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24 TH ANNUAL WOMEN OF COLOR STEM CONFERENCE AWARD WINNERS HOW TO BUILD AN AUTHENTIC WINNING IMAGE
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2019
technologist of theyear PAMELA MCCAULEY, PH.D., C.P.E. Program Director for NSF’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) National Science Foundation (NSF) Professor & Director, IEMS Ergonomics Lab, University of Central Florida FALL 2019 | www.womenofcolor.online
Congratulations! Tonya Berry 2019 Women of Color STEM Conference President’s Award Tonya is Vice President of Operations Performance for Consumers Energy. With more than 20 years of experience deploying Lean and Six Sigma methodologies, she is responsible for implementing the Consumers Energy Way and Lean principles.
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THE SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR WOMEN IN STEM General Motors is proud to support the 2019 Women of Color STEM Conference. Congratulations to all those recognized, including our twenty award recipients. Managerial Leadership Award Sandra McNeil Technology Rising Star Award Tierney Daniels • Yamini Gheewala • Lee Ing Koh • Jaya Patil • Gihan Smalls • Hilari Tiedeman Technology All-Star Award Kim Tucker-Billingslea • Anicia M. Blake • Camille Davis • Angela Sirmans-Fitzpatrick • Melinda Gray • Kelene Jackson • Sudesh Kent • Tamela Martin • Sheila Newkirk • Diana Ortega • Deniece Rucker • Sunitha Vinnakota • Rashawnda Williams
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contents VOLUME 19 NUMBER 2 FALL 2019
cover
30| The 2019 Technologist of the Year Get to Know the 2019 Technologist of the Year, Dr. Pamela McCauley
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WOMENOFCOLOR | SPRING 2019
www.womenofcolor.online
CONTENTS FOR TODAY’S CAREER WOMEN IN BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
features
departments
26| Passing the Torch
06| Take Five
2018 Technologist of the Year Shares Her Experience as Top Award Winner
Linda Hilbert is a champion of environmental change. Learn her story and the challenges she faced to make a difference
10| She Thrives
6 ways to help overcome social embarrassment
14| By the Numbers
Who are the Women of Color STEM Conference attendees?
16| A Matter of Facts
36| The 2019 Women
Engineering and science, we give you the facts about women in these fields
18| Women Who Inspire
Two former Women of Color awardees always find time to give back!
of Color Awardees
60| The 2019 Women
of Color Technology All-Stars & Rising Stars
22| Global Sisters in Innovation
These three women are building the next chapter in South Africa’s electrification
72| Product Review
3 ways artificial intelligence can be used in human resources
76| Know Your Worth
Find out how to build an authentic winning image and represent the best version of yourself
80| My Healthy Life
Stress in the workplace can take a toll on employees. Here’s a glimpse of what studies say about stress in the workplace
92| Last Word
Why are there so few women of color in STEM?
www.womenofcolor.online
WOMENOFCOLOR | SPRING 2019
› 3
PUBLISHER’S PAGE Career Communications Group’s
Why the NSF funds research around the United States For Today’s Career Women In Technology & Business
O
ver the last two decades, Women of Color magazine’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) conference has proudly showcased the work of its partners in K-12 programs, colleges and universities, and other STEM activities. They include some of the largest corporations: AT&T, Boeing, Corning, General Dynamics Land Systems, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, PwC, Scientific Atlanta (a Cisco company), Texas Instruments, Verizon, and Walmart to name a few. Every year, the accomplishments of diverse and highly talented professionals from these employers—senior vice presidents, vice presidents, division vice presidents, program directors, and managers—highlight the gains of women in industry on the gala stage at the Women of Color in STEM Conference. Without a doubt, corporations are taking big steps to foster partnerships that help increase the number of girls and women in STEM. This year’s Technologist of the Year, Dr. Pamela McCauley, a gifted professor and researcher, represents the best efforts of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which has been working to open more doors in STEM since 1950. Since Dr. McCauley won one of the largest NSF grants as an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma, she has helped to promote federally supported research conducted by America’s colleges and universities. Currently, as program manager of NSF’s Innovation Corps, Dr. McCauley is helping a new generation of Americans earn Ph.Ds. in STEM, identify product opportunities that can emerge from academic research, gain skills in entrepreneurship through training in customer discovery and guidance from entrepreneurs, and accelerate the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded, basic research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization. Women of Color magazine congratulates the NSF and Dr. McCauley on the national push to open more doors, lead economic change, and unleash the potential in colleges and universities across the United States.
VOLUME 19 | NUMBER 2 EXECUTIVE OFFICE Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO and Chief Content Officer Jean Hamilton, President and CFO Alex Venetta, Associate Publisher, Manager of Partner Services Eric Price, Vice President, Recruitment and Professional Training EDITORIAL AND CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Rayondon Kennedy, Managing Editor Lango Deen, Technology Editor Michael Fletcher, Contributing Editor Gale Horton Gay, Contributing Editor Garland L. Thompson, Contributing Editor Roger Witherspoon, Contributing Editor
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Beverly Wladkowski, Art Director Bryan Davis, Digital Director Rachael DeVore, Digital Channel Manager Joe Weaver, Global Design Interactive
CORPORATE AND Dr. Gwendolyn Boyd, CCG Alumni Committee ALUMNI RELATIONS Chair and President Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Chairman, BEYA Alumni Group Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, USN (Ret) National Chair, BEYA Military Alumni Oliver “Bo” Leslie, Retired Program Manager, Historically Black Colleges and Universities/ Minority Institutions, Boeing Monica E. Emerson, Women of Color STEM Conference National Chair Matt Bowman, CCG Military Program Manager Stars and Stripes Committee Executive Director/ Chief of Staff for VADM Walt Davis, USN (Ret.) Ty Taborn, Esq., Corporate Development SALES AND MARKETING Gwendolyn Bethea, Vice President, Corporate Development Kameron Nelson, Account Executive Jay Albritton, Social Media Specialist JOBMATCH AND STUDENT Ashley Turner, Recruitment Team Manager DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS Courtney Taborn, Talent Management Specialist Rod Carter, Recruitment Specialist, College Relations Shelia Richburg, College Coordinator CONFERENCE AND EVENTS
Ana Bertrand, Conference Coordinator Jennifer Roberts, Customer Success Manager Brandon Newby, Administrative Assistant Toni Robinson, 360 MMG Rutherford & Associates
ADVERTISING SALES OFFICE Career Communications Group, Inc. 729 E. Pratt Street, Suite 504 Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 244-7101 / Fax: (410) 752-1837 www.womenofcolor.online
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Women of Color (ISSN 1937-0555) is a publication for today’s career women in business and technology. Women of Color magazine invites letters to the editor about any topics important to our readership. Article queries and letters should be sent to: CCG – Women of Color magazine, Editorial Department, 729 E. Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. No manuscript will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Women of Color magazine cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. Subscriptions are $13/year. Please write to: CCG – Women of Color magazine, Subscriptions, 729 E. Pratt St., Suite 504, Baltimore, MD 21202. Copyright © 2019 by Career Communications Group Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.
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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
The future of Michigan depends on an educated workforce, well versed in science, technology, engineering and math. That’s why DTE is proud to support the Women of Color
STEM Conference and we congratulate Terry Barclay for being recognized with the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award.
TAKE FIVE
by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com
Green is the New Black How this environmental director changed the game
I
n the fall of 2007, Linda Hilbert, then environmental director for New Generation at Consumers Energy, told InFocus about the company’s goal to minimize the environmental footprint of a pulverized coal plant. Hilbert, who had joined Consumers Energy six months earlier, was responsible for environmental permitting for a proposed new clean coal plant. Hilbert noted the plant would have the best emissions control available, resulting in a lower environmental footprint. The aim was to use state-of-the-art technology to reduce criteria pollutants as much as possible and study new technology that removes carbon dioxide from flue gas and sequesters it below the Earth’s surface. Two years later, Hilbert was appointed environmental strategy director, responsible for retrofitting pollution control equipment on existing coal plants. She also became manager of renewable energy in the fall of 2009. Focused on solving energy problems, Hilbert told a reporter that one big challenge Consumers Energy faced, as it ramped up renewable energy production, was rolling out technology that met Michigan’s renewable energy standard and “provided the biggest bang for the buck by delivering reliable and affordable service,” according to Hilbert. Seven years later, when Hilbert was nominated for a Women of Color Career Achievement Award, she was executive director of environmental and lab services with several impressive achievements. Her most recent accomplishments include setting and achieving sustainability goals in air emission, water and land use, and waste reduction. She has excelled on regulatory affairs for consumers, serving on the Office of Regulatory Reinvention Advisory Committee for Environment Rules for the state of Michigan. She also serves on the Council of Great Lakes Industries Board of Directors and as an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Environmental Sector Council Member. Linda M. Hilbert, P.E. Executive Director, Environmental & Laboratory Services Consumers Energy
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WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
www.womenofcolor.online
“Many said we couldn’t do it, but we pushed ourselves, and we were able to meet and exceed goals ahead of schedule. It has a real
positive impact on the environment and has the added benefit of saving our customers money.”
Hilbert’s efforts helped Consumers Energy rise to Michigan’s top company—and ninth in the nation—in Newsweek’s annual Green Rankings and receive the “Best and Brightest” sustainable large employer’s award two years in a row. She also led the team in the development and implementation of the company’s environmental management system (EMS), which resulted in improved compliance and productivity for field employees and led the first company-wide grassroots “Green Teams” across the state to implement sustainable practices locally. “By setting voluntary environmental achievement goals and then meeting those, we raised awareness among employees and communities,” Hilbert told Women of Color magazine. “Many said we couldn’t do it, but we pushed ourselves, and we were able to meet and exceed those goals ahead of schedule. It has a real positive impact on the environment and has the added benefit of saving our customers money.” In her current role, she is responsible for environmental compliance and strategy development, as well as testing and calibration for the company. This includes air, water, land, and waste compliance as well as remediation and environmental sustainability.
www.womenofcolor.online
Growing up, Hilbert’s biggest influence outside her family was her piano teacher, “who taught me the lesson of how important practice was,” Hilbert said. “She was not angry when I didn’t practice, but just said how we were wasting both our times and that we should reschedule. That made me feel terrible. That alone was enough to make sure I was always ready going into a meeting or lesson—it is not fair to you or others when you’re not prepared.” “Becoming an environmental engineer allowed me to combine my love of math, science, and the environment all into one,” Hilbert said. An identical twin who’s married with three children, Hilbert volunteers and sings at her local church. She is also a team mentor for a high school robotics team and a member of the Chelsea Robotics Booster Club. Her top career tips are, “Work hard, have confidence, and get as much practical experience as you can, and then apply it,” she said. Hilbert is a board member for the Council of Great Lakes Industries, a member of the Air & Waste Management Association, and a professional engineer in the state of Michigan. She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and a master’s in environmental engineering from Michigan State University.
WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
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SHE THRIVES
by Erin Weaver editors@ccgmag.com
Getting Over Social Embarrassment: 6 Methods That Work E
veryone has a social embarrassing story. Ask anyone you know, and they’ll name a time when they committed what they thought was a terrible faux pas, said something stupid, or behaved in a way that caused embarrassment to themselves or others. We all make mistakes, and no human being is perfect. Yet these awkward interactions feel like the worst thing in the world. Are you finding it difficult to get over a moment of social embarrassment? Do you mull over embarrassing occurrences for hours, days, or even weeks at a time? Don’t worry. These six tips will help you feel more confident. Acknowledge That It’s Over When our minds are stuck on an embarrassing moment, we tend to relive it again and again. This keeps the embarrassment firmly in the present tense as if it were happening right now. Ultimately, whatever happened is over now. Even if you’re still with the people you embarrassed yourself in front of, or even if you’ll have to see them again soon, that moment has passed. Remembering that is an important first step in letting you move on from the negative feelings. Remove Yourself No one pays as much attention to you as you do. We are all painfully aware of awkward things we do or say, but other people aren’t. They’re too busy worrying about their awkward moments! Instead of imagining the situation as if everyone cared about it as much as you did, remember that they probably have other things to think about, and it isn’t occupying as much space in their minds. Be Compassionate We are our own worst critics, and it’s easy to generalize what other people might be thinking about us when we’ve done something embarrassing. Try replacing yourself with your best friend or your coolest colleague. If they did the same thing you did, would you think they were stupid or bad? Would you still be thinking about it an hour, a day, or a month from now? Probably not, right? Most people are more compassionate than you think, and one embarrassing moment isn’t going to ruin you in their eyes.
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WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
Don’t Be a Mind Reader On a similar note, you need to remember you can’t read other people’s minds. We tend to do this a lot when we’re feeling socially embarrassed—we imagine other people are thinking about specific bad things about us. It may be hard to accept, but you need to accept it: You don’t know what other people are thinking. The reality is they might have judged the situation differently from you, and they may not be thinking about it at all. Remember, It Won’t Last Forever Chances are, something deeply embarrassing has happened to you in the past. Even if this current thing is the worst ever, try thinking back to another time when you felt socially embarrassed. Does this moment still haunt you, or can you think about it neutrally now? Maybe you can even laugh about it now that time has passed! Remember, this moment won’t last forever—at some point, it will have happened six months, a year, five years in the past, and will be nothing more than an anecdote that happened ages ago. Talk It Out Find someone who can help you talk through what you’re feeling and ask them for an embarrassing story about themselves. You shouldn’t be agonizing over what happened for days, but it can help to take some time and vent about your embarrassment to a friend, family member, or significant other. Talking it out should reassure you that it’s not all that bad and remind you that other people suffer (and get over) social embarrassment all the time. Social embarrassment can feel almost physically painful when it happens, but it shouldn’t hang around forever. Use these tips to help you realize it’s not the end of the world and get over your embarrassment. The more you utilize these techniques, the faster you’ll bounce back next time you find yourself in a sticky situation.
www.womenofcolor.online
Remember, this
moment won’t last forever—at some point, it will
have happened six months, a year, five years in the past, and will be nothing more than an anecdote.
www.womenofcolor.online
WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
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OUR DIVERSE WORKFORCE TA K E S U S T O N E W H E I G H T S M D A C A R E E R S : F I N D P R O F E S S I O N A L S AT I S F A C T I O N
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BY THE NUMBERS
by Tyrone Taborn editors@ccgmag.com
Who are the Women of Color in STEM Attendees? THE WOMEN OF COLOR IN STEM CONFERENCE is one of the largest and oldest events for women in science, technology, engineering, math, and finance. So, exactly who are the conference attendees? For beginners, you are among the most talented, skilled, and career-focused women in the nation.
72%
67% come for professional development.
are professionals.
68%
think the seminars help to advance their careers.
36%
meet security clearance requirements.
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WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
48% come for motivation.
98%
recommend the conference to friends and family.
54% attend for the networking opportunities.s
97%
find the conference inspirational.
75%
describe the Women of Color in STEM Conference as excellent!
www.womenofcolor.online
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A MATTER OF FACTS
by Tyrone Taborn editors@ccgmag.com
Women in Engineering Although the number of women earning degrees in engineering has increased in the past 20 years, women’s participation remains well below that of men at all degree levels and in all fields of engineering.
Since 1995, the proportion of women earning degrees in engineering has increased at all levels, mostly at the master’s and doctorate levels. In general, women earn larger proportions of degrees in chemical, materials, industrial, and civil engineering than in aerospace, electrical, and mechanical engineering. In the past 20 years, the number of women in computer sciences has risen at all degree levels. The proportion of women with degrees in computer sciences has increased slightly at the master’s and doctorate level, but has declined at the bachelor’s level. In the past 10 years, both the number and proportion of computer science bachelor’s degrees earned by women has declined. The proportion of women in computer sciences is highest at the master’s level. Source: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. 2017. Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2017. Special Report NSF 17310. Arlington, VA. Available at www.nsf.gov/ statistics/wmpd/.
