2013. US Black Engineer & Information Technology | CONFERENCE - VOL.. 37, NO. 1

$6.95

2013 Black Engineer of the Year Awards STEM Conference

$6.95

Freeman A Hrabowski, III President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

2013

Black Engineer of the Year

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III Special Recognition Awards Emerald Honorees and Scientist of the Year Science Spectrum Trailblazers USBE&IT Conference Edition 2013 www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners $6.95

ay D n r e Mod nology Techaders Le

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

CONTEN US BLACK ENGINEER & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

BRINGING TECHNOLOGY HOME TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY

Special Recognition Honorees...............................33

Through their scientific and technical education, dedication to careers and employers in business and government they demonstrate the success of Blacks in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, with a commitment to giving back to their communities.

Modern-Day Technology Leaders.................................52 The 2013 Modern-Day Technology Leaders are the wealth in the pipeline that will help keep the U.S. strong and competitive. They are shaping the future of science, technology and engineering and math fields.

DIVERSITY

People and Events................10

BEYA winner Mark Dean supports accelerated adoption of technology in Middle East and Africa for IBM, as James Mitchell seeks to expand Howard University’s research portfolio in Washington metro area.

One on One............................ 13 Freeman Hrabowski President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Photo Credit: Jay L. Baker for UMBC

Profiles in Innovation

2013 Black Engineer of the Year COVER STORY............16

The story about Freeman Hrabowski looks back at his achievements, the obstacles faced, the challenges met, the precipitous climb while forging a wholly new pathway for others to follow.

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Cyber attacks are on the rise. Top Navy cryptologist and National Security Agency chief tells why he needs you for information warfare.

Education

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners.............20 29 STEM professionals who make game-changing discoveries, staggering contributions to the economy and keep America working.

Book Review.........................80

M.V. Greene reviews Steve Stoute’s The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy.

www.blackengineer.com

TS Vo l u m e 3 7 N u m b e r 1

BEST PRACTICES FOR SUCCESS

The Next Level......................85

AMIE goes to Africa as engineering educators, engineering schools, engineers, and technology businesses think globally.

science spectrum

2013 Scientist of the Year............................64

Those who know Corlis Murray best professionally describe her as a change agent, pioneer, leader and mentor. Murray is senior vice president of Quality Assurance, Regulatory and Engineering Services at Abbott.

Emerald Honorees ...............65

These 13 thought leaders are paving the way and changing the world. The 2013 Emerald Honorees are from research institutions and academia as well as nonprofits.

They are distinguished innovators making a difference in STEM fields.

Science Spectrum Trailblazers...........................75

These trailblazing leaders have outstanding accomplishments and achievements in research centers, national laboratories, government, industry, business and academia.

PUBLISHER’S PAGE Many of the award-winning scientists and engineers in the pages of the conference issue of USBE&IT magazine are not household names. But there’s no doubt about it, their contribution to the American economy is staggering.

That’s why each February, Career Communications Group Inc., publisher of USBE&IT, together with the Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, corporate sponsor Lockheed Martin and other employers, celebrate the achievements of Black men and women in scientific and technical fields at the annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference.

For both brother and sister BEYA winners, Coolidge and Mary Marie Hamlett, as for thousands of other award winners, those achievements include meeting demands of official duties as well as making time to give back. Coolidge was the 2004 Community Service Award winner. As part of his job in the Avionics Department of the Naval Air Systems Command, he recruits engineering staff to design and to provide technical support for manned and unmanned airborne systems. He grows the success of the organization through mentoring and coaching. He also invests time in helping prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce by speaking at NSBE and in middle schools.

Mary Marie is an eighth-grade physical science teacher. She won in the 2012 BEYA K-12 Promotion of Education category for encouraging academic excellence and producing top STEM education results. Two years ago, 75 students in her physical and life science classes all scored 98 percent on the Virginia State Standards of Learning Science, Math and Technology Tests. Mary Marie is also active in raising funds and awarding scholarships to minority high school students who are interested in pursuing STEM careers.

