2019 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | DEANS - VOL. 43, NO. 2

D E AN S IS S U E CO M P L I M E N T S O F

A TRUE

VISIONARY LEADER

Meet NC A&T State University’s Engineering Dean Robin Coger, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Engineering North Carolina A&T State University

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FULL LIST REVEALED USBE&IT Deans Issue 2019 www.blackengineer.com

INSIDE:

Thurgood Marshall College Fund Does More Than Just Scholarships 15 ABET-Accredited HBCU Engineering School Profiles Meet the 2019 BEYA HBCU STEM Innovators Award Winners

Nebiat Abraha IT International Regional Engagement Specialist

Boeing YOUR FUTURE IS BUILT HERE Join a diverse team that is united in pushing the boundaries of imagination and excellence. Come shape the future with us.

boeing.com/careers Boeing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

DO YOUR BEST WORK EVER. At IBM, we believe every individual brings unique skills, perspective and experience to the workplace. We believe that innovation comes from seeking out and embracing diversity in all its dimensions. Consciously building inclusive teams and encouraging diversity of ideas helps us make the greatest impact for our clients, our colleagues and the world. Diversity of thought.

Diversity of colleagues. Do your best work ever. ibm.com/inclusion #inclusiveibm IBM is proud to be a Top Supporter of HBCUs for 14 consecutive years!

@IBMCareersNA

@IBMNAjobs

IBM and its logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. See current list at ibm.com/trademark.

Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. ŠInternational Business Machines Corp. 2018. P32877

Leslieanne Joined IBM 2016

CONTENTS US BLACK ENGINEER & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

COVER STORY 22

Dr. Robin Coger discusses NC A&T’s competitive advantage and the importance of investment and the corporate imperative.

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TOP SUPPORTERS OF HBCUs:

Now in its 17th year, find out who made the 2019 Top Supporters of HBCUs list.

2019 HBCU ENGINEERING DEANS’ ROUNDTABLE:

The Council of HBCU Engineering Deans discusses the current state of engineering.

USBE & Information Technology | DEANS ISSUE 2019

www.blackengineer.com

PUBLISHER'S PAGE VOLUME 43 NUMBER 2

DEPARTMENTS People and Events.............. 6 Exciting highlights of recent promotions, breaking news on HBCU campuses, and major events happening in the STEM community.

One on One ....................... 10 President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Harry L. Williams, discusses corporate partnerships, internships, talent acquisitions, and immersion programs for students.

Education .......................... 14 Morgan State University prepares for takeoff with a new grant from Base 11.

Corporate Life.................... 16

Have you ever wondered how hip-hop and engineering intersect? Raytheon employees help you make the connection.

Career Voices ....................20 How are historically Black colleges and universities building an innovative ecosystem?

Leading Voices...................34

• Jomel Angat - Why I choose to innovate.

• Dr. Joanne Powell - The role of biomedical researchers in combating cancer health disparities.

• Xiamora Calderón-Colón Multifunctional, structured, and porous material for chemical and biological defense.

• Kendall Norris - The real power of relationships: networking and mentoring.

• Jem Pagán - Diversity solutions in the digital transformation era.

Career Outlook..................43

Careers in Engineering • Dual degrees: What is the benefit of having both an engineering and business degree?

• 2019 HBCU ABET-Accredited Engineering School Directory • Meet the 2019 HBCU STEM Innovations Award honorees

ENROLLMENT IN UNDERGRAD ENGINEERING PROGRAMS REACH THE HIGHEST POINT IN 10 YEARS Enrollment in undergraduate engineering programs has reached its highest point in 10 years, according to the recent edition of Engineering by the Numbers published by the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). With 619,095 full-time engineering students in 2017, enrollment saw a 3 percent rise over the prior year and a 54 percent increase over undergraduate enrollment in 2008. ASEE’s new report found that degrees awarded nationwide reached 124,477, also the highest level in 10 years. This is a 10 percent increase over 2016 and a 68 percent gain since 2008.

Mechanical engineering (30,030 degrees), computer science (15,305 degrees), and electrical engineering (12,893 degrees) continue to be popular fields. Forty-seven percent of all undergraduate engineering degrees awarded in 2017 were in these three disciplines, the report said.

Of 305 schools reporting, the top 20 schools that awarded bachelor’s degrees to African Americans included North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University (113), Morgan State University (89), Howard University (82), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) (79), Tuskegee University (75), and Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering (56).

For the first time, the ASEE published a supplementary report that features data reported by “smaller schools.” By their definition, these engineering schools are located at institutions with less than 1,000 degree-seeking students; those with 1,000-2,999 degree-seeking students, and medium-sized institutions with fewer than 5,000 full-time enrolled students. Tuskegee University and Virginia State University are just two of the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) featured. In 2016, Tuskegee topped the list for degrees awarded to faculty.

The 20 colleges with the highest percentage of female faculty included the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Virginia State University (VSU), and Tuskegee. All three HBCUs were also in the list of schools with the highest percentage of faculty who were from groups historically underrepresented in engineering.

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Chief Content Officer

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NOW THE MOST READ BLACK TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE REACHING OVER 100,000 READERS IN THE UNITED STATES, UK, AND SOUTH AFRICA

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SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 13-15, 2020 Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel • Washington, DC

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The

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EXECUTIVE OFFICE Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and Chief Content Officer Jean Hamilton, President and CFO Alex Venetta, Associate Publisher, Manager of Partner Services Eric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and Professional Training EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rayondon Kennedy, Managing 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 Beverly Wladkowski, Art Director Bryan Davis, Digital Director Rachael DeVore, Digital Channel Manager Joe Weaver, Global Design Interactive CORPORATE AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, CCG Alumni Committee Chair and President Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Chairman, BEYA Alumni Group Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, USN (Ret.) National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni Oliver “Bo” Leslie, (Ret.) Program Manager, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions, Boeing Monica E. Emerson, Women of Color STEM Conference National Chair Matt Bowman, CCG Military Program Manager, Stars & Stripes Committee; Executive Director/Chief of Staff for VADM Walt Davis, USN (Ret.) Ty Taborn, Corporate Development SALES AND MARKETING Gwendolyn Bethea, Vice President, Corporate Development Sheri Hewson, Account Executive Kameron Nelson, Account Executive Jay Albritton, Social Media Manager JOBMATCH AND STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Ashley Turner, Recruitment Team Manager Courtney Taborn, Talent Management Specialist Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations Shelia Richburg, College Coordinator CONFERENCE AND EVENTS Ana Bertrand, Conference Coordinator Jennifer Roberts, Customer Success Manager Brandon Newby, Administrative Assistant Toni Robinson, 360 MMG Rutherford & Associates 17304 Preston Rd Suite 1020 Dallas, TX 75252 ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE

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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. US Black Engineer & Information Technology cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. This publication is bulk-mailed to 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 © 2019 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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PEOPLE & EVENTS Compiled by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

ENGINEERING DEANS ON THE MOVE, HBCUs IN SILICON VALLEY TECH EXCHANGE PROGRAM Dr. Craig Scott, an engineering

professor and department chair, is currently serving as interim dean for the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State University.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Howard University, a master’s degree at Cornell University, followed by a Ph.D. at Howard University. Dr. Scott’s research interests include network security, intrusion detection, visual analytics, and computer vision.

Dr. Pamela Holland Obiomon, professor in the Prairie View A&M University College of Engineering, was appointed dean of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, effective September 1. Obiomon has been a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering since 2003. In 2013, she took on the role of department head. Under her guidance, the department was awarded $20 million in grants from the chancellor’s research initiative, which supported several centers including the Cyber Security Research Center.

Dr. Victor R. McCrary is now vice president for research and graduate programs at the University of the District of Columbia. Recently, he served as vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and before that as the first vice president for research and economic development at Morgan State University.

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Morgan State and Tennessee State move up to ‘high research’ classification The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has moved Morgan State University from a moderate research classification of R3 (a ranking it’s held since 2006) to an elevated classification of R2, a status reserved for doctoral universities with high research activity.

Tennessee State University was also designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R2. The university supports faculty and students by taking their ideas from conception to fruition in critical areas such as biotechnology, nanomaterials, health sciences, astrophysics, business, and engineering. www.blackengineer.com

Events September 3-5 Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) Annual Conference Newport News Marriott at Center City Newport News, VA www.amiepartnerships.org

October 3-5 Women of Color STEM Conference HBCUs join Google’s Groundbreaking Tech Exchange program in Silicon Valley In addition to Howard University, other universities participating in the Tech Exchange program include Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Dillard University, Spelman College, and Florida A&M University (FAMU).

Five FAMU students pursuing computer science degrees in the College of Science and Technology will spend a year gaining experience at Google. The selected students are Tabia Cannon, Cornelius Cook, Christopher Griffin, Jonathan McKinley, and Garrett Tolbert.

FAMU Computer and Information Sciences Professor Clement Allen was

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Silicon Valley, San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California

selected to accompany the students and offer courses to all students enrolled in the program. Throughout the year, students will take a selection of applied computer science courses, including machine learning, product management, computational theory, and database systems.

The five Morgan students participating in the program are from the School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. They are Demetrius Robinson (senior), Morgan Whittaker (senior), Sarah Cooper (senior), Joshua Smith (junior), and Michael McDonald (junior).

All five are computer science majors, and except for Robinson, all will study at Google for two semesters. S

Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center Detroit, MI www.womenofcolor.net

February 13-15, 2020 BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference Washington Marriott Wardman Park Washington, D.C. www.beya.org

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All rights reserved.

ONE ON ONE

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND DOES MORE THAN SCHOLARSHIPS Officials with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund take a multi-pronged approach to ensure students get into college, earn their degrees, and have opportunities to meet recruiters.

T

he Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) was started in 1987

by Joyce Payne, who wanted to provide a lifeline to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as well as schools that started as majoritywhite but have become majorityBlack. Payne recognized that financial resources were drying up for these schools and they needed help to retain students and make sure they graduate.

During his eight-year tenure leading Delaware State University, Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the TMCF since 2017, proved to be a prolific fundraiser, passionate advocate, and strategic planner. He increased student enrollment every year and established partnerships with government and private organizations resulting in several multi-million-dollar grants and campus investments.

Williams said he’s proud that the fund has given out more than $300 million in scholarships over the years. Last year it awarded $10 million to more than 500 students, including “last dollar” award

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scholarships of up to $2,000 to help students who were close to graduation.

“Many get to their senior year and run out of money,” said Williams, adding that corporate partners such as Lowe’s contribute to these scholarships, which can be the difference between a student graduating or dropping out.

“Support is critical,” said Williams.

“A lot of these corporations are in our communities, use resources in our communities. Most have a social responsibility to give back.”

He cited Walmart, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, and Boeing as some of the companies that TMCF works with on an ongoing basis.

Internships, talent acquisition, and immersion programs Scholarships help young people on their path to academic achievement and professional careers. However, Williams stressed the importance of the fund’s other efforts, such as its internship and immersion programs.

These programs prepare students in ways that aren’t covered in classrooms and through books, he said.

“That’s the key to success,” said Williams. “Internships allow companies to create a pipeline for diversity.”

Each October, more than 100 Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies take part in TMCF’s Leadership Institute, a four-day national program that aims to develop the student-attendees’ leadership skills, provide employers access to overlooked diverse talent, and help students make connections that lead to “good” jobs. Some 400 students from HBCUs attended in 2018.

The fund has talent acquisition teams

that visit colleges to identify promising students chosen to attend the institute.

Students are coached over a year so that they are prepared to impress and guaranteed to leave the four-day event with multiple job offers or internships.

“It’s all about getting them ready to be successful,” Williams said. “A lot of kids are the first in their family to go to college, first in their family to go into a corporation. If you don’t understand the ‘nonverbal,’ you could be locked out. We educate them on the dos and don’ts,” he said.

TMCF also has immersion programs to acquaint students with what to expect as interns.

Feedback from the fund’s corporate and government partners indicating that many of the young people were “just not ready” led to the creation of the program, Williams explained. The program emphasizes soft skills such as interacting and socializing in the workplace.

This spring, 36 students from the fund spent a week at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, CA, before their paid summer internships with the tech giant.

First-year students and junior and senior college students will spend time at Boeing facilities in St. Louis, MO, and Charleston, SC before the internships this summer.

“There’s a spirit of cooperation and people helping these young people transition into this new space,” Williams said.

A native of Greenville, NC, Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in communication broadcasting and a master’s degree in educational media, both from Appalachian State University.

He earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis from East Tennessee State University. S

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Harry L. Williams, President & CEO, The Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Each October, more than 100 Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies take part in TMCF’s Leadership Institute, a four-day national program that aims to develop the studentattendees’ leadership skills, provide employers access to overlooked diverse talent, and help students make connections that lead to “good” jobs. Some 400 students from HBCUs attended in 2018.

Students at a recent TMCF Leadership Institute, a 4-day program that aims to provide employers from Fortune 500 companies and government agencies access to top talent. (Photo courtesy of Thurgood Marshall College Fund).

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EDUCATION

by Lango Deen editors@ccgmag.com

MORGAN STATE EYES THE SKIES! University wins $1.6 million Base 11 grant to advance space innovation At a very special ceremony held during Black History Month, former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin was on hand to present a $1.6 million check. The generous grant will fund a new liquid-fuel rocketry lab at Morgan State, as well as the recruitment and hiring of an aerospace faculty leader to create a liquid fuel rocketry program.

Morgan State aims to launch a liquid fuel rocket that reaches 150,000 feet by 2022.

“I

am excited to see this generation of students getting hands-on experience in rocket technology, and I encourage Morgan State students to seize this opportunity to reach for the stars,” said Melvin, a veteran of two space shuttle missions. “We want to ensure that the next generation of space innovators is just as diverse as America.”

Projected to become a $2.7 trillion sector, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the fast-growing industry still faces challenges in recruiting a diverse workforce.

During the review process, Leland was joined by representatives from Dassault Systèmes, a European software company, Blue Origin, LLC, founded

by Jeff Bezos; Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX), Sigma Pi Phi, the oldest African-American fraternity, and the nonprofit Base 11.

Base 11 chairman and CEO Landon Taylor said proposals for the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Aerospace Workforce and Leadership Development Grant were impressive.

Morgan State was among eight HBCUs that put in proposals when the grant was announced. Base 11, which focuses on increasing diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, first entered the world of student rocketry in 2018.

“Morgan State is well positioned to leverage their resources, faculty expertise, and industry partners to launch a successful and sustainable rocketry program that brings hands-on, experiential learning to students,” Taylor said.

David Wilson, president of Morgan State, said the university was honored.

“At Morgan, we encourage our students to aim for the stars, and with the launch of this program, we can provide them

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“Morgan State is well positioned to leverage their resources, faculty expertise, and industry partners to launch a successful and sustainable rocketry program that brings handson, experiential learning to students,” Taylor said.

with the resources to take on that challenge,” Dr. Wilson added.