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NUMBER of Women Awarded Engineering Degrees
Year
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Doctorate
1995
10,950
4,632
727
2004
13,263
7,148
1,047
2014
18,626
10,988
2,311
PERCENTAGE of Women Awarded Engineering Degrees
Year
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Doctorate
1995
17.3
16.2
11.9
2004
20.5
21.1
17.7
2014
19.8
24.2
22.8
NUMBER of Women Awarded Computer Science Degrees
Year
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Doctorate
1995
7,063
2,786
161
2004
15,066
6,298
201
2014
10,144
7,088
403
PERCENTAGE of Women Awarded Computer Science Degrees
Year
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Doctorate
1995
28.5
26.4
18.2
2004
25.1
31.2
22.1
2014
18.1
28.8
20.8
www.womenofcolor.online
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WOMEN WHO INSPIRE
by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com
Finding Time to Give Back M
any professional women don’t think twice about giving back and volunteering to support and lead initiatives that benefit others. Often, they embrace issues close to their hearts and utilize their professional skills to advance efforts for the greater good. Women of Color interviewed two such women who have made volunteering an integral part of their lives. Tracey Hughes Tracey Hughes’ indomitable spirit is evidenced by her goal of running half-marathons in all 50 states by the end of next year. She’s already completed marathons in 34 states. A manager of cyber risk at Deloitte & Touche, a multinational professional services firm, Hughes spends a great deal of her time traveling the country identifying cyber risks and helping clients protect their most valuable assets against cyberattacks. As satisfying as the work can be professionally, Hughes is not content with using her knowledge and education solely for the benefit of the corporate world. She’s focused her determination on helping young people better understand computers, computing, hacking, and the opportunities in STEM fields. She started Techy Ten, a charitable organization, in 2015 to introduce children and teens to technology and “close the technology skill gap.” The group offers monthly interactive computer coding and technology workshops. Among the activities, Hughes leads the children through: • • • •
Hacker attack game Game design coding Dissecting a computer Barcode scavenger hunt
Before kicking off Techy Ten, Hughes volunteered as a technical instructor with Black Girls Code as well as helped to launch a STEM program through her church’s nonprofit arm. However, she credits her parents with teaching her and her sibling always to give back. “I have a desire to give back,” said Hughes. “I have been blessed in my career.” Hughes admits that earlier in her life, she was as clueless
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WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
about STEM as are many of the young people she works with today. The Statesboro, GA native went to Claflin University in South Carolina to pursue a degree in math, but a professor took her under his wing and introduced her to computer science. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in math and computer science, she pursued and attained master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Tennessee and business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hughes, who has also volunteered to judge cyber competitions and helped organize community service day activities for Deloitte & Touche, said it’s not difficult for those with a desire to help others to get involved by making financial donations or volunteering, even if their time is limited. Most nonprofits welcome people with technical or subject matter expertise, but also those who are willing to pitch in handling administrative or general tasks, she said. Her nonprofit’s website—techyten.org—appeals to volunteers of all skill levels. “Technical and non-technical opportunities are available for our monthly coding workshops.” Gihan Oraby Gihan Oraby has her hands in numerous volunteer efforts, most having to do with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Her goals are twofold: give young people a better understanding of STEM and give them, especially young girls, the opportunity to see a MuslimAmerican woman who’s built her career around it. Oraby currently serves as chief of staff of the U.S. Army’s Weapons & Software Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ It’s part of the Combat Capabilities Development Command, United States Army Futures Command (AFC). She’s been a member of the Army for 17 years. Oraby regularly visits classrooms independently, and with groups she’s associated with, to better familiarize young people with the joys and diversity of working in STEM. Seven years ago, she initiated Introduce a Girl to Engineering, a science fair in which girls are shown aspects of chemical engineering, propulsion, modeling
www.womenofcolor.online
Many professional women don’t think twice about giving
back and volunteering to
support and lead initiatives that benefit others. her daughter’s robotics team and been a speaker at her children’s schools “even if it’s not my children’s class.” “I am on a call-as-needed basis,” she explained. Top: Tracey Hughes, manager of cyber risk, Deloitte & Touché; Bottom: Gihan Oraby, chief of staff, U.S. Army’s Weapons & Software Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ
and simulation, and more. Most recently, in February 2019, more than 120 girls, along with parents, chaperones, and educators, took part. Another initiative she was involved in launching was Introduce a Teen to Engineering, an event that was designed for middle school-age students and included a half-day tour of the arsenal and exposure to 3D printing, packaging, and manufacturing facilities. At the event, young people can talk to engineers about what they do daily as well as have hands-on experiences. She’s a former president of Women in Defense—Picatinny Chapter. Among Women in Defense’s outreach efforts are educating girls about STEM and raising money for scholarships, and it is a current board member of DreamGirls Initiative, a STEM outreach effort. The mother of four (a high schooler, a middle schooler, and two children younger than 5) said she’s also coached
www.womenofcolor.online
Oraby earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical/computer engineering from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in engineering management from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. One of the reasons Oraby is so passionate about talking to students and encouraging them is that she said children aren’t always made aware of the “amazing” career opportunities and work challenges that exist in STEM. She recalled that she was a young mom in her early 20s who only went into engineering because she had a fondness for and aptitude in math and science, and her father told her she was well suited for the field. “I wish I had known that when I was taking apart my mom’s vacuum,” she said. Oraby, who wears a hijab, said it’s important for her to be a familiar presence to whom young Muslim girls can relate. “I want other Muslim girls to know it’s okay,” said Oraby of her appearance and being confident to show that she’s successful in her career and committed to her faith.
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A BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERYONE We look forward to seeing you at 2019 Women of Color (WOC) STEM Conference! What an excellent opportunity for you to network and grow. We are seeking next-generation talent to join our collaborative global team. Raytheon is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. We’re comprised of 67,000 employees and in 2018 we had sales of $25 billion. Alongside an array of full-time opportunities, we offer robust internships, co-ops and Leadership Development Program roles – all of which offer the training, development and experiences you need to stand out and change the world. Raytheon embraces diverse perspectives and values the role we all play in our shared vision. We want you to be a part of the innovative solutions that make the world a safer place. Raytheon recruiters will be conducting interviews and issuing Employment Letters of Intent. We look forward to meeting you at the WOC STEM Conference, Booth #104.
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GLOBAL SISTERS IN INNOVATION
by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com
Building the Next Chapter in South Africa’s Electrification
Moreblessing Chipango, Davina Ramadhin, and Miché van Rensburg, all employees of a Black woman-owned electrical engineering company in South Africa, are in the news for making a difference in their communities. The three women are leading the charge at Norconsult Iyanda, according to Kojo Essah for IT News Africa.
“W
e’re very proud to be employers of these young women who are part of the next generation of cutting-edge engineers who will shape the future,” said Thuli Njapha, managing director of Norconsult Iyanda.
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WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
L to R: Moreblessing Chipango, Miché van Rensburg, and Davina Ramadhin, Norconsult Iyanda
“A lot of work needs to be done to shift attitudes within the sector. There is a gap between junior and senior women engineers. While the number of junior engineers shows aptitude, often men making hiring decisions tend to choose men over women more times than not. But we are actively focused on changing and improving this perception,” Njapha said. Societal stereotypes, gender bias, exclusion from the “boys’ club,” and unsupportive managers are just a few hurdles women face in the workplace. As South Africa works to increase access to electricity (35 percent of households in 1990 to 84 percent in 2011, according to StatsSa), Eskom, the largest producer of electricity in Africa, and other utilities need wellqualified staff and a good infrastructure supplying a very energy-intensive economy. According to the Energy Research Center at the University of Cape Town, over 5.2
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million households and more than 12,000 schools have been connected to the grid. Free Basic Electricity was introduced in 2004 to help poor households afford to use electricity. Norconsult Iyanda provides planning, design, commissioning, testing, and project management services for industrial electrical projects. The company, formerly known as Iyanda Power Technologies, changed its name to Norconsult Iyanda (Pty) Ltd. in March 2011. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Norconsult Iyanda operates as a subsidiary of Norconsult AS. One of the few women in her field in South Africa, Rensburg has been with Norconsult Iyanda for eight years.“I come in between the concept and the building or installation. One of the most important aspects of my job is working with and understanding the needs of the engineer whose concept design I have to turn into plans. I am also involved in setting up projects as well as ensuring quality assurance of all drawings within Norconsult Iyanda,” Rensburg told IT News Africa. Chipango and Ramadhin are currently working on their professional registration with the Engineering Council of South Africa. “At Norconsult, I am doing what I love and giving back at the same time. Working on electrification programs means that I have to investigate how people live, what their needs are. I then design electrical systems to meet their needs. These are my people I am helping; my grandmother lives in a rural area. Bringing electricity to these rural communities gives me great satisfaction. It changes people’s lives,” Chipango told IT News Africa. Ramadhin joined Norconsult Iyanda after earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Howard College in KwaZulu-Natal . She recently returned from a working trip to the Czech Republic, where she learned about the latest trends in switchgear, the technology used to protect important parts of substations. Ramadhin was part of a group of technicians and engineers who took on a project to conduct a factory acceptance test at the ABB facilities for a project that Norconsult Iyanda is currently working on. ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies. They produce circuit breakers, switchgear, capacitors, instrument transformers, power distribution, and traction transformers, as well as a complete range of medium-voltage products.
we are capable,” Chipango told ITN. “We want girls to know that there is no such thing as male-only jobs. We can all do whatever it is we want to do,” Chipango said. Chipango also urged young women to “aim high. In the past, women were encouraged to choose what some may consider soft subjects—like the arts. Today, I hope that girls know they can be whatever it is they want to be,” Ramadhin added.
How the first woman in the history of South Africa’s oil industry to head a multinational company deals with challenges Bafelelang Priscillah Mabelane has served as CEO, BP Southern Africa Pty Ltd since September 2017. She previously served as a CFO, BP Southern Africa. The company provides fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, and lubricants. Mabelane is the first woman in the history of South Africa’s oil industry to head a multinational company. Before joining BP, Mabelane held executive roles in large South African companies, including Airports Company, where she was the CFO; Ernst & Young, where she was a tax director; and Eskom Holdings Limited, where she held various roles in finance, tax, and general management. A chartered accountant, she earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. “I didn’t have a 20-year plan, but I knew I wanted to end up in the C-suite,” she told Charlotte Mathews in a 2017 interview for business live.co.za. Mabelane also told Fin24 that she does “not want to be a special story ... I want to be an example to women that it is possible,” she said. “I have dealt with perceptions and challenges, but what has made these worse is the fact that I am not only a woman but also Black. In South African culture, we still have a long way to go,” said Mabelane, a mother of two. Mabelane’s advice to others wishing to make it big in business is not to be afraid of making mistakes or even shedding tears. “I have made so many mistakes in my career. I do the same in my personal life because I am no different from anyone else. However, I do not view my mistakes as failures, but as learning opportunities.”
“We have to work harder to prove ourselves and to show
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ARMY TRAILBLAZER Shares Her Proven Leadership Principles
Lieutenant General Gwen Bingham
“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care,” is a quote that Lt. Gen. Gwen Bingham often says to make a point about leadership. “As a leader in the Army, I have gone out of my way to make everyone feel like a valuable member of the team,” she said. “When you can come to work and feel like you are appreciated and valued — you feel included. I think it’s so powerful. Inclusion is what helps make people strive to be relevant and value-added within an organization.” For the past three years, Bingham served as the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. She has led a staff of 300 military and civilian employees dedicated to improving the quality of life for 2.5 million Soldiers, Civilians and their family members assigned around the world.
Department of Defense photo by Marvin Lynchard
She and members of Team ACSIM develop guidance, administer resourcing for the installation portfolio, and provide expertise and advocacy for all Army infrastructure and installation services to enable Total Army readiness. “Improvements in quality of life for our men and women and their Families is our focus each and every day,” Bingham said. “I think when we do this well, our Soldiers, Civilians and Families really prosper.” Bingham became the U.S. Army Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management in June 2016 and was the first female general officer to take over as the adviser on installation matters to Army senior leadership in the Pentagon. She is one of only two African American female lieutenant generals in the Army. Her path to becoming one of the Army’s top women started in 1981 when she was commissioned as a second
lieutenant after graduating from the University of Alabama. Many of Bingham’s leadership principles were learned from her father, an Army medic who retired as a first sergeant, and her mother, who dared Bingham to dream and dream big. “I believe we are all products of our environment and experiences; our upbringing and values play integral roles in how we see the world we live in,” she said. Throughout her 38 years in the Army, Bingham has pursued — and achieved — dream after dream. She was the first woman to serve as garrison commander of Fort Lee, Virginia. As a general officer, she became the first woman ever to serve as the Army’s Quartermaster General. Promotion provided her the opportunity to become the first woman to command White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Bingham also served as the first woman to serve as commanding general of U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Michigan. From the day when a young lieutenant said she would serve in the Army for four years and not a day more, Bingham has dedicated herself to serving proudly and improving opportunities for other women and men to follow. “I’ve used all opportunities in my own life to coach, teach, train and encourage others. I tell people not to let anyone steal your joy or steal your dreams. If you can conceive it and believe it, with hard work, you can achieve it,” she said. As leaders move higher in an organization, they tend to interact with people less often, she said. Rank often creates barriers to communication, and separation from people hurts organizational cohesion. “As a leader, I strive to make sure I remain empathetic and connected with people, regardless of their race, gender or any other characteristic of the diverse population within the Department of Defense. Leaders should pull people together rather than drive them apart,” Bingham said.
Bingham said. “Successful leaders are calm and positive. They promote teamwork versus competition, and instill confidence.” Successful leaders also instill trust. “T-R-U-S-T — it’s a short word, but a very powerful word,” Bingham said. “We as leaders must concern ourselves with trust every day. I often use the word trust because I believe that it’s at the core of that which we want to have within any organization.” “Going hand-in-hand with trust is respect,” she added. “Treat people with respect, and they will start to respect themselves more and strive to become more worthy of your respect. They will be lifted to the level of your respect,” Bingham said. The Secretary of the Army, Dr. Mark Esper, and Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, have emphasized that readiness is the top Army priority. “In so many ways, I personally believe that diversity and inclusion are powerful characteristics that enable readiness of the force. In the end, diversity is a game changer and the key to enabling readiness,” Bingham said. She explained that diversity is an essential element for a modern Army to remain a ready force and encourage personal pride. Inclusion is another key characteristic for a ready force, she added. “The Army is similar to a masterfully woven quilt. Each quilt is comprised of unique and individual squares. These squares represent the Soldiers, Civilians and their Families, and each square has a story to tell. Once the quilt is assembled, the Army shows its strength as a unified force,” she said. Teamwork is the foundation of a unified force, and Bingham likes to tell everyone, “Together, Everyone Achieves More!” Bingham has developed techniques for countering the high operational tempo environment of the Pentagon and her previous positions. She recommends everyone find ways to stay healthy in their daily lives.
Leaders provide examples of behaviors — good and bad — that are emulated by members of an organization.
Her top three axioms for a long and rewarding life and career are:
“Others are looking to us to see what ‘right’ looks like,” she said. “We demonstrate what right looks like with our words, deeds and actions. When we pay attention to our young people and impress them with our actions and words, they will be more likely to model their performance after ours. Look in the mirror. Do you like the view? Exploit your strengths as a leader.”
Pace: Life is a marathon not a sprint! Ensure to adopt an active fitness regimen.
“Good leaders set the tone for the organization,”
“Date night:” Remember who is important. Make time for your spouse or significant other. Balance: Find balance between your professional and personal life.
PA SSI NG TH E TORCH
PASSING THE TORCH 2018 Technologist of the Year Learns the Value of Sharing Her Story When given a chance to talk about her career, Donna Bell doesn’t gloss over the many bumps in the road she’s encountered. She’s now flying high as chief technology officer, chief of staff, and director of research operations at Ford Motor Company in Detroit, MI. However, she hasn’t forgotten those dismal days early in her career when she felt left out of the inner circle among colleagues and not given an opportunity to be a fully respected, acknowledged, and appreciated member of the team. She remembers when she wanted to quit.
area pre-college young men who asked tough questions and even tougher follow-up questions. After one of her speeches, Bell was approached by a young woman with tears in her eyes who said she had been thinking about dropping out of engineering school. After hearing what Bell had gone through and overcome, the young woman said Bell’s words were motivating and made her stronger. “I am not giving up,” the woman told her. Bell said young people interested in charting their paths to success in STEM should be introspective. “You have to self-reflect. Know your strengths,” she stresses. “You have to develop a plan.”
“At times, I wanted out,” said Bell, who worked at Dow Chemical Company for three years as an engineer before starting her more than 25-year career at Ford. She said she changed her thinking about her co-workers, choosing to stop thinking of them as her competition.
Bell said she regularly updates her plan and shares it with a few select people. It’s also important to share one’s plan with people who one trusts and who will tell that individual the truth about their strengths and weaknesses. She recommends thinking about one’s end goals. Without a plan, Bell said those trying to make accomplishments in life “may end up anywhere.”
“You are your only competition,” is what she told herself. “Whatever you do, do it two times better.”
