2017 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | CONFERENCE - VOL. 41, NO. 1

The 31st Annual Black Engineer of the Year STEM Award Winners

2017 Black Engineer of the Year

Dr. Eugene M. DeLoatch

FROM DREAMER TO DREAM MAKER USBE&IT Conference Issue 2017 www.blackengineer.com

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Publisher’s Page COVER STORY

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From Dreamer to Dream Maker

Morgan State University’s Dr. Eugene M. DeLoatch, one of America’s most iconic STEM educators FEATURES

32 BEYA Winners and Legacy Award Honorees 64 Modern-Day Technology Leaders 70 Scientist of the Year, Emerald Honorees, and Science Spectrum Trailblazers 84 BEYA Innovation Winners How HBCUs Are Increasing Capacity to Do More Good

2017 Black Engineer of the Year Dr. Eugene M. DeLoatch

Photography by Othello Banaci: Cover, pages 4, 22-23, 24 and 27.

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Founding Dean of the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering Morgan State University www.blackengineer.com

TS Vo l u m e 4 1 N u m b e r 1 PROFILES IN INNOVATION

People and Events..........................10

BEYA Professionals on the Move

One on One.................................... 12 Passing the BEYA Torch with the 2016 Black Engineer of the Year

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

Career Voices.................................16 How BEYA’s top employers empower next-generation engineers

PUBLISHER’S PAGE Building the Future Today: Full STEM Ahead!

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ver lunch one day in the summer of ’84, Dr. Eugene DeLoatch shared his idea with me about increasing diversity in engineering. Dr. DeLoatch had recently taken up his new job as the founding dean of the Clarence Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State University. Prior to beginning his service at Morgan in 1984, Dr. DeLoatch spent 24 years with Howard in Washington, DC, as chair and professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering. Two years after that lunchtime chat with Dr. DeLoatch, my company, Career Communications Group (CCG)—which was founded in 1985 with a unique mission to promote achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers—held the first BEYA Conference in Baltimore with Morgan State as a sponsor.

Since then, CCG has worked with leaders like Dr. DeLoatch from a range of institutions, businesses, and the government. As a media company, we are proud to align with leaders who inspire and promote excellence in our youth, by telling their stories as well as those of unheralded people striving for success. CCG partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) establish our media products as the authority for STEM students, professionals, and executives seeking to advance already successful careers.

On behalf of the CCG family in Baltimore and our extended family across America, we congratulate Dr. DeLoatch on his nomination as 2017 Black Engineer of the Year for “breaking through barriers, expanding possibility, and shaping a future for generations to come.”

We also extend felicitations to all BEYA winners who have joined CCG’s mission to maintain America’s leadership in engineering and technology.

Corporate Life................................18 Looking to the past to plan your career tomorrow

EDUCATION

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Editorial Director US Black Engineer Magazine Tribute Articles and Photos: 30 Years of Dr. Eugene DeLoatch.

Education......................................72 How often do you attend professional development conferences? Find out how training gets done at the BEYA STEM Conference.

CAREER OUTLOOK

Calling all employers

Career Outlook..............................75

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USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 5

SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 29

8–10, 2018 WASHINGTON, DC

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Tyrone D. Taborn, Publisher and Editorial Director Jean Hamilton, President and CFO EDITORIAL

R ayondon Kennedy, Assistant Editor Lango Deen, Technology Editor Michael Fletcher, Contributing Editor Gale Horton Gay, Contributing Editor Garland L. Thompson, Contributing Editor Roger Witherspoon, Contributing Editor GRAPHIC DESIGN

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E ric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and Training Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations Kerry Buffington, Detroit Business Development Manager Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, USN (Ret)National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni Oliver “Bo” Leslie, Retired Program Manager, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, Boeing Monica E. Emerson, Principal, Inclusive Performance Solutions Matt Bowman, Veterans Affairs Angela Wheeler, Manager, Foundation for Educational Development Courtney Taborn, Recruitment Specialist Ty Taborn, Corporate Development SALES AND MARKETING

Alex Venetta, Associate Publisher, Manager of Partner Services Gwendolyn Bethea, Vice President, Corporate Development Devin Oten, Senior Account Manager Sheri Hewson, Account Executive ADMINISTRATION

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US Black Engineer & Information Technology (ISSN 1088-3444) is a publication devoted to engineering, science, and technology and to promoting opportunities in those fields for Black Americans. The editors invite submissions directed toward the goals of US Black Engineer & Information Technology. In particular, we wish to present ideas and current events concerning science and technology and personality profiles of successful Blacks in these fields and related business pursuits.

Fully developed articles may be sent for consideration, but queries are encouraged. US Black Engineer & Information Technology invites letters to the editor about any topics important to our readership. Articles and letters should be sent to: US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Editorial Department, 729 E Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. No manuscript will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. US Black Engineer & Information Technology cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. This publication is bulk-mailed to 150 colleges and universities nationwide. Subscriptions are $26/year. Please write to US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Subscriptions, 729 E. Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. Copyright (c) 2017

by Career Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/BEYASTEM

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PROFILES IN INNOVATION

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

2015 BLACK ENGINEER CREATES ANOTHER WINNING DESIGN

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Compiled by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

he all-new North American Car of the Year trophy for the 2017 International Auto Show in Detroit on January 9 was created by retired General Motors design chief Ed Welburn, 2015 Black Engineer of the Year.

“What could be better than to have our new trophy created by one of the auto industry’s greatest designers,” said jury president Mark Phelan at the launch in December 2016.

The trophy honors the most outstanding car, truck, and utility vehicle of the year.

“The board, jury members, and sponsors are thrilled to present this work of art to the year’s best vehicles, and there’s no doubt the winning automakers will display it with pride,” Phelan said. “The North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle awards are our industry’s most prestigious and highly desired. This new trophy gracefully embodies the style that has won automotive design a special place in the world of art.” S

THE STEWARDS GO HOLLYWOOD

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o far, Manchester by the Sea has received nominations for the Critics Choice Awards, Indie Spirit Award, and has also been applauded by Vogue Films to Watch and by the Wall Street Journal. It’s also got an Oscars nod by Goldderby.

“Please allow a proud father to share some of the latest press coverage on my daughter Kimberly's latest movie production,” wrote 2012 Black Engineer of the Year David Steward in an email to USBE. “She has been giving this production her all and her mother and I could not be more proud of the blessings the good Lord has bestowed upon her!”

David L. Steward is chairman and founder of World Wide Technology, Inc., one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in America.

For Kimberly Steward, president of K Period Media, producing her first movie— Sundance Film Festival darling Manchester by the Sea—meant learning about the business, according to entertainment trade magazine, Variety.

“It’s overwhelming, and I’m grateful,” Steward told Variety. If the movie lands a Best Picture nod (which some say seems likely), Steward would be the second black woman— after Oprah Winfrey—to receive an Academy Award nomination as a producer, Variety said.” S

2006 BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR RECOGNIZED AMONG MOST INFLUENTIAL BLACK DIRECTORS

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GL Holdings, Inc. board of directors’ Linda R. Gooden was recognized by Savoy magazine as being among the most influential black directors in corporate America.

“We embrace diversity as a core company value and continuously strive to strengthen it on our board, among our employees, and with our supplier base,” said Terry McCallister, chairman and CEO of WGL Holdings and Washington Gas. Linda R. Gooden has been a director of WGL Holdings since April 2013. Ms. Gooden sits on the boards of Automatic Data Processing, Inc., General Motors Co., and the Home Depot, Inc. In 2010 she was appointed

by President Barack Obama to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee. S 10 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

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ONE ON ONE

BEYA WINNER’S ADVICE FOR MAXIMIZING THE BEYA CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE Christopher T. Jones

Corporate Vice President and President Northrop Grumman Technology Services

by Gale Horton Gay ghorton@ccgmag.com

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ithout a doubt, Christopher T. Jones has risen to stellar ranks in the defense field, and his accomplishments have been duly noted by those both inside and outside his industry.

Despite his professional longevity and numerous achievements, Jones hasn’t lost sight of what it’s like to be just starting out.

He remembers his early days and his experiences attending his first BEYA and other engineering conferences. While he encourages young people to have fun during the after-hours activities (he hints that having a good time was certainly high

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on his agenda back then), having a mission-like focus during the daytime conference events pays dividends.

First introduced to BEYA in the early 1990s, when he was an engineering graduate student at the University of Maryland College Park, Jones was selected as BEYA’s student of the year in 1996.

Jones currently serves as corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Technology Services, where he’s a leader in integrated logistics; sustainment; modernization; defense, health, civil, and governmental services; and training solutions. www.blackengineer.com

Jones said there are simple strategies young people should follow that can result in a far richer, beneficial experience while attending BEYA and other conferences: B Do some homework about some of the companies with which you wish to connect.

Having some basic knowledge about the company will provide talking points when having a discussion with a company representative.

“If you go to the Northrop Grumman booth looking for a job or internship and we ask, ‘What do you know about Northrop Grumman?’ and you say, ‘I don’t know anything,’ that’s not good.”

B Observe the behavior of executives and leaders. How do they carry themselves? How do they interact with others? Are they making eye contact with the person they are taking with? Are they showing others respect? How are they demonstrating attentiveness and engagement? Note a few positive leadership traits, and try to emulate those behaviors.

B Make sure you network and follow up with an email to those you wish to make an impression on and with whom you hope to develop a relationship. Too few people follow up after an event, and that post-event contact helps an individual to stand out. Don’t neglect staying in touch with students you meet from other colleges and universities either. These people will be climbing the corporate or military ladder as well and may be in a position to be helpful to you and you helpful to them one day.

B Attend as many seminars as possible, sit in a front seat, and have a question to ask the panelists or presenters at the appropriate time. By sitting up front, you get a better, closeup look at the presenter, which will help you remember them. www.blackengineer.com

“To me, it’s a reflection of what’s good about our country...I worked hard, and it kinda worked out.”

— Christopher T. Jones Corporate Vice President and President Northrop Grumman Technology Services

Asking a question may help them remember you. “You never know where you are going to run into these folks again.”

B Be prepared to answer the question “Why do you want to work here?” with more than “I need a job or internship.” Sharing how your skills and knowledge can be of benefit to the company is how to make an impression.

Jones joined Northrop Grumman in 2004 as director of product support for the Airborne Early Warning Program. He previously worked at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. as a lead analyst, flight tests and research on rotorcraft technology.

Jones leads businesses for approximately 14,000 employees at more than 400 locations throughout the United States and in 16 countries, supporting a diverse customer base, including the U.S. departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, State, and Interior; NASA; the U.S. Postal Service; and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency.

Jones, who earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology as well as two master’s degrees and a doctorate, also served in the Air Force as a systems analyst.

Jones said the work of BEYA and other organizations is critical to foster young people to enter the field.

“We need more STEM folks in this country,” he said, noting that defense companies such as Northrop Grumman can’t hire people from foreign countries.

“All these companies have hundreds and hundreds of openings,” Jones said. “We have to develop the talent we need.

It’s strategically important to our country.”

When asked what being selected as the 2016 Black Engineer of the Year means to him, Jones gave a patriotic answer. “To me, it’s a reflection of what’s good about our country,” he said, noting working diligently and being in service to his country through military service as well as attending multiple universities. “I worked hard, and it kinda worked out.”

“All these things had to happen for me to be in a position to win the award,” said Jones.

He added that young people shouldn’t be in awe of his accomplishments.

“I was no different from them…. There’s nothing stopping them from being me,” said Jones. S

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS CAREER VOICES

HOW BEYA’S TOP EMPLOYERS EMPOWER NEXT-GENERATION ENGINEERS

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ompeting on the world stage as a global leader, the U.S. has always been in the forefront—partly from teaching specific skills at an early age in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and partly from creating opportunities for these skills to be used in careers that have catapulted businesses in industries and have improved our way of living.

According to changetheequation.org, which reports on the condition of STEM learning in the U.S., between 2014 and 2024 the number of STEM jobs will grow 17 percent, as compared with 12 percent for non-STEM jobs. Additionally, the National Math and Science Initiative (NMS) finds that compared to the rest of the world, the U.S. ranks 27th in math and has fallen behind the rest of the world at an alarming rate.

U.S. students recently finished 27th in math and 20th in science in the ranking of 34 countries. But many in the business community are taking these statistics seriously and implementing initiatives to not only curb the decline in STEMqualified candidates but to reverse this trend.

That is why Lockheed Martin has taken action.

by Johnny Duncany, editors@ccgmag.com

the Hello Mars smartphone app that allows students to locate Mars in the sky, receive weather reports from the planet, and virtually travel there. This three-pronged approach to getting both students and teachers on board with a desire to pursue science, engineering, and technology reveals Lockheed’s commitment to the future of STEM awareness and education.

A foundation for future success

Other technology and defense firms are doing their part to expand their reach in introducing students to STEM as well.

“At Leidos, we support several STEM initiatives, which includes our sponsorship of FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology),” says Charlesiah McLean, III, Ed.D., director of diversity & inclusion at Leidos.

“We annually participate and engage in their FIRST Robotics Competition, a high school-level challenge where students have six weeks to conceptualize, design, build, program, modify, and test a robot to participate in a competition that changes every year.”

In addition, Robin Rotenberg, vice president, Corporate Generation Beyond Communications and chief Earlier this year, Lockheed communications officer, BASF, launched Generation Beyond, states, “BASF encourages and a national educational program stimulates young learners to designed to bring the science of explore their interest in STEMspace into thousands of homes related fields, which we do and classrooms across America. through our science education This STEM program provides programs Kids’ Lab, and Science the shot of adrenaline needed to Academy, along with sponsorship jumpstart and inspire the next of other national science generation, getting them excited education programs, such as the about pursuing STEM careers.

You Be the Chemist Challenge.

Lockheed Martin has a Our Kids’ Lab program allows long history of spearheading youngsters to experience and Participants of the Leidos student program.

STEM education and space explore chemistry through exploration, working with NASA safe and engaging experiments on every U.S. space mission. coupled with interactive Q&A Additionally, the company has partnered with the National and demonstrations. The science programs allow BASF Teachers Association, FIRST Robotics, and Girls Who Code, employees to serve as mentors, offering guidance and realand they contributed nearly $70 million to STEM programs. world knowledge of STEM-related careers. It is important Lockheed’s Generation Beyond program offers interactive tools for children to understand the science concepts in the world to engage educators and students alike by implementing three around them and to view technology as a possible rewarding core elements. career path.”

The first element is the deep space online curriculum for Corporations are finding that it is not that there aren’t middle school teachers and students that incorporates virtual qualified individuals to fill positions in STEM jobs but that in field trips and other activities designed to reach thousands order for people to meet those qualifications, they must know of students across America. The second is Lockheed Martin’s that they exist and understand the industry.

Mars Experience Bus that travels the country and uses GPS Many other companies, as well as leaders in the industry, technology to provide students with an interactive experience have taken steps to generate interest, spark excitement, and of actually driving on the surface of Mars. Lockheed’s highcreate an awareness of the great potentials and possibilities tech, video game-like software provides a “being there” that education and occupations in STEM areas can bring. experience on a replica of 200 miles of the Red Planet.

Taking these steps to extend the reach of STEM and pique Finally, the third component in Generation Beyond is general interest sets a foundation for future success. S 16 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS CORPORATE LIFE

LOOKING TO THE PAST TO PLAN YOUR CAREER TOMORROW

Renata Spinx Lead IT Project Officer Millennium Corporation

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hat does the future started yesterday mean?

Simply, advances that we are seeing today and will see in the next five to ten years are the result of work that started years ago. Some advances are baby steps and others are giant leaps, but they are all rooted in the past.

The trends at the forefront of computers and IT impact the multiple uses of the Internet, the ways that technology can make society more productive, and what we give up when we advance society.

The emergence of the mobile cloud is the biggest trend that has affected and continues to affect businesses and consumers.

“The increased need for technology to support cloud infrastructure and access to technology that drives the resolute use of it,” explains Gerard Thomas, Senior Systems Engineer, Lockheed Martin Corporation, will impact the way the Internet is used and increase the productivity of society.

There are cyber security issues “due to the demand for seamless integration of cloud capabilities into mobile devices,” explains Neal Ziring, Technical Director, National Security Agency. The leading issue is credentials: “Your device acts as you…authenticates your identity to the cloud. Engineering needs to protect credentials better,” continues Ziring.

Renata Spinks, Lead IT Project Officer, Millennium Corporation at the U.S. State Department adds that being able to make “efficient use of funds and talent” is a challenge the government faces because “security is very expensive.”

Balancing identity and privacy is also a major concern as more people put their lives and once private information on the

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by Denise Stephens editors@ccgmag.com

Internet. Spinks asserts, “There is no expectation of privacy,” for things you post on the web. Ziring agrees and states, “You may have multiple personas online, but don’t assume they will stay separate.” He advises using encryption software to protect your information.

The shift from the Internet of Things to the Web of Things is being driven by the “web of interconnectivity” that mobile data creates, says Spinks. Thomas adds, “Anything that has an embedded processor is going to be networked eventually.”

This will continue to expand the way the Internet is used and will make society more productive because “sensors represent a challenge and opportunity,” says Theodore Colbert, Chief Information Officer, the Boeing Company.

The challenge presented by sensors and embedded processors can be seen in the move from big data to extreme data. As Colbert explains, “The more things with sensors grow, the more data gets created. Extreme data is so much data [that] you don’t know [how] to process it…gain insight from it.”

Ziring said, “The holy grail of big data is predictive analytics.” This is the ability to understand and make predictions based on big data.

This has led to the emerging field of data science and a need for talent “that understands coding and scripting to sift out data and use it,” said Spinks.

The need to support new online learning shifts and e-government is a result of the expanded ways the Internet is used. Initially, online learning and e-government provided information to the consumer. As technology has evolved, they have become more interactive. People can attend and participate in live lectures. There has also been an expansion from classroom education to technical job training.

E-government has expanded from providing the public with information to a “flow of information between the public and government,” says Ziring. Many people conduct business with the government online, and their information is stored online as well. Ziring sees this as a potential risk because many local governments don’t have the funds or technology to defend against cyber-attacks.

Ziring sees mutual cyber defense at the county and municipal levels as the way to defend against this. Spinks stated there has been a “major push for government/private industry interaction.” She continues, “Having a knowledge base of engineers that understand these systems and understand the need and [can] adjust to the increased need” is key.

Thomas repeated the point about “need drives technology” when talking about 3D printing. He predicts a shift from professional to consumer products and software as 3D printing becomes more widespread. The average person will be more involved in the manufacturing process, but this raises regulatory concerns. The issue of creating weapons stands out as it is possible to print weapons using components that can’t be detected by current technology or regulated under current laws. S www.blackengineer.com

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS THE DREAM MAKER

Afro-American Newspaper

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THE DREAM MAKER

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2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS THE DREAM MAKER

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

THE DREAM MAKER: HOW ONE MAN CREATED MORE BLACK ENGINEERS THAN ANYONE IN HISTORY 24 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

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THE DREAM MAKER

2017

BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Eugene M. DeLoatch, Ph.D. Dean Emeritus and Professor Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering Morgan State University

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2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS THE DREAM MAKER form relationships with Maryland’s public urban university engineering program or even hire its graduates.

Dr. DeLoatch also acknowledged in July of 1990 that although corporate response had been underwhelming, there were “notable exceptions,” such as Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Westinghouse Electric Corp., and Martin Marietta Corp., which merged with Lockheed Corporation in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin Corporation.

DRIVERS AND MOTIVATION

nce a bootstrapping startup, Morgan State University’s School of Engineering has grown into a top producer of engineers for the American workforce.

That success is due in no small part to the work of one man: Eugene M. DeLoatch.

Dr. DeLoatch is founding dean of the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State University, a position he assumed in July 1984. Clarence Mitchell (March 8, 1911– March 19, 1984) was a civil rights activist and chief lobbyist for the NAACP for nearly 30 years.

In the summer of 1990, when the Clarence M. Mitchell,

Since 1960 Dr. DeLoatch has helped stretch the boundaries for engineering students.

He holds Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering earned at Tougaloo College (1959) and Lafayette College (1959) respectively. His advanced degrees are a Master of Science in electrical engineering (1966) and a Ph.D. in bioengineering (1972), which were both received from the Polytechnic University of Brooklyn. He served as faculty at Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, City College of New York, and the State University of New York.

Prior to assuming the position of dean of Morgan State’s School of Engineering, he was a full professor and chairman of the department of electrical engineering (1975–1984) at Howard University. He left his position as chair and professor at Howard to become dean of engineering at Morgan State.

“When I left school, less than one-half of one percent of all the engineers in the country was African American,” Dr. DeLoatch told USBE Online in July 2016.

“It was an area where we had little knowledge of, and participation in, when I graduated with my first engineering degree. It had nothing to do with capability but the way engineering grew.

“I had an opportunity to expose others to something of value,” Dr. DeLoatch said.

MAKING MORGAN ENGINEERS

Morgan State’s School of Engineering admitted its first class in 1984, and the first graduates received degrees in 1988.

Ten years later, a 40,000 sq. ft. building was added to the engineering school. The facility provided more classrooms, research laboratories, a student lounge, and a 2,200 sq. ft. library annex.

The School of Engineering now has departments with programs in civil engineering, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, and transportation and urban infrastructure studies. The school also offers graduate programs that confer the Master of Engineering degree, Doctor of Engineering degree, and Master of Transportation degree.

“I can’t think of a better thing I could have done from the time I started as an instructor in engineering at Howard University,” Dr. DeLoatch said. “It couldn’t have been a better thing to do because it did start my professional career,” he said.

“It was about wanting to expose as many young people

The engineering school graduates more than two-thirds of the state of Maryland’s black civil engineers, sixty percent of the African-American electrical engineers, 80 percent of the black telecom specialists, more than one-third of the black mathematicians, and all of Maryland’s industrial engineers.

Jr. School of Engineering building was still being built—with sixteen teaching laboratories and five research laboratories— Dr. DeLoatch told the Baltimore Sun about the other challenges facing his program’s future.

Among them: Regional employers that were cool to 26 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

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THE DREAM MAKER

Dr. Eugene DeLoatch points at a map featuring projects marking Morgan State’s new era.

In progress are a business school, a social sciences building, a school of community health, and a bridge over Hillen Road to connect the two sides of the campus.

to a field little known, as I see it, in the African-American community—a very critical field for the progress of this nation.

I have no regrets taking the route of higher education and engineering as a public matter and doing it in an environment where I could impact the thought processes and the decisions to become an engineer in the historically Black colleges and universities in our country,” he said.

“There are lots of other things I could have done or ended up doing. I didn’t know what I was doing, and I didn’t know what it would turn out to be, but I don’t think I would have got this kind of impact,” he said.

MAINTAINING AMERICA’S LEADERSHIP IN ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

As an active member of the American Society for Engineering Education, Dr. DeLoatch was elected to the position of vice president for public affairs (1998–2000), chaired the society’s Projects Board, and was a member of its Public Policy Committee. Additionally, he was a member of the Editorial Board of ASEE’s Journal of Engineering Education, was past chair of its College Industry Partnership Division, and was chair of that division’s Peer Review Committee.

Dean DeLoatch is a past president of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). At the time of his election to the presidency of ASEE in 2002, he became the first African American to hold that position in its history. Among his many past assignments were his tenures on the National Research Council’s Board of Engineering Education and membership on the Technical Advisory Board of the Whirlpool Corporation. www.blackengineer.com

He serves as longstanding chairman of the Council of Deans of Engineering of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. One of Dr. DeLoatch’s primary concerns is that the United States maintains its global leadership in engineering and technology, which is manifested in his dedication to seeking the best-prepared persons to commit to careers in engineering and science. Dr. DeLoatch has spent much of his professional life in addressing this issue.

One day at lunch with USBE magazine publisher Tyrone Taborn in 1984, he shared his concern to get more minorities and women interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and his idea for addressing the need. As a result, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference was launched in 1986, with Morgan State University as its sponsor.

Since its inception in 1984, Morgan State University’s Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering has earned an outstanding reputation for excellence in the preparation of undergraduate and graduate students.

“Morgan is among the nation’s top producers of black engineers, and that is due largely because of one man: Eugene Deloatch,” said Dr. David Wilson, the 12th president of Morgan State University.

“His record of success nationally in increasing diversity in the field of engineering is a matter of great pride for him personally and for Morgan State University. We join with many hundreds of his former students whose lives he has touched over the years to express our gratitude for his dedication and service,” Dr. Wilson said. S CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 27

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

The Dream Maker: How One Man Created More Black Engineers Than Anyone in History DARRYL A. STOKES

Vice President – Electric Transmission & Substations BGE

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knew of Dean DeLoatch early on in my engineering career since he was making a significant and positive impact in the African-American engineering community. I finally had an opportunity to meet Dean DeLoatch in the mid90s during a “Company Engineering Recruitment Meeting” at Morgan, and I was very impressed with his exceptional level of commitment and passion for not only his school and kids but for the HBCU engineering community. Through my involvement with AMIE (Advancing Minorities in Engineering), I had exceptional opportunities to work with Dean DeLoatch. He truly inspired me and my colleagues by promoting the critical role we played in enhancing the STEM pipeline with exceptional talent; developing his fellow HBCU engineering deans, staff, and students to exceed upcoming challenges and providing much needed historical perspective, as well as competitive advantage, on HBCUs production of STEM talent for our academic, governmental, and corporate communities. I will truly miss his inspirational speeches, where he conveyed his passion for engineering excellence and his strong desire to provide these exceptional opportunities to others.

AKNESHA MILLER

Project Management Professional Lockheed Martin Corporation

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was a math major with the initial intent to become a teacher. After going to a school, I changed my mind and decided engineering was my best option. I first met Dr. DeLoatch during Introduction to Engineering; he spoke to the class. He was intimidating at first. He said, “Look to your left; look to your right. One of you may not be a Morgan Engineer. Which one do you want to be?”

He cared about all his students. He would stop by classes, lab, and library just to say hi. He was the heartbeat of the School of Engineering.

He helped me with support of engineering student organizations and let me participate in his Engineering Advisory Board as a student rep. This is actually how I got my job offer for Lockheed Martin. By sitting on the board with the dean and industry, I was able to network and land an interview. When I look at where I am today, it is because of Dean DeLoatch and the education I received at Morgan State University.

He taught us to become independent thinkers and problem solvers, which laid the foundation for us to take whatever career path we chose.

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H. KEITH MOO-YOUNG, PH.D.

Chancellor Washington State University Tri-Cities

I

first met Dean DeLoatch when I was a high school senior. I was with my godmother, Joyce Clark, who was counseling me on college attendance. In the spring of 1987 I was invited to the open house. My mother and I visited him in his office. My first impression was of a welldressed, tall man who was full of enthusiasm for engineering. He believed he was going to change the world by producing more Black engineers with the new school of engineering. As a freshman, he taught our Introduction to Engineering class. He was always around and available to students and faculty. Little did I know that his real job was creating opportunities for students to go to work or graduate school and raising money from corporate donors or the government. Dean DeLoatch has always been a mentor and an inspiration. He was the voice for blacks in engineering during the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s, when the playing field was coming out of a post-civil rights era. His longevity has shown that persistence and perseverance can transform the culture of a community such as engineering. To serve as the president of ASEE is probably one of his accomplishments that shows his influence on engineering education.

I worked for the dean, and he was an inspiration. Dean DeLoatch lights up any room with his presence and smile, whether he is with colleagues, students, CEOs, or friends. He has a magnanimous personality, which transcends race, culture, gender, or age.

www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead

DR. DELOATCH SAYS: O

ver the last 50 years certainly, and over the last 30 years, and my time as a dean, the field has had such a tremendous impact on the lives of people around the world. Look at the feats of engineering. Look at transport—the ability to get from one place to another quickly. The movement to personalizing devices and communication from the time we were able to have personal access to computers— and that’s only in the 1980s. Move back to the advent of computers to today’s personal, carry-around smartphones that have more power than some of the things we had access to in the late 1970s. That’s a relatively short period of time, 30 years and 25 years. So when you look at that, from Morse code and the telegraph to now, that movement is telling me that the next 25 to 50 years will be wow!

We’re already talking about the use of people in things we had people doing before. The factory worker is almost a thing of the past. What will we do with this whole business of artificial intelligence (AI) and drone-type, robotic-type of things as we are moving toward driverless vehicles? I tell you, the next 25 to 50 years are going to be amazing!”

“

4 TIPS FOR THE ROAD AHEAD 1. P eople will have to be more globally in tune.

4. W e’re going to have to coexist.

We’ll have to understand and appreciate not just our similarities but also our differences. If we don’t do that, if we can’t accommodate each other, then it’s going to be very challenging.

With man—coexist with the environment, and societies are going to have to be network-focused systems. Instead of growing apart, come together.

Between technology and all this knowledge of things we were talking about, nations rising and people, how do we cope with all that as a world? I think the United States and engineers will take a greater role and more people will trend in the direction of the knowledge base and artificial intelligence we have created to minimize attacks but maximize the best of how we project forward if we are to survive. Education will be more personalized, and people will be able to access the knowledge base much more, not just in university.

2. We’ll have to morph.

We’ll have to be more like engineers in our thinking—have more abilities, more languages, and more knowledge of other cultures. I see engineering as a merging together and more balancing of the cultures.

3. We’ll go extraterrestrial.

We’ll have to expand to other habitats. This planet will not be able to hold us as we’ve come to know this planet. I see space travel very strong in 50 years.

It’s trying to look back and go forward—find ways to grow, expand, and communicate in the universe— because we cannot have a lack of appreciation for the rights of others.

Dr. Eugene M. DeLoatch retired as dean of the School of Engineering in July 2016 after 32 years at the helm.

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www.blackengineer.com USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 29

2017 BEYA

T

WINNERS

he goal of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards has not changed since 1987: promote diversity and encourage minorities in engineering and science.

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS

“We can never become complacent,” said Tyrone Taborn, founding publisher of USBE magazine, in 2002. “If the argument for equality is not kept in the forefront, the vacuum will be filled by opponents of diversity. We can never stop going forward.”

There’s still a lot of work to be done.

According to one report, although the number of science jobs in America has grown by about 4.2. percent, over the last 20 years, the availability of qualified U.S.-born workers in those fields has only grown by about 1.5 percent per year.

For the first time this year, BEYA has rebranded category awards with the names of men and women who’ve been selected Black Engineers of the Year. These top BEYA winners have continued to work tirelessly to increase the numbers of historically underrepresented minorities in engineering, computer science and information technology.

Meet 2017’s BEYA scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, who are excelling in the Era of Innovation and working to reshape how we live, work, and play.

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www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead Black Engineer of the Year

Outstanding Technical Contribution – Industry

Arlington W. Carter Legacy Award

Dean Emeritus and Professor Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering Morgan State University

YOLANDA MACK, PH.D. Principal Systems Engineer Raytheon Company

Vice President, Aeromechanics Technology Boeing Research & Technology The Boeing Company

Dave Barclay Affirmative Action

Professional Achievement – Government

Capt. Donnie Cochran Legacy Award

LT. COL. CHAVIS HARRIS, USAF (RET.)

EVA BROWN

WILLIAM MARTIN

Professional Achievement – Government

Lt. Gen. Albert J. Edmonds Legacy Award

EVERETT ROPER, PH.D.

DEMICA ROBINSON

EUGENE M. DELOATCH, PH.D.

Director Ethics, EEO & Diversity Huntington Ingalls Industries

Career Achievement – Government ALBERT B. SPENCER, JR.

Chief Engineer National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service

Career Achievement – Government ALLEN R. PARKER, JR.

Research Engineer Fiber Optic Sensing System (FOSS) Team Lead NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center

Career Achievement – Industry STEVEN HILL

Director, Communications and Security Technologies Lockheed Martin Corporation

Community Service – Government DWAYNE R. NELSON

Deputy Department Information Officer Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division

Community Service – Industry JOANEE´ JOHNSON

Senior Project Manager Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Assistant Program Manager (APM)/Launcher and Test Set Principal Engineer U.S. Army/Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office

Professional Achievement – Industry KERRON DUNCAN

Manager, Mission and Model Based Engineering Northrop Grumman Corporation

Professional Achievement – Industry ANTHONY METOYER

Director, Operations and Compliance, Boeing Research & Technology The Boeing Company

Research Leadership AUSTIN T. HAYGOOD

Maj, Arizona Air National Guard Senior Systems Engineer II Raytheon Missile Systems

Manager, Mission Assurance Northrop Grumman Corporation

Research Leadership

Most Promising Engineer – Government

Supervisor Research General Engineer U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

KWAMÉ MARSHALL

H-1 Lead Mission Systems Engineer and Mission Computer Project Lead Naval Air Systems Command Avionics Division

Most Promising Engineer – Government JUSTIN O. JAMES, PH.D.

Principal Investigator for Research & Development Communications Division Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific

Most Promising Engineer – Industry TERRANCE MOORE

Advanced Technical Leadership Program Senior Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Most Promising Engineer – Industry BRANDON M. JONES, PH.D. Systems Engineer The Boeing Company

Outstanding Technical Contribution – Industry BLAKE TODD KIMBROUGH

Systems Director, FBI Programs Federal, Civil and Homeland Security Directorate Vaeros Operations The Aerospace Corporation

Outstanding Technical Contribution – Government DONALD D. WALLEY

Chief Weapon System Engineer United Arab Emirates, Foreign Military Sales Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Project Office Missile Defense Agency

www.blackengineer.com

VICTORIA MOORE

Senior Investigator MONICA ALLEN

NAVEED M. HUSSAIN, PH.D.

Mechanical Engineer NUWC Division Newport

Cybersecurity/Interoperability Technical Expert Department of Defense/United States Air Force

Linda Gooden Legacy Award YOGHANA MERCER-BEY

Senior Program Director General Dynamics Information Technology

Linda Gooden Legacy Award ELTON D. AKINS

Vice President, Business Development Science Applications International Company (SAIC)

Anthony R. James Legacy Award EDWARD H. BAINE

Senior Vice President - Distribution Dominion Virginia Power

Anthony R. James Legacy Award GEORGE SEY, JR., PE

Senior Engineer PECO Energy, an Exelon Company

Dr. John Slaughter Legacy Award EDOUARD BENJAMIN, JR.

Vice President for Program Management Program Director Leidos, Inc.

Dr. John Brooks Slaughter Award

Senior Research Electronics Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory (Munitions Directorate)

DANIELLE GRANT

Senior Technology Fellow

Dr. William R. Wiley Legacy Award

GEORGE PARKER, PH.D.

STEVEN HANDY

Technical Fellow, Boeing Designated Expert Technical Lead Engineer The Boeing Company

Section Supervisor Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Technical Sales and Marketing

Dr. William R. Wiley Legacy Award

MIKE BELL

PRIYA KHANCHANDANI

Senior Principal Architect AT&T

Technical Sales and Marketing JACQUELINE WOODS

VP & CMO, IBM Global Financing IBM Corporation

Rodney Adkins Legacy Award PATTY J. MEGGS

Senior Manager Global Solutions and Sales Operations AT&T

Project Manager/Engineer Leidos, Inc.

Senior Design Quality Engineer - New Product Development, Endoscopy Division Boston Scientific Corporation

Student Leadership MESHIKA BROWN

Student Prairie View A&M University

Student Leadership SAMUEL SENTONGO

Cadet United States Air Force Academy

Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard Legacy Award GEORGE WHITE, JR.

Proposal Manager, Power Generation Services Black & Veatch

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2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

“

Full STEM Ahead

Lt. Col. Chavis Harris, USAF (Ret.) Dave Barclay Affirmative Action JOB: Director, Ethics, EEO & Diversity Huntington Ingalls Industries AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Chavis Harris has been immersed in affirmative action for 35 years. In 2012 the Urban League Young Black Professionals of Hampton Roads recognized him with the Legacy Award for Diversity.

He was honored as one of the Humanitarians of the Year in 2015 for the Virginia Peninsula. He serves as chair of the state board for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, a leading agency in Virginia for addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. He was also selected to serve on the state board for the Comprehensive Health Investment Program, which addresses underserved parents and children two generations at a time. He serves on the executive committee for this board as treasurer.

Finally, he is vice chair of the Mid Atlantic Regional Board for INROADS and serves as program coordinator for Newport News Shipbuilding. Today Harris is the most experienced member of the Diversity and Inclusion Team at HII. All other practitioners have either reported to him or been trained by him.

Allen Parker Career Achievement JOB: Research Engineer, Fiber Optic Sensing System (FOSS) Team Lead NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS: During his 25-year tenure at NASA, Allen Parker has made remarkable technological breakthroughs that have benefited both NASA and industries beyond aeronautics.

Under the leadership of Parker, the Fiber Optic Sensing System (FOSS) team has received seven patents—with two others being pursued—plus multiple awards. These include an R&D 100 Award plus a regional and national Federal Laboratory Consortium Excellence in Technology Transfer award. He has mentored and guided young engineers, and he has been an exemplary colleague and collaborator by constantly seeking out cutting-edge innovation, which has benefited NASA, industry, society, and the economy.

WHAT HE DOES: For more than a decade, Parker—and his research team at Armstrong Flight Research Center—has been advancing a Fiber Optic Sensing System (FOSS), which represents a true technological breakthrough in operational monitoring and sensing technology. FOSS has been shown to offer a 1,000-fold improvement over conventional fiber optic technologies. Besides being applicable to a variety of aeronautics applications, FOSS has significant potential use in the energy, transportation and infrastructure, and medical industries. The extraordinary applicability of FOSS has resulted in significant commercial interest, including three licenses to date.

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Allen R. Parker, Jr.

Career Achievement – Government www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of theTop YearBlack AWARDOfficers WINNERSin the U.S. Military Ahead

JOB: Chief Engineer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS: Albert Spencer is the recipient of Department of Commerce Gold and Silver Medals, the highest and second highest honor awards granted by the Secretary of Commerce for distinguished and exceptional performance. Throughout his 38-year career with NOAA, Spencer has been active in efforts that motivate and inspire next-generation scientists and engineers from underrepresented communities. Recently he delivered the keynote at the 40th anniversary celebration of Jackson State University’s Department of Meteorology. He’s also working with Howard University’s NOAA Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) to develop internship and hiring opportunities for NCAS graduates.

“WEATHER READY NATION”: Spencer played a big part in NOAA’s launch of the Earth-observing weather satellite, GOES-R, short for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series. This next-generation satellite will provide improved hurricane track forecasts, increased thunderstorm and tornado warning lead time, and better data for longterm climate variability studies. NOAA’s National Weather Service forecasters will not only detect weather, water, climate, and environmental threats to American communities and businesses for the first time ever but they will detect and monitor all the lightning in a storm almost instantaneously across half the globe.

Albert B. Spencer, Jr.

Career Achievement – Government

www.blackengineer.com

WHAT HE DOES: As chief engineer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS), Albert Spencer is responsible for overseeing systems engineering as well as testing, observing, information processing, display, and communication systems. He leads a team of 21 engineers and support staff.

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Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead

JOB: Director, Communications and Security Technologies Lockheed Martin Corporation Steven Hill, director at RMS, is responsible for the strategy, profit and loss, and execution of program performance for a multi-million portfolio within the Cyber, Ships and Advanced Technologies line of business. His accomplishments include the deputy capture lead for a major production program that resulted in a significant design and manufacturing recapture effort. This significant achievement included a structured improvement event that reduced costs by 30 percent and regained the program for Lockheed Martin since 1996. This achievement resulted in Steven Hill’s team receiving the NOVA Award, the company’s highest award for achievement.

Steven Hill

Career Achievement – Industry JOB: Deputy Department Information Officer for the Warfare Systems Department at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division

Dwayne R. Nelson

Community Service - Government www.blackengineer.com

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Dwayne Nelson is committed to the advancement of STEM through volunteer work in his community. He serves as a big brother with Rappahannock Big Brothers and Big Sisters, where he participates in weekly one-on-one mentoring programs offering guidance, support, and encouragement to children at a local elementary school. Also with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), his contributions impact students and engineers of all ages.

As part of NSBE’s Pre-College Initiative program at King George Middle School, he encourages students to attend college in pursuit of STEM degrees. In addition, Nelson has led the NSBE Potomac River Professional Chapter in establishing and participating in more than 70 programs to promote technical excellence among young professionals and to impact the community through educational programming for middle and high school students. He also established an annual STEM Innovators Scholarship to assist graduating high school seniors in paying for their college educations. Nelson has been recognized with the 2015 Rappahannock Big Brother of the Year Award and the 2015 NSBE Professional Member of the Year Award.

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2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

Joanee' Johnson

Community Service – Industry JOB: Manager, Mission Assurance Northrop Grumman Corporation COMMUNITY SERVICE: In addition to her success at Northrop Grumman, Joanee’ Johnson has a long history of community service. Not only does this provide a way for her to help others but she is also able to promote STEM career opportunities. For the past three years, Johnson has coordinated Northrop Grumman volunteers in the NSBE Summer Engineering Experience for Kids, which teaches engineering concepts. In an effort to attract more girls to STEM, Johnson started a STEM-based Girl Scout troop that focuses on activities in science and engineering. Johnson has also helped develop an organization to increase awareness and exposure to the field of engineering for girls at a local high school.

JOB: Director of Education NASA Langley Research Center STEM EDUCATION PROMOTION: Janet E. Sellars spearheaded the inauguration of NASA Langley’s participation in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars program, which gives community college STEM students an authentic NASA experience and encourages them to finish a 2-year degree or transfer to a 4-year university to pursue a NASA-related field or career. Her efforts are also focused on NASA Langley’s Youth Day activities when more than 1,000 children stream into Langley Research Center to experience more than thirty hands-on STEM activities. Live shows include a weather balloon demonstration, “Fire and Ice” science demo from Hampton’s Virginia Air and Space Center, a “Critter Corner with Animal Awareness” show from Newport News’ Virginia Living Museum, a virtual visit of Johnson Space Center’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab, a special viewing and autograph session with three local students starring in a Langley Research Center atmospheric science-focused episode of the PBS program, “SciGirls”, Internet Safety and Bully Prevention presentations, and Annual exhibitors included the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, the National Institute of Aerospace and Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipyard.

Langley employees and their visitors were also able to tour some of the Center’s facilities. It is these types of events that expose children to STEM in a unique way.

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Janet E. Sellars

Corporate Promotion of Education www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: H-1 Lead Mission Systems Engineer and Mission Computer Project Lead Naval Air Systems Command Avionics Division PROMISING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: In June 2013 Kwamé Marshall was assigned to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, where he headed a project that increased the efficiency of data analysis and reporting for test events. Marshall created a method that could generate a quick-look report in 15 minutes instead of the normal two-week turnaround on data. Fully implemented, this procedure would save the test range more than $1 million a year.

WHAT HE DOES: Kwamé is an electrical engineer in the Naval Air Systems Command Avionics Division.

Marshall is currently assigned to the H-1 Lead Mission Systems Engineer and Mission Computer Project Lead. He is responsible for production, sustainment, development, and retrofit of 12 systems for the three H-1 aircraft variants.

Kwamé Marshall

Most Promising Engineer – Government

HOW HE GOT TO NAVAIR: He began his career as a Department of Defense (DoD) contract electrical engineer intern. As an intern, Marshall worked on the development and testing of the algorithm for the Multi-Mission Tactical Tomahawk. His success in this area convinced the Office of Naval Research to continue the program. While with the Naval Air Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL, Marshall served as a DoD contractor electrical engineer on the P-8A Trainer program. He was responsible for testing the P-8A Operational Flight Trainer and the P-3 Tactical Operational Readiness Trainer.

JOB: Principal Investigator for Research and Development Communications Division Space and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific PROMISING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Dr. Justin James has served as the Principal Investigator of an adaptive multiresolution modulation (AMM)capable modem for use in wireless communications. An AMM-capable modem will dramatically improve network performance in stressed Department of Defense environments. This is an important development for the military as it will benefit soldiers, sailors, and airmen around the world.

WHAT HE DOES: Dr. James is an engineer for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific. SSC Pacific is a Navy research and development laboratory. As part of the laboratory, he performs research and supports programs in the areas of software defined radio (SDR), waveform porting, RF-over-networks, wideband code division multiple access, satellite communications, and unmanned systems.

HOW HE GOT TO SSC PACIFIC: After earning his Ph.D. at Prairie View A&M University in research related to tactical and emergency ad hoc wireless communications, networks, and cross-layer link adaptation strategies, Dr. James joined SSC Pacific as part of their New Professional program. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Tuskegee University. For his master’s, also from Tuskegee University, he focused on microelectronics and received the Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (NSF). www.blackengineer.com

Justin O. James, Ph.D.

Most Promising Engineer – Government CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 39

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

JOB: Advanced Technical Leadership Program Senior Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company PROMISING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Terrance Moore has made multiple impressive technical contributions to Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. His projects have benefited multiple lines of business, including planning and executing data migrations and research on vulnerabilities related to static code analysis offerings from various vendors. In 2014 Moore advanced to F-35 S/SEE Trade Studies Lead. This position allowed him to work with senior leaders and executives. Moore was accepted into the Advanced Technical Leadership Program (ATLP) in 2015. He was also chosen to participate with a select team to perform research and strategic analysis for the Power by the Hour sustainment concept.

HOW HE GOT TO LOCKHEED MARTIN: Moore joined Lockheed Martin in 2011 as a computer systems architect. He has three degrees: a Bachelor and Master of Science in computer science, both from Jackson State University, and a Master of Business Administration from Bradley University.

GIVING BACK: Moore mentors young engineers and is an adjunct professor of software and math at Brightwood College and of software at UT Arlington.

Terrance Moore

Most Promising Engineer – Industry JOB: Systems Engineer The Boeing Company

Brandon M. Jones, Ph.D. Most Promising Engineer – Industry

42 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

PROMISING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Brandon Jones’s talent and potential have been recognized by his selection to the Advanced Technical Rotation Program, which provides young engineers with the opportunity to participate in a variety of challenging and different program assignments over a threeyear period. In 2006 he joined Boeing as a systems test engineer for the Wideband Global Satellite Communication program. Then the Army Research Laboratory beckoned, where he spent the next two years as an intern and visiting researcher. In the summer of 2012 he interned again at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Computer Vision for Applications Group and developed state estimation software in MATLAB and C++ for UAV surveillance systems. He is currently an end-to-end (E2E) systems modeling and simulation engineer for proprietary programs at the Boeing Satellite Development Center, where he focuses on developing algorithm description documents to enhance the BEACON tool in proprietary areas and on developing constant envelope phase modulation techniques for a GPS proposal, for which he has a patent pending. Jones has a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University.

www.blackengineer.com

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

Donald D. Walley

Outstanding Technical Contribution – Government

JOB: Systems Director, FBI Programs Federal, Civil and Homeland Security Directorate Vaeros Operations The Aerospace Corporation

Blake Todd Kimbrough

Outstanding Technical Contribution – Industry

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PROMISING ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Blake Kimbrough’s path finding work on the FBI’s Sentinel, a new web-based case management system, has earned praise from the U.S. Congress. Kimbrough is the only two-time winner of the FBI’s Golden Wrench Award for outstanding technical performance. Kimbrough played a key role in all phases of the Sentinel program. In July 2012 the FBI made Sentinel its case management system, which has allowed field offices, FBI agents, and intelligence analysts to have streamlined access to information necessary for interception and investigation of criminal and terrorist activities. Since 2012 Sentinel has transformed the FBI’s ability to access information quickly. The FBI has successfully used Sentinel for investigation and data sharing to field offices in thousands of cases.

www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: Chief Weapon System Engineer United Arab Emirates, Foreign Military Sales, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Project Office Missile Defense Agency TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Donald Walley is lead systems engineer for foreign military sales at the Missile Defense Agency. He has led weapon system development through a field test that culminated with the successful execution of the agency’s first Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) foreign military sales tracking exercise in which the system successfully demonstrated a tactical ready-for-war capability. This tracking exercise allowed the system to meet the program’s shipping date without negative impact to the program. Mr. Walley provides engineering and technical support for the requirements, development, design, performance analysis, and verification of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Weapon System. He provided coordination, guidance, and direction for data transfer and control of foreign government information among the United Arab Emirates, the U.S. government, and associated prime contractors. He also coordinated government and contractor technical interchange meetings and ad hoc working group meetings.

Yolanda Mack, Ph.D.

Outstanding Technical Contribution – Industry

JOB: Principal Systems Engineer Raytheon Missile Systems TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Dr. Yolanda Mack has made several outstanding technical contributions in aerodynamics, informatics, guidance, navigation, control, and simulations during her nine years at Raytheon Missile Systems. One of her technical innovations has helped improve the performance and reliability of several United States Missile Defense Agency products. She was selected from more than 5,500 engineers to be Simulation Technical Authority for a major Missile Defense Agency program. A recognized expert in informatics techniques, Dr. Mack has authored and presented materials in multi-disciplinary optimization, efficient global optimization, and design of experiments.

WHAT SHE’S WORKING ON NOW: Dr. Mack is developing a complex simulation to provide pre-mission testing that verifies embedded software algorithm performance in preparation for flight tests.

HOW SHE GOT TO RAYTHEON: Her career with Raytheon began in 2007. Prior to that, Dr. Mack worked with NASA on the design and optimization of a radial turbine for an expander cycle rocket motor engine.

GIVING BACK: Dr. Mack mentors and trains junior engineers at Raytheon. Her engineering capabilities have earned her the respect of her peers.

Eva Brown

Professional Achievement – Government JOB: Senior Project Manager, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Nuclear Regulatory Commission PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Eva Brown began her career at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 1993 as an engineering aide. Her diverse assignments include resident inspector at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant and progressively more responsible roles in the Division of Operating Reactor Licensing. In addition, Brown has led a number of complicated licensing reviews, including the restart of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant following a decade-long shutdown. Other activities include support to NRC’s response to the multi-unit meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station in Japan. She also coordinated international resources to provide support to the Japanese and international response to the event. In addition, she serves as one of the lead individuals responsible for the NRC’s Project Manager Qualification program. Brown has sustained outstanding contributions to fulfilling the NRC mission to protect the country’s public health, safety, and environment by implementing licensing and oversight programs for nuclear power plants. www.blackengineer.com

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Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: Assistant Program Manager (APM)/ Launcher and Test Set Principal Engineer U.S. Army/Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office

Everett Roper, Ph.D.

Professional Achievement – Government

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: With a Ph.D. in systems engineering, Dr. Everett Roper manages the JAMS family of missile launchers and test sets, planning, directing, coordinating, and controlling all resources involved in managing launchers and test sets. Dr. Roper is a Southern Educational Foundation (SEF) Fellow for Innovation and Change—a program designed to accelerate innovation and change in education research, policy, and practice. It brings together professionals interested in developing research, policy, and innovative practices to improve educational outcomes of all students, from pre-K to higher education. As an adjunct faculty member at Oakwood University, Dr. Roper teaches courses in networking, computer programming, and project management. Among the awards Dr. Roper has received are NASA Administrator’s Fellowship, UNCF-Mellon Faculty Doctoral Fellowship, NSBE Technical Paper Competition Finalist, and recognition as one of NSBE’s “50 Most Attractive Engineers.”

JOB: Manager, Mission and Model-Based Engineering Northrop Grumman Corporation WON A BEYA FOR PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT: He has made advances in digital control and telemetry in the power system architecture for next-generation radar systems. These advancements provide unprecedented control of and insight on the hardware, leading to a software-defined, hardware-enabled approach to radar systems.

WHAT HE DOES: Kerron leads a model-based engineering project focusing on digitally connecting various hardware sub-system models in different tools and formats. He is responsible for a team of 50 technical and management staff and reports to the director of the Mission Engineering and Systems Architectures organization at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.

HOW HE GOT TO NORTHROP GRUMMAN: Kerron earned a Bachelor and Master of Science in electrical engineering from Morgan State University. He began his career as an electrical engineer in 2001 with Northrop Grumman. He started in the Power Conversion Technology department and became an expert on power systems architecture, design, and analysis of RADAR. In 2016 Mr. Duncan was promoted to manager of the Mission and ModelBased Engineering department.

Kerron Duncan

Professional Achievement – Industry www.blackengineer.com

WHEN HE’S NOT WORKING: He is currently pursuing a doctorate in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

GIVING BACK: Kerron has served as a judge for Baltimore County VEX robotics competitions, as a teacher and instructor in the Bio EYES K–12 program, and as a participant in the Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation Summer Program.

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2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Anthony Metoyer

Professional Achievement – Industry

Full STEM Ahead

JOB: Director, Operations and Compliance, Boeing Research & Technology The Boeing Company PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Anthony Metoyer is a technical leader and a powerful mentor who inspires hundreds of minority engineers. He sits on the Alumni Board of the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he serves on career panels and participates in mentoring programs. He is also on the executive board of directors for Junior Achievement of Washington, helping to connect the power of STEM to future careers. In 2015 he received the Future Thrust Award for mentoring, coaching, professional organization leadership, and influencing hiring practices in STEM industries from the Red-Tail Chapter of the Black Pilots of America.

WHAT HE DOES: Mr. Metoyer manages day-today operations of Boeing Research and Technology research centers across Boeing’s U.S. operations.

He also oversees budgets, laboratories, assets, facilities, information technology, and operations.

Metoyer is the functional leader of the Sales and Marketing skills group within the Engineering Test and Technology team, which is responsible for integrating government-funded contracted research and development opportunity pursuits with BR&T and ensuring alignment with other business units.

Maj. Austin T. Haygood

Research Leadership

JOB: Arizona Air National Guard, Senior Systems Engineer II Raytheon Missile Systems PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Austin Haygood is one of the top computer-modeling experts in air warfare simulation. Over the past two years, he has added entirely new modeling elements for the simulation of electronic warfare/electronic countermeasures in air warfare.

Through his research, the division has made breakthroughs in modeling the effects of dynamic target assignment. His work has been key in developing a new hypersonic weapon system. Haywood is one of just a few subject matter experts in Air Warfare modeling among 5,500+ engineers at Raytheon Missile Systems. His innovation has increased the performance of complex simulations of air warfare engagements over four-plus years with Raytheon Missile Systems in addition to maturing the division’s capability to model complex air engagements.

48 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: Supervisor Research General Engineer U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center U.S. Army Corps of Engineers WHY SHE WON: Victoria Moore’s research is beneficial to the military in terms of infrastructure sustainability, force protection, and force projection.

As a computer scientist, she developed test and evaluation software that measured environmental impacts on ground mobility performance. Her ability to take complex research and turn it into practical design and procedures has helped her build a successful career as a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Victoria Moore

WHAT SHE DOES: Moore oversees the research, development, and evaluations that guarantee that American soldiers maintain ground mobility superiority. A staff of 32 engineers, scientists, engineering technicians, and administrative personnel who rely on Moore’s leadership help accomplish the work.

Moore is also responsible for ensuring that technical, program, and strategic initiatives totaling $54 million a year are used efficiently to solve issues for the Corps of Engineers. Moore works with the lead technical director of the ERDC’s Military Engineering research program to achieve this goal.

Allen Parker Career Achievement

Research Leadership

Monica Allen

Senior Investigator JOB: Senior Research Electronics Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory (Munitions Directorate) ACHIEVEMENTS: Dr. Monica Allen has made important contributions to the research and development of nextgeneration munitions sensor technology. She developed new approaches to design, model, and analyze resonant micro arrays and optical antennas. Her plasmonic devices research efforts have become the baseline for miniaturized optical sensors and IR detectors in Department of Defense applications. A renowned expert in her research field, Dr. Allen was handpicked to lead a tri-service munitions working group with India. She chaired the collaborative discussions between 24 universities and three AFRL directorates. Dr. Allen also established standards for technical requirements, encouraged sensible use of group resources, and mentored more than 20 STEM professionals involved in advanced research. She is a tremendous asset to AFRL and an inspiration to her peers.

www.blackengineer.com

CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 49

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

George Parker, Ph.D. Senior Technology Fellow

JOB: Technical Fellow, Boeing Research & Technology NW Analytical Chemistry/Failure Analysis & Testing, Technical Lead Engineer, Sr. Chemist, Thermal, Surface Analysis, SEM Labs The Boeing Company ACHIEVEMENTS: A former NBA player, Dr. Parker belongs to an elite group of Boeing’s most accomplished engineers.

He is an industry expert in analytic technology for mass spectrometry, thermal analysis, surface characterization, and chromatography. As a technical lead engineer for Boeing Research & Technology, Dr. Parker manages nine engineerscientists and 14 lab technical technicians. He and his team, known as the “FBI/CIS of Boeing,” are called often to investigate complex chemical and material issues. He has voting, reviewing, and publishing contributor roles within a number of educational and national scientific boards, committees, and memberships, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Oversight Committee for Certificate Advanced Manufacturing Programs and its Visiting Committee for the National Resource Center for Material Education and the American Standard Test Methods (ASTM) D7028 for Composite Technology. He is the coauthor of several scientific papers and has received a number of awards, namely, the 2014 NSBE Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Industry and the Edmonds Community College Outstanding Material Science Technology Advisor in 2007 and 2010.

JOB: Senior Principal Architect AT&T WHAT HE DOES: Mike understands customers’ business priorities and develops technology transformation strategies for three of AT&T’s largest retail and Consumer Packet Goods (CPG) accounts. These three accounts—Home Depot, Coca Cola, and Macy’s—collectively represent over $500 million in annual revenue.

WHY HE WON: Mike is highly skilled when it comes to technology, innovation, AT&T products, and making good judgments and quick decisions. Most importantly, he knows how to build relationships with key customer executives and colleagues. The combination of these skills has allowed Mike to close key sales opportunities involving AVPN (MPLS), Wi-Fi and Analytics. One of his most notable accomplishments was facilitating the AT&T Wi-Fi Enterprise solution at Home Depot, worth $166 million with a five-year total contract value.

GIVING BACK: Mike holds both a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s degree in telecommunications. He regularly volunteers with the AT&T Junior Achievement Job Shadow program and is a role model for students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and related opportunities.

52 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

Mike Bell

Technical Sales and Marketing www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead

Jacqueline Woods

Technical Sales and Marketing JOB:VP & CMO, IBM Global Financing IBM Corporation WON A BEYA FOR TECHNICAL SALES AND MARKETING: She has strengthened and improved IBM customer awareness to serve IBM’s customer base, which includes 92 countries and more than 125,000 customers.

WHAT SHE DOES: As chief marketing officer for IBM Global Financing, she runs strategy, marketing, communications, and product management.

Appointed CMO of IBM Global Financing in 2015, Woods has been responsible for several highprofile IBM projects. Prior to her current role, she led a group of Distinguished Engineers and CTO responsible for developing Industry Solutions to complement the IBM software and services portfolios. In this capacity, she was also responsible for the Systems Software strategy and Cloud, Analytics, Mobile, and Social Marketing for the IBM Systems and Technology group.

HOW SHE GOT TO IBM: Woods took engineering math classes and studied FORTRAN and COBOL languages but decided not to pursue a computer science degree. She gained hands-on technical experience in product management as the General Manager for Ameritech’s (AT&T) Customer Premise Equipment business line. The AT&T position was followed by a position at Oracle pricing and packaging technology products and services. This required learning about database development, business application development, and middleware.

HOW SHE GIVES BACK: Passionate about her community, she was recognized as a top 10 fundraiser for UNCF in Los Angeles. She served on the board of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University for 7 years. She previously served on the board of Neighborhood Studios for 7 years and was instrumental in helping the organization refocus its mission: to improve its overall strategic objectives to link art and science together for minority youth in Bridgeport, CT. She has been an active member of Links, Inc, for 20 years and successfully led an annual giving campaign, raising over $250,000 for underserved minority youth in Fairfield County, the most in the chapter’s history. In recognition for both her professional and civic achievements, she was named one of the 50 Most Powerful Black Executives in America.

Ebony magazine included her on their list of Fifteen Women at the Top in Corporate America, and Savoy magazine named her one of the Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America in 2016. www.blackengineer.com

CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 53

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead

P

reviously, winners recognized at the HBCU Engineering Deans’ Power Breakfast at the annual BEYA STEM Conference were presented with BEYA’s Special Recognition. Beginning in 2017, each award winner celebrated at the Deans’ Breakfast will receive the Legacy Award. The awards are named after past Black Engineers of the Year who have achieved excellence, prestige, visibility, and distinction in entrepreneurship, federal IT, public engineering services, business transformation, aviation, higher education and leadership, utility, research science, and more.

Patty J. Meggs

Rodney Adkins Legacy Award

JOB: Senior Manager, Global Solutions and Sales Operations AT&T ACHIEVEMENTS: Patty Meggs is recognized as a mentor, role model, innovator, and leader. She is active with the Network – Illinois. The Network is an AT&T employee resource group of Black integrated communications professionals. Meggs is active with the Network – Illinois’s Student Affairs and Economic Development Committees, where she helps raise funds for scholarships and charitable programs. She was awarded the 2015 AT&T Diamond Club Award for her drive, commitment, and dedication to the success of AT&T. That same year, Meggs received the Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award for her exemplary leadership skills.

She is also a multi-year recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is a civil award bestowed by the President of the United States.

WHAT SHE DOES: As senior manager in sales operations with AT&T, Meggs is responsible for a range of strategic projects. Her position requires expertise in wire line and wireless products, complex systems, and operational functions. In addition to technical expertise, Meggs manages business relationships.

JOB: Proposal Manager, Power Generation Services Black & Veatch ACHIEVEMENTS: George White is being recognized for his willingness to give to the community. At the University of Missouri – Kansas City, he was a leader in the Student Mentoring and Recruitment Team (SMART) peer-mentoring program and was heavily involved in the KC STEM Alliance, where he was on the advisory board. Over the past three years, White has been an active role model with the Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City organization. He and his wife serve as a “Big Couple” and have been matched with their Little Brother, Matthew, since 2013. The couple has integrated Matthew into their lives by working on do-it-yourself projects and family outings. And just a few months after joining Black & Veatch, White decided to volunteer as a house captain for Christmas in October. Since then, he has joined the Black & Veatch planning committee as champion for the company’s Power Generation Services power business. In this capacity, White has led the way to recruit and plan the annual workday for his team. In 2015 he embraced the challenge of tackling two different properties on the workday. www.blackengineer.com

George White, Jr.

Lt. Gen. Joe Ballard Legacy Award CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 55

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Naveed M. Hussain, Ph.D. Arlington W. Carter Legacy Award

Full STEM Ahead

JOB: Vice President, Aeromechanics Technology Boeing Research & Technology The Boeing Company ACHIEVEMENTS: Dr. Naveed Hussain pioneered the growth of the Boeing Research & Technology – India team in 2007 and created a strategy to strengthen the team’s critical capabilities. Naveed is the Boeing executive focal for the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin and has membership with the Aeronautical Society of India. Currently, he is responsible for aeromechanic research at Boeing. This includes leading the strategy, planning, and execution of a $170 million R&D portfolio.

He is accountable for 450 engineers and scientists in aerodynamics, propulsion, acoustics, multidisciplinary design and optimization, structures and guidance, navigation, and control. Hussain develops contract research and development capture strategy with a diverse set of external customers. They include the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, NASA, FAA, Air Force Research Laboratory, the Office of Naval Research, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School.

JOB: Mechanical Engineer Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division NOTABLE PROJECTS: Dr. Martin created a design for a massive extension frame and support to meet submarine requirements during his work on the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Research Vessel Knorr in preparation for submarine deployment. He boarded the submarine to assist with sensor installation and to maintain the sensors and auxiliary equipment. His knowledge of material science and transducer design helped to greatly improve the system.

OTHER ENDEAVORS: Dr. Martin also uses his skills as a lead mechanical engineer for light-hearted endeavors. After attracting the attention of Division Newport’s Bring a Child to Work Day program, he developed a laser demonstration maze, which has become popular among program participants. His dedication to engineering and education makes him an exemplary role model. Dr. Martin is working on a distance learning master’s degree in engineering acoustics at the Naval Postgraduate School.

William Martin

Capt. Donnie Cochran Legacy Award 56 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

HOW HE GOT TO NAVSEA: Dr. William Martin joined the Division Newport staff in 2001. He quickly established himself as an expert in stochastic processes, structural dynamics, hydrodynamic and stress analysis, and data/sensor fusion.

www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: Cybersecurity/Interoperability Technical Expert Department of Defense/ United States Air Force ACHIEVEMENTS: Demica Ware Robinson is an expert in “all things cyber” at the Agile Combat Support Directorate, Simulators Division. Since she was hired into the division just over a year ago, she has done a phenomenal job hiring cybersecurity support contractors to meet the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer’s cybersecurity requirements to support warfighter needs. Robinson has years of experience in cybersecurity and experience as a special agent with the FBI working on a Cyber Squad, where she investigated cyber-related crimes, such as violations of intellectual property and Internet fraud, among other activities.

Demica Robinson

Lt. Gen. Albert J. Edmonds Legacy Award

GIVING BACK: Robinson also dedicates herself to educating younger female engineers on how to professionally progress within their careers. Plus, she has volunteered often to speak to high school and college students at the University of Dayton’s “Dinner with an Engineer” program.

Elton D. Akins

Linda Gooden Legacy Award JOB: Vice President, Business Development Science Applications International Company (SAIC) Elton Akins has more than 14 years of experience in command and control systems for air and missile defense weapon systems. He is vice president of the AMCOM/ AMRDEC Programs with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), where he is responsible for ensuring the execution of over 150 projects for the Software Engineering Directorate customer. Prior to joining SAIC, Elton served three years as the program manager for the THAAD Fire Control and Communications Product Office, where he was responsible for development, integration, testing, and delivery of all associated hardware and software capabilities. He retired from the Army after more than 21 years of service at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served in leadership positions at all levels. He currently serves on several boards, including Leadership Huntsville/Madison County, which is a catalyst in identifying, educating, inspiring, and connecting leaders to better serve the community.

www.blackengineer.com

CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 57

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: Senior Program Director General Dynamics Information Technology Yoghana Mercer-Bey’s leadership motivates others to succeed. His Deployment Services Contract 2 team has deployed to places such as Haiti following an earthquake, North Dakota following floods, and the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. The team worked with government analysts and militarysupporting intelligence operations. They were able to integrate seamlessly with mission operations and deliver innovative tools and support processes to improve security, accelerate information flows, and support mission success.

As a General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) senior program director, he leads the Missions Services Lines of business in support of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). With his guidance, this line of business has generated more than $200 million in revenue and continues to grow.

HOW HE GOT TO GENERAL DYNAMICS: Prior to joining GDIT in 2008, he held technical and management roles in the Air Force. Mercer-Bey supported the Intelligence Community and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for 30 years. As the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency, his responsibilities included advising the Director and Military Executive on matters concerning effective welfare and morale of the military.

Yoghana Mercer-Bey Linda Gooden Legacy Award

JOB: Senior Vice President – Distribution, Dominion Virginia Power

Edward H. Baine

Anthony R. James Legacy Award

ACHIEVEMENTS: Ed Baine has gone above and beyond in service to his community. He is a member of the boards of directors of the Dominion Credit Union, Chamber RVA, and the Capital Region Collaborative Organizing Council. He also serves on the board of the Chesterfield Education Foundation and helped to lead this group through some very trying times. His vision, determination, and steady hand helped the foundation move forward. He is a member of the Management and Marketing Advisory Board of the School of Business at Virginia State University and the Executive Advisory Council for the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond. He also serves on the board of the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund, MEGA Mentors, and the Virginia Chapter of American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE). Through his executive sponsorship of the organization, Baine has helped the Virginia Chapter of the AABE to stand as a viable independent chapter. In addition, he has still found time to help coach youth football over the last 10 years. He was awarded the 2015 Bernard L. Savage Community Service Award, which is bestowed on a leader who has gone above and beyond in service to the community.

JOB: Senior Engineer, PECO Energy, an Exelon Company ACHIEVEMENTS: George Sey is a senior engineer leading the distributed energy resource (DER) engineering group within the Distribution Capacity Planning division.

Since joining PECO (an Exelon Company) in 2006, he has contributed greatly toward the company’s success. His technical expertise, business acumen, and leadership have distinguished him throughout his tenure. Sey began with the company as a distribution dispatcher, gaining years of firsthand practical and operational experience.

He partnered with one of the most experienced and revered engineers at PECO to develop his foundational technical skills as a capacity planning engineer designing distribution system facilities and to build his reputation as an overall technological leader. He has become a technical expert on emerging distribution system challenges and assessing opportunities of leveraging DER assets for the company. Sey is also the subject matter expert for DER interconnections and micro grid technology applications and has implemented process efficiency improvements for analyzing renewable energy interconnections at PECO. He also develops new engineers in the same organization through mentoring as well as authoring and delivering power engineering training materials to engineers both internal and external to his immediate department. His technical reputation, strong work ethic, positive interpersonal skills, and initiative to engage in roles beyond his core responsibilities make him a supremely valuable resource and mentor to all minority, young, and technically aspiring individuals. www.blackengineer.com

George Sey, Jr., PE

Anthony R. James Legacy Award CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 59

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

Edouard Benjamin, Jr.

Dr. John Slaughter Legacy Award JOB: Vice President, Program Management, Leidos, Inc. ACHIEVEMENTS: Ed Benjamin is an expert in software development, operations and maintenance, information systems, and data warehousing. He is now directly responsible for executing, leading, and overseeing all phases of the software development lifecycle in support of large and small applications and databases for a mix of customers. He is responsible for leading the solutions architecture, proposal development, and contract execution in support of public health agencies, including Health Resources and Services Administration and National Institutes of Health. His responsibilities also include building teams and recruiting and retaining top technical talent.

Danielle Grant

Dr. John Slaughter Legacy Award

60 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

JOB: Project Manager/Engineer, Leidos, Inc. ACHIEVEMENTS: Danielle Grant’s dedication has resulted in higher effectiveness, which directly and positively impacts U.S. combat troops. A key contributor to Leidos Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Military Entrance Processing/Dissemination/Processing Exploitation Dissemination (ISR MEP/PED) Systems, she has made many contributions since joining the company in 2014. Her contribution to the Audio Multi-Level Security (A-MLS) system not only significantly benefited the customer and U.S. combat troops but also provided value to Leidos and the C2ISR division. The A-MLS system allows Remotely Piloted Aircraft operators to interact with multiple audio systems at different classification levels through a single headset. This system marks a substantial achievement in the field as it is the first system to integrate all audio networks into a single headset, improving human factors, crew capabilities, and system security. The system is installed in USAF MQ-1 and MQ-9 combat-enabled Ground Control Stations. This includes all USAF MQ-1/9 GCSs operated by Air Combat Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and the Air National Guard. Perhaps most unique to A-MLS is the integration design and approach.

www.blackengineer.com

Full STEM 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS Ahead JOB: Network Systems Engineer Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory ACHIEVEMENTS: Steven Handy is a co-inventor of technology that strengthens network defenses with virtual sensor decoys that increase the scope and scale of a defended area. Handy received the JHU/APL 2015 Government Purpose Invention Award for the “Deception of Defense: Applying Traditional Camouflage Techniques Adapted to Cyber Network Defense” project.

WHAT HE DOES: As a section supervisor with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Handy’s network security engineering efforts have impacted several critical communication capabilities and their ability to resist cyber-attacks. In addition, he is a member of the engineering team responsible for developing the U.S. Army’s Remote Monitor Control Equipment system. This system is used for the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite constellation.

The WGS provides high-data-rate communications for the U.S. military, senior leaders, and international partners. Handy developed hands-on network design and architecture skills and learned to solve complex network, encryption, and power issues in support of operational deployments. His efforts helped his team greatly improve upon the WGS system..

Steven Handy

Dr. William R. Wiley Legacy Award

JOB: Senior Design Quality Engineer - New Product Development, Endoscopy Division Boston Scientific Corporation ACHIEVEMENTS: Priya Khanchandani gets special recognition for developing high-quality medical devices to help improve healthcare around the world. One of the most recent product development projects is the Resolution Clip medical device. The device is one of the primary homeostasis products for the Endoscopy Division.

Khanchandani has received the company’s Excellence in Quality award for her accomplishments with developing new medical devices and training the Boston Scientific global community team in India.

Priya Khanchandani

Dr. William R. Wiley Legacy Award www.blackengineer.com

HOW SHE GOT TO BOSTON SCIENTIFIC: Prior to joining Boston Scientific, Khanchandani researched ultrasound contrast agents for therapeutic healthcare applications. She used her engineering and research skills at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to contribute to the development of minimally invasive products for advancing healthcare. Khanchandani came to America from India to focus on biomedical engineering. Khanchandani is active with the South Asians in Leadership (SAIL) Employee Resource Group (ERG). SAIL ERG promotes a diverse and inclusive environment by supporting the professional development of all Boston Scientific employees.

CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 61

2016 BEYA CATEGORY WINNERS 2017 Black Engineer of the Year AWARD WINNERS

Full STEM Ahead

Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics Student Prairie View A&M University WHY SHE WON: Meshika Brown has demonstrated extraordinary skills as a mechanical engineering and mathematics student at Prairie View A&M University.

She has maintained a high academic standard while serving as a positive role model for her peers.

Meshika Brown

Student Leadership

WHAT KEEPS HER BUSY: She uses her math and engineering background to lead engineering projects and teach math to high school and middle school students. She also serves as a lead summer camp counselor on Prairie View’s campus. In addition, Brown works as a supplemental instructor for the College of Engineering. She helps students with their engineering and math courses and provides extra tutoring for those in need. As a member of the Collegiate 100 organization, Brown mentors middle school students one day a week. She is a former secretary and vice president for the International Students Organization.

She is membership director for Student Partnerships and Outreach, which is a new organization on the Prairie View A&M campus. Brown is also a marketing coordinator for the National Society of Black Engineers as a member of the Region V Conference Planning Committee. Brown recently started an NSBE Jr. Chapter on the Prairie View A&M campus.

JOB: Cadet United States Air Force Academy WHY HE WON: Samuel Sentongo is a leader with a passion for mentoring and tutoring students interested in STEM careers.

Academics are important to him as he is dedicated to excelling in the Mechanical Engineering and Officer Ship Programs at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). Sentongo developed an interest in STEM subjects during high school. He entered projects in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Artistic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO). This resulted in wins for scholarship, creativity, and ingenuity. Sentongo demonstrated his leadership skills by participating in organizations such as the Metro Squash Program, the Teen Train Student Ambassador Team, and the generation program for Ugandan Americans.

HOW HE GOT TO THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY: Sentongo had maintained his passion for STEM and academic excellence when the opportunity to attend USAFA presented itself. He has a high grade point average and is admired by staff and peers.

His commitment to his studies is evident from his inclusion on the Dean’s List, Commandant’s List, and Athletic Director’s List for outstanding academic and military performance. He also recently became president of the cadet chapter of NSBE.

Samuel Sentongo Student Leadership

62 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

www.blackengineer.com

T

he 2017 Modern-Day Technology Leaders are in careers billed among the top ten of 2016 through to 2026. They are in data and computer science, business process analysis, and wireless communication.

They are semi-conductor and sensor developers, in gaming, augmented reality, robotics, and nanotechnology. These STEM professionals are leading digital transformation as they play a leading role in technology advancement. Check out the roles and job descriptions for these careers of the future because they’re going to be hot by the time the next generation of STEM graduates hit the streets.

MODERN-DAY TECHNOLOGY LEADERS NA

Vonna Dryton

Tenisha Williams

Malica Fleming

Christopher Wooten

Verna Harry

Waleska Torres

Shivonne Osho

NC

Lakendra Davis

Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Marcus Perry

Lead Technologist Booz Allen Hamilton

Nebiyu Yoseph

Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Kenneth Lovelady

Lead Engineer Booz Allen Hamilton

Sylvester Freeman

Lead Technologist Booz Allen Hamilton

Executive Director-Sales Execution AT&T Sr. Specialist Network Support AT&T Lead Advanced Technical Support AT&T Area Manager Process & Quality AT&T Service Inc. Lead-System Architect AT&T Technology Development

NB Yolanda Blume

Lead Engineer Booz Allen Hamilton 64 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

Carlton Saunders Andre Tyler

Senior Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Wendy Watson

Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Principal Quality Engineer Boston Scientific Corporation

Eric Grant

Sr. Mid Marketer Constellation, An Exelon Company

David Dasher

Research Associate - Chemistry Corning Incorporated

Ashley Johnson-Long

Senior Process Controls Engineer Corning Incorporated

www.blackengineer.com

Robert Smith

Djuna Withers

Juan Martinez

ND

Priscilla Summers

Karla Montero

Tamika Sims

Jose Carlos Mora

Lead Triton Unmanned Air Vehicle Command and Control Engineer Department of Defense-Navy

Josh Zhou

Nancy Muncie

Edward Lee

Jeremy Adams

Carlos Ortega

Gopalakrishnan Anand

Raymundo Ortega

Jennifer Carroll

Darryl Brown

Rosalia Osuna Norzagaray

Janeca Holloway

Stephen Obeng-Agyapong Jr.

Ruben Pereda

Steven Irby

Orly Vincent

Francisco Jaime Perez

Gregory Howard

Cassandra Wheeler

Marco Antonio Picherdo Toledo

Kirk Newman

Jethro Alfred

Vrichel Pimentel

Development Scientist/Engineer Corning Incorporated

Manager, Business Planning & Support Delmarva Power and Exelon Company

Davy Andrew

AFOSR Program Coordinator, STEM & HBCU/MI Department of the Air Force/ Air Force Office of Scientific Research

NE Design Engineer Exelon Company Engineer Exelon Company

IT Director Exelon Corporation Senior Manager Plant Engineer Exelon Generation Engineer III Exelon Generation

Christina Small

Senior Engineer Specialists General Dynamics Land Systems Test & Verification Engineer General Dynamics Mission Systems Senior Systems Engineer General Dynamics Mission Systems Software Developer General Motors Manager, Data Center Transformation General Motors Design Release Engineer General Motors Share Point Developer General Motors Sr. Systems Developer General Motors Plant Manager Georgia Power Company Technical Specialists II Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Engineering Manager Exelon Generation

Roland Basco

NG

Cindy Bermudez

Tiffany Reed

Senior Principal Information Security Analyst General Dynamics

Wilmer Lambert

Senior Engineer General Dynamics Electric Boat

Mehari Beyene

Principal Software Engineer General Dynamics Information Technology

Jameal Brown

Senior Project Manager General Dynamics Information Technology

Tunisha Holloway

Senior Engineer Systems General Dynamics Information Technology

Will Hurd

Senior Principal Engineer Systems General Dynamics Information Technology

Frank Jones

Senior Principal Systems Engineer General Dynamics Information Technology

Sony Lee

Network Engineer General Dynamics Information Technology

George (Lee) Starks

Project Network Engineer General Dynamics Information Technology

www.blackengineer.com

Technical Specialist II Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Materials Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Juan Castro

Manufacturing Engineer IV Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Ulises Farias

EHS Specialist Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Ruben Afonso Flores Acosta

Quality Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

German Garcia

Operations Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Marlo Gulierrez

Operations Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Adam Hart

Technical Specialist Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Tarkeaton Jones

Operations Manager Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Mario Maciel

ME Planning III Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

IT Manager Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Operation Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Project Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Engineering Process Writer Sr. Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Manufacturing Engineer II Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Manufacturing Engineer IV Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Continuous Improvement Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Quality Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation CNC Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Quality Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Sustainability- Project Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Gabriel Pina

Manufacturing Engineer III Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Martha Teresa Posada

Quality Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Francisco Rodriguez

Production Control Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

MODERN-DAY TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

Cheryle Pringle

Senior Program Manager General Dynamics Information Technology

Jose Luis Solorio

Operations Manager Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Hector Diaz

Tooling Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Mexicali

Gonzala Franco

Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Mexicali

Laura Lozano

ME Planner III Gulfstream Aerospace Mexicali

Joel Richarte

Project Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Mexicali

NH April Hauser

Structural Engineer 1 Huntingtin Ingalls IndustriesNewport New Shipbuilding

Tamie Agnew

Nuclear Engineer 3 Huntington Ingalls Industries CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 65

MODERN-DAY TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

Johnny Brown

Andrew Ambris

Eric Tillman

David L. Colley

Eric Broadhurst

Geoffrey Vibert

Rodell Evans

Roland Brooks

Field Engineer 2 Huntington Ingalls Industries Designer IV Huntington Ingalls Industries Program Manager 3 Huntington Ingalls Industries

Bob Gibson

Production Planning & Scheduling Manager 2 Huntington Ingalls Industries

Elzater Moffett

Engineer 3 Huntington Ingalls Industries

Issac Peterson

Mechanical Engineer 4 Huntington Ingalls Industries

Stanley Reese

Nuclear Engineer 2 Huntington Ingalls Industries

Alton Williams

Manager 1, Production Planning & Scheduling Huntington Ingalls Industries

Patrick Hines

Engineer Software 3 Huntington Ingalls Industries- Newport News Shipbuilding

NI Corey Frazier

Engineering Manager Intel Corporation

NL Justin Cox

Network Systems Engineer Leidos, Inc.

Kevin Mutisya

Associate Distribution Engineer Leidos, Inc.

Raymond Okeke

Engineering Manager Leidos, Inc.

Derrick Pledger

Technology Manager/ IT Infrastructure Lead Leidos, Inc.

Eryca Roberts

Lead Systems Engineer/Technical Lead Leidos, Inc.

Beverly Thompson Senior Scientist Leidos, Inc.

Claude Brown

Systems Engineer Principal Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Claudie Busby

Mechanical Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Vatanna Gaines

Aeronautical Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Zelda Gills

Electronics Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

66 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

Senior Member Engineering Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Engineering LDP Lockheed Martin Corporation Program Management Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Aaron Butler

Project Engineer Staff for Space Systems Company Chief Information Officer Lockheed Martin Corporation

Alvarez Clay

Sr. Manager IT Infrastructure Lockheed Martin Corporation

Alan Conley

Cyber Intelligence Analyst Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation F-35 Sustainment Data Product Integration & Development Lead Lockheed Martin Corporation

Steven Walker

System Engineer-Field Tech Support Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation

Ezra Ward

Technical Service Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation

Adrian Knight

Senior Member of the Engineering Staff Lockheed Martin RMS

Embedded S/W Engineer Sr. Lockheed Martin Corporation

NM

Jamal Davis

George Baker

Eric Dees

Bettie McCaulley

King Dukes

Rachel Roberts

Nigel Francois

Keith Tibbs

Angelo Guevara

NN

Computer Operations Supports Analyst Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Electronics Engineering Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation QA Engineering Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Items Analyst Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation System Architect Lockheed Martin Corporation

Rena Hill

Chief, Radar Development Testing Missile Defense Agency Chief, Environmental Management Division Missile Defense Agency Test Engineer, Test Resource Manager Missile Defense Agency Test Engineer, Ground Test Asset Manager Missile Defense Agency

Joy Allen

Software Configuration Analyst Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Industrial Engineer Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division

Troy Lambert

Jason Taylor

LaCresha Martin

Kenneth Brown

Engineering Leadership Development Program Lockheed Martin Corporation Missiles and Fire Control Information Technology Technical Assistant Lockheed Martin Corporation

Brandon Montgomery

Systems Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Corporation

Paulette Nassiff

Physical Scientist User Services Coordinator NOAA's Satellite and Information Service Senior Systems Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation

Robert Chandler

Senior Engineer Sub-Project Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Tobias Daniels

System Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation

Senior Quality Engineer/System & Software Quality Assurance Lead Northrop Grumman Corporation

Larry Ramie

Cecelia Edwards-Carter

Melvin Redmond

Terron Ellerbe

Systems Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Multi Functional Engineering & Science Sr. Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Travis Rose

Electronics Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation

Xavier Thomas

Lead Test Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation Systems Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation

Michele Garriques

Software Engineering Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Sherry Hudgins

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Mission Assurance Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Richard Thompson

Scott Pickens

Multi Functional Engineering & Science Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Packaging Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation

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MODERN-DAY TECHNOLOGY LEADERS

Nathaniel Porter

Ronald Berry

Rita Robinson

Aida Gourdine

EW/Cyber Systems Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation ClearCase Administrator/Configuration Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Nicole Toler

Manager of Electrical Engineering Northrop Grumman Corporation

Constance Ukonne

Systems Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation

Theodore Williams

Data Center Line Services Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Chris Chandra

Mechanical Engineer NSWC Port Hueneme Division

NP Christina Barker

Senior Engineer PECO, An Exelon Company

Eric Borden

Senior Engineer PEPCO

William Ellis

FAA Program Manager SAIC Cybersecurity Analyst Principal SAIC

Marquita Harris

Senior Cybersecurity Analyst SAIC

Jammal Matthews

Senior Cybersecurity Analyst SAIC

Karen Mitchell

Deputy Program Manager SAIC

NT Obi Oji

Weight and Mass Properties Engineer The Boeing Company

Shawn Ervin

Systems and Data Analyst The Boeing Company

Beryl Davis

Angela Huff

Senior Engineering Raytheon Company

Vern Moukangha

Senior Systems Engineering I Raytheon Company

Olu Bolden

Senior Principal Multi-Discipline Engineer Raytheon Intelligence Information and Service

Jamel Price

Senior Systems Engineer II Raytheon Missile Systems

NS Amanda Bames

Cybersecurity Portalia Manager SAIC

68 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

Lisa Valle

Senior Manager, Service Portfolio, Information, Information Technology Infrastructure The Boeing Company

Candince Wilder

Christopher Brown

Lanissa Holden

Christopher Meullion

Senior Manager, IT Infrastructure The Boeing Company

Sherrica Holloman

Christopher Crooks

Senior Engineering Manager Raytheon Company

Jasmine Strait

Koffi Amefia

Project Engineer The Aerospace Corporation

Jesse D. Hayes IV

Corey Hendricks

Program Analyst The Boeing Company

Basil Etefia

Micheria Bell

Senior Systems Engineer I Raytheon Company

Cornelius Singleton

Emily Worinkeng

Materials Engineer The Aerospace Corporation

Robert Bardwell

Principal Systems Engineer Raytheon Company

IT Project Management Specialist The Boeing Company

Glenn Bean

Amber Young

Senior Software Engineer Raytheon Company

Courtney Russell

Executive Integrator and Business Operations Specialist The Boeing Company

Manager, Demand Side Management PEPCO Holdings, An Exelon Company

NR

Senior Leader, Strategic Technology Business Development The Boeing Company

Engineering Program Manager Texas Instruments, Inc.

Systems Engineer and Program Assessment Specialist The Aerospace Corporation

Supervisor of Engineering, Transmission Planning PEPCO Holdings, An Exelon Company

Marlene Price

Lead Airplane Safety Engineer The Boeing Company Recruiter Specialist, Enterprise Services The Boeing Company Electrical Systems Design Engineer, Heliostat Program The Boeing Company

Erica Hunt

Industrial Engineer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes The Boeing Company

Materials, Process, and Physics Engineer The Boeing Company Group Leader The MITRE Corporation Lead Infosec Engineer/Scientist The MITRE Corporation

Geno Johnson

Information Systems Engineer, Principle The MITRE Corporation

Vanitha Khetan

Principal Information Systems Engineer The MITRE Corporation

Soumya Kini

Information Systems Engineering Lead The MITRE Corporation

Mary Kinnard-Brown

Organizational Change Management, Lead The MITRE Corporation

NU Ivan Pinder-Bey

Lead, GPS III, Integration and Test U.S. Air Force

Kenith Ward

Project Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Daryl Goods

Bryan Harrell

Eugene Johnson

Frederick Smith

Jairo Mateo

NV

Director, Infrastructure Business Operations The Boeing Company Electrical Systems Design Engineer The Boeing Company Structural Analysis Engineer III The Boeing Company

Christopher Miller

Electrical Systems Design Engineer The Boeing Company

Shaterria Perry-Herring

Program Manager Lead, Enterprise IT Planning Service The Boeing Company

Lieutenant Commander U.S. Coast Guard Information Technology Specialist U.S. Navy

Zalenda Cyrille

Program Manager Vencore, Inc.

NW Angie Richardson

Configuration Management Manager Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex www.blackengineer.com

|SCIENCE SPECTRUM|

EMERALD HONORS & TRAILBLAZERS

B

ased on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ description of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), STEM fields are closely related and build on each other. Math provides the foundation for physics—and physics, in turn, for engineering. Engineers can apply their knowledge of physics to make devices that are useful for testing theories. Advances in physics may then lead to advances in engineering and technology. The BEYA Scientist of the Year is the chief data scientist at the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency (NGA), the federal agency that creates and maintains the geospatial foundation data, knowledge, and analysis that enable all other missions. He leads a roster of award-winning professionals in STEM fields billed to be in the top 10 of the next decade: computer science, mathematics, business process analysis, wireless communication, semiconductor/sensor development, gaming, augmented reality, robotics, and nanotechnology.

Maria Joseph-King

Cheryl Jones

Paridhi Verma

Johnanna Ramos

Chanel Johnson

Wayne Tolbert

Lynnette Drake

David Williams

Senior Research Electronics Engineer, Munitions Directorate Air Force Research Laboratory (Munitions Directorate) Senior Investigator

Doreen Foggy

Kester Buckmire

George A. Parker, Ph.D.

Michelle Jue

Systems Engineer NSWC Port Hueneme Division

Gayle Westbrook

EMERALD HONORS Austin Haygood, Maj. Arizona Air National Guard Senior Systems Engineer II Raytheon Missile Systems Research Leadership

Victoria D. Moore

Supervisory Research General Engineer U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research Leadership

Monica Allen, Ph.D.

Technical Fellow, Boeing Research & Technology, NW Analytical Chemistry/Failure Analysis & Testing, Technical Lead Engineer, Sr. Chemist, Thermal | Surface Analysis | SEM Labs The Boeing Company Senior Technology Fellow

TRAILBLAZERS Lovica Jumper

Senior Plans and Programs Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory

Benita Chumo

R&D Engineer II Boston Scientific Corporation

Bright Tsagli

Treasurer, Student Government Association Bronx Community College, CUNY

70 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

Senior Statistician General Dynamics Information Technology Global Program Director, THINKLab IBM Research Systems Engineer Associate Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Environmental Remediation Analyst Sr. Lockheed Martin Corporation Senior Manager, End User Experience, Rotary & Mission Systems Lockheed Martin Corporation

Ronald Berry

Project Management Team Mananger SAIC

Jeffery Braud

Software Engineering for Defense Casuality Information Processing System SAIC

Otis Brooks

Information Assurance Engineer SAIC

Andre Eaddy

Vice-President-Program for Federal Civilian Group SAIC

Senior Lead Engineer SAIC Senior Systems Engineer SAIC Senior Systems Engineer SAIC Program & Deputy Program Manager SAIC Cybersecurity Program Manager Science Applications International Company Engineering Operations Manager Science Applications International Company

Efrain Flores-Colon

Supervisor Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific

Ememabasi Ibok

Propulsion Engineer II The Boeing Company

George Ndayizeye

Structural Analysis Engineer The Boeing Company

Derik Perry

Information Systems Engineer, Principal The MITRE Corporation

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|SCIENCE SPECTRUM|

BEYA 2017 Scientist of the Year WHY HE WON: The chief data scientist at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is recognized for the contributions that NGA’s Ernest Smiley has made over the last 20 years in integrating systems for the United States Department of Defense, warfighters, Intelligence professionals and first responders.

WHAT DOES THE NGA DO? Anyone who sails a U.S. ship, flies a U.S. aircraft, fights wars, locates targets, responds to natural disasters, or even navigates with a cellphone relies on the NGA. EXPERIENCE: Mr. Smiley holds the following certifications: certified in the governance of enterprise IT (CGEIT), certified software analyst (CSA), certified information security manager (CISM), certified in risk and information systems control (CRISC), certified project manager (CPM), certified forensic consultant (CFC), and certified e-commerce consultant (CEC). He holds a master’s degree in technology management from Georgetown University, a master’s in information iechnology, Master of Business Administration in finance and accounting, and a Bachelor of Science from University of Maryland. He also holds a graduate certificate in data science from Georgetown University.

