Black and Women’s History Heroes by Fawn Alders, IT Coordinator

Black and Women’s History Heroes by Fawn Alders, IT Coordinator

We rejoice in highlighting those that have paved the way for so many. Here are three heroes of African and African American descent.

Imhotep

Let’s begin with the great Imhotep. Imhotep was an Egyptian polymath best known as the first architect in history. His method of using stone coverings and columns in architecture is well known throughout history. The design of the original step pyramid is credited to Imhotep.

Fawn Alders, IT Coordinator

Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, PhD

Dr. Aprille Ericsson Jackson has more degrees behind her name than the state of Maryland sees in a week. Ericsson holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering from MIT. She was the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Howard University and the first American to receive her Ph.D. with an aerospace option in the program. Dr. Ericsson was also the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Walter Braithwaite

One of my favorites, Walter Braithwaite, has literally changed the way architecture and engineering are designed. Say it with me, CAD (Computer-aided design) and CAM (Computer-aided manufacturing). Walter Braithwaite was not only one of Boeing’s most outstanding engineers but created and served as a pioneer for Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES), a protocol for the exchange of digital information on CAD/CAM systems.