General News of Tuesday, 20 January 2026Source: www.ghanaweb.comDr Gladys West, the pioneering mathematician whose work laid the foundation for modern Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, has died at the age of 95. Through exceptional academic achievement, she graduated first in her high school class and earned a scholarship to Virginia State College, now Virginia State University. Those calculations ultimately formed the backbone of GPS technology, now critical to aviation, shipping, emergency response, telecommunications, smartphones, and everyday life across the globe. Despite the global impact of her work, West remained largely unknown for many years. Announcing her death, Plitt described West as ‘petite in stature but gigantic in impact.’Beyond her scientific achievements, West was devoted to her family.

Source: GhanaWeb January 20, 2026 16:51 UTC