Women - Women's Innovations

Louise Thaden

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Marie Tharp

🔍 Geology 🎨 Oceanographic cartography

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🔍 Geology 🎨 Oceanographic cartography

1950s, collaborated with Bruce Heezen to produce the 1st scientific map of the Atlantic Ocean floor; 1977, they published the 1st complete world map of ocean floors
Their work helped prove the theory of plate tectonics & continental drift
She established the rift valley & mid-ocean ridge went all around the world for 40,000 miles
She did her research on shore, mapping the echo soundings collected by ships point to point because women were not allowed on research ships until the 1960s because they were considered bad luck
During WWII they worked with photographic data to locate downed military aircraft
Her father was a soil surveyor for the US Dept of Agriculture & the family moved often; he retired to a farm in Ohio in 1931 & by that time she had attended 17 different schools in Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, & Indiana; She graduated high school in Ohio
She graduated from Ohio State University with BAs in English & Music with 4 minors; she joked she changed majors every semester
Heezen would collect bathymetric data aboard a research ship, send the data to her, & she created maps from his data
Was allowed to join her 1st data-collecting expedition in 1968
It took her 1 year to convince Heezen of the existence of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; he was given full credit for the discovery in 1956; she didn't receive recognition for her participation or contributions until more than 20 years later

Born: 1920

Country: USA

Education: Ohio University BA English & Music 1943; University of Michigan MS Petroleum Geology 1944; University of Tulsa MS Mathematics 1948

Valerie LaVerne Thomas

⚛️ Physics 🔍 data scientist 💡 inventor

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⚛️ Physics 🔍 data scientist 💡 inventor

Invented the illusion transmitter; it transmits an optical illusion of a 3D image between concave mirrors that looks real on the receiving end; led to 3D movie technology
Retired from NASA in 1995 after working there for over 30 years
Developed the digital media formats that image processing systems used in the early years of NASAs Landsat Program
Led a 50 member team of scientists from NASA, NOAA & USDA that created LACIE (Large Area Crop Inventory experiment) used in agriculture
Mentored children for careers in STEM
After retiring has worked as a substitute teacher
Holds 1 patent

Born: 1943

Country: USA

Education: Morgan State University BS Physics 1964; George Washington University MA Engineering Administration 1985; University of Delaware PhD Educational Leadership 2004