3/26/2023 0 Comments Dr gladys west![]() ![]() Today we honor this hidden hero for her work in helping us all find our way wherever we are headed. Her lifelong commitment to education and excellence is an inspiration. Gladys Mae West was inducted into the United States Air Force Hall of Fame for her efforts and contributions to the Air Force’s space program. West’s vital contributions to GPS technology were rediscovered when a member of West’s sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha read a short biography Gladys had submitted for an alumni function. She wrote technical specifications, worked hands-on with the earliest. West gained increasing responsibility over the years as her talents were rewarded. ![]() Hired in 1956, she was only the second black woman at the Naval Warfare Center. Her development of the satellite models was eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System (GPS) used worldwide today. But the most compelling story is that of Gladys West the person. Her work focused on data collection from orbiting satellites and the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth. Navy base in Virginia back in the 1950s and ’60s would play a pivotal role in creating a popular form of technology that is now incorporated into cell phones, cars, space programs, the military, aviation, and even social media. 2021 NCWIT Pioneer in Tech Award Recipient. Gladys West never knew that her work at a U.S. military before the development of computers. She was among a small group of women who did calculations by hand for the U.S. In 1957, West began her 42-year career as a mathematician at the Dahlgren, Virginia Naval Base as one of four black employees. She became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, majored in mathematics and began working as a teacher following graduation. She was a first-generation college student growing up in the times of segregation. West graduated valedictorian of her high school and earned a scholarship to Virginia State University. Her books were old, her learning conditions weren’t very satisfactory, but she pressed on. On December 6, the 87-year-old West was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame by the United States Air Force during a ceremony at. And now, she’s finally getting her recognition that’s long overdue. Gladys Mae West (1931) is an African-American mathematician known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth and the inventor of the GPS.īorn in 1931 in Dinwiddie Country, Virginia, West decided at a very early age that she would use education to make her way out of poverty. Gladys West, a Black woman from Virginia was instrumental in creating the device we use today. Gladys West was nominated and won the award for Female Alumna of the Year at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Awards sponsored by HBCU. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |