2016 US Black Engineer & Information Technology | DIVERSITY CAREERS - VOL. 40, NO. 3

USBE & IT Magazine Celebrates 40 Years of Promoting STEM Jobs

40

Meet the

KING OF

BLING Ralph V. Gilles

TIPS

& Advice for Career Success in Professional Development

Head of Design, FCA - Global, FCA US LLC

MAKING A Difference in STEM:

Moore & Moore

Call me

MISTER Carter USBE&IT Diversity Careers 2016 www.blackengineer.com

Sexiest Job The

of the 21st Century m Uncle SOaU for WantseYrican Am curity Cyberse

CONTEN US BLACK ENGINEER & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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

BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

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Publisher’s Page COVER STORY

28

DO NOT DELETE

Meet the “King of Bling” How FCA Car Designer Ralph Gilles Rose to Automotive Royalty FEATURES

16 Americas Most Admired Employers CCG's survey names STEM organizations as the most admired employers in 2016.

20

Uncle Sam Wants YOU for American Cybersecurity The demand for American cyber security experts is at an all-time high.

32 Making a Difference in STEM: Moore & Moore A husband and wife promote STEM education via public private partnerships.

2 USBE&IT | SPRING 2016

Ralph V. Gilles

Head of Design, FCA - Global FCA US LLCx

www.blackengineer.com

TS Vo l u m e 4 0 N u m b e r 3 PROFILES IN INNOVATION

People and Events........................... 6 STEM People on the Move

One on One....................................10 The 2016 Baltimore Teacher of the Year teaches 8th-grade science and cofounded the My Brother’s Keeper Mentoring Program at Old Court Middle School.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

Career Voices................................. 12 Here's Looking at You, In a Data Science and Analytics Career.

Corporate Life................................14 Tips and Advice for Career Success in Professional Development.

EDUCATION

PUBLISHER’S PAGE An Engineering Icon

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lack Engineer magazine is pleased to present our back to school issue, marking 40 years of promoting real life tips for success. From getting good grades and internships to building a career, there’s always something new to learn.

Our Career Outlook section features USBE’s iconic covers. All of the issues can be viewed online.

This latest issue also takes a look at how internships have helped students, a teacher who is making a difference in STEM, and a husband and wife team who are broadening participation.

Dr. Victor McCrary, VP for R&D at Morgan State University (MSU) sheds light on the recent Vice Presidents for Research Forum in the Education department. Recently, he rolled out a $500K internship program run by Johns Hopkins (JHU) and MSU. Before Morgan, he developed investment at JHU and funded $60M in autonomous systems.

As more and more data requires deep security, Kevin T. Kornegay, also a MSU professor, comments on the demand for information security professionals. Dr. Kornegay is the Internet of Things (IoT) Security Chair in the ECE department.

Our Career Voices features a data scientist in a hot rod job he was drawn to early on. GE’s Brett Matthews now provides IoT solutions for aviation, healthcare, energy, and transportation. Automotive exec Ralph Gilles also discovered his creativity when he was very young. “There’s a huge artistic element to it,” Gilles said of car design. “We don’t talk about the ‘STEAM’ part of STEM enough.”

Check out what skills you need to create beautiful, meaningful and inspiring cars that rival the best out there.

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Editorial Director

Education......................................22 Dr. Victor McCrary Sheds Light on the Vice Presidents for Research Executive Forum.

First Steps.....................................26 Former students talk about how their internships prepared them for the career they are in now.

CAREER OUTLOOK

Special Anniversary Issue...............35  Four Decades of Promoting Opportunities in STEM  USBE Timeline 1976–2016  US Black Engineer’s Top Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years www.blackengineer.com

GOINGFULL STRONG

STEM February 9-11, 2017 AHEAD

BEYA STEM Conference Washignton Marriott Wardman Park / Washington, DC

www.beya.org

GOING STRONG

For more information, call us at 410-244-7101 years

GOING STRONG

GOING STRONG

USBE&IT | SPRING 2016 3

SAVE THE DATE FEBRUARY 29

9–11, 2017 WASHINGTON, DC

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

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

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

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E ric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and Training Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations Kerry Buffington, Detroit Business Development Manager Matt Bowman, Veterans Affairs Angela Wheeler, Manager, Foundation for Educational Development Courtney Taborn, Recruitment Specialist Ty Taborn, Corporate Development Imani Carter, Corporate Communications Specialist SALES AND MARKETING

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Hawi Sorsu, Admin Support CONFERENCE AND EVENTS

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Career Communications Group, Inc. 729 E. Pratt Street, Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 244-7101 / Fax: (410) 752-1834

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WWW.BEYA.ORG

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) 2016

by Career Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Like us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BlackEngineer-of-the-Year-STEM-Awards-Conference/91782826084?fref=ts Follow us on Twitter: @BlackEngineer

PROFILES IN INNOVATION

PEOPLE AND EVENTS

A HISTORIC APPOINTMENT FOR 2015 BEYA STUDENT LEADERSHIP WINNER

Compiled by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

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r. Marvin D. Carr joined the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as the new STEM and Community Engagement Advisor this May. The IMLS agency is the primary source of federal support for America’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Dr. Carr joins IMLS as it works to pull together best practices through the STEM Expert Facilitation of Family Learning in Libraries and Museums, or STEMeX. STEMeX will provide grants up to $1 million for projects and address challenges faced by museums and libraries. Previously, he served as policy advisor for STEM Education, Innovation, and Diversity to Megan Smith, chief technology officer in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Before that, Carr worked with the schools and government in Baltimore to implement STEM training for inner-city youth and their parents. A Detroit native, Dr. Carr has worked to support access to STEM for all Americans. Part of his work involved community engagement to enhance innovation in the White House’s STEM policies and President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, which promotes opportunity for all young people. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Morgan State University, a master’s in systems engineering from University of Maryland Baltimore County, and a doctorate in electrical engineering from Morgan State. S

Dr. Marvin D. Carr

STEPHANIE G. ADAMS, THE NEW ENGINEERING DEAN AT OLD DOMINION

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tephanie G. Adams is the new engineering dean at Old Dominion University, the first African-American woman to ever serve as dean of the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology. Dr. Adams is a leader in the advancement of all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Adams earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at North Carolina A&T in 1988 and a master's degree in systems engineering from University of Virginia in 1991. She received a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary engineering from Texas A&M University in 1998. She has worked with colleges and universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations in graduate education, mentoring, faculty development, and diversifying STEM. A few examples include the University of Michigan, North 6 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

Carolina State University, NASA Must Program, and the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. She is a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education. A year ago, Dr. Adams started a professional development fund with a $25,000 five-year pledge. The fund aims to bring John T. Molloy’s New Dress for Success book to life with a focus on clothing in business and “power dressing.” In 2012, Dr. Adams got a buy-in from A&T Engineering Dean Robin Coger for a new class that is now taught at A&T and Virginia Tech. The Global Engineering Practice Leadership Culture Course culminates in the spring semester with the Rising Sophomore Abroad Program, or RSAP, which takes students to visit car manufacturing sites like Audi and Lamborghini and historical sites such as the Castle Heidelberg in Germany, Italy, and France. S

Stephanie Adams

www.blackengineer.com

2016 MATH AND SCIENCE SCHOLARS NAMED IN URBAN SCHOOLS

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our high school seniors were selected by the Council of the Great City Schools to receive the 2016 ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarship. They were chosen from several hundred applicants for their academic performance, leadership qualities, and community involvement. Each Michael Benben Francesca Rafaella Dupuy Eillen Daniela Martinez Dalan Omar Smallwood Broward County Broward County Orange County Hillsborough County scholar will receive $5,000 Public Schools Public Schools Public Schools Public District for continued education in a STEM-related field.

This year’s award winners are: ing. Dupuy will be studying environmental engineering at the Michael Benben, Western High School, Broward County University of Florida. Martinez hopes to become a doctor and (Florida) Public Schools will attend Johns Hopkins University, while Smallwood, who Francesca Rafaella Dupuy, Cooper City High School, will study biophysics and also has aspirations to be a physician, Broward County (Florida) Public Schools will attend the University of North Carolina. Now in its seventh Eillen Daniela Martinez, Timber Creek High School, year, the scholarship was created by former NASA astronaut Dr. Orange County (Florida) Public Schools Bernard Harris Jr., the first African-American to walk in space, Dalan Omar Smallwood, Strawberry Crest High School, and ExxonMobil to encourage and assist promising students of Hillsborough County (Florida) School District diverse backgrounds who plan to pursue science, technology, The awards are given annually to African-American and engineering, and math (STEM) studies after high school. The Hispanic seniors from high schools in the 70 urban school Council of the Great City Schools, which is celebrating its 60th districts represented by the Council of the Great City Schools. anniversary this year, is the only national organization excluIn the fall, Benben plans to attend the Georgia Institute of sively representing the needs of urban public schools. S Technology and aspires to major in mechanical engineer-

GET HIRED ON THE SPOT AT THE BEYA STEM JOB FAIR

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lisha Frazier, a junior electrical engineering student at Jackson State University, met a company CEO at the 30th BEYA STEM Conference in February and landed a job. “[It was my] first time ever going to BEYA and my first exposure to Northrop Grumman, a Fortune 500 company,” Frazier said of the experience. On campus, Frazier is not only a president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) but he also assisted in the coordination of the 2016 National Engineering Week events. IEEE fosters innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity, and National Engineers Week is observed by more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies as well as over 50 government agencies and corporations such as Northrop Grumman, a global aerospace and defense technology company. “Great story,” the Hampton University dean of the School of Engineering and Technology said in an e-mail.

Northrop Grumman’s hiring of Elisha Frazier is “an answer to all those who say they don’t know where to find diverse talent,” Dr. Eric Sheppard added.

“The kind that would impress a CEO.” S

Elisha Frazier

www.blackengineer.com

BEYA STEM Conference | February 9-11, 2017 | www.beya.org FALL 2016 I USBE&IT 7

w o r r o m o T g n i s h l c o a o e h T c S n a c i r e m A in ONE ON ONE

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

H

Lessons Learned by a Successful Teacher

istorically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have supplied many of the nation’s African-American teachers for more than a hundred years.

Now as the high cost of college drives graduates to more lucrative careers in technology and engineering companies many schools have difficulty attracting high-performing Black men.

In the fall of 2015, public school systems employed about 3.1 million full-time teachers. But the data also shows that only 9.3 percent of elementary and middle school teachers are Black.

Meet Corey Carter, a seven-year educator, who teaches the health–science magnet course at Northwest Academy of Health Sciences (formerly Old Court Middle School) and co-founded the My Brother’s Keeper Mentoring Program at NAHS. Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. S. Dallas Dance named Carter 2016-17 Baltimore County Teacher of the Year during a ceremony held in April at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson.

Growing up in Silver Spring, MD, Carter always liked biology and saw a doctorate in life science research in his future. Others saw his potential and motivation to be effective in the classroom.

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While in high school, Carter landed a summer job at a small enrichment tutoring company. He was so good at teaching mathematics that he served as a teacher intern for two years.

As Carter worked on the preset online curriculum, he would take questions from his K-8 students.

“What really stuck out was when you could relate [the curriculum] back to them, take away some of their trepidation looking at these numbers and symbols and relate it to real life,” he said.

Carter enjoyed helping students struggling with math— removing the mental blocks and barriers in order to improve mathematics achievement.

Midway through his senior year, young Carter went on a few college tours with an aunt and talked about college applications. About the same time he was visiting local campuses, his father introduced him to a new neighbor, who just happened to be director of the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at University of Maryland Baltimore County.

The UMBC Meyerhoff program is at the forefront of efforts to increase diversity among graduates pursuing graduate and professional degrees in STEM fields. www.blackengineer.com

“There are amazing, impactful people in the Meyerhoff program,” Carter said.

“Somehow I felt I had to live up to that with prestigious Ph.D. research. I never really looked at teaching.”

However, Carter’s college sweetheart, now his wife, encouraged him to embrace his natural gifts and talent.

“You’ve been tutoring since high school,” he recalls her saying, but teaching wasn’t something he thought he could do as a full-time career.

A few pivotal experiences would change his mind, and he began transitioning his college studies to prepare for a career in education. After earning a bachelor’s degree in science at UMBC, Carter transitioned to a Master of Arts in education, secondary science, also from UMBC. Then he started his career in Baltimore City, promoting high achievement in urban schools. That experience opened his eyes to new challenges and solutions.

“Kids now have to learn things faster than anybody else that criticizes them,” he said. “Everything is instant and personalized these days, so I have to make the relevance to their lives, and kids need to see my urgency in recognizing and celebrating them before they’re going to listen to anything I have to say.”

Carter is a passionate teacher, committed to good science teaching. But he also uses every opportunity to make the job look good as a career with prestige for high performers.

He tells young people that when they think of career paths to science, technology, or engineering, teaching should be at the top of the list.

With 40 percent minority students www.blackengineer.com

“Kids now have to learn things faster than anybody else that criticizes them,” he said. “Everything is instant and personalized these days, so I have to make the relevance to their lives, and kids need to see my urgency in recognizing and celebrating them before they’re going to listen to anything I have to say.”

—Corey Carter Educator, Nortjwest Academy of Health Sciences

and 5 percent minority teachers predicted for early in the next century, a critical shortage of education workers and role models may be at hand, according to the National Education Association (NEA).

The NEA wants to encourage more minorities to teach so people of color have more representation in education.

It’s one thing to attract highachieving candidates to the teaching field, but Carter feels more can be done to help those with the highest potential for success in the classroom.

CARTER HAS SEVEN TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS:

1. Honor the profession.

Many athletes say, “If you love the game, it will love you back,” and the same is true for teaching. Get to know your students. This is not a one-time activity— they have fears, aspirations, talents, cultures, and learning styles. Also get to know yourself. You should be the expert of your own expertise so you can model it, plan accordingly, and build on your strengths.

2. Find someone with experience that you can trust. Find a dedicated mentor.

“That’s vital because when we look at careers like doctors, they get matched as part of their educational process.

Teachers should also start their career with an experienced professional who cares about their success,” Carter urges.

“Everyday teachers are dealing with the most important resource that [America] has.”

3. C hoose your own way to document your journey.

“Journaling, conversations with other people, [and] poetry” are all important exercises for professional, mental, and spiritual enrichment, Carter said. “You have to find a way to decompress.”

4. Be realistic with yourself.

“There’s a lot of dangerous rhetoric out there,” Carter said. “The true strength of being a teacher is having the tools to meet changes day to day, year to year. It’s okay to have lofty goals, but that’s where a strong mentor and journaling come in.”

5. Don’t hold back.

“If you love cars or collages, find a way to make it part of your teaching,” Carter says. “Don’t hold back your talent.” Students are drawn to passionate people, and they remember when something is meaningful.

6. Use every day as a new opportunity.

This could mean you build on yesterday’s success or you learn from yesterday’s challenges. There is no such thing as permanent failure, and this should be modeled for the kids through their teachers every day.

7. Find a way to give back.

Listen to your peers, and share resources. When educators share successful methods with their colleagues, the outcome always benefits student learning. S

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS CAREER VOICES

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, IN A DATA SCIENCE AND ANALYTICS CAREER

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by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

eveloping industrial machines and devices that touch people’s lives are all in a day’s work for Brett Matthews and his team.

They make technology that powers planes and trains and provides power for large and small grids all over the world. The technology they create also allows them to make their devices more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

“Our business partners usually come to us with some technical problem they’d like to solve,” Brett explains.

Those technical problems include increasing operational efficiency or safety, reducing costs or harmful emissions, or detecting or preventing mechanical failures.

“These machines are equipped with many sensors: pressure transducers, vibration and acoustic sensors, arterial blood pressure,” he adds.

Brett says his job is to use his professional background in digital signal processing, machine learning, and statistical pattern recognition to make machines smarter.

How Does He Do That?

“I develop and apply digital signal processing and machine learning methods, which we call ‘analytics,’ on these signals to solve our businesses’ problems," Brett says.

“My work usually involves getting large volumes of data from our business partners, conceiving mathematical and technical solutions, building those solutions in code, evaluating the solutions on data, and refining and improving,” he adds. “I typically write code in data-analysis languages such as Matlab, Python, C/C++, and a few other languages.”

GE makes many types of machines. They run from large, jumbo-sized jet engines to locomotives, enormous wind turbines with Brett Matthews blades more than the length of a football field, Lead Research Engineer and heart monitoring devices about the size of a GE pack of chewing gum or a USB memory stick.

Brett is a lead research engineer. He is one of the many scientists and engineers in the Software, Sciences, and Analytics division of GE’s Global Research Center, which comes up with advanced solutions to serve the needs of GE's business units in aviation, healthcare, energy, and transportation.

