An innovator in information science, Professor Karen Spärck Jones (1935-2007), was one of a glittering trail of pioneering Girton women and a fantastic role model for interdisciplinarity. Having matriculated in 1953 to read History at Girton for the first part of her degree, she then opted to take Moral Sciences, now known as Philosophy, for her third year of the degree, a model of study made possible by Cambridge's Tripos system. Karen went on to forge a remarkable career in computer science, helping to shape this evolving discipline in its early days at the Cambridge Language Research Unit (CLRU) in 1958.
Often the only woman in meetings, especially during her time at Cambridge, Karen was deeply committed to changing this imbalance. She once said:
I think it's very important to get more women into computing. My slogan is: 'Computing is too important to be left to men.'
She worked tirelessly to promote and support the role of women in computing and was a founding member of the 'women@cl' network based at the Computer Laboratory. Among her many achievements, Karen was the first woman to receive the Lovelace Medal, which recognises people who have made exceptional contributions to either the understanding and advancement of computing, or to computing education.
Today, the same spirit of innovation and inclusion continues at Girton, as our students, Fellows and alumni contribute to shaping the future of AI through their research and work. Today’s Girtonians are exploring the intersection of aviation, robotics, and artificial intelligence; building metaverse infrastructure and applications; developing next-generation cardiovascular treatments with AI; discovering sustainable materials with AI and quantum mechanics; producing fully autonomous robotic security agents; assessing the impact of AI and Language models; and more.
Karen's pioneering work in computer science has been recognised by the University of Cambridge and the UK Government Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) through Spärck AI scholarships to support the next generation of AI leaders. Read more on the announcement on the University website.
To learn more about Karen's inspiring life and work, read this online memoir on Karen Spärck Jones by S G Pulman, Fellow of the British Academy.