WHAT HE DOES: He serves as key advisor for data science across the Intelligence Community.

He develops methods to find patterns and relationships in large data sets, while leading complex mathematical, statistical, geospatial modeling, and other data-driven problem-solving analysis.

Mr. Smiley provides strategic inputs, implements new technologies, and generates business. He develops the overall geospatial perspective for the operational environment, updates and creates models to support cloud-computing environments.

He directs the development of NGA’s tools, applications, and technical integration processes and activities. He directs the strategy for data science formal training, career development and mentoring throughout NGA and NGA College.

He enjoys mentoring information technology personnel, and providing guidance to high school and college students.

Prior to this position, Mr. Smiley served as chief technology officer, chief applications manager and technical executive for NGA while providing operational management and integration for 29,000+ computers ($100+ million budget).

His other positions include deputy director, senior engineering manager, senior information technology security manager and program manager.

He has worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Energy, General Dynamics, Sprint, and Lockheed Martin.

Mr. Smiley is a retired United States Army officer. S

Ernest Smiley

Chief Data Scientist National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

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CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 71

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

HOW TRAINING GETS DONE AT THE BEYA STEM CONFERENCE

T

raining is a big part of the Career Communications Group’s (CCG) mission.

CCG offers best-in-class professional development programs designed for workplace Scientific and diversity and inclusion. For CCG’s signature Technical event—the annual BEYA STEM Conference— quality training brings in hundreds of Professional students, professionals, executives, and the general public each year.

Executive and At BEYA 2016, there were eighty Senior exhibitors on the Career Fair floor. They included recruiters ranging from the U.S. Management First to armed forces and federal government to Mid-Level aerospace and defense contractors; companies Management in the semiconductor and automotive industry; transportation; software and services; technology and consulting; banking, finance, insurance, and business data services; cable operators; supply chain management and construction; and universities, community colleges, and professional societies that provide industry-specific certifications and communities of practice.

Recruiters at BEYA actively support training, information, education, and professional development seminars and workshops. BEYA 2016 featured more than 55 sessions as part of the total training program. According to surveys administered by Career Communications Group, professional development increases employee engagement and helps to drive productivity. More than 83.3 percent of respondents feel that it is important to include training and professional development in conferences. Sixty-nine percent and 83 percent of respondents consider seminars and workshops, respectively, to be beneficial.

Recent College Grad/Early-Career Professional

How often do you attend career development conferences?

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2016

REGULARLY

14.56

16.72

15.91

17.27

15.56

24.18

15.46

19.54

OCCASIONALLY

50.97

41.95

47.73

44.55

55.56

40.66

39.18

42.53

ALMOST NEVER

24.27

31.31

26.14

29.09

24.44

24.18

34.02

29.89

NEVER

10.19

10.03

10.23

9.09

4.44

10.99

11.34

8.05

Source: CCG Most Admired Employers Surveys

BEYA seminar topics offer participants a chance to discuss trends in leadership, processes, and ever-increasing knowledge requirements. Subject matter experts lead seminars on managing change in the military, industry, government, and academia. People learn from the top minds in the STEM industry and collaborate with their peers. Among the key benefits for respondents were insights and continuous learning opportunities at professional development venues like BEYA STEM. According to a USBE magazine survey, onboarding and training help early-career and mid-career professionals gain the continuing education required to achieve their goals; gain insights on the jobs of the future, data literacy, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution; and develop skills for jobs in a changing world.

Jem Pagan, director for tech strategy at JNK Securities Corp., said that a lot of adoption is taking place right now and for the next seven years. “The digital transformation has become an opportunity for qualified and available STEM professionals to take advantage of,” he said. “There’s a skill sets gap because professionals are no longer confined to specialized areas.” S 72 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

by Lango Deen Ldeen@ccgmag.com

Eric Q. Price

Vice President of Recruitment and Training Career Communications Group, Inc.

I

n today’s workplace, you need to have a diverse set of skills, both technical and soft.

While your technical skills help to get your foot in the door, your people skills are what opens most doors for opportunity.

Your work dedication, attitude, communication skills, and emotional intelligence are the soft skills that are crucial for career success. With these soft skills you can excel as a leader.

Problem solving, team building, interpersonal skills, business etiquette, delegating, and motivating are much easier if you have good soft skills. Knowing how to get along with people while displaying a positive attitude are crucial traits for success.

Many companies undervalue soft skills and too few places provide training. Organizations expect that employees know how to behave in the workplace and have a tendency to assume that everyone understands the importance of being on time, taking initiative, being friendly, and producing high-quality work.

The most needed soft skills for retaining clients and being effective in the workplace today are communication, leadership, adaptability, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Besides helping you to succeed and climb the corporate ladder, soft skills can be chiefly useful if you are thinking of moving into a different sector or a completely new role. Soft skills are a highly transferable asset that will help you to thrive in any environment.

Career Communications Group's JobMatch Service links certified and qualified STEM college students seeking internships and full-time jobs. Our career agents facilitate this process.

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CAREER

OUTLOOK Careers of the Future

INSIDE  Job Horizon:

More Than a Million New Digital Jobs on the Horizon

 Recruiting Trends:

Organizations That Get It, Where Women Would Rather Work

 Professional Life:

HBCU Innovation Award Winners

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CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 75

CAREER OUTLOOK

76 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

www.blackengineer.com

Job Horizon Âť CAREER OUTLOOK

Skills & Careers of the future Hallmarks of the Digital Revolution

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

cience, technology, engineering, and math skills will get you hired. In the next decade, 80 percent of jobs in telecommunications, utilities, industrials, healthcare, IT, finance, energy, and consumer staples will require STEM skills, says the Department of Defense.

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CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 77

CAREER OUTLOOK » Job Horizon

O

n the forefront of information technology (IT) innovation for decades, Department of Defense (DoD) scientists and engineers work at the cutting edge of technological breakthroughs. There are more than 100,000 scientists or engineers in a workforce bordering on three million. The DoD employs nearly half of the scientists and engineers across the federal government. Currently, they work on big data, highperformance computing, and the security needs of government entities.

However, according to the IBM Center for the Business of Government, the private sector has more tools available for recruiting than the federal government does.

These include internships, mentoring, summer employment, and STEM scholarship programs. The federal government is now working to add these tools to their recruitment portfolio for STEM candidates, the Center said.

According to the World Economic Forum, increasing innovation will be multiplied by emerging technology in artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing.

Some of the largest companies deploying emerging technologies include Internet advertising, search engine, and software giant—and parent company of Google—Alphabet Inc., JP Morgan Chase, ExxonMobil, Bank of America, AT&T, Verizon, Wal-Mart Stores, Microsoft, Comcast, P&G, Ford, IBM, General Motors, FedEx, PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson, UnitedHealthcare, Pfizer, Intel, CVS, McDonald’s, the Home Depot, Target, and General Electric (GE).

Apple Inc., which released its best, most advanced iPhone ever in September, is at the forefront of mobile devices development, personal computing, and software. Samsung Electronics is a global leader in semiconductor and electronics, and Internet retailer Amazon.com is outpacing its competitors in cloud computing and app hosting.

As director for tech strategy at New York Citybased broker dealer JNK Securities Corp., Jem Pagán is focused on innovation in old industries, such as technology, media, and telecoms. Other markets 78 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

Skills and Careers of the Future, Top Employers at the Forefront Science, technology, engineering, and math skills will get you hired.

In the next decade, 80 percent of jobs in telecommunications,

Skills and Careers of the Future,utilities, Top industrials, Employers the Forefront healthcare,at IT, finance, energy, and consumer staples will require STEM skills, says the Department of Defense.

80 % 80 %

Science, technology, engineering, and math skills will get you hired.

In the next decade, 80 percent of jobs in telecommunications, utilities, industrials, healthcare, IT, finance, energy, and consumer staples will require STEM skills, says the Department of Defense.

On the forefront of information technology (IT) innovation for decades, Department of Defense (DoD) scientists and engineers work at the cutting edge of technological breakthroughs. There are more than 100,000 scientists or engineers in a workforce bordering on three million. The DoD employs nearly half of the scientists and engineers across the federal government.

Currently, they work on big data, high performance computing, and the security needs of government entities.

On the forefront of information technology (IT) innovation for decades, Department of Defense (DoD) scientists and engineers ENGINEERS work at the cutting edge of technological breakthroughs. There are more than 100,000 scientists orSCIENTISTS engineers inAND a workforce ACROSS FEDERAL bordering on three million. The DoD employs nearly half of the scientists and engineers across the federalTHE government.

GOVERNMENT Currently, they work on big data, high performance computing, and the security needs of government entities.

SCIENTISTS OR ENGINEERS

100,000

50%

100,000

50%

DoD STEM covers the following career categories SCIENTISTS OR ENGINEERS

SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

DoD STEM covers the following career categories COMPUTER SCIENCES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LIFE SCIENCES

MATHEMATICS AND RELATED SCIENCES

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

MATHEMATICS COMPUTER SCIENCES LIFE LIFE AND PHYSICAL AND RELATED ARCHITECTS AND INFORMATION SCIENCES ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE SCIENCES TECHNICIANS TECHNICIANS

ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS

LIFE AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE TECHNICIANS

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

ARCHITECTS

SOCIAL SCIENCES

ENGINEERING

SOCIAL HEALTH HEALTH ENGINEERING SCIENCES PRACTITIONERS TECHNICIANS

HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

HEALTH TECHNICIANS

Top federal agencies with the

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF STEM EMPLOYEES ARE

Top federal agencies with the

HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF STEM EMPLOYEES ARE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

68%

63%

56%

50%

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

68

63

56

50%

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

%

48

%

%

44

%

%

42

%

37%

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

48%

44%

42%

37%

NAVY

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

35%

32%

NAVY

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

35%

32%

Source: Partnership for Public Service, The Biggest Bang Theory, 2013

www.blackengineer.com Source: Partnership for Public Service, The Biggest Bang Theory, 2013

Job Horizon » CAREER OUTLOOK

Big Industries

connected to technology that Pagán researches are Over-The-Top content delivery of audio, video, and media over the Internet, or OTT. This role exposes Pagán to some of the largest organizations that are driving goods and services, from supply chain to manufacturing, pharmaceuticals to automotive, and Cloud to information technology and media.

“The conclusion I’ve come to is that every company is now a tech company,” Pagán said. “There’s no company

GOODS PRODUCING

MINING AND LOGGING

OIL AND GAS EXTRACTION

CONSTRUCTION

MANUFACTURING

MACHINERY

COMPUTER AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS

COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT

SEMICONDUCTORS AND ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND APPLIANCES

TRANSPORTATION EQUIPMENT

MOTOR VEHICLES

NONDURABLE GOODS

developing a product or service that does not have eighty percent of that product or service development delivery tied into technology,” he said.

People have lots of different names for this era of increasing innovation or fourth industrial age, but Pagán says he likes to call it the digital twin mode.

“It simply means that the things we touch physically and tangibly in this world now have a digital twin,” he explained.

Just about every product, good, or service you can think of has a digital twin. Your house, THE WORLD’Srefrigerator, INDUSTRIAL AGES car, smartphone, washing machine, and even your box1784 of cereal all have digital Industrial Revolution representations.

Industrial Revolution 1 1 companies Steam, water,are mechanical “The that going to be around production equipment in the next 10 years are those that will be able to build out a digital and tangible strategy,” Industrial Pagán said. S Revolution

4th Industrial Age or Digital Twin Mode Ye a r 1 7 8 4 Ye a r 1 9 6 9

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2

Industrial Revolution

3

Year 1870

1870

Industrial Revolution 2 Division of labor, electricity, mass production

CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 79 1969

Industrial Revolution 3

CAREER OUTLOOK » Recruiting Trends

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

Tomorrow’s

JOBS

What are the careers of the future, and how should you prepare for them?

According to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Outlook paper, “STEM 101: Intro to Tomorrow’s Jobs,” STEM occupations were projected to grow by more than 9 million jobs between 2012 and 2022.

80 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

F

ast-growth occupations include computer systems analysts, applications software developers, and systems software developers.

Jem Pagán is currently the director of technology strategy for JNK Securities, a research and trading firm for institutional investment organizations in New York City.

JNK research on trends in digital transformation shows that mobility, cyber security, data-driven processes and decisions, the Internet of Things, and autonomous driving are changing the STEM fields.

Many science, technology, and engineering fields involve change, but how are careers going to change? Which careers are going to be hot by the time the next generation of STEM graduates hit the streets?

“Those questions drove the list of my 10 top careers in the next decade,” Pagán said. “I think my research demonstrates a lot of adoption is taking place right now and for the next seven years.”

www.blackengineer.com

Recruiting Trends » CAREER OUTLOOK

up new opportunities for professionals and new STEM graduates to think outside the box.

“There’s a skill sets gap and a shortage of qualified professionals because they’re no longer confined to specialized areas,” Pagán added.

“The digital transformation has become an opportunity for qualified and available STEM professionals to take advantage of,” he noted.

Top Careers in the Next Decade Data Scientist Computer Scientist Mathematician Business Process Analyst Wireless Communication Semiconductor/Sensor Developer Gaming Augmented Reality Robotics Nanotechnology

“Almost every activity we take online is digitized and tracked,” said Jake Porway, former New York Times data scientist and now CEO of DataKind, at a recent SAS Global Forum keynote.

“Almost every interaction we now have with our world or between each other takes place with a digital interface in between, something that creates data…data that allows us to see things we’ve never seen before,” Porway pointed out.

Once mobile devices gave us access to location, businesses had a better story on geolocation, demographics, and the in-car experience, Pagán said.

Using data to market products to different demographics has opened

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How can you prepare for those hot jobs of the future?

STEM is key. All workers use their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, or math to try to understand how the world works and to solve problems.

Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ description of science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM fields are closely related and build on each other.

For example, math provides the foundation for physics—and physics, in turn, for engineering. Engineers can apply their knowledge of physics to make devices that are useful for testing theories. Advances in physics may then lead to advances in engineering and technology.

Experts say every organization has a data scientist. According to some, data science is a continuation of old data analysis fields such as statistics, data mining, and predictive analytics.

In the last decade, the job of extracting knowledge from data has focused on information, statistics, business analysis, data development and data engineering, and computer science.

Computer scientists find new ways to use technology. They study and solve complex problems in computing for medicine, science, and business.

Business analysts may be involved in everything from creating the enterprise architecture to defining the requirements for programs and projects or supporting improvement in technology and processes.

The International Institute for Business Analysis (IIBA) says job titles for business analysis practitioners include business analyst, business systems analyst, systems analyst, requirements engineer, process analyst, product manager, product owner, enterprise analyst, business architect, management consultant, business intelligence analyst, data scientist, and more.

According to the IIBA, other jobs, such as management, project management, product management, software development, quality assurance, and interaction design, rely heavily on business analysis skills for success.

Robotics is part mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science. It deals with the design, construction, operation, and application of automated machines or robots as well as computer systems.

