The Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB) at UPC joins the international community in mourning the passing of Margaret Hamilton, an American mathematician, computer scientist and systems engineer widely recognised for her groundbreaking contributions to the software developed for NASA's Apollo missions.
Hamilton headed the Software Engineering Division at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Instrumentation Laboratory, where she led the development of the Apollo spacecraft's navigation software. Her work was instrumental in managing the computer issues that arose during the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.
Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of software engineering, Hamilton helped establish the discipline as a recognised branch of engineering with its own standards of rigour. In 2016, she was awarded the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her achievements.
On 18 October 2018, Margaret Hamilton was awarded an honorary doctorate by UPC at a ceremony held in the auditorium of the Vèrtex building. The distinction, proposed by FIB to mark its 40th anniversary, recognised both her scientific contributions and her pioneering role in a historically male-dominated field.
Her career has become a source of inspiration for generations of computer science professionals, particularly women pursuing careers in science and technology.
FIB extends its deepest condolences and remembers Margaret Hamilton's scientific and personal legacy with great admiration.