The Hamletts are just two of thousands of stories USBE&IT magazine continues to document as BEYA winners support programs that train and motivate individuals to excel in the competitive workforce of the 21st century.

Over the three-day event, hundreds of students will troop through the halls to celebrate the award winners’ display of talent, attend professional development sessions that provide insights on what is expected from them after graduation, and meet mentors as well as recruiters.

The BEYA STEM Conference presents us with a rare opportunity to talk to students about their careers. Where will they start? Which industries offer the best growth curve? What entry-level position would give them a head start?

Please join USBE&IT magazine in sharing ideas and success stories with those aspiring to reach the same level of achievement. Translate the inspiration and energy of BEYA STEM into a year-long commitment to encourage young people, offer growth opportunities and promote STEM careers.

Titans of Science..................90 One hundred years in the lives of Black pioneering scientists

CAREER OUTLOOk.............95 1. Job Horizon 2. Recruiting Trends

Tyrone D. Taborn Publisher and Editorial Director

3. Professional Life

USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 3

Career Communications Group presents

Executive Office

Tyrone D. Taborn |

Jean Hamilton |

Toi Barnhardt |

Publisher and Editorial Director President and CFO Assoc. Publisher & Director of Women Affairs and MiRS

Editorial

Lango Deen

Michael Fletcher

Gale Horton Gay

M.V. Greene

Frank McCoy

Garland L. Thompson

Roger Witherspoon

Technology Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Editor

| | | | | | |

Graphic Design

Sherley Petit-Homme | Art Director

Bryan Clapper | Graphic Designer

2013

Alumni Tech Week Wednesday, May 29– Sunday, June 2, 2013 Hyatt Regency Hotel Baltimore, MD 21202

Seminars and workshops will feature successful recruitment and professional training strategies Special Events include: Cyber Security Summit Hall of Fame HBCU Leadership Luncheon Unity Awards

Corporate Development

Ty Taborn | Corporate Development

Jacob Wiggins | Corporate Development

Rayondon Kennedy | Corporate Development Sales and Marketing

Richard Butler | Vice President of Government Relations/Special Projects

Diane T. Jones Richards | Director of Major Accounts/ Marketing

Gwendolyn Bethea | Senior Account Manager

Alex Venetta | Advertising Coordinator Administration

Ana Bertrand | Conference Coordinator

Alexis Green | Logistics/Office Manager Conference and Events Rutherford & Associates 17304 Preston Rd Suite 1020 Dallas, Texas 75252 Advertising Sales Office Career Communications Group, Inc. 729 E. Pratt Street, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202 Phone: (410) 244-7101 / Fax: (410) 752-1834 US Black Engineer & Information Technology (ISSN 1088-3444) is a publication devoted to engineering, science, and technology and to promoting opportunities in those fields for Black Americans. The editors invite submissions directed toward the goals of US Black Engineer & Information Technology. In particular, we wish to present ideas and current events concerning science and technology, and personality profiles of successful Blacks in these fields and related business pursuits. Fully developed articles may be sent for consideration, but queries are encouraged. US Black Engineer & Information Technology invites letters to the editor about any topics important to our readership.

Articles and letters should be sent to: US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Editorial Department, 729 E Pratt St., 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. No manuscript will be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. US Black Engineer & Information Technology cannot be responsible for unsolicited art or editorial material. This publication is bulk-mailed to 150 colleges and universities nationwide. Subscriptions are $26/year. Please write to US Black Engineer & Information Technology, Subscriptions, 729 E. Pratt St., 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. Copyright (c) 2013 by Career Communications Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Like us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/USBEIT Follow us on Twitter: @BlackEngineer

Diversity Diversity brings vital new ideas to the table and creates dynamic solutions to international issues.

We honor the individuals and institutions that strive to create and maintain a diversified workforce.

