EDUCATION & OUTREACH
The Dr. Gladys West Scholarship Program
A scholarship program supported by the Trimble Foundation to empower a new generation of stars pursuing careers in technology.
Access to education is a pathway for the future
Virginia State University
North Carolina A&T State University
Florida International University
Dr. Gladys West
This scholarship program honors the tenacity, talent and enterprising fortitude of Dr. Gladys West, a pioneer in mathematics, minority advancement and the advent of the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Education
Born in 1930, Dr. West knew from a young age that education would be the key to moving forward from her family farm in rural Virginia. A scholarship recipient herself, Dr. West earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mathematics at Virginia State University. Hired as a mathematician in 1956 with Virginia's Naval Proving Ground, she was one of only four African American employees at the time.
Experience
With her intelligence and computational skills recognized, Dr. West quickly climbed the ranks and became project manager for the Seasat radar altimetry project in the 1960s. Knowledge gained through that work enabled her to program an IBM computer to calculate an accurate geodetic Earth model—the essential building block for GPS.
Impact
Known today as the hidden figure who helped invent GPS, Dr. West is one of the reasons why consumers can receive driving directions from a phone or tag a photo location on social media. And why professionals in industrial markets such as construction, transportation and agriculture can leverage geospatial technology to realize significant improvements in productivity, quality, safety, transparency and sustainability to transform the way they work with precision.
Trimble Foundation
The Trimble Foundation is helping to support people in need and improve their livelihood by addressing issues that resonate with our mission, core competencies and values.
Education & Outreach
Trimble offers many opportunities for today's students to access resources and knowledge to help them plan their careers and make an impact in the livelihood of the world.