Results for: pioneers in tech
Pioneers in Tech: Fred Begay, the first Navajo to earn a PhD in physics
Native American Heritage Month, celebrated annually in November, provides an opportunity to examine and recognize the work of indigenous peoples in technology history. One of these Pioneers in Tech is Fred Begay, the first Navajo to earn a PhD in physics....
Pioneers in Tech: Dorothy Vaughn, one of the women of Apollo
The woman who became NASA’s first Black manager was honored in July with the renaming of a central building at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Learn all about her trailblazing career in this edition of Pioneers in Tech! On...
Pioneers in Tech: How Barbara Liskov revolutionized computer science
After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1961 from the University of California, Berkeley, Barbara Liskov applied to graduate school at Princeton University. In response to her application, Liskov received a form letter informing her the school didn’t accept...
Pioneers in Tech: Nikola Tesla’s vision for wireless communication
This edition of Pioneers in Tech looks at the legend of Nikola Tesla—not only do electric cars bear his name, but also his alternating-current (AC) electric system remains the basis of electricity today. Plus, the “Tesla coil” he invented is...
Pioneers in Tech: Nicholas Metropolis & and the MANIAC
While not the namesake of an Academy Award-winning film, “Nicholas Metropolis” is a name you’re not likely to forget once you’ve read this edition of Pioneers in Tech. Born on June 11, 1915, in Chicago, Nicholas Constantine Metropolis was recruited...
Pioneers in Tech: An Wang, a key player in technology’s core memories
The layperson might not immediately name An Wang as a 20th-century technical giant, but we certainly should. The Chinese American computer engineer invented the magnetic pulse transfer controlling device, which, as you will learn in this edition of Pioneers in...
Pioneers in Tech: Happy birthday to Chief Yahoo David Filo
You’ve heard of Ben and Jerry, but are you as familiar with Jerry and David? Unless you’re a keen watcher of Silicon Valley, perhaps not. But the website founded in 1994 as “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide...
Pioneers in Tech: Carol Shaw, Atari video game designer
“I was good at math. I entered a bunch of math contests and won awards. Of course, people would say, “Gee, you’re good at math—for a girl. That was kind of annoying. Why shouldn’t girls be good at math?” This...
Pioneers in Tech: Gladys West, the “hidden figure” of GPS
We all rely on GPS nearly every day and may frequently marvel at how much easier it makes life. (Think about it: When was the last time you were lost?) But how often do we think about the people behind...
Pioneers in Tech: Aaron Swartz, co-developer of RSS
When you consider the life story of Aaron Swartz, many questions come to mind. Most notably, what if? What if Swartz had lived past age 26? What might have he accomplished? Let’s take a closer look at this month’s edition...
