Merge pull request #1667 from lparsons/bhm-2025-gladys-west

Add Gladys West post for BHM 2025

Author: crd477

_posts/2025-01-31-black-history-month.md

@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ talk about the person and tie their work and life to the RSE movement.
   Turner**](/2025-02-10-black-history-spotlight-charles-turner) \- Discover the
   pioneering work of Charles Turner, a trailblazing zoologist who advanced our
   understanding of animal behavior.
-* *Check back here for links as articles are posted*
+* [**Gladys West**](/2025-02-19-black-history-spotlight-gladys-west) \- Through
+  painstaking mathematical modeling and early computer programming, she helped
+  define the precise shape of the Earth — a crucial advancement in the
+  development of satellite geodesy.
+* **Charles R. Drew** - read about his pioneering work in blood banking,
+  transfusion medicine, and medical informatics.
 
 In addition, we’re excited to host a **Zoom discussion on Thursday, February
 20th at noon PT / 3 PM ET**. [@Cordero

_posts/2025-02-19-black-history-spotlight-gladys-west.md

@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Gladys West, Mathematical Models of the Earth, and the Code That Shapes Our World"
+tags: [dei, black-history]
+author: Cordero Core
+---
+
+US-RSE's [DEI working group (DEI-WG)](https://us-rse.org/wg/dei/) is proud to
+help US-RSE celebrate and participate in Black History Month. Each week during
+Black History Month, the US-RSE will spotlight Black/African Americans who have
+been involved in computing, science, engineering, and/or math, and have
+inspired our members through their accomplishments in their careers and their
+personal stories.
+
+[*Originally posted on
+Medium*](https://medium.com/@cdcore/gladys-west-mathematical-models-of-the-earth-and-the-code-that-shapes-our-world-cf25b1702d56)
+
+![Gladys West and Sam Smith look over data from the Global Positioning System,
+which West helped develop at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Va., March
+16, 1985.]({{ site.baseurl }}/assets/img/post-2025-02-19/0_P0wkzR-Jl25S_M42.jpg
+"Gladys West and Sam Smith look over data from the Global Positioning System,
+which West helped develop at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Va., March
+16, 1985."){: style="display: block; margin: auto; max-width: 600px;" }
+
+In the mid-20th century, **Dr. Gladys West** sat in a small office at the Naval
+Surface Warfare Center, crunching numbers that would eventually revolutionize
+the world. Through painstaking **mathematical modeling and early computer
+programming, she helped define the precise shape of the Earth—a crucial
+advancement in the development of satellite geodesy**.  
+
+Her work, largely unknown to the public for decades, became a foundational
+pillar for the **Global Positioning System (GPS)**. Today, GPS is embedded in
+nearly every aspect of modern life: navigation, telecommunications, disaster
+response, and even climate science. But behind this technological marvel was
+the labor of a Black woman mathematician, pushing the boundaries of
+computational modeling in an era when both her race and gender made such
+contributions all the more extraordinary.  
+
+Dr. West's story is one of precision, persistence, and a relentless pursuit of
+accuracy—qualities deeply familiar to **research software engineers (RSEs)**,
+who work in the shadows of scientific progress, ensuring that computational
+models are reliable, scalable, and impactful.  
+
+---
+
+## Building a Model of the Earth, One Equation at a Time
+
+Dr. West began her career in the 1950s, a time when **human
+computers**—mathematicians who manually performed calculations—were vital to
+scientific and military advancements. She was recruited to the U.S. Navy's
+**Dahlgren Laboratory**, where she specialized in **orbital mechanics and
+satellite geodesy**.  
+
+Her critical insight was that the **Earth is not a perfect sphere but an
+ellipsoid with irregularities**. These irregularities affect everything from
+satellite motion to gravitational forces, meaning that any accurate positioning
+system had to account for them. Using **Fortran-based computational models**,
+she and her team processed vast amounts of satellite data, refining the
+**mathematical representation of Earth's shape**.  
+
+![Cover of report from June 1986, Data Processing System Specifications for the
+Geosat Satellite Radar Altimeter]({{ site.baseurl
+}}/assets/img/post-2025-02-19/0_5AvyTMNcKD_4yXio.jpg "West’s publication.
