Turing Women: Triumphs in Mending the Gap
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Graphics by John Marck Palpal-latoc
A million-dollar sponsorship from Google, a trophy from the world’s largest computing society, and a place among the most influential figures in the field: these are what the Turing Award offers its laureates, often regarded as the Nobel Prize in Computing.
Yet, out of more than 70 recipients, only three have been women. In fact, it has been over a decade since the last female computer scientist received this honor. A telltale sign, a blaring hint to the systemic bias against women that has long aggravated the gender gap in computing.
This imbalance is exactly why Francis Allen, Barbara Liskov, and Shafi Goldwasser deserve greater recognition, not only for their groundbreaking contributions but also for marking their legacy as women who transformed the field of computing.
Frances Allen
Image source: https://newsarchive.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2008/01/23\_allen.shtml
In 2006, Frances Allen became the first woman to receive the Turing Award, recognized for her work in compiler optimization. Her research revolutionized the way programs are translated into machine code, making software run more efficiently on modern hardware.
Allen started her professional journey as a mathematics teacher. To pay off her student debt, however, she shifted careers by joining IBM as a researcher. She intended to return to teaching, but her experience at IBM redefined her goals and passion, which led to her becoming a leading figure in compiler optimization, with the company dubbing her as an ‘accidental’ scientist. Her work laid the groundwork for the compilers we use today, which are essential for translating code from high-level programming languages into machine-executable instructions.
Allen was also an avid adventurer. She traveled internationally not only to give lectures about compilers, but also to pursue her passion for mountain climbing. “I love to climb mountains and explore different parts of the world because I like exploring things I don’t know or understand,” she shared during an NYU interview.
Throughout her career, Allen also championed efforts to support women and minorities in technology. She mentored countless young researchers and was an active advocate for diversity and inclusion in computer science. In addition to her personal mentorship, Allen played a key role in shaping technology policy through her work on the National Research Council’s Computer Science and Telecommunications Board. Her contributions to fostering diversity were recognized through the establishment of the Frances E. Allen IBM Women in Technology Mentoring Award, which honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to mentoring women in technology. Her legacy extends beyond her technical innovations, inspiring future generations of women to pursue careers in the field.
Barbara Liskov
Image source: https://news.mit.edu/2009/turing-liskov-0310
Barbara Liskov became the second woman to receive the Turing Award in 2008, recognized for her pioneering work in programming languages and system design. Her research laid the foundations for object-oriented programming and software development practices.
Liskov’s career in computing began at a time when few women entered the field. In the 1960s, she applied to graduate mathematics programs at Princeton University but was ultimately rejected because the institution did not admit female students in mathematics at the time. Despite this, she applied to Stanford University where she became one of the first women in the US to earn a PhD in computer science. She later joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where her research would change the way programmers design and structure software systems.
One of her most influential contributions is the development of the Liskov Substitution Principle (LSP), a key concept in maintaining and modifying code without breaking the system. She also invented the concept of data abstraction, introduced through her work on the CLU programming language; It laid the groundwork for modular programming and has influenced modern languages like Java, C++, and Python.
Beyond her technical achievements, Liskov has also dedicated much of her career to mentoring and advocating for greater gender equity in computer science, having served as Associate Provost for Faculty Equity at MIT. Her work has not only transformed the field but also opened doors for future generations of women in technology.
Shafi Goldwasser
Image source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/08/21/238665/shafi-goldwasser/
Shafi Goldwasser joined the list in 2012, receiving the award for her contributions to cryptography and computational number theory. Her research, which established the theoretical foundations for modern cryptography, paved the way for computer scientists to explore methods for securing code and digital information.
What sparked Goldwasser’s curiosity in computer science was an algorithms and discrete math course she took while pursuing a degree in mathematics. Her growing interest in the field led her to enroll in graduate school for computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. From there, Goldwasser became a faculty member at MIT, immersing herself in cryptograph theories such as encryption systems (e.g., RSA), quadratic residuosity, and interactive proofs. She helped develop tools that could verify data without disclosure between network entities and provided the foundation for solving hard problems like the primality test. Even before winning the Turing Award, Goldwasser had already won the Gödel Prize—twice.
As a woman in a male-dominated field, Goldwasser recalls asserting to her colleagues that she was “someone to be listened to and reckoned with.” She further stressed the weight of addressing such prejudice, stating,
“We must keep raising this disparity throughout our scientific community to emphasize the need for change, supported by evidence. Achieving gender equality in science will lead to better science, a better workforce, and better educated children in future generations.”
Painfully Few, But Huge Steps
Allen, raised a farmer’s daughter; Liskov, who faced gender bias firsthand; and Goldwasser, entering with no prior programming experience—all reached the podium and defined the foundations that computer science students now take as gospel. They have even managed to create entire subfields in a field where stereotypes continue to diminish women’s scientific talent.
These major wins hold more than just symbolic value; they are not just rare moments to be temporarily celebrated, virtue-signaled and forgotten. They impart a roadmap for progress to society, one that we hope will elevate the contributions of women in STEM. The fact that women have comprised just 4% of winners over half a century remains disappointing. Still, these pioneers have undeniably inspired generations of women to come.
It’s long overdue for us to amplify the ongoing call to nominate more women and demand equal representation in both academia and industry. Just as these transformative trio devised proofs to solve problems in computer science, let their footprint prove that the hurdles to inclusivity can and must be broken.