Thelma Estrin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thelma Estrin
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Thelma Estrin with her husband Gerald. Santa Monica, California. Sept. 2007.
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Thelma Austern
21 February 1924 New York City, United States
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| Died | 15 February 2014 (aged 89) |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Spouse(s) | Gerald Estrin |
| Children | Margot Estrin Judy Estrin Deborah Estrin |
| Awards | Fulbright Scholarship (1963) IEEE Centennial Medal (1984) IEEE Haraden Pratt Award (1991) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
| Institutions | Columbia Presbyterian Hospital Los Angeles Valley College Weizmann Institute of Science UCLA |
| Thesis | Determination of the capacitance of annular-plate capacitors by the method of subareas (1951) |
| Doctoral advisor | Thomas J. Higgins |
Thelma Estrin (born Thelma Austern; February 21, 1924 – February 15, 2014) was an American computer scientist and engineer. She was a pioneer in areas like expert systems (computer programs that make decisions like a human expert) and biomedical engineering (using engineering to solve health problems). Thelma Estrin was one of the first people to use computer technology in healthcare and medical research.
In 1954, she helped design the Weizmann Automatic Computer, known as WEIZAC. This was the first computer built in Israel and the Middle East. This achievement was recognized as an important milestone in electrical and computer engineering. Later, she became a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
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Early Life and Education
Thelma Austern was born in New York City in 1924. She went to public schools there. From a young age, she was very good at mathematics. In 1941, she started college at City College of New York (CCNY). That same year, she met Gerald Estrin, who would soon become her husband. They married when she was only 17.
In 1942, Thelma took a short engineering course at Stevens Institute of Technology. This was when Gerald joined the Army during World War II. After her course, she worked for two years at Radio Receptor Company. There, she built electronic devices and became very interested in engineering.
In 1946, Thelma and Gerald moved to Madison, Wisconsin. They both wanted to earn degrees in electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). Thelma earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Science, in electrical engineering in 1948. She then continued her studies, earning her Master of Science in 1949 and her Doctor of Philosophy in 1951.
Early Research in Biomedical Engineering
In the early 1950s, Thelma and Gerald moved to Princeton, New Jersey. Gerald joined a special research group at the Institute for Advanced Study. Thelma found a research job at the Neurological Institute of New York in New York City. She worked in the department that studied brain waves. This is where she first became interested in biomedical engineering.
Moving to UCLA and Building WEIZAC
In 1953, Gerald got a teaching job at UCLA, so they moved to Los Angeles. At first, Thelma could not work at UCLA because of rules against family members working together. So, she taught drafting at a junior college called Los Angeles Valley College.
Soon after, Thelma and Gerald traveled to Israel. There, in 1954, they helped build the first computer in the country, called the Weizmann Automatic Computer, or WEIZAC. After returning, Thelma joined the Brain Research Institute at UCLA in 1960. In 1961, she set up the Institute's Data Processing Laboratory. She was the director of this lab from 1970 to 1980. During this time, she created one of the first systems to turn brain wave signals (from EEGs) into digital information that computers could understand.
Professor of Computer Science at UCLA
In 1980, Thelma Estrin became a professor in the Computer Science Department at UCLA. From 1982 to 1984, she took a special role at the National Science Foundation. She directed the Electrical, Computer, and Systems Research Division. She also served as president of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. She was the first woman to be an executive vice president of IEEE, a major professional organization for engineers.
Women's Studies and Computer Science
In 1996, Thelma Estrin wrote a paper about how women's studies and computer science connect. She noted that both fields grew in the 1960s but in very different ways. Estrin believed that computer science could become more helpful for students from diverse backgrounds. She felt this could happen by connecting it with ideas from women's studies.
Estrin explained that women's studies did not focus on science and engineering much at first. Instead, it looked at women's experiences through subjects like history and literature. However, she pointed out that computing and biomedical engineering were creating tools for women's health. She wrote that women's studies helps us see how gender affects social situations. She believed it was important to help more women get involved in technology.
Awards and Honors
Thelma Estrin received many awards for her important work.
- In 1984, she was given the IEEE Centennial Medal.
- In 1989, she received an honorary doctor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- She earned a Fulbright Fellowship in 1963. This allowed her to study brain wave patterns in people with epilepsy in Israel.
- She also received an Outstanding Engineer of the Year Award.
- The Society of Women Engineers gave her an Achievement Award in 1981.
- In 1982, she received the first Service Award from the Association for Women in Computing.
- She was awarded the IEEE Haraden Pratt Award in 1991.
- The National Science Foundation gave her a Superior Accomplishment Award.
- She was a Fellow of IEEE, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Personal Life
Thelma Estrin retired in July 1991 when she was 67 years old. She had three daughters. Her daughter Margo Estrin became a medical doctor. Deborah Estrin became a computer scientist, just like her mother. Judith Estrin became a successful business executive. Thelma Estrin passed away on February 15, 2014. She died less than two years after her husband, Gerald, with whom she had been married for 70 years.
See also
In Spanish: Thelma Estrin para niños
