On this 22nd day of Black History Month, we celebrate Dr. Marian Croak — a pioneering engineer and inventor whose work transformed communication technology worldwide.
Dr. Croak is best known for developing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) while at AT&T Bell Labs in the 1980s and 1990s. This breakthrough technology allows voice and video calls to travel over the internet instead of traditional phone lines, powering modern platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, Skype, and WhatsApp.
She holds over 200 patents, which include:
- Text-to-Donate Technology – enabling charitable donations via text, used in relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
- Network Efficiency Innovations – improving the reliability, speed, and quality of voice and video communications.
- Text-Based Voting Systems – famously used on shows like American Idol.
Dr. Croak earned her Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, worked at AT&T for over three decades, and now serves as Vice President of Engineering at Google, focusing on AI and reliability engineering.
In 2022, she became one of the first two Black women inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her groundbreaking work in VoIP and digital communications.
Over 200 patents. VP at Google. Pioneer of digital voice.
Thank you, Dr. Croak, for your groundbreaking innovations, your dedication to technology, and for paving the way for future generations of Black engineers and inventors.