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Some examples of data science areas: 1. Statistical signal processing 2. Machine learning 3. Applied statistics 4. Operations research 5. Mathematics or statistical natural language processing

www.blackengineer.com

How Can You Prepare for His Job?

“In terms of education, I have a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science, and a Ph.D., all in electrical and computer engineering,” Brett says.

“Someone looking to do this job should have a background doing research in some data science-related area,” he advises.

“Often people in related fields, like physics, have skills that apply here as well,” he adds.

Brett says he gets to work on important, challenging projects with very smart people every day. He also gets to be at the cutting edge of technology in GE Digital and learn lots of new things all the time.

“My job at the research center is actually the dream job that I didn’t know existed,” he said.

As he was nearing the end of his Ph.D. program and seeking jobs, most opportunities he saw for someone with his background were in academia, government defense labs, or Wall Street, Brett recalled.

“Ideally, I wanted a job where I could do state-of-the-art research in machine learning and signal processing but also apply it to real problems and have the freedom to try new things. I really didn’t know such a job existed, and that’s exactly what this job turned out to be,” he said.

Do as Many Internships as You Can

Brett joined GE after finishing his Ph.D. program about four years ago. It was his first full-time position, but he had chalked up 10 internships at five different companies as an undergrad and a grad student.

“My 10 internships were at the following companies: Lucent Technologies (1), Sikorsky Aircraft (2), Texas Instruments (3), IBM TJ Watson Research Center (3), and MIT Lincoln Labs (1),” he explained.

“I strongly recommend taking as many internships as you can,” he says.

1 2

I was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1978 and raised there. I have one older brother.

I attended Brooklyn Technical High School and graduated in 1996. I graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, with a B.S. in computer and systems engineering in 2001 and then went on to Georgia Institute of Technology to earn an M.S. in 2003 and a Ph.D. in 2012, both in electrical and computer engineering.

3

I got involved in Internet of Things (IoT) work mainly through my current job at GE Global Research. Although I was

www.blackengineer.com

“You gain experience in a working environment while you are still in school, which looks good to employers when you start your full-time [ job] search.”

Over four years at GE Global Research, Brett says he has learned a lot about internal combustion engines, gas compressors, locomotives, wind turbines, and even arterial blood pressure and heart arrhythmias.

“I’ve also learned about the business value of all of these things and how to manage projects,” he said.

Most of the people who work at GE’s Global Research Center have Ph.D.s, but many others come through the Edison program, which requires a master’s degree at the entry level.

The GE Edison Engineering Development Program is a two- to three-year early career program consisting of three or more rotational assignments. Participants have the opportunity to earn credit towards an M.S. degree in engineering or other real-world application technologies. You’ll receive education and mentorship from the top minds in your field while working on high-profile projects driven by real GE business priorities.

“I think it is very important to be a mentor and to have mentors in our careers as well,” Brett says.

“I actively participate in GE’s African-American Forum (AAF), which is an affinity group for African-American employees at GE. AAF gives me the opportunity to meet other GE employees, who have become mentors to me, and to mentor students at universities through recruiting. While it can be difficult to find time, meeting with someone for a couple of hours or so, monthly or quarterly, is definitely manageable,” he recommends.

Brett’s job requires a lot of work, and he says frustrating setbacks happen all the time.

Would he do anything different?

“Overcoming these challenges is a big part of the fun, so it all balances out,” he says. S

TAKE SIX always interested in signal processing and machine learning, my job at GE involves working on many machines, which benefit from remote monitoring and diagnostics, a natural problem for IoT work and research.

4

I love programming in Matlab, C/C++, Python, and other languages. I would love to have either many monitors or a smaller number of very large monitors for my computer.

5

In life, I am inspired by my family, my fiancée, and my friends. I am also inspired by people who have overcome challenges and people who help others without the need for recognition or reward. In my work, I am inspired by many of the same things but also when the work I am doing is fun and challenging and when I get to work with good people.

6

Try to anticipate all of your customers’ needs, even those that are unspoken and those haven’t yet come about. Be organized. Write everything down.

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BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS CORPORATE LIFE

I WANT TO BE

by Denise Stephens editors@ccgmag.com

SUCCESSFUL

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nowing yourself is the key to success, because success is personal. You are more effective when you know who you are and what is important to you and then act accordingly.

This is the one point that ran through all the advice given at a recent US Black Engineer’s panel on success.

Dr. Kendy Hall, a physicist at Raytheon, stated, “Know your strengths and your weaknesses. The power of that is, if you understand your weakness, you understand who you need to surround yourself [with], so it allows you to be better.”

You know what you have to offer and where you can create value for others because of your strengths. “It’s a mutual respect and mutual sharing of knowledge,” said Hall, that can only occur when you are confident enough to acknowledge your weaknesses.

In addition to knowing yourself, the panelist agreed that respect, being a leader, mentors, and sacrifice were very important factors to achieving success.

On the topic of respect, Dana Keefer, vice president of talent management at Northrop Grumman, warns, “It takes years to build up respect but seconds to lose it.”

The way to gain respect is to be self-confident. People trust and are attracted to people who are confident but also show humility. Remember the saying that even the greatest master was once a disaster, be patient with people who aren’t on your level, share your knowledge, and be respectful. Also honor all your commitments: deadlines, meetings, and offers to help co-workers. And if you can’t honor a commitment, let your supervisor, co-workers, or clients know as early as possible.

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www.blackengineer.com

Once you gain respect, you need to maintain it. You need to be consistent and to continue doing the things that earned you respect. Two things to avoid at all costs are engaging in workplace gossip or being unprofessional at work functions.

Leadership is important too. “When you contribute to the success of others, you become empowered yourself,” stated Kim Ikemia Arrington, CEO of Courageant Consulting. You become empowered by displaying your strength and creating value for someone else.

Arrington also stated, “You can be a leader from any level. There is an opportunity in any situation to show up and do what you need to do. You never know who is watching you.”

Keefer agrees. “Everything you do as a leader is being watched. It’s being watched by your organization; it’s being watched by your peers, by the people that report to you, the people you report to… it’s what we do and say every single day.

It is the difference between OK leaders, good leaders, and amazing leaders.”

Keefer also discussed the role of knowing yourself in leadership.

“Authentic leadership is a root construct.

It goes back to who you are, your life, your experiences, your family, your challenges.” It is natural and good to emulate other leaders, but be careful

www.blackengineer.com

not to forget who you are. If you do, “it doesn’t come across as real and authentic,” says Keefer. “The key to being a leader is having people follow you. If they don’t trust you, they won’t follow you,” continued Keefer.

Mentoring is also another important component for success. “No matter where you are in your career, mentors are important,” says Hall. Mentors are useful because they see things from a different perspective and can guide you along the path. Keefer adds, “Mentors can be the key to unlocking rules.” It is useful to have a “broad network at different places and levels of the organization.”

It is also important to mentor others. Hall says, “When you share, you create more.”

On the journey to success, there will be sacrifices and hard decisions, so having a clear idea of who you are and what you want will be invaluable. You can make decisions that are in line with your values and long-term goals instead of what is easy or seems right under the pressures of the moment.

Sacrifice is often discussed in relation to work–life balance. Keefer, no stranger to work–life conflicts, stated, “I have never achieved balance. I have made some horrible decisions to spend more time at work than with my family. The reality is that’s why I’m in the position

I’m in today. I’m not proud of some of those decisions.”

At Northrop Grumman, they provide programs that help employees make work–life choices by prioritizing—programs Keefer wishes were available to her when she was moving up in her career.

Arrington and Hall have also had to make similar choices.

In Arrington’s case, she had a clear picture of what success was to her. It gave her the courage to turn down a job that wasn’t in line with her view of success and to start her own business instead.

Hall left academia and went to work for a company that values work– life balance. He also states that because he loves what he does, it doesn’t feel like work.

Briefly, know who you are. This is the basis for everything related to success. It allows you to define what success means to you and makes it easier to act with integrity because you know what you value. You gain respect and trust when you act with integrity.

People will follow you when they respect and trust you. Acknowledge your weaknesses, and learn from others. Pay it forward by helping someone else in return. And there is no success without work and sacrifice. S

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2016

AMERICA'S

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com and Imani Carter editors@ccgmag.com

MOST ADMIRED EMPLOYERS hich employers do STEM students and professionals admire the most? What

companies do they want to work for? How about government agencies, research, and public educational institutions? Who provides the best opportunities for college graduates and earlycareer professionals? Where are the summer destination points of choice for internships?

Career Communications Group America’s Most Admired Employers survey has all the answers and the more.

The profile of respondents to Career Communications Group (CCG) surveys hasn’t changed much since 16 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

CCG’s “Power Hitters in Technology and Business,” which evolved into the Most Admired Employers Survey in the early 2000’s.

Respondents are the people creating the technology and ensuring the pathway to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers is open to all Americans, regardless of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, or origin.

Based on the demographic questions asked, CCG’s Most Admired Employers survey respondents are Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and Millennial.

The profile of CCG magazine readers who respond fit a representative sample of STEM professionals and students on gender, age, race/ethnicity, discipline/ field, sectors, industries, and professional organizations.

The 2016 Most Admired Employers survey reached a similar share of professionals and students as in 2003, 2005 and 2011.

• More than 93 percent have attended BEYA/WOC events or similar STEMfocused conferences.

• They represent more than 60 professional organizations, including NSBE, SHPE, IEEE, ASME, AAAS

and others.

• About half attended historically

Black colleges and universities (42 percent) with more than 33 percent alumni of non-minority institutions and the rest Hispanic-serving and other minority institutions.

• Forty-two percent have a bachelor’s degree.

• More than 25 percent had pursued master’s degrees and professional development opportunities, or earned a Ph.D. • Of those without an advanced degree, 48 percent plan to pursue one.

Minority educational institutions are the baccalaureate college of origin.

In 2005, some 46 percent of engineers who responded participated in pre-college engineering or science programs. Six years later, pre-college programs continued to be popular.

Based on 2016 survey results, participation in pre-college engineering, science or similar programs among professionals rose, up 20 percent from 46 percent in 2011. Engineering program rates were similar for students as well as professionals (54 percent), although www.blackengineer.com

slightly more students said they took part in science programs (20 percent vs. 15 percent).

Only 12 percent rated diversity in the workplace as somewhat important.

The number saying diversity was important was comparable—87 percent in 2011 and 87.8 percent in 2016.

In general, the percentage that said diversity was important in the workplace was comparable to those engaged in various STEM experiential learning activities.

However, there was a noticeable downturn in the numbers of people who worked as interns.

Most Admired Employers (in ranking order) The Boeing Company Northrop Grumman Corporation Google Inc. GE Lockheed Martin Corp.

Raytheon NASA BMW Amazon J&J Siemens Southwest Aerospace Corporation SpaceX General Motors Toyota FCA Honda Intel DTE Energy Exelon Georgia Pacific Goldman Sachs UTC-Carrier Collierville GORE Zf TRW Automotive Walt Disney Walgreens CIA FBI Hilton Hotel Starbucks Macy’s Maryland-National Capitol Park and Planning Target National Institutes of Health Department of Defense National Labs P&G University of Michigan Food and Drug Administration Kimley Horn Assurant Rockwell Collins Caterpillar FANUC Robotics UVA Teaching Hospital Johns Hopkins Teaching Hospital Facebook Wal-Mart Stanley Arbutus Microsoft Apple

www.blackengineer.com

Nearly 67 percent of the professionals say they worked as an intern compared with 43 percent in the student responses.

The Most Admired Employers question on employers asks, “Which employers do you admire the most?

In response, survey respondents listed many of the employers that made the top lists in previous years.

Using different question wording, respondents were also asked who were the top employers to work for and employers who provide the best opportunities for recent graduates and entry-level professionals. Across the results from professionals and students the survey results responses were broadly similar.

Type of college or educational institution

Historically Black College or University.....................................................42.42 percent Hispanic-Serving Institution........................................................................3.03 percent Minority-Serving Institution.........................................................................3.03 percent Non-Minority..............................................................................................33.33 percent Other..........................................................................................................18.18 percent

Participation in a pre-college engineering, science, or similar program as a student Yes.............................................................................................................66.67 percent No..............................................................................................................33.33 percent

Type of program

Science......................................................................................................20.83 percent Engineering................................................................................................54.17 percent Math............................................................................................................4.17 percent Information Technology...............................................................................8.33 percent Other..........................................................................................................12.50 percent

Attended BEYA or Women of Color STEM Conference

Yes.............................................................................................................93.94 percent No................................................................................................................6.06 percent

Type of degree

Associate...................................................................................................12.12 percent Bachelor's.................................................................................................42.42 percent Master's.....................................................................................................15.15 percent Doctorate

Worked as an intern

Yes.............................................................................................................66.67 percent No..............................................................................................................33.33 percent

How important is diversity in the workplace?

Somewhat important.................................................................................12.12 percent Very important...........................................................................................87.88 percent

FALL 2016 I USBE&IT 17

Employers interned with 8Rock The Aerospace Corporation Alstom Inc. Assurant Autoliv, Inc. BAE Systems Boeing The Comfort Group DTE Energy ExxonMobil Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Food and Drug Administration Fiat Chrysler Automobiles LLC General Mills

General Motors Indiana University, Bloomington, STEM Summer Scholarship Initiative Iowa State University Institute of Transportation Lawrence Livermore National Lab Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Maryland State Highway Administration Meharry Medical College Merck Pharmaceuticals NASA National Institutes of Health Northrop Grumman Ohio State University

Penn State ARL Research Laboratory Siemens Southern Company Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana UCSB (SABRE program) University of Maryland Baltimore County University of Maryland College Park U.S Army Research Laboratory U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Park Service UTC-Carrier Collierville Virginia ABC Office ZF TRW Automotive Holdings

Employers who provide the BEST opportunities for recent graduates and entry-level professionals The Aerospace Corporation AT&T Accenture Amazon Apple Bank of America Baptist Health BMW The Boeing Company Booz Allen Hamilton Caterpillar Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Chick-fil-A CVS DTE Energy ESG Automotive ExxonMobil Facebook

FBI Federal Mogul Corporation Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Ford Motor Company General Electric General Motors Georgia Pacific Google GORE IBM Infosys Jimmy Swaggart Ministries Johns Hopkins Teaching Hospitals Johnson and Johnson JP Morgan Kimley Horn Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lockheed Martin Corporation Meritor

Monsanto NASA Northrop Grumman NVIDIA Corporation Proctor and Gamble PWC Raytheon Rockwell Collins Siemens Southwest Airlines Stanley T Rowe Price Toyota Manufacturing Indiana UAE UVA Teaching Hospital Walgreens Wal-Mart Walt Disney ZF TRW

FBI FCA Federal Emergency Management Agency Food and Drug Administration General Electric General Motors Georgia Pacific Goldman Sachs Google GORE Harris Honda IBM Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins Teaching Hospital Johnson and Johnson JP Morgan Kimley Horn Lockheed Martin Merck

Microsoft National Institutes of Health NASA NBC Northrop Grumman Nissan Panasonic Raytheon Rockwell Collins Siemens Space X Tesla Texas Instruments Toyota United Health Group UTC-Collierville UVA Teaching Hospital U.S. Department of Defense U.S. Department of Health and Human Services World Health Organization

Top employers to work for The Aerospace Corporation Aetna Airbus Amazon Apple Avery Dimension Baptist Health Boeing Boston Scientific Caltrans Chevron BMW Cardinal Health Caterpillar CDC Cisco District of Columbia DOT Exelon Facebook FANUC Robotics

18 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

www.blackengineer.com

by Cecile Lanfranchi editors@ccgmag.com

MEETING THE RISING DEMAND FOR EXPERTISE

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he world has never been more connected. Not only computers, cell phones, and video game consoles, but even domestic appliances are being drawn into networks that send and receive data.

While this connectivity opens up new opportunities and possibilities, it also leaves us vulnerable to threats. British insurance company Lloyd’s estimated that cyber attacks cost businesses as much as $400 billion in 2015 alone. As the threats become increasingly Dr. Kevin Kornegay sophisticated, the demand IoT Security Endowed Professor for expert cyber security Morgan State University has skyrocketed.

“It’s an extremely fast-growing segment.

Everyone—the consumer market, the government, industry, even the universities—they don’t have the personnel to handle these types of attacks,” says Dr. Kevin Kornegay, IoT Security Endowed Professor and director of a research laboratory at Morgan State University that is dedicated to improving the cyber security of the Internet of Things (IoT). “Demand is extremely high, but supply is very low; it’s going to be a very lucrative profession.”

With demand for cyber security personnel far outstripping supply, not to mention many qualified personnel aging out of the market, it is crucial to develop the next generation’s interest in cyber security as early as possible, starting at the elementaryschool level.

Dr. Kornegay, along with Morgan State, has been instrumental in developing summer programs and high school outreach to get students to engage with cyber security.

