WALLOPS ISLAND, VA, May 09, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Linda May has been included in Marquis Who Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Linda May knew from the age of 6 (in 1949) that she wanted to be a mathematician. In 1957, the Space Age was ushered in with the launch of Sputnik I by the Soviet Union. In response, United States students were urged to go into math and science. As part of this effort, Ms. May was selected for a course of study called "Introduction to High-Speed Digital Computation" presented at her high school by the Association for Computing Machinery in 1960-1961. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1965 and a Master of Arts in Mathematics in 1966 from Wake Forest University.
From 1966 to 1971, Ms. May taught mathematics at Kennesaw University, where she was an early user of computers to teach calculus. In the 1970s, she advanced from assistant to associate professor of math at Salisbury University. While her husband, Lee, was a visiting professor of mathematics at Wake Forest University in 1980, she served as the academic programmer in the computer center there. At that time, before many people had degrees in computer science, there was a need for educators like Ms. May to teach computer programming. Thus, in 1981, she began teaching both math and computer science at Salisbury University, and from 1983 to 1985, she served as academic coordinator for the school's Department of Computer Services.
Advanced degree programs in computer science were then beginning to appear, but enrollment would have meant being away from her husband and children. Besides, her interests had been taking her into the field of software engineering. She spent 17 years with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Horn Point Laboratory, where she worked with physical and biological oceanographers as a senior faculty research assistant for 13 years and director of information and electronic services for four years. Next, Ms. May brought her experience and skills to NASA, where she has held various positions such as computer scientist, software engineer IV, and software engineer senior professional.
Ms. May has had many amazing experiences over the course of her career, including being out to sea on research vessels in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico while working with at Horn Point Laboratory. With NASA, she has had the opportunity to work on and be part of rocket launches in Alaska, where she experienced temperatures as low as 62 degrees below zero. Ms. May particularly enjoyed traveling to Norway and Kwajalein (Marshall Islands) to support rocket launches at those places.
Ms. May, who is a recipient of NASA's Krieger Group Safety Award, is affiliated with the Mathematical Association of America, the American Mathematical Society, and American Mensa. She and her husband met in high school choir class and have been married since 1965. They have two daughters. Ms. May's various accomplishments have been featured in the 66th through 70th editions of Who's Who in America and the 30th through 33rd editions of Who's Who in the World.
Information about photographs:
1. From the Washington, D.C. Sunday Star, January 1961
2. With an oceanographic instrument in the Pacific, 1990
3. In Range Control Center, NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, 2008; photo credit: ShoreWoman Magazine
4. With C-band radar antenna, NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, 2008; photo credit: ShoreWoman Magazine
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America , Who's Who in the World , Who's Who in American Law , Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare , Who's Who in Science and Engineering , and Who's Who in Asia . Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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