On December 10th, we celebrate Ada Lovelace’s birthday. Considered the first ever computer programmer, Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (also known as Ada Lovelace) was a mathematician who wrote about how the Analytical Engine could be used to follow a program to calculate Bernoulli numbers. The Analytical Engine is considered to be the first computer, which was designed and partly built by English inventor Charles Babbage. The programming language “Ada”, used in the 1980s largely by the US Department of Defense, was named after her.
Today, the second Tuesday in October has become Ada Lovelace Day, when we honor the contributions of women to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. On her birthday, we honor the innovator and pioneer mentality that was present in Ada Lovelace and in women in STEM fields throughout the world.
An Interview with QAD Technology Professionals on Inspiration
We recently spoke with QAD technology professionals to gain insights on which pioneers in the industry have inspired them in their own work and gather the advice they would share with their peers and those considering a career in technology. Here is the panel we interviewed:
Heather Wynne, Software Developer – Dublin, Ireland
Aisling Murphy, Quality Assurance Engineer – Limerick, Ireland
Adeola Odunsi, Business Analyst – Santa Barbara, CA, United States
Rupali Darade, Senior Service Delivery Consultant – Mumbai, India
Charulata Pingale, Global Service Delivery Readiness Program Manager – Mumbai, India
Who are pioneers in STEM fields that have inspired you?
Heather: The first one that comes to mind is Hedy Lamarr who was an actress and inventor. During World War II, she helped to pioneer a radio guidance system for torpedoes that used frequency hopping to defeat jamming from enemy defense systems. That technology is used today in Bluetooth and GPS technology. Another woman – Catherine Johnson – was a mathematician at NASA. She calculated flight paths and was part of the team that put the first man on the moon. Both of these women have made significant contributions and impacts.
Adeola: Catherine Johnson also inspired me. I remember watching the movie, Hidden Figures. I saw how she was denied opportunities to join NASA initially and when she first joined, they gave her tedious tasks. However, she persevered and figured out the path for the moon landing. A quote from Catherine that has resonated with me is: “Like what you do, then you will do your best.” When you are passionate about something, you automatically put in the effort.
Aisling: A woman who inspired me is Katie Bowman. She is a computer scientist who led the development of an algorithm for imaging black holes. One of the programming languages used was Python. I was a mathematics teacher at the time and you heard about programming but only to a certain extent. You wouldn’t really realize what it actually is and how it was applied. This inspired me to look into programming and gave me the initial interest.
Rupali: I admire the struggles of Mrs. Sudha Narayan Murthy, Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, and cherish the simplistic lifestyle she maintained. She was the first female engineer hired at India’s largest auto manufacturer and led an amazing career in technology. However, I am amazed by the value system she implanted in her family and at Infosys Foundation. She is a role model for me for the work-life balance concept.
Charulata: A person that inspires me is Mrs. Indra Nooyi (3rd most influential mom in the world). Indra led an amazing career working for a series of global companies and eventually becoming the CEO of Pepsico. She taught me to believe in myself and in teamwork and showed me how a working woman should manage work and personal life. I have also been inspired by QAD founder Pam Lopker and have learned many things from her. One that I follow is her passion for building supply chain software. Follow your passion with your soul and heart.
What advice would you give to others who are considering the field of technology or even to inspire those already in it to continue on?
Heather: Computer Science is very rewarding if you like problem-solving. When you find something that you are passionate about, you can break through stereotypes. There are a lot of opportunities and you are constantly learning new things.
Aisling: I have a data-scientist friend in London. When I joined the field she said, you know it will be difficult and you will find moments when you may want to let it go, but stay with it. Persevere, and have the curiosity to continue learning and just go for it if you are curious about it.
Adeola: It goes back to the question you should be asking yourself: “Do you enjoy it?” Technology work does not have to be coding. Find the aspects that bring you joy and then go for it. Don’t let failure be the intimidator or block. If you fail, fail fast and then move on to the next attempt, project or approach.
Charulata: Technology is a never-ending story. Each day you have new things to learn whether it is infrastructure, coding language, database management, etc. If you have a thirst and zeal to learn more and contribute to society; this field guarantees to fulfill that thirst.
Rupali: We are in a great field. We can make a difference. We are here to create a WOW factor and an incredible experience for ultimate end users. That end user may be me, you, our family, or every individual we know or do not know. So, we engineers are here to create pleasant moments.
Finding Inspiration in the Past to Carry into the Future
The common themes of perseverance, finding your passion, not letting failure be the intimidator or blockade, failing fast if you do fail and quickly moving to the next attempt or project. Additionally, it’s important to remember that there are leaders who have made significant contributions in their fields while still maintaining a personal life. You can be a technology innovator and even a CEO of a company while simultaneously being successful in your personal life as an active family member, mother or community member.
We are truly inspired by these QAD technology professionals and the STEM pioneers they have discussed. As we celebrate Ada Lovelace’s birthday, remember to also recognize the pioneers who continue working each day to innovate, improve and advance our technological world.
