Corinna E. Lathan facts for kids

Corinna E. Lathan is an American inventor, engineer, and someone who works to help others. She wrote a book called InventingThe Future: Stories from a Techno Optimist. Dr. Lathan is currently the CEO of De Oro Devices. She also helped start AnthroTronix, Inc. This company creates new things for health and medicine. It is located in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. People know Lathan for her work on health software and tools that help people.

Education and Early Life

Corinna Lathan studied many interesting subjects. She earned her first degree in biopsychology and mathematics from Swarthmore College. This college is in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. After that, she went to MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There, she earned two more degrees. One was in aeronautics and astronautics, which is about flying and space. The other was a Doctorate of Neuroscience, which is the study of the brain. She was one of only two women in her advanced brain science program.

A Career in Innovation

Dr. Lathan has had an exciting career. She used to teach engineering at The Catholic University of America. She also taught aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. At The Catholic University, she was the only woman teaching in the College of Engineering.

Starting New Companies

In 1999, Lathan helped create AnthroTronix, Inc. This company focuses on research and development in Silver Spring, Maryland. Later, in 2005, she started another company called AT KidSystems, Inc. This company was a part of AnthroTronix. It sold special computer tools and learning software for kids.

Helping People with Technology

At AnthroTronix, Dr. Lathan led the creation of many helpful devices. One was CosmoBot, an interactive robot. This robot helped children with autism and other brain-related conditions. She also led the team that made DANA. DANA is a digital health platform. It helps doctors check how well a person's brain is working.

Guiding Other Tech Companies

Dr. Lathan also helps other technology companies. She is a director at PTC. This company provides technology for the internet of things and augmented reality. The internet of things connects everyday objects to the internet. Augmented reality adds digital information to the real world. She also works with Ekso Bionics. This company makes robotic exoskeletons, which are wearable robots that help people move.

Global Leadership

The World Economic Forum recognized Lathan as a Technology Pioneer. They also named her a Young Global Leader. She helped lead a group called the Global Futures Council on Human Enhancement. This group thinks about how technology can improve human abilities.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Corinna Lathan is very passionate about helping young people. She wants more women and minorities to get involved in science and technology.

Programs for Youth

In 1993, she started a program called Keys to Empowering Youth (KEYs) at MIT. This program helps young people learn about science and technology. Other universities across the country have now adopted this program.

Supporting Robotics and Health

She has also advised robotics programs like FIRST and VEX. These programs teach kids how to build and program robots. She is on the board of Engineering World Health. This group helps bring healthcare technology to countries that need it. She also serves on the board of the KID Museum. She advises the Smithsonian Institution's Lemelson Center, which studies invention.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Lathan's work has been featured in popular magazines. These include Forbes, Time, and The New Yorker. She has received many awards for her innovations.

• The Daily Record named her Maryland’s Top Innovator of the Year in 2002.
• MIT Technology Review listed her as one of the "Top 100 World Innovators" in 2002.
• The World Economic Forum recognized her as a Technology Pioneer in 2004.
• She was also named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
• Fast Company Magazine called her one of the “Most Creative People in Business” in 2010.

In March 2022, a life-size statue of Dr. Lathan was displayed at the Smithsonian. It was part of an exhibit honoring modern women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).