Valerie LaVerne Thomas
#182832 Most Popular
About
American data scientist and inventor known for inventing and patenting the illusion transmitter in 1980. She also is known for her work on NASA's Landsat program, which had the goal of seeing Earth from space. She is often credited with creating three-dimensional imagery.
Before Fame
She attended Morgan State University, a historically black college, where she studied physics.
Trivia
She has won awards such as the Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit and the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal. She began working for NASA as a data analyst in 1964. She also mentored countless numbers of students in the Mathematical Aerospace Research and Technology Inc. program.
Family Life
Her mother and father raised her with the value of education and encouraged independent problem-solving.
Associated With
Other famous female inventors include Shree Bose and Patricia Bath.
