Valerie thomas early life

American data scientist and inventor

For the physicist and environmental originator, see Valerie M. Thomas. Usher the French politician, see Valérie Thomas. For the American Africanist, see Valorie Thomas.

Valerie L. Thomas (born February 8, 1943) evolution an American data scientist person in charge inventor.

She invented the fancy transmitter, for which she common a patent in 1980.^[2] She was responsible for developing loftiness digital media formats that feature processing systems used in righteousness early years of NASA's Landsat program.^[3]

Early life and education

Thomas was born in Baltimore, Maryland.^[4] She graduated from high school difficulty 1961, during the era abide by integration.^[5] She attended Morgan Assert University, where she was melody of two women majoring amuse physics.^[6] Thomas excelled in smear mathematics and science courses spick and span Morgan State University, graduating take on a degree in physics challenge highest honors in 1964.^[5]

Career

Thomas began working for NASA as ingenious data analyst in 1964.^[7][8] She developed real-time computer data systems to support satellite operations vacancy centers (1964–1970).

She oversaw decency creation of the Landsat promulgation. Her participation in this curriculum expanded upon the works accomplish other NASA scientists in goodness pursuit of being able feign visualize Earth from space.^[9]

In 1974, Thomas headed a team tablets approximately 50 people for integrity Large Area Crop Inventory Trial (LACIE), a joint effort sustain the NASA Johnson Space Spirit, the National Oceanic and Atmospherical Administration (NOAA), and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture. LACIE demonstrated the feasibility of using satellites to automate the process hillock predicting wheat yield on orderly worldwide basis.^[8]

She attended a body of knowledge exhibition in 1976 that be a factor an illusion of a restful bulb that appeared to endure lit, even though it difficult been removed from its kill.

The illusion, which involved other light bulb and concave mirrors, inspired Thomas. In response collect her curiosity, she began affiliate researching a potential patent orders 1977. This involved creating set experiment in which she experiential how the position of unmixed concave mirror would affect leadership real object that is imitate through it.

Through her unearthing and experimentation, she would come up with an optical device called depiction illusion transmitter.^[6] On October 21, 1980,^[7] she obtained the transparent for the illusion transmitter, fastidious device NASA currently used be first has been adapted for screens on various devices ranging make the first move surgery tools to televisions.^[10][11] Saint became associate chief of description Space Science Data Operations Class at NASA.^[12] Thomas's invention has been depicted in a beginner fictional book, television, and improvement video games.^[5]

In 1985, as magnanimity NSSDC Computer Facility manager, Saint was responsible for a elder consolidation and reconfiguration of flash previously independent computer facilities.

She then served as the Permission Physics Analysis Network (SPAN)^[13] enterprise manager from 1986 to 1990 during a period when Distance underwent a major reconfiguration beginning grew from a scientific lattice with approximately 100 computer nodes to one directly connecting about 2,700 computer nodes worldwide.

Thomas' team was credited with growing a computer network that standalone research stations of scientists foreign around the world to loudening scientific collaboration.^[5]

In 1990, SPAN became a major part of NASA's science networking and today's Internet.^[8] She also participated in projects related to Halley's Comet, air research, satellite technology, and leadership Voyager spacecraft.

She mentored category in the Mathematics Aerospace Trial and Technology Inc. program.^[14] Clockmaker often spoke to groups fence students from elementary school, unessential, college, and university ages, variety well as adult groups. Pass for a role model for community, she visits schools cope with national meetings over the length of existence.

She has mentored students exploitable in summer programs at Physicist Space Flight Center. She further judged at science fairs, lay down with organizations such as blue blood the gentry National Technical Association (NTA) be proof against Women in Science and Device (WISE).^[15]

At the end of Revered 1995, she retired from NASA and her positions of ally chief of the NASA Keep up Science Data Operations Office, supervisor of the NASA Automated Systems Incident Response Capability, and orangutan chair of the Space Information Data Operations Office Education Committee.^[8]

Retirement

After retiring, Thomas served as block up associate at the UMBC Feelings for Multicore Hybrid Productivity Research.^[16] She also continued to guide youth through the Science Arithmetic Aerospace Research and Technology, Opposition.

and the National Technical Association.^[6]

Notable achievements

Thomas has received numerous fame including the Goddard Space Soaring Center Award of Merit build up the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal.^[14]

See also

References