Elaine Cohen facts for kids
Elaine Cohen is an amazing American scientist who works with computers. She is famous for her important research on something called B-splines. These are special mathematical curves that help computers draw smooth shapes. Elaine Cohen is a professor at the University of Utah.
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Learning and Working
Elaine Cohen loved math from a young age. She went to Vassar College and earned her first degree in mathematics in 1968. She then continued her studies at Syracuse University. There, she earned her master's degree in 1970 and her highest degree, a doctorate, in 1974.
Later, at the University of Utah, Elaine Cohen made history. She became the very first woman to earn a permanent teaching position (called "tenure") in the School of Engineering. This was a big step for women in science and engineering!
What She Created
Elaine Cohen has helped create many cool things in computer graphics.
Geometric Modeling with Splines
She wrote a book called Geometric Modeling with Splines: An Introduction with her colleagues Richard F. Riesenfeld and Gershon Elber. This book helps people learn how to use splines to create shapes on computers. Think of it like teaching a computer how to draw really smooth, curvy lines and surfaces.
The Utah Teapot
One of her most famous contributions is to the Utah teapot. This is a simple 3D computer model of a teapot that many computer graphics students use. Originally, it was just a flat shape on a screen. Elaine Cohen helped make it into a real 3D object with thickness, just like a real teapot! This was a big deal for making computer graphics look more realistic.
Awards and Honors
Elaine Cohen has received special awards for her important work.
In 2005, the YWCA in Salt Lake City gave her an award for her amazing achievements.
In 2009, she and Richard F. Riesenfeld received the Pierre Bézier Award. This award is given to people who do great work in using computers to design shapes, especially for their work on B-splines.