Bell also advises the up and coming not to forget others.
Last year, Bell was recognized for her achievements and honored with the Women of Color in STEM Conference’s Technologist of the Year award. She called being bestowed with the award “amazing” and the pinnacle of her career. “I look back over the years and the amount of effort I’ve put into my work…I never really thought it would get me awarded such an honor.”
“Make sure you reach back. It’s not always about you,” she said. Bell said maintaining ties to the community is especially important both for the community and for oneself. Career progression will likely mean significant increases in income, power, and influence, which can also be used to benefit others as well as oneself, she said. “It also gives you a higher purpose,” she said.
It’s been a heady year for Bell, who describes herself as a “quiet” individual who usually puts “her head down” and focuses on her work, and not accolades. “I am more of a thinker,” she said.
Serving as Technologist of the Year made Bell realize the impact she could have on others and how sharing her journey could help inspire individuals.
She called receiving the top Women of Color in STEM recognition of an “out-of-body experience.” Asked what the year has entailed as Technologist of Year, Bell said: “Wow, there’s been so much.”
“My story can help other people. I never really thought about that. They can learn. They can grow,” she said. “This year, I had the ah-ha moment. I can sit down and help someone navigate their career.
In addition to the multiple requests for speaking engagements, she was asked to be a panelist at the Center of Science and Industry, a moderator at a BEYA event, and more. Bell spoke highly of the many students she interacted with, such as the 200 middle school students at the BEYA Conference and 30 Detroit
“If I share my story, things I have done to change the way I think about things, it’s motivating and a tool for other people to leverage.”
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She also said that being awarded Technologist of the Year has
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by Gale Horton Gay
had a domino effect. She was also recognized in August with an Outstanding Technical Contributions Award by the National Society of Black Engineers. Bell suggests that the 2019 Technologist of the Year, Pamela McCauley, Ph.D., steel herself for what she predicts will be a transformative experience. “My tip for her is to hold on for this ride. People who hear her stories will want her to share it with others. Be ready for the influx of requests about to come her way.”
Bell said maintaining ties to the community is especially important both for the community and for oneself. Career progression will likely mean significant increases in income, power, and influence, which can also be used to benefit others as well as oneself. “Make sure you reach back. It’s not always about you,” she said.
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PAMELA MCCAULEY, PH.D., C.P.E. Program Director for NSF’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps), National Science Foundation (NSF) Professor & Director, IEMS Ergonomics Lab, University of Central Florida
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www.womenofcolor.online
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THE
2019 TECH NOLOG I S T OF TH E YE AR
2019
by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com
T E C H N O LO G I ST OF THE YEAR
One day in July, we spoke to the National Science Foundation (NSF) program director and University of Central Florida Industrial Engineering and Management Systems professor, Pamela McCauley. We talked about the challenges women face in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and what can be done.
“W
ow, what a great story,” said Dr. McCauley when we mentioned Erica Alfaro. In case you missed it, Alfaro posed in cap and gown beside her parents in the fruit fields where they work during commencement season 2019. Erica became a mother when she was 15, but signed up for a home-school program and went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education from San Diego State University this May. Erica wants to be a school counselor and serve as an example for young women who became mothers at an early age.
‘Epitome of Success’ When McCauley won a 1989 Student Leadership award, one of her many honors, she was an undergrad in the University of Oklahoma’s industrial engineering department. In the ’89 award citation, McCauley was lauded for landing a $90,000 NSF grant, which helped helped finance her master’s degree and a doctorate in 1993. However, life hadn’t been easy for McCauley since becoming a teen mom. “In the face of financial despair, single parenting, and academic hopelessness,” she wrote in a magazine, “somehow, the light would find its way through.” While her parents were her biggest cheerleaders, encouragement sometimes came from unexpected places. “Aha, I know where I’ve seen you,” one steakhouse customer said to McCauley once. “You were on campus, walking in a tan suit. When I saw you, I thought ‘There goes the epitome of success.’” During her sophomore year, McCauley listened to a talk on
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the benefits of graduate school, hosted by the Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering’s executive director, Dr. Howard Adams. The lecture planted seeds of hope, offering McCauley inspiration to pursue a Ph.D. in industrial engineering. To date, the National GEM Consortium has graduated over 3,000 men and women, including over 200 with doctorates in the physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering. Speaking of her own role as a mentor to female and minority engineering students in 1991, McCauley said, “I’ve already sold my students on graduate school. We’re making changes, slowly but surely.” During her undergraduate years at the University of Oklahoma, McCauley never had a female engineering professor of any race. By 1997, McCauley was already bumping up against the ceiling.
‘Bumping up against the ceiling’ After completing her industrial engineering doctorate with the aid of an NSF fellowship, she became the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in engineering in the state of Oklahoma. During her almost three-decade-long career, she has spent a good part of it as a professor at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She is currently director of the Ergonomics Laboratory in UCF’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems. On the phone in July, Dr. McCauley said receiving the NSF fellowship changed her life. With the NSF behind her, she “began to get additional opportunities, additional access,” she
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2019 TECH NOLOG I S T OF TH E YE AR
“I’m excited by the NSF’s 10 big ideas. Seeding innovation, harnessing the data revolution, and the future of work at the human-technology frontier are but a few of these ideas that will bring people together to solve global problems.” said. “Today, as a researcher for 26 years, I’ve received funding from NASA, DoD (Department of Defense), the World Bank, and private corporations. However, primary funding from the National Science Foundation allowed me to create innovative solutions, fund my graduate students, and solve important problems.” But it wasn’t always smooth sailing. In a 1997 magazine interview on equity in STEM, she spoke of how tiring it can get having to justify her presence, even as an accomplished researcher with a Ph.D. “It’s imperative that we get more minority women...get to the point that we get advanced degrees and get on the other side of the podium to encourage others. If we’re going to make a difference, we’ve got to be in position,” she said.
‘Transforming STEM with the NSF and giving back’ Dr. McCauley has authored over 100 technical papers, book chapters, conference proceedings, four books, and the bestselling ergonomics textbook, Ergonomics: Foundational Principles, Applications, and Technologies. She has the distinction of being a 2012 U.S. Fulbright Scholar for her U.S.New Zealand Human Engineering and Mobile Technology in High Consequence Emergency Management Research Program focused on biomechanics, human factors, and ergonomic design. During the 2015-2016 term, the State Department awarded Dr. McCauley the Jefferson Science Fellowship, a distinguished appointment given to senior academics based on their stature in scientific or engineering communities and their ability to understand scientific advancements outside their discipline area to effectively integrate this knowledge into U.S. Department of State/USAID policy discussions. “I had such a great awakening with the United States Department of State,” she said as keynote speaker during a recent technology summit. “I was in Africa three times, and Thailand, and was able to see how very simple innovations can impact a community, a village, and even a country.” Dr. McCauley was also tapped by the United Nations to serve as a global expert on women in STEM, and by the World Bank to study the use of industrial engineering techniques to 32 ‹
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promote sustainability of HIV/AIDS healthcare service delivery in developing nations. “Whether it’s in the academic environment, corporate environment, government, or public policy, we need to get the message out,” she said in one seminar.” Expectations are different today. It’s important to understand innovation on a national, international, and personal level. Diverse groups are needed to create solutions and solve problems that we can all use.” More recently, after a nationwide search, Dr. McCauley was selected to lead the NSF I-Corps Program in the Computer Information Science and Engineering Directorate. The I-Corps program prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory. “I feel like I have gone full circle with NSF,” she said in July. “It’s so rewarding to be an NSF program director, where I can give back. NSF is still giving to me. As an I-Corps program director, I reach out to the academic community and scientific community—helping to shift us from being researchers to also becoming innovators and entrepreneurs.” Many of Dr. McCauley’s diversity and innovation talks draw from her book: Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation: Inspiration and Strategies for Women, which examines the need for leadership and innovation in America, particularly among women and STEM professionals. Dr. McCauley says the book was inspired by a keen awareness of the economic and societal impact of the high percentage of women leaving their STEM jobs by mid-career—52 percent. In fact, in the United States alone, approximately 3,000 Ph.D.trained women leaving STEM fields results in an economic loss of $1.5 billion per year. Dr. McCauley considers the departure of women in STEM to be one of the greatest human capital crises in America. She is dedicated to offering innovative solutions to women and organizations seeking to recruit, retain, and advance talented women in STEM. Dr. McCauley’s research has also focused on human engineering in information systems. She has looked at the human impact on information security and how humans interact with technology www.womenofcolor.online
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
as it relates to disaster management. She has also created simulations and technologies to streamline high-consequence disaster management using artificial intelligence (AI). “I’m excited by the NSF’s 10 big ideas that will impact most significantly,” she said. “Seeding innovation, harnessing the data revolution, and the future of work at the human-technology frontier are but a few of these ideas that will bring people together to solve global problems.”
Equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the awardwinning device can treat about 50 liters of water per charge. Moreover, in just 45 seconds, a smiley face will let you know that your water is safe to drink. Otherwise, a frowning face will indicate that the process needs to be repeated.
The 2019 Technologist of the Year Award means the world to Dr. McCauley, who has been a part of the program since 1996 and emceed events where “some of the brightest minds” have received awards. “It’s humbling,” she said. “I do know how, in that position, we can be an inspiration, a source of encouragement, and empowering to other women. It’s truly the greatest honor I’ve had in my career.”
T I P S A N D A DV I C E
www.womenofcolor.online
•
Have a goal. Create a plan. Work hard. Have mentors.
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Make STEM real and relevant every day.
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A community college is a great place to begin.
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Dream big and see beyond your world.
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Be careful who you associate with. Keep going. Let your challenges inspire you.
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Be an unapologetic advocate for women in STEM.
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Include women and minorities as part of the STEM story.
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Be excited about the work that you do. You matter.
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Give back. Mentor. Show support. Pay it back. Help others achieve all they can be or do.
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Live your best life.
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
by Lango Deen and Jessica Rafaeil
MEET THE 2019
WOMEN OF COLOR
AWARDEES More than 50 extraordinary women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are recognized as award winners this year, including the 2019 Technologist of the Year, Dr. Pamela McCauley, the program director for the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps at the University of Central Florida. Dr. McCauley is praised for her many accomplishments in STEM education and noted for her work with the NSF, which highlights her innovation in biomechanics, industrial engineering, ergonomics, and human factors in disaster management research. Alongside executives from the USDA Forest Service, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon on the career achievement list are military officers defending the United States at home and abroad. Award winners at the Air Force Research Laboratory are in the professional achievement and managerial leadership categories, as are executives from General Motors, The Boeing Company, and United Technologies Corporation - Pratt & Whitney. Other award categories recognize exceptional careers in government and industry, and actions that have energized both corporations and communities alike, including the work of an associate professor from Miami Dade College, which has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any college or university in the country. 36 ‹
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Technologist of the Year Pamela McCauley, Ph.D., C.P.E.
Community Service in Industry Delilah Nuñez
Program Director for NSF’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps) National Science Foundation Professor & Director, IEMS Ergonomics Lab University of Central Florida
Senior Project Engineer The Aerospace Corporation
Career Achievement in Government Major Kelly Ann Giraud
Chief of Staff and Business Integration Leader to Senior Vice President, Engineering, Modifications & Maintenance, Boeing Global Services The Boeing Company
Deputy Branch Chief, Robotics Headquarters, Department of the Army G8
Career Achievement in Government Leslie A. C. Weldon Chief Executive for Work Environment and Performance Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Career Achievement in Industry Dionne Henry Program Chief Engineer, Operational Commercial Engines Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company
Career Achievement in Industry Patricia L. Martin Senior Manager, Systems Engineering Raytheon
Community Service in Government Tina Johna Terrell Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Community Service in Industry Adriana Ocampo
Corporate Responsibility Monika Panpaliya Senior Director of Information Technology The Boeing Company
Diversity Leadership in Government Catalina Martinez Regional Program Manager, Office of Ocean Exploration and Research National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Diversity Leadership in Industry Naomie Baptiste Program Management–Subcontract Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation
Educational Leadership - CollegeLevel Promotion of Education Elodie V. Billionniere, Ph.D. Associate Professor Miami Dade College
Lifetime Achievement Award Terry Barclay President & CEO Inforum www.womenofcolor.online
24 Managerial Leadership in Government Segrid Harris Chief, Materials Integrity Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory U.S. Air Force
Managerial Leadership in Government Felicia Nichelle Williams Division Director, Acquisition & Procurement, Code 6.1.4, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast U.S. Navy
Managerial Leadership in Industry Sandra McNeil Global Manufacturing Chief Engineer, Corvette & Compact/ Midsize SUVs General Motors
Managerial Leadership in Industry Buba Turner Director, Boeing Global Services, IT & Digital Analytics Boeing Information Technology The Boeing Company
New Media/IT Leadership Tsutsumi Sophia Bright
Pioneer Award Manali Sapre
Special Recognition Sheilon King
Director, Engineering Quicken Loans
Director, Data Insights , Chief Data4 Office AT&T
President’s Award Tonya Berry
LaShan Bonaparte
Vice President of Operations Performance Consumers Energy
Professional Achievement in Government Jamese Sims, Ph.D. Senior Physical Scientist, Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Professional Achievement in Government Lieutenant Jacqueline Fitch Operations Officer U.S. Coast Guard
Professional Achievement in Industry Francisca Kokui Adesokan
IT Senior Director, HR and Corporate Systems The Boeing Company
Associate Director, CIPT Leader, Geared Turbo Fan Engineering Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company
Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government Carla Cotwright-Williams, Ph.D.
Professional Achievement in Industry Tresha Lacaux
Chief, Data & AI, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC)Pentagon Department of Defense
Chief Engineer, Commercial Airplanes Structures Analysis The Boeing Company
Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government Jessica J. Marquez, Ph.D. Human Systems Engineer NASA Ames Research Center
Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry Carolyn Kahn Spectrum Economist The MITRE Corporation
Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry Virginia Mayo Senior Technical Staff Member IBM www.womenofcolor.online
Technical Innovation in Industry Fereshteh Morgan Boeing Associate Technical Fellow, Software Architect and Product Manager The Boeing Company
Technical Innovation in Industry Cristina Ramos Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, Production Chief Engineer Raytheon
Visionary Award Dongfeng Qi, Ph.D., M.S.
Program Director, Bell 505 & 429 Bell
Jennifer Rose Executive Director, Electric Regulatory & Strategy Implementation Consumers Energy
Ales-Cia Winsley Computer Engineer, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMAE-LMO) Department of Defense
Lanette White Associate Laboratory Director Drug Enforcement Administration
Kendra Hullum-Lawson Manager – Design Engineering DTE Energy
Rashida Hodge Vice President, North America–Insurance Industry IBM
Erlene Adams Program Manager Leidos
Shanay M. Lewis Lead Engineer Missile Defense Agency
Christina Achampong Strategist National Security Agency
Sherry L. Martin, Ph.D. Senior Research Analyst U.S. Department of State
Sheila Ray, P.E. Senior Electrical Engineer U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Director, Biostatistics and Data Management, Urology and Pelvic Health Boston Scientific Corporation
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
Major Kelly Ann Giraud
Leslie A. C. Weldon
Dionne Henry
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY AWARD
Deputy Branch Chief, Robotics
Chief Executive for Work Environment and Performance
Program Chief Engineer, Operational Commercial Engines
Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture
Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company
Leslie Weldon was recently appointed as the first chief executive for Work Environment and Performance for the USDA Forest Service. This role was established by the secretary of agriculture and Forest Service chief to eliminate harassment and improve the quality of work environments. Before assuming this role, Weldon served as the deputy chief for the National Forest System. She was the lead executive responsible for policy, oversight, and direction for natural resource programs covering 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands located in 43 states and Puerto Rico, while also managing a $1.8 billion budget and a workforce of over 21,000 employees. Throughout her 38-year career with the Forest Service, Weldon has excelled as an effective and dedicated leader. She rose through the ranks of the Forest Service, from the lowest to highest levels, from field to regional to national positions. She began her career as a fisheries biologist, and soon her talent as a leader of people led to line officer, policy development, and decisionmaking positions, including district ranger, forest supervisor, regional forester, and national headquarters roles including assistant National Fisheries program manager, chief’s policy assistant, external affairs officer, and culminating in her most recent roles.
Dionne Henry is the program chief engineer for Operational Commercial Engines (OCE), the first AfricanAmerican female to earn this promotion in Pratt & Whitney’s 91-year history. One of her most important roles at the organization is that of mentor and coach, and she also serves as chair emeritus of the Engineering African American Advisory Council (EAAAC). She was recognized as an Inspirational Woman by the Pratt & Whitney Women’s Council. During her 19 years with Pratt & Whitney, she has held roles of increasing technical and engineering responsibility, from staff engineer to technical team lead, deputy general manager to aftermarket sector design manager. As director of military sustainment repair development in global services engineering, she was responsible for a team of multidisciplinary engineers in the design, development, validation, and implementation of component repair solutions for all military engines. In her current role, Henry is responsible for providing technical leadership to a matrixed engineering organization across Pratt & Whitney supporting the OCE mature engine programs. She is responsible for ensuring product safety; design quality; compliance with regulatory, customer, and program requirements; and adherence to schedule and cost for the commercial aircraft engine OCE fleet.
Headquarters, Department of the Army G8 Major Kelly Ann Giraud joined the Army in December 1999 and has served more than 20 years as a logistics specialist, signal intelligence analyst, and combat engineer. Her first assignment in March 2001 piqued her interests in technology, specifically information systems (IS). Over the last two decades, Giraud has utilized her extensive knowledge in IS to improve organizational efficiency through capability development and program management of multiple small and large systems ranging in costs from $1 million to $2 billion dollars. Major Giraud currently serves as the deputy branch chief of robotics within Headquarters, Department of the Army. She ensures robotics autonomous systems (RAS) progress seamlessly through the Army requirements, acquisition, programming, and budgeting processes that are fundamental to Army modernization. Major Giraud has overcome challenges that would deter most people, taking on roles and performing tasks in a variety of areas with no previous level of knowledge, becoming a subject matter expert in her field. Her incessant striving for excellence and thirst for knowledge have made Major Giraud a well-rounded leader and Army engineer officer. Major Giraud’s perseverance when confronted with adversity, her work ethic, and her dedication to soldiers and the mission have established a legacy that will be followed by future generations for many years to come. 38 ‹
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Patricia L. Martin
Tina Johna Terrell
Adriana Ocampo
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY AWARD
COMMUNITY SERVICE IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
COMMUNITY SERVICE IN INDUSTRY AWARD
Senior Manager, Systems Engineering
Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System
Chief of Staff and Business Integration Leader to Senior Vice President Engineering, Modifications & Maintenance, Boeing Global Services
Raytheon Patricia L. Martin currently serves as the senior manager of System Engineering for Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. She brings more than 25 years of experience in the design and development of space-based electrooptical (EO) systems for Earth remote sensing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, overhead persistent infrared (OPIR), and space exploration applications. She served as a member of the Raytheon Technical Council as a hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging subject matter expert (SME) to promote synergy and technical collaboration across all of Raytheon. She is also a recognized infrared detector SME who has led multiple successful research and development programs. She has authored and co-authored papers on hyperspectral imaging for Raytheon’s Multi-function EO Systems Technology Network, for which she won “Best Paper,” and infrared focal plane array technology for multiple military sensing symposium conferences on passive sensing and detector technology applications. Before joining Raytheon, Martin developed space experimental hardware for NASA’s United States Microgravity Laboratory that flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia to support research in fluid and combustion physics. She was one of only five people who received special recognition from the STS-73 Crew for Outstanding Crew Training and STS-73 mission support.
www.womenofcolor.online
Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture Tina Terrell has worked for the USDA Forest Service for 35 years and currently serves as the associate deputy chief for the National Forest System, where she is responsible for oversight and direction for natural resource programs covering 193 million acres of national forest and grasslands located in 43 states and Puerto Rico. She has served as the acting associate deputy chief of business operations, where she was responsible for providing leadership, guidance, oversight, and supervision to staff in the business operations deputy chief area. Terrell also served as the national director of the Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers, which encompassed supervision of 1,200 employees and a budget of approximately $140 million. As national director, Tina has made a measurable impact during her tenure by taking the Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center program to the next level focusing on performance. When she became Job Corps national director for the program, she focused on creating natural resource training programs for Job Corps students to reconnect young people to nature. In four years, she expanded opportunities for Job Corps students to learn, train, and obtain careers in natural resources. She has dedicated her career to community programs and youth outreach. She is passionate about educating young people and has inspired many to pursue careers in natural resources.
The Boeing Company Adriana Ocampo was named the business integration leader and chief of staff to the senior vice president of Boeing Global Services’ engineering, modifications, and maintenance team in 2018. With more than 22 years of industry experience, Ocampo has reached senior levels of leadership and has been recognized for her technical achievements and career wins. Most importantly, Ocampo is recognized by her industry colleagues for her tireless work through community service. She is one of the founding members of the St. Louis Professional Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and a founding member of the Boeing Hispanic Employee Network (BHEN). In 2005 and 2007, she was recognized with the Value of Diversity Award by the St. Louis Operations Diversity Evolvement Council for encouraging, enhancing, and celebrating diversity among employees, as well as enhancing Boeing’s diversity strategy. Ocampo was chosen to participate in the 2010 Boeing Enterprise Senior Executive Mentoring program. She was named a Women of Color in Technology All-Star in 2010. Other honors include the Great Minds in STEM Luminary award in 2011, and an Airport Minority Advisory Council’s award in 2015. She was nominated for the SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) award in 2017.
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
Monika Panpaliya
Catalina Martinez
Naomie Baptiste
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AWARD
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP IN INDUSTRY AWARD
Senior Director of Information Technology
Regional Program Manager, Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER)
Program Management–Subcontract Manager
The Boeing Company
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Monika Panpaliya is the senior director of digital common services for the Boeing Company. After a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering and a Master of Science degree in computer science, Panpaliya earned numerous patents as an inventor before changing course to pursue a Master of Business Administration. She began her leadership career in 2008 with several successful positions with Sprint before joining Boeing in 2013 as director for end-user infrastructure services. Within two years, she was leading a team of more than 250 as a senior director of Boeing IT International. In 2017, she was appointed executive leader for the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center in Bangalore, India, and led the buildout of a 1,000-plus-member team from the ground up within 18 months. Today, as senior director of Boeing digital common services, she leads more than 550 employees, who deliver digital transformation, data solutions, integration solutions, development toolchains, and automation products for the enterprise. Panpaliya’s cumulative experiences as an Indian woman in IT has paved the way for her groundbreaking actions in her executive role when she launched the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center in Bangalore, and motivated 200 women to join the team, built solutions to enable women safety, and created career development opportunities for women. 40 ‹
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Catalina Martinez is a regional program manager for the NOAA OER, based at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). In this role, she manages several partnerships that have been instrumental in establishing a telepresence-enabled ocean exploration program focused on exploring regions of the world’s oceans we know little or nothing about. Martinez also works on a variety of local, regional, and national efforts, targeting barriers to recruitment and retention of underrepresented individuals in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Her dedication to diversity leadership is demonstrated through her role with NOAA’s Diversity and Professional Advancement Working Group, where she engages with an impressive team on recruitment, retention, and advancement efforts NOAA-wide. Martinez consistently seeks to increase potential for life success for individuals born to challenging circumstances, and was recognized by the YWCA as one of their 2015 Women of Achievement in Rhode Island for promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity. She was honored with the URI Diversity Award for Staff/Administrator Excellence in Leadership and Service in 2010, and in 2016, she received the NOAA OAR EEO/Diversity Award for Exemplary Service for dedication to improving the representation of women and minorities in STEM.
Naomie Baptiste began her role as a program management—subcontract manager for the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) program in 2018. In this role, Baptiste leads an integrated product team and domestic and international vendors to ensure successful delivery of program execution milestones. She has key technical management and program execution responsibilities for a multidisciplinary and geographically distributed crossfunctional team. Baptiste promotes diversity leadership in demonstrated efforts to promote diversity in the approach of her organization in support of small business/supplier development. She facilitates diversity leadership in supply chain management in the selection of the best value selection in the scope of cost, schedule, and technical requirements management. For STEM pipeline recruitment efforts, she volunteers via resume and interviewing workshops to prepare collegiate students to transition to the corporate workforce through the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). In 2018, as a Black Belt, she was recognized as a National Technical Excellence Ambassador for increasing Lean Six Sigma Methodology programming in reducing waste and increasing process efficiencies in certification opportunities. When asked, Baptiste states her most rewarding experience is mentoring young women in building confidence to pursue engineering as a first-choice profession. www.womenofcolor.online
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Elodie V. Billionniere, Ph.D.
Terry Barclay
Segrid Harris
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP COLLEGE-LEVEL PROMOTION OF EDUCATION AWARD
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
Associate Professor Miami Dade College Dr. Elodie Billionniere has dedicated her career to the advancement of underrepresented groups in STEM education and careers. She joined Miami Dade College six years ago and has since become a college-wide leader in STEM, not only because of the excellent relationships she develops with her students, but also because of the mentorship and support opportunities that she creates for students across the college. She made critical contributions to the development and implementation of a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund education programs that will assist in closing the existing skills gap in STEM fields. Her effectiveness in writing grant proposals has helped the college create industry partnerships with Amazon Web Services and has helped open many doors to provide further opportunities to underserved student populations. She has been instrumental in the creation and revision of educational pathways in data analytics and enterprise cloud computing. Both programs are unique to the state of Florida and provide a means for underrepresented populations to enter high-demand and high-wage positions. Her work has had a profound impact on promoting diversity on campus through a monthly STEMinar series and interdisciplinary collaboration with other STEM faculties to increase self-efficacy in math and science.
www.womenofcolor.online
President & CEO Inforum Terry Barclay is CEO of Inforum, the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Michigan and one of the few in the country designed to help women accelerate their careers and companies boost talent initiatives. Founded in 1962 as the Women’s Economic Club, Inforum has served as a pioneer for the advancement of women in business by giving them a place to learn, network, support each other, and find speaking opportunities. Since joining Inforum as CEO in 2001, Barclay has expanded the organization’s offerings to include research-based leadership development training and initiatives to serve women entrepreneurs and support existing K-16 STEM programs with women role models. Inforum inGAGE™ has supported 111 new and emerging woman-owned companies who have created 42 new companies, employ 405, and have generated more than $66 million in funding and government contracts. In 2018, she was inducted into the Michigan Business Women Hall of Fame. She has also been recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of Michigan’s 100 Most Influential Women. She also is an active angel investor in tech startups. Prior to Inforum, Barclay served as SVP and chief external affairs officer for Hospice of Michigan and was vice president of university relations for Oakland University.
Chief, Materials Integrity Branch , Air Force Research Laboratory U.S. Air Force Segrid Harris currently serves as the Materials Integrity branch chief at the Air Force Research Laboratory located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. She plans, directs, and administers the exploratory development and systems support efforts of the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate in the areas of structural, electrical, adhesive, and composite material evaluation. She leads a team of 60 highly technical, junior and senior civilian, military, and contractor engineers and scientists in providing quick-reaction material failure analysis to Air Force acquisition and sustainment communities. She is a results-driven leader who guides her team in developing and transitioning technology solutions that improve Air Force operational readiness, extend the useful life for weapon systems and equipment, and keep aerospace systems flying safely. In addition to supporting fielded Air Force systems, Harris has led her team in providing material and process engineering consultation and support to the National Transportation Safety Board, the Department of Justice, NASA, the Air Force Safety Center, other services, federal agencies, and industries. She ensures future Air Force systems are safe by influencing industry standards through her team’s membership on the committees of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and the Aerospace Material Specification (AMS).
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MITRE
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
Felicia Nichelle Williams
Sandra McNeil
Buba Turner
MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP IN INDUSTRY AWARD
MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP IN INDUSTRY AWARD
Division Director, Acquisition & Procurement, Code 6.1.4, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE)
Global Manufacturing Chief Engineer, Corvette & Compact/Midsize SUVs
Director, Boeing Global Services, IT & Digital Analytics Boeing Information Technology
U.S. Navy Felicia Williams’ career spans 23 years of military service and 10 years as a civilian employee of the Department of the Navy. She is a retired Naval Supply Corps officer, former procurement contracting officer at Fleet Logistics Center in Jacksonville, FL, and now serving as an acquisition and procurement division director at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast. Williams has a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding new contract acquisition, sustainment execution, and closeout. Williams has provided leadership as the national lead for Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC), where she helped establish innovative procurement solutions to resolve depot product lines, and technologically dated equipment negatively impacting the command’s capacity to support new weapon systems. Her current responsibilities include managing and leading the acquisition cell for the development and formulation of the multi-agency, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. She also works closely with process engineering to define depot plan equipment and processes, with industry partners identifying equipment necessary to sustain and maintain depot operations, and with the comptroller shop to obtain the necessary funding to place on contract. She also provides management oversight to the division at FRCSE.
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General Motors Sandra McNeil is the first female African-American Global Manufacturing chief engineer at GM. In this role, she is fully accountable for the installation of innovative manufacturing equipment in 10 facilities, leading to the integration of technology and manufacturing operations, such as the all-new midengine Corvette. GM highlights her for her vision and oversight, which have led the organization to execute installations and ensure that all project metrics are achieved, including financial ones. McNeil leverages her ability to work cross-culturally and implement innovative approaches to improve problem solving efficiency for different programs across the GM regions. Her ability to succeed in a global, crossfunctional team is a testament to her effectiveness as a diverse, multicultural leader. Her leadership has impacted her peers as well, as she is always seeking ways to optimize processes and shares productivity tools with Manufacturing Engineering and Operations. She is dedicated to ensuring that manufacturing will continue to be a strong career choice and works to fill the professional pipeline with qualified candidates, especially encouraging young women and minorities. Her success is an example of the accomplishments you can achieve when you are technically capable and can lead others.
The Boeing Company Buba Turner brings more than 18 years of experience in software development, managing vendors, supplier relationships, and building and leading teams. As a director, IT Business Partners of Boeing Global Services, she is responsible for digital solutions and analytics, training and professional services and U.S. government services, introduces new IT capabilities, and educates business units about the latest IT innovations. Turner is responsible for the success of the organization through leadership, growth, and innovation. Since joining Jeppesen, a Boeing subsidiary, she has held positions of increasing responsibility. As a director of software engineering, she was responsible for a budget of $23 million and a software development team of more than 120 employees and 63 contracted employees around the world. She was responsible for the in-flight services product development portfolio and led the development of multiple programs such as the FliteDeck Mobile Solutions, Jeppesen Integrated Operator, Boeing EFB Applications, Airbus EFB Applications, and FliteDeck Advisor. Understanding the global nature of the business led her to implement a sourcing strategy that resulted in cost savings of more than $6 million through automation and lower-cost resources. Her teams have been recipients of several Commercial Aviation Services (CAS) Service Excellence Awards as well as the Project Management Best Practices (PMBP) Hallmark Award. www.womenofcolor.online
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Tsutsumi Sophia Bright NEW MEDIA/IT LEADERSHIP AWARD IT Senior Director, HR and Corporate Systems The Boeing Company Tsutsumi Sophia Bright got her start in 1996 as a space flight train instructor with United Space Alliance, where she instructed astronauts, cosmonauts, and flight controllers. She then worked as a software verification manager on a multi-million-dollar commercial software project. From 1998 to 2005, she returned to work on the International Space Station as a systems integrator, providing mission support for the Guidance, Navigation & Control system. She led NASA and Boeing teams to determine flight software changes, content, and release schedules. For the next six years, Bright made a foray into military programs as a lead system engineer, Training Systems & Government Services (TSGS). She was the program manager for the Japan Apache Combat Simulator program at the development facility in Utsunomiya, Japan, before she transitioned into the role of manager of P-BA Mission Trainer Integration and Test. Next, she became an interim program manager, Commercial Crew Transportation System with TSGS. She drew upon her experience as a space flight training instructor to develop a training needs analysis product in half the normal time. She has been recognized with several awards, including Group Achievement Awards presented by a NASA Customer for SIGI R2 Development and the 5A-US Lab Deployment & GN&C Activation (2004), Team Awards for the P8 Roadmap Team, among others.
www.womenofcolor.online
Carla CotwrightWilliams, Ph.D. OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN GOVERNMENT AWARD Chief, Data & AI, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC)-Pentagon Department of Defense Dr. Carla Cotwright-Williams is a senior data scientist with the Department of Defense (DoD). She is currently detailed to the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), the DoD Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence that provides expertise to help the department harness the power of AI. When she joined the JAIC in 2019, she was one of the first data scientists to work in the center and has helped to develop data and AI standards. In a short amount of time, she has advanced the mission and focus of the JAIC. Before joining the DoD, Dr. CotwrightWilliams did academic research with NASA on random graphs, their direct relationship with graphical model that encodes probabilistic relationships, and autonomous vehicles. Additionally, her work with the U.S. Navy involved research in statistical measures of uncertainty to create information security and cryptologic techniques for use with data integrity problems. She was the first African American to be awarded the American Mathematical Society (AMS) Congressional Fellowship, which is part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Fellowship program. During her time on Capitol Hill, she served as a congressional staffer on the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, reporting to and advising the committee chairs on policy changes.