Morgan State hopes to join forces with one of the teams competing in the Base 11 Space Challenge and build a winning rocket. The challenge attracted entries from 32 teams from across the U.S. and Canada.

Dr. Willie E. May, vice president of research and economic development at Morgan State, said the grant would bring together a cross-disciplinary team of faculty and external collaborators to develop and prepare our students for future opportunities in the commercial aerospace industry.

“While many universities have rocketry teams where students gain handson experience, what we’ve seen is that the number of women and

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Pictured left to right: Base 11 Chairman and CEO Landon Taylor, David Wilson, president of Morgan State University, former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, and Dr. Willie E. May, vice president of research and economic development at Morgan State University.

underrepresented ethnicities on those teams remains quite low,” said Base 11’s Taylor. “That’s why this grant to Morgan State is so exciting.” S

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Digital Connection: Read the Full Article

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CORPORATE LIFE

by Christopher Zacher editors@ccgmag.com

LEADERSHIP IN THE AGE OF HIP-HOP

I

n a seminar entitled “Leadership in the Age of Hip-Hop” held at the 2019 BEYA STEM Conference, three Raytheon Company executives talked about how hip-hop music and engineering intersect. They discussed why the genre is relevant for culturally aware engineers and how they apply its philosophies.

confidence,” said Alana Murphy, a 17-year Raytheon employee, who is currently director of mission assurance. “If I’m driving to a meeting in the morning after I’ve worked all night, I put on my Cardi B or my Drake. It helps me get in my zone.”

From young programmers to executives, many professionals draw inspiration from hip-hop. The career paths of rap stars like Jay-Z and Dr. Dre act as roadmaps for young and old.

“There’s a lot of pressure,” Murphy said, reflecting on the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) landscape. “Regardless of where you are, from school up to the executive level, there’s pressure. So hip-hop, the

“For me, hip-hop is all about

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Confidence is an important quality for any professional. It’s particularly valuable in a competitive technology industry.

Carol Wooden, Director, Supplier Diversity, Raytheon Company

confidence, the motivation, the ‘you got this’ mentality—all of that stuff keeps me going.”

Of course, successful engineers must maintain confidence over a lifetime, as difficult as that may be. For young employees to move up the ladder, they must keep a positive outlook even as challenges present themselves. Like the blues, hip-hop is about overcoming adversity and persevering through difficult times.

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“There’s a lot of pressure,” Murphy said, reflecting on the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) landscape.

“Regardless of where you are, from school up to the executive level, there’s pressure. So hiphop, the confidence, the motivation, the ‘you got this’ mentality—all of that stuff keeps me going.”

According to Carol Wooden, a supplier diversity director, this is one of the best takeaways.

“Success doesn’t happen overnight,” she says, “It takes grit, grind, and hard work to make it happen. You have to consistently drive for success and be patient.”

Trevor Dunwell, a missile systems director, agrees. “Roadblocks are good things,” he told the young engineers in attendance. “When I look back [at my career], I realize that I had to hit the stumbling blocks to grow and be ready for the opportunities I was given.”

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Hip-hop has the potential to redefine how a person thinks about failure.

“People view failure as a bad thing,” he said, “but it’s not. Failure is an opportunity to learn something else to accomplish the greater goal.”

With a combined work experience of nearly half a century, the panelists understand that engineers must be willing to grow and evolve as they move upwards in their careers. This is a quality that each of them shares with the most successful names in hip-hop.

“Look at Jay-Z,” Dunwell said. “When he stopped receiving checks and started signing them, he had to change the way he approached his job. He was in jeans, Tims (Timberland boots), and hoodies.

Now he’s in suits. We all have to make those changes.”

Wooden pointed out that evolution and growth are central to hip-hop. During its five decades of existence, the music has morphed to reflect the world around it.

“Your leadership style has to change, as well,” she advises, “It has to evolve based on your team, based on the situation that you’re facing at any given time.”

Olu Bolden (left), IIS Expert Development Lead, Raytheon Company

The panelists stressed that no matter how extravagant a rapper’s life seems, there’s always a strong work ethic underneath. Although we may be accustomed to seeing social media photos of rappers in fancy cars and expensive clothing, we must remind ourselves of the hard work and sacrifice that went into acquiring those things.

As industry veterans, the panelists understand this only too well. “I have more hard days than it may look from the outside,” Murphy said, dispelling the myth that an easy life comes with success. “It’s not always pretty, but you just have to keep pushing.”

“Every day isn’t glamorous,” Wooden says, invoking the message from Cardi B’s anthem “Get Up 10” (“Knock me down nine times, but I get up 10”).

“You’re going to make mistakes, and you’re going to fail,” she told the audience, “But you show your true character by getting up and bouncing back.” S

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Jelyn’s Oracle career started as part of the June 2017 Class Of program in Austin, Texas, where she began working as a customer success manager. She attended a Historically Black College and University, Clark Atlanta University (CAU), studying mass media.

From the very beginning, Jelyn leveraged her media skills and led a few cool initiatives and activities. “I created a monthly hub newsletter that highlighted the people and accomplishments inside of the Oracle Austin CSM hub. This was my way of getting to know everyone and making work more ’fun.’” The newsletter was such a success that her leadership took notice and expanded it across other hubs. She added, “I also was interviewed and featured in the diversity and talent acquisition Class Of recruitment video.”

As time went on at Oracle, Jelyn realized that she wanted to have more face-to-face client engagement, so she transferred into North American Applications Consulting (NAAC) first as a customer experience (CX) cloud analyst and now in her current role as cloud analyst in the change navigation (change management) practice.

Jelyn’s middle class, blue-collared, Christian family upbringing in Chicago helped her “refine and polish” her voice while learning what it meant to be a proud black woman. She attended a predominately white, all girls, and Catholic high school. And throughout her years in high school, she learned what it felt like to be the only black person in a room.

Additionally, she learned to not allow that to deter her from having a voice and participating in school activities. In fact, “I was an on–air radio personality for one of the top radio stations in the Chicagoland area.”

It was during her senior year of high school that she decided that she wanted to attend a Historically Black College and University and decided on CAU. It was there where she began to expand her network and found herself continuously immersed in black excellence.

“I am passionate about people and purpose,” Jelyn added. She is energized when she is in a position to help others succeed and/or find their purpose. “I love networking and connecting other people. I like to think of myself as an advocate for all.”

Asked about her diversity and inclusion philosophy, Jelyn said, “When cultivating diverse and inclusive spaces, one must ensure they are safe, respectful, and supportive environments.” Additionally, she believes it’s important to understand, educate, and celebrate the intersectionality of diversity and inclusion. An intersectional approach that reaches all facets of life is often more fruitful. Put another way, the very act of naming or categorizing group identities has the paradoxical effect of excluding or downplaying other intersecting identities of the individual members of that group.

We are proud to have Jelyn as a part of the Oracle family.

Throughout her career journey, Jelyn compiled five principles for achieving success.

1. Be authentic: I am a firm believer in embracing all aspects of people, including weaknesses and quirks. When being authentic you must be vulnerable, humble, honest, and willing to let go of the perfect image.

2. Be directionally accurate: This is something I learned from an Oracle executive. I’ve had people tell me that I come off as if I have everything figured out and I am quick to laugh and dispute that statement. Sometimes we focus so much on having the perfect plan that we stand in the way of our own progress.

3. Listen to understand rather than to respond: The key to success in any relationship is good communication, but most of us are not taught the fine art of really listening to another person.

Taking the advice to listen to understand instead of to reply is very important in relationships with coworkers, partners, parents, and anyone else in your life.

4. Network: As the old saying goes, “It takes a village…” Expanding your network is ideal when wanting to achieve success. If it wasn’t for my support system (composed of friends, family, and coworkers) I wouldn’t be where I am today.

5. Be an advocate: Support and celebrate those around you. No one likes someone who ALWAYS has their hand out and is focused solely on themselves.

Explore our exciting career opportunities at:

oracle.com/careers Oracle Diversity and Inclusion: Innovating through diverse points of view Oracle is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans status or any other characteristic protected by law.

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CAREER VOICES

by Chistopher Zacher editors@ccgmag.com

HOW HBCUs ARE BUILDING ECOSYSTEMS FOR INNOVATION Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have served key roles in the social and economic development of the United States. They’ve empowered people of color to pursue new and undiscovered paths. They’ve provided an opportunity for students who may not otherwise have access to higher education.

Also, they’ve fostered national conversations around diversity and inclusion.

P

erhaps the most important contributions by HBCUs over the last century pertain to innovation. These colleges and universities graduate thousands of students annually, and many of them go on to work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

As the world’s technological landscape

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is disrupted, schools are required to change. After all, it’s the job of academic institutions to ensure that their students are equipped with the tools they need to thrive and compete when they graduate.

Over the past decade, we’ve seen HBCUs expand their efforts to teach and promote analytical thinking as a skill. We’ve also seen many schools invest in initiatives to encourage innovation. These initiatives have taken the form of new curriculums, state-of-the-art research facilities, and grants for product development and entrepreneurship.

In a recent discussion at the annual 2019 BEYA Conference, four panelists discussed how their institutions are creating innovative ecosystems.

Moderated by Anika Bissahoyo, assistant vice president of research at Bowie State University, the conversation revolved around how HBCUs are fostering creativity and an innovative spirit for the digital age.

Dr. April Massey, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), said that it’s traditionally been much easier to secure funds for biology research than it has been in other fields. Life sciences have a clear and important impact in the medical space, so granting institutions are eager to work with schools on such projects.

Therefore, she was not surprised to find a healthily-funded biology department when she started her deanship a few years back.

“Our biology programs had done very well in terms of extramural funding and partnerships,” she said. “But in the other sciences, we didn’t have any strong states of extramural activity.”

She made it her goal to find funding for the school’s non-biological science

departments as well as its liberal arts and general education programs.

“We wanted to make sure that we contributed to the evolving global requirements for a broadly educated STEM nation,” Dr. Massey said, adding that UDC is contributing to a strong pipeline of diverse STEM experts.

While much of the discussion revolved around preparing students to be hired, some panelists focused on encouraging students to create jobs. Johnetta Bosman Hardy was one of these advocates.

As the executive director of Bowie State University’s Entrepreneurship Academy, Hardy has worked to build an ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurial ventures within the student community. “We’re helping to grow the next generation of entrepreneurs,” she says, “We’re helping students to build business opportunities and to become innovators at every level of a company.”

Like Dr. Massey, much of Hardy’s job involves the procurement of funding investments, which is used to fund student-run companies. “We partner with people not only on campus, but with community organizations, (professional) associations, and venture capitalists,” she said. “These folks help us scale student businesses and provide opportunities. They help to provide the resources that take our students to the next level.”

Other funds go toward investments in faculty, staff, and facilities that allow for experimentation and experiential learning. For example, Bowie State University is constructing a Live and Learn Community Center, a businesscentric facility that includes retail space for student businesses and a Makerspace for manufacturing and development. “We’re creating an www.blackengineer.com

external and internal ecosystem to

external and internal ecosystem to help the next generation produce and contribute to the economy,” she explains.

As HBCUs continue to contribute to America’s global competitiveness, more organizations have begun to provide funding. The National Science Foundation (NSF), for example, has started to advise, mentor, and fund students with potentially profitable ideas. Through the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, they provide grants as large as $100,000 to help students turn their research ideas into products and services.

As Pamela McCauley, program director for I-Corps and professor at the University of Central Florida, points out, programs like this are invaluable.

“We’re teaching them how to use their STEM education to create useful products that benefit society,” she says, “So it not only gets them excited and builds interest in STEM, but it has tremendous economic implications, as well.” S Pictured from top to bottom: Anika Bissahoyo April Massey Johnetta Bosman Hardy Pamela McCauley

Over the past decade, we’ve seen HBCUs expand their efforts to teach and promote analytical thinking as a skill. We’ve also seen many schools invest in initiatives to encourage innovation. These initiatives have taken the form of new curriculums, state-of-the-art research facilities, and grants for product development and entrepreneurship.

Digital Connection: Listen to the full seminar audio

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INVESTMENT and the Corporate Imperative

Dr. Robin N. Coger

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com 22

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DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY

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“ N O R T H C A R O L I N A A & T A N N U A L LY AT T R A C T S O V E R $ 6 4 . 3 M I L L I O N A N N U A L LY. O V E R $ 1 7 M I L L I O N O F T H AT W O R K I S LED BY RESE ARCHER S OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING .”

— Dr. Coger

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University has long been a top producer of engineers.

According to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine’s 2017 college rankings, North Carolina A&T earned the distinction of being the No. 1 producer of AfricanAmerican engineers at the undergraduate level.

“The population of enrolled students at North Carolina A&T for the 20182019 academic year is over 12,000, and our College of Engineering has almost 2,000 of those students,” said Dr. Robin N. Coger, who has served as the dean of the College of Engineering since the summer of 2011. “We are focused on competitiveness.”

Hands-on learning experiences, internships, co-ops, study abroad, technical challenges, and competitions are an integral part of producing the results of the College of Engineering (COE).

“North Carolina A&T annually attracts over $64.3 million. Over $17 million of that work is led by researchers of the College of Engineering,” Dr. Coger said.

For instance, North Carolina A&T is currently one of eight universities involved in a three-year “auto-drive

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competition” co-sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) and General Motors (GM).

Undergraduate and graduate engineering students are transforming a GM electric vehicle into an autonomous one that can navigate urban terrains. Students of the college annually compete in the SAE Baja competitions, and last spring, mechanical engineering students designed an airplane, built it, and then competed.

“That was our SAE Aero team, and they won first in the nation and second in the world last spring in the Design Series West Competition,” Dr. Coger said.

Students across the disciplines of the college seek opportunities to apply their knowledge. The computer science student teams boast victories in hackathons in Charlotte, NC and even one recently hosted at Georgia Institute of Technology.

“Engineering and computer science talent come in many different packages and hues. It is important for the competitiveness of our nation that this reality is understood and leveraged,” Dr. Coger said.

“NC A&T, and universities like us, have proven records of supplying a diverse and well-prepared engineering workforce,” the dean said, stressing the need for deeper investments in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to expand and diversify the nation’s pool of engineering professionals.

The COE at North Carolina A&T has

seven departments–Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering; Chemical, Biological, and Bio Engineering; Computational Science and Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Computer Science—that together offer 10 bachelor’s degrees, eight master’s degrees, and five doctoral degrees.

“We’re focused on cultivating leaders who excel in academics, innovation, and research,” Dr. Coger said.

