![]() military in the era before electronic systems. West was among the so-called “Hidden Figures” part of the team who did computing for the U.S. Gladys West is inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame during a ceremony in her honor at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., Dec. West shattered glass ceilings and broke barriers for women of color in mathematics and other STEM fields because of her persistence, abilities, and hard work. West and her team shaped the mathematics and technology behind GPS technology.Īdditionally, we are celebrating Black History Month this month at The Mariners’ Museum and Park. West, especially in her work with laying the groundwork for modern electronic GPS. We wanted to share in this international celebration by highlighting the work and career accomplishments of American mathematician and local Virginian, Dr. A technology that is essential to accurately tracking data associated with COVID-19 is the Global Positioning System (GPS). The day is meant to honor and celebrate the contributions to the sciences made by women and girls globally, and take a stance of commitment to continually expand the sciences to be more accessible and inclusive to women and girls. Today, February 11, 2021, is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. That same year she was one of the 100 inspiring and influential women chosen by the British Broadcasting Corporation for its list of 100 Women of 2018.Celebrating International Day of Women, Girls in Science, and Black History Month! She was also inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame. In 2018 West was recognized for her contribution to the development of GPS by the Virginia General Assembly. (in public administration and policy affairs) in 2000, at the age of 70. After recovering from a stroke, she received a Ph.D. She retired from the base in 1998 at the age of 68. This model, and later updates, allows the GPS system to make accurate calculations of any place on Earth.ĭuring her career on the naval base, West earned another master’s degree, in public administration. These calculations made it possible to determine a model for the exact shape of Earth. Taking these forces into account, West was able to program a computer to make more and more precise calculations for the orbits of satellites. ![]() This is because a number of forces, such as gravity and tides, affect the shape of Earth. ![]() Even though it looks like a ball floating in space, Earth is not a perfect sphere. West then worked on calculations of satellite orbits. As a result of their work the Department of the Navy gave West and her teammates an award of merit for group achievement. They programmed a computer for 5 billion calculations and 100 hours of processing time in order to prove Pluto’s motion is regular in relation to Neptune. She eventually transitioned from solving the equations herself to programming computers.ĭuring the early 1960s West and four other people on her team worked on an astronomical study. West was admired for her ability to solve complex mathematical equations. She was the second Black woman to be hired at the base and was one of only four Black employees. In 1956 West was hired as a mathematician at the naval base in Dahlgren, Virginia (now known as the Dahlgren Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |