▁human ▁activities . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁environmental ▁protection , ▁cred ited ▁with ▁helping ▁pass ▁legisl ation ▁expand ing ▁the ▁boundaries ▁of ▁Northern ▁California ' s ▁G ulf ▁of ▁the ▁Far all ones ▁and ▁Cord ell ▁Bank ▁national ▁san ctu aries , ▁increasing ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁feder ally - protected ▁coast al ▁waters . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Williams ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan , ▁where ▁she ▁earned ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁of ▁science ▁degree ▁in ▁bi ology ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁She ▁then ▁earned ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁bi ological ▁ocean ography ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Al aska ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁and ▁a ▁doctor al ▁degree ▁in ▁bot any ▁and ▁marine ▁bi ology ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Maryland ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁Career ▁Williams ▁served ▁as ▁science ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁National ▁Ocean ographic ▁and ▁At mos pher ic ▁Administration ' s ▁National ▁Under se a ▁Research ▁Program ▁in ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Islands ▁before ▁becoming ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁bi ology ▁at ▁San ▁Diego ▁State ▁University , ▁where ▁she ▁directed ▁the ▁University ' s ▁Coast al ▁and ▁Marine ▁Institute . ▁ ▁Williams ▁joined ▁the ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Davis ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁University ' s ▁B ode ga ▁Marine ▁Labor atory ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁She ▁returned ▁to ▁teaching ▁full - time ▁in