BEYA STEM Conference: Generation Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
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2015 Black Engineer of the Year Ed T. Welburn
Vice President of Global Design General Motors Company
The 29th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Special Recognition Modern Day Technology Leaders USBE&IT Conference Edition 2015 www.blackengineer.com
Emerald Honorees
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ng i z a l b ts l i a r T entis Sci BEYA at
World Wide Technology (WWT) is Proud to Support BEYA and our Nation’s Veterans WWT is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) that delivers technology and supply chain solutions to customers and suppliers around the world. We understand that today’s advanced technologies, when properly planned, procured and deployed, are solutions that reduce costs, increase profitability and ultimately improve our federal customers’ ability to effectively complete their missions. WWT offers customers extensive experience in IT procurement, logistics, program management and the ability to deliver against large, complex contracts such as Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQs), GSA Multiple Award Schedules and various other Agency Specific contracts. WWT salutes our veterans. We are committed to providing veterans with career opportunities that enable our nation’s heroes to achieve professional and personal success. We look for people that are leaders, have integrity, understand the value of teamwork and diversity and treat others with respect and dignity. We find these traits in our nation’s veterans. Come Work with WWT • We Want You
Visit us online: www.wwt.com 800.432.7008
NOW THE MOST READ BLACK TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE REACHING OVER 100,000 READERS IN THE UNITED STATES, UK, AND SOUTH AFRICA
CONTEN US BLACK ENGINEER & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY
Special Recognition Honorees...............................40
Honoring achievers, men and women who are making a difference in STEM
Modern-day Technology Leaders.................................48 Up and coming leaders in engineering, science, and technology
One on One............................10
2014 Black Engineer of the Year Stephanie C. Hill on life after BEYA
DIVERSITY
People and Events..................6
Those we lost in 2014: A former director for the Office of Small Business Programs in the Office of the Secretary of the Army
Ed Welburn Vice President, Global Design General Motors
Career Voices........................ 14 Successful careers require commitment and hard work
PROFILES IN INNOVATION
2015 Black Engineer of the Year COVER STORY............................................. 22 Ed Welburn was named vice president of General Motors (GM) Design North America on Oct. 1, 2003, becoming the sixth design leader in GM history. On March 1, 2005, Welburn stepped into the newly created position of GM vice president, Global Design, the first to lead all of the company’s global design centers. 2 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Black Engineer of the Year Award Category Winners.................26
More than 20 BEYA category winners in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math career fields.
BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS
Corporate Life....................... 18 Corporate veterans provide insight into what every young professional should know about navigating their way up the ladder to success
www.blackengineer.com
TS Vo l u m e 3 9 N u m b e r 1 SCIENCE SPECTRUM
Minorities in Research Science Trailblazers...........................45
Trailblazers actively create new paths for others in science, technology, research and research.
Titan of Science | 2015 Scientist of the Year............................71 Dr. Julio A. Navarro is a leading expert in the Radio frequency field of phased array antennas and micro-electronics and a senior technical fellow for Boeing Research & Technology
2015 Emerald Honorees........54
Diverse faces of modern science make up this year’s pick of some the finest in the nation.
CAREER OUTLOOK.................67
PUBLISHER’S PAGE
S
tudies show that imagining the future depends on much of the same neural machinery that is needed for remembering the past. When John Brooks Slaughter, the 1987 Black Engineer of the Year, graduated from college in 1956, the proportion of African Americans in the engineering workforce was less than one-half of a percent. Dr. Slaughter said he was the first Black engineer he ever met. Almost 60 years have passed since then, and over that time, diversity programs like the annual BEYA STEM Conference have been exposing students to practicing engineers, as well opportunities in engineering. No doubt about it, Black representation in engineering has improved but African Americans still comprise only 5 percent of all engineering bachelor’s degrees achieved, with the same percentage of career holders in the workforce. Recent data on engineering degree attainment showed that of the 135,846 engineering degrees awarded in the United States in 2010, African-American graduates represented 5.3 percent of all bachelor’s, 3.5 percent of master’s, and 2 percent of all engineering doctorates. A NACME report says that risks clearly remain for African-American engineering students. Black students entering engineering programs are less likely to complete their degrees, take longer to complete their degrees, and transfer to and complete associates or certificate program at a higher level. To ensure continued success of this group along the pathway from education to careers, NACME encourages policymakers, educators and business people to do a number of things: Introduce STEM education at an earlier age to minority students by providing access to academic support programs, and after school tutoring for ACT/SAT preparation; Increase the percentage of Black high school graduates that continue to post-secondary education and select STEM degree options by providing entry-level academic support, financial support and mentoring opportunities. NACME also recommends that business groups support promising students by providing scholarships, tuition reimbursement and job placement for young African Americans pursuing STEM degrees. Additional focus must be made on increasing representation of STEM faculty who are African American. The 29th annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference is one of the top rated STEM career fairs in America. There are recruiters from Fortune 500 corporations, with more than 100 organizations hiring. It’s great for majors and employees in business, accounting, basic science, math, computer science and more.
Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Editorial Director
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 3
ďƒœSave the Date EXECUTIVE OFFICE Tyrone D. Taborn|Publisher and Editorial Director Jean Hamilton|President and CFO EDITORIAL Rayondon Kennedy|Assistant Editor Lango Deen|Contributing Editor Michael Fletcher|Contributing Editor Gale Horton Gay|Contributing Editor M.V. Greene|Contributing Editor Frank McCoy|Contributing Editor Garland L. Thompson|Contributing Editor Roger Witherspoon|Contributing Editor GRAPHIC DESIGN Sherley Petit-Homme|Art Director Bryan Clapper|Graphic Designer CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT Eric Price|Vice President, Recruitment and Training Ty Taborn|Corporate Development Imani Carter|Corporate Communications Specialist SALES AND MARKETING Alex Venetta|Associate Publisher, Manager of Partner Services Gwendolyn Bethea|Vice President, Corporate Development Sandi Harris|Senior Account Manager Kehinde Akiwowo|Senior Account Manager Devin Oten|Senior Account Manager
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ADMINISTRATION Ana Bertrand, Conference Coordinator Conference and Events Rutherford & Associates 17304 Preston Rd Suite 1020 Dallas, Texas 75252 ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE Career Communications Group, Inc. 729 E. Pratt Street, Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 244-7101 / Fax: (410) 752-1834
February 18-20, 2016 Philadelphia, Penn.
US Black Engineer & Information Technology (ISSN 1088-3444) is a publication devoted to engineering, science, and technology and to promoting opportunities in those fields for Black Americans. The editors invite submissions directed toward the goals of US Black Engineer & Information Technology. In particular, we wish to present ideas and current events concerning science and technology, and personality profiles of successful Blacks in these fields and related business pursuits. Fully developed articles may be sent for consideration, but queries are encouraged. US Black Engineer & Information Technology invites letters to the editor about any topics important to our readership. Articles and letters should be sent to: US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Editorial Department, 729 E Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. No manuscript will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. US Black Engineer & Information Technology cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. This publication is bulk-mailed to 150 colleges and universities nationwide. Subscriptions are $26/year. Please write to US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Subscriptions, 729 E. Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. Copyright (c) 2015 by Career Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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We congratulate our colleagues on being honored with the 2015 Black Engineer of the Year Special Recognition Award and the Modern Day Technology Leader Award. At Exelon, we recognize the value of constant improvement. As the nation’s leading competitive energy company, we are driven to perform, and our employees bring the background and training that help drive our progress. From engineering to operations to information technology and beyond, there are opportunities throughout the Exelon family of companies to create a brighter future.
Michelle Blaise Sr. Vice President, Engineering & Project Management, ComEd Special Recognition Award
Katherine Daniels
Derrick Dickens
Anthony Hardimon
Jasmine Jackson
General Engineer, ComEd Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Director AMI Strategy, PECO Modern Day Technology Leader Award
System Engineer, Exelon Generation Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Sr. Contract Coordinator, PECO Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Sam Johnston
Stacey Oriaifo
Joel Reid
Ameerah Shabazz
General Engineer, BGE Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Engineer, BGE Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Sr. Engineer, Exelon Generation Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Manager System Operations, ComEd Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Abner Tsadick
Brian Wright
John Yancey
Kam Kit Yiu
Principal Structuring Analyst, Constellation Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Engineer, Exelon Generation Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Manager Distribution Automation, ComEd Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Engineer, BGE Modern Day Technology Leader Award
Exelon is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and employees or applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law.
Š Exelon Corporation, 2015
www.exeloncorp.com/careers
PROFILES IN INNOVATION We celebrate the men and women who are reinventing and reenergizing STEM, business, and government.
People and Events
by Imani Carter icarter@ccgmag.com
IN MEMORY OF TRACEY PINSON — SEPTEMBER 18, 1957 - DECEMBER 14, 2014
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he Honorable Tracey L. Pinson, a former director for the Office of Small Business Programs in the Office of the Secretary of the Army, died December 14, 2014. Until her retirement in June, she was the highest-ranking female civilian in the Army acquisition field. Ms. Pinson advised the secretary of the Army and staff on procurement related to utilization of small and diverse businesses in the performance of all Army contracts. She joined Boeing as director of Small/Diverse Business and Strategic Alliances for Boeing Defense, Space and Security in the summer of 2014. In this role, she was responsible for ensuring that contractual obligations were met by driving strategy for work placement with small and diverse businesses in alignment with business agreements that deliver the best value to Boeing and its customers. According to a Capital Words tribute, “In Recognition Of the Honorable Tracey L. Pinson,” Ms. Pinson spent 32 years in the federal government and nearly 20 of those as the director for the Office of Small Business Programs for the Secretary of the Army. She excelled at this position since her first day as director in May 1995, the citation states. Pinson received a Bachelor of Science in political science from Howard University and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Her career began on Capitol Hill in 1982, serving as counsel to the Committee on Small Business under then chairman of the House Small Business Committee, U.S. Rep. Parren J. Mitchell of Maryland’s 7th congressional district. Mitchell was widely known as ``godfather’’ of minority business expansion and development efforts, the tribute said. From 1986-1995, she was an assistant to the director, Office of Small Business Programs, Office of the Secretary of Defense. In April 1995, she was appointed by then secretary of the Army, the Honorable Togo West, as the director, Office of Small Business Programs, Office of the Secretary of the Army. Under her leadership, the Army awarded over $300 billion in contracts to small businesses. Ms. Pinson also managed the Army Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serv-
6 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
ing Institutions (MIs) Program and ensured these institutions had an opportunity to participate in Army-funded programs. Over $100 billion in Army awards have gone to HBCUs/MIs. She also headed an initiative to hire wounded warriors in her office. With their help, she was able to steer over $50 billion to veteran-owned businesses. She also worked to secure contract awards for women-owned businesses, companies located in areas of economic distress, and small businesses in disaster relief efforts. She won the Department of the Army Award for Meritorious Civilian Service in 2014. “This is a tremendous loss for everyone who knew her and for the entire small business community,” said William A. Brown, president of the African American Federal Executive Association (AAFEA). “She was my close friend and co-founder of the AAFEA. Just one month ago, she stepped down as our vice president having served in that position since our founding in 2002. She will be greatly missed.” “Really sorry to learn of Tracey’s passing. She and her late mom Valerie were true trailblazers for diversity and minority business opportunities,” said Kweisi Mfume, former president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as well as a five-term congressman from Maryland’s 7th congressional district. “I am just saddened by this,” said Career Communications Group CEO Tyrone Taborn, founder of US Black Engineer magazine. Retired Army Gen. William “Kip” Ward, who served as commander, U.S. Africa Command, said, “We are all shocked and saddened. She will be missed but as so many have reflected, never forgotten for all she did in support of our community. Importantly, she was loved, admired and appreciated.” “We share the same sentiment,” said Gen. Dennis Via, commander of the United States Army Materiel Command. “Tracey was such a wonderful person and a great friend. A tragic and great loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.”
www.blackengineer.com
WOMEN IN THE SES: NETWORKING TO THE TOP The story below by Amy Dunn Williams was first published in US Black Engineer magazine’s 2006 Homeland Security, Government and Defense Edition. It featured women in the Senior Executive Service (SES). The SES operates and oversees government activity in approximately 75 agencies.
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sk anyone who has achieved career success for his or her advice on climbing the ladder and you’re sure to hear, “Network, network, network!” Without a doubt, learning how and with whom to mingle can set you on the path to advancement, giving you the contacts, conversation skills and technical know how to get the job done right. No one knows this better than Tracey Pinson, director of small and disadvantaged business utilization for the U.S. Army. A civilian employee (her position is equal to that of a two-star general), Pinson is responsible for helping small businesses, including those owned by minorities, women, and those living in disadvantaged areas, work with the federal government to obtain contracts. Pinson is a graduate of Georgetown University, and maintains membership with the Maryland Bar Association. A mother, wife, exercise enthusiast and avid golfer. In addition to being one of the Army’s top female acquisition professionals. All of this means that she leads a busy life, one that networking has helped to make infinitely more efficient.
Networking and the ‘Big Picture’
Pinson says that being knowledgeable is the number one most important aspect of success. Technical savvy, hard work and dedication to continuous improvement will get you far. “But you also need to have people skills,” she explains. “You need to have the ability to manage, the ability to lead, and the ability to seek out those who can help you achieve your goals. That’s where networking comes in.” She says that any time you have an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to others, you should take it. No one will know what you’re capable of, unless you take it upon yourself to show them. Meet with and talk to as many people as you can. “When I was just out of law school, my mother would tell me, ‘You should go and talk with so-and-so,’” she recalls. “She was always trying to get me to go meet with people. And my response would be, ‘does so and so have a job for me?’ I didn’t understand the value of talking to people who were successful, people from whose knowledge and experience I could benefit. I get that now.”
Look for a friendly face
Approaching someone you’ve never met can be easier said than done, and Pinson acknowledges that learning how to network can be a daunting effort for the shy or inexperienced. “You have to work within your comfort zone,” she explains. “It takes a certain amount of courage to walk up to someone you don’t know, and start talking to them.”
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The solution? Look for a welcoming face. “When you walk into a room, and you don’t know anyone there, you have two choices. You can either hang out by yourself, or you can seek out a friendly face.” Pinson says that in no time at all, a casual exchange with that one friendly face can lead you into a host of conversations with interesting and potentially influential people from a variety of backgrounds. “Someone has to start the conversation,” she says. “Why shouldn’t it be you?” Pinson recommends professional association events as a great forum for networking. She remains a member of her college sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and is very active in the African American Federal Executive Association, of which she is a co-founder. She also stresses the importance of reading the Sunday sports page. “Learn how to talk about sports, even if you hate them,” she insists. “This is especially true for women. If you can talk about sports, you can talk to anyone. It’s a universal subject, and gives you a jumping-off point from which to start a conversation that has nothing to do with work.” She says that getting yourself into the habit of checking sports scores, or tuning into a game or two on the weekends, will help you to develop a wealth of potential conversation starters for your next meeting or event.
Love what you do
Networking and career advancement in general becomes vastly easier when you’re working in a field that you love. Pinson recommends pursuing a career that you feel genuinely passionate about, one that makes you look forward to coming to work every day. “I know I’m part of a program that is making a difference,” she says. “We give small business owners and entrepreneurs an opportunity to get lucrative government contracts they would otherwise never have gotten. I see the difference we make first hand; people are constantly coming back and thanking me for what we’ve done for them.” Giving a voice to those who are too often unheard and helping them to navigate through the confusing bureaucratic process gives Pinson a sense of pride and accomplishment. So does working for the Army, which she says is like being a part of a large extended family. “I love the Army,” she says. “It’s a great place to be.”
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 7
PROFILES IN INNOVATION We celebrate the men and women who are reinventing and reenergizing STEM, business, and government.
One on One
by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com
2014 BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR ON LIFE AFTER BEYA
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oresight is an increasingly vital skill in the world of work, and for 30 years, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Conference has exposed young people to innovators who are transforming America’s future — from information systems and cyber security to energy, health care and space exploration. Stephanie C. Hill is one such example. She was named the 2014 Black Engineer of the Year for her outstanding leadership during a 27-year engineering career and commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in computer science and economics from University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Lockheed Martin Corp. brought her on board as a software engineer. Now, almost three decades later, she is vice president and general manager of Lockheed’s Information Systems and Global Solutions (IS&GS) civil business. In Hill’s current role, she leads 10,000 employees who are responsible for systems and services in information and cyber security, finance, transportation, citizen protection, energy, health care and space exploration. The unit serves various non-defense U.S. government agencies, foreign governments and regulated commercial industries. “Stephanie Hill is an exceptional leader, and I’m honored to have worked with her,” said Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation, in a news release highlighting Hill’s 2014 BEYA win. “Stephanie has established herself as a leader who drives technical and business performance on behalf of her customers while strengthening and developing the next generation of leaders.” In a nutshell, Hill’s secret to a successful career. A willingness to build teams, technical know-how of what constitutes customer service, individual pride in taking authority, and making things better for the next generation made her a stand out. By 27, Hill’s work with missile systems like the Navy’s Sea Sparrow earned her the “Most Promising Engineer” award at the 1993 BEYA STEM Conference. Twenty-one years later, she was named the 2014 Black Engineer of the Year for career leadership and her demonstrated commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Since she won the highest honor at BEYA, work-life has been incredibly exciting and incredibly busy, Hill said over the phone a few days before 2014’s Thanksgiving. “We have been helping our customers fulfill their critical missions that impact citizens’ daily lives,” she enthused. The missions run from information and citizen protection to health care, energy, water, space exploration and everything in between. A “Next Generation Identification System” developed for 10 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Stephanie C. Hill, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s information systems and global solutions civil business.
the FBI is used by more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the country, Hill said. The identification system has the ability to process up to 650,000 transactions a day, with 99.6 percent accuracy and a response time as low as 10 seconds, which helped identify over 330,000 fugitives in 2013. Lockheed Martin’s IS&GS civil also supports also supports efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is taking precautions to prevent the further spread of Ebola within the United States. The current Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries with the hardest hit being Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. “We developed a decision making tool for the CDC and help run their emergency management operations center taking hundreds of calls every day from around the world,” she explained. Hill’s division supports other federal health agencies, including the centers for Medicare and Medicaid, which provides www.blackengineer.com
health coverage to nearly 60 million Americans, including children, pregnant women, parents, seniors and individuals with disabilities. In 2014, Hill’s health and life and sciences business welcomed more than 400 new team members following the acquisition of Systems Made Simple, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin. Support to the team taking humans to destinations beyond low Earth orbit in NASA’s Lockheed Martin-built spacecraft Orion was also on on the agenda. Incidentally, the craft’s first un-crewed test flight voyage to space, with more than a 1,000 sensors on board, took place Dec. 4. Another highlight of Hill’s banner BEYA STEM year was the first anniversary of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Minorities in Energy Initiative. “It was a whole day of meeting strategic partners, ambassadors the Department of Energy put together, and [seeing] different kinds of activities that people from academia and business are making. It’s to inspire students to pursue a career in energy, which is a significant challenge for the globe,” Hill said. “Talking to Dot Harris, I can feel the passion and its working.” Harris is an assistant secretary overseeing the energy department’s office of economic impact and diversity, which has hosted a program that pairs students with DOE offices. Harris’ office also works with minority-serving institutions to connect them with national laboratories and help schools commercialize some of the laboratory-scale technologies coming out of the labs. The idea is to grow new businesses and train the next generation of scientists and engineers. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Minorities in Energy program addresses the needs of historically underrepresented communities in the energy sector and seeks to empower, equip, and prepare businesses, communities, schools and individuals to partake in the technical, procurement, engagement, workforce, and energy literacy resources of the federal energy department. 2013 Black Engineer of the Year awardee, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president of University of Baltimore County, is an ambassador of the program. “When you talk about energy, it’s a global security challenge. When you talk health, it’s a global security challenge. As we read and learn about significant global security challenges, it is clean water, and drinkable water,” Hill said. To that extent, although not in her business area, Hill was pleased to say Lockheed Martin has patented a nanotechnologyenabled filtration solution called Perforene that can trap all kinds of particles, salts and minerals so that ALL water becomes drinkable. She says there’s “work to do” to scale it to meet critical global needs but it is still going to be a significant breakthrough. Especially for countries like Sierra Leone, with increasing numbers of urban and rural poor living in slums and communities that lack water and sanitation services and corresponding support. www.blackengineer.com
Which brought us to summer 2014 hot topics about minorities in tech, retention, promotion and career progression, and by extension the five women who have broken through the proverbial glass ceiling to win the prestigious BEYA. “When you think about the five female BEYA winners, I’ve been privileged to meet most of them,” Hill said. “We talked about, hopefully, that this award helps us to be more of a role model to women who really want to do this, but are not sure they can,” Hill said. In 2001, trailblazing Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was the first woman to win the top award at BEYA, which was launched in 1986. Two years after Jackson’s landmark win came former president and CEO of Mitretek Systems, Lydia Thomas, in 2003. Three years later, retired Lockheed Martin Corporation officer and executive vice president Linda Gooden headlined BEYA STEM’s 20th anniversary. The Aerospace Corporation’s president and CEO, Wanda M. Austin, was the 2009 Black Engineer of the Year. “Sometimes we think, in 2014, it wouldn’t be a question that’d come up as often. You talk about some of the statistics, and one of the ones most troubling to me is around girls in elementary school,” Hill said. “By the second grade, most girls have decided math is either for them or not. And unfortunately most of our girls have decided that math is not for them,” she noted. The BEYA has been especially meaningful to Hill she says because, “it recognizes the work Lockheed Martin does every day to help our nation. Hopefully, it will also serve as an inspiration to students about the many rewarding opportunities that a career in engineering and IT can offer.” During 2014, Hill, a STEM executive, was part of Lockheed Martin’s hosting of the USAA Science and Engineering Festival. “There were many things for the young people to see,” she said. “More than 30,000 people that came to this festival. To see young girls faces light up, to see women, not just me, but other women, that are in the field and making a difference has to be inspiring.” Hill is a board member of the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Maryland Business Roundtable. She also serves on the RTCA or Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics NextGen Advisory Committee, which develops recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration regarding modernization of the National Airspace System. In addition to her BEYA award in 2014, Hill was included on the EBONY Power 100 list, which recognizes the achievements of African-Americans in a variety of fields. She was also recently selected as one of Computerworld’s 2015 Premier 100 IT leaders.
