Biography of Janet Emerson Bashen, American Inventor

Biography of Janet Emerson Bashen, American Inventor Janet Emerson Bashen (born February 12, 1957) is an American inventor and entrepreneur and the first African-American woman to hold a patent for a software invention. The patented software, LinkLine, is a web-based application for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) claims intake and tracking, claims management, and document management. Bashen has been inducted into the Black Inventors Hall of Fame and is the recipient of numerous awards for her business and technological achievements. Fast Facts: Janet Emerson Bashen Known For: Emerson is the first African-American woman to secure a patent for a software invention.Also Known As: Janet EmersonBorn: February 12, 1957 in Mansfield, OhioEducation: Alabama AM University, University of Houston, Rice UniversityAwards and Honors: National Association of Negro Women in Business Crystal Award, Black Inventors Hall of Fame, Houston, Texas Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle AwardSpouse: Steven BashenChildren: Blair Alise Bashen, Drew Alec BashenNotable Quote: â€Å"My success and failures make me who I am and who I am is a black woman raised in the south by working-class parents who tried to give me a better life by fostering a fervent commitment to succeed.† Early Life Janet Emerson Bashen was born Janet Emerson on February 12, 1957, in Mansfield, Ohio. She was raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where her mother was the citys first black nurse. Bashen attended an elementary school that had only recently been integrated, and she faced discrimination throughout her childhood and youth. After attending Alabama AM University, a historically black college, Emerson married Steven Bashen and relocated to Houston, Texas. Years later after achieving her business success, Bashen said that growing up in the South sparked her interest in social inequality and diversity: â€Å"As a black girl growing up in the segregated South, I asked my parents many questions; they didnt have answers. This started a life-long quest of trying to understand our country’s history and struggle with issues of race. This research led me to gender issues and then my passion with EEO grew into a business interest that has evolved, incorporating diversity and inclusion initiatives.† Education Bashen earned a degree in legal studies and government from the University of Houston and completed postgraduate studies at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration. She later earned a certificate from Harvard University for her participation in the â€Å"Women and Power: Leadership in a New World program. Bashen also has a masters degree from Tulane Law School, where she studied labor and employment law. Bashen Corporation Bashen is the founder, president, and CEO of Bashen Corporation, a leading human resources consulting firm that pioneered end-to-end Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) compliance administration services. Bashen established the company in September 1994, building the business from her home office with no money, only one client, and a fervent commitment to succeed. As the business grew, Bashen began servicing more and more clients, and this demand led her to design her own case management software known as LinkLine. Bashen earned a patent for this tool in 2006, making her the first African-American woman to earn a patent for a software invention. For Bashen, the tool was a way to simplify claims tracking and document management by replacing the cumbersome paper process used by most businesses at the time: â€Å"I came up with the idea in 2001. Not everyone had a cell phone in 2001. I saw that papers in process got lost. There had to be a way to take in complaints- something Web-based and accessible away from the office...We worked months and months on the design. At the same time, I contacted a very large law firm and told the team I wanted to see if I could get a patent because no one was doing this. Bashen and her company have been recognized nationally for their business achievements. In May 2000, Bashen testified before Congress regarding the effect of the FTC opinion letter on third-party discrimination investigations. Bashen, along with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, were key figures in a debate that resulted in a change in legislation. In October 2002, Bashen Corporation was named one of America’s entrepreneurial growth leaders by Inc. Magazine in its annual ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, with an increase in sales of 552%. In October 2003, Bashen was given the Pinnacle Award by the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce. Bashen is also the recipient of the prestigious Crystal Award, presented by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc., for achievement in business. In 2010, she was recognized at the World Festival of Black Arts and Culture in Dakar, Senegal. Since creating LinkLine, Bashen has developed additional tools to bolster and support diversity in the workplace. One of these is AAP Advisory, a division of Bashen Corporation that offers guidance to clients on best practices for affirmative action in the workplace. The company has an advisory team in place to help businesses achieve diversity within their organizations. Bashens AAPLink is a software service designed to assist with such diversity efforts. Bashen also runs the hotline 1-800Intake, a tool to help small- and medium-sized businesses receive and manage workplace complaints. Together, this suite of tools enables businesses to ensure they are following the best practices for building diverse and inclusive environments. Public Service Bashen serves on the board of directors for the North Harris Montgomery County Community College District Foundation and chairs the corporate advisory board of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. She is also a board member of PrepProgram, a non-profit organization dedicated to preparing at-risk student-athletes for college. In 2014, she served on the women’s leadership board at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Sources Ackerman, Lauren. â€Å"Janet Emerson Bashen (1957- ) BlackPast.†Ã‚  BlackPast.Holmes, Keith C.  Black Inventors: Crafting over 200 Years of Success. Global Black Inventor Research Projects, 2008.Montague, Charlotte.  Women of Invention: Life-Changing Ideas by Remarkable Women. Crestline Books, 2018.

