March is Women’s History Month; let us remember Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller, BVM (Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary) who brilliantly distinguished herself in the male-dominated field of computer science in the 60’s. Not only is she the first American woman to receive a PhD in computer science, she also helped develop the BASIC (Beginners’ All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) programming language with originators John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz. She pushed for the wider involvement of women in computing and urged the use of computers in education. She was a visionary regarding the potential for computers to improve access to information, as a valuable tool in learning, and in their importance in libraries. Six decades later, whether you’re reading this from a mobile device, a desktop, or a laptop, know that a Catholic nun was among those who planted the seeds of modern information technology. Pax et bonum!