Joan L. Mitchell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan L. Mitchell
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A JPEG picture of Joan L. Mitchell
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| Born | May 24, 1947 |
| Died | December 2, 2015 (aged 68) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
| Known for | Co-inventor of JPEG digital image format. |
| Relatives | Eulalia Richardson Mitchell (grandmother, Physicist) |
Joan Laverne Mitchell (born May 24, 1947 – died December 2, 2015) was a smart American computer scientist and inventor. She was a pioneer in making digital information smaller. While working at IBM, she helped create the JPEG digital image format. This is how many pictures you see online are saved!
Contents
Early Life
Joan Mitchell was born on May 24, 1947, in Modesto, California. Her parents were William and Doris Mitchell.
Education and Learning
Joan was a very bright student. She was a National Merit Scholar at Stanford University. This means she was recognized as one of the top students in the country. At Stanford, she did a special project studying physics. In 1969, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Stanford. She graduated with high honors and was part of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
Joan followed in the footsteps of her grandmother, Eulalia Richardson Mitchell. Her grandmother also studied physics at Stanford many years earlier.
After Stanford, Joan continued her studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She focused on a branch of physics called condensed matter physics. She earned her master's degree in 1971 and her Ph.D. (a very high degree) in 1974. During her Ph.D. studies, she learned computer programming. This helped her use computers to solve complex math problems for her research.
Career and Inventions
In 1974, Joan Mitchell started working at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. She joined a group that explored new printing technologies.
During her time at IBM, Joan created many important things, including:
- A way to print using sound waves (ultrasonic printing).
- A method for thermal-transfer printing, which was used in some IBM Selectric typewriter models.
- Ways to make data compression better for fax machines. This helped send faxes faster.
- A system for teleconferencing, which allows people to meet and talk using technology from different places.
- The Q-coder method for arithmetic coding, which is used in JBIG image compression.
Creating the JPEG Standard
From 1987 to 1994, Joan played a key role in developing the JPEG standard. JPEG is a way to compress (make smaller) digital images so they can be stored and shared more easily without losing too much quality. She even co-wrote the first book about the JPEG standard with Bill Pennebaker.
Another member of the group, Gregory K. Wallace, said that Joan and Bill were "two of the most insightful, energetic, and prolific members" of the Joint Photographic Experts Group. This group was responsible for creating the JPEG standard.
Later Career and Retirement
In the mid-1990s, Joan moved to different IBM groups in Vermont and then Colorado. In 2007, IBM sold its Printing Systems Division to a company called Ricoh. Joan continued working with the new company, InfoPrint Solutions. She retired in 2009 and passed away on December 2, 2015.
Awards and Recognition
Joan Mitchell received many important awards for her work:
- In 1999, she became an IEEE Fellow. This honor recognized her contributions to creating international standards for image compression.
- In 2001, she became an IBM Fellow, which is a very high honor within IBM.
- In 2004, she became a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for her leadership in setting standards for how images and faxes are compressed.
- In 2011, she won the IEEE Masaru Ibuka Consumer Electronics Award.
- She is also listed in the Hall of Fame for distinguished alumni at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
Books by Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell also wrote several books:
- JPEG: Still Image Data Compression Standard (with William B. Pennebaker, 1992)
- MPEG Video Compression Standard (with William B. Pennebaker, Chad Fogg, and Didier J. LeGall, 1997)
- Dr. Joan's Mentoring Book: Straight Talk about Taking Charge of Your Career (with Nancy Walker-Mitchell, 2007)
See also
In Spanish: Joan L. Mitchell para niños