Jessica J. Marquez, Ph.D. OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN GOVERNMENT AWARD Human Systems Engineer NASA Ames Research Center Jessica Marquez, Ph.D. serves as the lead for the Scheduling & Planning Interface for Exploration (SPIFe) team and discipline scientist for HumanAutomation-Robotic Integration. She is principal investigator and co-investigator in several research projects while still contributing as technical advisor in committees, review panels, and external NASA grants. She is also one of the few females and employees of color on the teams. She is a subject matter expert and a key person at NASA Ames for questions related to International Space Station (ISS) mission operations practices, particularly for planning and scheduling. Marquez is nationally recognized for her professional contributions in developing tools for people who support human space exploration, including trainers, flight controllers, and astronauts. In 2014, she was awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for support of NASA missions. She also received the Ames ISS Space Flight Awareness Award for participation in and support of multiple ISS software development projects. Most notably, she was selected as one of the “20 Most Influential Latinos in Tech” by CNET En Español. Marquez is also involved in her community, frequently mentoring students in pursuit of STEM degrees and careers.
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
Carolyn Kahn
Virginia Mayo
Manali Sapre
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN INDUSTRY AWARD
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION IN INDUSTRY AWARD
PIONEER AWARD
Spectrum Economist
Senior Technical Staff Member
The MITRE Corporation
IBM
As MITRE’s spectrum economist, Carolyn Kahn works within the Center for Acquisition and Management Science. Colleagues recognize Kahn as a renowned expert on the economics and policy of the radio spectrum, strictly regulated by national laws. Kahn has dedicated much of her career to this resource used by military and civilian stakeholders to power their wireless telecommunications. Since joining MITRE in 1997, Kahn has made groundbreaking technical contributions by applying her knowledge of economic principles to radio spectrum challenges. Some of her contributions include working with the MITRE engineers on a 10-year effort for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). As a result of the team’s technical and economic studies and international outreach, the United States achieved worldwide consensus to gain access to an additional 1.4 gigahertz of high-quality spectrum used for flight testing for safety purposes. Her work gained international recognition and made her a leading authority on the economics of spectrum used by commercial and government organizations. Analysis by Kahn and her team also led to the establishment of the Spectrum Efficient National Surveillance Radar (SENSR) program, a cross-agency effort that provides an opportunity to use spectrum more efficiently and effectively, develop technology capabilities, and generate billions in economic value.
Virginia Mayo joined IBM after graduating from New Jersey Iinstitute of Technology with two undergraduate degrees, one in computer engineering and one in information technology. Her first major achievement was to take a disjointed program of work on security patch management and turn it into a cohesive program for IBM Global Technology Services. She introduced consistency across all clients, which allowed pooling of resources. The view was not immediately accepted since this was not the way things have “always been done,” but Mayo was persistent in her quest to power through this transformation. This work has driven savings of thousands of hours throughout the IBM corporation and continues to do so under Mayo’s leadership. Mayo has also pioneered technology improvements in server provisioning technologies. She is known for innovating new solutions to drive convergence on a best of breed global standard. All of Mayo’s innovations have delivered proven business results and supported signature client wins. Mayo was also appointed to senior technical staff member, one of the highest nonexecutive technical leadership roles in IBM. With her accomplishments, Mayo is a unique candidate for the Women of Color Peer Review Award for Technology.
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Director, Engineering Quicken Loans Manali Sapre is a director of engineering and technology at Quicken Loans and is currently leading the teams that built Rocket Mortgage, the first fully online and on-demand mortgage experience. She is responsible for the technology and software delivery of all things Rocket Mortgage Application. She joined Quicken Loans in 2005 as a software quality assurance engineer and has worked on several big and small technology projects that have helped shape the future of the mortgage industry. She played a key role in shaping the vision for the very first Digital Mortgage, taking it from concept to working software, which is now used by thousands of clients every day to make their dreams of home ownership a reality. She was also a founding member of a QL startup called Quizzle. com, a personal finance and credit management web application, which was then bought by Bankrate.com. For the past couple of years, Sapre and her team have been busy building a Rocket Mortgage API, which has enabled several B2B collaborations for doing online mortgages while generating some additional streams of revenue for QL. Sapre has an engineering degree, with a major in instrumentation engineering and also worked in India and Canada before joining QL.
www.womenofcolor.online
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Tonya Berry
Jamese Sims, Ph.D.
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AWARD
Vice President of Operations Performance Consumers Energy Tonya Berry has over 20 years of experience deploying lean methodologies across a range of industries. She was a leader in lean at Energy Federation, Chrysler, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the last five years at Consumers Energy. Berry is known for blazing new trails, assisting in the development and implementation of the lean operating system that Consumers Energy relies on every day to effectively deliver to co-workers and customers. As a result of her leadership, expertise, and ability to deliver results, Berry became Consumers Energy’s first African-American female vice president in 2018. As the vice president of Operations Performance, she is responsible for growing Consumers Energy’s data analytics sector. Lean is a familiar concept to many industries, but it is relatively new to the utility sector. Because of the lean operating system, Consumers Energy is making significant steps at an accelerated pace compared to leading companies. Berry’s ability to build relationships with the company’s union leaders and workforce has been a key component in shifting the mindset to standardize processes, fix problems, and eliminate waste. Her accomplishments have led other companies to request the opportunity to visit Consumers Energy to learn and observe its lean operation system at work. Berry’s impact at Consumers Energy has been felt throughout the company.
www.womenofcolor.online
Senior Physical Scientist, Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Dr. Jamese Sims is a senior physical scientist at the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research, where she manages interagency committees and working groups consisting of senior executive leadership to coordinate meteorological services across the Federal Weather Enterprise. Dr. Sims provides coordination to address matters related to meteorological services including operational environmental satellites, climate services, and coastal inundation. In her previous position as an algorithm engineer for NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite and Information Service (NESDIS), she directed projects that ensure satellite data is developed and transitioned into operational weather products that are essential to producing accurate weather forecasts and environmental monitoring. As a subject matter expert during the successful launch of the GOES-S satellite, Dr. Sims represented the NOAA/GOES-R Program in over 20 media interviews, including television, social media, and radio, where she has discussed the technological aspects of the satellite during launch activities. Additionally, Dr. Sims has worked with the NOAA’s Diversity and Professional Advancement Working Group, which has improved NOAA’s ability to recruit and retain a diverse group of outstanding employees. She also invests time mentoring students at Jackson State University and Howard University, her alma maters.
Lieutenant Jacqueline Fitch PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AWARD Operations Officer U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Jacqueline Fitch is the operations officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team. As the leader responsible for all personnel and operations at the Coast Guard’s premier hazardous materials and oil spill response team, her leadership has been instrumental to multiple nationallevel emergency responses over the last three years. Leading federal environmental response operations for three major hurricanes over the last two years, she has demonstrated the ability to succeed despite tremendous obstacles. Serving as the operations section chief for Hurricane Michael in Florida, Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and Hurricane Maria in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Lieutenant Fitch adapted her leadership style and pollution mitigation strategies to meet the needs of the states and communities she was assisting. Tasked with removing oil and hazardous material containers from the water and shoreline of these devastated communities, she worked for months to remove hundreds of sunken vessels. She also volunteers as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Minority Outreach Team, where she mentors cadet candidates. She continues to serve as a role model for those cadets and junior officers as they begin their exciting new Coast Guard careers.
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Heather Lyons
Engineering Supervisor
“My unyielding curiosity, passion for learning and desire to continuously improve designs are what led me to my career in engineering.”
Ad Nusrat Lubna
Senior Materials Engineer
“I have always loved solving mathmatical problems since childhood and after discovering the link between math and science in my lower education, I became more intrigued with how the subjects worked together - this is what attracted me to engineering. My diversified background in chemical, material, and mechanical engineering fields gives me a broad base of knowledge to pull from and has allowed me to thoroughly enjoy my professional journey within the industry.”
LG Chem Michigan Inc. / Tech Center (LGCMI) congratulates employees Heather Lyons and Nusrat Lubna, and all the Women of Color STEM award nominees on contributions to their professions, companies and communities. It is their dedication and innovation that will help power LGCMI into the future. If you would like to be part of our bright future, please visit www.rechargeyourfuture.com
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
Francisca Kokui Adesokan PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY AWARD Associate Director, CIPT Leader, Geared Turbo Fan Engineering Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company As associate director of engineering, Francisca Kokui Adesokan has made significant contributions to the revolutionary Geared Turbo Fan (GTF) jet engine technology that is disrupting the aerospace industry. Colleagues recognize her as a role model who is passionate about preparing the next generation of women and minority students for engineering careers. During her 10-year career at Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company, Adesokan has held positions of increasing technical responsibility from individual contributor as an entry-level engineer to an integrated product team (IPT) leader to her current managerial role leading a multidisciplinary team of over 70 engineers. She was recently selected to the high-visibility and challenging position of component integrated product team (CIPT) leader and is the only African-American female in this leadership role in an organization of over 600 engineers and 80 leaders. In her current role, she is responsible for the design and analysis of over 100 hardware to meet functional, cost, weight, and safety requirements. She is also responsible for hardware industrialization, ensuring the hardware meets quality and performance requirements in the field and managing a $15 million yearly budget. As a leader, she coaches and mentors her direct reports to reach their career potential.
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Tresha Lacaux
Fereshteh Morgan
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN INDUSTRY AWARD
TECHNICAL INNOVATION IN INDUSTRY AWARD
Chief Engineer, Commercial Airplanes Structures Analysis
Boeing Associate Technical Fellow, Software Architect and Product Manager
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Tresha Lacaux’s current position is chief engineer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Structures Analysis. Her expertise is a culmination of her success, managing large teams and budgets. Lacaux started her career at Boeing in 2006 in the field of fuselage structural analysis. Before taking on her current role, she was the senior structures leader for vehicle level analysis methods and tools. She managed more than 75 engineering and management director reports, along with a budget of $25 million. From 2014 to 2017, she was first line leader, Vehicle Level Analysis and Optimization, leading a team of 24 engineers and an $8 million budget. Lacaux is the co-inventor of a composite material with high and low thermal conductivities arranged in thick films or as an array of small particles that block the heat quantum mechanically by wave interference. Lacaux was recognized with a Black Engineer of the Year Awards—Modern Day Technology Leader award in February 2015. She has also been recognized with several Boeing awards, including the Boeing Engineering Team of the Year nomination in 2016, awards for innovations to manufacturing issues of the composite Wing-to-Body Fairing panels on the 767-2C Tanker (2011), and she was awarded for developing automation tools that saved more than $300,000 (2010).
Fereshteh Morgan is a software architect at The Boeing Company, and her work has a tremendous impact on the defense of our nation. She has spent 20 years generating cuttingedge software, technical roadmaps, and new processes to cover more than $1 billion worth of innovative products that are orbiting space, flying in the sky, stationed on the ground, and autonomously roaming our oceans. She is a distinguished Boeing associate technical fellow, a prestigious honor that puts her in the top 4 percent of the 60,000 scientists and engineers at Boeing. Morgan also serves as product manager for the Boeing Satellite Systems’ Protected Tactical Enterprise System (PTES) program, a $383 million, seven-year contract for the United States Air Force that delivers protected communications services to tactical warfighters. She is responsible for ensuring that the PTES ground station is built using an innovative blend of cloud container technology and Agile methodologies, which marks the first time this process has been included in an Air Force contract. Her technical innovations include creating a payload software architecture for Boeing’s first commercial autonomous underwater vehicle, defining a Cloud Native software architecture for the P8-A anti-submarine warfare’s acoustic processing, and creating one of the first commercially available 4D geospatial visualization toolkits.
www.womenofcolor.online
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Cristina Ramos
Dongfeng Qi, Ph.D., M.S.
Sheilon King
TECHNICAL INNOVATION IN INDUSTRY AWARD
VISIONARY AWARD
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Director, Biostatistics and Data Management, Urology and Pelvic Health
Director, Data Insights, Chief Data4 Office
Boston Scientific Corporation
AT&T
In her current capacity, Dongfeng Qi is responsible for biostatistics and data management in support of clinical projects and operational initiatives across urology and pelvic health franchise and geographical locations. Qi joined Boston Scientific in 2015 as part of the AMS acquisition. During her time with AMS, she managed biostatistics and was responsible for the successful deployment of biostatistics and clinical data information systems to ensure that all required clinical studies milestones were met across AMS Women’s Health, Men’s Health, and Prostate Health business units. She has a proven track record of effective interactions with the FDA, having successfully presented and defended multiple investigational device exemption (IDE) and premarket approval (PMA) study designs. She designed 522 studies for prolapse repair using the propensity score methodology. After earning her M.S. in chemistry, Qi came to America to continue her education and received a Ph.D. in chemistry and a master’s degree in biostatistics. In Minnesota, she is a member of the American Statistical Association and the Chinese Association for Science & Technology. She is also involved in mentoring activities through programs at the Minnesota School of Public Health, and informal mentoring for students, which introduce biostatistics and clinical research.
Over her 29-year career at AT&T, Sheilon King has held roles in many diverse areas, including customer service, product marketing, central office engineering, logistics operations, sales leadership, and operational support. Her leadership, communication, innovation, and people skills have enabled her to be successful in any role she takes on. King utilizes data and the latest technologies to solve complex business problems. She worked with the city of Atlanta when it asked AT&T to help reduce traffic accidents within the city. Using traffic GPS data, cellular traffic data, weather data, and demographics, King’s team created models that identified solutions to reduce congestion and remove obstacles. The project was featured in the 2017 technology showcase by the mayor of Atlanta, and King was on hand to present the many options to city and state dignitaries. She is an active community member, focusing on the importance of STEM and the power of data. She serves as a member of the board of directors for Scholarshot, which helps at-risk students complete life-changing higher education opportunities with a combination of financial support, academic navigation, and personal guidance, as well as episodic mentoring at the Irma Rangel STEM High School.
Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, Production Chief Engineer Raytheon Cristina Ramos is the production chief engineer for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) program at Raytheon Missile Systems. In this capacity, she is responsible for all technical aspects of producing the AMRAAM, the most sophisticated and feared air-to-air missile in the world. She is responsible for technical execution supporting the delivery of the AMRAAM against a $1 billion production contract with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and foreign customers. Her role as a technical leader has allowed her to make great contributions to the AMRAAM program, including her leadership on key engineering projects that significantly improved factory output. The results of her efforts and these projects directly contributed to the program delivering the best production year in its history in 2018. She earned her Chief Engineer Level 3 certification in 2018 and has been the recipient of several Engineering Honors awards and President’s Awards over the last decade. Despite knowing the challenges that she would face, she knew very early on that she wanted to pursue a career in mechanical engineering. Throughout her career, she has been a proven champion for women and diversity in technology as an active member of both the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
www.womenofcolor.online
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
LaShan Bonaparte
Jennifer Rose
Ales-Cia Winsley
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Program Director, Bell 505 & 429 Bell
Executive Director, Electric Regulatory & Strategy Implementation
Computer Engineer, Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMAE-LMO)
LaShan Bonaparte is recognized by her colleagues at Bell as a role model, both within and outside of the organization. In her role as program director, Bell 505 & 429, she leads a diverse cross-functional program team developing and supporting commercial helicopter products. She leads all program management aspects relating to Bell’s 505 and 429 Commercial Aircraft Programs. Bonaparte led the team in successfully certifying the new 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter with the airworthiness authorities. After certification, she restructured her team to ensure the customers of these new aircraft were supported, and feedback was generated to improve the product. Bonaparte manages her programs through transparent and open communications and is valued by her team for her dedication to building relationships and partnerships to achieve success. During her career at Bell, she has been the technical lead in many areas of design. She has served as the chief engineer of the H-1 Upgrade Program. In that capacity, she was responsible for leading a crossfunctional team managing all technical aspects of the program for one of Bell’s premier customers, the U.S Marine Corps.
