Laurie Williams is a Distinguished Professor in the Computer Science Department of the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU). She recently spoke with me on the Agile Caravanserai podcast.
Laurie’s research focuses on software security; agile software development practices and processes, particularly continuous deployment; and software reliability, software testing and analysis.
Over the last 21+ years, Laurie has served NCSU at all levels of professorship as well as associate & interim department head.
Laurie also leads the Software Engineering Realsearch research group at NCSU. Alongside her students, Laurie has been working collaboratively with high tech organizations like Cisco, IBM Corporation, Microsoft, Red Hat, and more!
Laurie was one of the founders of the first agile conferences, XP Universe, in 2001 which has since grown into the Agile 20xx annual conference.
She is also the lead author of the book “Pair Programming Illuminated” and co-editor of “Extreme Programming Perspectives.”
Watch more episodes of Agile Caravanserai on YouTube or on the Agile Caravanserai website.
In each episode of Agile Caravanserai, we meet someone who has been an inspiration to me in my own agile journey. They’ll range from seasoned Agile Manifesto signatories to passionate young agilists, to captains of industry. We’ll meet these people who have the practical and humanistic essence of agile deep in their veins and in their hearts.
These difficult times have also forced us each one to examine our own lives more closely. Even in the middle of individual separation and isolation, many are finding meaning and purpose through community and connection.
Millions are turning lessons from the pandemic into an opportunity to rethink their lives, reinvent themselves and to help others in dire need.
Caravanserais provided rest, recovery and community for travelers along the Silk Road. Similarly, we hope that our episodes will provide rest, inspiration and hope. We hope each episode will remind us of our shared agile values, and thus bring us closer together.