People and Events

by Rayondon J. Kennedy rkennedy@ccgmag.com

Black Engineer Seeks To Expand Howard University’s Research Portfolio

J

ames Mitchell, Ph.D., is the 1993 Black Engineer of the Year. Dr. Mitchell achieved this honor because of the phenomenal research he conducted at AT&T Bell Laboratories, which increased understanding of the chemistry of electronic and optical communication. Mitchell’s work was said to be the cornerstone of modern trace analysis, and without his research neither optical fibers nor high-purity semiconductors would have come as far as they did. After retiring from Bell Labs as the vice president of communication materials research, he was appointed dean of Howard University’s (HU) College of Engineering. Mitchell is also the David and Lucille Packard Professor of Material Science and director of the CREST Nanoscale Analytical Science Research and Education Center. Mitchell and his group currently explore microwaves, high-energy electrons and electrochemistry as clean energy sources for the synthesis of nanomaterial in pristine biocompatible media. Under his leadership, HU’s College of Engineering has advanced partnerships with other academic institutions such as John Hopkins and the University of Maryland, and there are plans to expand HU’s research and development portfolio with a biotech park at its campus in Beltsville, MD. Beyond the PC: Mark Dean supports accelerated adoption of technology Honored with the Black Engineer of the Year Award in 2000 for his contribution to the creation of the IBM personal computer, Dr. Mark Dean is making a difference in the post-PC world years later. As the chief technology officer of Middle East and Africa for IBM, Dean is responsible for a skills development strategy that will enable the multi-

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Events The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) What: National Society of Black Engineers 39th Annual Convention When: March 27-31, 2013 Where: Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) will be returning to their home state of Indiana this March for their 39th Annual Convention. With more than 29,000 members, NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations in the country. At this conference, NSBE will recognize the accomplishments of technical professionals, corporate, government and academic leaders. Part of the NSBE mission is to ensure that people are living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. To reach that goal NSBE is introducing the NSBE Fit Challenge, which will have many programs encouraging a healthy lifestyle, programs like a Zumba fitness training or a 5k run. For entertainment the convention will host a gospel choir competition. The proceeds of this conference are used to create college scholarships for high school students.

American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) What: American Association of Blacks in Energy Annual Conference When: April 9-12, 2013 Where: Hyatt Regency Baltimore 300 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21202 “Energy: Embracing Change and Creating Opportunities” This year at the 36th annual conference, the American Association of Blacks in Energy will discuss the nation’s domestic sources, and new technologies to drive more efficient energy use and cleaner energy sources that meet our growing demand. The conference will feature industry leaders who will share information on trending insights, the drivers of change, and the new challenges that will yield opportunities for economic development, workforce retooling and industry transformation.

national technology company to grow its business presence (more than double by 2015) and support economic growth of businesses through the use of technology. These responsibilities include development of solutions specific for the emerging needs of the businesses and cultures in the Middle East and Africa, in industry segments such as mobile services (banking, healthcare, education, government), natural resource management (oil, gas, mining, forest, water), cloud-based business services, and security (fraud protection, risk management, privacy, cyber security). Dean was a “founding father” of IBM’s original PC, in which he holds three of the original nine patents. He holds over 40 granted and pending patents. In honor of his talents, he has earned countless awards such as the Ronald H. Brown Innovators Award and he was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame for paving the way for growth in the information technology industry. www.blackengineer.com

Profiles in Innovation We celebrate the men and women who are reinventing and reenergizing STEM, business, and government.

One on One

by CCG Editors editors@ccgmag.com

willie metts needs you for cyber defense

R

ear Admiral Willie Metts is one of the navy’s top cryptologists. Now deputy chief of Tailored Access Operations at the National Security Agency, he believes people are America’s number one asset in the battle to increase resilience of the nation and its cyber infrastructure.

“Every day U.S. military and civilian networks are probed and scanned millions of time,” Metts said.

“Whether these groups are charging our military, federal government, private industry, or even you and me, costs are high. Looking at cybercrime alone, the cost, in 2008, was over $1 trillion spent on repair and loss of intellectual property.”

The 2008 incident Metts cited is considered one of the most significant Members of the audience listen as Rear Admiral Willie Metts delivers remarks at Career breaches of military computers.

Communications Group’s Cyber Security Summit and Career Fair.