‘Encouraging the Muscle of Innovation’ Over the past couple of years, engineering faculty, students, and staff have built two Makerspaces in the college. These student-run, studentdesigned spaces give these future professionals places to create and to practice moving ideas from thought to execution.

“Our students are graduating into a work world where the pace of change is rapid,” Dr. Coger said. “We prepare them to leave A&T understanding that it’s their responsibility to know their technical content and be agile life learners, whether their professional targets are corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, or academia.”

Students in her college are also engaged in the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program, which emphasizes five competencies including the importance of multidisciplinary solutions, and the Global USBE & Information Technology | DEANS ISSUE 2019

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“Our students are graduating into a work world where the pace of change is rapid,” Dr. Coger said. “We prepare them to leave A&T understanding that it’s their responsibility to know their technical content and be agile life learners, whether their professional targets are corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, or academia.”

Engineering Leadership Program (GELP), a travel abroad program created by Coger’s advisory board for the college.

“What we deliver at A&T has relevance to the bottom line of business and its disruption,” she said. “As engineers and computer scientists, our solutions have consequences that begin in the technical, but have ripple effects that can be farreaching.”

The dean sees the “three-legged stool of universities, corporate, and government partnerships” as the backbone of the innovation ecosystem.

“The best partners for us are the ones who take time to discover the quality and significance of what our faculty and students produce, and who invest in us, as collaborators, to further advance and expand the work and its capacity because of its benefits to their companies,” she said.

As chair of the Council of Engineering Deans at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Dr. Coger leads the organization of the 15 HBCU deans with ABET-accredited engineering programs.

The council meets regularly to share information and work together in 24

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leveraging each other’s strengths.

Capitalizing on the strengths of North Carolina A&T and the other schools associated with the council is essential, adds Coger. “Our universities are outstanding in producing significantly more Black engineers for the nation than much larger institutions. If diverse thought is valued, a proportional investment in our universities, including the research of our universities, must be prioritized for U.S. competitiveness,” Dr. Coger said. “In Asia, over 50 percent of their students are pursuing engineering; in the U.S., the number is still less than 5 percent. Without win-win partnering, our nation’s ability to produce the engineers it needs will continue to be eclipsed by other countries.”

The research strengths of North Carolina A&T’s COE includes cybersecurity and network operations, multiscale materials development and analysis, energy sustainability, healthcare applications, and aerospace and transportation systems.

“Our researchers are very effective in engineering new solutions of value to multiple applications,” says Coger, “and

the opportunities and synergies we see for the future continue to increase.”

One of North Carolina A&T’s research teams is working on Department of Defense-funded research focused on “swarming” fleets of autonomous vehicles, ensuring their effectiveness and functionality in adverse situations.

Another team is working at the intersection where supply chain and logistics meet humanitarian efforts. In work funded by the National Science Foundation, this group is using computational data analytics to improve strategies for hunger relief and food security.

“North Carolina A&T has a proven and longstanding record of producing strong engineering and computer science graduates,” Dr. Coger said. “I am confident in the abilities of our faculty, staff, and students—and the graduates we produce—to respond to the tough challenges of our time. Our win-win partnerships with government agencies and corporations are not optional; they are necessary. We are looking forward to their continued growth and sustainability.” S

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USBE_8.125x10.875.indd 1

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TOP SUPPORTERS OF HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ENGINEERING SCHOOLS The Higher Education Act of

WHY ARE HBCUs IMPORTANT?

1965, as amended, defines

Every president since Ronald Reagan established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities has set into motion a government-wide effort to strengthen our nation’s HBCUs. Below are some of the greatest achievements starting with the most recent:

a historically Black college or university (HBCU) as “...any historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary (of Education) to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation.”

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President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13779 on Feb. 28, 2017.

This executive order strengthens the capacity of HBCUs to provide equitable opportunities for HBCUs to participate in federal programs and increase the number of college-educated Americans who feel empowered and able to advance the common good at home and abroad.

President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13532 on Feb. 26, 2010 to strengthen the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education.

President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13256 on Feb. 12, 2002.

This executive order transferred the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to the Office of the Secretary within the U.S. Department of Education. Previously, the White House Initiative was housed in the Department’s Office of Postsecondary Education.

President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 12876 in 1993. This executive order required that a senior-level executive in each agency has oversight in implementing the order and that the Office of Management and Budget be involved in monitoring implementation of the order.

President George H.W. Bush signed Executive Order 12677 in 1989.

This executive order established a Presidential Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities to advise the president and the secretary of education on methods, programs, and strategies to strengthen these valued institutions.

President Ronald Reagan, under Executive Order 12320 in 1981, established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which expanded the previous program and set into motion a government-wide effort to strengthen our nation’s HBCUs.

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HOW HBCUs HAVE CHANGED LIVES Howard University has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars, and 22 Pickering Fellows. In 2018, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Howard University School of Business No. 38 out of 124 MBA programs across the Asia-Pacific region, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. in its Global Business School Rankings.

WHAT BENEFIT DO EMPLOYERS GET FOR SUPPORTING HBCUs? HBCUs offer all students, regardless of race, an opportunity to develop their skills and talents. These institutions train young people who go on to serve as entrepreneurs and in professions in the public and private sectors. The 15 ABETaccredited HBCU engineering schools only make up less than 3 percent of the engineering schools across the United States, but they produce 30 percent of African-American engineering bachelor’s degree graduates annually.

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) earned the designation as a “Top Ten MilitaryFriendly School” for 2019-2020. The military-fiendly designation is the highest recognition that colleges and universities can earn. Active duty, 28

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veterans, and dependents of veterans have identified biology, computer science, engineering, and environmental science as some of their top 10 degrees of choice.

2019 TOP SUPPORTERS OF HBCU ENGINEERING US Black Engineer magazine’s “Top Supporters of HBCU Engineering” list surveys the deans of the 15 ABETaccredited HBCU engineering programs and the corporate-academic alliance Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE). AMIE’s purpose is to facilitate partnerships between corporations and government agencies, and one or more of the HBCU engineering schools. The Top Supporters of HBCU Engineering help to build America’s pipeline by investing in research and other pipeline development programs on campus. Corporate and academic partnerships include scholarships, student internships, co-ops,

Executives from Lockheed Martin Corporation, the #1 supporter of HBCU Engineering Schools, are pictured with the deans of ABET-accredited engineering schools at historically Black colleges and universities at the BEYA STEM Conference

and full-time job opportunities. They also include exchange programs, student projects, professional development, design competitions, research collaborations, corporate advisors, equipment donation, financial donations, and much more.

Digital Connection https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=krnsJTU_ miI&feature=youtu.be

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Below is the full list of 2019 Top Supporters of HBCU Engineering:

INDUSTRY

1. Lockheed Martin Corporation 2. The Boeing Company 3. Northrop Grumman Corporation 4. IBM Corporation 5. Boston Scientific Corporation 6. Raytheon Company 7. Abbott Laboratories 8. The MITRE Corporation 9. General Motors 10. Intel Corporation

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ADTRAN, Inc. Aerojet Rocketdyne, Inc. Altria Group, Inc. Apple Inc. Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Chevron Corporation Corning Incorporated Dell Technologies Inc. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited DENSO Corporation Dominion Energy, Inc. DowDuPont, Inc. Elementum Ltd Entergy Corporation Exelon Corporation FedEx Corporation Fifth Third Bank Ford Motor Company General Dynamics Corporations Google LLC Leidos, Inc. Marathon Petroleum Corporation Microsoft Corporation Morningbird Media Corporation

NetApp, Inc. Oracle Corporation Procter & Gamble Company Rolls-Royce Motors Cars Limited Shell International Limited Siemens AG Southwest Airlines Co. Space Application International Company (SAIC) Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Target Corporation Texas Instruments Incorporated United Launch Alliance, LLC Walmart

2019

GOVERNMENT/NONPROFIT 1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

2. National Security Agency (NSA) 3. U.S. Department of Energy 4. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 5. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) 6. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) 7. National Science Foundation (NSF) 8. U.S. Department of Education 9. Sandia National Laboratories 10. U.S. Department of Defense

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Advancing Minorities Interest in Engineering (AMIE) Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, LLC (JHU/APL) National Academy of Engineering (NAE) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Purdue University

United Negro College Fund (UNCF) U.S. Air Force U.S. Army Futures Command U.S. Department of Transportation

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29

THE

HBCU ENGINEERING

THE COUNCIL OF HBCU ENGINEERING DEANS MEET

In many ways, the engineering departments of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are thriving more than ever before.

For evidence, one doesn’t need to look any further than Howard University.

In just two years, the school climbed a record-breaking 66 points on US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools list. This new rank places the school within the top 12 percent of engineering colleges in the United States. However, Howard and other HBCUs continue to face many challenges, even though their students and faculty members outperform themselves year after year.

At the 2019 BEYA STEM Conference, more than a dozen college and university deans came together to talk about the current state of HBCUs. Each panelist highlighted some of their school’s achievements and spoke about the challenges faced by historically Black institutions. The most urgent problem, according to the panelists, is a crisis in funding. Schools simply don’t have the resources to meet the needs of their

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growing student bodies.

“We’re overproducing, and we’re operating at capacity,” says Dr. Chance Glenn, dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences at Alabama A&M. “Funding is not only flat, but diminishing in some places. We’re doing a lot with very little.”

He suggests increased corporate investment as one potential solution.

After all, large technology companies are the ones who ultimately benefit from higher output of skilled engineering graduates.

“Among the companies at this conference, there are billions, if not trillions of dollars represented,” he said, referring to businesses like Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and others with representatives in attendance. “What we need is a collective effort to invest dollars into our institutions so that we can continue to produce excellence.”

Traditionally, public colleges and universities have relied primarily on the state for money. However, as budgets decrease and competition increases, many schools find themselves seeking

funds from outside institutions. One of the ways that schools receive funding is through the allocation of research grants.

As Dr. Pamela Holland Obiomon, dean of the College of Engineering at Prairie View A&M University, explains, many schools turn to grants out of necessity. “We’re being forced to become more researchoriented so that we can support ourselves without relying on the state as much,” she says.

However, building a research institution from the ground up is an expensive undertaking. It requires specialized facilities, experienced research professors, and infrastructure investments. These investments may not leave much money for scholarships and student grants. In addition, researchgranting institutions use strict metrics like average GPA to judge colleges and universities. Thus, these schools may need to exclude low-performing students, no matter what type of potential they show. This, of course, contradicts the philosophy of many HBCUs. Historically, these schools are

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DEANS’ ROUNDTABLE TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF HBCU ENGINEERING known for offering opportunities to students who show promise but lacked enough educational resources earlier in life.

“It requires students to be more prepared as they’re coming in,” Dr. Obiomon says of the research-based funding model. “Prairie View has become very attractive because we have seven outstanding research centers. But, the demographics and the types of people who are applying are changing.”

Dr. Murray Gibson, dean of the College of Engineering at Florida A&M/Florida State, emphasizes that educating the underprivileged is an important role.

It’s one that corporations and other research-funding institutions should support, not punish.

Even if they don’t contribute financially,

he says, corporations could advocate for increased government support of historically Black schools.

“The fact is that it costs more to educate students who need extra help and support,” he says, “It’s so easy to see that they play a critical role, which needs to be supported at the national and state levels. Corporations can help to get that message out.”

He, along with some other panelists, raise the point that the U.S. is in desperate need of engineers. The unmet demand for engineers puts the country at a potential disadvantage in the global economy.

“The percentage of engineers produced in the United States has never been above 5 percent of graduates,” says Dr. Achille Messac, Howard’s former dean

of engineering and architecture. In other countries, as many as 50 percent of college graduates enter the engineering field.

This is quite an alarming statistic, considering the current demand for STEM workers. For example, there are more than 1 million unfulfilled jobs in the cybersecurity industry now. According to a report published in Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be more than 3.5 million unfulfilled positions by 2020.

Therefore, as Dr. Gibson points out, supporting HBCUs is a way to support the national economy. “There’s a human capital need,” he says, “What the HBCU does is train students who might not have an opportunity to go to college elsewhere. That’s critical for the pipeline and shouldn’t be underestimated.”

In this photo, taken at the 2019 BEYA STEM Conference in Washington, D.C., are L-R: Dr. Craig Scott, interim dean of Morgan State University’s Clarence Mitchell School of Engineering, Dr. Heshmat Aglan, dean and professor, College of Engineering, Tuskegee University, Dr. Pamela Holland Obiomon, dean, Prairie View A&M University College of Engineering, Dr. Devdas Shetty, dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Dr. Kate Brown, interim dean and associate professor, School of Business and Technology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Dr. Dawit Haile, interim dean, College of Engineering and Technology, Virginia State University, emcee Michael Ford, Vice-President of Global Diversity and Inclusion, The Boeing Company, Dr. Robin N. Coger, dean, College of Engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, dean emeritus, Morgan State University, and co-founder of the BEYA STEM Conference, emcee Angela Stribling, multimedia entertainer, Dr. Patrick Carriere, dean, College of Sciences and Engineering, Southern University and A&M College, Dr. J. Murray Gibson, dean, Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, Dr. Joyce T. Shirazi, dean, School of Engineering and Technology, Hampton University, Dr. Chance Glenn, dean, College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean, College of Engineering, Tennessee State University, and Dr. Wilbur Walters, dean, College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Jackson State University.

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31

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Jomel Angat, Product Owner, Smart Process Automation & Robotics Center, Fannie Mae

US Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine launched the maiden issue of Leading Voices (LV) in the fall of 2017. Broken up into three or four columns written by inventors, entrepreneurs, and STEM policymakers, the section spotlights the 14 challenges outlined by the National Academy of Engineering, and disruptors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and bioengineering. During its first year, LV has provided perspectives on smart cities, building a weather-ready nation, and where AI is in your future.

An auspicious start for one of USBE Magazine’s newest sections. Leading Voices is available in print and online at www.blackengineer.com

Leading Voices Contributing Editors .........................

Jomel Angat

Product Owner, Smart Process Automation & Robotics Center Fannie Mae

Dr. Joann Powell

Assistant Professor Department of Biological Sciences Clark Atlanta University

Xiomara Calderón-Colón, Ph.D. Materials Scientist The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory

Kendall Norris

Chief Executive Officer Global Leadership Forum

Jem Pagán

President Blusky Consulting

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Why I Choose to Innovate: Disruption and Creativity in the Mortgage Industry in the Age of Emerging Technologies A s a leader in Fannie Mae’s Smart Process Automation and Robotics Center, I am excited about the trajectory on which the company is moving.

However, to understand where we’re going, it is imperative to understand my journey, and where we have been as an organization.

I grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, attended James Madison University, and received an undergraduate degree in philosophy.

After that, I attended George Mason University, where I taught as a professor and worked on a master’s degree.

