User:Breannapogue/sandbox

'''GLADYS' WEST- PAGE REVISION PROPOSAL

ADDITION #1 TO "Early life and education" SECTION:'''

In 1973, West had also received a M.A. degree in Public Administration from University of Oklahoma. She also had done further studies at Virginia Polytechnic institute through the extension program at the Dahlgren Center. West started teaching at a public school in Sussex County and Matinsville, Virginia for two years before working at the naval base in Dahlgreen in 1956. [1]

ADDITION #2 TO "Career" SECTION:

From the mid-1970s through the 1980s, using complex algorithms to account for variations in gravitational, tidal, and other forces that distort Earth’s shape, she programmed an IBM 7030 “Stretch” computer to deliver increasingly refined calculations for an extremely accurate geodetic Earth model, a geoid, optimized for what ultimately became the Global Positioning System (GPS) orbit. [13] Her research had greatly advanced the development of GPS. In 1979, West published "Smoothing of Geos 3 satellite radar altimeter data" which solved for the radius the origin of an ellipsoid best fitting SEASAT-l altimetric observations that had been averaged to two points per second. [14] It was this information that would go on to help develop GPS. Then she would work with programmers on the functions the massive computers needed to do.

ADDITION #3 TO "Personal life" SECTION:

She was a part of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, D.C., The Dahlgren Toastmistress Club, and The Rocky Branch Baptist Church. West also was the secretary for the Board of Directors for the Naval Surface Weapons’ Centers Credit Union. West has given numerous speeches, conducted workshops, and has presented papers at National and International Conferences. [1]

ADDITION #4- MORE REFERENCES:

13. ^ "Mathematician inducted into Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame”. Air Force Space Command Public Affairs. December 07, 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-20. 14. ^ “Accuracy of mean earth ellipsoid based on Doppler, laser and altimeter observations”. Anderle, R.J. Bull. Geodesique (1980) 54: 521. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02530709

NEW ADDITION- ADDITION #5 TO "Legacy" SECTION:

Gladys West is an African American woman who broke multiple social barriers. She started from a poor farm family, pursued higher education, became a mathematician, and advanced the development of GPS. West overcame many obstacles that women STEM have to overcome. Through her achievements, West has positively contributed by opening doors for other women and people of color into the field of STEM. But, West's story also shows the disparity between men, women, and people of color in STEM because Gladys West was not recognized or rewarded for her significant contributions until decades later.