Consumers Energy
Department of Defense
Jennifer Rose has 18 years of experience in the utility and energy sector, with over a decade focused on electric supply operations, energy market modeling, and electric infrastructure strategy for Consumers Energy. Previously, Jennifer was responsible for the development of the company’s electric integrated resource plan called the Balanced Energy Initiative. Jennifer and her team evaluated existing and new conventional, renewable, and alternative generation resources as well as energy efficiency and conservation measures. As part of that effort, they developed complex electric resource portfolio optimization models to evaluate electric resource planning options, future environmental compliance strategies for electric generation facilities, and potential asset acquisitions. During the debate on new energy legislation in the state of Michigan, Jennifer participated in collaborative regulatory discussions to help inform and shape the requirements for electric utilities. In her current role, Jennifer is responsible for developing and leading Consumers Energy’s electric grid strategy and longterm roadmap, maximizing value to Michigan’s customers.
Ales-Cia Winsley is a software engineer specialist with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). After joining the DCMA through the Keystone Program, Winsley spent time as an entry-level developmental employee building the skills needed for a key role. She completed the required training for Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level II Certification and the Software Professional Development Program (SPDP), a three-year process, in only 18 months. As the software engineer specialist for the Joint Air-Ground Missile (JAGM) program, which is the largest guided missile program in the world, Winsley has had a significant impact. She provides oversight for key program activities, including test readiness reviews, and serves as an active member of the Software Engineering Review Board. She has been recognized with various internal awards including “Outstanding Customer Support,” “Outstanding Support to the Warfighter,” and a nomination for “Employee of the Quarter.” In addition to the JAGM program, she is the lead software engineer specialist on other large programs in the Contract Management Office (CMO). She also takes on other leadership roles in different CMO activities. Winsley heads management internal control assessment for the CMO’s Software Acquisition Management, leading the team to the lowest number of findings in history for the CMO’s inspections.
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Lanette White
Kendra Hullum-Lawson
Rashida Hodge
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Associate Laboratory Director
Manager – Design Engineering
Drug Enforcement Administration
DTE Energy
Vice President, North America–Insurance Industry
Lanette White’s career with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has spanned 19 years. She currently serves as the associate laboratory director for the DEA’s Northeast Laboratory in New York, NY, where she oversees a staff of 34 chemists and four supervisors. She successfully exemplifies true leadership and determination in every area of her work. She has excelled at innovation, continuously teaching and helping others. At the DEA Academy, she established an 18-week residential training program for forensic chemists there that graduated approximately 100 students. White was responsible for the training content and administration for 12 classes. When the DEA Laboratory System implemented a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) quality process to eliminate waste and meet customer demands, she was sent to inspect the process at the DEA’s Mid-Atlantic Laboratory before returning to her current assignment to implement the LSS process. Under her leadership, the DEA saw an increase in production across the board. While serving as the supervising chemist at the DEA Mid-Atlantic Laboratory in Largo, MD, she oversaw a staff of 10 other chemists and served as the training manager, performing technical and administrative review of all analytical work.
Kendra Hullum-Lawson started her career at DTE’s Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant in 2000 as an associate engineer. Since then, she has held progressive leadership positions up to and including her current role as manager, Design Engineering. In her current role, Hullum-Lawson leads a group of 35 engineers who manage technical modifications of DTE’s nuclear power plant design and advocate resolution of conditions that affect design and plant performance. She has nearly 20 years of experience in nuclear power plant design, including design and licensing bases control. Some of her significant career accomplishments include leading multiple Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspections including inspections for modifications, plant changes, and tests and the Component Design Basis Inspection. She has provided oversight support for many other inspections. HullumLawson also obtained a Management Senior Reactor Operator Certification in 2016 to further her knowledge in plant operations. She is a consummate role model for other women in nuclear sciences who aspire to reach positions of increased responsibility. She was recently selected to participate in the initial class of the US Women in Nuclear Leadership Cohort Program. She has been recognized by Women of Color in STEM as a Technology All-Star and Technology Rising Star, and as a DTE Trailblazer for her significant career achievements as a Black female holding progressive leadership positions in nuclear generation.
www.womenofcolor.online
IBM In her current role as vice president of North America Insurance Industry at IBM, Rashida Hodge collaborates with clients to deliver innovative technology solutions within the insurance industry. She has held multiple leadership positions at IBM and has established a solid repertoire for leading global, cross-functional teams of diverse functions, including offering management, development, supply chain, engineering, partnerships, delivery services, and sales. Recognized for her dynamic, hands-on leadership, within her previous role leading the IBM Watson Global Delivery Services Team, she skillfully led implementations for early IBM Watson adopters, instantiated repeatable processes, and co-created with clients on one of the most transformative technologies of this age, artificial intelligence, delivering long-term benefits and value. Hodges is known as a leader who makes a difference by inspiring, trusting, and supporting her teams. She strives to ensure not only client success, but also the success of her team. Hodges strongly believes in leading by example, closely working alongside her team to cultivate an environment of collaboration, trust, and growth. Her professional career has been marked by being an advocate and creating space for the under represented individuals in technology.
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2019 AWAR D W I N N ER S
Erlene Adams
Shanay M. Lewis
Christina Achampong
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Program Manager
Lead Engineer
Strategist
Leidos
Missile Defense Agency
National Security Agency
Erlene Adams is well-respected as a leader within the Leidos Corporation. Before joining Leidos, she spent years working for Lockheed Martin supporting both the Army Corps of Engineers (where she consolidated 55 major sites into a consolidated enterprise service desk) and NASA Centers across the United States. As the program manager for the Army Corps of Engineers Information Technology (ACE-IT) Contract, she is responsible for the performance of the entire program that provides secure enterprise-wide information management/information technology support services to more than 37,000 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers customers located throughout the continental U.S. She is responsible for driving innovation and efficiency in the program to ensure successful execution and client satisfaction. Adams is responsible for over 600 dedicated professionals, located in 55 offices within the continental United States, and approximately $100 million in revenue. She is a recipient of the Lockheed Martin Celebration of Excellence Award (2011, 2015), and is a Women of Color Technology All-Star. Her mantra is “teamwork makes the dream work,” which helps her drive the mindset for her team and instills a high level of ownership and customer satisfaction.
In her role as the lead engineer of the Capability and Needs Team for the Directorate of Engineering, Architectures and Concepts Directorate, Shanay Lewis serves as principal advisor and program consultant to the Ballistic Missile Defense System regarding all business, acquisition, and overall program operations. She first joined the Missile Defense Agency in May 2012 and has since been recognized as an extremely capable and committed engineer while working flight tests, targets, and countermeasures, command, control, and battle management communications, and developing products such as briefings, reports, test reviews, and more. Additionally, she provided superior expertise, innovation, and technical competence in planning, analyzing, and reporting on missile defense gaps, challenges, and needs. She frequently leads engineering efforts, directs engineers, and applies systems acquisition processes, policies, procedures, and practices. With her leadership, her team develops and assesses the technical and economic feasibility of future systems, including development of initial requirements, cost, schedule, and performance. She has repeatedly worked as a project manager and has completed engineering, safety, security, and procedural actions in a superb fashion. In addition to her primary role, she leads the organization as its resource manager. Outside of her work, she focuses on being an active community member through church programs, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. community outreach, and other projects for young minorities.
Christina Achampong is a strategist for Cryptologic Assessments & Performance at the National Security Agency (NSA). She is also noted for making invaluable contributions to attract minorities to the NSA. She has worked to help improve the agency’s policies for hiring, retaining, and promoting minorities, while also working tirelessly to give the voiceless a voice, empower the powerless, and encourage the discouraged. She is also the co-creator of the agency’s career progression model and has helped new, mid-, and seniorlevel employees effectively assess themselves and leverage resources to fill professional gaps. Before this role, she was a systems analyst who focused on planning and managing various scientific methodologies to support major decisions within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Intelligence Community (IC). She began her NSA career in 2009 as an engineering leader, where she led several customers in statistical, costbenefit, risk, and decision analyses. She applied advanced techniques to analyze mission problems and provided solutions to support fact-based decision making. In this role, she was especially sought-after for her ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to a diverse audience.
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Sherry L. Martin, Ph.D.
Sheila Ray, P.E.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Senior Research Analyst
Senior Electrical Engineer
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Sherry Martin, Ph.D. currently serves as a senior analyst for the State Department’s Office of Opinion Research, Bureau of Intelligence Research. She is recognized as a role model for colleagues at every level and a government-wide recognized expert on the use of social science in foreign policy. She is dedicated to data-informed decision making at the State Department, as well as inspiring team members at every level of the department to think seriously about issues of diversity in the federal government. One of Martin’s assets is her ability to understand how to convey insights from mathematical and statistical analyses of complex social issues to disparate audiences in a way that is immediately useful to them. For example, she wrote the book on gender and politics in Japan, which was published by Cornell University Press in 2011. In government, she has used innovative research techniques to help answer a question of growing importance to senior policymakers: How are publics across East and Southeast Asia responding to China’s expanding economic and strategic presence in the region? Her prolific and hard-hitting analysis on this topic has reached toplevel officials at the State Department, the White House, and the National Security Council, providing a deep and nuanced understanding of the climate of foreign public opinion.
Sheila Ray is the senior electrical engineer in the Electrical Engineering New Reactors and License Renewal Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. She is recognized for her outstanding contributions to fulfilling the NRC’s mission to protect our nation’s public health, safety, and environment by implementing licensing and oversight programs for nuclear power reactors. She began her career at the NRC in 2004 as an electrical engineer and has assumed several progressively more responsible duties within the organization. She has worked on numerous diverse assignments at the NRC, including conducting complex licensing reviews of operating nuclear power reactors and reviewing applications for the construction of new nuclear power reactors and small modular reactors. She was instrumental in the development of design criteria for electrical systems for advanced reactors, paving the way for future technologies and designs. Her efforts in developing the electrical design criteria have simplified the scope of the staff’s review, which has resulted in cost savings for the agency. Ray serves as a mentor to several individuals, coaching both new and seasoned employees. She instills the importance of commitment, hard work, and dedication in those around her and on her teams.
www.womenofcolor.online
Relive the 2018 WOMEN OF COLOR IN STEM CONFERENCE Awards Gala!
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2019 TECH NOLOGY AL L-S TAR S AN D R I SI NG S TAR S AWAR D W I N N ER S
THE 2019 WOMEN OF COLOR
TECHNOLOGY ALL-STARS & RISING STARS The theme for 2019 invites us to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the Women of Color in STEM Conference. Since 1996, a record number of women have been honored as Technology All-Stars and Rising Stars. Many employers have participated in the recognition program for more than a decade, and the 2019 winners join an impressive alumni group. Tech All-Stars and Rising Stars include scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians, all of them recognized for bringing a mix of consulting and advanced technology expertise to some of the nation’s most challenging problems. Leaders in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and innovation in financial institutions, they work every day to provide solutions to clients. The Technology Recognition Luncheon event at the Women of Color STEM Conference also recognizes the significant accomplishments of minority women in the digital world and aims to attract talent in financial technology (fintech), digital financial serves, and payment systems.
TECHNOLOGY ALL-STARS
Allison Clarke
Robin Barnett
AT&T
Abbott
Claudia Coleman
IT Program Manager
Release Train Engineer
AVP - Network Services
Shirley Bartee
AT&T
Abbott
Tanjanique “Nicky” Ellison
Compliance Manager
Claire Bhogal R&D Director
Abbott
Associate Director IHR Process Transformation
AT&T
Toni Evans
Tarsha Malone
Manager Quaility/M&P Process
Abbott
Jaron Felder
Sharon Morris
AT&T
Abbott
Shizue Harada
Gina Roche
AT&T
Abbott
Tonya Harmon
Teleshia Taylor De Sanchez
AT&T
Abbott
Sonya Herrera
Shaunda Van Hook
AT&T
Abbott
Meenalakshmi Jeganathan
Bagyalakshmi Guptha
AT&T
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
Felicia Lateef
Sanmati Ananthamurthy
AT&T
AT&T
Shay Phillips
Tamera Anderson-Hunt
AT&T
Senior Scientist Technical Support
Material Handling Team Leader
Staff Engineer
Director, Quality
Manager, Global Security Systems
Program Manager
Senior Product Manager
Technical Sales Consultant
AT&T
Director of Sales
Network Architect
Senior System Engineer
Principal System Engineer
Software Test Engineer II
Lead Benfits Consultant
AVP - Product Marketing Management - IoTS
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Jessica Chapman Lead Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Tikeshia Davis Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Diana DeMartino Senior Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Maki Duncan
Senior Associate
Jannet Walker Ford
Vice President, Government Relations
Cubic Transportation Systems
Liliana Alvarado-Ortiz
Quality Assurance Group Chief
Defense Contract Management Agency
Nasu Bethea
Assistant Director, Research, Development, and Acquisition (RDA) Security
Wanda Sands
Diana Ortega
DTE Energy
General Motors
Manager - Performance
Jianli “Jenny” Wang
Director - Strategy and Planning
DTE Energy
Yi Zhang
Software QA Analyst
DTE Energy
Meredith Harper
Booz Allen Hamilton
Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency
Chief Information Security Officer
Anna Fernandez
Vanessa Stewart
Kasandra Flemings
Senior Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Marti Gross Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Stacey Mosley, Ph.D. Lead Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Ana Olson Principal
Booz Allen Hamilton
Susmita Shrivastava Lead Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
General Engineer/National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Cyber Test Lead
Eli Lilly & Company
Vehicle Cost Engineer
FCA US LLC
Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency
Tinea J. Binion
Connie Eddins
Fleet Readiness Center Southwest
Execution Requirements Analyst
Department of Navy
Cherice Caldwell-Williams IT Manager
DTE Energy
Sherrie Finch
Aviation Readiness and Resource Management Director, Code 6.6
Anicia Blake
GPD IT ECS Process Area Lead
General Motors
Camille Davis
DTE Energy
General Motors
Marie High
Sudesh Kent
Project Manager, Continental Engineering Services
Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
www.womenofcolor.online
Senior Remediation Project Engineer
General Motors
Sunitha Vinnakota Quality Manager
General Motors
Rashawnda Williams
Senior Future Program Ergonomist
General Motors
Stephanie Brown
Manager Program Control
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Ruth Eurystthee
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Kelene Jackson
Rachael Lewis
Kim Tucker-Billingslea
Carol Hawkins
Shilpa Hegde
Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
General Motors
Melinda Gray
Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers
Project Manager, Vehicle Dynamics
Quality Engineer
Kameshwari Ganti
General Motors
Tangia DeLaHoussaye
Angela Sirmans-Fitzpatrick
General Motors
DTE Energy
Consumers Energy
General Motors
DTE Energy
Adrienne M. Somerville
Restoration Resource Manager
Senior Manager, Manfuacturing Operations Support
TTO New Product Launch Assembly Lead
Operations Group Manager
Zakiya Harris
Deniece Rucker
ITS Supervisor
Manager IT - Operations
National Business Operations Director, AIR-6.1
Quality Launch Manager
Senior Business Analyst
ITS Principle Supervisor Data Center Operations II
DTE Energy
Belinda Johnson-Orr
Process Engineer
Operations Group Manager
General Motors
Tamela Martin
IT Senior Security Engineer
Supervisor Global Propulsion Systems Throughput Simulation
DTE Energy
General Motors
Carlotta Lindsay
Sheila Newkirk
DTE Energy
General Motors
IT Supervisor
Development Manager
Configuration Analyst
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Procurement Analyst 3
Lydia Monk
Administrative Coordinator/ Process Improvement Analyst
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Deanna Naylor
Engineer Electrical 4
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Renee Richardson-Steele Project Manager
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Sarah Smith
Production Planner and Scheduler 3
Huntington Ingalls Industries
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2019 TECH NOLOGY AL L-S TAR S AN D R I SI NG S TAR S AWAR D W I N N ER S
Lisa Washington
Procurement Planning Control Representative II
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Laura Bennett
Engineering Manager
IBM Corporation
Kasturika Supkar
Loan Thai
Infosys Limited
Leidos
Industry Principal
Senior Network Administrator
Saraswathi Thippaiah
Dianne Watkins
Infosys Limited
Leidos
Principal Consultant - Advanced Engineering
Project Management & Planning Operations Representative
Veena Ganti
Divya Vijayaraghavan
Phyllis Dogan
IBM Corporation
Intel Corporation
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Software Engineer
Applications Engineer
Venus Hipolito
Nicole Ward
IBM Corporation
Johnson & Johnson - DePuy Synthes
Senior Engineer
Lorraine Johnson
Director, Hybrid Cloud Technical Sales
IBM Corporation
Selvie Deore
Senior Program Manager
Infosys Limited
Senior Project Manager
Michelle Beloff
Executive Director, Digital Shared Data Services
Harita Modi
Senior Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Priyadarshini Nandagopal Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Venkata Devi Sushma Panathula Senior Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Pooja Raghuwanshi
Senior Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Sowmiya Ramamurthy Group Project Manager
Infosys Limited
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Monica Foley
AST, Technical Management
NASA
Betty Collins
Competency Supervisor, Information Systems Security Management
Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic
NetApp, Inc.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Infosys Limited
Systems Engineer
NASA
Jecara Rivera
Executive Director, IT Organization Management
Lopamudra Mahapatra
Senior Project Manager
Madalena Lutz
Team Lead, Institutional Business Resources Office
Estelle Cephas
Melanie Drake
Madhuri Mangipudi
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Garnise Dennis, Ph.D.
