Manufacturing Magazine February 2024 | Page 20

LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING
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Conway ’ s inventions went on to transform computer engineering .
“ My work paved the way for the modern microchips found in almost all high-technology systems , including computers , mobile phones and the internet ,” Conway says .
In 1998 , with retirement approaching , Conway made the decision to come out as a trans woman on her website , lynnconway . com . There , she offered support to transgender people across the world , as well as encouraging a more tolerant society .
Changing the way computers are manufactured and how society sees trans people Conway was born in 1938 in Mount Vernon , New York . As a child , Conway showed an interest in science and technology , which grew from her interest in BBC radio broadcasts .
She went on to study Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1955 to 1959 . Despite being ranked in the top 2 % of her class , a failed attempt at gender reassignment led Conway to drop out . She then studied Electrical Engineering , Computer Science at Columbia University between 1961 and 1963 .
Her success there led Conway to work as a researcher at IBM , where she focused on their Advanced Computing Systems . But in 1968 , Conway was able to complete her gender transition , becoming Lynn Conway – which cost her job at IBM , relationships with her friends and her wider support network .
20 February 2024