from WILL COOPER in New York, USA
Special contributor
NEW YORK, (CAJ News) – LEGEND Dr. Gladys Mae West, the pioneering Black mathematician whose work helped create the backbone of the Global Positioning System (GPS), died at the age of 95 on January 17, 2026, surrounded by family at her home in Virginia, the United States.
West’s passing marks the end of a remarkable life that began in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, where she was born into a farming family during the Jim Crow era on October 27, 1930.
Her journey from rural fields to the forefront of mathematical innovation exemplifies both genius and resilience in the face of systemic racism that historically obscured the crucial contributions of Black scientists.
West’s precise mathematical models of Earth’s shape, developed over decades as a programmer and researcher at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, became indispensable to satellite navigation systems used worldwide today — from aviation to smartphones.
West was married to fellow mathematician Ira West, whom she met at Dahlgren and wed in 1957.
The couple raised three children and were blessed with seven grandchildren; she also leaves behind several great‑grandchildren.
Her husband, Ira, predeceased her in 2024.
Her death notice and tributes underscore not only her immense technical legacy but also the broader pattern of Black innovators whose work reshaped the world yet was long under‑recognised due to racism.
Just as West’s contributions to GPS remained largely hidden until later life, many Black scientists, inventors and thinkers have been overlooked in mainstream histories despite foundational achievements.
From Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Katherine Johnson whose calculations were critical to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) early space missions, to medical pioneers like Dr. Daniel Hale Williams who performed early successful open‑heart surgery, Black innovators have consistently pushed science forward, often without proper credit.
Africa too has been a cradle of innovation that the world has often ignored.
Ancient engineering feats like the stone tools at Olduvai Gorge reveal some of humanities earliest technologies emerging on African soil.
Modern scientific advances from the continent include radio astronomy leadership through projects like Ghana’s contributions to the Square Kilometre Array, and home‑grown medical devices like Cameroon’s Cardiopad for rural health monitoring.
Gladys West’s legacy illustrates why embracing artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology and scientific policy frameworks is crucial in Africa.
Universities must adopt AI policies to ensure ethical, equitable and secure use of emerging tech while preparing graduates to lead tomorrow’s digital economies.
AI can transform agriculture with precision farming and climate forecasting, elevate healthcare through diagnostics and predictive models, bolster e‑commerce with personalised services, enhance mining and energy efficiency, and improve educational access with adaptive learning technologies.
West’s life reminds us that innovation thrives where opportunity is nurtured — and that inclusive recognition, investment in STEM education, and equitable policy are essential if Africa and the world are to fully benefit from the brilliance of all its people.
May her legacy inspire future generations of mathematicians, scientists and innovators.
– CAJ News