Dorothy Vaughan

 

Dorothy Vaughan 

American Mathematician 

    Dorothy Vaughan was born on September 20th, 1910, and died on November 10th, 2008. She was an American mathematician and a computer programmer. She contributed to the early years of the United States space program. Vaughan was the first African American manager at the National Advisory Commitee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became a part of NASA. She grew up in an environment where intellectual curiosity and education was strongly encouraged. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and then worked as a math teacher following graduation. Vaughan began working for NACA in 1943. She was hired as a "human computer" at the segregated West Area Computing Unit. She performed complex computations and analyzed data for aerospace engineers. Despite the segregation and discrimination, she had to face, she was promoted to lead the Wester Computers, becoming the first African American supervisor and one of its few female supervisors. 

    Under-representation shapes the experiences in technology because it can impact innovation and limit opportunities. People who are under-represented often face systemic barriers, this includes lack of educational resources, mentorships, and hiring biases, making it more difficult for them to pursue the technology realm. Under-representation can also lead to an inclusive design because it will not serve all users in the diverse community.