Elizabeth Jessup facts for kids

Elizabeth Redding Jessup is an American computer scientist. She is an expert in a field called numerical linear algebra. This field helps computers solve math problems quickly. She also specializes in the generalized minimal residual method. This is a special way to solve very large math problems. She used to be a professor of computer science at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Her Journey in Science

Elizabeth Jessup grew up as one of three children. Her father was a tax attorney in Indianapolis. She loved math and studied it at Williams College. After that, she went to Yale University for more studies. There, she earned two advanced degrees. She got a master's degree in applied physics. Then, she earned a Ph.D. in computer science.

Her Ph.D. project was about solving a complex math problem. It was called the Parallel Solution of the Symmetric Tridiagonal Eigenproblem. She finished this work in 1989. Her professor, Ilse Ipsen, guided her through this project. Elizabeth was Professor Ipsen's very first student.

In 1989, she joined the University of Colorado Boulder. She was the only woman on the computer science team at that time. She later became the head of the computer science department twice. In this role, she worked hard to make the team more diverse. She also focused on making sure everyone enjoyed their jobs. She retired from the university in 2019.

What She Achieved

Elizabeth Jessup helped write an important book. It is called An Introduction to High-Performance Scientific Computing. She wrote it with Lloyd D. Fosdick, Carolyn J. C. Schauble, and Gitta Domik. This book helps people learn about powerful computer calculations.

In 2008, she started a special event. It is called the Rocky Mountain Celebration of Women in Computing. This conference happens every two years. It brings together women who work in computer science. It helps them share ideas and support each other.