“It began when an infected flash drive was loaded into a U.S. military tional security and the economy come into view, the Pentagon laptop at a base in the Middle East,” he explained. “The flash continues to build robust defenses around military networks and drive’s malicious computer code, placed there by a foreign inaugurated the military organization where Metts serves. intelligence agency, uploaded itself into the network run by As director of intelligence at the U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Central Command. That code spread undetected on both Metts integrated defense operations across the U.S. military for classified and unclassified systems establishing what amounted over 15,000 networks around the globe. “As you can imagine, to a digital beachhead from which data could be transferred to this is no trivial task and serves as the primary driver of our servers under foreign control.” daily focus at Cyber Command as the threat and cyber war Adversaries acquired thousands of files from U.S. networks continues to evolve.” as well as from the networks of U.S. allies and industry partners, What does this mean for you? including weapons blueprints, operational plans and surveillance “I believe cyber defense is truly a team sport. I want to endata, critical to the operation of the U.S. military. courage you all to consider joining the team,” Metts urged. “The “It served as a wake-up call to the Defense Department,” nation cannot be successful in cyber space without a technically Metts said. “Pentagon’s operation to counter the attack known adept, trained and motivated workforce. Whether in the military, as “Buck Shot Yankee” marked a turning point in cyber defense government or private industry, success for all of us in cyber strategy.” space will require everyone to be a bit tech savvy.”

But the intrusion which led to Operation Buck Shot Yankee Rear Admiral Metts earned a bachelor’s degree in electronwas not the only successful penetration. ics engineering technology from Savannah State University in “We are starting to see attacks move from network exploita1985. He also holds a master’s in command, control, communition and the disruption of network functions such as denial of cations, computers and intelligence (C4I) from the Naval Postservice attacks to possible destruction,” Metts observed. graduate School, as well as national security studies and strate“With destruction, the only way to recover may be to regic planning from the Naval War College. Metts was speaking place the attacked computer/device or system. Depending upon at a two-day event hosted by CACI and Career Communications how long it takes to replace these components could result in a Group, which brought together cyber-security leaders to discuss major disruption of critical functions.” advancements and opportunities in information warfare and the As the escalating scale of cyber warfare threatening nafield of cyber-security) www.blackengineer.com

USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 13

Profiles in Innovation

One on One continued Prepare for a Career in Information Warfare A Cyber Security Summit and Career Fair will be one of the highlights of the 2013 Alumni Tech Week, May 29 – June 2, 2013. Cyber security leaders will discuss advancements in the field of cyber security and provide students with an understanding of the profession and the pathways to enter this growing field.

Past winners of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards, Women of Color, and Minorities in Research Science awards will address the role of cyber security. Summit attendees will learn about research and advancements in the field and discussions will include the employment outlook for the cyber security profession, information on breaking into the field of cyber security and top employers in cyber security.

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5 Top Jobs Cloud Architect Healthcare Application/Medical Device Security Manager Network Security Officer Big Data Security Guardian Penetration Testers

Speakers will also address cyber security concerns created by the need to support a workforce that is increasingly mobile; cyber threat information sharing, cyber security strategies, global strategic law enforcement, national security, secure information systems and networks, and enhanced data collection and analysis.

www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

owski, III Freeman A. Hrab President e County ryland, Baltimor University of Ma

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www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

2013

Black Engineer

of the Year

Freeman A. Hrabowski

H

President and CEO, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

istory always shines through. It is expected that a story about the Black Engineer of the Year will look back at his achievements, the obstacles faced, the challenges met, the precipitous climb while forging a wholly new pathway for others to follow. The history always matters.

That is even more apparent when that high achiever in consideration is Freeman A. Hrabowski, only the second-ever college president to take top honors in USBE&IT’s annual selection of super-competitive industry leaders, military stars and role models for tomorrow’s youth. For Dr. Hrabowski, president and CEO of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is both a maker and shaper of history and the bringer to fruition of a tradition launched nearly 150 years ago by an almost-forgotten African-American educator and social activist named Octavius V. Catto.

Similar beginnings, a century apart The parallels are strong. The young Freeman Hrabowski came into the world at a critical time in American history, beginning his life in segregated Birmingham, Ala., just as the Civil Rights Movement was gearing up the campaign to challenge segregation in the streets. Howard Law School Dean Charles Hamilton Houston and his prized student Thurgood Marshall were tearing away the underpinnings of the Jim Crow laws in the courts, while in Montgomery, Ala., First World War veteran E. D. Nixon and his cohorts where gearing up to challenge Jim Crow in the streets.

Octavius Valentine Catto, born in South Carolina before the Civil War, grew up in the stormy years of national contention over slavery. His father grew up a slave millwright and, once freed, married a free black woman, became a Presbyterian minister and moved his family north to Baltimore. The elder Catto later moved on to Philadelphia, where his son Octavius, taking advantage of educational opportunities denied his father, became a widely regarded anti-slavery activist and educator during the 1850s and ‘60s. www.blackengineer.com

Early crusader A century later, the young Freeman Hrabowski plunged into activism, too. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., brought to national prominence after his dynamic leadership of the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., joined Birmingham minister James Bevel in launching a children’s crusade against segregation. The infamous Bull Connor turned fire hoses and police dogs on the children, horrifying TV news audiences around the world, and actually spat in the face of 12-year-old Freeman Hrabowski, keeping him and other children locked in jail for a week.

The national revulsion over that outrage spurred Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an accomplishment that must give huge satisfaction to the grown-up Dr. Freeman Hrabowski.

As a teenager, Hrabowski was an early-admit to historically Black Hampton University, just as the young Octavius Catto did at the Institute for Colored Youth, today known as historically Black Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. Both men completed their studies before either had attained legal age, and each man decided that teaching—preparing the next generation of leaders who could move the community of black achievers to ever-higher levels—was the calling of his life.

Math skills came first Octavius Catto excelled at geometry and trigonometry as well as in Latin and Greek studies, presaging the academic career of the young Freeman Hrabowski, the great-great-grandson of a Polish slaveholder who graduated from Hampton summa cum laude in math, continuing his studies with a master’s degree in mathematics and a doctorate in academic administration at the University of Illinois.

USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 17

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Catto returned to the Institute for Colored Youth, rising to become professor and principal of the male department at the coed institution. Fannie Mae Coppin, later to become the founder of Coppin State College in Baltimore, was the overall school head.

In Philadelphia, Catto became an athlete as well as a fiery abolitionist speaker and writer, and challenged white professional baseball teams to integrated matches. Catto joined Frederick Douglass and the Union League in recruiting 11 regiments of Black soldiers to fight the Civil War, and himself put on a Union major’s uniform to support troop training activities.

But like Dr. Hrabowski, Catto’s passion was education― education for the youth, and education for a new generation of black teachers to end the enforced ignorance of the people so recently freed from enslavement.

Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America by Daniel Biddle and Murray Dubin makes the point that under Catto’s leadership, the Institute for Colored Youth trained more teachers who went south after the Civil War than any other American institution.

selective institution.

The Meyerhoff program supports students all the way through to graduation from Ph.D. and M.D. studies, and Dr. Hrabowski is such an aggressive salesman and lobbyist for his students that he proudly says UMBC places more Black students at Harvard Medical School than any other institution.

Strong in IT Of particular interest to a magazine such as USBE&IT, Dr. Hrabowski’s UMBC produces more than 30 percent of Maryland’s IT graduates, and he is proud to say that about 20 percent of those IT grads are African American.

Interestingly, while he admits UMBC is not the institution for students who are less well-prepared than those “best and brightest” stars, Dr. Hrabowski has pushed programs to educate a new corps of K-12 schoolteachers, equipped to promote a stronger grasp of challenging subjects like science and math, so that more minority youth will be able to pursue STEM careers in the future. In that, he again parallels the crusader Catto, faced with the need to prepare an entire generation of freed men and women for productive lives in a postEmancipation society.

Dr. Hrabowski, who first rose to prominence as an educator and as the treasurer who brought stability and solvency to Coppin State, has in a 20-year career at UMBC produced more Black science Ph.D.s than any other institution with a white-majority student body.