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 11
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Top supporter of HBCU’s 12 years in a row. siemens.com/goplm
In a survey conducted by U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine, Siemens has been named a top supporter of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) for the twelfth straight year. Siemens provides in-kind software grants to HBCU Engineering and is the only supplier of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) PLM software among this year’s list of companies. Siemens’ support is part of the company’s focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education and diversity initiatives that help drive manufacturing revitalization efforts throughout the U.S.
Siemens’ recent $85 million in-kind software grant to Florida A&M is just one example of its commitment to HBCUs. This software will allow engineering students to train using the same technology as major manufacturers around the world. “We’re committed to leading the industry in diversity initiatives and STEM education support,” said Chuck Grindstaff, president and CEO of Siemens PLM Software. “We will continue to work closely with the HBCU community to develop highly qualified and recruited engineers and technologists. www.siemens.com
Answers for industry.
PROFILES IN INNOVATION
Career Voices
by Gale Horton Gay ghorton@ccgmag.com
SUCCESSFUL CAREERS REQUIRE COMMITMENT AND HARD WORK
A
long successful career isn’t the result of luck or a singular been extremely, extremely supportive and encouraging and effort but constant hard work, strategic moves and guidmotivating.” ance from mentors. Marbury describes herself as a low-key person who doesn’t That’s the view from two of the 2015 BEYA STEM Conferseek the limelight. ence award winners. “I get a sense of accomplishment just from accomplishing Shelvy Marbury, a veteran with AT&T for 18 years, has been whatever the goal is. Whether you know it or not, people are bestowed with the title of 2015 professional achievement award always watching you. Watching what you do, how you do it. winner. Ernest Levert, who has risen through the ranks at Lockheed “Every leadership position that I have had, I have been Martin during his 28-year career recommended for it. Mentors rewith the aerospace and defense gially pushing me in that direction, ant, has been honored with the 2015 usually someone just watching me career achievement award. work. I am not a big talker. I like to Marbury currently serves as let my work speak for me.” an area manager for Michigan and Her advice to future engiIndiana responsible for oversight neers is simple: be knowledgeof equipment engineers and projable, dependable and accountable. ect managers. And she recommends developing “My team are the behindrelationships and not underestimatthe-scenes people who make ing the importance of “being kind your phones and devices work,” to others. Marbury said. “It’s very challenging, but They are involved in the if you work hard and set the bar construction of cell towers and for yourself and really operate in shelters, budgeting, scheduling, excellence, you will succeed.” and more. Marbury, who graduated from Marbury first became a Tuskegee in 1995 with a degree in manager with the telecommunicamechanical engineering, cites her tion’s company in 2011, overseeparents for pushing her and her sising equipment engineering. When ters (one’s an engineer, the other’s her boss who dealt with the project a physician). managers retired, Marbury was “My parents were very good promoted to her current position instilling core values and a work and now handles responsibility for ethic,” she said. both areas. She recalled a challenging “The most challenging aspect time when she had graduated from Shelvy Marbury, area manager, network engineering, AT&T of the job is doing double duty,” high school and her father had lost she said. his job and become ill. She was However, Marbury credits her previous supervisor for uncertain how she would make it through college. Her dad used grooming her to take on the job. In fact, she said she didn’t realthe family name — Young — as a way to inspire his daughter. ize that her boss’ insistence that she take on various leadership “He said ‘You are Young, you can do anything you want to.’ roles was leading to her next step up. He was my cheerleader,” Marbury said, reflecting that there were “All throughout my career I’ve really, really been blessed some times when she wanted to give up. “I just couldn’t.” with mentors who took me under their wing and shared words She added that she also felt a connection to her ancestors of wisdom, lessons learned and experiences that they’ve gone who had sacrificed so much so she could have opportunities. through,” Marbury said. “That’s so very, very important.” “It made me work hard,” she said of her years in college. She added that her supervisors throughout her career have “Things weren’t easy.” often advocated on her behalf. She continues to draw on those sources of strength as well “My supervisors and the leadership structure at AT&T has as her faith in the challenges she faces in her current life. She is
14 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
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the mother of daughters ages 8 and 14, and her husband is battion engineering welding program manager for the International tling pancreatic cancer. Space Station. And he’s also proud to have served as the first “If I didn’t have my faith, I don’t know where I would be African-American president of two professional organizations right now,” Marbury said, adding that she has a good support — the American Welding Society and the Federation of Materisystem at home and her flexibility on her job that allows her to als Societies — that combined have 755,000 members as well work remotely, at times from her husband’s hospital room. as having been elected president of the International Institute of Marbury offers the following advice to those just starting Welding Board of Directors in 2014. their careers: “Don’t be a pawn. Don’t let anyone define you. Levert started his career serving in the U.S. Navy for a You define yourself. Don’t let anydecade before going to Ohio one or anything deter you.” State University where he earned Ernest Levert has had a long a bachelor degree in welding storied career at Lockheed Martin engineering and materials science. — 28 years in production operaUpon graduation, he had 18 job tions, manufacturing engineering, offers. production engineering, mainHe decided to accept a positenance operations, advanced tion with Ametek as a welding manufacturing technologies, qualengineer where he was involved in ity, systems integration and more. building jet engines for the space He is now a fellow with Lockheed shuttle program. While there, he Martin, meaning he has been met Ronald McNair, a physicist deemed as “the most senior techniwho would become an astronaut cal authority in his field and is utiand tragically die in the Space lized as a corporate consultant for Shuttle Challenger explosion in the most complex technical issues 1986. Levert said McNair became across the corporation.” Fellows his mentor and offered him valuoversee advanced engineering in able guidance and advice. their field for the development He recalls that McNair recof new products, materials or ommended that Levert “pick an processes. They also serve as top area and become an expert.” consultants to senior management However, the road to success in long-range planning for new has not always been without its or projected areas of technical rocky patches. He cited racism, beresearch and advancement. ing laid off and at times struggling Fellow is a major achieveto maintain a positive attitude with Ernest Levert, Lockheed Martin Fellow, Lockheed Martin ment—less than 1 percent of all some co-workers as some of the Corporation of Lockheed Martin’s 60,000 rough spots. engineers are chosen for this honor, “With God in your life and according to Levert. faith in yourself, you set and achieve your goal no matter what Levert said his most challenging work was from 1995 to you’re told,” Levert said. 1997 when he was working on an Army tactical missile system. Asked why we has stayed at Lockheed Martin for nearly three He was told that one part of project required welding on a live decades, Levert said the work has challenging and fun, which is missile to make it tamper proof. exactly what he advises up-and-coming engineers to seek. “I did it myself, wrote the book, made the company more “Find a career that you have a passion for because you will than [$750,000],” he said. spend most of your life at work. So why not make it fun and get The other accomplishments of which he is most proud paid for it,” said Levert. include his induction into the National Library of Congress as And, yes, Levert, who answers the question even before a “history maker” in science, receiving the Nova Award for it is asked, he is related to the famous singing Leverts. Leadership from Lockheed Martin and his work as the producThey’re cousins.
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USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 15
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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS Some of the brightest minds in STEM, business and government offer their insights and advice about living and working to one’s best potential.
Carol Bennett, a senior program manager, General Dynamics
Corporate Life
Marvin Carr, systems engineer and project manager at Innovative STEM Solutions LLC by Gale Horton Gay ghorton@ccgmag.com
DOE FUNDING GIVES BOOST TO HBCUS: ENERGY PROJECTS GENERATE FRESH IDEAS
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ou can be educated, skilled and fully committed to your career, but if you’re unaware of corporate dos and don’ts, your career could end up stalled or in a ditch. We asked a couple of corporate veterans to provide insight into what every young professional should know about navigating their way up the ladder to success. Those veterans are Carol Bennett, a senior program manager at General Dynamics and the winner of BEYA 2015 Presidents Award, and Marvin Carr, systems engineer and project manager at Innovative STEM Solutions LLC and the 2015 recipient of the BEYA Dean’s Award. What are the mistakes young professionals make when new to an organization? Bennett: Every organization has a unique culture and in order to be successful, you must understand how the company 18 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
works, who the influencers are, what leadership’s strategic goals are and where you can make an impact. Also, young professionals should understand the organization structure and who reports to whom. I have witnessed throughout my career where young professionals do not understand the leadership chain and send inappropriate correspondence to senior leadership. They should proceed through the appropriate chain of command and handle each situation in a professional manner. Carr: Millennials, those of us born between 1982 and 2004, are often applauded for our innovation and new age communication style. Most of all, the catalyst of many of our failures is the desire and pressure from our peers and social-media to resist conformity. More than likely, a young engineering professional will work for a large tech and construction company or a department of defense institution or one of its contractors. Unless you www.blackengineer.com
are lucky enough to work for Google or a similar tech company, your only way to climb the ladder and do well in the organizational structure is to settle into the years and years of processes and protocols that have made these organizations millions and billions of dollars. Be careful though, although conformity for many of us may be an ugly word, remember that it does not require you to fly under the radar. Conforming to a business culture should not kill your innovative nature. Are there unspoken but important rules that must be followed to succeed? If so, name three. Bennett: 1) Dress matters. The company culture is demonstrated through every employee’s actions. Your outward appearance affects how you are perceived, especially when it comes to professional settings. I found that tailoring my professional wardrobe to mirror that of the senior level executives transformed the way I presented myself and not only impacted my professional development but helped me to excel personally. 2) Be proactive. Organizations want staff that will go that extra mile, be creative and improve the organization, team or customer mission. One of the important questions that I always ask candidates who I interview is, “how would you spend your time if there were a lull in work” 3) Have a solution. The best way to take a challenge to leadership and enlist their help is to do your homework and come up with ideas to resolve the issue. That shows that you really care and you are taking initiative to help the organization succeed. Carr: 1) Shine bright, just don’t be glaring. No one likes a show-off. 2) Speak up and speak loud, just don’t yell. No one likes a know-it-all who knows nothing. 3) Be ambitious but only behind the veil. This one, I must admit, I have a hard time with. While Generation X and the Baby-boomers have spent their lives climbing the corporate ladder, I have dreams and visions of flying over it. The problem with that, however, is that you may miss out on some important information or mentoring and learning experiences because more seasoned co-workers distrust your motives. Be careful, don’t allow your motivation and ambition to destroy opportunities to receive mentorship; knowledge transfer from mentors like Albert Sweet from iSTEMS LLC. have been some of my greatest learning experiences. Is workplace etiquette important and why? Bennett: Absolutely it is. You always want to present yourself as a professional in your verbal and nonverbal (body language) communication. As you learn the culture of an organization, you will understand how you should behave if you want respect from others. Respect has to be earned, and you can gain respect by consistently working hard and conducting yourself in a positive and professional manner. Carr: Etiquette on the job requires the use of a little common sense for the younger generation. Most of us have good www.blackengineer.com
“You always want to present yourself as a professional in your verbal and nonverbal (body language) communication. As you learn the culture of an organization, you will understand how you should behave if you want respect from others.” — Carol Bennett, a senior program manager, General Dynamics
home training, and our parents taught us the basics of common courtesy and etiquette pretty well. However, they never knew that Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter would present their kids with another way to violate rules that just seem common sense. Do not use social media at work, period, that is all. What’s the best way to handle on-the-job conflicts? Bennett: The best ways in my opinion are good communication and embracing diversity of opinions through either compromise or collaboration to resolve conflicts. Carr: The carbon copy (CC) will be your best friend. (whispers…. The blind carbon copy (bcc) works, too. Remember your veil). Paper trails will become your best friend if you are being treated unfairly. Maintain anonymity if you must to protect yourself. What are the realities about being assertive at work? Bennett: It is definitely possible to get things accomplished and assert your point without being aggressive. One good technique is to solicit buy-in from your immediate supervisor and peers to gain advocacy to help push your agenda. Carr: If you’re not the boss, no one really listens to you. You don’t want to be the young bud that no one likes and everyone laughs at when you leave the room because your assertiveness is usually ignored. I’m the only person doing my doctoral research at my institution and workplace, my ideas and beliefs often fall on death or unresponsive ears. If you are going to be assertive, allow for facts and data to affirm your beliefs, not your personality. USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 19
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We would like to honor the 2015 General Motors BEYA award recipients. Congratulations to Ed Welburn, 2015 Black Engineer of the Year, Justin McDade, Most Promising Scientist/Industry and the General Motors Modern Day Technology Leader Awardees. The leadership you display inspires us all to reach higher.
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2015 Black
Engineer OF THE YEAR
Ed T. Welburn, Jr. GM Vice President, Global Design
22 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
by Garland L. Thompson gthompson@ccgmag.com
I
t is a truism to say that General Motors’ (GM’s) Ed Welburn, like all the others born in the post-World War II baby boom, grew up in a tumultuous era. And like so many others, he also heard another trusim: That anyone could grow up to be anything, even president of the United States. But the truth turned out to be more powerful than the truism. And Welburn’s own truth — his ambition and drive — led him to a place no one around him ever expected to see him reach, even to sit down in a car at a car show in Washington and share a joke with the first-ever African-American president of the United States, Barack Obama. The backdrop is important, for the tumult through which Ed Welburn lived and grew was industrial as well as social, economic and political. Civil rights campaigns and loud protests over discrimination played a huge part. But Welburn’s personal campaign at GM was waged far away from those noisy public battles. It was powered by several factors: Welburn’s own quiet persistence; his excellence at work no one around him had ever seen a Black man do; and GM’s corporate drive to survive and succeed in a world turned upside down by recessions, oil embargoes, and massive competition from offshore automakers.
Size of the climb
In the beginning, that social backdrop was stunningly disheartening. During Welburn’s childhood in the 1950s and early 1960s, African American lives and dreams were so sharply curtailed it took a massive boycott campaign to let Rosa Parks sit where she wanted on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, armed National Guardsmen to open the way for nine Black students to walk to classes at a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, and federalized Mississippi National Guardsmen to stop a riot led by a retired Army general and get James Meredith enrolled at the University of Mississippi. Welburn, undeterred, followed the advice he’d received from GM professionals and enrolled at historically Black Howard University, majoring in fine arts and industrial design. The recession of the late 1950s, bringing with it a flood of European car brands into the American market and the American automakers’ “compact car” answer, was old news by the time Welburn graduated, but the appetite of Americans for smaller, more fuelefficient automobiles had not gone away.
From Howard U. to Harley Earl’s legacy
Welburn graduated in 1972, into his dream job on GM’s Detroit design team, welcomed into the studios with his high “bush” hairstyle by Bill Mitchell, the successor to GM’s first design chief, Harley Earl, whose space age-design Cadillac Cyclone concept car had inspired young Welburn at the Philadelphia International Auto Show so many years earlier. The OPEC oil embargo burst into the news the very next www.blackengineer.com
year, prompted by Persian Gulf producers’ anger over U.S. and its western allies’ support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War. Americans found themselves struggling to keep their cars’ gas tanks filled, paying high premiums for the gas that was available. Companies like General Motors found themselves on the wrong end of a consumer trend, as Americans rushed to the showrooms of foreign carmakers selling smaller, more fuelefficient models. GM and its Detroit competitors, Chrysler and Ford, now were forced to compete with European products that had better gas mileage and Japanese products made under the exacting regimen of statistical process control pioneered by American Edwards Deming, manufactured in plants supplied by “just in time” parts delivery.
A hard learning curve
That double whammy forced massive change in the American auto industry. GM fought back, first experimenting with more fuel-efficient, smaller models of its own. It partnered with Toyota to build the New Motor Manufacturing Initiative in California to learn more about how its Asian competitors were succeeding, and ran a joint manufacturing works for several years. Then it launched Saturn, a new kind of car company with a new way to make cars, learning lessons GM could take into its plants around the United States and elsewhere. Ed Welburn, its first-ever Black designer, was working at Oldsmobile, a GM company that made bigger cars, but even there, at that time, his drive and his designs won plaudits. His Aerotech concept car and land speed record contender got driven to a world closed-course record 257.123 miles per hour by legendary Indianapolis 500 racer and Can-Am sports car driver A.J. Foyt.
Lessons learned, time to apply them
Welburn joined Saturn for a two-year assignment in 1996, working at its Russelsheim, Germany, design studio. He returned to head GM’s Advanced Design Studio in Warren, Michigan, where he was responsible for innovative vehicle design for all brands. Among other things, he led development of GM’s concept cars, including a new generation of hydrogen-fuel-cell concepts, working at the intersection of cutting-edge engineering and cutting-edge design. In 2002, Welburn became executive director of body-onframe architectures, responsible for the three truck studios in the Warren, Michigan, design center. For perspective, remember that trucks, especially pickups, USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 23
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
are the leading models producing profits for the American auto industry. In 2014, for instance, the Chevrolet Silverado, with 437,821 sold going into December, was second only to the Ford F-100 series pickups — 688,810 sold — at the top of the 20 best-selling vehicle models in American sales. Naming an African-American chief of design for those products was not an exercise in public relations. It meant General Motors executives had complete faith in that African American’s abilities and belief in the strength of his talent.
Stepping up to the Big Stage
And the beat went on. In 2003 GM named Welburn vice president, GM Design North America, making him the sixth design leader in the company’s history. Three years later, Welburn stepped up yet again, to his present post as vice president, global design, responsible for design and development of every GM concept and production car in every nation in which GM markets automobiles. He leads some 2,500 design team workers in centers in the U.S., Germany, Korea, China, Australia, Brazil, and India. Ed Welburn, vice president of global design at General Motors, prepares to take a ride. Welburn has won wide recognition, including watching his team’s newly redesigned Cadillac ATS win “North American Car of the Year” honors and “Best in Show” honors from Auto Week on the other side of this, everyone’s going to know what the GM and the Detroit News for the Chevrolet Corvette, as well as the products are.” “Eyes on Design Best Production Vehicle Design” award for the GMs’s people persevered, as did Welburn himself. And Cadillac ELR. on Jan. 31, 2012, Welburn, flush with success as the first-ever Note that the Cadillac ATS saw a 755-percent sales growth, African-American design chief in automobile manufacturing year-to-date, in November 2014 compared to 2013. The Cadillac history, having helped lead his company back to profitability as XTS saw 147-percent growth year-over-year, and the Chevrolet the country climbed out of the worst economic morass since the Spark saw 219-percent growth. 1930s, met with America’s first African-American president, The Cadillac Elmiraj concept car won critical acclaim at the Barack Obama. Standing with the president near his prized prodAnnual Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California, while uct at the Washington Auto Show — and sitting together inside Welburn stood chatting with film actor Clint Eastwood. Maybe the car, a 2013 Chevy Malibu — Welburn listened while Obama “Dirty Harry” might want to drive that car. gave him what he later called a candid assessment of what happened after the bailout. Keeping his course in a rough economy “He let me know how proud he was of the work that I do,” In 2008, the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn Welburn told a reporter for an online news service, “and I was since the Depression of the 1930s, knocked auto sales almost just like, wow. At the very last vehicle, he … just remarked that into the cellar. General Motors and Chrysler executives travthe design of GM cars has gotten so much better in the past few eled to Washington to plead for help from the federal governyears.” ment, and many Americans — especially questioners in the U.S. And in April 2014, with GM’s position atop the indusCongress — debated whether the U.S. auto industry was worth trial scene again assured with rising sales and models rising in saving with a federal bailout. reliability as well as popularity, a headline in the Long Island Design chief Ed Welburn was undaunted still. Knowing the newspaper Newsday said it all: way out of hard economic challenges was hard work, Welburn “Ed Welburn Restored General Motors luster with provocacalled together some 800 professionals in GM’s Warren design tive design.” center and said, “I know you read headlines every day and every Fitting praise for a man who never wavered from his dream, place you go, you hear about the challenges of General Motors. never faltered in his drive to be the best of the best in a world You guys stay focused on what you do, and when we come out flooded with competitors from all sides. 24 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2015 BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Dave Barclay Award for Affirmative Action
Marc Fulson
Director of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Compliance The Boeing Company
Professional Achievement in Industry
Work Unit Manager Air Force Research Laboratory
Area Manager Network Engineering AT&T
Reginald Hobbs, Ph.D.
Ozzie Pierce
Career Achievement in Government
Jaqueline Toussaint-Baker
Chief, Commander’s Action Group Air Force Research Laboratory Career Achievement in Industry
Ernest Levert
Lockheed Martin Fellow Lockheed Martin Corporation Community Service
Debra Coleman
Senior Electrical Systems Engineer The Boeing Company Corporate Promotion of Education
Tizoc Loza
Corporate Manager, Supplier Diversity Programs/HBCU/MI/Gov’t Relations Northrop Grumman Corporation
Gayla Turner McMichael
Outreach and Diversity Program Manager U.S. Army AMRDEC Most Promising Engineer in Industry
Jane Odero
Senior Systems Engineer II Raytheon Company
Anthony Plummer, Ph.D.
Acting Deputy Branch Chief U.S. Air Force
Shelvy Marbury
Alejandro Diaz, Ph.D.
Systems Engineer, Advanced Space Exploration The Boeing Company Professional Achievement in Government
Tiffany Rivera
Program Element Monitor U.S. Air Force
Michael Sterling, Ph.D.
Chief, Water Management & Infrastructure Safety Branch - Hydrologic and Hydraulic U. S. Army Corps of Engineers – Southwestern District Deans’ Award
Marvin Carr
Systems Engineer & Project Manager Innovative STEM Solutions, LLC Technical Sales and Marketing
LoGina Davis
Senior Cloud Solutions Architect AT&T Communications College-Level Promotion of Education
Emmanuel Collins, Ph.D.
Charles Kamhoua, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Experimentation, CISD Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
Marvy Moore
AVP, Market Development, Advanced Solutions - AT&T Business Solutions AT&T
Bruce Davis
Project Chief - Electrical Systems and Components Vehicle Integration Chrysler Group LLC
Michelle Blaise
Senior Vice President of Technical Services Exelon
Cindy Brock
JMC Lead Safety Engineer Joint Munitions Command
Karmyn Norwood
Systems Engineering Director Lockheed Martin Corporation
Zachary Barnett
Engineer Software 3- Agile Lead Northrop Grumman Corporation
David Canada
Section Supervisor The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Chair, Mechanical Engineering Department FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Most Promising Engineer in Government
Professor and Director of the Ergonomics Laboratory University of Central Florida College of Engineering and Computer Sciences
Bryan Scott
K-12 Promotion of Education
Chemist U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
Andre Douglas
Naval Architect/Salvage Engineering Response Team Duty Officer U.S. Coast Guard Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry
Daby Sow, Ph.D.
Exploratory Clinical Analytics and Systems IBM Research
Philip Lovell
Fellow Mechanical Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government
Doretha Green
Technical Manager, Industrial Engineer, GS-13 U.S. Army www.blackengineer.com
Pamela McCauley, Ph.D.
Erica Watson
Science/STEM Teacher New London Public Schools
Akua Kouyate-Tate
Senior Director, Education Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts President’s Award
Carol C. Bennett
Finance Manager The Boeing Company Director of Quality, Boeing Military Aircraft Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Agnes B. Morrow
Porscha Porter
Program Manager U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center
Roderick Hambrick
Chief, Test Support Office U.S. Army, Redstone Test Center
Senior Program Manager General Dynamics
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 25
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2015 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Ozzie Pierce
Director, EEO Compliance The Boeing Company
T
o borrow the words of a colleague, Ozzie Pierce championed equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and diversity years before he assumed his current role. Mr. Pierce is director of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance, including corrective action, and alternative disputes resolution programs. He also served as interim vice president, global diversity and employee rights, human resources and administration at Boeing corporate headquarters from April to September 2014. Tony Parasida, chief human resources officer, Boeing, sees Mr. Pierce in this light. “As acting chief diversity officer, Ozzie leads a team of professionals to drive diversity and inclusion across Boeing. In this role, he has made significant improvements: better integrating with our talent management organization, driving expectations for diversity metrics improvement throughout all levels of management, and becoming a respected member of the human resources leadership team. “Ozzie has dedicated his full career around diversity and employee rights and is passionate about continuing to make Boeing a great place for all: employees, customers, community, and shareholders. “Together, we are laying the groundwork to accelerate our progress in developing the diverse talent we need to lead the second century of The Boeing Company. “Ozzie has had an outstanding record in his 12-year Boeing career. It is clear to me that his team has the utmost respect for his leadership, in both style and substance. Particularly in his Corrective Action and Disputes Resolution responsibilities, his peers see him as fair and reasonable as he provides an environment of dealing with employee missteps while continuing to represent all employees,” explained Mr. Parasida.
26 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Black Engineer
OF THE YEAR AWARDS CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT Jacqueline Toussaint-Baker Chief, Commander’s Action Group Air Force Research Laboratory
M
s. Jacqueline Toussaint-Barker’s impressive record of “firsts” began in 2008, as the first African-American woman technical advisor in her technical directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). There, she was responsible for a $55 million budget and led a 16-member team performing research and development in radio frequency (RF) components and subsystems. In 2010, she was promoted to DR-IV, the very top pay plan of the scientists and engineers career path at the Air Force’s laboratory personnel demonstration, which replaced the traditional general schedule (GS-15) structure. She was one of less than 10 African-American senior science and engineering staff within the AFRL. In 2011, she was handpicked for a Pentagon assignment, overseeing the Air Force’s $100 million science and technology (S&T) portfolio for sensors and cyber development programs. Her leadership positioned her for her next challenge and another “first” as the AFRL Commander’s Action Group (CAG) chief. She is the first civilian and African American to serve in this critical position and she continues to be a catalyst for change. Her next assignment is another “first,” as chief of the layered sensing exploitation division, which conducts research, exploratory and advanced development to provide efficient sensing exploitation for Air Force air, space, and C2 systems. She will be the first African American to lead a technical division, not only within her directorate, but in all of AFRL. Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello, USAF, commander, says, “It is difficult to find a person with her talent, ambition, and integrity.” He considers Ms. Toussaint-Barker a role model “to our workforce, especially to women and minority science and engineering professionals. “She seeks opportunities to expose young students, especially ‘at-risk’ youth, to STEM. She is responsible for the development of a comprehensive internship program with the laboratory, ensuring a diversified applicant pool for our future AFRL workforce. As busy as Jackie is with the duties of a CAG chief, she still finds time to mentor our junior workforce and her colwww.blackengineer.com
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
leagues on career development and opportunities. She is always looking for avenues to have others recognized for their work and accomplishments.” Her awards include: Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award 2013 Performance Awards: 1992 -2012; 2009 Women of Color STEM Career Achievement in Government Award; the Dayton Intergovernmental Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity Achievement Award, 2008; 2007 Small Business Special Achievement Award, Air Force Material Command; 2007 Small Business Special Achievement Award, Secretary of the Air Force; and in 2003Technical Achievement, the Technical Cooperative Panel. She is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Society; a lifetime member of the Air Force Association; senior member of the IEEE; and in the alumni association of the National Society of Black Engineers.
In fact, half of his current Eagle Scouts are taking that route. Along the way, he championed and implemented the Boy Scouts of America welding merit badge, and the organization bestowed upon him the Good Shepard Award for Leadership. Because of his passion to impress the importance of STEM education and leadership upon as many audiences as possible, he has served as a technical mentor for more than nine mentees and provides welding training across the company.
COMMUNITY SERVICE Debra Coleman Senior Electrical Systems Engineer The Boeing Company
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY Ernest Levert
Lockheed Martin Fellow Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Lockheed Martin Corporation
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rnest Levert, a Lockheed Martin Fellow, has earned the highest praise from one of the corporation’s top guns: the retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. Robert J. Stevens notes that Mr. Levert “directly impacted” such leading-edge programs as Army Tactical Missile Systems, the International Space Station, High Mobility Launch System, and Multiple-Launch Rocket System. In recognition of his “technical excellence and leadership in driving innovation” across the company, Mr. Levert was selected as a Fellow, making him part of an elite group of less than one percent of the company’s technical workforce. Mr. Levert, with Lockheed Martin for 27 years, has expanded his expertise to impact the engineering community worldwide. He has served as president and chairman to many of the largest welding industry professional societies in the world, such as the American Welding Society, the Federation of Materials Societies, and the International Institute of Welding (IIW). During his recent trip to the IIW General Annual Assembly in Seoul, he also became the first African American elected to the International Institute of Welding Board of Directors. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his innovative leadership, namely with a Lockheed Martin NOVA Award for Leadership in 2003, the Ohio State Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012, and the Arthur Smith IIW Award from the UK Delegation in 2014. He has appeared in publications such as US Black Engineer, Italian Welding Society, and The History Makers. In addition, the scope of his student outreach is broad. Mr. Levert, a Boy Scout of America scoutmaster since he was 18, continues to serve as a scoutmaster and encourages scouts nationwide to pursue engineering careers. www.blackengineer.com
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he arrived at Boeing to learn the basics of airplane wiring, rising to lead senior electrical systems engineer for the 737 Electrical Seat organization within the aircraft interiors group at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. When Ms. Debra Coleman isn’t leading her team to ensure electrical requirements are met for passenger seats, she is highly visible as a driver of STEM initiatives. Her pride and joy just might be Kids in Science and Engineering (KISE). Founded by Ms. Coleman in October 2010 at Kimball Elementary School in Seattle to introduce K-5th grade students to math, science and engineering principles, KISE includes summer school and calls on parental involvement. Ms. Coleman funded KISE in its first year, and has since raised $22,243 for it. KISE seeks to create a pipeline of students prepared to enter STEM fields by emphasizing the importance of math and science and preparing for college, based on the philosophy that preparation must start early. KISE kids meet weekly to learn the principles of electrical, mechanical, chemical, civil, aeronautical, environmental, and computer engineering. Each session features hands-on experiments to demonstrate the principles students learned. KISE started with 12 girls in 2010, and now includes girls and boys. It partnered with Powerful Schools for the 2012-13 school year to bring KISE to three additional elementary schools. It now reaches 22 children in the weekly after-school program and 12 students in the Saturday program. KISE students come from diverse backgrounds and speak many languages – a true global community, where they learn critical thinking skills to solve problems together. Students are exposed to hands-on activities, field trips to see engineering in action, guest engineering speakers, contests, homework, and summer school. During lab sessions, students follow the KISE scientific method to create a hypothesis, conduct an experiment, write lab results and give presentations. Students are given tests to assess their standing in math and science. Two of the biggest field trips have been to The Computer USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 27
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Museum in Seattle, where students learned about computers past and present and concluded their tour with a scavenger hunt; and the University of Washington where professors and graduate students took kids to five robotics labs and had them conduct experiments. KISE has a plan in place to track existing students and monitor if they choose STEM classes in 6th-12th grades as well as major in a STEM field in college.
CORPORATE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION Tizoc Loza
Corporate Manager, Global Supplier Diversity Programs/HBCU/MI/ Government Relations Northrop Grumman Corporation
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izoc Loza has been active in supporting education since he was a young man. As a high school graduate, Mr. Loza applied to California State University, Long Beach, under the Equal Opportunity Program, where his older brother was attending. Seeing the need for a Hispanic business organization, Mr. Loza was one of six founding members of the Hispanic Students Business Association (HSBA), the only Hispanic business association formed on campus. As an HSBA officer, he was involved in school-related events, from recruiting corporate sponsorship and organizing membership drives, to formal on-campus presentations with company officials. Mr. Loza was instrumental in organizing summer internships with retail, financial, and aerospace companies. He also developed relationships with corporate recruiters resulting in interviews for students with major California companies. Now corporate manager, global supplier diversity, for Northrop Grumman, Mr. Loza works with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, minority institutions and tribal colleges/universities. Since 2000, he has provided subcontract opportunities to a number of HBCUs/MIs/TUCs by providing real industry dilemmas for students and staff to resolve under the Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor-Protégé Program. Via this program, Northrop Grumman transferred knowledge, funding, and curriculum to staff and students to incorporate in their daily lives. This has enabled students to resolve real industry problems and is a pipeline for employment in Northrop Grumman. Mr. Loza provided seed funding with the assistance of the Northrop Grumman University Alliance program. He provided opportunities to HBCU/MIs/TCUs with initial seed funding in various disciplines and assistance for departments for equipment and classroom training. In addition, he assists K-12 STEM programs as a speaker, provides assistance in conferences and mentors Hispanic students in the Virginia school district to complete high school and attend college. During the course of 28 years in the aerospace industry, Mr. Loza moved along a career path to leadership responsibilities in contracts management and the global supplier diversity/ 28 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
government relations programs where he is instrumental in the development and transfer of both technology and infrastructure to small business and universities while providing employment and scholarships through the Mentor-Protégé Programs.
CORPORATE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION Gayla Turner McMichael
Outreach and Diversity Program Manager U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center, RDECOM, AMC
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he U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), a major component lab of the Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command, is the Army’s focal point for research, development, and engineering services for aviation and missile technology. Consequently, AMRDEC has a vested interest in supporting and fostering outstanding STEM talent in the region. Thus, it designs, conducts, and participates in educational and community outreach activities and experiences — the bloodlines of a highly technical organization. It is these programs that are entrusted to Ms. Gayla McMichael. “If AMRDEC is to continue to be viewed as the premier aviation and missile research organization for providing warfighting capabilities to the brave military men and women who support our nation, it will be in large part due to the commitment and dedication of Ms. McMichael,” says William A. Colson, director, systems simulation, software, and integration. Ms. McMichael provides leadership and oversight of all AMRDEC educational and diversity programs. Within the year, she has led outreach events and activities engaging more than 13,000 students, including 2,800 at the elementary level; 2,200 in middle school; 6,400 attending high school; and 1,400 in post-secondary situations. Her leadership efforts translate into better access to higher education for thousands. Ms. McMichael is committed to preserving high-quality engineering, scientific, and technical educational programs and enhancing minority opportunities to participate in science and engineering by implementing current and new outreach programs. Hence, she has established new Army ties with seven education partnership agreements to these institutions: Alabama A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Tuskegee University, Clark Atlanta University, Jackson State University, Prairie View A&M University, and Alabama State University. “Ms. McMichael’s commitment and dedication to recruiting talented young scientists and engineers allows the AMRDEC to continue to be viewed as the leader for providing war-fighting capabilities” to the military, says James Lackey Jr., AMRDEC executive director.
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
MOST PROMISING ENGINEER IN INDUSTRY Jane Odero
Senior Information Systems Security Engineer Raytheon Company
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orn in Nairobi, Kenya, Ms. Jane Odero took a cue from her parents and embraced higher education as the avenue to reach her professional goals. Bottom line: Ms. Odero earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering, from the University of California, with a concentration in digital signal processing, and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, from the University of Massachusetts, with a concentration in very large-scale integrated circuit design. Ms. Odero explains that her tribal culture in Kenya valued the female child less than the male, so girls were less encouraged to pursue formal education. Still, she aspired to do as her mother wished. “My mother, who had not graduated high school, went against the grain, encouraging my sisters and I to pursue education — prompting us to follow in the footsteps of our father. My mother wanted her daughters to succeed no differently than her son,” Ms. Odero explains. Now a senior systems engineer II with Raytheon, integrated defense systems, Ms. Odero is an information systems security engineer with the air and missile defense radar program. She is responsible for analyzing, implementing, and verifying security controls in networking devices, operating systems, hardware and software components; developing DIACAP traceability matrix to AMDR security requirements for compliance verification; preparing and maintaining security documentation in support of obtaining/maintaining regulatory compliances; performing vulnerability assessment scans and developing plan of action and milestones to document mitigation plans for discovered vulnerabilities, and presenting the status to the team and customer in technical interchange meetings and engineering milestone reviews. Her awards and honors include: • 2014 Raytheon Team Achievement Award • 2013 Raytheon Team Achievement Award • 2013 Black Engineer of the Year Award as a Modern Day Technology Leader • 2013 National Society of Black Engineers San Diego Professionals STEM Advocate of the Year Award and Heart and Soul honor • 2011 Raytheon Team Achievement Award for STEM initiative in the community • 2010 Urban League of San Diego County “Top Forty under 40: Inspired Leaders of Tomorrow” Award Of her community service, Ms. Odero says, “I resolve to be a positive role model to my children and mentees while promoting academic and professional STEM opportunities to minorities.”
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MOST PROMISING ENGINEER IN INDUSTRY Anthony Plummer
Communications and Networking Engineer The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
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s a graduate student, Anthony Plummer Jr. outshone his peers. He had already authored three peer-reviewed journal papers, one book chapter, and 12 conference papers. His awards for technical research include the Michigan State University (MSU) Fitch Beach Award for Outstanding Graduate Student, 2010; the MSU Council of Graduate Students Best Presentation Award, 2010; and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Global Communications Conference 2009 Best Paper Award. In February 2011, he completed his Ph.D. dissertation: Bandwidth Scavenging for Device Coexistence in Wireless Networks, and just a few months later, Dr. Plummer joined the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). Within his first year, he made critical contributions to government-sponsored programs that rely on sophisticated software for computer network performance analysis. He established himself as an expert in Java development, relational databases, and network analysis. In just his second year, he took a leading role in software development for a network performance analysis tool developed for the U.S. Army. In this role, he interfaces with senior government leaders, other contractor organizations, and JHU/APL staff members in diverse fields, leveraging expertise across the enterprise to deliver powerful real-time packet analysis software for U.S. Army networks. In his current role as section supervisor, asymmetric operations sector, he leads a team of eight engineers and computer scientists to support a wide variety of software needs for many government sponsors. He is credited with advocating tirelessly for his staff, working to help ensure their career successes and breaking down roadblocks they may encounter. During his brief career at APL, Dr. Plummer has earned three Special Achievement Awards. And it is no surprise that his exceptional dedication often means working nights and weekends to learn new tools or meet deadlines. His professional memberships include The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Tau Beta Pi, and Golden Key Honor Society. He is an executive board member of the Black Graduate Students Association (BGSA).
