Edith Stern

Edith Stern
Born	1952 United States
Occupation(s)	Mathematician, inventor, IBM Vice President
Known for	Holding over 100 US patents; contributions to real-time computing technologies; first female full member of ASME
Notable work	Innovations in direct dialing and last-call return; health informatics initiatives for IBM Watson

Edith Helen Stern (b. 1952) is an American mathematician, inventor, and former IBM Vice President overseeing Research and Development. She is credited with holding in excess of 100 US patents and has been honored with the ASME Kate Gleason Award. Recognized as a child prodigy, Stern had completed reading the Encyclopædia Britannica by age five and graduated from Florida Atlantic University at just 15 years old.

Early life and education

Edith Stern's father, Aaron Stern, who survived the Holocaust, received medical care at the Mayo Clinic following a referral by Albert Einstein. He was convinced that intellectual ability could serve as a defense against malevolence and committed to nurturing Edith’s extraordinary talents. Having been physically impaired by his concentration camp ordeal, Aaron devoted himself to her rigorous education through a method he termed total education immersion. By the time she was 11 months old, Edith was using flashcards for communication, recognized the alphabet at two years, and was playing chess by age three. She completed reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica by four and regularly experienced cultural outings such as museum visits and operas. Her mathematical aptitude was developed using a self-made abacus, while lessons in ethics and empathy were integrated into her upbringing. Although her father opposed formal IQ tests, Edith’s IQ was reportedly measured at 205 when she was five. By six, she had studied texts authored by Plato, Freud, and Darwin.

At twelve years old, Stern began college studies, earning an associate degree from Miami-Dade Junior College by age 15 and completing a bachelor's degree in mathematics at Florida Atlantic University in 1967, making her the youngest graduate in the institution’s history. She also participated on the university’s Chess Team. Subsequently, she obtained a master's degree in mathematics from Michigan State University. Aaron Stern chronicled her development in his book The Making of a Genius (1971) and delivered lectures on educational methods at Stanford University. The widespread attention on Edith’s abilities had an impact on their family dynamics.

Career

Before reaching twenty years of age, Stern taught mathematics at Michigan State University. In the early 1970s, she began working at IBM as an intern and eventually advanced to serve as Vice President responsible for research and development. Her work included significant contributions to real-time computing technologies at IBM, with credits for innovations such as direct dialing and last-call return. Stern also played a role in health informatics initiatives for IBM Watson and was part of a team awarded a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for pioneering digital commercials produced for the Warner Bros. Television network.

Awards and honors

Stern possesses over 120 granted US patents. She became the first female full member of the American Society Of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). In 1998, IBM recognized her as a master inventor, followed by her induction into the IBM Academy of Technology in 1999. The ASME presented her with the Kate Gleason Award in 2012 in recognition of her lifelong technological achievements. She received the Talon Award from Florida Atlantic University in 2013. In 2015, Business Insider included her among the Smartest People of All Time.