HIDDEN FIGURES IN COMMUNICATION & TECHNOLOGY: DR. MARK E DEAN

Computer Technology; Ohhhhh ohhh the world we’d live-in if it wasn’t for-‘em (sometimes I think much better off but that’s for an entirely different blog post) Every house hold has a computer! Every house hold has more than one! And being such a recognized house hold device there are so many hidden figures to the invention, developing processes and programming that make up the modern computer, although when we put faces to the names that shaped computer technology in history- we think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steven Hawking even Ashton Kutcher(?!?!) But there are many names that have been left out of the (predominantly white male) communication technologies history hall of fame.

One of which is an African American man Dr Mark E Dean. A computer scientist and engineer who worked for IBM in the 80’s (manufactures and markets computer hardware, middleware and software) Dr. Dean was instrumental in the invention of the Personal Computer (PC) and led a team that designed the ISA bus—the hardware interface that allows multiple devices like printers, modems, and keyboards to be plugged into a computer. This innovation helped pave the way for the personal computer’s use in office and business settings. Dean also helped develop the first color computer monitor, and in 1999 he led the team of programmers that created the world’s first gigahertz chip. Dr. Dean holds three of the original nine patents on the computer that all PCs are based upon.