Around 2001, I joined a technology startup company without even knowing what a tech startup company was. I did everything from building cubes and filling the pantry to eventually working on the development, and then project and program management. I did this for 11 years or so.

Around that time, I realized I needed a challenge. That’s when I decided to join Fannie Mae. When I got there in 2011, it felt like I had stepped into a time machine.

Everyone used technologies that I had thought were long extinct. There were acronyms I didn’t understand, and they used archaic words like “mainframe” and “waterfall.”

Fast forward to today, and the company has transformed. I can confidently say, as a representative of the company, that Fannie Mae is now a first-class, innovative technology company. And, I’m proud to say that we have adopted and embraced a culture of innovation, and we have embraced change as a constant. We adopted a startup culture that is bound by the philosophy that good ideas can come from anywhere. They are not constrained by the walls of a cubicle, office, role, or position. We firmly believe good ideas can give everyone a voice.

As an organization, Fannie Mae has institutionalized enterprise innovation.

We have teams that work with fintech to make sure we are not seen as laggards of the industry. It is no longer foreign to hear verbiage such as “hackathons” and “shark tanks” in our daily conversations.

Our purpose for most corporate events now centers on creating a backbone of innovation within the company that is committed to disruption and creativity.

One of the first projects I worked on involved creating robotics process automation, or RPA. It’s a process that emulates what a user does on the front end of a process. Think of it as a recording, if you will, but more advanced and industrialized. We automated a process that typically took 80 to 100 hours a month of manual labor. We successfully whittled the process time down to five minutes! We understood then the value of what this automation could bring with only one process. With our automation, processes could run faster, more efficiently, and with less risk. We began promoting our work and creating demonstrations at road shows.

Soon after that, everyone in the company wanted a robot!

Next, we built a Center of Excellence.

We wanted to make sure we had just enough governance for the technology to get diffused. The company established a design authority for consistency and standards and made sure we identified first-class training for everyone who wanted to utilize automation. We adopted the benefits of our intelligent automationoperating model.

When we first created RPA, we realized how it could become a foundation for other technologies, so we institutionalized ways that we could experiment far more by looking at different emerging technologies and how they could connect

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Leading Voices to RPA. We called this “RPA Plus.” From the Internet of Things to virtual assistants, our engineers experimented with all walks of innovation. We had shark tanks where people connected Alexa-enabled Amazon devices to robots to help them do things at work. As an organization, we discovered digital process automation, a low-code platform that helps democratize the applications in software so users would not necessarily need a computer science degree to use it.

Fannie Mae also took huge leaps with artificial intelligence (AI). AI is an umbrella term that means many things to many people. At our company, it involves technologies such as computer vision or the ability for a computer to understand what it is looking at and interpret the messages it receives. It includes natural language understanding, processing, and generation. It also includes computers being able to understand the conversation, both within email and recordings, and understanding context and how to respond. It also involves machine learning, as well as being able to see and predict new analytics to get better insights. Emerging technologies, combined with RPA, allowed us to create this foundation for further advances in our technology.

So, what does AI mean for Fannie Mae moving forward? It’s a chance for us to continue to be competitive, as AI has a growing relevance for financial services companies. I don’t think there is a financial services company that isn’t exploring AI experiments. The core of our business will benefit greatly from advances in AI. As we continue to talk further and learn more about AI, we constantly discover new and innovative use cases across the enterprise, from human resources and production support to facilities. We understand that data is essential (and Fannie Mae has a great deal of data). We will be able to use that to create our trajectory along our AI journey.

We at Fannie Mae continue to discuss partnerships that will allow us to leverage lessons already learned, so we don’t have to recreate the wheel. And, we continue

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to encourage experimenting and testing hypotheses. This is important because many people think experiments equal potential failure and wasted time. Fannie Mae does not promote failure as a bad thing, necessarily. If we fail, we know we should fail fast, learn, and continue to evolve as an organization.

AI in financial services can include tasks like risk modeling. It will allow us to look at larger sets of data so that we can have better models. For assessment tasks like considering credit risks, we may be able to have better insights. For customer service, we will be able to provide new insights, anticipate customer issues, and answer them more quickly. With fraud detection and cybersecurity, AI will help us see new patterns with issues that we may not have recognized in the past. We will be able to

Follow this link to watch Mr. Angat’s Leading Voices Tech Talk

identify and provide solutions for those issues. Incorporating business intelligence with AI will allow us to see the operations, and understand where we should place our resources. We will be able to project where we might have gaps and fill those gaps so that we operate as a much more efficient organization.

When we talk about how AI will impact us in the future, we consider such possibilities as a digital workforce that combines humans, autonomous computers (robots), and AI working together. That idea may seem daunting at first, but we already use many of these technologies in our homes. Those consumer technologies drive many of the advances that are used in businesses.

Home automation like the Nest doorbell, Amazon Echo, Google Home, and your smartphone (which has AI built into it) are further advances that are already part of people’s daily lives. Business technologies will soon catch up.

The key to all of this is we are creating a capacity for more value-added activities.

At Fannie Mae, diversity is one of our greatest strengths. However, part of the existing problem is we are spending a large amount of time on mundane tasks that could be done more easily with a robot. Reclaiming this valuable time will allow us to focus on innovating. We need to focus on upscaling and training people to be prepared for the digital workforce and increase our digital dexterity. We need to understand and be willing (and able) to work with these newer technologies and advancements in the workplace because they will help drive how the workplace changes in the not-so-distant future.

Imagine, if you will, going to work in your self-driving car while talking to your virtual assistant on your smart glasses in the middle of a holographic meeting with professionals located in various places around the world. That will be a reality very soon. There are so many possibilities now with AI and other technologies.

While we at Fannie Mae may not be the ones creating those technologies, we have embraced a culture of change that will invite these technologies into our everyday lives. We understand that to remain competitive and to be able to hire the best people and be the most successful company, we must move with the market. As we grow RPA and many of these technologies, we will continue to be excited about where Fannie Mae is going to go in the next few years. S

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Dr. Joann Powell, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Clark Atlanta University

The Role of Biomedical Researchers in Combating Cancer Health Disparities T

hough different groups refer to me as a biomedical researcher, toxicologist, or cancer biologist, I am a basic scientist. As such, it is important to relay how progress against diseases, particularly cancer, is driven by the research discoveries and innovations of basic scientists.

Within a span of five to 10 years, up to 10,000 potential therapeutic targets can be identified by basic scientists.

We go through a meticulous process of screenings and preclinical testing.

Afterward, we can expect one to five of those compounds to be submitted to the FDA for approval to be used in clinical trials.

Basic scientists study organisms, cells, molecules, genes, and proteins—all to gain new knowledge of cellular processes that occur within us naturally or during the development of a disease. Basic research has broad implications because it is fundamental to our understanding and treatment of human diseases, including cancer. It is so fundamental that the NIH spends more than half of its annual budget supporting basic research.

Results from any time of research can fuel the biomedical research cycle. It does that by providing observations that are relevant to the practice of medicine. This leads to questions that help us form new hypotheses that are tested in experiments in the discovery phase of research. During that phase, traits unique to a disease may be uncovered. However, before that therapeutic enters clinical testing, it must undergo preclinical testing to identify any toxicities and determine safe initial dosing.

Clinical testing is a multi-phase process aimed at demonstrating the safety and efficacy of a new therapeutic. If an agent is deemed safe and effective (and pending FDA approval), it will enter clinical practice. Importantly, though, observations made during the routine use of a therapeutic can provide feedback through the biomedical research cycle and further enhance the use of that

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agent or the development of others like it. For example, an observation that African-American men are least likely to achieve a PSA of less than 0.5 nanograms per million following a radiation therapy led to new observations and launched cancer health disparity projects aimed at understanding why African-American men do not respond as well to this type of therapy, or why this disparity exists at all.

doesn’t focus on a new target, but on an old target in a new way. I mentioned that exposure to environment cancer risk factors contributes to cancer risk disparities. If we consider that most cancers are classified as sporadic, having no familial or hereditary traits, it stands to reason that environmental toxins will contribute to cancer and cancer risk disparities.

The National Cancer Institute defines

My research focuses on a protein discovered in the 1950s. It is known to mediate the harmful effects of environmental toxins, many of which we can find in our own homes. This protein was thought to be so dependent on a class of environmental toxins called dioxins that it was initially named the dioxin receptor. However, in the decades following its discovery, researchers determined that this protein binds to a wide range of environmental toxins. Today, it is known as the aero hydrocarbon receptor (AHR).

Follow this link to watch Dr. Powell’s Leading Voices Tech Talk

cancer health disparities as “adverse differences in cancer measures such as the number of new cases, the number of deaths, or the burden of cancers that exist among a certain segment of the population.” They exist for many reasons, including access to health care, participation in clinical trials (which is low in the African-American community), and exposure to environment cancer risk factors.

Basic science is needed if we are going to combat cancer health disparities. We need to discover new targets or methods that are beneficial to all segments of the population. The research in my lab

In 2014, more than 60 years after its discovery, my lab discovered and was the first to report that AHR is extremely active in advanced prostate cancers. In other words, in the advanced cancers, the forms with which African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed, the protein no longer requires environmental chemicals for activity. It is always on, always actively transcribing, always working. A year after that, we demonstrated that this activity is sustaining androgen receptor signaling in African Americans with prostate cancer.

We are in the process of investigating the effects of targeting AHR to control androgen receptors and reduce the progression of prostate cancer to its lethal form. But we’re not stopping there. Even with the current treatments available, African-American men are six times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from this disease. Our investigations continue, as does the hunt by thousands of basic scientists searching for innovative targets and methods to treat and combat health disparities. S

www.blackengineer.com

Xiomara Calderón-Colón, Ph.D.,

Materials Scientist, The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory

Leading Voices

Multifunctional, Structured, and Porous Material for Chemical and Biological Defense M

y research team and I have been focusing on developing materials for chemical and biological applications, specifically for the protection of our national infrastructure and resources. This includes buildings, food, transportation systems, and water. The team’s goal is to be able to monitor, prevent, and reduce the vulnerability of those resources and infrastructure.

Our research includes technologies that can be used to monitor chemical exposure of our commuters and workers, which will hopefully reduce potential health hazards as well as reduce and even eliminate outbreaks related to food.

This also includes technologies that can be used by farmers, from the field to the distribution centers. This further includes materials that can be used to assess the quality of water after a natural disaster, such as the recent hurricane disaster in Puerto Rico where the island didn’t have any power, communication, or running water. The goal is to protect infrastructure, safeguard resources, and even save lives.

Materials can provide us with various solutions for these goals. Because they have a high level of versatility, we can use nanostructured materials that are very small on the nanoscale range. For example, they are 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. This being the case, I can change, tailor, and control some of the properties and design these materials for specific applications.

As a material scientist, I work with many materials that have the same composition and the same morphology. However, I can work in the lab and change their sizes as needed. I can even incorporate sense molecules to be able to monitor chemical exposure. I can also change the surface roughness to enhance the performance of the contamination material. With certain polymeric fibers that we have used, we have been able to control porosity, surface energy, and surface roughness, all important properties for the application we are looking for. We use these porous

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materials as the foundation of our materials, specifically for chemical and biological defense.

My vision is to be able to create single materials that are low-cost, scalable, effective, and easy to use. From decontamination to monitoring chemical exposure, we have been expanding the use of this material for biological defense.

We want to be able to capture pathogens and perform detection at the same time.

Follow this link to watch Dr. Calderón-Colón’s Leading Voices Tech Talk

However, we are very aware that we need to understand the interaction mechanism better. That will help us decide, create, and optimize better materials.

We have been successful with the development of materials for chemical defense applications. One such interrogation material is porous, but we combined two different types of materials. One is an organic material that serves as a sensory molecule and dye indicator. The other is an inorganic material that allows me to form a functional hybrid that lets me to see changes in color when this material is exposed to a chemical. We have also been

able to develop contamination materials that are capable of photocatalytic degradation with different chemical classes. Here I explore the high surface area of the fiber, but also, I incorporate an active material that can react to light, produce reactive species, and help us to neutralize and degrade different chemical classes.

Because this has been so successful, I decided to look at more challenging problems with biological applications. I wanted to create a material that would allow us to have an end-to-end collection, processing, and detection. We also needed to be able to understand how materials were going to interact with different pathogens. We have been systematically studying different aspects of our materials. What we have seen with this research is that the material morphology plays a significant role in the bacterial binding efficiency of E. coli, our pathogen model. Large and aligned fibers provided a material that has a higher binding efficiency. In other words, this material is more suitable for applications at the field.

On the other hand, the small and random fibers provided a material with a low binding efficiency. This type of material is more suitable for collecting samples because it keeps the pathogen viable for further analysis in the lab. Additionally, it will allow you to remove most of that pathogen.

Shortly we are looking to expand the dynamic range of our material. We want to explore different bacteria exposure methods such as aerosolizing pathogens.

This will be more realistic in settings like hospitals. I am extremely interested in creating simple materials so we can predict and protect citizens from infections by placing them on catheters or wound dressings, for example. We want to understand interaction mechanisms further so we can optimize our material for other applications and change other material properties as needed for protection from various pathogens. S

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Kendall Norris, CEO, Global Leadership Forum

The Real Power of Relationships: Networking and Mentoring “S how me a successful individual, and I’ll show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I don’t care what you do for a living—if you do it well, I’m sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor.”

— Denzel Washington I read the quote above and could not agree more with Mr. Washington. I have had several mentors throughout my career, and I understand how important those relationships have been for my development. As such, I make a point to pay forward the wisdom, advice, and support I received to mold me into the man I am today.

Mentoring is important for success.

However, for those in underserved communities, we, as professionals and leaders, must go out of our way to mentor younger cohorts. Black men (generally speaking) have a difficult time seeking advice. There is a notion that asking for help signals weakness. Justified or not, the notion exists. We, as professionals, cannot sit back and wait. It is up to us to cultivate relationships.

One of my longest mentoring relationships is with my high school economics teacher. She has poured knowledge and wisdom into my life for over 30 years and I still count on her to listen and offer advice. And, she knows she can expect the same from me. Why is this important? Honest communication and trust are vital whether you are talking about building more fruitful personal or professional relationships. Consistent interactions turn into symbiotic relationships. While those relationships are fulfilling to build on a personal level, they are also critical for developing stronger communities.

Whether we like it or not, we are all interconnected. With the meteoric advancement of technology, the degrees of separation seem to lessen every day. Thus, the importance of building meaningful relationships goes beyond just helping one become more successful; it is

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essential to creating a more harmonious world.

Networking and mentoring are two sides of the same coin. That coin, or goal, is developing positive, long-lasting relationships, and that is the most important reason to start networking with and mentoring others.

Another byproduct of mentoring is confidence-building. When people have mentors, who know how to listen and positively interact, they begin developing self-assurance. Having someone who respects and challenges your view boosts an internal appreciation of your abilities.

Cultivated well, that confidence will grow

We as professionals and leaders must make it an accountability factor to go out of our way to mentor others, especially our younger cohorts in the Black community.

year over year. This produces personal and professional growth for both the mentor and protégé.

The Global Leadership Forum started a mentoring program that allows its members to get together with students and professionals, and it has been an amazing experience. I chose to be a mentor because I want to contribute to others’ success and continue my growth.

It doesn’t matter to me what they look like or from where they come. I know the value of those relationships, and I know if I am giving of myself, I will always learn something in return.

Networking and developing a mentoring relationship with others is mandatory—or it should be if you’re a business owner or leader in corporate America. I don’t know how anyone could consider themselves successful without it. We all have a need to grow and contribute. The power of mentoring relationships allows us to fulfill both of those needs while positively advancing our society.

Most protégés are inherently asking one basic question of their mentors: “What are the key nuggets that helped you achieve your success?” That question could be asked of both the mentor and the protégé. In a mentoring relationship, one person is typically more advanced in an area than the other; however, there is a path that can be reciprocated from the protégé to the mentor in terms of a generational perspective, for example, with an age or experience gap.

Such was the case with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Washington Post CEO Don Graham. When Facebook took off, and Zuckerberg transitioned from app coder to a CEO, he sought the advice of Graham. Zuckerberg looked to Graham to understand the effective strategies and behaviors of someone in the corporate world. At the same time, Graham was able to learn how to reach audiences online, which was critical for a traditional newspaper professional. This is a perfect example of interdependence that can be produced from true mentoring relationships.

Finally, networking and mentoring can help broaden perspectives. If you are networking properly, you are most likely working with people who have different worldviews. That is a great thing! Only networking with people you’ve known all your life, or with only people who share your view of the world, will not net much in terms of growth and elevated development. Many people only interact in their communities, and never learn to celebrate the rich diversity that exists throughout the world. S

www.blackengineer.com

Jem Pagán, President, Blusky Consulting

Leading Voices

Diversity Solutions in the Digital Transformation Era D igital transformation may be the newest overused term in the technology market and remains void of a commonly accepted definition.

These days it is not uncommon to have discussions about digital transformation and how it is being embraced and implemented in organizations of all types and sizes.

The value proposition of digital transformation really promises a few things that are critical to businesses needing to grow and continue to retain their customers and add to the market differentiation. Those include the ability to get faster to the market with the next best product, and the ability to design a product or a service that is tailored to the target customer base.

Many drivers justify investments in business process automation, lowering the cost of delivering goods and services, and developing products and services.

One area that has not received enough coverage is diversity. Diversity traditionally has been an initiative managed by people.

It’s an initiative that has relied heavily on surveys to get the pulse of peers, employees, and customers. In the digital transformation age, the promise of delivering insights faster, as well as the promise of driving workplace efficiencies and productivity, apply to the diversity use case similarly to every other business that is adopting, pursuing, or researching digital transformation.

So, what does this mean for diversity as a practice? It means that we’re now able to look at diversity from a quantitative perspective. We can now get near realtime feedback on diversity initiatives and the well-being of employees and customers to better understand what is working well and what is not. We now can apply quantified analytics or dashboard reports based purely on objective data captured around diversity initiatives and programs in the process.

How can that be done? Because diversity has extraordinarily strong ties to human resources, I believe it will continue to be a strong component of that business unit.

This initiative will be more important at

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the board and executive levels because, as the saying goes, good people are frankly hard to find. Good people can (and should) come in all shapes, sizes, genders, ages, etc. When potential employees are filtered based solely on metrics or criteria that do not guarantee quality employment or workforce productivity, organizations will have to look to diversity as a strategic partner to go to where these people are and find the talent needed. That talent may be raw or developed; regardless, this process will begin to move that

Diversity traditionally has been an initiative managed by people. It’s an initiative that has relied heavily on surverys to get the pulse of peers, employees, and customers.

talent into a productive state by bringing cultural immersion and other elements of acceptance together to evaluate the performance of diversity initiatives.

To get to the value proposition ROI, there must be more data insight into diversity initiatives. There are a few companies that have entered the market that I believe will address the gap in the near real-time analytics space for the quantification of diversity value. I’m particularly excited about one solution that is an analytic space solution for measuring cultural bias. We see a lot of cultural bias training happening in the market, but what we don’t see is an influx of automated robotic and analytics technology that could provide specialized one-to-one coaching of employees, managers, and supervisors at all levels within the organization.

These automated solutions will help management understand how their words can better address messaging to

get the maximum impact out of specific requests or team management. The same would hold with their peers, and it all would embed itself within the computing environment of each user and provide coaching on how to make employees aware of instances when cultural bias starts to occur.

This is a stopgap measure that can provide insight, real-time training and coaching, and advice for those who may unintentionally perform professional malfeasance. Most employees are not aware of the personal biases that have been ingrained in them over time and are now a part of subconscious or unconscious thinking. As a result, their accepted socio-cultural values, traditions, and practices can bleed into the workforce environment. That’s where digital diversity solutions can have the strongest impact to help everyone come together and create a common culture that may not exist in any other place.

However, most organizations want a unique culture that they can market as a part of the value proposition for new talent acquisition opportunities.

So, when you think about a business having real-time assistance to help shape its culture and provide repetitive feedback and awareness of any potential biases they may exhibit, you can see that this is a fantastic solution for several reasons.

First, it allows everyone to discuss initiatives from different perspectives, which is necessary. Second, it takes any training initiative and allows the training to go into full productivity state by offering additional solutions and advisory platforms that people need to give them real-time advice. The real-time assistant becomes the mechanism to take the training and put it into relevant, real-time actions.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I believe the capabilities of automated digital diversity solutions will be extremely valuable and necessary for forwardthinking businesses and corporations. It is an extremely exciting time for stronger implementation of diversity initiatives in the digital transformation era. S

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HBCU EXCELLENCE

CAREER OUTLOOK INSIDE HBCU EXCELLENCE

Be inspired and motivated by the people and events at the 2019 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference. Among the 200+ plus men and women who received science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) awards were innovators from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), who are playing a big role in advancing research and enhancing STEM graduate education.

> Engineering & Business:

A Great Combination for Success

> HBCU Engineering Directory

> People To Know

CAREER OUTLOOK

SPECIAL FEATURE

by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

Engineering and Business: A Great Combination for Success The many benefits of acquiring both engineering and business degrees An engineering degree

is a highly sought-after academic goal for many, as is a degree in business.

Both have the potential to lead to promising careers doing work that’s challenging, meaningful, and lucrative. An increasing number of people are finding benefits in pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree after achieving engineering degrees or enrolling in programs that combine business and engineering studies.

Columbia University

Fikru Boghossian, Ph.D., Dean of the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management, Morgan State University

offers a Master of Science degree in management science and engineering.

The University of Pennsylvania has a Wharton/engineering dual-degree program, and the institution states on its website that its programs are for students “looking for a career trajectory leveraging the strong combination of business leadership interests and strong technical skills.”

“A combination of the ‘soft skills’ in addition to the ‘hard skills’—accounting and finance from business and ‘technical skills’ from engineering—can open doors in many directions to reach the upper echelons of corporations, domestic and global,” said Fikru Boghossian, Ph.D., dean of the Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management at Morgan State University (MSU). The business school is named for Black Enterprise magazine founder and publisher Earl G. Graves.

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Morgan State is embarking on an “engineering undergrad plus MBA” approach, according to Boghossian. MSU offers a two-year MBA program with a specialization in accounting, finance, project management, etc. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). MSU’s engineering school offers three undergraduate engineering degrees and three graduate engineering degrees.

may have ideas for great products or businesses, but often lack the requisite business acumen to bring ideas to the marketplace.”

Of the approximately 8,000 students at MSU, 125 are pursuing an M.B.A., Dean Boghossian remarked. “We are in conversation with the engineering school about how we market our entrepreneurship and innovation to the engineering undergrads interested in an M.B.A. and how we can deliver a joint degree program at the master’s level, which will position our graduate students for leadership and management success in the tech space.

“A master of engineering degree will limit your future career choices compared to an M.B.A.,” he said.

“MSU is working in partnership with the Wharton School of Business in reviewing and possibly revising its business school curriculum to ensure it provides students with an offering of “the highest quality possible,” said Boghossian.

The university also is in early interactions with Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business about the development of a prospective advanced degree in innovation and entrepreneurship, he said.

Boghossian pointed out that CEOs of tech companies have complemented their engineering degrees with an M.B.A. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering as well as an M.B.A., and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree before pursuing a master’s degree in computer science followed by an M.B.A. “It gives one more flexibility to move in and around the corporate world,” said Boghossian, adding that an M.B.A. is also best for those engineers considering an entrepreneurial path. “Engineers are builders and problem solvers, and

Boghossian said engineers who don’t want to have their career choices limited would be wise to secure an M.B.A. He added that a good alternative for those not wanting to pursue an M.B.A. would be a master’s degree in engineering management.

He pointed out the following benefits of getting both engineering and business degrees:

• M.B.A.s prepare graduates to lead

and to manage people and processes while engineering degrees do not offer this same preparation.

• M.B.A. studies provide exposure to

finance, accounting, marketing, and supply chain knowledge.

• Engineers have “hard” skills:

quantitative and problem solving, but lack “soft” skills such as teamwork, leadership, ethics, communication, critical thinking, negotiation, and strategic planning.

• An M.B.A. is more valuable (flexibility and broad exposure to business problems) for most non-technical professions than an M.S. in engineering.

• Engineers with M.B.A.s will have

a broader field of careers to consider when seeking to change jobs. Leveraging an engineering background in non-technical industries such as banking, finance, entertainment, etc. will be easier with that additional business degree.

Boghossian added that engineers seeking to ascend into C-Suite leadership would find that having an M.B.A. is more desirable than having a master’s degree in engineering. S www.blackengineer.com

THANKS FOR MAKING DREAMS STRONGER General Motors is proud to partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to support diversity in STEM. As a top 10 supporter, it’s a privilege to work with your engineering deans, faculty and students.

gm.com Š2019 General Motors. All rights reserved.

NetApp is Proud to Be Recognized

by CCG as a Top Supporter of HBCU Engineering Schools Driving a Culture of Belonging for All Our People: We celebrate the diversity of perspectives, cultures, traditions, and experiences our employees represent to drive innovation, engagement, collaboration and business success. We recognize each employee’s individual contributions and embrace talent in all forms.

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HBCUENGINEERINGDIRECTORY

THE 15 ABET-ACCREDITED Historically Black College and U 2019 ENGINEERING PROGRAMS To be ABET-accredited assures people that a college program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates. ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission accredits engineering programs at the following levels: bachelor (four-year degree) and master (post-graduate).

ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission accredits engineering technology programs at the following levels: associate (two-year degree) and bachelor (fouryear degree).

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ABET-ACCREDITED Historically Black College and University Engineering Schools

»» Alabama A&M University »» Florida A&M University »» Hampton University »» Howard University »» Jackson State University »» Morgan State University »» Norfolk State University »» North Carolina A&T State University »» Prairie View A&M University »» Southern University and A&M College »» Tennessee State University »» Tuskegee University »» The University of the District of Columbia »» University of Maryland Eastern Shore »» Virginia State University Why HBCU Engineering Matters at the Intersection of America’s Future Academic deans joined fellow members of the Council of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Engineering Deans at the 33rd Annual BEYA STEM Conference. The theme of this year’s global competitiveness conference was “At the Intersection of America’s Future.” Hosted by Lockheed Martin Corporation, the Council of HBCU Engineering Deans, and US Black Engineer magazine, Aerotek and General Dynamics Corporation sponsor the annual conference. On Saturday, February 8, the deans met for a panel discussion with leaders in information, manufacturing, finance, business

services, logistics and transportation, energy, and government.

“This conference promotes an engaging and honest dialogue with corporate America,” said Dr. Achille Messac, dean, College of Engineering and Architecture at Howard University, and will “help bring this issue to the national discourse, as we advise the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Clearly, at the global level, whatever progress we are making is woefully inadequate. In terms of African-American engineering degrees awarded from 2006 to 2016, we have declined from 5 to 3.9 percent at the undergraduate level, while the Ph.D. award rate is also at 3.9 percent.”

To determine how HBCUs can have a larger share of federal research and development contracts, Norfolk State University (NSU), the NSU Cybersecurity Complex, and the National Minority Technology Council joined forces at an industry-driven research event, aimed at identifying the risks and the assets that HBCUs bring to federal contracting.

According to NSU, research on HBCU federal transactions shows that less than 1 percent of public or private university federal contracting occurs with HBCUs. A National Minority Technology Council study adds that 11 federal agencies with authorization to enter into agreements could greatly open the contracting process.

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2019

2019

University Engineering Schools “The (BEYA STEM) conference promotes an engaging and honest dialogue with corporate America, (and will) help bring this issue to the forefront of national discourse, as we advise the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.”

Alabama A&M University College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences

Dr. Chance Glenn Dean

INSTITUTION

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) is a teaching, research, and public service institution, including extension. AAMU is a dynamic and progressive institution with a strong commitment to academic excellence. The serene, intimate campus is situated on “The Hill,” only a short distance from downtown Huntsville, the site of the school’s founding.

Alabama A&M University has four colleges with 41 baccalaureates, 23 master’s degrees, one Ed. S., and four doctoral degrees offered.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences is organized into four departments, each headed by a department chair: (1) Mechanical and Civil Engineering, (2) Electrical Engineering and Computer Science,

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(3) Technology, and (4) Physics, Chemistry, and Math. The B.S. degree in computer science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, and the B.S. degrees in civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. In collaboration with the College of Education, the College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences offers a variety of certified and non-certified teaching programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The college actively collaborates with government and industry partners in the vibrant Huntsville research ecosystem.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Electrical Engineering Concentration in Nuclear Power »» Mechanical Engineering Concentration in Nuclear Systems »» Civil Engineering »» Computer Science Concentration in Cyber Security »» Physics »» Mathematics »» Chemistry »» Construction Management

Graduate Programs »» Master of Engineering (Systems and Materiel Engineering) »» Master of Science in Computer Science »» Master of Science in Applied Physics »» Ph.D. in Applied Physics

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Materials science and engineering, IC fabrication

»» Crystal growth, large and small bandgap, and piezoelectric material

»» Image and signal processing, real-time embedded systems

»» Cybersecurity, neural networks, modeling and simulation in biometrics

»» Computational electromagnetics,

computational fluid dynamics, finite element analysis »» Advanced manufacturing »» Unmanned aircraft systems, robotics »» Intelligent manufacturing systems and advanced robotics »» The Mach-5 wind tunnel, Rating 1000 cleanroom, three particle accelerators

CONTACT

Dr. Chance M. Glenn, Sr. Professor, and Dean College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences Alabama A&M University Arthur J. Bond Hall

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HBCUENGINEERINGDIRECTORY 4900 Meridian Street Normal, AL 35762 P (256) 372-5560 • F (256) 372-5850 Email: chance.glenn@aamu.edu Website: http://www.aamu.edu/academics/ engineering-technology/pages/default.aspx

Florida A&M–Florida State University FAMU–FSU College of Engineering

Dr. J. Murray Gibson Dean INSTITUTION

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) was founded as the State Normal College for Colored Students, and on October 3, 1887, it began classes with 15 students and two instructors. Today FAMU, as it has become affectionately known, is the premiere school among historically Black colleges and universities. Prominently located on the highest hill in Florida’s capital city of Tallahassee, Florida A&M University remains the only historically Black university in the 11-member State University System of Florida.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

Florida A&M University and Florida State Universitys share a unique college of engineering. The college offers comprehensive academic programs at all levels and works to continually evaluate, expand, and improve programs to ensure that engineering students are prepared for the demands of an innovative global society. The unique partnership with a leading research university allows the college to offer the most advanced research capabilities and graduate education of any historically Black university. The college has attracted an outstanding faculty from all over the world and has first-class programs with world-class research facilities, such as the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the High-Performance Materials Institute, the Center for Advanced Power Systems, and the Aero-propulsion Mechatronics and Energy Center. Because of its unique partners, the college has likely the most diverse undergraduate class of any engineering school in the country, preparing its students well for working in the real world.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Bachelor of Science 50

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»» Biomedical Engineering »» Chemical Engineering »» Civil Engineering »» Electrical Engineering »» Computer Engineering »» Industrial Engineering »» Mechanical Engineering Graduate Programs »» Master’s and Doctorate in Chemical Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Biomedical Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Civil Engineering »» Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Electrical Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Industrial Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Polymers, materials, nanomaterials, and nanotechnology

»» Renewable, advanced, and sustainable energy

»» Biomedical imaging, cellular and tissue engineering

»» Advanced transportation systems, structures, hydraulics

»» Environmental sustainability and water

resources »» Advanced power systems »» Intelligent systems, control, and robotics »» Communication, information technology, and cybersecurity »» Active and supersonic flow controls »» Superconductivity materials and applications »» Manufacturing and operations research

CONTACT

Dr. J. Murray Gibson, Dean, and Professor FAMU-FSU College of Engineering 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Suite 8206, Tallahassee FL 32310-6046 P (850) 410-6161 • F (850) 410-6546 Email: dean.eng.famu.fsu.edu Website: www.eng.fsu.edu

Hampton University School of Engineering and Technology

Dr. Joyce Shirazi Dean

INSTITUTION

A historically Black institution, Hampton University is a comprehensive institution of higher education dedicated to the promotion of learning, building of character, and preparation of promising students for positions of leadership and service.

Its curriculum emphasis is scientific and professional with a strong liberal arts undergirding. The university offers exemplary programs and opportunities to enable students, faculty, and staff to grow, develop, and contribute to our society in a productive and useful manner. In carrying out its mission, the university requires that everything it does in the areas of teaching, research, and service be of the highest quality.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The School of Engineering and Technology (SET) is home to academic programs in Architecture, Aviation, and Engineering. The school enrolls over 300 students and produces about 40 graduates annually. The SET strategic plan calls for expanding and strengthening the undergraduate offerings, building graduate engineering programs, and developing clearly defined research areas of excellence.

The school is also building contracting relationships with prime contractors in a variety of applications across federal agencies.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Electrical and Computer Engineering »» Chemical Engineering »» Aviation Management »» Air Traffic Control »» Flight Education Graduate Programs »» Master of Architecture

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Energy, environment, and sustainability »» Sensors and data fusion »» Data and network security »» Transportation systems and infrastructure »» Robotics »» Imaging »» Materials »» Reverse engineering »» Catalysis »» Manufacturing »» Nanotechnology »» Computational fluid dynamics

CONTACT

Dr. Joyce T. Shirazi, Dean School of Engineering and Technology Hampton University 268 Marshall Ave • Hampton, VA 23666

www.blackengineer.com

P (757) 728-6970 • F (757) 728-6972 Email: joyce.shirazi@hamptonu.edu Website: http://set.hamptonu.edu

Howard University College of Engineering, Architecture, and Computer Sciences

Dr. Achille Messac Dean

INSTITUTION

Howard University is one of the country’s leading private universities. Founded in 1867 in Washington, D.C., it is home to 13 schools and colleges offering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degrees in a number of disciplines. The university continues to attract the nation’s top students and produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D.’s than any other university in the world. Since 1998, the university has produced two Rhodes Scholars, two Truman Scholars, 24 Fulbright Scholars, 20 Pickering Fellows, six Luard Scholars, and 13 Presidential Scholars.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

Graduates of the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) are skilled in the application of technological and scientific solutions to complex and challenging societal problems, critical thinking, creative design, leadership, teamwork, and effective communication skills. CEA is home to five academic departments that house seven programs offering accredited undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The departments are Architecture, Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering.

»» Master of Science in Chemical Engineering »» Master of Computer Science »» Ph.D. (in Computer and Information Systems Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering) »» Cybersecurity Graduate Certificate

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Chemical Engineering: Biomolecular,

nanotechnology, and environmental engineering »» Civil and Environmental Engineering: Structural engineering, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, water resources-sustainable engineering, nanotechnology »» Electrical and Computer Engineering: Signal processing, communications-power, control-electromagnetics, antenna-material sciences, and nanotechnology-digital systems »» Mechanical Engineering: Materials engineering, computational fluid mechanics, manufacturing engineering/ additive manufacturing »» Computer Science: Cybersecurity, computational biology, machine learning, data communications, computer science education

CONTACT

Dr. Achille Messac, Dean College of Engineering and Architecture 2366 6th Street, NW • Suite 100 Mackey Building Howard University • Washington, DC 20059 P (202) 806-6565 • F (202) 299-9163 Email: ceadean@howardu.mail.onmicrosoft.com Website: www.cea.howard.edu/

Jackson State University College of Science, Engineering and Technology

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Bachelor of Science »» Chemical Engineering »» Civil Engineering »» Electrical Engineering »» Computer Engineering »» Mechanical Engineering »» Computer Science

Graduate Programs »» Master of Architecture »» Master of Engineering (in Civil, Computer, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering) www.blackengineer.com

Dr. Wilbur Walters Interim Dean

INSTITUTION

Jackson State University is a diverse, technologically-advanced, four-year university that is steeped in history and committed to preparing its students to become global

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leaders. It provides a caring, nurturing environment in which to challenge its 9,134 students to improve themselves and serve others. It was founded in 1877 by the American Baptist Home Mission Society and is located in Mississippi’s capital. In 1979 Jackson State was officially designated the Urban University of the State of Mississippi. The university also has campuses in Madison, MS, and downtown Jackson.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Jackson State University is committed to implementing the university’s mission and to focusing its intellectual, experience, and other resources on improving the quality of life for its students, the surrounding community, state, nation, and the global community. It is comprised of nine academic departments. Among them are the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, which provide students with quality, ABET-accredited undergraduate and graduate programs that incorporate the systems aspect of professional engineering practice. The college has achieved a 7 percent increase in enrollment since 2010 and has been awarded 130 federally funded grants and contracts with awards of approximately $20 million annually. It also has over 14 federally funded student support programs.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Civil Engineering Environmental Track General Civil Engineering »» Computer Engineering »» Computer Science »» Electrical Engineering Biomedical Engineering General Electrical Engineering Power Systems Track »» Industrial Engineering Graduate Programs »» M.S. in Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering »» M.S. in Computer Science »» M.S. in Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Computational Engineering Electrical Engineering Environmental Engineering Geological Engineering Industrial Engineering »» Ph.D. Engineering »» Ph.D. Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering USBE & Information Technology | DEANS ISSUE 2019

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HBCUENGINEERINGDIRECTORY RESEARCH CENTERS

»» Coastal Hazards Center of Excellence »» Center for Defense Integrated Data »» High Performance Computing Center »» Interdisciplinary Center for Nanotoxicity »» Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Research

»» Centers in Minority Institutions »» Center for Environmental Health CONTACT

Dr. Wilbur Walters, Interim Dean College of Science, Engineering & Technology Jackson State University 1400 JR Lynch Street - JSU Box 18750 Jackson, MS 39217 P (601) 979-2153 • F (601) 979-4044 Email: wilbur.l.walters@jsums.edu Website: www.jsums.edu/science

Morgan State University Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering

Dr. Craig Scott Interim Dean

INSTITUTION

Morgan State University is designated by the state legislature as Maryland’s Public Urban University and is primarily responsible for addressing the needs of residents, schools, and organizations within the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Enrolling about 8,000 students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, the student body includes an enriching mix of international students. The mission of the university is to expose students to the full range of experiences and services that will permit them to successfully meet the global challenges that await them as they leave the university.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering enrolls over 1,100 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. To ensure student success, a diverse team of professionals works in close contact with the faculty to assist students in navigating through the college environment. The focus on first-rate customer service, coupled with state-of-the-art facilities, is all designed to achieve excellence through education.

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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Civil and Environmental Engineering »» Electrical and Computer Engineering »» Industrial and Systems Engineering »» Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Systems Graduate Programs »» Master of Engineering »» M.S. in Electrical Engineering »» Doctor of Engineering »» Ph.D. Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Studies »» Graduate Certificate Programs in CyberSecurity and Transportation Systems

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Electrical and Computer Engineering—

cyber-security operations and physical systems, software-defined and cognitive radio systems, RF/microwave/mm-wave communication systems, computational engineering and analytics, highperformance analog integrated circuits, biomedical engineering systems, wireless cybersecurity/information assurance, engineering education, image and signal processing, and data and visual analytics Internet of Things. »» Civil and Environmental Engineering— water resources and groundwater systems, bridge/large-scale structural systems, geotechnical studies, geospatial, and remote sensing studies, biological, and chemical sensors and fluid mechanics. »» Industrial and Systems Engineering—lean and advanced manufacturing, robotics and automated manufacturing, project and engineering management, ergonomics/ human factors engineering, energy systems, data science, industrial safety and health, and operations research big data. »» Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Studies—transportation planning, traffic engineering, transportation management, entrepreneurship, and logistics. »» Other—cyber embedded systems, cyber T&E, cyber systems engineering.

CONTACT

Dr. Craig Scott, Interim Dean Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr., School of Engineering Morgan State University 5200 Perring Parkway • Baltimore, MD 21251 P (443) 885-3231 • F (443) 885-8218 Email: craig.scott@morgan.edu Website: www.soe.morgan.edu

Norfolk State University College of Science, Engineering & Technology

Dr. Michael Keeve Dean

INSTITUTION

Norfolk State University (NSU) is located in the vibrant urban city of Norfolk, VA, and is only 13 miles from the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach, VA. NSU is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and adheres to the standards set forth by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. NSU boasts a student population of 7,100 students and has a satellite campus at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center. The university offers 32 undergraduate degrees, 16 master’s degrees, and three doctoral degrees, including a B.S and M.S. in computer science, a B.S and M.S. in electronics engineering, a B.S. and M.S. in optical engineering, an M.S. in materials science, and a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (CSET) has over 1,700 students and presently comprises over 30 percent of the university’s student enrollment.

Undergraduate programs are ABETaccredited, and graduate programs are driven by innovative state-of-the-art research programs that enhance the educational experience for students and prepare them for national defense, industrial, and academic careers. The College of Science, Engineering, and Technology has played a pivotal role in the university’s 75-year history. Faculty contributions in research, education, service, and mentoring are exceptional. Graduates are securing outstanding jobs and earning advanced degrees in record numbers. The college currently houses several research centers—the Center for Materials Research (CMR), the Information Assurance—Research, Education, and Development Institute, the Micro- and Nano-Technology Center, the Creative Gaming and Simulation Laboratory, and the Cyber Security Complex.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Electrical and Electronics Engineering

www.blackengineer.com

»» Optical Engineering »» Computer Science—Information Assurance and Computer Engineering »» Information Technology

Graduate Programs »» M.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering »» M.S. in Materials Science »» M.S. in Computer Science »» M.S. in Cyber Security »» Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Cyber security »» Information assurance »» Cognitive wireless networks and cloud computing security

»» Digital forensics »» Smart grid security »» Modeling of biological neurons »» Optics, plasmonic, and metamaterials »» Nanomaterials and nano-technology »» Advanced functional materials »» Devices »» Semiconductor materials and devices »» Neural probes »» Biosensors »» Photovoltaics »» MEMS actuators »» Multifunctional sensors »» High K dielectrics CONTACT

Dr. Michael Keeve, Dean College of Science, Engineering, and Technology Professor of Mathematics, Norfolk State University 700 Park Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23504 P (757) 823-8181 • F (757) 823-9114 Email: mokeeve@nsu.edu Website: https://www.cset.nsu.edu

North Carolina A&T State University College of Engineering

Dr. Robin N. Coger Dean

INSTITUTION

North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University is a public, doctoral research,

www.blackengineer.com

1890 land-grant university committed to exemplary teaching and learning, scholarly and creative research, and effective engagement and public service. The university offers degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels and has a commitment to excellence in a comprehensive range of academic disciplines. Their unique legacy and educational philosophy provide students with a broad range of experiences that foster transformation and leadership for a dynamic and global society.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University is committed to engineering the future and revolutionizing the world. It is proud of the quality of its education and research, and it is inspired by the innovativeness, capabilities, and achievements of its engineering students, graduates, faculty, and staff. Its 10 bachelor’s, eight master’s, and five doctoral degree programs are distributed across seven departments: Chemical, Biological, and Bio Engineering; Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Industrial and Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and the interdisciplinary Computational Science and Engineering. All 10 of the North Carolina A&T College of Engineering’s undergraduate programs are ABET-accredited.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Architectural Engineering »» Bioengineering »» Biological Engineering »» Chemical Engineering »» Civil Engineering »» Computer Engineering »» Computer Science »» Electrical Engineering »» Industrial and Systems Engineering »» Mechanical Engineering Graduate Programs »» Bioengineering »» Chemical Engineering »» Civil Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Computer Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Computational Science and Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Computer Science »» Master’s and Doctorate in Electrical Engineering »» Master’s and Doctorate in Industrial and Systems Engineering

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»» Master’s and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering

CORE CROSS DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH STRENGTHS

»» Cybersecurity and network operations »» Multi-scale materials development and analysis

»» Energy and sustainability »» Aerospace and transportation systems »» Healthcare applications CONTACT

Dr. Robin N. Coger, Dean College of Engineering—McNair Hall North Carolina A&T State University 1601 Market Street Greensboro, NC 27411 P (336) 285-2640 • F (336) 334-7540 Email: Rncoger@ncat.edu Website: http://www.ncat.edu/coe

Prairie View A&M University Roy G. Perry College of Engineering

Dr. Pamela Holland Obiomon Dean

INSTITUTION

Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) is a comprehensive public institution of higher education and a land-grant university as part of the Texas A&M University System. Founded in 1976, the university’s main campus is located in the city of Prairie View, approximately 40 miles northwest of Houston, TX. There are also two outreach campuses within the city limits of Houston. The university’s enrollment now exceeds 8,350, including more than 2,000 graduate students. PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 academic majors, 37 master’s degrees, and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools. During the university’s 135-year history, it has awarded some 57,700 academic degrees..

