William C Stwalley earned a B.A. in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1964, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Harvard University in 1969. From 1968 until 1993, he served as Professor of Chemistry at the University of Iowa. During this time, he also served as Associate Program Director for the National Science Foundation and as Director of the Iowa Laser Facility. In 1993, he moved to the University of Connecticut, as Head of the Department of Physics there. Today, he serves as Research Professor of Physics at UConn, and on the Board of Trustees.

For his work, Stwalley has received a number of awards and honors. He is a Fellow APS, OSA, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, the Connecticut Academy of Arts, and Sciences, and AAAS. He received the 1998 William F. Meggers Award from OSA.