Katherine Goble Johnson (1918-2020)
Influential mathematician, trailblazer and “hidden figure” behind the US space program
Born at the beginning of the 20th century in a society that presented significant obstacles for women and African Americans to access education and to make contributions to the world of science and technology, Katherine Goble Johnson left behind a powerful legacy as a formidable mathematician and pioneering woman and minority. She passed away on February 24 at the age of 101.
NASA tweeted “Tonight, count the stars and remember a trailblazer: A figure hidden no more, Katherine Johnson helped lead us into a new era in space exploration, and for that we are forever grateful.”
It is fitting that the entire scientific community recognize Katherine Johsons’s life work filled with ground-breaking contributions and that ICFOnians, currently celebrating ICFOnians for Women in Science Month, take advantage of this moment to reflect on what her accomplishments illustrate about the importance of diversity to the scientific enterprise.