“We’re working on programs designed to get kids involved early and often, introducing simple programming concepts and examples,” he says. “Younger students and particularly young 20 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

"Demand is extremely high, but supply is very low; it's going to be a very lucrative profession.”

— Dr. Kevin Kornegay

women appear to be more attracted to cyber than traditional computer science.”

While summer programs and outreach promote interest and nurture talent in the field, meeting the demand for expertise requires extensive and rigorous educational programs.

“Here in the state of Maryland we have an incredible cyber security education ecosystem, which I think is second to none, and that’s due in part to our proximity to the National Security Agency (NSA),” says Dr. Kornegay.

Educational opportunities are increasing across the United States, but the state of Maryland in particular is leading the nation. Morgan State University and the University of Maryland offer rigorous four-year undergraduate programs and pre- and post-baccalaureate programs to those starting their careers.

For adults looking to make themselves more competitive, gain a qualification, or change career tracks, the University of Maryland University College offers a hugely successful online program with satellite campuses across the country.

Within this environment, there are many research and academia opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students. The John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory offers internships and summer programs to undergraduate and graduate students that ultimately lead to career path opportunities in cybersecurity. The CyberCorps: Scholarship for www.blackengineer.com

Service program, funded by the National Science Foundation, requires students to work at a government agency or laboratory for a minimum period of five years upon graduation.

Maryland’s position as the hub for intelligence within the United States means the government sector has a vested interest in training the next generation. “All the agencies within the intelligence community have summer internship programs,” says Dr. Kornegay. “The NSA has a summer internship program beginning at the high school level.”

In addition to academia and government, there are many opportunities in industry. Department of Defense contractors

www.blackengineer.com

such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman provide internships as well.

The Internet of Things, where everything (i.e., people, cars, plants, smart meters, home appliances, etc.) is connected to the Internet, exposes us to more cyber threats, and the only way to deal with these threats is to have a highly trained and skilled cybersecurity workforce. With all sectors—industry, government, and academia—working together and investing in cybersecurity training and education, a workforce that can handle the cyber threats of today and beyond will be developed. S

FALL 2016 I USBE&IT 21

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

by Terrence Dove editors@ccgmag.com

DEVELOPING CORPORATE RESEACH STRATEGIES DR. VICTOR MCCRARY SHEDS LIGHT ON THE VICE PRESIDENTS FOR RESEARCH EXECUTIVE FORUM

I

n the ever-evolving worlds of technology and innovation, the need for advanced research and collaboration expands across national and international landscapes. To ensure that those corporate opportunities are extended to more minority and multicultural research pools, Dr. Victor McCrary, inaugural founding Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University, created a new executive arm that hopes to directly impact interdependent networking between global corporations and HBCU campuses. Dr. McCrary took some time to sit down and talk about the Executive Forum’s purpose, strategy, and future economic impact.

Please explain a bit about your role at Morgan State.

My role is multifaceted, but I would say the most important aspect is being an agent of change in raising Morgan State’s visibility with respect to research. Morgan brings in an average of $30–$32 million a year in awarded research contracts and grants. We are Maryland’s premier public research urban institution. We concentrate on problems that affect urban populations, from energy and transportation to languages and self awareness. My job is to encourage research as it is extremely important in one of our strategic plan’s primary goals: student success. For students to be successful, they have to have research experience.

I also assist the faculty in constructing research and proposal development, and I connect the outside funding community to make it aware of the innovations and creativity of our faculty. Finally, I take that research and translate it into technology commercialization—things from startup businesses to student startups. I want to ensure that Morgan State has a voice in terms of research and economic development in the state of Maryland.

Why is a role like yours important for campuses with STEM and engineering focuses?

It is really important because more and more schools in the past decade have broken out into the position of vice president of research or, in some places, the vice provost of research. You have to have leadership in; how can we take some of the assets that faculty have and knit them together? Much of my job consists of being a “master knitter.” I’ll see a faculty member here and another over there, and I’ll ask, “Can we put those ideas together and do something that is interdisciplinary and transformative?”

This position is also important because we bring in 22 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

Keith Williamson, associate vice president for Research and Innovation, Provost's Office; Dean of Engineering, Science, and Technology.

sponsored funding. If you look from a business point of view, traditionally academic affairs brings in tuition; that’s a revenue line. Athletics and student affairs are revenue lines also.

Research has to be considered a revenue line as well. Research doesn’t directly make money for schools, but it does indirectly for any institution. Research raises the school’s profile in terms of its capacity to be seen as an innovator and creator of knowledge. Universities need somebody who understands how to manage and go after those opportunities that raise those profiles. People go to a place like Stanford not because they can get a calculus course; they go there because of the reputation of its research and its reputation to translate and commercialize that research. Students go there because they can get their startups funded. That’s why the VP is important.

Usually research was under the purview of the provost in a lot of institutions, and it still is, but the provost has so many responsibilities in terms of academic affairs and curriculum development. For HBCUs, the VP role is extremely important.

In 2011 and 2012 there was approximately $65 billion in federal research and development that was given out to America’s colleges and universities. Of that, less than $500 million went to all 105 HBCUs. That’s less that one percent! HBCUs really need someone to come in and ask, “How do we organize www.blackengineer.com

EDUCATION

EDUCATION

research?” Particularly in HBCUs, our tradition has always been teaching institutions. We have been there to teach people and to grant them degrees where they did not have opportunity elsewhere. Of course, opportunities nowadays are different from opportunities 40, 50, and 100 years ago. Many of our people who received higher degrees became doctors, teachers, lawyers, or clergy. Nowadays, when a student gets off the stage, he or she has to have the ability to get a job offer letter.

Particularly in the STEM disciplines, it is extremely important to have that research experience. Because of the vision of Dr. David Wilson and our board of regents, I have a certain amount of autonomy as a VP to raise the awareness, importance, and strategic purpose of research.

More often, more businesses are looking for opportunities that will give them an edge over the competition. They see both majority and minority universities as potential ecosystems.

My job is to create that ecosystem with both business and research components. At a very high level, you need executive coordination because what you want is strategic intent that will promote change and innovation. The VPs of research are those advocates.

Can you explain what the HBCU Vice Presidents for Research Executive Forum is and why it was formed?

For the past 30 years, there has been the HBCU Deans Council of Engineering, which has been comprised of the deans of the 15 ABET-accredited HBCUs that have schools of engineering. In several discussions with Dean Eugene DeLoatch, I thought about how to raise the Deans Council up to a more executive level. Above the deans, the VP level executives begin to build strategies and start imagining how different entities and areas can work together. I had an idea two years ago to bring five VPs for research together from what I consider the top five HBCUs in terms of research: Howard University, North Carolina A&T State, Florida A&M, Tuskegee, and Morgan State.

This was around the same time the White House had its annual HBCU Week initiative in Washington, DC. One of the things we explored was how HBCUs could participate in more of those $65 billion federal opportunities. When I looked at that $500 million versus the $65 billion, I figured we could either get depressed or look at the upsides to getting those numbers. So when we got together, one of the big things we discussed was contracts. Traditionally, HBCUs—as well as majority schools, because of their teaching mission—have gone after grants, but contracts are really where the big money is, as well as the opportunity to build capacity. We decided to band together as a composite unit to approach contract opportunities. We left the conversation asking how we could all work together within the different opportunities each of us has.

We think it’s now time that the VPs of these universities, who have key influence with the presidents and are respected by the boards, can meet and talk about how we can develop 24 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

"More often, more businesses are looking for opportunities that will give them an edge over the competition.

They see both majority and minority universities as potential ecosystems. " — Dr. Victor McCrary

a path forward to make sure our institutions are competitive going forward. While this idea was forged from the Black Engineer of the Year Awards conference and supported by Tyrone Taborn, who is also a regent on our board at Morgan, our focus is not just going to be STEM, even though that is extremely important. All of us are VPs for all of research. That is one thing I have to constantly remind everyone. Just because you are in humanities, I don’t think of you as any less than someone who is in engineering. But engineering and STEM provide a convenient meeting place. If you look at the national stage right now, many of the issues that students are facing are in these areas. Take, for example, cyber securities. There are not enough cyber security professionals. HBCUs have a great opportunity here because they have a higher percentage of U.S. students who attend their institutions. Because they’re U.S. citizens, those students could be eligible to work in the government or work, for example, for the Department of Defense contractors more than some majority institutions.

This presents a great opportunity for HBCUs to participate in. There is a need that can be filled, and the HBCUs can fill it.

