Short CV
A two-page overview of my academic background, research, teaching and selected contributions.
Download short CVABOUT ACKLEY
A researcher’s curiosity.
An educator’s perspective.
I work at the intersection of computer vision, deep learning and education. I’m interested in how models learn, what their results mean and how people learn to build them.
HELLO, I’M ACKLEY WILL
Connecting technical depth with clear explanations and useful work.
I’m an Associate Professor of Computing at Andrews University in Michigan. My teaching and research connect machine learning, computer vision, medical imaging and assistive technology.
I earned my PhD at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), where I studied facial aspects of Brazilian Sign Language for signing avatars. Before joining Andrews, I taught and coordinated computing programs at UNASP in Brazil.
Today, I combine university teaching and student mentoring with applied research and practical online courses. A good project brings those strands together: a useful question, a working implementation and an honest reading of the evidence.
BACKGROUND
A path through
research and teaching.
Andrews University
Associate Professor of Computing. Teaching, applied AI research and student mentoring. Previously served as Department Chair, July 2024–July 2026.
UNASP, Brazil
Professor in Information Systems and Computer Engineering; Program Coordinator from 2018 to 2022.
PhD · University of Campinas
Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering area. Research on modeling and synthesizing facial aspects of Brazilian Sign Language for signing avatars.
Read the thesis ↗Master’s · LNCC
Computational Modeling, Scientific Computing area. Research on simulation of parallel applications in distributed computing environments.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Make it concrete.
Then make it your own.
My teaching spans machine learning, computer vision, data analytics, programming and interactive applications. I use demonstrations and progressively developed projects to connect technical ideas to decisions students can explain.
Beyond getting a model to run, I want students to ask what the results mean, what could go wrong and how to design a more informative next experiment.
Student-selected recognition at Andrews includes the Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award (2023), Computing Teaching Excellence Awards (2024 and 2025), and the Open Door Award (2026).
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
A little more
room to explore.
Outside work, I enjoy fishing, camping and kayaking. Time on the water and outdoors is a welcome part of life in Michigan, including camping trips to the Upper Peninsula.
Camping in the Upper Peninsula.
A different kind of classroom.
CURRICULUM VITAE
The overview.
The full picture.
Choose a quick introduction or the more detailed academic record.
LET’S CONNECT
Let’s connect around a useful idea.
Research, practical learning, or a question you’re working through.