The Latest From Code Savvy - May the Fourth Be With You
What started out as a punny play on words has become a global phenomenon. Since its debut some 45 years ago, Star Wars has certainly cemented itself as an iconic piece of our society and culture in so many ways, including what is now Star Wars Day.
So this May 4th, our hope is that we all be inspired to embrace our inner wookiee and figure out ways to blend technology with the natural world to create innovative, sustainable ways to solve problems in our daily lives. And most importantly, use the force for good.
This Week’s Spotlight and Project-Inspiration Theme: AAPI Heritage Month
May is Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which celebrates Asian and Pacific Americans in the United States. At this time we want to honor and recognize the impactful accomplishments of four AAPI STEM innovators. Check out this website to learn more about AAPI Heritage Month and have access to different events/resources throughout the month of May.
Isabella Aiona Abbott (top left) - Abbott was the first native Hawaiian woman to receive a PhD in science. She studied botany in school and later decided to become a professor of Biology at Stanford University. She was considered the expert on Hawaiian marine algae, discovering over 200 species. Abbott also became the author of over 150 publications and eight books.
Ajay Bhatt (top right) - Bhatt is a computer architect who developed the technology behind the universal serial bus USB (universal serial bus). If you have plugged a phone charger, a flash drive, or anything else into your computer or any other device, you have benefited from his technology. He currently owns a little over 130 patents, which include innovative technologies in the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) and the PCI Express.
Flossie Wong-Staal (bottom right) - Wong-Staal was recognized as being a world-renowned virologist, especially her work on connecting HIV as the cause of AIDS. She is credited with being the first person to clone HIV and determine the function of its genes. She was known for training many postdoctoral fellows who later became highly recognized in their fields. After her time working as the director of the UCSD Center for AIDS research, she was the VP of Immusol working to find treatments for hepatitis C.
Eric Yuan (bottom left) - Due to the COVID-19 pandemic almost everyone has used Yuan's product, as he is the founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications. He began working for WebEx, another leading video communication company that was later acquired by Cisco where he became VP of engineering. His idea of a new smartphone-friendly video conferencing platform, which Yuan first took inspiration from his long distance relationship, was rejected. This is when he established his own company, Zoom.
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