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SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Select from a range of topics and formats
or your Spring reading, viewing, or listening,
curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.
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.
Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about Gladys Mae West & past DID YOU KNOW? features.
DID YOU KNOW? – spotlighting notable contributions made by non-mainstream individuals you might not have learned or read about. Suggestions for inclusions are welcome (send to Kathy at: ksmichaelis@gmail.com).
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