That’s where the VPs have to be in the dialogue; they can begin building those strategic partnerships.

Has the forum for the strategy been successful so far?

We will have our first meeting in February 2017. Building off the meeting that we had three years ago, I will be engaging all of the VPs before then to sit down and get their thoughts.

Building research capacity in our institutions is going to be critical for student success. It will also be a differentiator for why parents send their kids to historically black colleges and universities. As you probably know, 90 percent of most African-American students do not go to HBCUs. The questions are, what attracts that 10 percent that does and how do we make that number more inclusive? While we have a legacy of being an HBCU, we want to attract a diverse population, from Latinos, Caucasians, international students, you name it. Again, however, people go to school because they want to www.blackengineer.com

get credentials, and they want to gain experience. From the social experience of meeting different people to also getting educational and research experiences, students want to know that when they get off the stage, there is a job that is waiting for them because they have been exposed to cutting-edge research.

Is this the first time an executive council like this has been created?

This is one of the first in about a quarter century, since the creation of the Deans Council. We are now bringing the HBCUs together, but we are starting small. We didn’t bring in all of the 105 HBCUs; we invited the 15 ABET-accredited schools of engineering that make up the Advancing Minorities In Engineering consortium. It also makes the conversation easier because we have 15 people to talk to versus 105. Plus, many of those 105 schools are not research-based schools. If you look at the Carnegie classification of schools, there are only 10 HBCUs that are classified as doctoral research universities. Right now we want to start with a focus on that group of HBCUs to be able to work together and then move ourselves forward, starting with the question of how we can join forces and put joint proposals in for large contracts and grants.

Do you plan on extending it beyond those 15 schools?

What we want to do is first resonate and get in a groove with each other. I think educational institutions are at a tipping point. Right now there are a lot of disruptive trends: Parents are concerned about the rising cost of tuition versus the opportunities that students have when they get out with rising debt, and both federal and state governments are concerned, particularly for public institutions, about the return on investment that people are getting on these schools. At this point, I think the goal is for us to strategically consider how we as HBCUs and as VPs in these institutions make sure that we polish our brands, develop market differentiators for each of our schools, and make sure that both our presidents and our boards are engaged in conversations that look at how to grow the research enterprise.

What value will the Executive Forum bring to corporate America?

First of all, there’s a “three P” focus within industry. What is your placement or production? In other words, what is it that you make? You have the processes that ensure quality, but the third “p” is the people. For industry, the most important asset is the people they can turn into capital. More and more companies realize they can’t take that lightly. They need people who have very good raw talent, and that talent is out there. The difference between how Google and Facebook compete with one another is the quality of their people. Having said that, industry is looking for those quality people. They realize that diverse, heterogeneous teams, as has been proven by studies, www.blackengineer.com

produce highly-developed, creative outputs. These teams bring solutions that actually monetize themselves anywhere between 10 and 15 percent on the S&P. That’s real money. We’re not talking about diversity from an altruistic or feel-good sense.

It makes economic business sense. So the industry is going to be looking at the HBCUs and asking where they can get that talent. Consider the analogy of well-mannered kids. If you meet well-mannered kids, you know that the parents did a good job. Likewise, if you meet really sharp, qualified students that come out and do student internships and get hired, most likely companies will go back and think highly of the institution that person attended.

The second thing the industry would like to engage is actually doing research. There are very few corporate research laboratories anymore, for various reasons. A lot of research in the industry has been subbed out to national universities.

We see this as a great opportunity. By building strategies and considering how we engage industry, we want to start doing corporate research; this is already being done in other large institutions.

So the Executive Forum will hopefully bring new people as well as new avenues for research.

Exactly. Let’s say a drug company is looking for drugs that impact STDs or HIV and needs to understand public health patterns; it can come to a place like Morgan State and talk to Dr. Lorece Edwards, who is doing great research in the area of prevention. Or a company could talk to Dr. Kevin Kornegay, who is doing work with the Internet of Things in the School of Engineering. I surely envision the industry coming to him to discuss how he can help with presenting the packing of our embedded computer systems. I see this happening because graduate students and graduate faculty are more economical to employ than maintaining an in-house public research faculty.

What impression do you hope that students and corporate professionals ultimately have of the Executive Forum?

This forum is about HBCUs becoming leaders in the business of research. That research is all about creating an eminent cadre of people of color that transforms lives. This forum is important because this is where America’s executives can come and engage initially with the university. I’m not suggesting that we take away the traditional path to university presidents and provosts, but oftentimes in the business of research, you want to talk to an executive who is about the business of research. The VPs of research are the touchpoint where representatives from GE, IBM, Google, Facebook, Oracle, etc., can call and talk directly about research and collaborations in developing technology. This forum creates a corporate portal where many industries can directly engage. These VPs of research can and will be that portal. S FALL 2016 I USBE&IT 25

FIRST STEPS

BENEFITS OF INTERNSHIPS CAN BE LONG LASTING

By Gale Horton Gay ghorton@ccgmag.com

BEYA WINNERS SHARE A PASSION FOR INTERNSHIPS

S

ummer internships are an option for many college students, and among BEYA winners, it seems to be becoming routine.

These young people have discovered that an internship is an excellent way to build skills in realworld work environments, learn corporate culture, cultivate a network, and establish relationships with prospective employers.

Dominique Williams, a 2015 graduate of Jackson State University, credits multiple internships with being a major factor in her current full-time employment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Jackson State University graduate, who attained a civil engineering degree, held two internships, the first in her sophomore year when she conducted research at Duke University.

Sabrina Welch She would later be hired as an intern for the Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, and in her senior year, she took on a co-op position with the city of Jackson’s Department of Environmental Quality while finishing up her undergraduate work.

Williams, 23, is going through a Corps of Engineers program in which she rotates through various departments every few months, working in bioengineering, project management, structures, surveying, etc. She started as a GS7, was promoted to a GS9, and will be a GS11 structural engineer when she completes her rotations, she said. She had been working in Rock Island, IL, but has moved to the New Orleans office.

“I feel internships helped me,” said Williams, adding that the knowledge one learns in school is enhanced by the handson experience one gets from the work through an internship.

“It helped me out a lot.”

She said she picked up “dibs and dabs” in different areas from having completed several internships.

“This is an opportunity for you to get skills. Skills are what matter,” said Williams, who was a 2015 BEYA Leadership Award 26 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

winner in the community service category.

“Internships really are a valuable thing,” she said, adding that one can build a beneficial network of contacts through interning.

Sabrina Welch is a veteran of interning. She completed her third internship this summer at Indiana University Bloomington, where she was conducting research under the guidance of a mentor.

Welch, a Jackson State University 2015 graduate with a degree in civil engineering and a 2015 BEYA Leadership Award winner in athletics, first heard about the internship through a friend who had previously participated in it. The program coordinator also visited her school to speak about the internship opportunity.

Just how did she land it?

“The application process is made up of several components: Applicants must submit an updated resume, complete an online application, provide two letters of recommendation, and submit a personal statement,” she explained in an email.

Welch applied for the internship in January 2016.

“The work is not directly related to what I hope to do postgraduation, but it will provide me with research experience, which I will need since I plan to pursue a research-based doctoral degree,” she said.

“Upon the completion of my summer internship, I ultimately hope to develop my critical thinking skills as well as to be better equipped with the knowledge I will need to take a research project from conceptualization to completion.”

Last year Kehlin Swain spent his summer interning at Intel in Austin, Texas. Now he’s a senior at Prairie View A&M University and an entrepreneur. Swain is the founder and chief executive officer of xplosiontechnology.com.

“My internship experience has transformed my life and made my respect and love for technology bloom,” said Swain via email. “In my training at Intel, I created automated scripts to assure and validate products with Python System www.blackengineer.com

"My internship experience has transformed my life and made my respect and love for technology bloom."

— Kehlin Swain

Melanie Tolbert

Verification and Synopsis workflow. I was also responsible for providing support to validation managers in handling customer queries pertaining to validation activities. This prepared me technically and mentally to develop the technical expertise and the mental stability to take my passion to the next stage of graduating to entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Swain’s startup has developed the 4orce Bat, described on the company’s website as a “smart baseball bat for training.”

It’s a two-in-one product that athletes can use to track key swing metrics, such as speed, attack angle, and efficiency via an www.blackengineer.com

app. “Or they can just use the bat for a normal practice session,” the site states.

Swain, 21, credits Intel training seminars on embedded systems/microcontrollers and Python software development with providing him with the experience to begin working on solutions for providing smart technologies for sports-training purposes.

