At a time when women couldn’t vote and most couldn’t even own property, Ada Lovelace was a mathematician on her way to be the first computer programmer in history. The British innovator is being celebrated internationally Oct. 8.
In Bloomington, there will be a march across campus starting at Luddy Hall, a free lunch and panel with women in innovation from the community and a trivia night at the Taproom.
“Ada Lovelace was an incredible woman working in a time where women were not welcome in their field,” said Kate Galvin, the artistic director at Cardinal Stage.
The panel will spark discussion about women in fields such as coding, design and engineering and how they started their career in fields that have been largely male-dominated, as well as the unconventional paths they have taken.
“We’re looking to celebrate local women working in STEM both in tech and arts,” Galvin said.
She said they will be discussing the hardships women face in these industries. They want to focus on celebrating them and their innovations.
Bryony Gomez-Palacio, the co-founder of a graphic design firm called UnderConsideration, is one of the women who will be speaking on the panel.
“It’ll be very interesting,” Gomez-Palacio said. “You’ll get to hear a lot of very different stories.”
She cited her non-traditional career path and the way she has navigated hardships as something she will contribute to the discussion.
“I’ve been driven by products of circumstance like economy taking a nosedive and moving to a new city,” Gomez-Palacio said. “I have not followed a traditional path, I have created a business for myself and my husband in a way that’s completely unexpected.”
The panel will include a variety of women, such as IU professor Katy Börner and Christine McDonnell, the CEO of a coding company called Codelicious.
Following the panel, there will be a Women Innovator trivia night at the Taproom. People can enter for a chance to win free tickets to a new play about Ada Lovelace that is going to be shown at the Cardinal Stage, "Ada and the Engine."
The event is looking to celebrate both the science industry and the arts.
“We’re focusing not just on stem, but STEAM, adding an A to represent the arts,” said Cassie Hakken, marketing manager for Cardinal Stage. “We’re representing connection with arts and sciences.”
