Cynthia Solomon

Cynthia Solomon
PhD
Cynthia Solomon
Born1938 (age 86–87)
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationBA, Radcliffe College, 1959
MS, Boston University, 1976
PhD, Harvard University, 1985
Known forLogo
Technology education
AwardsNCWIT Pioneer Award, 2016
Constructionism Lifetime Achievement Award, 2016
Scientific career
FieldsComputer science
Technology education
InstitutionsMIT
Bolt, Beranek and Newman
Logo Computer Systems
Atari Cambridge Research Laboratory
WebsiteLogo Things

Cynthia Solomon is an American computer scientist known for her work in popularizing computer science for students.[1] She is an innovator in the fields of computer science and educational computing. While working as a researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Solomon took it upon herself to understand and program in the programming language Lisp. As she began learning this language, she realized the need for a programming language that was more accessible and understandable for children.

Throughout her research studies in education, Solomon worked full-time as a computer teacher in elementary and secondary schools. Her work has mainly focused on research on human-computer interaction and children as designers. While working at Bolt, Beranek and Newman, she worked with Wally Feurzeig and Seymour Papert, to create the first programming language for children, named Logo.[2] The language was created to teach concepts of programming related to Lisp.

Solomon has been active in a number of public and private organizations. She was vice president of R&D for Logo Computer Systems, Inc., when the Apple Logo product was developed. She was also the Director of the Atari Cambridge Research Laboratory. Solomon later worked on the program committee of Constructing Modern Knowledge and the Marvin Minsky Institute for Artificial Intelligence in 2016.

Solomon has published a range of books and articles based on original research in the fields of child education and technology use in the classroom.[3] She has conducted workshops in elementary schools, high schools, and colleges regarding academic research and writing. Solomon continues to contribute to the field by speaking at conferences and working with the One Laptop per Child Foundation.

  1. ^ "Cynthia Solomon". Exploratorium. January 15, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  2. ^ "Logo History". el.media.mit.edu. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  3. ^ Halvorson, Michael (2020). Code Nation: Personal Computing and the Learn to Program Movement in America. New York, NY / San Rafael, CA: ACM Books / Morgan & Claypool. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-1450377577.

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