“This will allow players to become better than their best,” explained Swain. “I won the Apple scholarship for their World Wide Developer Conference to develop our mobile app,” he noted. “I have also received a total of $3,000 for participating in business pitch competitions such as Alley Scholar and National Society of Black Engineers. Currently I have also obtained a research grant for $5,000 from Prairie View A&M University to work on my startup.”

Swain is also grateful for being chosen as a recipient of the BEYA Leadership Award two years ago.

“It has changed my mindset on what is possible in my life, and I will continue to strive for excellence as a byproduct. Thank you for realizing early on the potential I had, and I promise I will do great things and never forget the organization that allowed me to have even more love for tech and innovation. This series of events has truly impacted my perspective on life and the level of expectations on what I can do for myself.”

Last year Melanie Tolbert, who had completed four internships while attending Tuskegee University, went to work at Lockheed Martin as a quality assurance analyst just weeks after picking up her chemical engineering degree. She credits the varied experiences she gained while interning with preparing her for full-time employment. S

FALL 2016 I USBE&IT 27

SO YOU WANT TO BE A

Car Designer THE STORY OF AN ARTIST IN STEM

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

28 USBE&IT | FALL 2016

www.blackengineer.com

here are more than 4,000 engineers in FCA’s North American offices in Auburn, Michigan, with a small group of designers. Car design is a small and extremely competitive field, says Ralph Gilles, global head of design at FCA.

T

“There’s a huge artistic element to it,” he adds. “We don’t talk about the STEAM part of STEM enough.”

“STEAM” is applying art in real situations, or placing art and design at the center of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to one northeastern school of design.

“Skillsets for art and design can be difficult to mine,” Gilles noted. “It’s important to understand early on whether you have a natural affinity. Are you inclined to draw cars and products?” he asked.

Pathway to a design career Gilles’ pathway to a successful design career is the stuff of dreams.

Passionate about cars since the age of 6, young Ralph was drawing concept vehicles by the age of 8.

At about 14, Gilles' aunt, Gisele Mouscardy, noticed his talent at sketching cars and wrote former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca, telling him of her nephew.

A reply came from Neil Walling, Chrysler's design chief at the time, suggesting Gilles attend a design school.

Gilles graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in industrial design from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. www.blackengineer.com

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

During the first five years of his career, Gilles recalls starting out everything with a sketch.

“Everything in my head had to be put down on paper in a drawing,” he said. “You’re literally sketching out concepts in real time, showing them to your superiors and to your teams.”

If the idea looked interesting, it went to the next level— three-dimensional design.

Nine years into his career, Gilles designed the Chrysler 300 in 2001. First shown at the 2003 New York Auto Show as a concept car, the 300C was sold in Europe and Australia and Japan. In the USA, the 300C “blinged” in music videos.

Legend has it that Snoop Dogg called Dieter Zetsche, then CEO of Chrysler, asking for his own 300C. Snoop later appeared in a commercial for the car alongside Lee Iacocca.

The car was so popular in many hip-hop music videos, the 300C was ranked No. 12 in "The 25 Most Iconic Hip-Hop Cars" list on Complex.com. The 300C also won the North American Car of the Year and Canadian Car of the Year Best New Luxury Car awards.

Reflecting on the vehicle's success in 2008, Gilles said that the "300 turned out to be a bit of an icon for Chrysler."

More recently, Gilles led the design team who created the 2014 SRT Viper. Gilles was appointed head of design, FCA Global in April 2015.

What will it be like working for FCA in five years? What skills will you need? How is FCA recruiting and motivating future workers with design talents?

Born in New York City to Haitian immigrants, and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Gilles stresses people skills, math and engineering as a language of communication, deep understanding of the automobile customer, an appreciation of the business case, goal setting and goal alignments.

Design loops or design clinics for a product can run from a year to 18 months with teams spread across North America, Italy, and others parts of Europe.

“There’s enthusiasm for the brand and for projects,” Gilles said, “but the computer science piece has been a barrier remover.”

Skills You Need FALL 2016 I USBE&IT 29

Vehicle integration, or extreme computer science, as Gilles calls it, is becoming the most important system of the car. “Autonomous cars are all about computers talking to each other, processing power, and human skills,” he said.

Total undergraduate enrollment in computing majors among U.S. computer science (CS) departments rose 13.4 percent over 2013, marking the sixth straight year of increasing undergraduate enrollment. The fraction of women among bachelor’s graduates in CS increased to 14.2 percent in 2012-13, compared to 11.7 percent in 2010-11. In 2013, women made up 14 percent of all computer science graduates, but it was down from 36 percent in 1984.

With more 3D software available than ever before, Gilles says young people with a passion for drawing are never going to run out of color, markers, paper, crayons or ink. A processor on Gilles’s desk that was about two and half feet tall and once cost $60,000 is now available in any top-dollar laptop.

As FCA hires from product schools around the country, it’s also making some of its own advanced computers available to students to sketch their designs.

Although industrial design is a huge field with lots of job opportunities, design classes are still comparatively small.

There were only 13 people in Gilles’s class at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies in 1992. Today the numbers are slightly bigger at 25 students a year, with a total of 100 statewide.

At FCA, 25 percent of designers are female, mainly in animation, designing the pages behind the touch screens of your car.

Of the designers in Gilles’ office a handful are in color and trim, the people who decide textiles, molding, and in-car interfaces and technologies.

“Worldwide we have about 1,000 people in design, a very diverse functional part,” Gilles said, “but we would like the company to look more like our society.”

"Vehicle integration, or extreme computer science, is becoming the most important system of the car. Autonomous cars are all about computers talking to each other, processing power, and human skills.”

— Ralph Gilles

End-to-end Design Management Gilles does a lot of mentoring and asks his co-workers to do the same. “One thing I say to young people is seek out mentors right away, it’s extremely important ASAP,” he said.

At his alma mater, The College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Gilles is a member of the CCS Board of Trustees and the CCS Capital Committee. Gilles serves on the board of the Michigan Design Council and is an executive sponsor of the Chrysler African American Network, in addition to a supporting role with the Chrysler Global Diversity Council.

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An avid car enthusiast who enjoys spending time at the track, go-karting and watching Formula 1 auto racing, Gilles has participated in the Targa Newfoundland Rally, the Car and Driver One Lap of America and the SRT Viper Cup Series.

In addition, he has frequently served as a judge at various Concours d’Elegance events across the country including Pebble Beach, the Inn at St. John and Cranbrook, along with the Eyes On Design car show.

Gilles can’t talk about what’s next from FCA, but he’s aware of just how much acceleration is happening in infotainment and electronics around the world.

“There’s a lot of excitement about the future, dreaming about what we’re capable of, the way things will be 10 years out, but companies have to do it at prices consumers can afford,” Gilles explained.

Typically the auto industry has gestation cycles of five to six years, where platforms survive much the same as airplane platforms. Cars are designed three, sometimes six years in advance with design loops or design clinics incubating for six to 18 months within the cycle.

“We’re trying to be more nimble and more relevant year to year, but you don’t buy a car and switch it out after two years like you do a cellphone,” he said.

RALPH GILLES 2015 - current, Head of Design, FCA - Global 2011 - President and CEO - Motorsports, FCA US LLC 2011 - President and CEO - SRT Brand 2009 - President and CEO - Dodge Brand 2009 - Senior Vice President - Product Design, FCA North America 2008 - Vice President - Design, Chrysler LLC 2006 - Vice President - Jeep®/Truck, Color and Trim Studios, and Specialty Vehicles, Chrysler LLC, DaimlerChrysler 2005 - Director - Truck Exterior/Interior Design Studio 2001 - Director - Design Office, Large Car Studio, Family Vehicles 1999 - Senior Manager - Design Office, Studio 3 1998 - Manager - Design Office, Jeep Interiors, Chrysler Corporation 1992 - Designer - Design Office Gilles has earned numerous academic and industry awards, including: The Michigan State University Eli Broad Graduate School of Management Young Alumni Achievement Award, The Automotive Hall of Fame Young Leadership & Excellence Award, NV Magazine Innovation Award, Black Engineer of the Year President’s Award and N’Digo Foundation N’Design Award.

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d n a e r o o M e r o o M

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN STEM

Dr. James L. Moore III, EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education and Executive Director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male at the Ohio State University

Mrs. Stephanie Michelle Moore, Lead Technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton

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lack Girls Code and Girls in Technology are just a few of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs that Mrs. Stephanie Michelle Moore volunteers her time for to help foster young girls’ interest in STEM. She works at Booz Allen Hamilton, a leading management and technology consulting firm in Greater Washington, DC, where she supports software and engineering projects for clients in defense and intelligence.