+Source: Defense Technical Information Center"){: style="display: block; margin:
+auto; max-width: 600px;" }
+
+This work culminated in a **geoid model**—a high-resolution map of the Earth's
+gravitational field that became the foundation for GPS accuracy. Without it,
+satellite-based navigation as we know it would not exist.  
+
+For RSEs, this resonates deeply. Just as Dr. West ensured GPS calculations were
+precise and reliable, today's RSEs build and maintain the computational models
+that underlie climate research, bioinformatics, astrophysics, and countless
+other scientific disciplines. **The accuracy of our models determines the
+accuracy of our understanding.**  
+
+---
+
+## The Hidden Labor Behind Scientific Discovery
+
+Dr. West's contributions remained largely unrecognized for much of her career.
+She was a **Black woman in a field dominated by white men**, working in a time
+when computational science was still emerging as its own discipline. Her story
+mirrors that of many RSEs today, whose work often **falls between the cracks of
+scientific recognition**—not quite mathematicians, not quite software
+engineers, yet integral to the progress of both fields.  
+
+Research software engineers write code that powers simulations, develops
+machine learning pipelines, and processes enormous datasets. However, their
+labor is often considered **support work** rather than primary scientific
+contribution. **Dr. West's experience reminds us of the necessity of
+recognizing and valuing this labor.**  
+
+When we look at the evolution of computational sciences, we must ask: **Who
+gets credit? Who gets visibility? Who shapes our scientific legacy?**  
+
+---
+
+## Code That Moves the World
+
+Dr. West's work is a testament to the power of **computational rigor**. She
+meticulously refined algorithms and data models to reduce errors in GPS
+calculations—an early form of **software engineering for scientific accuracy**.  
+
+![West smiling at her desk in front of many binders, with a figure of a
+satellite overlaid .]({{ site.baseurl
+}}/assets/img/post-2025-02-19/0_4E0MZlJcwJK6FEF9.png "Gladys at her desk."){:
+style="display: block; margin: auto; max-width: 600px;" }
+
+Her story aligns with the **principles that define research software
+engineering** today:  
+
+- **Reproducibility:** Mathematical models must be **validated, iterated, and
+  improved** over time.  
+- **Collaboration:** Just as she worked within a broader research ecosystem,
+  modern RSEs **partner with scientists** to translate theory into code.  
+- **Precision:** Small errors in satellite geodesy can mean **kilometer-scale
+  inaccuracies** in GPS; the same is true in computational science, where
+  coding errors can skew entire research outcomes.  
+
+Dr. West's legacy is embedded in **every GPS calculation made today**—in every
+turn-by-turn direction, in every precision-guided rescue mission, in every
+agricultural yield optimization system. Her work is proof that **software
+engineering and scientific modeling are inseparable**.  
+
+---
+
+## The Path Forward: Recognizing Computational Scientists and RSEs
+
+Dr. West's story did not remain hidden forever. In **2018, she was formally
+inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame**, a
+long-overdue recognition of her contributions.  
+
+For research software engineers, her journey is both an inspiration and a call
+to action. **Recognition for computational contributions in science is still an
+ongoing fight.** RSEs must be cited in research papers, included in funding
+structures, and integrated into **formal career paths** within academia and
+industry.  
+
+The next time you open a maps app or track a satellite's position, remember:
+**behind every calculation is code, and behind every line of code is a
+person.** Dr. Gladys West showed us that precision and perseverance can change
+the world.  
+
+---
+
+## Join the Conversation
+
+Gladys West's story is just one of many. Throughout **Black History Month**,
+we'll continue to highlight the contributions of Black scientists,
+mathematicians, and engineers who have shaped computational science and
+research software.  
+
+Next, we'll explore Charles R. Drew's pioneering work in **blood banking,
+transfusion medicine, and medical informatics.**  
+
+**How do we ensure that the labor behind research software is recognized?**
+
+Share your thoughts, follow along on [Medium](https://medium.com/@cdcore), and
+[join the **US-RSE community**]({{baseurl}}/join) to continue the conversation.