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 29
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
MOST PROMISING ENGINEER IN GOVERNMENT Lt. Andre Douglas
Naval Architect/Salvage Engineering Response Team Duty Officer U.S. Coast Guard
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student with exceptional drive, Lt. Andre Douglas’s career track at the USCG reads like that suspense novel you can’t put down. The USCG naval architect and marine engineer, mechanical engineer, and salvage engineering response team duty officer, launched his esteemed career after graduating in 2008 with honors and a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the Coast Guard Academy. Immediately following commissioning, then Ensign Douglas was assigned as the electrical division officer aboard the Vigilant, a 210-foot medium-endurance Coast Guard cutter, where he supervised a team of shipboard electricians, managed the division’s maintenance and repair budget, and qualified as engineer of the watch — responsible for operating the shipboard engineering plant. At sea, Lt. Douglas assisted the lead engineering officer with oversight of more than $8 million in shipboard repair work, including replacement of the ship’s service generators, during Vigilant’s life-extending mission effectiveness project. As the damage control assistant and fueling officer, Lt. Douglas addressed ship stability concerns and directed the safe transfer of hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel oil while in foreign ports. His superior service in the engineering department helped ensure the ship was always ready to meet USCG search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, alien migrant interdiction, and environmental protection needs. Based on his superior performance and engineering aptitude, Lt. Douglas was selected for the USCG’s marine engineering postgraduate degree program. Under this two-year advanced education program, he attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 2012 with dual Master of Science degrees in naval architecture and marine engineering, and mechanical engineering. Following postgraduate studies, Lt. Douglas was assigned to the Marine Safety Center (MSC), in Arlington, a USCG headquarters command that supports the people and objectives of the marine safety, security, and environmental protection programs through the verification of compliance with technical standards for the design, construction, alteration, and repair of commercial vessels. As an engineer on MSC’s staff, he reviews and approves complex commercial vessel engineering designs, calculations and specifications to meet domestic, international and industry technical standards for safety and environmental protection. Lt. Douglas was initially assigned to the electrical branch during his first year at MSC, where he analyzed vessels’ electrical systems, including automation of shipboard control systems for vital main propulsion and auxiliary equipment. www.blackengineer.com
His professional growth proceeded at a rapid pace, just like that suspense novel, and after just a year, he transitioned to the small vessel branch, where he currently handles in-depth reviews of vessel stability calculations and hull structural analyses for a variety of commercial cargo and passenger ships. In addition to his regularly assigned duties, Lt. Douglas serves as a member of the Coast Guard’s elite Salvage Engineering Response Team (SERT), highly trained naval architects and marine engineers who stand ready 24 hours a day to support Coast Guard field commanders responding to emergent vessel casualty situations following groundings, collisions, and similar casualties, and to provide post-casualty forensic engineering analysis to determine proximate cause. Lt. Douglas’ engineering advice was relied on heavily during the recent evacuation of passengers from, and the re-floating of, the casino vessel Escapade after she ran hard aground off the coast of South Carolina. Similarly, on two separate occasions involving deep draft ships stricken by critical structural failures, his rapid evaluation of structural integrity and analysis of proposed repairs significantly contributed to the achievement of primary Coast Guard marine transportation safety objectives. And that’s just his day job. He works unselfishly in the community in a number of academic venues to promote interest in STEM careers.
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN INDUSTRY
Daby Sow
Principal Research Staff Member and Manager Exploratory Clinical Analytics and Systems Cognitive Computing IBM Research
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aby Sow, Ph.D., was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal. He relocated to Quebec City, Quebec, after Senegalese schools were closed due to a student strike. Upon reaching Canada, Sow enrolled in a program that prepared students for the International Baccalaureate (IB). After earning the IB, he joined the electrical engineering program at Université Laval in Quebec. This marked the beginning of his engineering career. Dr. Sow started his IBM career as a research staff member in the T.J. Watson Research Center. He worked on several research projects focused on representing and transforming data into useful information. A death in the family encouraged Dr. Sow to shift his focus onto engineering problems in healthcare. In 2006, he headed an international project with engineers and researchers from South Korea and the United States. The goal was to develop a system to provide real-time insights in remote patient monitoring data. He has done groundbreaking work in this area, which is changing the way hospitals interpret patient data. Dr. Sow is the driving force behind IBM’s focus on streaming analytic systems and algorithms for real-time critical care solutions. He has helped develop unique systems used in hospitals worldwide. Leading medical institutions, such as UCLA, USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 31
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Emory University and Columbia University utilize his work. Dr. Sow’s ultimate goal is to use his technical talents to save lives in intensive care units worldwide. Sow has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Université Laval in Quebec. He also earned a Master of Science, M. Phil. and Ph. D in electrical engineering from Columbia University.
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN INDUSTRY
Phillip Lovell
Fellow Mechanical Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation
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hillip Lovell is a mechanical engineering fellow for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. His Northrop career began when he joined the radio frequency (RF) antenna system products department. He received hands-on experience working with the intricacies of mechanical antenna design. Since then, he has made several technical contributions to Northrop and his field of expertise. Mr. Lovell is currently overseeing computer aided mechanical layout design of antennas. His responsibilities include antenna component tolerance study analyses and managing drawing creation. During his career, Mr. Lovell has tackled several technical roles. Mechanical design engineer, integrated product team lead, managerial team lead and mechanical technical lead are a few of his past roles. Key Northrop programs, such as Cobra Judy Radar (CJR), STARLite and Joint Strike Fighter have benefited from his expertise. Mr. Lovell works on inventions in Northrop Grumman’s Technology Underground. The space is a non-production laboratory available so employees can work on personal projects. Mr. Lovell is particularly interested in thermal manipulation of polyerthimide material for fabricating RF circuit boards. He is also interested in an advanced additive manufacturing process for creating RF circuits. In addition to his engineering contributions, Mr. Lovell has authored 18 publications and received more than 20 new technology and trade secret awards. He also dedicates time to mentoring junior engineers and college students, which he counts as one of his proudest accomplishments. Mr. Lovell earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of the District of Columbia and a Master of Science from the University of Maryland, both in mechanical engineering.
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OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN GOVERNMENT
Dorthea Green
Technical Manager, Industrial Engineer, GS-13 U.S. Army
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s. Dorthea Green earned a nomination for Outstanding Technical Contribution based on her work from 2005 through 2014 to advance the application of Raman spectroscopy to manned and unmanned reconnaissance for detecting and identifying hazardous chemicals and chemical warfare agents. Now a senior engineer in the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Ms. Green has more than 20 years experience in engineering, managing, testing, and contracting in the chemical/biological arena. She managed the first integration of a new Raman-based detection system onto a military platform to demonstrate the utility of this technology for chemical reconnaissance operations. These efforts prompted the industry to further refine and mature the technology. Ms. Green’s efforts also inspired new concepts for military application. This led to a follow-on program in which she demonstrated updated Raman spectroscopy detection and identification systems as a handheld device, and then integrated it with an unmanned robotic ground vehicle. The U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific Experimentation Center deemed this technology to have military utility that could potentially reduce risk to warfighters, increase situational awareness, and shape the CBRN hazard for the commander. Ms. Green’s technical management of both efforts — first, to integrate Raman spectroscopy onto a manned reconnaissance vehicle, and second, to integrate a Raman spectroscopy detection and identification system onto an unmanned platform and to demonstrate its use as a standalone handheld detector — established the utility of using Raman technology in military operations. Ms. Green’s work has paved the way for Raman-based technologies to be adopted by the military, not only removing current reconnaissance limitations and providing improved intelligence to the military, but ultimately keeping personnel away from chemically contaminated areas and thus saving Warfighter lives.
www.blackengineer.com
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN GOVERNMENT
Maj. Marc Fulson
Acting Deputy Branch Chief Rapid Acquisitions Branch U.S. Air Force
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aj. Marc Fulson calls himself “Wizc.” We can only assume the nickname relates to his top-flight achievements as conveyed by the resounding support for his nomination for Outstanding Technical Contribution. Lt. Gen. Samuel A. Greaves, commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, writes, “Without a doubt, he is one of the center’s best junior field grade officers. My predecessor recognized his outstanding leadership abilities and assigned him as the deputy of one of the center’s most selective and prestigious team, the Independent Readiness Review Team.” In this capacity, “Marc directly advised both my predecessor and me on the ‘go, no-go’ decisions for the launch of nine National Security satellites. “In recognition of this, Maj. Fulson was recently handpicked to fill a critical leadership position in the Military Satellite Communications Systems directorate. His superb leadership skills and mastery of systems engineering principles have had an immediate impact on a highly critical advanced satellite communications project, which will provide a game-changing capability for our nation.” Maj. Fulson is now acting deputy branch chief and lead project manager for the Space Segment, Rapid Acquisitions Branch, Military Satellite Communications (MILSATCOM) directorate, Space and Missile Systems Center. This impressive young man already has his share of awards and decorations: the 2013 Air Force Winner of the Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award; the 2013 A.F. Space Command Winner of the NAACP Roy Wilkins Brown Renown Service Award; Aerial Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster; and Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster. U.S. Air Force Col. Xavier Chavez, deputy director, MILSATCOM systems directorate, summed up Maj. Fulson’s talents and character: “Maj. Fulson is an incredible leader, highly skilled engineer, and talented speaker. He is a caring and dedicated mentor, both up and down the Air Force chain, and has devoted significant time with inner-city teens.” Commenting on his current role, Col. Loralee Manas, chief, advanced development division, observes that, “Maj. Fulson clearly was the perfect fit for this demanding position … his mechanical engineering, flight test discipline, program management and root cause corrective action knowledge for advanced satellites give him all the necessary tools and he has quickly made a significant impact on the future of the United States’ strategic communications.”
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PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY Shelvy Marbury Area Manager Network Engineering AT&T
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rs. Shelvy Marbury has been a stand-out employee since joining AT&T in 2005. She is a trusted voice with the AT&T network organization and a subject matter expert in engineering. Sabrena Lampley-Talbert, director, construction and engineering, AT&T planning, says Mrs. Marbury, “is often called on by AT&T leadership to represent the organization in solving difficult issues or to trial new procedures to decrease cost and cycle time. Shelvy is highly regarded — not only because of her results and achievements — but also because she leads her team by example when it comes to quality, professionalism, and work ethic.” Mrs. Marbury, area manager of network engineering, is responsible for leading two distinct AT&T work groups, plus an extended team of turf vendors, general contractors, and construction crews. One work group ensures the engineering and timely delivery of equipment to cell sites across Michigan and Indiana with a budget in excess of $75 million. Her second high-profile assignment is the implementation of LTE installation through effective project management of key milestones. “Shelvy is extremely effective at leading both teams through creative problem solving and collaboration to exceed corporate goals,” says Ms. Lampley-Talbert. Among her top-flight achievements, Mrs. Marbury has: - Developed a national training curriculum/program for the equipment engineering job function – now mandatory training for all new hires - Earned the Service Excellence Award for leading the Midwest region and the nation to more than 100 percent attainment in the CASPR vs. EPL initiative - Earned the Project Fast Track Award for construction in process reduction of $700 million and cycle time reduction of 10-40 percent in a year - Received two Net Ops Star Awards for LTE (4G) and UMTS (3G) plan of execution achievement - Earned a Six Sigma yellow belt - Worked with NASA’s Space Agricultural Program to develop a micro-porous plate membrane to grow food in space on extended missions - Developed a new equipment decommissioning procedure for the Midwest region - Consulted with human resources to develop nationwide competency mapping and job assessment for various technical disciplines throughout AT&T - Led equipment engineering forum to develop standardized best practices for the Midwest region - Consulted with the national NT2.5 One AT&T team to USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 33
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develop a standardized equipment ordering tool for all mobility as well as LANline personnel - Worked with finance to manage a $127 million capital budget to exceed capital targets by 1.4 percent - Led first office application trial for GSM/2G technology - Developed RFP as well as processes for the shelter equipment installation initiative - Worked on a supplier diversity team to achieve a total spend of $34 million - Managed the first Bloomfield switch/MTSO expansion - Managed the integration of a new redundant paging switch for the Detroit market - Managed the Grand Rapids paging terminal relocation.
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY Alejandro R. Diaz
Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer Advanced Space Exploration (BDS) The Boeing Company
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lejandro Diaz is a Boeing spacecraft systems engineer. His position at Boeing is one highlight in a long list of accomplishments. One of Mr. Diaz’s biggest achievements is that he turned a childhood fascination with space exploration into an illustrious career. Mr. Diaz moved to America with his parents during the 1980s. Leaving Peru was intimidating, and he handled the transition by immersing himself in school and sports. He developed an interest in human space exploration, which encouraged him to pursue a career in engineering. His education includes a Master of Science in aerospace engineering and a Ph.D. in astronautical engineering. During Mr. Diaz’s 15 years with Boeing, he has contributed to several programs. These programs include the International Space Station (ISS), Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Commercial Crew Transportation System (CCTS). His contributions included participating in the design, manufacture, integration and launching of these space vehicles. The conceptualization and development of the ISS umbilical connectivity database is one of Mr. Diaz’s greatest professional achievements. He began by building a database that contained data for hundreds of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) umbilical connectors. It took a team of five people more than a year to complete the database. NASA and Boeing accepted the umbilical connectivity database, and it is a flight-certified mission support database that contributed to the assembly of the International Space Station. The Orange County Engineering Council awarded him the Outstanding Engineering Merit Award in 2013. He won the 2012 Minorities in Research Science (MiRS) Most Promising Scientist Award.
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PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT Maj. Tiffany Rivera Program Element Monitor U.S. Air Force
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aj. Tiffany Rivera protects service men and women with ingenuity and technical prowess. Her expertise in engineering, computer network attack, and advancing space capabilities helps the U.S. Air Force maintain air and space superiority. Maj. Rivera is the Pentagon spokesperson for the U.S. Air Force’s assistant secretary of acquisition. She prepares Air Force leadership for congressional testimony, and briefs Congress on President Barack Obama’s budget request for a $1 billion space program portfolio. Robins Air Force Base in Georgia is where Maj. Rivera began her military career. She served as the chief aircraft battle damage repair engineer for the C-17 Globemaster program. Her engineering skills and ability to translate technical documents made her the only Air Force member fully qualified to assess and repair battle damage on three strategic aircraft platforms. The Air Force took notice of Maj. Rivera’s aircraft knowledge and leadership skills. She was soon deployed to Germany, where she prepared multiple C-17 combat missions to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She later led an 81 person division as an integral engineer and researcher in the technological advancement of the world’s smallest AM antenna. Maj. Rivera has played a huge role in technical advancements for the Air Force. For six years, she has also been associated with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization as a member and mentor. Maj. Rivera earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tuskegee University. She also earned a Master of Science in logistics management from Georgia College State University. The Meritorious Service Medal and a Joint Service Commendation Medal are two of her many awards and decorations.
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT Michael Sterling
Chief, Water Management & Infrastructure Safety Branch Hydrologic and Hydraulic U. S. Army Corps of Engineers – Southwestern District
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r. Michael Sterling is an expert in Water Resource Engineering. He is the hydrology and hydraulics practice lead for the Army Corps of Engineers, southwestern division. His area USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 35
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
of responsibility includes all or part of six states. Included in the area are 74 reservoirs and 760 miles of local protection projects. He has amassed an impressive list of professional achievements. Dr. Sterling has more than 15 years of experience directing water resource engineering projects, feasibility assessments, engineering design and maintenance phases. He has worked with several federal and state resource agencies to address floodplain management, navigation channel design, coastal sediment management and reservoir operations. Recognized as an expert in hydrology and hydraulics, Dr. Sterling has published more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles related to coastal monitoring and sediment transport. He has also served as a reviewer for peer-review journals such as Water Research, Continental Shelf Research and ASCE Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. Dr. Sterling has several honorary Army Civilian awards. The Commander’s Coin from the Army Corps of Engineers, the Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations and two Commander’s Awards for Civilian Service have been awarded to him. Dr. Sterling earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from University of Oklahoma. He earned his Master of Science in agricultural engineering and his Ph. D. in civil engineering from Texas A&M University.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP Marvin Carr
Doctoral Candidate Electrical Engineering Clarence M. Mitchell School of Engineering Morgan State University
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here will his dream take Marvin Carr? And of equal importance, who benefits from his pursuit of that dream? Answer: Hundreds of young students drawn to STEM careers, or pursuing them, for he hopes to become the dean of a school of engineering at an HBCU. The scholar and champion of STEM education has connected himself to such a variety of organizations and establishments and schools and programs, that his reach is being felt by hundreds of up-and-coming STEM students and others intrigued by the fields because of him. Now a systems engineer and project manager with iSTEMS, Mr. Carr is a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar — an academic honor that comes with a $300,000 scholarship to finance his engineering education from college through graduate school. As a Millennium Scholar, he travels throughout the country supporting the foundation’s mission to increase the number of minority students who pursue terminal degrees in STEM fields. Besides an outstanding academic record, he is credited for his “innovative, creative and impactful approach to STEM outreach and Engineering Education research, and … [his] record as a transformational student leader and mentor to dozens of engineering students and the larger collegiate and secondary education communities,” explains Albert Sweets Jr., principal, iSTEMS. 36 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
“As an emerging scholar and researcher in the field of engineering education and educational psychology, he has taken the steps to open the doors to more young people of color so they may share in the benefits of education and training in STEM,” Sweets said. After Morgan State University, he was awarded the GEM Fellowship and started his academic and scholarly pursuits with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County School of Engineering in engineering education and STEM development. Today, he is a doctoral student in the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State and expects to complete his studies in May. Mr. Carr used student organizations as vessels to grow his leadership potential, share the STEM message, and encourage the achievement of his peers. His first experience as a leader in his field came on the executive board of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Engineering Student Organization Council. His influence spread as he became active in the Student Government Association (SGA). Through service in the SGA, he truly began to flourish as a leader. He became a mentor to students and served in four different leadership positions. In the SGA, he developed pride, courage, humility, and confidence that prepared him to be an effective leader. Many of his achievements in STEM outreach were done via his fraternal organization, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. With it, he spent the last seven years running STEM and Robotics Camps. Under his influence, more than 20 students have decided to pursue engineering and/or science in college. And because of his campus leadership experiences, both inside and outside of the school of engineering, he has taught the importance of a holistic understanding of academic achievement, intellection development, and familiarity with STEM. “Surprisingly, every eighth-grade student Mr. Carr mentored is now highly interested in STEM. This has caused me to think how we can use Mr. Carr to engage our scholars on every grade level in STEM,” commends Jacob Waites, Benchmark Kappa Youth Leadership Institute chairman.
