Twenty Years at the Top: Black Engineers of the Year

Chapter 17 Lydia W. Thomas 2003 Black Engineer of the Year THE FOLLOWING ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE 2003 BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS CEREMONY SPEECHES HONORING LYDIA W. THOMAS. THE THEME OF THE CONFERENCE THAT YEAR WAS “STRETCH FOR THE BREAKTHROUGH, SOAR BEYOND THE LIMITS!” Robert Stevens, president and chief operating officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation: Dr. Lydia Thomas has built an extraordinary career based on one simple concept: curiosity about the world we live in. Dr. Thomas has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge about the Earth and its infinite variety of inhabitants. This is what led her to earn her bachelor’s degree in zoology, her master’s degree in microbiology, and her Ph.D. in cytology, which is the study of cells.

It is also what led her to join The MITRE Corporation, where she specialized in the people sciences and environmental issues. As but one example of her many accomplishments in this arena, she led the effort to select the Superfund sites, areas of our country targeted for a much needed clean-up of toxic waste. Her talent and intellect were immediately recognized at MITRE, and after a rapid rise through the management ranks, Dr. Thomas was tapped to lead a spin-off company called Mitretek Systems.

As President and CEO since its inception in 1996, Dr. Thomas has lived the company’s motto, providing innovative technology in the public interest. Now employing more than 700 professionals—60 percent of whom are scientists and engineers with advanced degrees— Mitretek has become a leader in providing research and engineering capabilities that benefit people. Right now, for instance, the company is fully engaged in the application of new and emerging technologies in the areas of criminal justice, health care, environmental and energy sciences, counter-terrorism, toxicology, and homeland security—just to name a few.

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