Gloria Townsend facts for kids

Gloria Townsend is an American computer scientist. She is a professor at DePauw University in Indiana. She is known for her work in a field called evolutionary computation. This field uses ideas from nature to solve computer problems.

Professor Townsend is also famous for helping more women get involved in computer science. She has worked with important groups like the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). She was part of the ACM's Council on Women in Computing.

Helping Women in Tech

Gloria Townsend has written a book called One Hundred One Ideas for Small Regional Celebrations of Women in Computing. This book helps people organize events to celebrate women in technology.

In 2006, she started many local events called "Women in Computing" (WiC) celebrations. These events happened at the same time as a big international conference. This conference is called the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.

Expanding the Celebrations

In 2010, the United States National Science Foundation gave money to expand these celebrations. This allowed the events to happen in 12 different regions. This was a team effort by several groups. These groups included ACM-W, the Anita Borg Institute, and NCWIT.

Awards and Recognition

In 2013, Professor Townsend received a special award. It was called the Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Tucker Jr. Distinguished Career Award. This award recognized her important contributions to DePauw University. It honored her dedication to students and excellent teaching. It also celebrated her service to the university.

External Links

• Gloria Townsend Professor of Computer Science, DePauw
• ACM-W Profile
• Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing