Pride Month
Courtesy of the University of Michigan Engineering, photo taken by Joseph Xu
In honor of Pride Month, the College of Engineering proudly celebrates the legacy of Lynn Ann Conway, a hidden spark and trailblazing pioneer in the computer science industry. Her courage as a trans woman engineer broke barriers and opened doors for generations to come.
Born in 1938 in Mount Vernon, New York, she pursued electrical engineering at MIT before transferring to Columbia University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her early career started at IBM in 1964, where she invented generalized dynamic instruction handling, a technique that improves computer processing performance. However, after revealing to her employer her plans to undergo gender affirming surgery, Conway was fired. Decades later, in 2020, IBM formally apologized and honored her with the IBM Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions.
After her transition, Conway joined Xerox PARC in 1973. While working there, she and Carver Mead co-developed Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), a methodology that revolutionized silicon chip design and helped launch the field of Electronic Design Automation (EDA). She did this despite starting her career without any experience in microelectronics. Conway later joined the University of Michigan, where she served as a professor and Associate Dean of Engineering, further shaping the future of STEM education until her retirement.
It wasn’t until the 2000s that Conway publicly shared her story through her personal website, offering insight into her journey and providing educational resources on gender identity. Her openness inspired media coverage and helped countless individuals navigate their own paths with greater understanding and hope.
Lynn Conway’s life is a story of intellectual brilliance, unwavering courage, and authenticity. As we celebrate Pride Month, let us honor Lynn not just for her technical genius but for her bravery and resilience. Her legacy continues to inspire a new generation of engineers to think differently, live authentically, and shape a world where everyone can thrive.
Lynn passed away on June 9, 2024, at the age of 86. Learn more about the legacy she left behind.
From Wrenches to Rockets: Gavilan Alum Soars into SJSU’s Prestigious Aerospace Engineering Program
Image Courtesy of the Morgan Hill Times
Esthefani Montelon’s journey through Gavilan College’s Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) program shows how hands-on technical training can be a powerful springboard to higher academic and career success. Initially drawn to the program for its practical focus, Montelon quickly discovered her passion for aviation could go far beyond aircraft maintenance. Her time at Gavilan not only gave her valuable mechanical skills but also the confidence to aim higher.
After completing the rigorous A&P curriculum, she made the pivotal decision to pursue a four-year aerospace engineering degree at San Jose State University. By strategically using online courses to complete her general education requirements, she fast-tracked her transfer and stood out among peers thanks to her unique blend of mechanical expertise and academic knowledge.
Montelon’s A&P background directly contributed to her success in competitive internships at NASA and Pratt & Whitney, where her hands-on experience gave her a significant edge over traditional engineering students. Her story illustrates the value of combining vocational training with a four-year degree and how starting at a community college like Gavilan can open doors to elite opportunities in aerospace and beyond. Read the full article at the Morgan Hill Times.
Silicon Valley cities hit with records requests for residents’ emails to train controversial AI – featuring Prof. Ahmed Banafa
A Mountain View company, GovernmentGPT, is raising eyebrows after filing dozens of public records requests across the Bay Area to collect residents’ emails to local officials, with the goal of training AI tools like “CivicVoice” to summarize public sentiment. While the company claims it’s promoting civic efficiency, experts warn the move blurs ethical lines. Professor Ahmed Banafa is a Milpitas resident, expressing concerns over the potential use of his personal emails without consent, emphasizing, “It’s freedom of information, not freedom of selling my data.”
June 24th Events
- 881: Sir William Huggins captured the first photographic spectrum of a comet using advanced spectroscopic and photographic techniques, marking a major achievement in astrophotography and spectroscopy.
- 1935: The San Francisco tower of the Golden Gate Bridge finished construction.
- 1983: NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-7) returned to Earth. Carrying Sally Ride, making her the first American woman to go to space.
- 2010: Apple’s iPhone 4th generation came out.