Celebrated scientist to speak at Clemson in support of women in STEM and computing

CLEMSON — Jenna Carpenter, who was named by Dreambox Learning as one of the “10 Women in STEM who Rock” along with Chelsea Clinton and IT executive Marissa Mayer, will speak on campus about women’s contributions to the history of computing.

Her talk, “Top Secret: Women’s Contributions to the History of Computing,” will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in the Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to Clemson students, faculty, staff and the general public.

According to Carpenter, the first “computers” were humans rather than machines, and these “computers” were women primarily in their teens and early 20s. Carpenter will discuss the central role that women and mathematics played in the development of computing, including the significant contributions of the “Top Secret Rosies” during World War II.

A mathematician by training, Carpenter is the founding dean and professor of engineering at Campbell University in North Carolina. A national voice for women in STEM fields and education, she is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education and recipient of the organization’s 2019 Sharon Keillor Award for Women in Engineering.

A list of Carpenter’s publications and presentations is available here.

The Clemson Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is hosting Carpenter’s visit and will sponsor a meet-and-greet immediately following the lecture in the Watt Auditorium. AWM encourages female students to pursue education and careers related to mathematical sciences through mentoring, service, and networking events and activities.

Additional sponsors include the College of Science, School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and Tigers Advance through the Distinguished Speaker Series.