Computer Engineer Ruchi Sanghvi

STEM Trailblazer Bios / Biografías de Pioneros STEM

by Laura Hamilton Waxman

Have you ever scrolled through a news feed on Facebook? Ruchi Sanghvi helped design this and other Facebook features. She joined Facebook―then a small Silicon Valley startup company―after moving from India to the United States to study computer engineering. With her help, Facebook quickly became one of the largest social networking sites in the world.

Sanghvi was the first female engineer at Facebook, and it wasn't easy blazing a trail for women in her field. But nothing stopped her from following her dreams. Her contributions at Facebook helped connect people from around the globe. Even women from Sanghvi's home country of India used Facebook to speak out for equal rights. Discover how this young female immigrant became a top-notch engineer who changed the tech world forever.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Science

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2015

Reviews

[Lesley Burnap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the STEM trailblazer BIOS Series from Lerner/Scholastic. Great to pair with Ignotofsky's Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World! I look forward to adding more of these texts to my classroom library.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruchi Sanghvi is an accomplished computer engineer who was one of the early engineers at Facebook, joining it when it was still a small Silicon Valley startup company. This engaging, short biography describes how she decided to move from India to the United States to study computer engineering, taking risks and never letting fear stop her.

My students talked about all that Ruchi accomplished: going to college, getting a job at Facebook, and then designing features that helped Facebook reach so many people. They also talked about how brave and determined she must be. In college, she was one of only five women in the engineering department. She left home and traveled far away. She took risks, leaving a steady job to join a start-up company.

This short biography was clearly written for 3rd through 5th graders. Chapter and section headings help young readers keep focused on the main ideas, while a variety of pictures keep their attention and interest. I especially liked the many quotes from Ruchi that help us hear her own thinking and perspective.

[Bari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story about a girl who could not be stopped! It teaches us all to follow our dreams...