Then, having been nominated by President Barack Obama in November 2013 to become director of ARPA-E and awaiting Senate confirmation, she became a senior adviser in the office of the Secretary of Energy.

[8] Williams' research in experimental surface science explores fundamental issues in statistical mechanics, particularly including practical applications nanotechnology.

She worked closely with theorists to design experiments to address theoretical and conceptual questions important to the fields of catalysis, thin film growth and nano-electronics.

In parallel with her academic career, Williams has worked extensively in providing technical advice to the U.S. government, primarily through the Departments of Energy and Defense.

As a result of her experience, in 2009 she was asked to lead a study on issues of verification of nuclear testing,[9] which was one of the concerns cited in the Senate decision not to ratify the treaty in 1999.

Williams is the vice-chair of JASON, an independent group of scientists offering advice to the US government on key science and technology issues.

[17] Prior to Senate confirmation for her role in ARPA-E, Williams served as a senior advisor to the Secretary on DOE's technology transfer policies, issues, and plans.

[24] Other honors include:[4] Williams has authored or co-authored numerous peer reviewed scientific journal articles[1] including: Applying the experimental approaches developed through her career, Williams worked with collaborator Michael Fuhrer to develop key early understanding about structural fluctuations and defect interactions in defining graphene's properties.

The group's subsequent experimental work elegantly placed observations of structures and fluctuations of steps in a universally applicable theoretical formalism.