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The Roy G. Perry College of Engineering offers eight ABET-accredited undergraduate programs, four master’s degrees, and one Ph.D. degree. The college is a unique community of students, faculty, staff, and scholars dedicated to the advancement, sharing, and communication of knowledge

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HBCUENGINEERINGDIRECTORY in the fields of engineering, computer science, and engineering technology. Housed in a five-building engineering complex on the Prairie View A&M main campus, the most highly focused component of the college is student learning. Undergraduate and graduate programs are structured for discovery, applied learning, interpretation, and the communication of learning through shared interactive courses and laboratories designed to engage students and faculty alike. The college prepares students to become dedicated and productive members of society. The college receives about $12 million in funded projects annually from governmental agencies and private sectors.

The college enrolls more than 1,600 students; about 15 percent of them are graduate students.

»» Smart grid technology CONTACT

Dr. Pamela Holland Obiomon, Dean and Professor Roy G. Perry College of Engineering Prairie View A&M University P.O. Box 519, MS 2500 Prairie View, TX 77446 P (936) 261-9907 • F (936) 261-9868 Email: phobiomon@pvamu.edu Website: www.pvamu.edu/engineering

Southern University and A&M College College of Engineering and Computer Science

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Chemical Engineering »» Civil Engineering »» Computer Engineering »» Computer Engineering Technology »» Computer Science »» Electrical Engineering »» Electrical Engineering Technology »» Mechanical Engineering Graduate Programs »» Master of Science in Engineering with concentrations in Chemical, Civil, Environmental, and Mechanical Engineering »» Master of Science in Computer Science »» Master of Science in Computer Information System »» Master of Science in Electrical Engineering »» Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Telecommunication, wireless sensor

network, and battlefield communication

»» Radiation engineering and science for

space exploration »» Renewable energy and environmental sustainability »» Nano-composites fabrication, characterization, and testing »» Data processing, image coding, virtual reality, and virtual prototyping »» Thermal science and computational fluid dynamics »» Gulf Coast environmental data collection and analysis »» Big data analytics, high-performance computing, cloud computing »» Cybersecurity »» Computational biology 54

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Dr. Patrick Carriere Dean

innovations. The college maintains an atmosphere that enhances the student’s ability to achieve the optimum learning experience. The environment is collegial and focused on student and workforce needs.

The college’s degree program offerings include nine bachelor’s degree programs: biology, chemistry, computer science, physics, electronic engineering technology, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and mathematics.

It offers five master’s degree programs: engineering, computer science, biology, mathematics, and physics. It also offers doctoral degree programs in environmental toxicology and science and math education.

The civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET. The computer science program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET. The electronics engineering technology program is accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC) of ABET

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS INSTITUTION

Southern University and A&M College, founded in 1880, is a publicly-supported, coeducational, land-grant, historically Black, comprehensive institution. The Southern University System is the largest HBCU system in the nation. It is composed of five campuses in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport, the Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and the Law Center, and it is managed by the Southern University Board of Supervisors. Southern University and A&M College is a Carnegie master’s/comprehensive-level institution with an average enrollment of 7,000 students at the Baton Rouge campus. It offers bachelor’s degrees in 42 areas, 19 master’s degrees, six doctoral degrees, and two associate degrees.

Southern University A&M has a proud and distinguished 134-year history.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Sciences and Engineering provides students with technological skills and opportunities that stimulate professional, educational, and personal growth. The college provides this growth through a diverse faculty and staff that is committed to teaching, research, and service.

Students are encouraged to participate in laboratory research and cooperative education programs that enhance career confidence. They also are encouraged to participate in ongoing research with faculty members that contribute to engineering

Bachelor of Science »» Biology »» Chemistry »» Computer Science »» Mathematics »» Physics »» Electronics Engineering Technology »» Civil Engineering »» Electrical Engineering »» Mechanical Engineering Graduate Programs »» Master of Engineering »» Master of Science in Computer Science »» Master of Science in Biology »» Master of Science in Math/Physics »» Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology »» Ph.D. Science/Math Education

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Industrial wastewater treatment, air pollution, solid wastes

»» Pavement design and management; nanomechanics of clay materials

»» Telecommunications and computer network engineering

»» Electronic materials and processing; semiconductor device fabrication

»» Advanced materials; micro and nano technologies

»» Renewable energy and energy optimization; computational fluid and heat transfer

»» Operating systems and architecture; algorithms and theory of computing

www.blackengineer.com

»» Software engineering; digital data

communications »» Database management and data mining

CONTACT

Dr. Patrick Carriere, Dean College of Sciences and Engineering Suite# 206, P.B.S. Pinchback Engineering Building Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA 70813-9969 P (225) 771-5290 • F (225) 771-5721 Email: patrick_carriere@subr.edu Website: http://www.subr.edu/cse

Tennessee State University College of Engineering

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove Dean INSTITUTION

Tennessee State University (TSU) is a comprehensive, urban, coeducational, and land-grant university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1912, it is located in Nashville, TN, the state capital, and sits on 500 acres near the Cumberland River in a residential neighborhood just 10 minutes northwest of downtown. The university also has a downtown campus in Nashville.

Tennessee State University provides 77 majors in eight undergraduate colleges and schools and enrolls about 7,000 undergraduates and 2,000 graduate students.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Engineering is committed to providing the highest-quality industrydriven curricula in engineering, technology, computer, and mathematical sciences. The college currently provides accredited B.S. degrees, and graduate degrees in strategic and emerging disciplines for research and working professionals. The graduate programs are supported by advanced laboratories and research centers in fields such as cyberphysical and security systems, sensor and data fusion, control systems, bioinformatics, energy systems, and wireless communication.

The college currently has funded grants with the Air Force Research Lab, Army Research Office, U.S. Navy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Boeing Company, and the NSF. The college

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enrolls about 1,000 students and produces about 75 graduates annually.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Architectural Engineering »» Civil and Environmental Engineering »» Electrical and Computer Engineering »» Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering »» Aeronautical and Industrial Technology »» Computer Science Graduate Programs »» Master of Engineering »» Master of Science in Computer and Information Systems Engineering »» Master of Science in Computer Science »» Ph.D. in Computer and Information Systems Engineering

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Cybersecurity/physical systems »» Sensor and data fusion »» Intelligent health monitoring and control systems

»» Data and network security »» Wireless communication »» Advanced transportation systems and infrastructure

»» Intelligent manufacturing systems and advanced robotics

CONTACT

Dr. S. Keith Hargrove College of Engineering, Torrence Hall Tennessee State University 3500 John Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209 Email: skhargrove@tnstate.edu Website: www.tnstate.edu/engineering

Tuskegee University College of Engineering

Dr. Heshmat Aglan Dean

INSTITUTION

Tuskegee University is a national, independent, and coeducational institution that has a historically unique relationship with the State of Alabama, the nation, and the world. At its core, the university prepares students academically, both graduate and undergraduate, for insertion into a world driven by technology, an independent political landscape, and a society of complexity that

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needs solutions to challenging problems.

The university has distinctive strengths in the sciences, architecture, business, and engineering as well as the development of high-order technical, scientific, intellectual, moral, and ethical qualities in students. Also stressed is the connection between education and the qualities of leadership that graduates must manifest, especially for the 21st century workforce and beyond. They seek students whose technical, scientific, and professional qualities are rigorously honed and people whose spirits are sensitively oriented in ways that make them committed to go beyond self-centered competence to excellence and service to others.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Engineering is regarded as premier for its production of exceptionally prepared graduates ready to perform with a broad educational background. The college provides an academic portfolio through the disciplines of engineering to engage students in envisioning learning excellence, research and exploration, and service to the nation and the global community. The college is programmed for excellence with the context of Booker T. Washington, the innovation of George Washington Carver and the mettle of the Tuskegee Airmen, armed with facilities, professional faculty and staff, and the resources that support public/private funding as demonstrated by its partners and friends.

Graduate programs explore new frontiers for solutions that support global issues.

Accredited undergraduate programs have become a tradition for students to enter and complete post-secondary/graduate studies in engineering.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Aerospace Science Engineering »» Chemical Engineering »» Computer Engineering »» Electrical Engineering »» Mechanical Engineering Graduate Programs »» Master of Chemical Engineering »» Master of Electrical Engineering »» Master of Mechanical Engineering »» Master of Materials Science and Engineering »» Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Aerospace: aerodynamics, flight

simulation, human interface, aeronautics, manufacturing. »» Chemical: bio-fluidics/fuels/chemical, USBE & Information Technology | DEANS ISSUE 2019

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HBCUENGINEERINGDIRECTORY corrosion, environmental, water and wastewater, modeling. »» Electrical: electronic warfare, systems engineering, smart grid, adaptive networks, cybersecurity. »» Mechanical: fatigue/corrosion, membranes, robotics, metallurgy, indoor air quality/ flood abatement. »» Materials Science: characterization, nanomaterials, performance/nondestructive evaluation.

CONTACT

Dr. Heshmat A. Aglan, P.E. Dean and Professor, Tuskegee University College of Engineering 200 Luther Foster Hall, Tuskegee, AL 36088 P (334) 727-8081 • F (334) 727-8090 Email: haglan@tuskegee.edu Website: www.tuskegee.edu

University of the District of Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Dr. Devdas Shetty Dean

INSTITUTION

The University of the District of Columbia is a pacesetter in urban education that offers affordable and effective undergraduate, professional, and workplace learning opportunities. The institution is the premier gateway to post-secondary education and research for all residents of the District of Columbia. As a public land-grant institution, the university’s responsibility is to build a diverse generation of competitive, civically engaged scholars and leaders. Building on a 160-year tradition of excellence and opportunity, the university enrolls about 6,000 diverse students. As the nation’s only urban land-grant institution, the university’s mission is to foster the education, critical thinking, and intellectual growth of its students and the creation and application of new knowledge and effective engagement with the surrounding world.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) offers nationally competitive

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and fully accredited professional programs at the baccalaureate and graduate levels including a new doctoral program. These programs enable immediate employment upon graduation or for continuation for advanced-level studies. The school offers strong, ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree programs in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, and computer science. SEAS also offer a bachelor’s degree program in information technology and master’s degree programs in computer science, civil engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering, and a Ph.D. in computer science and engineering.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Biomedical Engineering »» Civil Engineering »» Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering option »» Mechanical Engineering »» Computer Science »» Information Technology Graduate Programs »» Master’s in Civil Engineering »» Master’s in Computer Science »» Master’s in Electrical Engineering »» Master’s in Mechanical Engineering »» Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Cybersecurity »» Cloud computing information assurance »» High-performance computing »» Wireless and sensor networks »» Computational intelligence »» Computational geometry »» Robotics and autonomous systems »» Mechatronics »» Energy conversion »» Modeling and simulation »» Advanced manufacturing »» Product design »» Nanotechnology »» Thermal science »» Optical engineering »» Renewable energy, »» Rehabilitation engineering and bio-assisted devices

»» Structural engineering »» Intelligent transportation system »» Water resources engineering »» Construction engineering »» Center for Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, which focuses on studying human mobility, and the SEAS Research Center

CONTACT

Dr. Devdas Shetty, P.E., Dean Office of the Dean, Building 42, Suite 212 4200 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, DC 20008 P (202) 274-5220 • F (202) 274-5520 Email: devdas.shetty@udc.edu Website: https://www.udc.edu/seas

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Department of Engineering and Aviation Services

Dr. Kate Brown Interim Dean

INSTITUTION

The department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering with specializations in aerospace, computer, electrical, or mechanical.

The department also offers a Bachelor of Science program in aviation sciences with concentrations in aviation electronics, aviation management, aviation software, or professional pilot.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The School of Business and Technology includes five academic departments: Business, Management and Accounting, Engineering and Aviation Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management, which includes the PGA Golf Management program, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Technology.

The faculty members within the school are actively engaged in funded research and educational projects, many of which involve undergraduate and graduate students..

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Engineering with specializations in Aerospace Computer Electrical Mechanical »» Aviation Sciences »» Accounting »» Business Administration »» Finance »» Marketing »» Business Education »» Hospitality and Tourism Management

www.blackengineer.com

»» PGA Golf Management »» Mathematics »» Mathematics Education »» Computer Science »» Construction Management Technology »» Engineering Technology »» Technology Education

Graduate Programs »» Master of Science in Applied Computer Science »» Master of Education in Career and Technology Education »» Master of Science in Cyber Security

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Aerial imaging and remote sensing for precision agriculture

»» biofuels »» sustainability »» geospatial information technologies »» renewable energy »» parsity aware adaptive radar sensor imaging

»» structural health monitoring »» air-propelled instrumented robotic sensory platform design and development

»» signal processing for detection and

monitoring of electrical power signals

»» on-chip optical interconnected computer architecture, »» AV design and testing

CONTACT

Dr. Kate Brown, Interim Dean School of Business and Technology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 30925 College Backbone Road Princess Anne, MD 21853 P (410) 651-6067 • F (410) 651-2375 Email: kbrown@umes.edu Website: www.umes.edu/sbt/

Virginia State University College of Engineering and Technology

the U.S. With a current student population of approximately 5000, VSU offers forty eight undergraduate and graduate degree programs, two doctoral degree programs, and eight certificate programs. Students study and conduct researches in one of the seven colleges: the College of Agriculture; the Reginald F. Lewis College of Business; the College of Education; the College of Engineering and Technology; the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Natural and Health Sciences; and the College of Graduate Studies.