Howler Monkey Facts (Alouatta)

Howler Monkey Facts (Alouatta) Howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) are the largest New World monkeys. They are the loudest land animal, producing howls that can be heard up to three miles away. Fifteen species and seven subspecies of howler monkey are currently recognized. Fast Facts: Howler Monkey Scientific Name: AlouattaCommon Names: Howler monkey, New World baboonBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: Head and body: 22-36 inches; tail: 23-36 inchesWeight: 15-22 poundsLifespan: 15-20 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Central and South American forestsPopulation: DecreasingConservation Status: Least Concern to Endangered Description Like other New World monkeys, howler monkeys have wide side-set nostrils and furred prehensile tails with naked tips that help the primates grip tree branches. Howler monkeys have beards and long, thick hair in shades of black, brown, or red, depending on sex and species. The monkeys are sexually dimorphic, with males 3 to 5 pounds heavier than females. In some species, such as the black howler monkey, mature males and females have different coat colors. Howler monkeys are the largest New World monkeys, with head and body length averaging 22 to 36 inches. One characteristic of the species is its extremely long, thick tail. The average tail length is 23 to 36 inches, but there are howler monkeys with tails five times their body length. Adults weigh between 15 and 22 pounds. Like humans, but unlike other New World monkeys, howlers have trichromatic vision. Both male and female howler monkeys have an enlarged hyoid bone (Adams apple) that helps them make extremely loud calls. Males and females are different colors in some howler monkey species. Tier Und Naturfotografie J und C Sohns / Getty Images Habitat and Distribution Howler monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America. They spend their lives in the tree canopy, only rarely descending to the ground. Howler monkey distribution. Miguelrangeljr IUCN / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License Diet The monkeys primarily forage tree leaves from the upper canopy, but also eat fruit, flowers, nuts, and buds. They sometimes supplement their diet with eggs. Like other mammals, howler monkeys cannot digest cellulose from leaves. Bacteria in the large intestine ferment cellulose and produce nutrient-rich gases which the animals use as an energy source. Behavior Obtaining energy from leaves is an inefficient process, so howler monkeys are generally slow-moving and live within relatively small home ranges (77 acres for 15 to 20 animals). Males vocalize at dawn and dusk to identify their position and communicate with other troops. This minimizes conflict over feeding and sleeping grounds. Troop ranges overlap, so howling lessens the need for males to patrol territories or fight. Each troop consists of six to 15 animals, usually containing one to three adult males. Mantled howler monkey troops are larger and contain more males. Howler monkeys rest in the trees about half of the day. Reproduction and Offspring Howler monkeys reach sexual maturity around 18 months of age and display sexual readiness by tongue-flicking. Mating and birth may occur at any time of the year. Mature females give birth every two years. Gestation is 180 days for the black howler monkey and results in a single offspring. At birth, both male and female black howler monkeys are blond, but males turn black at two and a half years of age. In other species the color of the young and adults is the same for both sexes. Adolescent males and females leave their parents troop to join unrelated troops. The average life expectancy of a howler monkey is 15 to 20 years. Conservation Status Howler monkey IUCN conservation status varies according to species, ranging from least concern to endangered. The population trend is unknown for some species and decreasing for all others. Howler monkeys are protected in parts of their range. Threats The species faces multiple threats. Like other New World monkeys, howlers are hunted for food. They face habitat loss and degradation from deforestation and land development for residential, commercial, and agricultural use. Howler monkeys also face competition from other species, such as spider monkeys and woolly monkeys. Howler Monkeys and Humans Howler monkeys are not aggressive toward humans and are sometimes kept as pets despite their loud vocalizations. Some Mayan tribes worshiped howler monkeys as gods. Sources Boubli, J., Di Fiore, A., Rylands, A.B. Mittermeier, R.A. Alouatta nigerrima. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T136332A17925825. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T136332A17925825.enGroves, C.P. Order Primates. In: D.E. Wilson and D.M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 111-184. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 2005.Neville, M. K., Glander, K. E., Braza, F. and Rylands, A. B. The howling monkeys, genus Alouatta. In: R. A. Mittermeier, A. B. Rylands, A. F. Coimbra-Filho an G. A. B. da Fonseca (ed.), The Ecology and Behavior of Neotropical Primates, Vol. 2, pp. 349–453, 1988. World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC, USA.Sussman, R. Primate Ecology and Social Structure, Vol. 2: New World Monkeys, Revised First Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 142–145. July, 2003. ISBN 978-0-536-74364-0.