TECHNICAL SALES AND MARKETING LoGina Davis
Senior Cloud Solutions Architect AT&T Communications
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oGina Davis is the senior cloud solutions architect with AT&T’s global client group’s network services team. Her responsibilities include defining and developing the adoption of cloud solutions to be hosted in the U.S. and abroad. Ms. Davis also provides internal training to sales teams on current cloud solutions, and develops and delivers marketing content. AT&T relies on her to stay current about emerging cloud technologies, and recommend options for AT&T to integrate into their architecture. www.blackengineer.com
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
In her previous role as senior technical sales consultant, she provided technical pre-sales support and technical support during joint sales meetings. Her support included making technical sales presentations, product demonstrations and installation and maintenance of AT&T cloud products. Prior to joining AT&T in 2012, Ms. Davis contributed to the success of companies such as The Virtual Computing Environment Company, Microsoft Corporation, Sun Microsystems Corporation and IBM. As a senior account technology strategist with Microsoft, she drove multi-million-dollar technical solutions that helped the account team repeatedly exceed its quota. Ms. Davis is also active in several activities outside the workplace. She is a founding member and current president of Papillion, Inc. The organization focuses on women matters, health issues and economic development. For 22 years, she has been a volunteer at the Goodwill Rescue Mission of Newark, New Jersey. Ms. Davis received her Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia State University and her Associate in Science from Thomas Edison State College.
COLLEGE-LEVEL PROMOTION OF EDUCATION Emmanuel Collins Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering Florida A&M UniversityFlorida State University College of Engineering
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r. Emmanuel Collins’ interest in engineering encouraged him to attend the Minority Introduction to Engineering (MITE) program in 1976. This resulted in him enrolling in the dual degree program between Morehouse College and Georgia Institute of Technology. His engineering skill earned him the “Most Outstanding Dual Degree Engineering Student” honor. Dr. Collins earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary science from Morehouse, and a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. He later earned his Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics. These accomplishments marked the beginning of a successful engineering and education career. With plans for a career in academia, Dr. Collins sought experience to help him become a good teacher and researcher. He joined the Harris Corporation in Florida as an associate principal engineer in the controls technology group. He also served as adjunct faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Collins left Harris for a joint position as associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and the College of Engineering at Florida State University (FSU). The joint program allowed him to educate a large number of African-American students. He teaches courses in dynamics, control and robotics. Dr. Collins’ accomplishments include serving as director of the FSU chapter of FAMU’s Florida-Georgia Alliance for Minorwww.blackengineer.com
ity Participation Program. The program increases retention and matriculation in graduate school of minority STEM students. He served as the college director of graduate student recruitment, and is currently chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He is the founding director of the Center for Intelligent Systems, Controls and Robotics.
COLLEGE-LEVEL PROMOTION OF EDUCATION Pamela McCauley
Professor & Director of the Ergonomics Laboratory University of Central Florida College of Engineering and Computer Sciences
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r. Pamela McCauley is a respected speaker, entrepreneur, author and professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems at University of Central Florida. The Human Factors in Disaster Management research team at the University of Central Florida is under her leadership as well. Dr. McCauley is an award-winning leader, speaker and engineering expert in the women’s leadership and STEM education communities. In addition to authoring more than 80 technical papers, book chapters and conference proceedings, Dr. McCauley authored “Transforming Your STEM Career through Leadership and Innovation: Inspiration and Strategies for Women.” The book was published by ELSEVIER Academic Press in 2012. Dr. McCauley is described by her students and colleagues as an outstanding professor. As a full professor of engineering, she is one of a few African-American women with this distinction. She has received the College of Engineering Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Teaching Incentive Program Award (TIP). In 2013, she was named a Top Woman in Technology by Connected World Magazine. Dr. McCauley earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in industrial engineering from the University of Oklahoma. In 1993, she had the distinction of becoming the first African-American female to earn a Ph.D. in engineering in Oklahoma. Dr. McCauley has a long list of accomplishments, and the list continues to grow. She travels around the country speaking on the importance of diversity, technology in America, and STEM-related topics. Her experiences have given her the drive and passion to help others realize their dreams.
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
K-12 PROMOTION OF EDUCATION Erica Watson
Science/STEM Teacher New London Public Schools
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rica Watson is an eighth grade teacher at Bennie Dover Middle School. She is a certified science teacher, and encourages her students to excel in science, technology, engineering and math. She gets students excited about STEM, and helps them gain confidence in working with STEM subjects. Ms. Watson created a guest visitor program to expose students to STEM professionals. Nationally renowned STEM achievers visit the school to speak with students. Past visitors include the admiral in charge of nuclear submarines at the Naval Submarine Base in Connecticut, a nuclear submarine SONAR technologist, and the professor in charge of naval strategy at the Naval War College. The program is one way in which Ms. Watson inspires students to seek success through education and STEM. In her science lab, Ms. Watson prepares projects that stimulate the interest and abilities of the students. She believes it is important to encourage young people to pursue STEM subjects. America must encourage its students to pursue STEM in order to remain competitive, and meet the growing demand for STEM professionals. Ms. Watson has a Bachelor of General Studies in psychology from the University of Connecticut. She is earning her Master of Science in biology and emerging infectious diseases from the University of Saint Joseph.
K-12 PROMOTION OF EDUCATION Akua F. Kouyate-Tate
Senior Director, Education Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
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kua Kouyate-Tate is senior director of education at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. She is dedicated to improving early childhood STEM education. To achieve this goal, Ms. Kouyate-Tate works to provide STEM educational opportunities for students in greater Washington, D.C. She believes students who excel in STEM subjects are the innovators and critical thinkers of the future. Ms. Kouyate-Tate has earned respect as a champion of STEM education. She is applauded for her professionalism, interwww.blackengineer.com
personal skills and dedication to education. Under Ms. Kouyate-Tate’s leadership, the Wolf Trap Institute works with more than 10,000 children, teachers and families in the greater Washington, D.C., area. Programs include classroom residencies, professional development workshops for educators, and family involvement workshops for parents and caregivers. In 2010, Wolf Trap received a $1.5 million grant from the Department of Education to create an arts-integrated development program. The program focuses on math, science and engineering for preschool and kindergarten students. Ms. Kouyate-Tate believes young students encouraged to learn about STEM subjects are unlikely to lose interest as they grow older. Ms. Kouyate-Tate earned a Master of Arts in arts management and administration from the American University in Washington, D.C. She received a Bachelor of Arts in performing arts – dance, also from the American University. She completed graduate coursework in African studies at Howard University.
PRESIDENT’S AWARD Carol C. Bennett Senior Program Manager General Dynamics Information Technology
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arol C. Bennett is a senior program manager for General Dynamics. She is currently managing the deployed services contract of the National Intelligence Sector (NIS) for General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). In her current position, Ms. Bennett provides combat intelligence and tier 1-3 technical support to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. She is responsible for daily mission and operational performance of the deployment services contract. Maintaining optimal customer service, staff and program mission leadership, financial management and project planning are her responsibilities. Prior to joining General Dynamics, Ms. Bennett held a variety of technical and management roles for intelligence community contractors. Most notably, she led an organization responsible for software engineering and transitioning critical software on a complicated Geospatial Solutions program. Ms. Bennett is respected for her leadership skills, but she also believes in team work. She believes it’s important to acknowledge the feelings and concerns of co-workers and clients. Ms. Bennett earned an Associate of Science degree with honors in Business Administration from Northern Virginia Community College. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from American University. Her awards include a National Women of Color Award for Managerial Leadership and the Client Commitment to Excellence Award.
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BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2015 Reginald Hobbs
Associate Director for Experimentation Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD) Army Research Laboratory
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r. Reginald Hobbs has a quarter of a century of contributions in STEM. He was recently named associate director for experimentation at the Computational and Information Sciences Directorate (CISD) of the Army Research Laboratory. He has made significant breakthroughs in machine language translation and is an acknowledged leader of multidisciplinary research teams exploring basic research initiatives. One project in Army basic research constitutes a $40 million investment in understanding networks, users, and network-based trust models as applied to Army communications needs. The professional collaboration between Dr. Hobbs and Army Research Laboratory’s academic and industrial partners guarantees military relevance of the research and heightens the transition potential from scientific theory to solutions. Dr. Hobbs’ leadership has led to innovation in network science, applying fuzzy logic inference and intelligent agents to the challenge of maintaining quality of information over tactical networks. His recognized expertise, complexity of work, and impact on the Army has proven “invaluable,” says Cynthia Bedell, associate director of S&T. Dr. Hobbs has authored or co-authored 36 technical publications on network science, machine translation, and scenariobased design. Over 100 citations of his work have appeared in research papers, technical reports, master’s theses, and dissertations of researchers in this country and abroad, in three different disciplines of computer science. In addition to his ARL work, Dr. Hobbs is an adjunct professor at both Howard University and the University of the District of Colombia – motivating nearly 300 traditional and non-traditional students to pursue advanced degrees in STEM fields. Known as an enthusiastic and compassionate teacher and researcher, he is a role model for youth interested in STEM. During his dissertation studies, Hobbs returned to Washington, D.C., to care for his mother-in-law who was in declining health. On top of his studies and full-time job, he became the provider to his five small children, one of whom had special needs.
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Special Recognition
HONOREES
Marvy Moore
Associate Vice President Big Data and Advanced Solutions in Mobility and Business Solutions AT&T
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arvy Moore was chosen by the CEO of AT&T Business Solutions to launch market development. Her position as AVP of market development positions her as a leader in AT&T’s technology innovation. The team she heads creates models for technology innovation. Under her leadership, the team works across the firm to find connections in product, marketing and sales to create compelling solutions for AT&T customers. Ms. Moore is breaking new ground with the market development model. She has made notable achievements with the team in a short period of time. AT&T’s network enhancement at Disney Parks and Resorts is their largest small cell deployment. It provides quality connections for thousands of employees and millions of customers. Ms. Moore is also excited about a project with AT&T to create a mobile platform to bind content, skills and location into an industrial application. Throughout her years with AT&T, Ms. Moore has contributed to business growth through her leadership roles in marketing, consultative sales and technical design. Her contributions are not limited to her role at AT&T. Awards she has received include the Harlem YMCA Black Achievers in Industry, the Ben Hill UME Living Legend, and the Atlanta YWCA 2006 Woman of Achievement. Ms. Moore’s board memberships include Atlanta Partners for Education and the Georgia 100 Mentor Exchange. Ms. Moore received a Bachelor of Arts in English (journalism) and speech (interpersonal and organizational communications) from North Carolina State University. www.blackengineer.com
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Bruce Davis
Project Chief of Electrical Systems and Components Vehicle Integration Chrysler World Headquarters
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ruce Davis is project chief of electrical systems and components vehicle integration at Chrysler world headquarters. The cabin electrical team for Ram trucks relies on him to fill several important roles. These roles include managing the development, integration, cost, timing, quality, and issue resolution of systems and components for light and heavy duty Ram trucks. Cabin electrical components include switches, steering column control modules, and electronic shifters — all which are important for creating a safe vehicle. Mr. Davis is known for working well with his peers and others within Chrysler. He interacts with the design responsible engineering managers, product responsible engineering managers and release engineers within the truck and cabin electrical teams. Prior to Chrysler, Mr. Davis held prominent engineering positions within other organizations, including Visteon Corporation, Dayco Products, and General Motors powertrain group. In addition, Mr. Davis is a respected role model within the community. Focus Hope is one of his volunteer projects, where he delivers food to the elderly. Middle and high school students benefit from his engineering expertise, as he tutors Detroit students in math. He also assists his church with providing assistance for the sick and shut-in. Mr. Davis attended Lawrence Technological University, where he received a Master of Engineering in manufacturing systems and a graduate certificate in manufacturing systems for the Defense Industry. He also received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo.
Michelle Blaise
Senior Vice President of Technical Services ComEd, an Exelon Company
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ith 32 years at ComEd to her credit, and now in charge of $2 billion in annual capital investment, Michelle Blaise, senior vice president, technical services with Chicagobased Exelon, is a corporate leader and an active mentor to neighborhood girls taking their first steps toward vibrant futures in the STEM space. Her leadership role translates into delivering electricity to nearly four million business and residential customers – 70 percent of the state’s population. She also serves as a member of the board of directors for the Women’s Business Development Center and is on the board of trustees of the Chicago Architecture Foundation. One striking example of her commitment to STEM education is seen by her participation in the Icebox Derby, according to the Chicago Sun-
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Times this summer. “Michelle Blaise, senior vice president of technical services at ComEd, said the company worked with the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, Girls4Science and the Chicago Urban League because they think it’s important for women to get into the male-dominated field. “We want to start building the future engineers,” she said. “Women hold 24 percent of STEM jobs in America and we really wanted to do more than just talk about this at a time when the girls are thinking about what to do next.” The Weekly Citizen reported Ms. Blaise’s further comments. “Our focus with this programs is girls overall. We want them to be part of the next generation of creators and we’re also contributing to closing the gender gap in STEM [education and careers.] We’re also integrating into this program, our commitment to sustainability and recycling by using the old refrigerators and freezers to make the Icebox cars.” The Icebox Derby, says The Weekly Citizen, is a six-week educational competition where girls team to build an electric car using the recycled appliances — an endeavor that empowers young women to learn and embrace STEM concepts. Ms. Blaise’s after-hours efforts are not lost on her colleagues. Anne E. Prammaggiore, president and CEO, ComEd, has the utmost praise for Ms. Blaise. “Michelle continually drives the message that women should not be afraid to take on roles that are considered nontraditional. “As a fellow female executive working in the energy industry, I find Michelle’s commitment to helping women succeed and grow incredibly refreshing and inspiring.”
Cindy Brock
JMC Lead Safety Engineer Joint Munitions Command
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s. Cindy Brock launched her government career in 2005 as a Defense Logistics Agency corporate intern. In 2008, she was selected as a Department of the Army, Army Civilian Training Education and Development System (ACTEDS) safety engineer intern at the Joint Munitions Command (JMC) Headquarters-Safety Division. Now, as the JMC HQ System Safety team lead, her major accomplishments are far reaching. Ms. Brock is charged with applying safety and health principles, and methods and techniques, to manage safety programs for industrial and explosive operations, plus assessing the effectiveness and conformance of safety standards and federal and military safety rules, regulations, and practices. She applies scientific and engineering design and analysis principles to conduct highly technical, detailed safety reviews of industrial and explosive operations and commodities, and consults and advises the team lead, division chief and director on the safety implications related to the design, manufacture, load, storage, disposal, and demilitarization of ammunition/explosive items. USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 41
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
By area, here are three of her key accomplishments. Army Safety & Health Management System (ASHMS): Ms. Brock serves as safety subject matter expert on the Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) installations, energy and environment installations, energy, and environment (IE&E) working group to refine and develop methods, policies, and guidance for a comprehensive ASHMS. Achievements will equip the Army to deploy and meet safety and occupational health policy and Army requirements. Process Safety Management (PSM): She served as team lead of the JMC project team to develop process safety management (PSM) guidance for JMC explosives manufacturing processes, a complex area lacking safety guidance within the Army and DoD. Here, she interpreted policy in terms of established objectives; and applied scientific, engineering, and safety principles to develop new theories, new principles, new standards, and new policy. This guidance will help set the baseline for how PSM will be applied to JMC explosives manufacturing operations and expanded throughout the Army materiel command, as applicable. Process Safety Management Training: She contributed to developing and presented two four-hour training blocks, “Ammunition and Explosives Manufacturing Module,” for senior OSHA field compliance officers as part of the OSHA Training Institute course 3430 “Advanced Process Safety Management in the Chemical Industries.” Ms. Brock’s honors include: · 2014 National Safety Council Rising Star Award · 2014 JMC Safety”Knuckle Buster” Award · 2012 Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy & Environment) Certificate of Appreciation · 2012 2nd Qtr. FY12 Beyond Peer Expectation Award · 2009 United States Army Combat Readiness Center Leadership Award · 2007 Federal Executive Board Outstanding Technical Accomplishment
Karmyn Norwood
Operations Director, Technical Operations Aeronautics Company Lockheed Martin Corporation
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armyn Norwood challenges paradigms and encourages positive change. In her position as director, Ms. Norwood has had a significant impact on Lockheed Martin’s success with technical operations for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company. In 2013, she facilitated a largescale reorganization where she used her leadership skills and vision. She helped the vice president ensure more than 7,800 engineering and sustainment employees switched to a new way of operating across Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. Ms. Norwood is certified as a project management professional, and has extensive experience managing entire product lifecycles. She also has lean Six Sigma black belt certification, which she applies when working across the organization. With her encouragement, Lockheed Martin has increased its 42 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
university outreach efforts. This includes strengthening Lockheed Martin’s relationship with Prairie View Texas A&M University. Ms. Norwood has also piloted a STEM intern initiative with a local high school. The result is Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth is set to hire its first high school technical engineering and sustainment organizations interns. Ms. Norwood has a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Jackson State University. She earned a Master of Science in electrical engineering from George Mason University. Her memberships include the Society of Women Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers. Ms. Norwood has several awards, including the 2013 AeroStar Award and the 2011 Corporate Executive Roundtable Mentoring Program.
Zachary Barnett
Engineer Software 3- Agile Lead Northrop Grumman Corporation
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he only thing on par with software engineer Zachary Barnett’s technical prowess is his singular commitment to community service. Sam Abbate, sector vice president and general manager, Northrop Grumman information systems, command and control division, called Mr. Barnett’s community contributions “unprecedented.” Among the organizations he has supported are the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society, the Open Door Mission, Lydia House, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Omaha Public Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Papillion Pubic Schools, Plattsmouth Public Schools, Nebraska Special Olympics, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, and The Salvation Army. Northrop Grumman “recruited Zach right out of grad school at North Carolina A&T State University and he began working for us in July 2010. Almost immediately, we were hearing reports of a new college hire who was making incredible contributions to our software products,” Abbate says. “He was finding and resolving latent defects that had been in the code for years. “Since he started with the company, Zach has established himself as one of our top young talents. His successful progression has come with his commitment, hard work, and dedication to honing his engineering skills,” Abbate explains. “Zach’s technical proficiency is so impressive; we’ve been able to utilize his talents as a key contributor and technical lead on three high-level projects. Zach produces code that is wellstructured and generally bug-free. “In our business, dealing with critical command and control systems there is very little margin for error. The products Zach helps create save lives and provide frontline commanders and service members’ critical information for a myriad of vital operations around the globe.” Understanding the inestimable value of surrounding himself with other smart software engineers, Mr. Barnett has spent countless hours honing his skills and networking in local programming groups like Nebraska “JavaScripters,” the Omaha Java Users Group, and the Omaha Agile for Defense development group. “I cannot emphasize enough the personal responsibility Zach www.blackengineer.com
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
has taken on to become so gifted in his technical skills at such a young age,” Abbate says. Kathy Warden, corporate vice president and sector president of information systems, singled out Mr. Barnett for championing STEM education. “His commitment to supporting STEM education is particularly noteworthy,” she explains. “Our Cyber Patriot program consists of ROTC and open divisions,” she says. It “is the premier national high school cyber defense competition designed to give hands-on exposure to the foundations of cyber security. It was created by the Air Force Association to excite high school students about STEM education. Zach serves as a Cyber Patriot mentor at one of Nebraska’s most diverse high schools. Earlier this year, when program funding was cut, Zach reached out and successfully obtained over $5,000 in corporate sponsorship grants to keep the programs operational at three high schools,” Warden relates. Paying tribute to his character, she says: “Zach’s contributions are vast and the compassion he shows to others is endless.”
Bryan T. Scott
Director of Quality Boeing Defense, Space and Security
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ryan Scott is the director of quality for Boeing Military Aircraft. He uses his strong leadership abilities to direct quality organizations throughout The Boeing Company, and provides the vision and strategy for quality processes, policies and procedures. While earning the respect of his peers at Boeing, Mr. Scott also strives to be a role model for young people in and around St. Louis and use his success to encourage young people to pursue STEM education and careers. Mr. Scott represents Boeing as the executive focal for Tuskegee University. He is also chairperson of the member committee for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Board of Directors. Missouri’s governor nominated Mr. Scott to the Highway and Transportation Committee in 2013. Mr. Scott has also served on committees and subcommittees for an Adopt-a-School program and College Scholarship Fund board. Mr. Scott’s expertise, character, work ethic and selflessness shows in everything he does. He wears many hats, including U.S. Air Force veteran, community leader and family man, but he is committed to education and using his community service activities to create opportunities for others.
