Despite making up only 20% of the Computer Science industry, women have historically contributed to its development in insurmountable ways.[1] From winning Turing Awards to writing the world’s first ever computer program, it is undeniable that Computer Science would not be where it is today without the help of these female pioneers. So, let’s get into who these powerful icons are and how they have defined Computer Science as we know it.
1. Ada Lovelace
Sourced from: https://www.historyrevealed.com/eras/19th-century/ada-lovelace-the-computing-pioneer/
Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace is considered the first computer programmer in the world. She accompanied Charles Babbage, the “father of computers,” on his work of The Analytical Machine, where she developed the first computer algorithm ever to be written. We can therefore say that she single-handedly planted the seed of Computer Science.[2]
Although she is recognized as a visionary today, Lovelace and her accomplishments were generally overlooked during the 1800s. Only now is she being acknowledged, with organizations and events such as Ada Initiative and Ada day shedding light on her impacts on the field.[3]
2. Frances E. Allen
Sourced from: https://www.ibm.com/blogs/research/2020/08/remembering-frances-allen/
Frances E. Allen pioneered the industry of optimizing compilers. She worked with IBM for around 45 years and, early on in her career, developed a new code breaking language, Alpha, with the National Security Agency. It is therefore no surprise that she is the recipient of countless awards; the Turing Award, Computer Pioneer Award, and the Ada Lovelace Award to name a few.[4]
Having her name plastered all over a male dominated industry isn’t all, however, as Allen also actively advocates for minority representation in STEM and has used her platform to spread awareness.
3. Carol Shaw
Sourced from: https://info.umkc.edu/unews/celebrating-women-in-stem-carol-shaw/
Carol Shaw is one of the first professional female game designers in the industry, paving the way for women of tech for generations after. In 1978, she worked at Atari as a Microprocessor Software Engineer, developing games for their 2600 VCS console. Then, moving to Activision, she built River Raid, a critically acclaimed game that received numerous awards. In 2017, she was even awarded the Industry Icon Award by The Game Awards.[5]
Shaw’s career shows us that we can still excel in the face of adversity and play a pivotal role in building the foundations of our industry’s future.
4. Evelyn Boyd Granville
Sourced from: https://undark.org/2016/06/13/unsung-african-american-contributions-mathematics/
Evelyn Boyd Granville was one of the first African-American women to obtain a PhD in Mathematics in America. She graduated from Yale University and pursued her vision at IBM where she worked as a programmer. Granville then worked for the U.S Space Technology Laboratories, contributing to the celestial mechanics and trajectory calculations involved in their Apollo Project. [6]
Although retired now, she contributed almost 30 years of her life to academia, writing a textbook and teaching Mathematics at various institutions.[7] Granville’s influence on the world of aerospace computing and insights on academia are undeniable and certainly break new grounds for minorities in tech.
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