Mary Lou Jepsen

Mary Lou Jepsen. An American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur renowned for her pioneering work in display technology and holography. She is a co-founder of the One Laptop per Child project and has held executive roles at technology firms including Google and Facebook. Her research has led to significant advancements in liquid crystal on silicon and near-eye displays for virtual reality and augmented reality applications.

Early life and education

Jepsen displayed an early aptitude for mathematics and science, which guided her academic path. She pursued her undergraduate studies at Brown University, where she earned dual degrees in art and electrical engineering. She later completed her graduate education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving a Ph.D. in optical sciences under the guidance of prominent researchers in the field. Her doctoral work laid the foundational knowledge for her future innovations in holographic video and display systems.

Career

Jepsen's career began in the research divisions of major technology corporations, including a stint at Intel where she worked on advanced display prototypes. She rose to prominence as the founding chief technology officer of the One Laptop per Child initiative, a non-profit project aimed at providing affordable educational technology to children in developing nations. Following this, she served as an engineering director at Google, working on the Google X division's display projects. She later joined Facebook (now Meta Platforms) as the head of display technology for the Oculus division, focusing on next-generation virtual reality hardware. She subsequently founded her own company, Openwater, with the goal of developing medical imaging technology based on principles from consumer electronics displays.

Research and inventions

Jepsen's research has consistently focused on pushing the boundaries of optics and photonics for practical applications. Her key inventions include novel interferometric modulation techniques for displays and breakthroughs in liquid crystal on silicon technology, which became instrumental in creating low-power, high-resolution screens for the One Laptop per Child's XO laptop. At Oculus, her team advanced near-eye display designs critical for virtual reality headsets. Her work at Openwater aims to create a wearable functional infrared imaging system, leveraging advancements in silicon photonics and holography to potentially revolutionize the detection of diseases like cancer and stroke.

Awards and recognition

For her contributions to technology and education, Jepsen has received numerous accolades. She was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and has been awarded the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize for inventors. Her work with One Laptop per Child earned recognition from organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank. She has also been elected as a Fellow of the Optical Society of America and has served on advisory boards for institutions including the National Academy of Engineering and the MIT Media Lab.

Personal life

Jepsen is known for her advocacy in open-source hardware and for increasing diversity in the fields of engineering and technology. She has been open about her personal health journey, having undergone treatment for a brain tumor, an experience that informed her passion for developing accessible medical imaging technology at Openwater. She frequently lectures at international forums such as TED and contributes to discussions on the ethical implications of emerging technologies.

Category:American engineers Category:American inventors Category:Optics researchers Category:MIT alumni Category:Brown University alumni