To learn more about real-life data science and other hot jobs, we looked at what some Women of Color awardwinning professionals do in a digital world. S

CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 81

CAREER OUTLOOK » HBCU Innovation Winners

Promoting Change and Innovation How HBCUs Are Increasing Capacity to Do More Good

F

or the past 30 years, there has been the HBCU U.S. students who attend their institutions. Because they’re Deans Council of Engineering, which has been U.S. citizens, those students could be eligible to work in the comprised of the deans of the 15 ABET-accredited government or work, for example, for the Department of HBCUs. In several Defense contractors more than some discussions with Dean Eugene majority institutions. This presents a DeLoatch, I thought about how great opportunity for HBCUs. There Let’s say a drug company is looking to raise the Council up to a more is a need that can be filled, and the executive level. Above the deans, Vice for help with presenting the packing HBCUs can fill it. That’s why the President (VP) level executives build VPs have to be in the dialogue; they strategies and imagine how different of our embedded computer systems. can begin building those strategic entities and areas can work together. I surely envision the industry coming partnerships.

I had an idea two years ago to This forum is about HBCUs to Dr. Kevin Kornegay, who is doing bring five VPs for research together becoming leaders in the business from what I consider the top five of research. That research is all work with the Internet of Things HBCUs in terms of research — about creating an eminent cadre of in the School of Engineering. I see Howard University, North Carolina people of color that transforms lives.

A&T State, Florida A&M, Tuskegee, This forum is important because this happening because graduate and Morgan State. One of the things this is where America’s executives students and graduate faculty are we explored was how HBCUs could can come and engage initially with participate in more of those $65 the university. I’m not suggesting more economical to employ than billion federal opportunities. that we take away the traditional maintaining an in-house public Building research capacity path to university presidents and is critical for student success. As provosts, but oftentimes in the research faculty. you probably know, 90 percent of business of research you want to African-American students do not go talk to an executive who is about to HBCUs. The questions are, what the business of research. The VPs attracts that 10% that does, and how of research are the touch point do we make that number more inclusive? where representatives from GE, IBM, Google, While we have a legacy of being an Facebook, Oracle, etc., can call and talk HBCU, we want to attract Latinos, Caucasians, directly about research and collaborations in international students, you name it. Again, developing technology. This forum creates a people go to school because they want to get corporate portal where many industries can credentials, and they want to gain experience. directly engage. These VPs of research can and From the social experience of meeting different will be that portal. people, to also getting educational and research Victor R. McCrary, BEYA's 2011 Scientist experiences, students want to know that of the Year and the 2004 Emerald Honoree when they get off the stage, there is a job that for Career Achievement in Academia, has is waiting for them because they have been been tapped by the White House to serve exposed to cutting-edge research. as a Member of the National Science Board, Victor R. McCrary HBCUs have a great opportunity here National Science Foundation. S because they have a higher percentage of

82 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

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Advancing Minorities’ Interests in Engineering

Congratulations DR. Eugene DeLoatch

on your Achievements and historic Black Engineer of the Year Award

www.amiepartnerships.org

HBCU Innovation winners S

cience, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields have some of the top destination careers for people with master’s and doctoral degrees.

The HBCU Innovation winners have master’s and doctoral degrees in the following fields: F BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES F ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY F EPIDEMIOLOGY F INFORMATION SYSTEMS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT F NANOENGINEERING F NANOTECHNOLOGY F PHYSICS, APPLIED PHYSICS, MEDICAL PHYSICS

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Howard University INFORMATION SYSTEMS & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Kamal Nayan Agarwal, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Information Systems & Supply Chain Management Dr. Kamal Agarwal joined the Department of Information Systems & Decision Sciences in 2001 after serving as a management information systems manager at Cornet Technology, Inc., Springfield, VA, and director at Rockman Cycle Industry of Hero Group, India. His primary research areas of interest include information systems, network and Internet security, web security, information assurance, e-commerce and e-business, and other areas in information systems. Along with his research papers, Agarwal has also published a book on information systems and delivered a keynote address on information security at INFOTECH, which was organized by the University of Mauritius and National Computer Board. He has taught network/Internet security management, e-commerce, data and network communications, and management information systems (graduate).

Agarwal holds a Ph.D. in business administration qualified in information systems; an MS in philosophy in business administration from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, India; an MS in computer systems management from the University of Maryland, University College, MD; an MBA in computer systems management; a BBA in business management from Banaras Hindu University, India; and a diploma in computer science from I.I.C.M., Ahemdabad, India, along with a Professional MCSE Training Program.

Morgan State University EPIDEMIOLOGY Dr. Farin Kamangar Professor, ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research Dr. Farin Kamangar has served as the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-PI of several epidemiological studies. Epidemiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.

One of Dr. Kamangar’s landmark studies is the study of over 50,000 individuals in northern Iran, aimed at studying the risk factors of chronic diseases such as cancer. Over the years, Dr. Kamangar has collaborated with researchers www.blackengineer.com

HBCU Innovation Winners » CAREER OUTLOOK

at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, among others. Dr. Kamangar has taught from high school to the doctoral level, with significant experience in teaching and mentoring minority students. He has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles, many in top-tier journals, that have received over 10,000 citations. Dr. Kamangar was one of the founding members and instructors in the Students’ Research Center at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences and served as a national trainer for creating new chapters in other Iranian universities. He used this experience to receive a large grant ($23 million) from the National Institutes of Health to train young students from underrepresented backgrounds to become future leaders in biomedical research. Dr. Kamangar has received several awards for his research and training accomplishments, including the National Institutes of Health Merit Award and the National Cancer Institute’s Director’s Innovation Award.

North Carolina A&T University NANOENGINEERING Dr. Ajit D. Kelkar Professor and Chair, Nano Engineering Dr. Ajit D. Kelkar is a professor and chair of the nanoengineering department at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering. He also serves as an associate director for the Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures. For the past twenty-five years, he has been working in the area of performance evaluation and modeling of polymeric composites and ceramic matrix composites. Presently he is involved in the reengineering of several H-46 and H-47 helicopter components for Naval Air Systems Command. In the past, he has worked on the onestep processing of Composite Armored Vehicle in consortium with University of Delaware-CCM and UC San Diego. In the modeling area, he is working on blast simulations for the Humvee vehicles subjected to various TNT blasts loadings and atomistic modeling of polymers embedded with CNTs and alumina nanoparticles. He is also involved in high-velocity impact modeling of ceramic matrix composites and polymeric matrix composites embedded with electro spun nanofibers.

He has worked with federal laboratories in the areas of fatigue, impact, and finite element modeling of woven composites, including for the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, NASA-Langley Research Center, National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has collaborated with Rice University, Texas A&M University, Tuskegee University, Air Force Institute of Technology, University of Dayton, Florida State University, Prairie View A&M University, University of Delaware, Texas State University, University of Minnesota, and University of California, San Diego.

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NANOTECHNOLOGY Dr. Jagannathan “Jag” Sankar Distinguished Professor/ERC Director Advanced materials and nano-scale science and engineering are expected to impact the human race through next-generation technology, ranging from structural materials to smart structures and from microelectronics to medicine. Some of the areas, such as nano-engineered structural materials, biomaterials, fuel cells, nano-coatings, nano-catalysts, membranes, novel sensor materials, and biologically inspired materials, developed under the leadership of Dr. Sankar are already playing major roles in energy, nanotechnology, and homeland security issues. Since 2003 Dr. Sankar has been recognized through special congressional appropriations at the Hill to establish and continue nanoscience and technology-based centers dedicated to homeland security. His doctoral research was a pioneering effort in applying fine-scale microscopy to the mechanical property evaluation of weldments. This work has been used by the American Welding Society to determine the health and safety of large structures in the transportation and energy sectors. Dr. Sankar’s energy, enthusiasm, and tireless efforts over the past 24 years have resulted in the Center for Composite Materials Research in 1988 and the NSFfunded Center for Research Excellence in Science. In 2003 he established the Army’s Center for Multifunctional Materials for Homeland Security, and in 2004 he established the Center for Nanoscience and Nanomaterials for the Navy. He is the site coordinator of the NSF-Nanoscale Science Engineering Center, which is going through the next five-year renewal. He has graduated 30 MS students and 12 Ph.D.s as advisor, and a few as co-advisor, and has mentored more than 40 Ph.D.s and facilitated advanced materials and nanotechnology for many undergraduates, K–12 students, and Guilford and other county school teachers.

North Carolina A&T State University Dr. Elham (Ellie) Fini Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Dr. Elham (Ellie) Fini is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. She is the director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Materials (SIM) lab, which is a state-of-the-art research facility that conducts research on transportation and construction materials. She received her Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 on characterizing interfacial properties of crack sealants. She has been a research affiliate at MIT’s Center for Materials Science and Engineering since 2011 and is currently serving as a Fulbright professor at Aalborg University of Denmark. She has been an invited speaker at Kavli Frontiers of Science at the National Academy of Science, and she also served as a program director for CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017 I USBE&IT 85

CAREER OUTLOOK » HBCU Innovation Winners

the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the summer of 2016. She has been collaborating with multiple professional and scientific societies, federal agencies, and congressional offices, mainly as an academician. To date, she has authored or coauthored 98 research papers. She also published one book and one book chapter in the area of construction materials.

She strongly believes in the interplay between innovation and economic development, and she strives to ensure that her research and educational activities have the potential to promote economic development. She is the inventor of a bio-binder technology and co-founder of a start-up company, Bio-Adhesive Alliance Inc. She invented a unique process to break down pig manure and convert it into an asphalt-binding adhesive. The innovative bio-binder can be used as either a full or partial substitute to standard petroleum-based adhesives.

The aforementioned research on bio-adhesive from swine manure was recently featured in a video report commissioned

by NSF mainly because of its positive economic impact. The bio-binder reduces the cost of the storage pits and also reduces the environmental pollution caused by manure odors, prevents spills of millions of gallons of untreated waste into groundwater, and even reduces the amount of CO2 emissions during construction. Dr. Fini received more than $2 million in grants from the National Science Foundation, National Academy of Science, and A&T for her research. Current major research projects at the university include innovations in biomedical engineering and nano-bio applications as well as the development of advanced thermochemical biomass conversion technology. Fini says the creation of bio-binder is in line with the university’s goals of economic development and innovation, as outlined in its Preeminence 2020 strategic plan.

Southern University and A&M College ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY Dr. Rao M. Uppu James and Ruth Smith Endowed Professor of Environmental Toxicology Dr. Rao Uppu is a James and Ruth Smith Endowed Professor of Environmental Toxicology in the College of Sciences and Engineering at Southern UniversityBaton Rouge (SUBR) with adjunct appointments in the Department of Chemistry and the Graduate School.

He is also an adjunct professor 86 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017

of Pathobiological Sciences at the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Uppu’s research interests include analytical methods for biological reactive intermediates, biomarker discovery and validation, cell signaling by “ozone-specific” oxysterols, and biomedical applications of core/shell nano particles. Dr. Uppu carried out his post-doc research in several National Institutes of Healthfunded projects in chemical carcinogenesis and oxidative chemistry/biology at the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at University of Nebraska Medical Center (Omaha, NE) and the Biodynamic Institute at LSU. After a brief stay at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (2000–2001), Dr. Uppu joined SUBR in the spring of 2002 as a tenure-track associate professor and rose to the ranks of a full professor with tenure in 2007. Dr. Uppu has mentored numerous graduate (MS and Ph.D.) students and postdoctoral researchers and has published over 65 articles in peerreviewed journals. He is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (FATS), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS Fellow), Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT), and a member of CyHabs Research Consortium, an international organization dedicated to promoting research cynobacterial on toxins in surface and potable water.

PHYSICS, APPLIED PHYSICS, MEDICAL PHYSICS Dr. Diola Bagayoko Distinguished Professor and Chair of Physics, Chancellor’s Fellow, Director, Timbuktu Academy and MS Program, Assoc. Dir. Dr. Diola Bagayoko is a physics professor and developed most of the courses for the master’s degree in physics at Southern University A&M and most of those for the science/ mathematics education Ph.D. degree program. These course and syllabus developments and enhancements take into account recent research findings as well as standards of graduate schools and of technology industries. In particular, he led the integration of computers, the Internet, and special software products into teaching, mentoring, and learning.

Bagayoko personally supervised the research of an average of six physics majors per year from 1989 to 2001 and served as academic advisor and mentor for five student grand marshals.

They now hold a Ph.D. in physics, are in the U.S. Navy, or are enrolled in medical physics graduate programs or in a physics Ph.D. or applied physics Ph.D. program. Bagayoko established the nationally recognized Timbuktu Academy in 1990–91 with support from the National Science Foundation and the Louisiana Board of Regents. Major funding from the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, expanded the Academy in 1993 to mentor 100 pre-college students per summer as well as 50 college students majoring in physics, engineering, and chemistry and to reach over 5,000 precollege and college students and their parents each year.

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HBCU Innovation Winners » CAREER OUTLOOK

Dr. Guang-Lin Zhao Professor of Physics and Principal Investigator-DOD Project Since 2004 Dr. Zhao has served as a proposal reviewer for the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), a public-private partnership that promotes scientific and technical collaboration through grants, technical resources, and training. CRDF Global was originally named the U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union.

Zhao has taught computational and experimental research since 1997.

He has also served as a Visiting Fellow and Visiting Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, at Princeton University and at the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials. His research focuses on developing a new method for abinitio molecular dynamics simulations for materials research.

As a post-doc fellow, he did research in computations for electronic, structural, and mechanical properties of Al2O3 and Al2O3 (0001)/Cu (111) interface. He successfully solved the anisotropic Eliashberg gap equations using an accurate electronic structure and phonon spectrum for the studies of high Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7.

Tennessee State University BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Dr. Venkataswarup Tiriveedhi Assistant Professor Dr. Venkataswarup Tiriveedhi is a cancer and immunology specialist and assistant professor of biological sciences. He and a group of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis have come up with an experimental vaccine for breast cancer that appears to be safe in preliminary trials. Dr. Tiriveedhi obtained his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Following his post-doctoral work in molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University and also in immunogenetics from Washington University School of Medicine, he currently works as an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at College of Agriculture, Human & Natural Sciences at Tennessee State University. His research interests are the role of cytokines in the development of inflammatory injury mediated carcinogenesis.

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Tennessee State University INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young Chief Research Officer and VP Research & Institutional Advancement Lesia Crumpton-Young received her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University, where she was the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in engineering. She has served on the National Science Foundation (NSF) Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering, the Engineering Advisory Committee, and the U.S. Army Science Board.

She is the founder and former CEO of Powerful Education Technologies, a company dedicated to enhancing the personal and professional development of youth and adults. She is also the creator of the “You’ve Got the Power!” workbook series. Currently, she is working on developing the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence, which will provide research and resources for helping faculty improve performance and productivity. She has coauthored a workbook entitled Advancing Your Faculty Career that is helping faculty members around the country. Also, she is a certified career coach who uses her knowledge and experience to help further the career of STEM faculty throughout the nation. She previously founded the Power Promise Organization, a non-profit entity dedicated to helping students realize the promise of a brighter future. In 2010 she received the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring from President Barack Obama.

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Salutes

DR. EUGENE DELOATCH 2017 Black Engineer of the Year

Nicholas M. Donofrio IBM Fellow Emeritus & EVP Innovation and Technology (Ret.) NMD Consulting, LLC

2017

BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR Dr. Eugene DeLoatch

THANKS FOR YOUR VISION, DEDICATION, LEADERSHIP ...AND SERVICE!!!!

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Dean, College of Engineering Tennessee State University Former Chair, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering Clarence Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering Morgan State University

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