A woman in technology whom I admire
24.March, 2009
This post is in celebration of Ada Lovelace Day which has been organised to showcase women in technology.
Well the lady whom I most admire actually passed in 2003. Her name is Dr. Anita Borg and she was a Ph.D. in Computer Science. When she received her doctorate in 1981 she was one of the few women computer scientists.
As a leading and exeptional woman scientist she strove her entire working life to encourage women into the Science and Technology Sector. She did this by setting up her own instiute to further this cause. The Institute for Women in Technology (now called The Anita Borg Institute since her passing). The aims of this institute are to:
- increase the impact of women on all aspects of technology, and
- increase the positive impact of technology on the world’s women.
She also got involved in US policy making when she was appointed to the Presidential Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology by Bill Clinton in 1999.
Anita has left an amazing legacy for the women who follow in her footsteps. The institute and Anita’s work is so well thought of that industry has continued to sponsor it’s efforts to bring changes and help women overcome the barriers that they face when attempting to enter and climb the ladder in the world of science and technology.