Rajeshwari Appanna
Infosys Limited
Infosys Limited
Project Management and Planning Operations Senior Representative
NASA
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Veena Lalitha
Principal - Quality Programs
Claudia Gabay-Jones
Deputy Manager for Commercial Lunar Payload Services
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Senior Project Manager
Senior Staff System Engineer
Camille Alleyne, Ed.D.
Vice President, Technology Center Manager
Grace Giraldo, Ph.D.
Vice President, IT Software Solutions Architect
Proposal Analysis Manager
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Angela Scott
Proposal Analysis Manager
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Xiaomei Yu, Ph.D.
Staff System Engineer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Shikha Arora
Andrea Hodge Johnson
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
Vice President, IT Architect
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Ita Lamont
Vice President, Data Architect
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Jessie Rincon
Executive Director, Site Reliability Engineering Telemetry Lead
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Andrea Williams
Vice President, Software Engineering Resource Manager
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Arnese Foster
Senior Systems Engineer
Leidos
Cloud Architect
Karen Hoskin
IT Compliance Specialist
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
Sharon Kho
Technical Lead
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
Juanita Brown
IT Financial Analyst
Mercedes-Benz Finanical Services
Tiffaney Alexander, Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Quality Engineering
Peggy Chang
Senior Engineering Manager, Data Protection Group
NetApp, Inc.
Aalo Chatterjee
Senior Manager-Strategic Supplier Relationship Mgmt
NetApp, Inc.
Regina Evans
Engineering Program Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Alegra Fernandez
Support Account Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Rhonda Hicks
Support Account Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Shailaja Kini
Technical Content Developer
NetApp, Inc.
Shirin Kleberger
EMEA Sales Manager Global Accounts & Pathways
NetApp, Inc.
Exploration Ground Systems Safety Branch Chief
NASA
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Bhavna Mistry
Bridget Schiefer
NetApp, Inc.
Quicken Loans
Solutions Engineering Manager
Denise Ombres
Member of Technical Staff/Lead SW Test Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
Dawn Rice
Technical Support Engineer III
NetApp, Inc.
Bhavana Sakariya Senior Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
Donna Spaulding
Manager, Customer Delivery
NetApp, Inc.
Jaya Venkatesh
Tech Lead/Engineering Manager, Data Protection Group
NetApp, Inc.
Diana Vizcaino
Project Manager/Services Delivery
Team Leader
Narida Dickerson
Program Manager
Raytheon Company
Mary Moore, Ph.D.
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
Raytheon Company
Michelle Carter
Senior Project Engineer
The Aerospace Corporation
Terita Norton
Senior Project Leader
The Aerospace Corporation
Christina Tan
Principal Director
The Aerospace Corporation
NetApp, Inc.
Laurita Alomassor Oceanographer
NOAA
Sabina Ewing
Vice President, Business Technology
Senior Manager, Boeing Global Engagement - Great Lakes Region
Carmen Bonner
IT Process Analyst
The Boeing Company
Nylah Coney
International Finance Manager
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Business Analyst Architect
Quicken Loans
Software Engineering Transformation Lead
Anna Estrada
IT Product Specialist
The Boeing Company
Tracey Foy
id-Level Data Systems Analyst
The Boeing Company
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Jacqueline Jones
Global Supply Chain Diversity Small Business Liaison Officer
The Boeing Company
Clarissa Jones
Senior Manager, Training & Professional Services, Modifications and Conversions
The Boeing Company
Kanthi Kapila
Senior Manager, Retrofit & Repairs Capability
The Boeing Company
Programmer/Analyst
Elora Kindred
Project Management Specialist
The Boeing Company
Margie Low
IT Project Manager
The Boeing Company
Preethi Machaiah
System Design and Integration Specialist
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Lynne Bey
Manisha Maheshwari
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Gwendolyn Doss
Pratt & Whitney
The Boeing Company
Rosemarie Marino
Pfizer, Inc.
Associate Director
Alpana Patel
IT BDS Business Partner
Shadina DeVine
Senior Project Manager
Final Assembly, Manufacturing Manager
Jameka Johnson
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Project Manager/KB Editor
The Boeing Company
The Aerospace Corporation
Principal Engineer
LaMonica White
Tymeka Whiteside
The Boeing Company
Gee Kim
Bernice Billups
NetApp, Inc.
Janique Owens
Regional Marketing Director Global Leasing
Allyson Yarbrough
NetApp, Inc.
Critical Case Manager
Aracely Godinez
Executive Office Administrator
Kristen Marquez
Boeing Commerical Airplanes Manufacturing Engineering Chief Engineer
The Boeing Company
Maira Mata
Software Quality Engineer
The Boeing Company
Heather Nguyen
Programmer/Analyst
The Boeing Company
Project Manager
Pauline Ramirez
Chief of Staff for IT Product Systems – Product Support and Services
The Boeing Company
Valerie Root
Data Transfer Agent (DTA)
The Boeing Company
Sumathy Shenthurpandi Programmer/Analyst
The Boeing Company
Saundra Thomas
F-15 Singapore Sustainment Program Manager
The Boeing Company
Lisa Thurner
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Designer
The Boeing Company
Regina Veneziano
Business Operations Specialist Chief of Staff
The Boeing Company
Akilah J.B. Wallace
Applied Mathematician
The Boeing Company
Felicia Woodson Project Manager
The Boeing Company
Lysandra Whiteside Senior Engineer
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Michelle Sylvertooth-Jackson Group Leader
The MITRE Corporation
Marjorie McCants
Deputy Division Chief
U.S. Army
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2019 TECH NOLOGY AL L-S TAR S AN D R I SI NG S TAR S AWAR D W I N N ER S
Danita Jones
TECHNOLOGY RISING STARS
Jessica Gonzalez
Sheetal Shah
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Kyla Barr
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
AT&T
Kebeck Rosario
Abbott
Supervisory Business Management Specialist
Senior Front Line Leader - Liquid Operations
Mechnical Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Lucy Soto
Hayin Candiotti
Senior Project Engineer
Abbott
EEO Officer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Angela White
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Quality Assurance Supervisor
Abbott
Team Lead Management
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Tasha Wright Garrick
Lt Col Amanda E. Harrington
Secretary of The General Staff
U.S. Army Futures Command
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Supply Branch Chief, Small Boat Product Line
U.S. Coast Guard Surface Forces Logistics Center
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Deputy Chief Information Officer
U.S. International Trade Administration
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Chief Engineer, Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar
U.S. Marine Corps
Mathilde Knight, Ph.D. Associate Professor
University of the District of Columbia
Emilee Blount
Assistant Director for Engineering, Technology & Geospatial Services
USDA Forest Service
Grizelle Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Research Project Leader/ Research Ecologist
USDA Forest Service
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Radhika Shivapurkar
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
AT&T
Materials Flow Coordinator
Sherrie Shlian
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
AT&T
Program Manager
Ana Quintantar
HMI Center Stack Applications Engineer
Abbott
Darci Snedaker
Jana Kogulanathan
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Senior Scientist II
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Gina Maliekal
Senior Engineer
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Junli Ou
Senior Scientist III
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Edna Margarita PrietoBallengee, Ph.D.
Specialist Systems Integration III
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Bhavya Rangarajan
Senior Specialist Quality Assurance
Abbott
Irecia Scruggs
Director, Regional Programs
Abbott
Ania Snell
Clinical Engineering and Test Engineering Senior Manager
Abbott
Jonica Springer IT PDP
Abbott
Yue Bian
Software Controls Engineer
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
Engineering Manager
Stefanie Newkirk
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
Engineer
Software Engineer II
Gabrielle Guibord
Kimberly Douglas
Staff Action Control Officer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Design and Release Engineer
Program Manager - Project Management
Arpita Srivastava
Firmware Developer for Software and Systems
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
Katrina Vandenboom
Materials Flow Coordinator
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
Sreeja Veepuri
Senior Manager Technical Ops
Sharifa Tucker
Project Engineer
Bell
Sabiheen Abdul Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Karina Alvarez
Lead Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Andreen Anglin Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Vanessa Benally Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Systems Software Engineer/ Software Development Automation Engineer
Paula Bennett
Shayla Stennis
Jung Byun
Amrock
Booz Allen Hamilton
Aerotek/EASi, LLC
Team Leader of Technology
Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Associate
Yunni Xiao
Ashleigh Drake
Amrock
Booz Allen Hamilton
Data Scientist
Associate
Erin Masatsugu
Haejin Hwang
AT&T
Booz Allen Hamilton
Software Engineer II
Priya Rajeev
Senior Manager Technical Communications
AT&T
Brittany Redmond
Account Channel Manger 3
AT&T
Associate
Sharon Lam, Ph.D. Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Jiaqi Li, Ph.D.
Lead Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
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Evangeline McDonald Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Bianca Patel Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Adrienne Phifer Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Michelle-Elizabeth Valle Associate
Booz Allen Hamilton
Whitney White Associate
Funmi Atilola, Ph.D.
Supervisor, Thermal Design Engineering
Corning Incorporated
Lin Lin
Corning Incorporated
General Motors
Research Associate & Manager
Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency
General Motors
System Engineer
Neisha Rao
DTE Energy
Boston Scientific Corporation
Biljana Naumoska
Calicia Johnson
DTE Energy
Consumers Energy
Davida Lowe
General Engineer I
Consumers Energy
Poonam Yadav
Customer Experience Research Manager
Consumers Energy
IT Technical Analyst
Manager - Engineering Support
Manager - Plant Performance Foss Gen
Monica Orengo-Irizarry
Engineering Supervisor - DTE Electric Distribution Operations
DTE Energy
Xiomara Dost
Seat Belt Engineer
FCA US LLC
Rashmi Prakash
Software Controls Engineering Supervisor
FCA US LLC
Orna Spencer
Cristina Socaciu
World Class Manufacturing (WCM) Lead
Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
Venessa Torres
Senior Software Developer, Continental Engineering Services
Dhivya Vijayan
Software Architecture Engineering Supervisor
Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
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Software Developer
Gihan Smalls
Aseel Midani
Field Leader - Gas Distribution Corrosion Control
General Motors
Takkia Ross
Boston Scientific Corporation
Erica Allen
Lee Ing Koh
Jaya Patil
DTE Energy
Chevron
Infosys Limited
Li Yang, Ph.D.
Corning Incorporated
Funmilayo Olofinboba
Facilities Engineer
General Motors
Senior Thin Film Scientist
Popy Aziz
Senior Supplier Quality Engineer
Shyla Cutinha
Senior Test Lead
Senior Indirect Labor Industrial Engineer
Booz Allen Hamilton
Quality Systems Manager
Yamini Gheewala
FCA US LLC
Design Release Engineer
FCA US LLC
Tierney Daniels
Process Engineer - Fuel Cell Execution Controls
General Motors
BFO/Accessory Process Lead
Hilari Tiedeman
Senior Software Developer
General Motors
Tiffany Byers
Manager Project Management 2
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Katherine “Rae” Fancher Engineer Test Operations
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Amy Harris
Engineer Mechanical 3
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Tabitha McGriff
Engineer Quality 1
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Kendra Patterson
Nuclear Quality Inspector
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Jendry Perez
Industrial Engineer 2
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Sokhan Todd
Quality Inspector 3
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Shanelle Gayle
Data Science & Business Analytics Technical Sales Specialist
IBM Corporation
Leticia Ambrosio
Technology Analyst
Technology Lead
Chavonne Hughes
Principal - Business Consulting
Infosys Limited
Richa Jain
Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Aswani Krishnakumar Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Anamika Kumari Project Manager
Infosys Limited
Neelima Malga
Technology Lead
Infosys Limited
Alka Nagar
Technical Test Lead
Infosys Limited
Munmun Rai
Technology Lead
Infosys Limited
Archana Rajendran Technology Lead
Infosys Limited
Morgan Franklin
Associate, Software Engineer
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Gabriella Suarez
Software Engineer
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Erica Bush
Lead Regulatory Scientist
Leidos
Sharde Estep
Senior Systems Integrator
Leidos
Sophia Graf
Lead Cloud Systems Engineer
Leidos
Infosys Limited
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2019 TECH NOLOGY AL L-S TAR S AN D R I SI NG S TAR S AWAR D W I N N ER S
Angela Hill Morgan
Customer Desktop Support Analyst
Leidos
Concha Reid
Bilateral Hardware and Software Exchanges Manager
NASA
Nusrat Lubna, Ph.D.
Angela Granville
LG Chem Michigan Inc.
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division
Senior Materials Engineer
Heather Lyons
Senior Design Release Engineer
LG Chem Michigan Inc.
Doreen Burchell
Senior Chemical Engineer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Gene Council
Software Engineer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Tasheia Lebrun
System Engineer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Nina Little
Data Engineering Integrations Service Lead
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Briana Merkerson
Quality Engineer - Staff
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Alison Perez
Research Scientist
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Whitley Poyser
Engineer Senior Manager
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Rachel Raynor
Senior Manager, FG-35 Program Manager
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Mercedes Williams
Subcontract Management Senior
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Kiara Wright
Quality Engineer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Amie Aloysius
Systems Analyst/Team Lead
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services 70 ‚
WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2019
Project Manager
Shamikka Chalmers
Information Technology Specialist
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division
Diana Rivera-Rodriguez Electrical Engineer
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport
Lila Hickey
Software Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
Sailaja Mada QA Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
Anu Mangaly
Senior Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
Prabha Mani
Senior Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
Meha Mehta
Member of Technical Staff
NetApp, Inc.
Kendra Spencer
Dhivya Mohanasundaram
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport
NetApp, Inc.
Financial Lead
Software Engineer
Vidhya Nagarajan
Chinwe Abara
Software Developer in Test
NetApp, Inc.
Sandhya Rajaram
Program Manager, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
NetApp, Inc.
Member of Technical Staff
Mariama Beemer
Advanced Technical Content Developer
NetApp, Inc.
Amanda Brown
Software Engineering Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Ramya Byreddi
Member of Technical Staff III
NetApp, Inc.
Anne-Elisabeth Caillot
System Engineer Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Tracy Cummins
Solutions Engineer (MTS3)
NetApp, Inc.
Elizabeth DeVaul
Business Intelligence Analyst
NetApp, Inc.
Charmy Gandhi
NetApp, Inc.
Ranjitha Ramaswamy Engineering Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Apoorva Shetti
SW Engineer In Test
NetApp, Inc.
Shalini T
Member of Technical Staff
NetApp, Inc.
Nitya Vasudevan
Engineering Manager
NetApp, Inc.
Sheekela Baker-Yeboah, Ph.D. Physical Oceanographer
NOAA
Ayeisha Brinson, Ph.D. Economist
NOAA
Aja Szumylo
Supervisory Fishery Management Specialist
NOAA
Shanel Crusoe
Senior Principal Systems Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Kelly Lierzer
Associate Director of Project Engineering, Adaptive Exhaust Systems
Pratt & Whitney
Chaunda Gardner Team Leader
Quicken Loans
Maribel Baltier
Senior Section Manager
Raytheon Company
Kristina Broom
System Safety Engineer
Raytheon Company
Ashley Ceja
Multi-Disciplined Engineer
Raytheon Company
Jessica Donaldson
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
Raytheon Company
Catherine Hereford
Senior Engineering Logistics Specialist
Raytheon Company
Elise Jimenez
Integrated Program Management Analyst
Raytheon Company
Malia Kawamura
Multi-Disciplined Engineer
Raytheon Company
Tiffany Shiau
Principal Systems Engineer
Raytheon Company
Roslyn Womble
Senior Systems Engineer
Raytheon Company
Solutions Engineer
NetApp, Inc.
