DID YOU KNOW? for April 12 - 25, 2022:  

Did You Know…Gladys Mae West is a “Hidden Figure behind your phone’s GPS.” West is an American mathematician known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the earth, and her work on the development of satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into global positioning systems (GPS).

As a studious Black girl in rural Virginia, West earned a scholarship to Virginia State College where she completed her first degree in math in 1952. She was eventually hired by the U.S. Naval Proving Ground where she combined information from Seasat and other satellites to refine an increasingly detailed and accurate mathematical model of the actual shape of the earth – called a “geoid.” This computational modeling would prove essential to modern GPS.

GPS technology relies on mathematical models to accurately calculate the position of the receiver, a technology now embedded in a wide range of tracking and guidance devices.

Gladys Mae West was inducted into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame in 2018 to honor her many contributions to science and technology.

Learn more…

Meet Dr. Gladys West by Lauren Mackenzie Reynolds in Massive Science, December 25, 2019

and

"Gladys West, American Mathematician" in Britannica.com:  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gladys-West