Mathematician Gladys West '00 paves the way for GPS

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impact 2:36 Mathematician Gladys West '00 paves the way for GPS

By:

Luke Hayes
Dawn Jefferies

25 Oct 2023

Meet the Hokie Hidden Figure who broke barriers and changed technology. Gladys West’s '00 pioneering career in mathematics paved the way for the Global Positioning System and revolutionized navigation worldwide. West has been a trailblazer and lifelong learner from her childhood on a rural Virginia farm to the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame and to Virginia Tech, where she earned her Ph.D. at age 70.

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Global Impact