Get with the “program”! Who was Grace Hopper?

Whether you loved it or tolerated it, CS 159 probably taught you (or will teach you!) a lot about computer programming. From MATLAB to Python to C, most engineers will have to do some basic programming in their career, so it’s a good thing to learn now!

Last month, the annual Grace Hopper Conference for Women in Computing was held in Houston, TX. Women from across the country who are interested in Computer Science and Computer Engineering gathered to learn, teach, and connect. SWE member Allison Gruninger (in green) said, “Grace Hopper was an inspiring conference which helped me learn more about careers in Computer Engineering.”

Grace Hopper was a Computer Scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral. She invented the first compiler (the thing that translates what grace-and-uni you type into something the computer can understand), and she developed one of the first high level programming languages (making it easier for you and me to learn!). She was a pioneer in her field and remains an inspiration for software developers across the globe. She was awarded 40 honorary degrees throughout her lifetime, and she even coined the word “debugging” to describe removing errors from your program.