David Canada
Finance Manager The Boeing Company
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avid Canada developed an interest in engineering early. In elementary school, he participated in the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program. After winning several engineering competitions, he realized just how fun and rewarding engineering could be. Mr. Canada’s mother played a pivotal role in encouraging www.blackengineer.com
his interest. She enrolled him in the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, one of the best science and engineering high schools in Baltimore. Mr. Canada also joined the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), where he held leadership roles in high school and college. After earning a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Howard University, and an M.B.A. from Keller Graduate School of Management, he went to work for The Boeing Company. He is now finance manager for the 787 Everett Delivery Center. He has several responsibilities, including developing and executing project and process plans. Other responsibilities include acquiring resources for projects, and providing oversight and approval of technical approaches, products and processes. In 2012, he received recognition as a Modern-Day Technology Leader at the Black Engineer of the Year STEM Awards. In an effort to teach young people about STEM, Mr. Canada volunteers as a mentor and career coach at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. He is also a science and math tutor as part of the National Urban League’s Mentor and Tutor program.
Charles Kamhoua
Research Electronics Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory
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wo years after arriving in the United States from Cameroon, Charles Kamhoua started graduate studies at Florida International University. He earned his Master of Science in telecommunication and networking and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. Dr. Kamhoua then became a postdoctoral fellow at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s information directorate. Laboratory leadership was greatly impressed by Dr. Kamhoua’s performance. This resulted in a recommendation for a U.S. government research position. The recommendation led to a position as a full-time research electronics engineer and science and technology program manager. Dr. Kamhoua has done game theory research, which the Air Force feels is relevant to cyber survivability. System replication, interdependency in public cloud computing, and hardware Trojan detections are a focus of this research. Dr. Kamhoua has provided important insights into the scientific foundation of cyber-security. Dr. Kamhoua is well-respected for his research skills. His areas of expertise include problem formulation, conceptualization, simulations, and development of well-organized and structured papers. His research is widely-acclaimed, having earned him a best paper award. He has international recognition as well, as Oxford University has invited him to participate in a six-month research visit. Dr. Kamhoua is an IEEE Senior Member and advisor to the National Academies, which serve (collectively) as the scientific national academy for the United States. He also leads the new Department of Defense Cyber Security Center of Excellence for Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions. Dr. Kamhoua hopes this position helps him inspire young Black engineers. USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 43
U.S. CoaSt GUard SCholarShip The College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI)
Up to two years’ paid tuition, books and fees. approximately $3,600 monthly salary ($43,200 annually) as a Coast Guard active-duty member while serving as a full-time student. Guaranteed job after graduation. Starting salary of approximately $60,000 annually, upon graduation and successful completion of officer Candidate School.
GoCoastGuard.com/CSPI
Eligibility: Be a U.S. citizen. Maintain a 2.5 GPA. Attend an HBCU, HSI, TCU, or approved college or university. Must be a sophomore or junior enrolled in a 4 year undergraduate program.
facebook.com/GoCoastGuard youtube.com/GoCoastGuard
SCIENCE SPECTRUM TRAILBLAZERS
Minorities in Research Science
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2015 TRAILBLAZERS
inorities in Research Science Trailblazers actively create new paths for others in science, technology, research and research. Some are experienced leaders and executives who continuously seek innovative products or lines of thought, some are breaking new ground at the midpoint of their careers, and others are new post-graduates who show pioneering promise. But regardless of their career point, they distinguish themselves by setting their sights higher, striving to innovate and open doors for others. Ravi Chilukuri
Anthony Barnes
Ahmed Eid
Sandra Michele Johnson
Srinivas Kongara
Thomas Kashangaki
Director, Practices EASi
Avionics Lab Engineering Designer Northrop Grumman Corporation
Imaging Engineer Aerotek
Senior Engineering Specialist The Aerospace Corporation
Delivery Manager EASi
Systems Director for the Earth and Space Sciences Program The Aerospace Corporation
Anil Parikh
Juan Castilleja, Jr.
Civil/ Structural Design Engineer Aerotek
Systems Engineer, Business Development, Space Exploration The Boeing Company
Turhan Carroll
Research Physicist Air Force Research Laboratory
Anissa Lumpkin
AFRL Legislative Liaison Air Force Research Laboratory
Reginald Gillins Anthony Banks
Xiaomin Wang
Human Factors Design Engineer, Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation
Yolonda Clinton
IT Program Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
Deborah Taylor
Community Relations Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
LaTasha Cox
Network Engineering Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
Leo Foster
IT Program Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
Bradford Scott
Systems Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation
Engineering Specialist- Mobility Engineering General Dynamics Land Systems Project Manager, Systems Engineering Harris Corporation Sr. Manufacturing Engineer Harris Corporation Engineering Leadership Develop Program Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Quality Assurance Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Systems Engineer Manager Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Britney Smith
Operations Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Kenneth Armijo
Thermal/Mechanical Energy Scientists Sandia Laboratories
www.blackengineer.com
Anamika Goyal
Hamilton Holmes Soloman Jones
Juanita Robertson-Smith Johnnie Sanders
Natajaran Shankar
Lockheed Martin Fellow Lockheed Martin Corporation, Space Systems Company
Kafey Lane
Financial Management Analyst Navy Cyber Forces
Versatile Technologist and Cryptographic Operations Analyst The Boeing Company
Akinwale (Wale) Akinpelu Section Supervisor The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Camille Daniel
Assistant Group Supervisor The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Khadir Griffith
Associate Professional Staff The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
L. Anthony Watkins
Senior Professional Staff The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
John Porche
Director Unmanned Systems & Assistant Professor U. S. Air Force
Richard Young
Director, Information Technology Policy & Compliance U.S. Department of Homeland Security
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 45
Ernest Levert Lockheed Martin Fellow Career Achievement Award
Jonathan D. Madison, Ph.D. Senior Member of Technical Staff, Computational Materials and Data Science Most Promising Scientist - Industry
Karmyn Norwood C-130 Production Operations Director and Meridian Site General Manager Special Recognition Award
LEADERS IN
INNOVATION. AT LOCKHEED MARTIN, WE’RE ENGINEERING A BETTER TOMORROW. We are honored to recognize many of our own as 2015 BEYA leaders and trailblazers, including the three outstanding representatives of this community who received special recognition awards. We commend you for your achievement and thank you for your dedication to excellence and innovation. Learn more at lockheedmartin.com/diversity
© 2014 LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
Science Spectrum Trailblazers:
Anthony Banks
LaTasha Cox
Leo Foster
Manan Shah
Natarajan Shankar
Britney Smith
Anamika Goyal
Hamilton Holmes
Nita RobertsonSmith
Johnnie Sanders
Bradford Scott
Modern Day Technology Leaders:
Andrew Bean
Darren Brock
Jacqueline Brown
Vanessa Bull
Carlos Edwards
Javetta Edwards
Michael Fagan
William Frank
Eboni Go
Duriel Holley
Harry Johnson
Soloman Jones
Tamika Kelly
Raspanti Laneair
David Leventhal
Adrian Marshall
Alphonse Matthews
Wayne Miles
Kenneth Mills
Jasmine MooreWatkins
Edugie Niepa
Abdul Nuhu
Cassidy Palas
Phillip Patrick
Jesse Peoples
David Pustai
Kita Shillingford
Lamia Spedden
Lee Stephenson
Medicishi Taylor
Beza Tesfaye
Florence Tindle
Ryan Williams
Rochelle Wix
Jean Wright
Charlie Yang
Qiaozhen (Echo) Yin
2015 Modern-Day
TECHNOLOGY LEADERS M
eet more than 100 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals who are leading change and shaping the future of engineering, sciece and technology. 2015 Modern Day Technology Leaders are scientists and engineers conducting research in national labs, and creating new products for leading U.S. sectors including, oil & gas, telecommunications, consumer goods, utilities, financials, health care, and technology. These rising stars are inventing the future and are honored at the BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference for making a difference in a world increasingly dependent upon their innovations. Reginald Cooper Research Electronics Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory
Emon Ransford Systems Administrator Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
Derrick Dickens Director, AMI Strategy Exelon
Eric Jones Material Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory
Adeeba Saboor Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
Joel Reid Senior Engineer Exelon Corporation
Fernando Rios Merritt Chief, Logistics Engineering Team Lead Army/AMC/ROECOM/AMRDEC
Sean Sims Professional Development Lead Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
Charles Huang Director, New Technology Product Development Engineering AT&T
Vontina Smith Associate – Lead Technologist Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
Stacey Oriaifo Engineer Exelon Corporation- Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
Nike Laguda Principal Technical Program Manager AT&T Latricia Smith Senior Project Manager AT&T Allison Whittaker Principal Member Technical Staff AT&T Jeffery Morgan Manager- Engineering Service Support II BAE Systems Kam Kit Yiu Engineer Baltimore Gas & Electric Samuel Johnston General Engineer Baltimore Gas Electric Dina Abercrombie Senior Associate (Senior IT Project Manager) Booz Allen Hamilton Inc Tracy Lynn Adams Cyber Security Policy and Compliance Senior Consultant Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Napreya Brumfield Electrical Engineer Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Terrance A. Nelson Engineer Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
48 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
KaNisa Wiliams Senior Lead Technologist Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Jamila Williams Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Harold Hill Air Induction Systems Engineer Chrysler Group LLC Felisha James Subsystem Cost Innovation Engineer Chrysler Group LLC Naomi Thomas Product Lead Engineer Chrysler Group LLC Ameerah Shabazz Manager System Operations ComEd, an Exelon Company Katherine Daniels General Engineer ComEd, an Exelon Company John Yancey Manager, Distribution Automation Commonwealth Edison Abner Tsadick Principal Structuring Analyst Constellation Samuel Owusu Sr. Project/Process Engineer Corning Incorporated Savaughna McClary Supplier Quality Engineer Specialist Denso Manufacturing
Brian Wright Engineer II Exelon Generation Anthony Hardimon System Engineer Exelon Nuclear Dawn Hatcher Sr. Advanced Engineer General Dynamics - Mission Systems Angela Quincy Sr. Engineer 3-Network General Dynamics - Mission Systems Drupinderbir Khaira Electrical Engineer General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works Jay Kim Planning Yard Systems Engineer General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works Kelvin Kinsey Software Engineer Principal General Dynamics Mission Systems Karl Fortune Structural Acoustics Engineer General Dynamics Electric Boat Stephane Gautier Senior Fluid System Engineer General Dynamics Electric Boat Samuel Antwi Principal Director, AIT Engineering General Dynamics Information Technology Sylvester Jackson Senior Manager Professional Development General Dynamics Information Technology Jammel Olley Network Engineer General Dynamics Information Technology www.blackengineer.com
Modern-Day
TECHNOLOGY LEADERS Okwidiri Onukwufor Information Security Principal Analyst General Dynamics Information Technology
Deborah Malacon Continuous Improvement Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Jeffrey Jones Senior Principal Engineer- Software General Dynamics Information Technology, Defense Solutions Division
Roberto Molina Sr. Manufacturing Engineering Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
Daniel F. Capers Engineering Specialist E&C Engineering Specialist- E&C General Dynamics Land Systems Jasper Saunders III Senior Product Manager of Enterprise Technologies Georgetown University Ricardo Alvarado Tooling Manufacturing Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Roberto Armenta Industrial Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Francisco Banda Engineering Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Carlos Barajas Suppliers Quality Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Carlo Bramasco NC Programmer IV Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Raymundo Delgado Rendon Maintenance Manager Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Uyi Eguasa Procurement Supervisor Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Alvaro Encinas MT Planning Leader Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Carolina Fernandez Industrial Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Ignacio Fong M&P Engineer (Material Process) Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Ruben Gaxiola Stress Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Ngure Kanjumba Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Roxana Leo’n Continuous Improvement Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
www.blackengineer.com
Mario Montenegro Valencia Manufacturing Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Francisco Perez Sr. Continuous Improvement Engineer Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Kevyn Wilder Structures MRB Engineer-Tech-Specialist 1 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Kevin Chapman Senior Engineering Manager Harris Corporation John Banks Electrical Engineer III Huntington Ingalls Industries Brandon Booker Nuclear Engineer III Huntington Ingalls Industries Dannon Butts Manager III Quality Huntington Ingalls Industries Malcom Jones Systems Engineer 2 Huntington Ingalls Industries Carroll Jones Mechanical Engineer III Huntington Ingalls Industries Anthony Norton Nuclear Engineer II Huntington Ingalls Industries David Orie Design Engineering Manager Huntington Ingalls Industries Derrick Scott Engineering Manager III Huntington Ingalls Industries Tavarius Urquhart Electrical Engineer III Huntington Ingalls Industries Jenell Webb Engineer Systems Test III Huntington Ingalls Industries Lysa Banks Technology Team Facilitator IBM CHQ Innovation & Technology Tabari Alexander Advisory Software Engineer IBM Corporation
Natalie Brooks Powell Certified Senior Project Manager and IT Specialist IBM Corporation Roberta Carey Software Release Manager IBM Corporation Annette Green Senior IT Specialist IBM Corporation Jason Mudd Senior Engineering Manager IBM Corporation Laurence Pratt Systems Engineer Manager IBM Corporation Frank A. Richards, II Software Development Manager IBM Corporation Kimberly Greene Starks Certified Senior Architect IBM Corporation Moses Vaughan Advisory Software Engineer IBM Corporation Shalawn King System Z Websphere Technical Sales Specialist IBM Software Group
Corville Allen Technical Lead- IBM Watson, Master Inventor, Cognitive Systems IP Brand Lead, Chair SE US Patent IBM Software Group: Watson Frank Richards Manager of DB2 for z/OS Performance, DB2 for z/OS, Information Management IBM Software Group Jacqueline Brown Quality Assurance Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Vanessa Bull Regulatory Compliance Analyst Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Javetta Edwards Systems Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Carlos Edwards Industrial Engineering Manager Lockheed Martin Aeronautics William Frank Electronics Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Eboni Goff Product Marketing Analysis Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Aeronautics USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 49
Modern-Day
TECHNOLOGY LEADERS Alphonse Matthews Software Quality Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
David Pustai Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
Jasmine Moore-Watkins Electrical Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Kita Shillingford Chief Engineer - Enterprise Business Services Lockheed Martin Corporation
Florence Tindle Computer Systems Architect Director Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Ryan Williams Embedded Software Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Duriel Holley Aeronautical Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Andrew Bean Facilities Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Michael Fagan Software Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation Harry Johnson Principle Systems Engineer, Modeling Simulation Lockheed Martin Corporation
Lamia Spedden Website Designer Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Lee Stephenson IT Program Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Beza Taesfaye Systems Integration/Test Engineering Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Rochelle Wix Senior Staff Systems Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation Jean Wright Systems Engineer-IT Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Charlie Yang Software Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation
Tamika Kelly Staff System Integration/Test Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation
Qiaozhen (Echo) Yin Programmer Analyst Sr. Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation
David Leventhal Chief Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation
Kenneth Mills Project Engineer Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training
Adrian Marshall Systems Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation Wayne Miles Systems Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Edugie Niepa Systems Engineering Manager Enterprise Business Services Lockheed Martin Corporation Abdul Nuhu Electrical Engineer, Sr. Lockheed Martin Corporation Cassidy Palas Innovation Development Program, Senior Lockheed Martin Corporation Phillip Patrick Systems Engineer Sr. Lockheed Martin Corporation Jesse Peoples Systems Engineer Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
50 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Medicishi Taylor Associate Manager, Engineering Leadership Development Program Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training Darren Brock Senior Research Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Raspanti Lanaier Quality Engineering Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Michael Fellows Senior System Engineer Missile Defense Agency Amanda Lard Requirements Engineer Missile Defense Agency Marcel Leake Computer Engineer Naval Air Systems Command
Cecily McCoy-Fisher Senior Research Psychologist Naval Air Warfare Center Training System Division
Tiffany Owens Principal for Safety of Autonomous Vehicles Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Matthew Janisz Systems Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation Bianca Brandveen Mechanical Engineer II Northrop Grumman Corporation Aaron Copeland Director, Programs Northrop Grumman Corporation William Smith Interactive Systems and Training Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation Deidre Connor Systems Engineer Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Michael Finnessy Software Engineer Northrop Grumman Information Systems Jasmine Jackson Sr. Contract Coordinator PECO Energy Rick Epps Senior Manufacturing Engineer Raytheon Company Garrett Robinson Senior System Engineer Raytheon Company Howard West Training Architect Raytheon Company Brittany Person Material Program Manager II Raytheon IIS Joylanda Williams System and Software Engineer Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Kevin Dale Senior Multi-Disciplined Engineer II Raytheon Missile Systems Angelos Erilus Software Engineer I Raytheon Company Brandon Foster Senior Software Engineer II Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems
www.blackengineer.com
Modern-Day
TECHNOLOGY LEADERS Lawrence Savage Senior Electrical Engineer II Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Letia Solomon Multi-Disciplined Engineer II Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Tuere Williams Senior Electrical Engineer I Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Michael Jackson Deputy Project Manager Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific Athanison Monroe Lead Systems Engineer Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific Anthony Haile Jr. Project Manager SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific Leslie King Project Leader The Aerospace Corporation Danielle Wood Member of Technical Staff, Senior The Aerospace Corporation Adam Bell Flight Deck Design Engineer The Boeing Company George Black, Jr. Government Integrator; Supply Chain Management; Boeing Defense, Space & Security The Boeing Company Fred Carter Procurement Financial Analyst The Boeing Company Selina Cobbs Materials, Process, and Physics Engineer; Engineering, Operations & Technology The Boeing Company Ousmane Conde Information Technology Career Foundation Program Partner, Business Process Management Systems The Boeing Company Tiffany Duncan Software Engineer The Boeing Company Tresha Lacaux Structural Engineering Manager The Boeing Company
www.blackengineer.com
Dana Lee Systems Engineer; Phantom Works; Boeing Defense, Space & Security The Boeing Company
Jean Robert Michaud Mechanical & Structural Engineering Manager The Boeing Company Caryn Nightengale Director, Corporate Development Boeing Defense, Space Security The Boeing Company Babatunde Ola Flight Test Sustaining Program Integrator; Lead Engineer; Boeing Test & Evaluation The Boeing Company Daphne Reed Senior Quality Manager The Boeing Company Candice Smith Chief of Staff to Chief Technology Officer; Engineering, Operations & Technology The Boeing Company Bonita Smith-Hill Information Technology Project Management Specialist; Engineering, Operations & Technology The Boeing Company Cheryl Clark Lead Artificial Intelligence Engineer The MITRE Corporation Charlotte Farmer Principle Systems Engineer The MITRE Corporation Ann-Marie France Group Leader The MITRE Corporation DeAnthony Heart Sr. Information Systems Engineer The MITRE Corporation Michele Mason Senior Software Engineer The MITRE Corporation Jamel Morris Lead Information Systems Engineer The MITRE Corporation JaMarcus Joseph Remotely Operated Aircraft Pilot Officer U.S. Air Force Limpson White Bare Base Flight Commander/Civil Engineer U.S. Air Force
John Beck Battalion Executive Officer U.S. Army Jarvis Pendleton First Sergeant U.S. Army Kenneth Reed Battalion Commander U.S. Army
David Wilson Advisor, Ministry of Public Works and Ministry of Energy and Water U.S. Army Ifeanyi Igwulu Electronics Engineer U.S. Army CERDEC Jefferson Mason Operations Officer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Alton Pitre Mechanical Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jean Christian Brutus, P.E. Mechanical Engineer U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command Weaver Prosper Chief Warrant Officer Two U.S. Army, Department of Defense Cyril Williams Mechanical Engineer U.S. Army Research Laboratory Benjamin Goff Lead System Engineer U.S. Coast Guard Leslie Martin-Freeman Budget Analyst USCG U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Olanrewaju Adeyemo X-47 USCAS-D Communications Flight Test Engineer U.S. Navy, NAVAIR, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division John Little Avionics Engineer USAF AFLCMC/WLVA Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio Carice Brantley Chief Engineer USS GETTYSBURG (CG 64)
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 51
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD WINNERS
2015 BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference President’s Award Carol Bennett
Modern Day Technology Leaders Ricardo Alvarado
Ignacio Fong
Kelvin Kinsey
Samuel Antwi
Karl Fortune
Roxana León
Roberto Armenta
Stephane Gautier
Deborah Malacon
Francisco Banda
Rubén Gaxiola
Roberto Molina
Carlos Barajas
Dawn Hatcher
Mario Montenegro
Carlo Bramasco
Sylvester Jackson
Jammel Olley
Raymundo Delgado Rendón
Jeffrey Jones
Okwidiri Onukwufor
Uyi Eguasa
Ngure Kanjumba
Francisco Perez
Alvaro Encinas
Dru Khaira
Angela Quincy
Carolina Fernandez
Jay Kim
Kevyn Wilder
Science Spectrum Trailblazer Xiaomin Wang
DIVERSITY. IT DEFINES US.
