Portretmachine_Technologist/Mother
Portraits of Important women in the history of computer science
Jean Bartik 1924–2011
Jean Bartik was one of the six original programmers of the ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer. She and her team developed techniques that laid the foundation for modern software engineering.
Jean Bartik remained in the computing field until 1951, after which she left the profession to start a family. "... when I returned to the industry, it was interesting... the minicomputer was just emerging. So I never worried about mainframes again. I focused on minicomputers and communication."
In the first half of the 20th century, many women worked in computing because it was seen as administrative work. Women have played a crucial role in the development of computing and computer technology, but their contributions have often been overshadowed or attributed to their male colleagues. The role of women in the history of computing has long been overlooked.
This underrepresentation continues to this day. In 2023, the percentage of women in technical roles in the Dutch digital sector dropped to 19%, three percent below the European average. In high-level IT positions, the figure remains at just 13%. This fits into a broader pattern: data shows that women hold less than 20% of technical positions at major tech companies like Apple, Google, and Meta.
After the birth of her daughter, media artist Carolien Teunisse began searching for role models—women who not only made significant contributions to the development of computer technology but were also mothers. During her research, she discovered that many of these women did not share their private lives with the outside world. However, she found inspiring stories and anecdotes from those who did.
The portraits of these technologists/mothers were generated using the AI technique Stream Diffusion. The input consisted of a photograph or painted portrait combined with the prompt: black white, lines, motherboard. This resulted in generated images, which were then drawn using an Axidraw drawing robot.
Although Carolien has doubts about using AI in her work—due to ethical, copyright, and climate-related concerns—she saw this application as an opportunity she didn’t want to pass up, as it fits so well with the subject.
Ada Lovelace 1815- 1852
Ada Lovelace is considered the first programmer and understood that computers could do more than just calculations—she predicted they could generate music and art, a vision far ahead of her time. Her work laid the foundation for modern programming languages and inspired the development of computer science.
Preserved letters reveal that Ada struggled with the ongoing battle between the demands of her three children and her scientific ambitions. Yet, this struggle did not prevent her from lovingly and attentively documenting the details of her children's lives—from Byron’s "experimental nature" to Anne’s sharp but "whimsical mind" and Ralph’s bossy personality.
Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay 1968
Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay is a pioneer in computational biology. She has made significant contributions to evolutionary computation, pattern recognition, machine learning, and bioinformatics. Additionally, she has developed intelligent computing methods that aid research in genetics and diseases. Her work has led to the discovery of a key indicator for breast cancer, as well as a better understanding of the co-occurrence of HIV-1 with other factors and the role of white matter in Alzheimer’s disease.
Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay has one son, about whom she shared in an interview: "What makes me happiest is that my 10-year-old son is so proud of my achievement. He doesn’t fully understand what I have won, but he now knows why his mother often has to be in her institute’s laboratory." She also emphasized that it is not about balancing family and career, but rather that "one must integrate family and work and prioritize when necessary."
Nancy Hafkin
Nancy Hafkin is considered a pioneer for her work in the early 1990s to bring internet access to Africa. At the time, most of Africa lacked basic internet connectivity, and Hafkin played a crucial role in establishing the first electronic communication networks in ten African countries.
Beyond her work in internet access, Hafkin is a mother of two and a strong advocate for women's empowerment in the tech industry. She has written and spoken extensively about the challenges women face in this field, especially in developing countries, and has worked toward gender equality in access to technology and education.
Radia Perlman 1951
Radia Perlman is known as the "Mother of the Internet" for her invention of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), a crucial component of network architecture. She also holds more than 100 patents.
She has a son named Ray and a daughter named Dawn. In an interview, she used her son as an example to illustrate "why you must first understand the problem you are solving before you start." "When my son was three, he ran to me crying, held up his hand, and shouted, 'My hand, my hand!' I took his hand, gave it a few kisses, and said, 'What is it, sweetheart? Did you hurt yourself?' And then he said, 'No, there's pee on it.'"