Training teachers to lead others Here we find still another parallel: Dr. Hrabowski, who first rose to prominence as an educator and as the treasurer who brought stability and solvency to Coppin State during a time of financial crisis, has in a 20-year career at UMBC produced more Black science Ph.D.s than any other institution with a white-majority student body. According to a recent article in Diversity Issues in Higher Education, half of UMBC’s students are white, 20 percent are Black or Hispanic, and 20 percent are Asian. “Among the university’s African-American student population,” the magazine reported, “half are male, a statistic that is unprecedented at most institutions, perhaps with the exception of Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU in Atlanta.”

Diversity Issues also said that, “UMBC is one of the few predominantly white institutions in the nation that can say that the graduation rates of African Americans are always as high as any other group and sometimes even higher.”

High STEM graduation rates In technology, the magazine noted that 45 percent of UMBC’s students earn degrees in STEM, and that 50 percent of those graduates are African American. And it is well-known that under Dr. Hrabowski, UMBC leads all of the country’s traditionally white universities in sending Black students to top-tier institutions to complete Ph.D.s in science. The Meyerehoff Scholars program, begun in 1988 with a grant from philanthropist Robert Meyerhoff, has not only dramatically shifted the perception and expectations of African-American students on UMBC’s campus, but Dr. Hrabowski’s continual drive to recruit the “best and brightest” students to his campus and promote excellence in science learning has transformed the standing of UMBC as a highly 18 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

Recognition comes fast and furious Such achievements have earned UMBC the No. 1 spot as U.S. News & World Report’s top up-and-coming school in the United States.

It thus is no accident that Dr. Hrabowski’s name appears on a major National Academies of Science and Engineering study, “Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads,” leading a committee effort that included John Brooks Slaughter, the first African American to head the National Science Foundation and, not so coincidentally, the first Black Engineer of the Year.

Dr. Hrabowski is the recipient of many awards, including being named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World;” receiving the Theodore Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in 2011 from TIAA-CREF; the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Academic Leadership Award in 2011; being named one of Time’s “Top 10 College Presidents” in 2009, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Letters; winning the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education; being named “Marylander of the Year” by the Baltimore Sun; winning a U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring; and a host of other awards and honors that continues for pages.

Octavius Catto, the activist and educator who tragically died at the hands of a bigot outraged at his push for Black progress at the end of the Reconstruction years, can look proudly down the decades at the way his legacy is being upheld today, 150 years after Emancipation.

—by Garland L Thompson, gthompson@ccgmag.com

www.blackengineer.com

2013

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Career Achievement-Government

G. Derrick Hinton

Principal Deputy Director, Test Resource Management Center Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Department of Defense Career Achievement-Industry

Alicia Boler-Davis

Vice President, Global Quality & U.S. Customer Experience General Motors

Black Engineer

of the Year awards

Moses Nii Kpakpo Mingle

Chief of Electronic Warfare Systems Ground Branch Communications Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center U.S. Army

Promotion of Education

Terrell D. Neal, Ph.D.

Outstanding Technical Contribution– Industry

Community Service

Senior Principal Systems Engineer Raytheon Company

General Engineer Federal Aviation Administration

Donnell Walton, Ph.D.

Barbara Miller, Ed.D., LCSW Director, Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity NASA Ames Research Center Diversity Leadership-Industry

Patricia L. Lewis

Vice President, Human Resources Information Systems and Global Solutions Lockheed Martin Corporation Diversity Leadership-Industry

J. Anthony Wingate

Manager, Subsystems and Components Quality Engineering Sandia National Laboratories Lifetime Achievement

General Dennis L. Via

Commanding General U.S. Army Materiel Command United States Army Most Promising Engineer-Government

Tonya Bazemore

Architect U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

www.blackengineer.com

Samer A. Saleh

Engineering Systems Operator The Boeing Company

Richard A. Johnson

Vice President, Mission Assurance, Quality & Raytheon Six Sigma Raytheon Company

Diversity Leadership-Government

Electrical Engineer Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation Director, Planning and Services, Operations Strategy Abbott Diagnostics

Career Achievement-Industry

Rhonda Thomas

Roy Foreman

Most Promising Engineer-Industry

Senior Electrical Engineer II Raytheon Company

Robert L. Curbeam, Jr.