At Harris, our commitment to building, maintaining and expanding a globally inclusive culture is central to our success. As an international company serving government and commercial markets in more than 125 countries, we provide some of the most reliable and secure communication networks, systems and services in the world. Harris is technology, innovation and trust. And our people make it happen. See what makes Harris different. For a full list of opportunities, visit careers.harris.com
OUR
PEOPLE
It is Harris Corporation policy to recruit, employ, and take other personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or membership in any other group(s) protected by federal, state, local or international laws or regulations, and to take affirmative action as required by law. The company maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Inspiring
brilliance.
Encouraging
excellence.
Booz Allen Hamilton is proud to support the 29th BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference. We applaud all of this year’s award recipients and honorees on their outstanding achievements, including some of our best and brightest visionaries, influential innovators, scientists, mathematicians, and engineers: • Dina Abercrombie • Tracy Adams • Vontina Jenkins-Smith
• Terrance Nelson • Emon Ransford • Adeeba Saboor
• Sean Sims • Jamila Williams • KaNisa Williams
At Booz Allen, we believe unique perspectives contribute to brilliant ideas and inspired thinking. To find out more about our work, our people, and career opportunities, visit boozallen.com/careers.
www.boozallen.com/careers We are proud of our diverse environment, EOE, M/F/Disability/Vet.
EMERALD HONORS WINNERS
2015
Emerald Honors WINNERS Scientist of the Year
Dr. Julio A. Navarro
Senior Technical Fellow, Boeing Research & Technology The Boeing Company
R
adio frequency technology is advancing rapidly and Dr. Julio Navarro’s expertise and vision allows Boeing to translate these advances into products that benefit their customers. Dr. Navarro is a leading expert in the Radio frequency (RF) field of phased array antennas and micro-electronics. He has received more than 25 patents, authored 40 papers in peer-reviewed publications, and co-authored the first reference textbook in the field, “Integrated Active Antennas and Spatial Power Combining.” He is a recognized expert in RF sensors, circuits, antennas and integrated electronics. Dr. Navarro introduced innovative phased-array concepts, which have increased functionality while at the same time reduced costs. His phased-array designs have been integrated onto terrestrial, naval, airborne and space platforms. He applies the latest finite-element and tools to resolve complex electromagnetic problems in a range of transmission media. As a senior technology fellow, his base includes millimeter-wave oscillator/amplifier design, anechoic chamber measurements, low-observable radiators and radar cross-section research. Dr. Navarro has also made contributions through his participation at STEM-based workshops and conferences. He devotes a significant amount of time to educating next generation engineers, and he mentors colleagues, new engineers, interns, as well as college and high-school students. He is active in the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Great Minds in STEM (GMiS), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Boeing Hispanic Employees Network (BHEN). Navarro inspires students and colleagues through frequent presentations and workshops at conferences for GMiS and SHPE, and Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology (HESTEC) Week at the University of Texas-Pan American. He also conducts an online workshop, ‘RF circuits and Antenna Design for Commercial Applications,’ for graduate students at the University of Puerto 54 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Rico-Mayaguez. “It is inspiring to be around Julio,” wrote BEYA Executive Focal Darrell W. Warner, a quality director for Boeing Network and Space Systems. “Engineers consistently seek out his advice, and he has captured the imagination of colleagues, college interns and high school students as he mentors these future aerospace leaders. His leadership and compassion are invaluable in helping us build the diverse Technical Fellowship of the future,” Warner said. Julio Angel Navarro was born in Argentina. His parents immigrated to the United States in 1970 and he and his siblings joined them in 1974. After a few years in New York City, the family moved to Houston, Texas, where the children grew up. www.blackengineer.com
EMERALD HONORS WINNERS
Navarro attended Texas A&M University, financed through a League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)/Salvation Army scholarship, loans, grants, and support from a lawn-mowing business he started with his father, who urged him to pursue electrical engineering. Julio joined Texas A&M University’s co-operative education program and began work with General Dynamics - Fort Worth Division (now Lockheed Martin). In 1988, he was selected for the graduate co-op program and found his calling in RF circuit and antenna design. He also pursued a master’s in electrical engineering at Texas A&M. Upon graduation, he was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. This award was followed in 1993 by a NASA - Lewis Training Award. In 1994, he got married and moved from Houston to Ge-
neva, Illinois, near Chicago to work at Epsilon Lambda Electronics Corp. In 1996, Dr. Navarro was hired by Boeing to design, build and launch the Teledesic program, a global phased-array satellite network. Since then he has contributed to many winning proposals resulting in multi-million dollar phased-array contract awards. Navarro has been honored for his technical contributions with several awards including the GMiS Outstanding Technical Achievement in 2011, SHPE Hispanic Technical Achievement in 2008, and HENAAC Most Promising Engineer in 2001. Boeing honored Navarro with three Special Invention Awards in 2001, 2005 and 2012 for specific technical accomplishments that advanced the field of phased-array antennas.
Community Service
Most Promising Engineer
Darnell Diggs, Ph.D
Special Assistant to the Commander and Executive Director Air Force Research Laboratory
F
or over ten years Darnell Diggs has worked for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH as a research physicist. Dr. Diggs has special technology knowledge in chemical and biological detection techniques, nonlinear electro-optics for poled ploymers, dna material characterization, terahertz generation and detection techniques, semiconductor physics, and high energy lasers. In his current position he is in charge of preparing strategic messages on the AFRL’s research in science and technology, for the AFRL commander and AFRL executive director. Dr. Diggs graduated from Alabama A&M University where he earned his bachelor’s of science, master’s of science and his Ph.D in applied Physics. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB AL and University of Dayton’s Emerging Leader Program. Darnell Diggs is not just outstanding in the workplace he is also a leader in the community as well. Dr. Diggs is an ordained minister in the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He believes in the “total man” concept. In his local Bible study group, Change is Possible, Dr. Diggs teaches the importance of being spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally well balanced. Dr. Diggs is also an excellent mentor for the youth in his community. He uses his professional platform to encourage disadvantaged youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). He does this by mentoring high school, undergraduate, and graduate students; tutoring Upward Bound and Wright-STEPP students; and motivational speaking across the nation. www.blackengineer.com
Jin Wang, Ph.D
Director, New Technology Engineering AT&T
J
in Wang is a graduate of both Bejiing University and University of California at Berkley (UC Berkley). Dr. Wang earned both his bachelor’s of science and master’s of engineering in telecommunications and information systems while attending Bejiing University. He completed his Ph.D while attending UC Berkley. Going on 10 years with AT&T, Dr. Wang is currently director of new technology product development engineering in the radio access, analysis and devices department. As a director in radio access, analysis and devices team, Jin Wang has a wide range of responsibilities that include performance analysis, optimization and troubleshooting of AT&T’s mobility and wireline networks, as well as employee coaching and development. His main area is access network and home network, but end-to-end service quality assessment and troubleshooting is becoming an essential part of daily job. As an added responsibility, Jin Wang manages an UMTS/LTE toycell lab and supports operation tooling with data validation and prototype assessment. Dr. Wang’s work has resulted in over 20 US patents in network engineering, management, troubleshooting and optimization. Several have evolved into mobile/web tools used by thousands of engineers and technicians in AT&T. Dr. Wang is a long-time participant in professional organizations such as IEEE communications society. He also supports groups such as Cal State east bay job panel and UC Berkley Chinese student and scholarship association.
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 55
Š 2015 Accenture. All rights reserved.
Be greater than. Bring your talent and passion to a global organization at the forefront of business, technology and innovation. Collaborate with diverse, talented colleagues and leaders who support your success. Help transform organizations and communities around the world. Sharpen your skills through industry-leading training and development, as you build an extraordinary career. Discover how great you can be. Visit accenture.com/campus
Corning Incorporated is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. We create and make keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. To learn more about our values and career opportunities, go to www.corning.com. Congratulations to all of this year’s Black Engineer of the Year and Minorities in Research Science award winners including Corning’s own Dr. Samuel Owusu.
Samuel O. Owusu, Ph.D. – Senior Process Engineer 2015 Modern Day Technology Leader
EMERALD HONORS WINNERS
Most Promising Scientist in Government Marco Enriquez, Ph.D Senior Applied Mathematician The MITRE Corporation
D
r. Marco Enriquez was born in the Philippines and moved to Oakland, California at the age of ten. He has the honor of being the first in his family to attend and graduate college. He graduated with a bachelor of science in computer engineering, from Tufts University. While attending Tufts, Dr. Enriquez worked as a math tutor, and eventually became a research assistant for applied mathematics. In this position, Dr. Enriquez helped create algorithms which process near-infrared data to localized brain tumors. This experience helped Marco realize the potential of applied mathematics research. From there, Dr. Enriquez attended Rice University, where he earned both a master of arts and a Ph.D. in computational and applied mathematics. Currently Dr. Enriquez is a senior applied mathematician for The MITRE Corporation. In this position Dr. Enriquez solves various data-centric problems via mathematical modeling and algorithmic development. One of Dr. Enriquez’s technical contributions was creating a methodology to improve the current aircraft fuel burn models by optimization algorithms, reducing the root mean square error in the descent phase by 36%. Another contribution is creating a clustering algorithm to automatically identify dominant airspace traffic patterns around an airport. This saved hundreds of staff hours in manual analysis. Dr. Marco Enriquez is a strong advocate for giving back to the academic and scientific communities. He has participated as a panelist at Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics student conference at Shippensburg University. Dr. Enriquez also mentored two interns at MITRE on the subject of fuel consumption modeling and terminal airspace analysis, respectively. He has also been volunteering his time to support the 2014 AMC Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing conference as a reviewer of students’ scholarship applications.
Most Promising Scientist in Government Onome Scott-Emuakpor Ph.D
Aerospace Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems
D
r. Onome Scott- Emuakapor started his career at Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) as an student intern in 2001. He continued to develop there as a graduate student and also as a national research council (NRC) post-doctorate researcher. Dr. 58 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Scott-Emuakpor officially joined ARFL as a full-time civilian in 2010. Currently Onome is an aerospace research engineer. In his current position Dr. Scott-Emuakpor is involved in structural and vibrational evaluation of turbine engine components, which includes fielded and demonstrator engine support and basic material-based research. Dr. Scott-Emuakpor uses his knowledge and skill to make sure that the advance engine designs meet program structural integrity requirements for safe testing. Dr. Scott-Emuakpor received a scholarship to play basketball at Wright State University. While at Wright State, Dr. ScottEmuakpor earned his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. He then went on to The Ohio State University where he earned his master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering. Dr. Scott-Emuakpor is currently a member of 5 professional societies including American society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). As a volunteer, Dr. Scott-Emuakpor is focused on preparing future leaders. He has mentored a number of student and student athletes at Wright State. He is very active with the Dayton Regional STEM School. He also volunteers with Boys and Girls club, Our Daily Bread soup kitchens, and as a basketball coach for youth in Kettering, OH.
Most Promising Scientist in Industry Justin McDade
Cell Simulation Engineer General Motors Company
J
ustin McDade completed his undergraduate education at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Here, Justin received his bachelor of science in computer engineering technology. After undergrad, Justin moved on to receive his master of energy systems engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Justin started his career at General Motors when he was selected as an intern through a special advanced degree program established between General Motors and the University of Michigan. As an intern Justin was one of the first in General Motors to create a physics-based electrochemical model of the battery implemented in the first generation Chevrolet Volt. In 2010, Justin was hired as a multi-physics CAE engineer, and within 1 year he was promoted to cell modeling specialist. www.blackengineer.com
EMERALD HONORS WINNERS
As a leader for General Motor’s Global CAE objectives, one of their main directives is to reduce development cycle time while delivering world-class innovation. Justin was able to deliver math-based solutions that have enabled advanced teams to create design bandwidths for electrified vehicles using his battery models as potential power and range. Justin’s efforts have exceeded the objectives of the Global CAE organization. Justin McDade has also made a commitment to help improve his Detroit community. In August Justin, along with over 3000 employee volunteers participated in the Detroit Cody High School Life Remodeled project. The goal of this project was to help improve the academic, athletic, and surrounding environment of the school. Justin and his team cleaned the area around the school, they also patrolled the neighborhood streets provided safety for fellow volunteers. Justin is also a House of Help tutor and mentor. In this program he helps a young middle school boy reach his full potential academically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
Most Promising Scientist in Industry Jonathan Madison, Ph.D. Senior Member of Technical Staff General Motors Company
J
onathan Madison, Ph.D. is a Senior Member of Technical Staff in the Computational Materials and Data Science Department at Sandia National Laboratories. Dr. Madison’s primary job function is to produce original experimental and computational research in metallurgy and mirco-structural characterization. He has spearheaded a new in-house characterization capability by acquiring capital equipment, and because of this he has been expanding the customer base for materials characterizations, developing new technical partnerships to conduct world-class research, and leading complimentary modeling projects that can leverage this novel experimental capability. Dr. Madison has had four and a half years of professional experience, since joining Sandia National Laboratories in 2010. And over the years, he has completed 9 peer reviewed journal articles, 4 D.O.E. published technical reports and over 35 national and international technical presentations. His research interests focus on the intersections of experimental and computational techniques for three-dimensional reconstructions of microstructure, the quantitative characterization of these structures and accompanying models of microstructural evolution. While making contributions to Sandia National Laboratories and conducting research, Dr. Madison continues to be actively involved in The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST), ASM International (ASM), The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and The Minerals, Metals and Materiwww.blackengineer.com
als Society (TMS). He is also a proud member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Madison earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Science from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Science degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. Throughout his academic and professional career, he has received several honors and distinctions, including the Sandia National Laboratories, Early Career LDRD Award, Graduate Student Research Grant, Horace H. Rackham Graduate School, NSBE National Golden Torch Awards and several other recognitions.
Research Leadership George Coles
Principal Professional Staff Scientist The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
M
r. George Coles is a microelectronic process engineer and program manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), where he is expected to identify challenging research problems in areas of significant national need, to develop sources of funding to address them, to perform ground-breaking research, and to mature the research into applications having significant impact to APL sponsors. During his time with APL, Mr. Coles has made many accomplishments, including taking on the role as project manager of the fabrication team that revolutionized the arming and staffing of military munitions using MEMS devices. He also served as process development engineer for the invention of the Implantable Pressure-Actuated Drug-Delivery System (IPADDS) and the STEM Cell Bioreactor. Mr. Coles has personally developed MEMS-based fabrication processes for building the micro detonators and has responsibly managed the program’s millions of dollars in funding. His work resulted in the Navy’s first successful use of a MEMS initiator in a tactical environment. Mr. Coles is pursuing a MEMS-based stem cell bioreactor system with Dr. Chao-Wei Hwang, and a transseptal access stability system (TASS) sheath with Dr. Alan Cheng, both research projects within the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Cardiology. Most recently, Mr. Coles has worked with a pediatric otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat) researcher to develop an ear implant that will promote hearing restoration in young patients experiencing cholesteatoma, a type of inner-ear tumor. For his outstanding contributions, Mr. Cole has received several awards such as the Director’s Award from the Space EnUSBE&IT I WINTER 2015 59
EMERALD HONORS WINNERS
vironmental Center, a NOAA Special Achievement Award, was named a BEYA Modern Day Technology Leader in 2006, two R.W. Hart Prizes for Excellence in Independent Research and Development, and the APL Invention of the Year Award for the Implantable Pressure-Actuated Drug Delivery System in 2011. Coles earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University.
Senior Investigator Sharon Norris, Ph.D.
Chief Physician, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine The Boeing Company
S
haron Norris, M.D. joined The Boeing Company in 2009, after retiring from University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine where she was Medical Director for Occupational Medicine. While at USC, she taught first-, second-, and thirdyear medical students courses in Cardiovascular Physical Diagnosis, Introduction to the Coronary Care Unit, and Introduction to Clinical Medicine. Aside from supervising several students each year on at Boeing Aerospace and Occupational Medicine elective rotation from the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, Dr. Norris is currently Chief Physician at The Boeing Company in Occupational and Aerospace Medicine, Global Occupational Health Services. In this role, her responsibilities include but are not limited to acting as principal investigator for research projects on infectious disease transmission during flight on an aircraft, and one that focuses on the effects that pollution in China has on aircraft on the ground, and developing policies and procedures for Occupational and Environmental Health. She also assists in The Boeing Company’s business units in responding to air quality issues from airlines and the Department of Defense, chairs the Boeing Infection Control Committee, and serves as subject matter expert for occupational and aerospace medicine concerns. Dr. Norris holds medical licenses in New York, California and Washington, and is board certified in preventive medicine and board eligible in internal medicine. In 2006, she received her Medical Review Officer Certificate. Dr. Norris attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Rutgers Medical School for a master’s degree in medical science and her medical doctorate degree. She received post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and a post-graduate fellowship in Cardiology from the Health and Hospital Corp. in New York. 60 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
Senior Technology Fellow Anne Kao, Ph.D.
Senior Technology Fellow Data Analytics, Boeing Research & Technology The Boeing Company
A
nne Kao, Ph.D. is a Senior Technical Fellow of Engineering, Operations & Technology at The Boeing Company. With over 20 years of success in analytic methods, Dr. Kao has been praised by her peers as a pioneer and an internationally recognized expert in text analytics with a long record of innovation that includes ground-breaking text analytics methods valuable to Boeing, government agencies and research institutions. However, prior to joining The Boeing Company in 1990, Dr. Kao began her career as a teacher in Taiwan before moving to San Diego, CA, where she became a Chinese/English translator, instructor at San Diego Mesa College and lecturer at the University of California, San Diego, before joining Northrop Grumman as a software engineer. Over the past 24 years with Boeing, Dr. Kao has made many significant contributions to the company, as she created TRUST text analysis software to help users understand topics in large document collections; KM DocTEr which categorizes free-text data to solve challenges in manufacturing, airline maintenance and aviation safety; and P-MATCH which helps identify aircraft part names and offers a scalable solution to leverage engineering knowledge from non-professionally authored messy data. She is also the founder and leader for the Boeing Data Analytics Community of Excellence, which is more than 1,500 members strong and one of the most-active CoEs at Boeing, and also leads and works on a combination of Boeing internally funded research and development, Boeing business unit-funded work in support of products and services, government-funded contracts, and external software licensing/consultation. Dr. Kao holds 10 patents in the United States (three additional U.S. patents pending) and one in the European Union, as well as a commendable publication records, which includes papers in peer-reviewed journals. She was also the editor of “Text Mining and National Language Processing,” a book that was released in 2006.
