Valerie Thomas
Valerie LaVerne Thomas (born February 8, 1943) is an American scientist, data analyst, and inventor best known for inventing the illusion transmitter, a pioneering technology that produces three-dimensional optical illusions. During a distinguished 30-year career at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), she managed computer data systems and image-processing software that fundamentally advanced Earth-observing satellite programs and space physics research.
Early Life and Education
Valerie LaVerne Thomas was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on February 8, 1943. From an early age, she displayed a keen curiosity about how mechanical and electronic systems worked, inspired in part by watching her father tinker with radios and televisions. Despite her early affinity for mathematics and science, she attended schools where girls were generally discouraged from pursuing advanced STEM courses.
Upon graduating from high school, she enrolled at Morgan State University (then Morgan State College), a historically Black institution in Baltimore. As one of only two women majoring in physics at the time, she excelled academically and graduated with highest honors with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1964. She later earned a master’s degree in engineering administration from George Washington University in 1985 and a doctor of education degree in educational leadership and technology from the University of Delaware in 2004.
Career at NASA
Immediately following her college graduation in 1964, Thomas began working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as a mathematician and data analyst. Over her three decades with the agency, she rose through the ranks to prominent leadership positions, contributing to several critical projects:
- Orbiting Geophysical Observatory (1964–1970): She developed real-time computer data systems to support early scientific satellite operations control centers.
- The Landsat Program (1970–1981): Thomas managed the development of image-processing software and digital media formats for Landsat, the first satellite series to transmit multispectral images of Earth from space. She became an international expert on Computer Compatible Tapes (CCTs) and served as the team leader for the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE), which successfully demonstrated that satellite imagery could accurately predict global wheat yields.
- Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN): In 1986, Thomas became project manager for SPAN, a wide-area computer network that connected researchers globally. SPAN played a vital role in early internet infrastructure and facilitated collaborative space physics research regarding Halley’s Comet, ozone layer depletion studies, and supernovas.
At the time of her retirement in 1995, Thomas served as the associate chief of the Space Science Data Operations Office. Her achievements at NASA earned her multiple accolades, including the Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit and the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal.
The Illusion Transmitter
In 1976, Thomas attended a scientific demonstration where she observed an optical illusion: a concave mirror created a physical-looking projection of a light bulb that appeared to remain lit even after being unscrewed from its lamp.
Intrigued by how concave mirrors reflected real objects to create spatial depth, Thomas began experimenting with how similar optics could transmit images across distances. She successfully developed a device that used concave mirrors on both the transmitting and receiving ends to project a 3D, holographic-like image onto screen displays without the need for special viewing glasses.
She filed for a patent in 1978, and the illusion transmitter was officially patented on October 21, 1980. NASA utilized the technology in subsequent applications, and the foundational principles behind her work have since influenced modern 3D television, film technologies, and surgical equipment.
Mentorship and STEM Advocacy
Throughout her career and into retirement, Thomas has been a passionate advocate for diversity in science and technology. Recognizing the barriers she faced as an African American woman in a segregated society and male-dominated field, she dedicated much of her time to mentoring students.
She has worked closely with organizations such as the National Technical Association, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), Science Mathematics Aerospace Research and Technology (SMART), and Shades of Blue. She has regularly visited schools, judged science fairs, and helped establish networks to encourage young people—particularly girls and Black students—to pursue careers in STEM.