COLLEGE/SCHOOL OVERVIEW

The College of Engineering and Technology is focused on solving tough problems. The college defines success as the growth and discovery of fundamental knowledge and the movement of these ideas and results from the laboratory to the real world. The goal is to transform communities by attracting and retaining key industries, enhancing economic development, and creating jobs. Its research helps companies improve their products and services for items as diverse as jet engines, copiers, and cutting tools. The college aligns resources and capabilities to the workforce needs of local, regional, and national economies.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science »» Computer Engineering »» Manufacturing Engineering »» Computer Science »» Information Logistics Technology »» Mechanical Engineering Technology »» Electronics Engineering Technology »» Mathematics »» Economics Graduate Programs »» Master of Science in Computer Science »» Master of Science in Mathematics »» Master of Art in Economics

2019

ORGANIZING UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

»» Commonwealth Center for Advanced

Manufacturing (http://www.ccam-va.com)

»» Commonwealth Center for Advanced

Logistics Systems (http://www.ccals.com)

CONTACT

Dr. Dawit Haile, Interim Dean and Professor College of Engineering and Technology, Virginia State University Petersburg, VA 23806 P (804) 524 1141 F (804) 524-5746 Email: dhaile@vsu.edu Website: http://www.cet.vsu.edu S

To read the full listing including bios for all of the HBCU deans, please visit http://www.blackengineer. com/news/meet-the-15hbcu-engineering-deans/

or scan above.

RESEARCH INITIATIVES AND CAPABILITIES

»» Data analytics, multimedia data mining, machine learning

Dr. Dawit Haile Interim Dean

INSTITUTION

Virginia State University (VSU) was founded in 1882 in Petersburg, Virginia. It is one of Virginia’s two land-grant institutions and was the first state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for Black Americans in www.blackengineer.com

»» Cybersecurity »» Additive manufacturing/machining,

cyber-physical manufacturing, nanomanufacturing process, and technology »» Robotics and autonomous system »» Human-computer interaction »» Enterprise systems and logistics, ERP integration analytics and business intelligence

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WOMEN in STEM at the NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY

I like to think of operations research as ...

‘The Science of Better’

Christina Achampong has a simple way to summarize her work at the National Security Agency. She calls it “the science of better.”

With a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a dual master’s in industrial engineering/operations research, her job is to solve problems through mathematical modeling. It’s challenging work that she loves, in a supportive culture that offers the freedom to pursue and implement new ideas.

NSA offers technical professionals: • Tuition assistance • Professional training and development • Leadership opportunities • A friendly environment that fosters innovation • The time to enjoy family and friends • An opportunity to contribute to the good of the nation

U.S. citizenship is required.

NSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SAVE THE DATE

34

The

th

FEBRUARY 13-15, 2020 Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel • Washington, DC

www.beya.org

For more information, call us at 410-244-7101 Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/BEYASTEM

IntelligenceCareers.gov/NSA

Follow us on Twitter: @BlackEngineer

This is the age when inclusion delivers breakthrough inventions. www.qualcomm.com/careers

CAREER OUTLOOK

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www.blackengineer.com

PEOPLE TO KNOW

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

2019 HBCU

STEM INNOVATORS

A W A R D E E S The HBCU Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Innovators Awards at the annual BEYA STEM Conference celebrate research and the innovative spirit in our nation’s HBCUs. The Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) STEM Conference, which is marking its 33rd year in 2019, drives the process by recognizing scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians leading innovation at HBCUs. The annual BEYA STEM Conference is co-hosted by the Council of Engineering Deans at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

T

he HBCU STEM Innovators Awards are the result of innovative research nominated by HBCUs across the country, from Alabama to Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Kansas.

Research areas include mathematics, social sciences, biological sciences, mechanical engineering, data science, computational chemistry, nanomaterials, bioengineering, psychology, and digital transformation.

a member of the National Science Board, McCrary has hosted the HBCU STEM Innovators Awards at the BEYA Conference since its inception. Recently, he served as the first vice president for research and economic development at Morgan State University before his appointment as vice chancellor for research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

“We’re living in an era driven by technology—most of it productive, but much of it disruptive,” said Dr. Victor R. McCrary.

McCrary said that behind all innovative products and medical breakthroughs are researchers who are on the frontlines of discovery and change. Their research ranges from environmental to medical, scientific, and industrial.

Currently vice president for research and graduate programs at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and

“Innovation fires up the imagination. It advances us in every area of our lives,” McCrary said. “An Evening with BEYA’s

www.blackengineer.com

Leading Voices shines the spotlight on innovation and our ability to adjust and adapt to it,” he said.

McCrary described innovation as “America’s major strength in our blend of exceptional and innovative capacity for research and businesses that will make us a great nation.”

“Our nation is the source for innovations in the Internet, personal computers, smartphones, and DNA sequencing. Our innovation is driven by collaboration between government, industries, and universities, and the availability of scientists, engineers, and technicians, and industry spending on research and development,” he added.

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CAREER OUTLOOK

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

BEYA Hall of Innovation The Hall of Innovation serves as the backdrop for the “Evening with BEYA’s Leading Voices” event, where the contributions of STEM Innovators selected by their respective HBCUs are honored.

Researchers recognized at the 2019 event are:

The HBCU STEM Innovators Award is presented to individuals who are recognized by their peers as “game-changing innovators” at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY Joanne B. Powell, Ph.D. Joanne B. Powell, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Clark Atlanta University. Her laboratory aims to understand the molecular mechanisms by which cancer cells progress into advanced and malignant phenotypes.

They focus on the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in prostate cancer progression. AhR is widely known for its role in mediating the harmful effects of some environmental toxins. However, evidence suggests that it may also play a key role in the progression of prostate cancer from castration-dependent to castrationindependent. Her research interest includes investigating the effects of environmental toxins on prostate cancer progression.

Dr. Dinadayalane Tandabany Dr. Dinadayalane Tandabany is an associate professor at Clark Atlanta University (CAU). He is the principal investigator for an HBCU-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation

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Award that conducts research aimed at understanding the binding of all 20 naturally occurring amino acids, which may be useful for the development of biosensors. The findings from this study will provide knowledge that will be useful for drug delivery applications using graphene-based nanomaterials. Also, the research will enhance our current knowledge on how to engineer graphene for biological applications. This project will help prepare the next generation of African-American students in bio nanoscience.

HOWARD UNIVERSITY Dr. Talitha Washington Dr. Talitha Washington is an associate professor and a National Science Foundation (NSF) program director at Howard University. “As an applied mathematician, I partner with those in the engineering and the sciences to find deeper understandings of systems.

We need diverse minds from various STEM fields to converge so that we can solve complex problems,” she said.

Washington has a distinguished track www.blackengineer.com

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

record in advancing innovation. She enjoys developing nonstandard finite difference schemes for dynamical systems including population models, the Black-Scholes Equation, and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge model. She often shares the mathematics shown in the “Hidden Figures” movie.

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Dr. Viji Sitther Dr. Viji Sitther’s Innovation Award recognizes her innovative research in renewable biofuels at Morgan State.

She has discovered and patented an innovative technology by which gold nanoparticles, when added to photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, can increase both the growth rate and the photosynthetic efficiency of the microorganism without affecting the biodiesel property. The nanoparticles act as artificial light harvesting complexes that enhance light capture/scatter, reducing the amount required for bioreactors and augment production capacity without increasing cultivation costs. This novel method to enhance photosynthetic efficacy of cyanobacteria has been developed to increase not only biomass but also oil (lipid) production.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY Mr. Ronnie Bailey Mr. Ronnie Bailey is an associate professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. His research interest is effects of zoning as a predetermined building constraint, building performance (energy and www.blackengineer.com

gait and motion have been impaired by age, injury, and stroke. Her work involves “balance training methodologies and assistive technologies towards maintaining health, improving balance, as well as preventing falls,” she said.

sustainability), the effects of building envelopes on the energy use of buildings, the cognitive process of building design, Afrocentric architecture, innovations in distance learning, multimedia, information transfer, and universal design principles. Bailey earned a M.U.P. at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Howard University, Washington.

UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (UDC) Dr. Lara Thompson In 2012, more than 43 million Americans were aged over 65, and that number is projected to rise to 72 million by 2030. Dr. Lara Thompson’s research has societal relevance as an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UDC. “I direct the Center for Biomechanical & Rehabilitation Engineering (CBRE) research,” she said.

The CBRE Laboratory utilizes sensor technology and engineering to provide clinical diagnostics on individuals whose

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE (UMES) Dr. Yuanwei Jin Dr. Yuanwei Jin is the first faculty member in decades to be the primary recipient of a U.S. patent assigned to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

According to the UMES Office of Public Relations, Jin’s work earned him two previous patents for research he started before becoming a UMES professor. He came up with an invention that could head off energy pipeline ruptures, and his “smart structure” sensing device passed a lengthy and intense legal and engineering vetting process. “Dr. Jin has brought honor to this university,” said Dr. Ayodele Alade, dean of UMES’ School of Business and Technology. S

Digital Connection: Full 2019 “Leading Voices” Event

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“Some of our Outstanding Scholars”

www.aamu.edu/cetps

Undergraduate Programs Electrical Engineering Computer Science Mechanical Engineering Civil Engineering Construction Management Physics Chemistry Mathematics

Graduate Programs Systems and Materiel Engineering, M.Eng Computer Science, MS Applied Physics, MS Physics, PhD

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. . .

S E I R A D N U O !

B W O O N N E E V T A A V H O U N O N Y I E R U T U F R U O Y D L U O NOR SH Our School was built to produce confident and competitive Engineers who graduate ready to make their marks in this rigorous industry. Join one of our 4 accredited programs today to see just how innovative and boundless your future can be.

Undergraduate & Graduate Programs In:

Civil Engineering Electrical & Computer Engineering Industrial & Systems Engineering Transportation & Urban Infrastructure Studies

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We see your greatest potential and your motivation to achieve. We see you at Norfolk State University.

Bachelor of Science Biology Chemistry Computer Science Nursing and Allied Health Mathematics Physics Engineering (Electrical and Optical) Technology Master of Science Computer Science Cybersecurity Electronics Engineering Materials Science Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering

College of Science, Engineering and Technology Oice of the Dean 700 Park Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 23504 (757)823-8180 www.nsu.edu/cset

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AGGIE ENGINEERS INNOVATE RESEARCH STRENGTHS Energy and Sustainability

Healthcare Applications

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BS) Architectural Engineering Bioengineering Biological Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Electrical Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Multiscale Materials Development and Analysis

Aerospace and Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n Systems

MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS) Bioengineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computational Science and Engineering (Interdisciplinary) Computer Science Electrical Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Cyber Security and Network Operations

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD) Computational Science and Engineering Computer Science Electrical Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering

NCAT.EDU/COE 1601 East Market Street, McNair Hall Greensboro, North Carolina 27411 336-285-2640 North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C.A&T) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. | N.C. A&T does not discriminate against any person on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. | N.C. A&T is an AA/EEO and ADA compliant institution.

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College of Sciences and Engineering Patrick Carriere, Ph.D., P.E. Dean and Professor P.O. Box 9969 Baton Rouge, LA 70813

Undergraduate Programs

Tel: (225) 771-4316 Fax: (225) 771-5721 Email: patrick_carriere@subr.edu

Graduate Programs

• Civil Engineering

Master of Engineering

• Electrical Engineering

Master of Science in Biology

• Mechanical Engineering

Master of Science in Computer Science

• Electronics Engineering Technology

Master of Science in Mathematics

• Computer Science

Master of Science in Physics

• Biology

Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology

• Chemistry

Ph.D. in Science/Math Education

• Math • Physics

Southern University Salutes College of Sciences and Engineering www.subr.edu/cse Baton Rouge, LA 70813 225-771-5290

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

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences

Engineering Program UMES Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences is looking forward to having you enroll in one of our STEM Career Programs. Our ABET accredited Engineering Program offers unique educational experiences in Engineering with specializations in Aerospace, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical.

Our faculty is committed to leading research in robotics, mechatronics, radar, wireless communications, precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicle design, etc.

Our state-of-the-art Engineering and Aviation Science Complex houses 22 engineering labs, including Materials, MEMS, Microwave Anechoic Chamber, Drones, Controls, Robotics, Aerospace for research and instruction. Our faculty and students lead interdisciplinary research projects to develop both robotic and unmanned aerial systems based precision agriculture solutions for Maryland farmers.

Our students have produced innovative designs for small drones for payload delivery and autonomous surface boats for water quality monitoring. Our graduates have been employed by NASA, DoD, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and others.

We invite you to join us in this exciting journey on our beautiful campus.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore Engineering & Aviation Science Complex 30925 College Backbone Road Princess Anne, Maryland 21853 Telephone: (410) 651-6365 https://www.umes.edu/Engineering/

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Virginia State University

College of Engineering and Technology Becoming Outstanding Leaders of Tomorrow

Undergraduate Programs

Student‐Centered, Dynamic, and Engaging Learning Environment

Engineering and Computer Science

Computer Science (B.S.) Computer Engineering (B.S.) Manufacturing Engineering (B.S.)

Technology

Electronics Engineering Technology (B.S.) Information Logistics Technology (B.S.) Mechanical Engineering Technology (B.S.)

Mathematics and Economics

Mathematics (B.S.) Economics (B.S.)

Graduate Programs Computer Science (M.S.) Economics (M.A.) Mathematics (M.S.) Project Management (Certi�icate)

Multidisciplinary Research

Leadership Systems Thinking Professionalism

For more information, contact: Office of the Dean 1 Hayden Drive Box 9392 Virginia State University, VA 23806 (804) 524-1141 www.cet.vsu.edu

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Siemens PLM Software fosters diversity and inclusion.

Diversity isn’t just about gender, culture, age or lifestyle. It’s about everything that makes us unique—our talents, ideas, contributions and experiences. A corporate culture that promotes personal growth can only be achieved by fostering creativity, productivity and mutual respect.

Diversity fuels our innovation. And that’s what has made Siemens successful for over 160 years. By creating a diverse workforce, we strive to gain the respect of our employees, customers and communities.

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NASA Pathways Program: https://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/Pathways.htm NASA Internships and Fellowships: https://intern.nasa.gov/ Careers at NASA: https://nasajobs.nasa.gov/

NASA Pathways Program: https://nasajobs.nasa.gov/studentopps/Pathways.htm NASA Internships and Fellowships: https://intern.nasa.gov/ Careers at NASA: https://nasajobs.nasa.gov/

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Together we’re making sure tomorrow’s greatest innovations come out of today’s classrooms.

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When people work together to help students thrive, they change lives, strengthen communities and make our world a better place. Northrop Grumman is proud to be a supporter of historically Black colleges and universities.

THE VALUE OF PERFORMANCE.

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Defining tomorrow with today’s leaders.

At Lockheed Martin, inclusion drives success. We are proud to be named the lead Top Corporate Supporter of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Engineering Programs for the fifth year in a row. Diverse backgrounds, experiences and points of view help us create incredible work, solve customers’ toughest challenges and engineer solutions around the world.

We don’t know what’s going to change the world next. But we’re probably already working on it.

Learn more at lockheedmartin.com/diversity

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