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We applaud the Black Engineer of the Year Award’s 2015 Stars and Stripes Dinner for acknowledging the many achievements and sacrifices of African Americans in our nation’s service branches. www.northropgrumman.com
CAREERS at the NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
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Road to the Future
GOOGLE, OTHERS PAVE WAY FOR SELF-DRIVING CARS
by Michael A. Fletcher mfletcher@ccgmag.com
T
he notion of cars that drove themselves on busy highways once seemed like a futuristic vision, a fantasy better suited for the World’s Fair than the real world. But that fantasy is now fast becoming reality, and the era of the self-driving car is arriving. Already, on-board computers and increasingly sophisticated vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems are allowing cars now on the market to automatically make maneuvers that were once the sole purview of drivers. Cars can slow themselves down for stopped traffic, they can keep themselves in lane, and, as we see in television commercials, they can parallel park themselves. It is just a matter of time before fully autonomous cars hit the showroom. Auto safety officials and researchers say the move to autonomous vehicles will make driving safer and the world greener. Accidents would be greatly reduced, and traffic congestion would be relieved because many fender benders would be a thing of the past and cars could be tightly and safely packed on highways.
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That evolution is the latest in the century old auto business, where innovation has spread from the mechanics of a car to its computer electronics. The fast-moving evolution could change the way Americans think of their automobiles. The very idea of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a car that spends much of its time sitting in a driveway or parking space would be upended. The new technology will free people to work, read or otherwise occupy themselves as they glide down the road. Eventually, cars will become easier to share, as they ferry themselves from one appointment to the next. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has taken the first step toward this brave new future by requiring new automobiles to be equipped with sophisticated computers designed to communicate with other vehicles via radio-type technology, with the aim of preventing accidents and, eventually, guiding cars through traffic. Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx called the requirement a watershed moment in the nation’s transportation history — not unlike the launch of the interstate highway system in the
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1950s. He said connecting all of the nation’s vehicles could prevent some 5 million accidents a year and save 18,000 lives. The vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems create the ability for cars to communicate directly with cars around them using onboard computers and a portion of airwave bandwidth. Already, those systems are being field-tested in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Meanwhile, the autonomous car revolution is making steady progress elsewhere. Several states permit fully autonomous cars to be driven on their roads. Google’s fleet of autonomous vehicles have traveled more than a half-million miles without incident, although reports say the vehicles have struggled in heavy snow and rain. They also are said to have a difficult time parking themselves. Still, it is clear that this technology will soon be improved and then harnessed to change the nature of driving. Before the decade is out, Volvo, Tesla and Nissan say self-driving cars will be available in dealer showrooms. “We are on the cusp of some really transformational developments,” said James R. Sayer, a research scientist at the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute. “A lot of [autonomous vehicle] technology has been developed and is being developed, even though it has not all been put in commercially sold vehicles.” But while autonomous cars have great promise, they also pose difficult policy questions. Who is liable, the driver or the manufacturer, if autonomous vehicles have a crash? Who owns the trove of computer data the cars generate? Should a computer steer a car off the road if a tree limb falls in front of it? What about a toddler on a tricycle? In addition, the notion of manufacturer defects would become even scarier in vehicles that rely heavily on increasingly complex computer technology. In 2014, the auto industry had a record year for recalls. The Justice Department fined Toyota $1.2 billion for covering up a sudden-acceleration problem that has spawned hundreds of lawsuits. Meanwhile, General Motors is facing multiple federal investigations into an ignition switch defect that has contributed to more than 30 deaths. Also, potentially lethal problems with airbags made by Takata, a Japanese firm that manufactures at least one in five of the airbags installed in cars globally, is forcing the recall of tens of millions of vehicles. In the case of Toyota and GM, the problems turned out to be basic and mechanical. The airbag issue seems to relate to how extended exposure to humidity affects the propellant that deploys airbags. But federal safety investigations into the defects were complicated by the millions of lines of computer code and advanced electronics that are already standard equipment in most cars. Autonomous vehicles will be even more computerdependent and more complex. Still, the rate of innovation has been rapid and the march toward autonomous cars is in full stride. Just over a decade ago, a self-driving-car competition held by the Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency failed to produce a winner. Not a single entry was able to complete a 142-mile desert course between California and Nevada and claim the $1 million prize. But by 2007, a team of researchers from Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University tricked out a Chevrolet Tahoe with conspicuous sensors outside and advanced electronics inside. The SUV was able to follow traffic laws, merge into
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moving traffic, make its way through traffic circles and avoid other obstacles at a decommissioned Air Force base, proving that autonomous cars were more than a pipe dream. Overall, the vehicle drove 60 miles over a six-hour period on paved and unpaved roads. Six of the 125 teams that entered the competition completed the course. By 2009, Google was test-driving autonomous cars on busy roads. In 2013, speaking at a ceremony after the signing of a bill allowing the testing of autonomous cars on California highways, Google co-founder Sergey Brin said, “You can count on one hand the number of years until ordinary people can experience this.” Meanwhile, carmakers have stepped up the pace of research and have been hiring more computer engineers to help them. Some have set up laboratories in Silicon Valley intended to encourage collaboration with the region’s deep reservoir of technology entrepreneurs and quicken the pace at which the automobile is re-imagined. “The metabolic rate of what happens here is dramatically different than what happens everywhere else,” said Venkatesh Prasad, a senior technical leader with Ford Motor Co.’s innovation group in Palo Alto, California. Other work is being done in Michigan, the state where Henry Ford made the automobile a household item that transformed American life more than a century ago. In Ann Arbor, University of Michigan researchers have outfitted 3,000 cars with special sensors and wireless devices that allow them to exchange information with one another and with nodes mounted on traffic lights, at intersections and along curves on more than 70 miles of city streets. Ten times a second the cars and roadways “talk” to one another, relaying vehicles’ location, speed and direction, and alerting drivers if their cars are going too quickly around a curve or if another car is erratically changing lanes or braking. Researchers are combing through billions of messages passed through the network with the intention of creating a road system that would guide driverless cars from the garage to the grocery store and beyond. To complement that research, the University of Michigan is constructing a 30-acre facility that would serve as a test track for self-driving cars. The test area would allow engineers to see how autonomous cars perform in a complicated urban environment that includes street signs, stoplights — even construction detours. For consumers, the transformation of the automobile is likely to unfold in stages. Within the next decade, cars will be able to drive themselves, but people will still have the option to take over. After that, some engineers envision vehicles that have no controls for humans at all, leaving all of the driving to computers. “Features of automated self-driving cars will appear incrementally and organically, with vehicles eventually driving themselves. This will make the cars affordable and encourage public adoption,” said Raj Rajkumar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and co-director of the GM Collaborative Research Lab at Carnegie Mellon University. “In the not-sodistant future, self-driving cars will provide society with many benefits pertaining to safety and quality of life.”
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 65
CAREER OUTLOOK An in-depth look at a cutting-edge industry within STEM. We tell you where the jobs are, why you want them, and, most importantly, how you get them.
Spotlight on the BEYA STEM Conference
INSIDE 30 YEARS OF BEYA: RECRUITMENT RETENTION RECOGNITION
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CAREER OUTLOOK
Recruitment
BEYA STEM AWARDS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS IN 2016
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ext year, when the annual event reconvenes in Philadelphia, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards will celebrate 30 years of showcasing top talent in science, technology, engineering and math and providing students with pathways to lucrative technical careers. Over the past two decades, BEYA has put top diversity proponent minds together with major employers such as IBM Corporation, Booz Allen Hamilton, Raytheon Company, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, NASA, the National Security Agency and the U.S. Navy Recruiting Command to promote job opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Throughout the three-day event, students and professionals 68 USBE&IT I WINTER 2015
present panel discussions and events focusing on career development, diversity and science, technology, engineering and math education. More than 100 companies and organizations supporting the rise of young blacks into technical careers are on display at the BEYA Job Fair, one of several recruitment, retention and recognition events held at the conference. www.blackengineer.com
www.blackengineer.com
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 69
It takes the best and the brightest to
be L-3
L-3 is a top ten U.S. defense prime contractor, Fortune 250 company, and key provider of mission-critical technologies to military and commercial customers. But more than anything else, L-3 is its people. Every individual in our company brings a unique background, perspective and set of abilities. These differences improve our creativity, innovation, agility and execution. Diversity is a key part of our business strategy — and a big factor in our ongoing success. We have assignments in the U.S. and around the world in Engineering, Program Management, Business Development, Cybersecurity and more! Share your ideas and help us develop the game-changing technologies of the future. Learn more and apply at www.L-3jobs.com
L-3 Communications Corporation is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. L-3 provides equal employment opportunity for all persons, in all facets of employment. L-3 maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks. We encourage minorities, women, protected veterans, and disabled individuals to apply for any open position for which they feel they are qualified.
CAREER OUTLOOK
Retention
BEYA HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT HUB FOR THE GROWING RANKS OF BLACK ENGINEERS
I
n the mid-1980s, when BEYA was initiated, Black representation among the nation’s 1.6 million engineers was only two percent — 32,000 men and women. By the turn of the millennium, many baby boomers were heading towards retirement and there was a need for younger professionals to take their place in the workforce. “Demand for qualified STEM professionals has grown
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considerably in the past 25 years, and it will only continue to expand,” said Tyrone Taborn. “Our advancements come from intrepid engineers and technologists, from business executives bold enough to take chances.” And BEYA has become an important hub for these intrepid engineers and bold executives to connect with one another.
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USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 73
Without a heart, it’s just a machine. So in 1971, a little heart built a different kind of airline—one that made sure everyone could fly. Everyone has important places to go. So we invented low-fares to help them get there. To us, you’re not 1A or 17B. You’re a person with a name, like Steve. Here, we think everyone deserves to feel special, no matter where you sit or how much you fly. And with all the places we’re going next, we’ll always put you first,because our love of People is still our most powerful fuel. Some say we do things differently. We say, why would we do things any other way? Without a heart, it’s just a machine. Southwest is the official airline of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards. © 2015 Southwest Airlines Co.
CAREER OUTLOOK
Recognition
BEYA HONOREES ENERGIZE THEIR COMPANIES AND COMMUNITIES ALIKE
T
he Black Engineer of the Year Award, along with others presented during the ceremony on Saturday, recognizes “true pioneers who have achieved exceptional career gains in government and industry, who have already merited lifetime achievement recognition, and who have energized their companies and their communities alike.” BEYA’s top award is the Black Engineer of the Year. Twenty other category award winners are also recognized for innovation, career advancement and diversity programs. BEYA brings close involvement of corporate officers with HBCU deans and students. The HBCU Engineering Dean’s Roundtable has fostered cooperation between hiring officers and even a new industry-academic partnership: AMIE (Advancing
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Minorities Interest in Engineering). Scholarships, internships, donation of laboratory equipment and loans of professionals for faculty positions have all come out of the connection. BEYA is the brainchild of Career Communications Group CEO Tyrone Taborn, who also publishes a number of diversity titles including US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine. “Tyrone’s vision is inextricably linked to democracy and America’s economic system, and our responsibility to it is realized not just for black America, Hispanic America or Native America but for America,” Ted Childs said. BEYA’s first event was held February 1987 at Morgan State University in Baltimore.
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 75
CAREER OUTLOOK
“The timing of the event was not accidental,” said Eugene M. DeLoatch, veteran dean of the School of Engineering at Morgan State and longtime chairman of the Council of Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “It was planned to coincide with observance of National Engineers Week and to serve historically as a fitting tribute to
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those close to Black History Month.” The rest, as they say, is history. Top defense contractor, Lockheed Martin Corporation, has co-hosted BEYA for more than a decade, and corporate attendance reaches to the executive levels of management.
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CAREER OUTLOOK
Visibility
ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING BEYA
H
ere is a list of organizations of which many will be on hand to work with you during this exciting and promising weekend. Whether your goal is an internship, full-time job, or an advanced degree, visit the website for 2015 list. These organizations have been partners with Career Communications Group over its 29 years of connecting students, employers, corporations, and government and education institutions: COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS 3M Company Abbott Laboratories Abercrombie & Fitch Accenture Aerotek , Inc. Air Force Recruiting Service Air Force Research Laboratories Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) American Chemical Society AMIE Amtrak AT&T Corporation BAE Systems Black & Veatch Booz Allen Hamilton Boston Scientific BP America CA Technologies CACI International Inc Cardinal Health, Inc. Caterpillar, Inc. Central Intelligence Agency CH2M Hill Companies, Ltd. Chrysler Group LLC Cisco Systems, Inc. Comcast Corporation ConAgra Foods, Inc. Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Corning Incorporated Dayton Power & Light Defense Information Systems Agency Delphi Corporation Department of Business & Economic Development Department of Defense Department of Homeland Security Department of Veterans Affairs Diageo DLA Piper EMC Corporation Ensco Exelis Exelon Corporation Federal Aviation Authority Federal Express GE Healthcare General Dynamics Corporation General Motors Company GlaxoSmithKline PLC Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Harris Corporation Huntington Ingalls Industries Honeywell International Inc. Intel Corporation Intelligent Decisions International Business Machines Corp. www.blackengineer.com
ITT Corporation Jackson & Tull Chartered Engineers Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Johns Hopkins University - Medicine L-3 Communications L’Oreal USA Leggett & Platt Lockheed Martin Corporation Los Alamos National Laboratory Lowe’s Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. Medtronic, Inc. Merck & Company, Inc. Microsoft Missile Defense Agency NASA Glenn Research Center National Guard Bureau National Institute of Technology National Radio Astronomy Observatory National Science Foundation National Security Agency Natural Resources Conservation Services NAVAIR Naval Research Laboratory NAVFAC - Naval Facilities Eng. Command NAVSEA Nielsen Media Research, Inc. NIST - National Institute of Standards Technology Noblis Northrop Grumman Corporation Novartis Corporation OCLC On Line Computer Library Center Office of Naval Research Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. Penn State Applied Research Lab Pfizer Inc Pitney Bowes Inc. PNC Bank Precision Castparts Corp. Raytheon Company RR Donnelley SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) SENTEL Corporation Siemens Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Snap-on Incorporated Sodexo USA Southwest Airlines Co. SRI International T Rowe Price T-Mobile Texas Instruments Incorporated The Aerospace Corporation The Applied Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania The Boeing Company
The Dow Chemical Company The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab The MITRE Corporation Turner Broadcasting System U.S. Air Force U.S. Army U.S. Army - CECOM / C4ISR U.S. Army RDECOM U.S. Army ROTC U.S. Coast Guard U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Marine Corps U.S. National Guard U.S. Navy U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Postal Service USAA USACE - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Verizon Walmart Stores, Inc. World Wide Technology, Inc. Xerox Innovation Group / XRCW ACADEMIC Baltimore City Community College Capitol College Columbia University in the City of New York Coppin State University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Florida A&M University Hampton University Howard University MIT Monmouth University Morgan State University Norfolk State University North Carolina A&T State University Prairie View A&M University Purdue University Southern University Tennessee State University Tuskegee University U.S. Naval Academy University of California Davis University of DC University of Florida University of Maryland Baltimore County University of Maryland College Park University Of Maryland University College University of MD School of Pharmacy University of Michigan University of Rochester University of Southern California Virginia State University
USBE&IT I WINTER 2015 77
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VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE N O O R D I N A RY C O L L EG E . N O O R D I N A RY L I F E .
Mechanical engineering major Edward Ross ’14 and his academic adviser Maj. Joyce Blandino tested the materials, structure, and design of athletic shoes to see which offer the best protection and why.
Don’t do ordinary. Science • Technology • Engineering • Math • Liberal Arts Small Class Sizes • Civilian and Military Career Paths For quality of education, affordability, and post-graduation outcome, VMI ranks 18th out of the 665 schools in Money magazine’s 2014 Best Colleges.
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FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY-FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Two Universities, One College, Twice the Opportunities
2015 BEYA College-Level Promotion of Education Award Recipient
–Emmanuel Collins, Professor and Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering was established as a joint program serving two universities in
Tallahassee, Florida: Florida A&M University and Florida State University. We look forward to sharing with you how we capitalize on our strength in diversity of people, ideas and engineering solutions, as we take advantage of “twice the opportunties” our uniqueness provides.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.ENG.FSU.EDU/ABOUT
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Discover New Jersey Institute of Technology A Top National University - U.S. News & World Report
• A leader in STEM and Design with a multidisciplinary, technology-focused curriculum • Over 125 undergraduate, master's and doctoral degree programs
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• Best College Value Nationally • Ranked 8th among public colleges and universities for return on investment - PayScale
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AfricAn AmericAn engineers At the bAccAlAureAte level
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rAnks north cArolinA AgriculturAl And technicAl stAte university Among the top 10 hbcus in the nAtion for 2015
north carolina Agricultural and technical state university college of engineering
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
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Bioengineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computational Science and Engineering Computer Science Electrical Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering
doctor of Philosophy (Phd)
Computational Science and Engineering Computer Science Electrical Engineering Industrial and Systems Engineering Mechanical Engineering
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Allyson
Mechanical Engineering major Augusta, GA
“When I was looking for a school, I wanted to find an illustrious university that would provide me with exceptional opportunities. Being that Tuskegee University College of Engineering produces over 75% of African-American engineers in the United States, I knew I could find support and success here. Also, my local alumni and current students had such a love and passion for Tuskegee I had to experience it for myself.”
College of Engineering
Aerospace Science Engineering | Chemical Engineering Electrical Engineering | Materials Science & Engineering Mechanical Engineering | Military Science
800.622.6531 | 334-727-8355 lburge@mytu.tuskegee.edu | www.tuskegee.edu
Tuskegee University is accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s, doctorate, and professional degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Tuskegee University.
WHERE THE EXCEPTIONAL IS THE RULE
N
ationally recognized for linking excellence and diversity and increasing the number of minorities and women entering science and
technology fields, UMBC creates an environment where high-achieving minority students are no exception. The National Science Foundation cites UMBC as one of the leading sources of African-American undergraduates who go on to earn doctorates in the sciences and engineering. And we’ve twice received U.S. Presidential Awards for Science, Technology, and Engineering Mentoring. UMBC is proud of our role in seeding the next generation of STEM leaders. Nearly a thousand of our under-represented minority students who have earned master’s and Ph.D.s in STEM fields are finding success across the country in federal agencies, on university faculties, in a wide range of companies, and as entrepreneurs.
FOR INFORMATION ON: GRADUATE EDUCATION umbc.edu/gradschool
DIVERSE FACULTY umbc.edu/facultydiversity
DIVERSE STEM STUDENTS umbc.edu/meyerhoff
U.S. Missile Defense Agency
I T TA K E S A D I V E R S E W O R K F O R C E TO PROTECT A DIVERSE WORLD.
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At MDA, we maximize individual strengths for the good of our mission. That mission could be yours — developing, testing and fielding a comprehensive, multi-layered ballistic missile defense system. Protect our homeland, deployed troops, allies and friends worldwide. Valuing the opinions and ideas of every member of our team is at the core of our commitment to diversity. Your experiences and perspectives can be incredible assets to the technological challenge we face. Start a cutting-edge career working with the most dedicated scientists, engineers, IT leaders, acquisition and program management professionals at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. You’ll get excellent compensation, unparalleled benefits and the satisfying lifestyle available in the Tennessee Valley. Set your sights on a future with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Learn more at MDAcareers.com Missile Defense Agency is an Equal Opportunity Employer. U.S. Citizenship required.
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Want to use your technical skills to streng then the nation’s securit y? Improve the nation’s air traffic system? Help government ser ve the American people bet ter? Or engineer advanced communications for our milit ar y and intelligence communit y? If you’re a student with a strong technical background, whether just st ar ting your studies or about to graduate, MITRE might have just the oppor tunit y for you.
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Visionary leadership AT&T salutes the men and women who lead the way by always seeing beyond tomorrow — in leadership and in life. We’re proud to support BEYA and congratulate the honorees of the 29th BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference.
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