Professional Achievement-Industry

Jama A. Mohamed

Manager, World-Wide Applications Engineering Gorilla Glass Corning Incorporated Pioneer Award

Shan Cooper

Vice President & General Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Cynthia M. Shelton Vice President General Dynamics

Lauren C. States

Vice President, CTO IBM Corporate Strategy IBM Corporation President’s Award

Theodore Colbert, III Vice President The Boeing Company

Marachel L. Knight, PE, PMP Vice President, Program Management AT&T Services Inc.

Bobby L. Wilson, Ph.D.

L. Lloyd Woods Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Shell Oil Endowed Chaired Professor of Environmental Toxicology Texas Southern University Student Leadership–Graduate level

Je’aime (Jamie) Powell

Grid Manager/Graduate Researcher/ Network Analyst Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research Student Leadership-Undergraduate

Nahom Tewolde

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Technical Sales and Marketing

Eric L. Anderson

Director, Integrated Business Planning The Boeing Company

Keith L. Coleman

Structural Design Engineer CH2M HILL Visionary Award

Philip D. Benson, Jr. PE, PMP Vice President Water Business Group CH2M HILL

Larry Williams

Director, Interior Engineering Systems and Components Chrysler Group LLC

Professional Achievement-Government

Omarr Tobias

Operations Officer 2nd Naval Construction Regiment Civil Engineer Corps U.S. Navy USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 19

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

2013

Black Engineer

of the Year awards

Together Toward Tomorrow: Harnessing the Potential of Change

A

s is tradition for America’s national Black History Month, Career Communications Group Inc., publisher of US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and corporate sponsor, Lockheed Martin, have joined together with other sponsors to celebrate the achievements of African Americans in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and promote better access to STEM careers. Meet the 2013 category winners of the Black Engineer of the Year Awards, whose significant contributions exemplify innovation, hard work, and achievement in a variety of technical fields, business, diversity and community service.

—by CCG editorial staff, editors@ccgmag.com

career achievement—Government G. Derrick Hinton

Principal Deputy Director, Test Resource Management Center Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Department of Defense

G

. Derrick Hinton has spent 22 years with the federal service and made far-reaching contributions to homeland security and defense. As a young engineer, he developed a modeling and simulation technique that resulted in significant improvement to defense munitions test capability. As program manager he managed two major research, development, test, and evaluation investment programs that have resulted in modernization of test infrastructure at test and evaluation ranges and facilities.

Hinton now leads an organization that has oversight of a $40 billion test and evaluation infrastructure. He is a co-lead of a $250 million study to identify efficiency in the test and evaluation enterprise. This will allow the defense department to identify advanced war fighting capabilities. In line with the department’s science, technology, engineering and math outreach strategic plan, Hinton works closely with historically Black colleges and 20 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

universities and minority institutions to mentor as well as provide opportunities for training, internships and careers in science and technology within the DOD. Early on in his career, Hinton recognized that the goals of the department’s test and evaluation science and technology program coincided with the department’s science and technology objectives to stay ahead of the curve. Under his leadership, the defense department’s Test and Evaluation/Science and Technology program has grown from $6 million to a $100 million investment program. The goal is to expose qualified science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students to the test and evaluation (T&E) community in hopes of someday recruiting them into the T&E government workforce.

Embedded within are efforts to expand the department’s ability to provide T&E support in hypersonic, unmanned and autonomous systems, directed energy, spectrum efficiency and multi-spectral sensors. Looking to the future, Hinton is laying the foundation to develop test technology areas such as electronic warfare systems and cyber operations. Hinton’s initiatives will ensure the DOD has test-evaluation capabilities to provide timely information to decision makers and war fighters.

To date, Hinton’s efforts have guided research at Morgan State University and North Carolina A&T to funding through the Department of Defense Test and Resource Management Center.

