Women in STEM: Meet Gladys West

Gladys West, a pioneer of the Global Positioning System (GPS), was born in 1930 in Virginia. Despite facing racial segregation, she pursued a career in mathematics, eventually working at the US Naval Proving Ground. Her work on satellite technology significantly contributed to the development of GPS. Although her contributions went unrecognized for years, she was inducted into the Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018. Gladys West's legacy continues to impact navigation technology today.

What was Gladys West's primary field of study?

• Chemistry

• Biology

• Mathematics

• Physics

What challenge did Gladys West face when applying for government jobs?

• Segregation policies

• Insufficient experience

• Lack of qualifications

• Language barrier

Where did Gladys West work as one of the first black employees?

• Microsoft

• US Naval Proving Ground

• NASA

• Google

What was the focus of the satellite project managed by Gladys West in 1978?

• Exploring Mars

• Studying Earth's oceans

• Mapping the stars

• Studying the moon

When was Gladys West inducted into the Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame?

• 2000

• 2010

• 2018

• 2020