Today, the fourth Thursday in April, we celebrate Girls in ICT Day. The United Nations International Telecommunication Union highlights the need to promote careers for women in the technology field, which also happens to be the fastest-growing sector in the world. It is suggested that 65% of children entering primary school will have jobs that do not yet exist, as technology is constantly changing and advancing.
Technology plays a huge role in a number of different careers including art, history, law, and more. Technology is a significant portion of today’s industries, and the majority of these jobs are dominated by men. Among those men, however, are a number of incredible women who have made leaps and bounds in their field. Today, we celebrate them.
Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) – The NASA Mathematician
During her time at NASA, Johnson was a member of the Space Task Group. She helped get Alan Shepard and the Freedom 7 into space. Throughout her 30-year career, Katherine Johnson co-authored 26 research papers. Her work allowed for significant advancements in science, math, and space travel.
Dr. Evelyn Boyd Granville (1924-) – The Mathematician & Computer Programmer
Dr. Granville started at IBM in 1965 and began writing computer programs. As a Computer Programmer, Dr. Granville was responsible for the formulation of orbit computations and computer procedures for the Vanguard and Mercury projects at NASA.
Valerie Thomas (1943) – The NASA Scientist & Inventor
Valerie Thomas is most known for the invention of the Illusion Transmitter, which is still in use today. Thomas worked for NASA for over 30 years. Her work also included the development of the image processing system for “Landsat”, the first satellite to send images from space.
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson (1946-) – The Physicist
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson was the first Black woman to graduate with a Ph.D. from MIT. She is the woman behind portable fax, touchtone phone, call waiting, and caller ID from Bell Laboratories. Today, she serves as the president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Kimberly Bryant (1967-) – The Founder
Named as one of Business Insiders’ Most Influential African Americans in Tech, Kimberly Bryant is the founder of Black Girls Code. BGC is a nonprofit that aims to educate young women of color in code.
Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine.
