Happy birthday to #mathematician & geodesist Gladys West (née Brown in 1930)! Shown with satellite tracks & 3 satellites important to her career: Seasat, GEOS-3 & a GPS satellite. Her work, using math to precisely model the shape of Earth, laid the groundwork for GPS! Born to sharecropper parents in Virginia, she graduated with a Math BSc in ‘52 then MSc at VSU in ‘55. 🧵1/n #linocut #printmaking #womenInSTEM #BlackInSTEM #histsci #Spacetober #EarthScience #Math
In the 60s, she was part of an award winning study which proved regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune. She began using satellite altimeter data to model Earth's shape, particularly the oceans. Her hard work paid off, when her dept head recommended her for a commendation ‘79 & she became project manager for Seasat radar altimetry project, 1st remote sensing satellite for oceans. From mid 70s - 80s West developed complex algorithms for an IBM 7030 “Stretch” computer to model 🧵3/n
distortions in Earth’s shape due to gravitational, tidal & other forces. Her calculations produced an extremely accurate geodetic Earth model, or geoid, optimized to determine satellite orbits of GPS. She thus played a pivotal role in the development of tech which is central to our lives.
In ‘86, she published Data Processing System Specifications for Geosat Satellite Radar Altimeter, a 51-page technical report for Naval Surface Weapons Center (NSWC), a 🧵4/n
guide to increase accuracy of the estimation of geoid heights & vertical deflection, based on Geosat radio altimetry data.
She retired in ‘98, but decided to return to academia. She suffered a stroke but persisted & completed a PhD in Public Administration from Virginia Tech in 2018 at age 88!
Ele Willoughby, PhD
Unknown parent • • •Ele Willoughby, PhD
in reply to Ele Willoughby, PhD • • •distortions in Earth’s shape due to gravitational, tidal & other forces. Her calculations produced an extremely accurate geodetic Earth model, or geoid, optimized to determine satellite orbits of GPS. She thus played a pivotal role in the development of tech which is central to our lives.
In ‘86, she published Data Processing System Specifications for Geosat Satellite Radar Altimeter, a 51-page technical report for Naval Surface Weapons Center (NSWC), a 🧵4/n
Ele Willoughby, PhD
in reply to Ele Willoughby, PhD • • •guide to increase accuracy of the estimation of geoid heights & vertical deflection, based on Geosat radio altimetry data.
She retired in ‘98, but decided to return to academia. She suffered a stroke but persisted & completed a PhD in Public Administration from Virginia Tech in 2018 at age 88!
🧵5/5
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