Lynn Ann Conway

Lynn Conway earned degrees in electrical engineering from Columbia University and joined IBM Research in 1964, where she invented generalized dynamic instruction scheduling (DIS), a fundamental architecture for superscalar out-of-order execution microprocessors. In 1968, when she underwent medical gender affirmation, IBM abruptly fired her, forcing her to restart her career under a new identity as a contract programmer.

By the 1970s, Conway joined Xerox PARC, where she collaborated with Carver Mead of Caltech to create scalable, simplified design rules for Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) silicon microchips. Their co-authored 1979 textbook, Introduction to VLSI Systems, revolutionized computer engineering, decoupling chip architecture from manufacturing foundries and directly powering the global microchip boom. In 1999, Conway came out publicly about her transition, becoming a revered advocate for transgender visibility and women in STEM. In 2020, IBM officially issued an apology for her 1968 termination.