My alma mater, Vassar College, has graduated some remarkable individuals. Notable Vassar alumni include poets Edna St. Vincent Millay (1917) and Elizabeth Bishop (1934), actress Meryl Streep (1971), musician Mark Ronson, journalist Evan Wright (1988), writer-director Noah Baumbach (1991) and Flickr founder Caterina Fake (1991). The alum that has most inspired me, however, was a female trailblazer in a field that is still dominated by men.

Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was born in 1906 and graduated from Vassar in 1930. She was a pioneer in the computer science field and her work led to the development of modern programming language. This oft-quoted woman once said, “To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge. “

In honor of Hopper’s birth, December 9, 1906, next week has been declared national Computer Science Education Week. ISTE is a partner in this endeavor and I hope you’ll participate as well in celebrating this fascinating area of study.

Some ideas on how you can join in:

• Take the CSEdWeek pledge! Register your support and share your plans to celebrate at www.computinginthecore.org.

• ‘Like’ CSEdWeek on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CSEdWeek and join the conversation.

• Blog, tweet, and post to spread the word and raise awareness. Use the #CSEdWeek hashtag.

• Celebrate CSEdWeek in your school, club, or workplace.

• Visit http://www.CSEdWeek.org for other suggested activities and resources.