![]() ![]() The NACA was hiring women-including African Americans-to be “computers.” These female computers calculated the mathematics for the engineers who were working on the space program. In the early to mid-1950s, NACA was just beginning its work on studying space. NACA was the name of the government agency that later became NASA. When Johnson was 34 years old, she applied for a job at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA. In 1952, she started teaching again to support her family after her husband became ill. She taught school for a number of years but stopped when she married and had children. At that time, the only professional job available to Johnson after graduation was teaching. It was also very unusual for women of any race to have degrees in mathematics. African Americans were rarely able to have jobs in mathematics and science. During this time, “segregation” meant that different races were separated from each other in many places and activities. When Johnson graduated from college, the United States was still segregated. ![]() Geometry is the study of lines, angles and shapes.Īt age 18, Johnson graduated with very high grades and degrees in mathematics and French. He even created a class about the geometry of outer space-just for her. Professor Claytor made sure I was prepared to be a research mathematician.”Ĭlaytor made sure that Johnson took all of the math classes she needed to pursue her life’s passion. Johnson said, “Many professors tell you that you’d be good at this or that, but they don’t always help you with that career path. (A research mathematician does many things, one of which is solving large math problems.) Then Claytor helped her become one. “You’d make a great research mathematician,” he told her. Schiefflin Claytor, recognized Johnson’s bright and inquisitive mind. One of her math professors, the renowned Dr. She loved being surrounded by smart people, she said, and knew all of the professors and students on campus. By age 15, she’d started college! What Did She Study in College?Īt West Virginia State College, Johnson became immersed in the math program. When Johnson finally did start school, she so excelled that by age 10, she was in high school. At a young age, she was very eager to go to school. Johnson vividly remembered watching her older siblings go to school, wishing so much that she could go with them. Johnson was born with a love for mathematics. She counted everything, from the number of steps she took to get to the road to the number of forks and plates she washed when doing the dishes. What Was Katherine Johnson’s Early Life Like?Īs a very young girl, she loved to count things. Then her work helped to land astronauts on the Moon. Her work in calculating the paths for spaceships to travel was monumental in helping NASA successfully put an American in orbit around Earth. In a time when minorities held very few jobs in mathematics and science, Johnson was a trailblazer. Sophie Tomov, a graduate of the Physics Wonder Girls 2018 Camp, shared how the program changed her perspective on women and girls in STEM, sharing that the camp taught her that “microscopes can be pink and science is for everyone.Katherine Johnson was an African American mathematician who worked for NASA from 1953 until 1986. In addition to the Sigma Pi Sigma inductees, the first Society of Physics Students (SPS) Outstanding Service Award was given to Puratos Corporation by SPS Director Brad Conrad, PhD, for their long standing partnership with the Physics Wonder Girls Program. He shared how his BS in Physics helped him achieve his career goals at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and brought his childhood dreams of space to life. Villar is the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) Engineer of the Perseverance Rover that is currently exploring the Mars surface, and previously served as systems engineer for the Mars Curiosity Rover. The event featured guest speaker Gregorio Villar III, NASA Mars 2020 mission flight engineer. References to programs, offices, colleges, employees, etc., may be historical information.įour undergraduate students and two alumni were inducted into the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honor Society in a virtual induction ceremony organized by Roberto Ramos, PhD, associate professor of physics and USciences Sigma Pi Sigma chapter advisor. Editor's note: This article was written prior to University of the Sciences' merger with and into Saint Joseph's University and does not reflect the current, combined institution.
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