Around her firm, Mrs. Moore is actively involved in mentoring circles and affinity forums. She has been recognized by her colleagues and clients with various team and performance awards for outstanding leadership and contributions. For example, in 2011, she was honored by her firm as a Women of Color in STEM Technology All-Star, a competitive award that recognizes the accomplishments of women in STEM, and, in the same year, her husband, Dr. James L. Moore III, was bestowed a proclamation from the Ohio House of Representatives.

An alumna of Norfolk State University, a historically Black college and university, Mrs. Moore received her bachelor’s degree in business, with an emphasis in management computer information. Not counting her three children and husband, the establishment of the Stephanie Michelle Moore STEM Scholarship is one of the proudest moments in her life. In 2012 the scholarship was established by her husband and children to commemorate a milestone birthday and honor her tireless volunteer efforts to encourage and expose African-American girls to STEM. Annually, the scholarship supports AfricanAmerican women at NSU who are natives of South Carolina and who maintain a cumulative 3.0 grade point average or higher. In addition to receiving the scholarship support, Mrs. Moore personally establishes a mentoring relationship with the recipients and offers personal and professional advice upon graduation.

Internationally-recognized for his work with AfricanAmerican males, Dr. Moore is the EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education and executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male at the Ohio State University. He is a highly sought after speaker, consultant, researcher, and evaluator and has an extensive publication record, including five books. Notably, he is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. In 2014 he was given a resolution from the Columbus City Council (Ohio), and in 2015 he was bestowed a key to the City of Spartanburg (South Carolina), in close proximity to his hometown of Lyman.

In addition to maintaining his responsibilities at the Ohio State University, he works as a rotating program director for the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in www.blackengineer.com

DR. JAMES MOORE

• B.A. in English Education, Delaware State University • M.A.Ed. and Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • American Counseling Association Fellow • American Council on Education Fellow • Big Ten Committee on Institutional Cooperation Academic Leadership Program Fellow • Former 4-year letterman and full scholarship football player at Delaware State University

Engineering within the Engineering Directorate in Arlington, Virginia. As a rotating program director, Dr. Moore solicits, reviews, and manages a comprehensive portfolio of engineering awards that focuses on diversifying the engineering workforce and broadening engineering participation among historically underrepresented groups. He also participates in ongoing intra- and inter-agency workgroups to maximize the National Science Foundation’s investments on broadening participation in STEM. In less than one year, he has contributed to several major agency-wide initiatives but is eager to see the national impact of these agency-wide efforts.

Dr. and Mrs. Moore are both committed to sharing their talents and resources with others. Giving back to the community is something that was instilled in them from a very young age. With them both being from neighboring, workingclass communities in South Carolina, they know on a very personal level that a quality education can positively change one’s life trajectory.

South Carolina is very special to them; it is the place where their paths first crossed and their relationship evolved and set the groundwork for marriage in 2006. As a way of giving back, STEM has been one of the primary channels in merging their professional and personal endeavors.

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CAREER

CAREER OUTLOOK

INSIDE

Special Anniversary Issue

  

www.blackengineer.com

our Decades of Promoting F Opportunities in STEM USBE Timeline 1976–2016 Top USBE Magazine Covers

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CAREER OUTLOOK

Special Anniversary Issue 1980–2016

US Black Engineer’s

40th Year Issue

hen David Hedgley—the father of 3D graphics and the only Black mathematician at NASA’s Ames Dryden Flight Research facility in the 1970s—was asked why there were so few Black mathematicians, he said, “Change the way Blacks are portrayed and the role that positive images and role models play in promoting development.”

Hedgley also asked legacy-owned media dominated by old industry voices to act more responsibly in creating symbolism and positive role models.

Young visionary Tyrone Taborn had his work cut out.

First he set about bringing together success stories from the programs established throughout the 1970s to promote math and science among minorities. Next he featured those who were sustaining the work of increasing the numbers of minority students qualified for engineering careers, a task often hampered by a frustrating, circular problem: a lack of minority role models to get them interested as students.

By the early 1980s Taborn’s fledging Diversity Company was on its way.

Over four decades, US Black Engineer magazine has grown into a medium that entails the motivation of students though role models, encourages parental support, and supports the development of appropriate educational programs for involved students.

USBE promotes summer programs, during which students live on local college campuses and work in classrooms and labs on specific engineering projects as well as the training programs that bridge the gap between theory and application, shortening the time to move their careers into high gear.

The magazine is a champion for entry-level, mid-career, and veteran professionals working in research and development, production, state-of-the-art technologies, and commercial markets.

Four times a year, US Black Engineer brings informative articles about science and technology; profiles of successful Black scientists, engineers, and business leaders; and timely career advice valuable to students and young professionals alike.

There has also always been the resume search that guarantees that your resume will reach the employers you choose.

No other magazine nurtures graduating professionals with technical talent and potential for technical leadership like USBE. Year on year, US Black Engineer has advocated for increased college completion and the removal of barriers to entry.

Since 1986, Career Communications Group (CCG), the company behind USBE magazine, has increased connectivity at its annual BEYA STEM Conference, earning an unrivaled reputation for providing STEM employers with a forum to develop human capital.

CCG is a new economy company celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

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CAREER OUTLOOK

2000 1990 1980

TOP USBE April 23, 1980 Cornell University UMOJA SASA “Carter’s Falling Dollar”

1984 (formerly Umoja Sasa News Journal) Supercomputing, The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America

1984 Special Careers Issue

1984 Special Conference Issue Derrick Harmon: San Fransico 49er, Running Back and Cornell Engineering Physics Graduate

1985 Technology and Computers

1990 Computers and Software Issue

1991 LeVar Burton appeared as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge in the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

1992 Dr. Jemison is the first Black woman astronaut, and her mission launched and landed in September 1992.

1993 Hazel O’Leary is the first woman and first African American to head the Department of Energy.

1994 Dr. Luther Williams, drove the National Science Foundation’s plan to ramp up the number of scientists and engineers from underrepresented groups.

2000 Radio’s Marc Clarke is an on-air personality for 92Q in Baltimore

2001 Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair William Kennard; Anita Brown of Black Geeks Online

2001 U.S. Rep J.C. Watts heads the House Republican Black College Task Force

2002 Herbie Hancock, award-winning pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer, and actor and Bob Moses of the Algebra Project

2002 Who's Protecting America?

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MAGAZINE COVERS 1977 Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del

1986 Special Resume Scholarship Win $500 1985 Technology and Computers

Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del maiosandit Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del maiosandit"

1986 Conference Issue Dr. Gary L. Harris and Dr. Michael G. Spence Howard University Galium 1986 Arsenide Researchers Special Resume Scholarship Win $500

1978 Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del

1986 Women in Technology Issue 1986 Conference Issue Dr. Gary L. Harris and Dr. Michael G. Spence Howard University Galium Arsenide Researchers

"US Black Engineer and Information Technology Magazine provides news and information about "Elicit technology, in comnihicium dio. Epero modi science, entrepreneurs, BEYA,ut alit STEM quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del education, HBCUs, black communities in themaioU.S. sanditscia del maiosandit Elicit in comnihicium and U.K. and out of the Caribbean and Africa.dio. " Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del maiosandit"

1979 Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del

"Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del 1986maiosandit Elicit in Opportunities in Information comnihicium dio. Epero Technology modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del maiosandit"

1979 Elicit in comnihicium dio. Epero modi ut alit quaepel mil ipsamet am quibusam, escia del maiosanditscia del

1987 USBE Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference 1987 USBE Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference

1998 GTECH’S acting technology officer and technology fellow Donald Stanford is inducted into the Lot1998 tery Industry Hall of Fame .

GTECH’S acting technology officer and technology fellow Donald Stanford is inducted into the Lottery Industry Hall of Fame .

1999 John Thompson crosses Digital Divide as Symantec’s New Chief.

1999 John Thompson crosses Digital Divide as Symantec’s New Chief.

2003 Inside Great Internships

2004 Rodney P. Hunt, president and CEO of RSI Systems

2006 Tavis Smiley, media mogul, social activist, and community leader

2010 The Lyons Brothers

2012 U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

2002 Who's Protecting America?

2004 Rodney P. Hunt, president and CEO of RSI Systems

2006 Tavis Smiley, media mogul, social activist, and community leader

2010 The Lyons Brothers

2012 U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

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