Genevieve Jourdain

Geneviève Jourdain, also known as Geneviève Jourdain Garampon, (31 March 1945 – 19 October 2006) was a French engineer, professor and researcher who played a prominent role in the development of signal processing. She was particularly active in the field of underwater acoustics and, from 1970 onwards, taught information theory, signal processing and telecommunications.

In 2026 she was named as one of the 72 women to have their names engraved on the Eiffel Tower.

Early life and education Geneviève Jourdain was born on 31 March 1945 in Entre-deux-Guiers in south-eastern France. She graduated as an engineer in 1966 from the Grenoble Institute of Technology (Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble or INP) – then known as ENSERG. As a result, she became a respected researcher in an area which until then had been primarily handled by men. Her wider work investigated integrating non-stationary data into the modelling of underwater acoustics. Her development of signal processing as a significant new area of interest led to her recognition both at the national and international levels.

In 2007, the journal Traitement du Signal: Signal, Image, Parole dedicated a special issue to her.

In 2016, a CROUS student residence on the Presqu'île de Grenoble science campus was opened, named for Geneviève Jourdain.

In 2026, Jourdain was announced as one of 72 historical women in STEM whose names were proposed to be added to the 72 men already celebrated on the Eiffel Tower. The plan was conceived by a student and tour guide named Bernard Rigaud and the list was announced by the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo following the recommendations of a committee led by Isabelle Vauglin of Femmes et Sciences and Jean-François Martins, representing the operating company which runs the Eiffel Tower.