Clay Williams is a computer scientist and theologian.  His scientific interests include artificial intelligence, computational biology, computational complexity, and software engineering. He received a BS in computer science from New Mexico Tech, and an MS and PhD in computer science from Texas A&M University.

Clay’s MS thesis investigated methods to predict code complexity from software design models. His PhD work explored combining qualitative techniques from AI with dynamical systems simulation to model and explain how individual cell dynamics and cell signaling lead to an immune response. His dissertation included explorations of both robust healthy immune responses and scenarios where autoimmunity caused illness (e.g. lupus erythematosus.)

Clay also has a degree in systematic theology from the General Theological Seminary, where he wrote a thesis on implications of the theology of Paul Tillich for gay Christians.  The field of complex adaptive systems unifies his scientific and theological interests, elucidating deep connections between seemingly unrelated biological, physical, and social systems. Clay is married to poet and writer David Groff.