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Harmandeep Buttar
The Boeing Company
Siemens
Tanya Del Castillo
Software Engineer
Tara Abou Assi
Packaging and Product Design Engineer
The Boeing Company
Ana Acosta
Procurement Agent
The Boeing Company
Christie Alston
Propulsion Engineer
The Boeing Company
Daniela Altamirano
Business Operations Specialist, BDSI Integration Management Office
The Boeing Company
Anjali
Database Administrator
The Boeing Company
Margret Badugu
Programmer Analyst
The Boeing Company
Chesla Boatner
IT Procurement Agent
The Boeing Company
Andrea Cepeda Chief of Staff
The Boeing Company
Valerie Chang
Space Electronics Product Design Manager
The Boeing Company
Neerja Chari
Portfolio Management Lead
The Boeing Company
Fuel System Design Engineer
The Boeing Company
Ami Desai
Senior Product Specialist
The Boeing Company
Jodie-Ann Duquesnay
Payload Mechanical Engineer
The Boeing Company
Kavya Dyavappa Process Analyst
The Boeing Company
Juanita Graham
Systems Engineer
The Boeing Company
Ashlee Green
Product Manager
The Boeing Company
Erica Hunt
Manufacturing Systems and Simulation Engineer
The Boeing Company
Sowminya Jaganathan Procurement Agent
The Boeing Company
Nisha Roslin Johny
Learning Program Manager Leadership Development
The Boeing Company
Tamika Jones
Ground Support Engineering Design Lead
The Boeing Company
Jomya Lei
Communications Payload Systems Engineer
Alexis Coates
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Regina Long
Multi-Skilled Engineer
Industrial Engineer
Chan Curry
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
Alicia Lopez Floyd
Project Manager
Jessica Dedeaux
Engineering Career Foundation Program: Multi-Skill Rotational Engineer www.womenofcolor.online
Leadership Next Program Manager
The Boeing Company
Ashley Mariscal
Francelly Rosas Acevedo
The Boeing Company
The Boeing Company
IT Procurement Lead
Rebecca Martin
Electronic Design & Analysis Engineer
The Boeing Company
Andrea Martinez Project Manager
The Boeing Company
Erika Matthews
IT Versatile Technologist
The Boeing Company
Christina Milanes
Payload Systems Engineer
The Boeing Company
Shuntae Moore
Versatile Technologist
The Boeing Company
Nithya Natarajan Process Analyst
The Boeing Company
Radiya Noor
Product Specialist
The Boeing Company
Nanmari Pacheco
Interior Linings Technical Lead
The Boeing Company
Sonia Patel
Procurement Agent - Contracts & Compliance
The Boeing Company
Anusha Paul
Financial Analyst
QuimĂŠka Saunders
Systems Engineer (Software)
The Boeing Company
Hilde St. Clair
IT Product Owner
The Boeing Company
Shannon Tolbert
Design/Build Flight Test Manager
The Boeing Company
Mary Paz Tsui Chang
Business Intelligence Analyst
The Boeing Company
Laura Valiente
UX (User Experience) Specialist
The Boeing Company
Jennifer Walters
Mid-Level Certification Engineer
The Boeing Company
Katrina Warren
Systems Engineer
The Boeing Company
Glauciane Wertz
Trade Control Specialist
The Boeing Company
Carolina Gomez-Blatner
Technology Engineer Staff
The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Natasha Alonso Zimmerman Chemist/Project Manager
Versatile Technologist
The Boeing Company
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Guadalupe Perez
Bacilia Angel
Project Engineer
The Boeing Company
LaDonna Perkins
Structural and Payload Design Engineer
The Boeing Company
Leticia Rivers
Service Management Liaison
The Boeing Company
Group Leader
The MITRE Corporation
Liya Wang
Modeling/Simulation Engineer, Senior
The MITRE Corporation
LT Rebecca Fox
Lieutenant, Project Manager
U.S. Coast Guard
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PRODUCT REVIEW
by K. Ong editors@ccgmag.com
Top 3 Applications of AI in Human Resources 23%
of businesses polled are already using AI in their workforce recruitment and management of HR resources
A
s a preview for the 2019 Gartner Digital Workplace Summit, where artificial intelligence (AI) and other robust digital trends in the workplace were discussed, a report entitled “AI Use Cases in Human Capital Management Technology” was released. Among the report’s numerous useful findings and recommendations are three common applications for AI in human resources. Talent Acquisition The notion of intelligent machines being left alone to decide whether a prospective candidate is a good fit for the company does sound disconcerting, but AI application in talent acquisition still entails human control over decision making. HR recruiters tend to use AI to streamline the pre-hiring stage, including making appointment schedules and responding to FAQs through chatbots. Additionally, AI is used for identifying competencies, matching skill sets, ranking prospective candidates, analyzing the labor market, and detecting biases in job descriptions. With these AI technologies assisting HR staff, recruiters can cope with hiring many people from a talent pool. Voice of the Employee (VoE) After talent acquisition, AI finds its second most popular application in HR as an efficient tracking tool for employee engagement and issues—both of which help
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inhibit unnecessary attrition. With AI as VoE purveyor, employee engagement surveys can be analyzed more quickly and thoroughly. This is possible because textual analysis and natural language processing can analyze worker sentiments from their responses and comments. For example, a business organization can deploy AI to scour the social media feeds of employees, as well as conversations in internal communication tools. This helps HR personnel get a handle on pressing employee concerns and craft timely resolutions to stem potential surges in attrition. Virtual Assistants (VAs) for HR Staff This AI application for human resources management is still in its early phase of adoption. VAs are chatbots for answering employee queries, dispensing insights and analysis on various talent metrics, and performing workflow steps. A system of virtual assistants for use by HR translates to fewer calls to the company help desk, which means, among other things, relief for overworked HR personnel. All in all, AI technologies for talent acquisition, VoE management, and VA automated help desk should see rising adoption in HR departments in the coming years. Identifying the above three digital technologies is critical because 23 percent of business organizations polled by Gartner Inc. are already using AI in their workforce recruitment, as well as in the management of their human resources.
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KNOW YOUR WORTH
by Christopher Zacher editors@ccgmag.com
How to Build an Authentic Winning Image Succeeding in the workplace takes more than STEM skills. No matter how good you are at your job or how hard you work, there are keystone qualities you must possess to rise through the ranks.
T
he way you act, dress, and communicate all have an impact on your ability to thrive. According to KL Moore, three important components make up your “professional brand”. “Your brand,” Moore explains, is the way that others perceive you at work—the “things that people say about you when you leave the room.” While your aptitude is certainly something that people take note of, your brand extends far beyond that. “The way you look, speak, and move all affect others’ perception of you,” she explains, “and like it or not, perception is reality.” As a coach, executive image consultant,and founder of KL Image Group, Moore helps people take charge of their professional brands. She works with them to develop the soft skills they need to flourish. At a recent Women of Color in STEM Conference, she was generous enough to share. While every brand has several components—job skills, consistency, network—she focused on three specific traits: verbal skills, wardrobe, and authenticity. Verbal skills can make or break a professional image. As Moore says, “How you’re perceived has a lot to do with how you speak.” People who speak directly and with confidence, for example, tend to be perceived as authorities. If you want to command rooms and be taken seriously, Moore suggests removing some phrases from your vocabulary. For example, she recommends avoiding words like “little” when describing your ideas. Saying “I have a little idea” or “I have a little piece of advice” can diminish your credibility and make you appear unconfident. The same goes for disclaimers like, “I’m not an expert…”
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www.womenofcolor.online
or “This might be a dumb idea, but…” Both phrases may cause the people around you to stop taking you seriously. “The moment you say that, everyone checks out,” she explains. “If you’re not an expert, they already know. All you have to say is, ‘Here’s a solution to consider. What do you think?’” The more confidently you speak, the more seriously your peers will take you. Dressing well, she says, is another way to show people you’re serious about your job. “There’s a direct correlation between what you wear and how you present yourself,” Moore explains. “It’s related to how people perceive your work ethic and capabilities. The more put-together you look, the more credible you appear.” A refined wardrobe may seem like a simple fix, but it can have tremendous effects on your professional life. “It increases your self-esteem, which helps you network more,” she says, “More networking means more opportunities, and more opportunities lead to more money.” She offers a few pieces of wardrobe advice: Always dress “one notch” above the people around you. “If everyone dresses casual and wears denim, wear nicer fabrics,” she says, demonstrating examples of the rule. “If everyone dresses in slacks and cardigans, layer up with a jacket. You’ll look more powerful.” By dressing up a notch, you’ll be able to establish yourself as an authority within your workplace. “As you are dressed, so shall you be perceived. As you are perceived, so shall you be treated,” Moore says. Altering your speech and outward appearance may sound exhausting, and for many, it is. She notes that some women change so much for work that they feel like they’re masking their authentic selves. To prevent this from diminishing your sense of happiness, Moore offers a key piece of advice: Figure out exactly how far you’re willing to stray from your authentic self at work. Identify your “baseline” self—who you are around the people closest to you in your personal life—and move outward from there.
www.womenofcolor.online
“Your brand,” Moore explains, is the way that
others perceive you at work—the “things that people say about you when you leave the room.” While your aptitude is certainly something that people take note of, your
brand extends far beyond that. Then, make sure that you work for a company where you can be as “authentic” as possible. “The company’s number one priority is for you to represent them,” she says, “You have to reconcile within yourself who you are relative to who you work for and what their brand is.” If you find that you’re unable to flex to the company’s demands, you may want to look elsewhere for work. After all, it’s hard to maintain confidence and perform up to the highest standard when you feel like you can’t be yourself. “What helps you maintain peace at night?” she asks her audience. “It’s up to you to decide how much you want to change the way you dress, speak, and behave.
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MY HEALTHY LIFE
K. Ong editors@ccgmag.com
5 Things You Need to Know About Stress B
usiness organizations that look after the well-being of their workers end up boosting their employees’ performance, productivity, engagement, and sense of satisfaction towards work. The daily grind of mental and physical stress in the workplace can wear people down, which may lead to a rise in attrition rate and the associated cost of losing valued employees, as well as a stress-induced counterproductive behavior in the office. Organizations can reduce workplace stress by identifying potential stressors and perhaps cultivating an environment that minimizes their impact. Here’s a glimpse of what studies say about workplace stress. Stress Levels of Employees Depend on the Gender of Their Respective Bosses University of Toronto researchers have uncovered interesting data on the role played by a supervisor’s gender on workplace stress. Women reported more distress signs and stress symptoms when they work for a female supervisor compared to when they are working for a male boss. Also, women supervised by a pair of mixed-gender bosses report higher distress levels compared to women who work for one male supervisor. Male employees, on the other hand, regardless of their supervisor’s gender, reported higher distress levels when they work for only one boss. Also, working for one male supervisor produces higher distress levels and more physical stress symptoms compared to working for a male-female pair of managers. It Takes a While for Workers to Act on Office Stress Distress-induced negative behavior by employees, which may be in the form of office supply theft or long lunch breaks, does not happen right away, according to a study by San Francisco State University researchers. This means organizational strategies in helping workers cope with radical workplace changes such as the entry of a demanding supervisor or the beginning of the peak market season must account for this delayed reaction to stressors. This delayed reaction has been observed in employees who have been deemed cooperative, agreeable, and conscientiously hardworking by their organization.
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Different Worker Personalities Lead to Different Stress-coping Behavior What sounds like a common-sense takeaway for the inextricable link between personality and stressalleviation modes and tendencies is further expanded into practical terms. Researchers from the University of East Anglia, Sapienza University of Rome, Uninettuno Telematic International University, and Coventry University have discovered a type of personality considered a risk factor for counterproductive work behavior. It is an assertive self-efficacy type of personality. Assertive self-efficacy personalities are those who can self-assess their ability for speaking up for their ideas and their rights. The researchers also identified three other self-efficacy subsets of personalities and their respective tendencies for counterproductive work behavior: •
The more task self-efficacy employees see themselves as capable of task management and goal fulfillment and are less likely to turn to deviant behavior at work.
•
The more negative emotional self-efficacy employees see themselves as capable of negative emotion management in stressful situations and are less likely to develop negative feelings about their job.
•
The more empathic self-efficacy employees see themselves as capable of understanding the moods and emotional states of their co-workers and are more likely to proactively come to the aid of their co-workers.
Assertive self-efficacy types, in combination with one or two of the above three, can produce particularly positive and healthy responses to distressing work conditions and conflict situations. Thus, organizations must never resort to oversimplifying individual personality types with their associated stress responses. Quick Smartphone Breaks Improve Mental Well-being Research from Kansas State University suggests that workers who are allowed brief breaks with their smartphones when they can text friends or play games are more productive throughout the grind of their
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Women reported more distress signs and stress symptoms when they work for a
female supervisor compared to when they are working for a male boss.
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workday. The findings apply to different industries. Smartphone microbreaks enable employees to distance themselves and perhaps snap out from the hold of crippling stress in the workplace. Freshened, renewed, and with their minds recovered, workers then can plod on and stay productive. The Bottom Line Conflict and stressful conditions are always going to be present in the workplace. The trick, perhaps, is for business organizations to devote resources to rein in massive triggers into small enough doses that employees, with the help of the organization, can manage without sacrificing their mental and physical health. Most importantly, everything starts with proper identification of the sources of stress. ď ł
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Addressing the Shortage of Women of Color in Tech T
ech jobs are among the fastest-growing, highestpaying jobs across the U.S. Research consistently shows the tech industry is leaving behind diverse populations—chief among them: women of color. The numbers are disturbing at the root. Currently, less than 16 percent of U.S. technology professionals are Latinx or African American, and only 4 percent of technology professionals are women of color, according to the NCWIT. When it comes to tech leadership positions, Hispanic women make up less than 1 percent, while Black women make up less than 0.5 percent.
Bertina Ceccarelli
Perhaps even more staggering, minority women of color make up 80 percent of all new female-led small businesses in the U.S., but in tech, that number plummets to just 4 percent.
As the CEO of NPower, it’s important for me to have honest—and at times, uncomfortable— conversations about the shortage of women of color in tech. A major strategic thrust at NPower is to help young women enter the IT profession, and to excel in these careers and fulfill their greatest potential.
CEO, NPower
On International Women’s Day last year, NPower, with the support of Citi Foundation, committed to increasing the number of young women enrolled in our free tech programs from 25 percent to 40 percent by 2022. We also pledged to increase the representation of women among NPower’s teaching staff across the U.S.—in cities like New York, NY; Dallas, TX; Baltimore, MD; and St. Louis, MO—to 40 percent by 2020. Prioritizing the inclusion of women of color in tech is crucial for many reasons. For one, it’s good for business. According to the CEO of CompTIA, diversity efforts could net the IT industry an extra $400 billion in revenue each year. While many major companies proclaim their commitment to diversity, white men still make up the overwhelming majority of today’s tech workforce. Secondly, technology skills are teachable and should not be limited to the privileged few. There is a serious talent shortage in the industry with 8.6 million new tech jobs expected to emerge over the next decade.
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And finally, tech jobs are some of the fastest-growing, highest-paying jobs available—why shouldn’t minority women have a piece of the pie? This is why it’s so important for us at NPower to empower women of color in the tech sector. And we are thrilled to have an aligned partnership with GLF, who also shares our mission to support minority communities. 40x22 - Helping Women of Color Advance Their Careers Through our “40 by 22” initiative, we’ve learned a great deal about the obstacles young women of color struggle with in tech. For instance, we’ve gained insight on how women lack role models in the industry and feel an overwhelming sense of isolation in the workplace, often because they are one of few or the only. We’ve also learned that women of color face enormous pressure and responsibilities to their families, limiting their career outlook in tech. There’s no denying that women face unique and cumulative challenges in technology. However, in light of our “40 by 22” initiative, NPower has acted to identify and help remove roadblocks preventing career success for young women of color in the tech industry. Today, we’ve increased the number of young women enrolled in our programs from 25 percent to 30 percent, graduating 95 young women—most of whom are already employed in quality tech jobs. We also added five women to our instructor pool. While we’re on the right path, there is much work ahead—for all of us. Fortunately, we’re not alone in our endeavor. Joining in the movement are thoughtful professionals from companies as diverse as World Wide Technology, Citi, Broadridge, Deloitte, KPMG, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, and BNY Mellon. Together, we’re committed to, inspired by, and advocate for women of color in the tech sector, whether they’re pursuing a new career in the industry or working to advance their current career. Ultimately, our goal is to help create a future in the tech sector that cultivates talent and creativity across all demographic groups.
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