the laboratory.
My training also helped me craft a voice with which to engage and influence the outside world. Writing is a hard skill, but my degree prepared me to speak to different audiences. Berkeley taught me to translate, not only in a literal sense, but also in terms of translating ideas to different audiences through my writing. I gained lots of hard and soft skills thanks to my history degree.
My experience traveling and learning how to research was also elemental in learning how to translate my knowledge and skills to fit different situations. That’s what I have to do in the lab, but it’s also what I did while pursuing my degree; it’s what I did in Egypt, Indonesia and India. That’s a skill I still use to this day.
What would you say to other history majors who are interested in nontraditional careers?
Brandon Williams: My perspective on this has changed over the past few years. A few years ago, I would have said that writing will set you apart. However, AI has changed things, and it will annihilate some careers. Still, it can be useful, and it’s important to understand how to use the technology. I would encourage people to learn how to use AI. Embrace it, don’t run from it.
You should practice applying historical thinking to contemporary problems. We’re going through a series of technological and industrial changes that are influencing policy. As the world evolves, historical knowledge may be erased. With that being said, recognize that your voice is still important. Hold on to your value of knowledge and ideas.
I’d also recommend finding a mentor and network. Cultivate those relationships – they’re going to matter. Programs that enable good public service work are disappearing and will continue to do so, so be ready to call upon that network. Learn another discipline as best you can. Find ways to grow and continue challenging yourself. Above all, learn how to translate your skills.