Over the last eight years, the center has sponsored $600 million in test and technology development projects; 37 projects were led by a university. Hinton earned a bachelor of science in industrial engineering from the University of Alabama in 1989 and master’s degree in public administration from Troy State University. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

career achievement—industry Alicia Boler-Davis

Vice President, Global Quality & U.S. Customer Experience General Motors

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n today’s extremely competitive automotive industry, General Motors (GM) is rebounding from a difficult period and they are determined to reclaim their position on top, which is why they are extremely excited to have Alicia Boler-Davis on their team. GM’s Chairman and CEO, Daniel F. Akerson, said that if he had more people like Boler-Davis they would reach that position even sooner. Akerson described her as a perfectionist and a go-getter; both are qualities that go hand in hand with her roles as vice president of Global Quality and U.S. vice president of Customer Experience.

Boler-Davis is the first ever vice president of Customer Experience―a position newly created so that GM’s customers can receive the best customer service in the industry. BolerDavis made up her mind to become an engineer after attending General Motors Institute’s Academically Interested Minds program in high school. She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Northwestern University, where she chaired the Society for Black Engineers. Later, she earned her master’s degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

During her undergraduate years she completed internships at Dow Chemical and Ford Motor Company. The first full-time engineering job that Boler-Davis held was a project engineer

career achievement—industry Robert L. Curbeam, Jr.

Vice President, Mission Assurance, Quality & Raytheon Six Sigma Raytheon Company

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obert Curbeam is all about attention to detail, consistency, best practices and controlling risk. Last May, he told a story about quality to 200 suppliers at a Raytheon Operational Excellence and Mission Assurance event. In 2006, Curbeam, an astronaut from 1994 until 2007, said he had “a little problem with his glove” during his first space walk on his final NASA mission. The glove, unbeknownst to him then, had a cut in it, and one millimeter of nylon separated him from death. The contractor, however, had done its job, and the Maryland native survived. Curbeam told the suppliers the same commitment to quality is unalterable as he, they, and Raytheon “are in the business of saving lives” through the goods and services that protect U.S. troops and the nation.

As the vice president of a unit producing about $62 million

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at Upjohn Pharmaceuticals followed by a manufacturing engineering job at Frito-Lay. She then joined the GM team in 1994 as a manufacturing engineer.

In 2010 BolerDavis worked her way to becoming the plant manager at the Orion Township assembly facility in Michigan (home of the Chevrolet Sonic). She was not only the plant manager but she was also the Sonic vehicle line director and chief engineer. This means she oversaw both the engineering and the manufacturing of the car. This is the first time anyone in the history of General Motors has ever done that. Even with all the success professionally she still keeps in mind what is really important, her family and her community. She has been married for 12 years and is the proud mother of two sons. Alicia is also very devoted to giving back, as she is very much involved in many community service programs.

in revenue, Curbeam’s responsibilities include Integrated Defense Systems, its supply base, business partners, and customer base. He joined Raytheon in 2011 after serving as president of the Aerospace and Defense Division of ARES Corporation since leaving NASA in 2007. Raytheon is a $25 billion technology company specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets, and IDS is a $5 billion division. The Integrated Defense Systems portfolio includes weapons, sensors, and integration systems used in areas including air and missile defense radars, early warning radars, naval ship operating systems, and robotics for domestic and global customers.

During his NASA career, besides completing three space shuttle missions and seven spacewalks, Curbeam served as the deputy associate administrator of Safety and Mission Assurance. He created NASA’s first standard operating procedure for spacewalks, which delineates how such procedures should be performed and how to avoid repetitive mistakes. The former U.S. Navy captain is a graduate of Navy Fighter Weapons (Top Gun) and the Navy Test Pilot Schools, and has more than 3,000 flight hours in 25 different aircraft and spacecraft. He earned his bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering, and an advanced degree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School.

One recommendation by a Raytheon colleague, who also served at NASA with Curbeam, said he has, “a thorough knowledge of aerospace and defense systems, strong technical leadership and the unique ability to work across functional and organizational boundaries.”

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Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Community Service Rhonda Thomas General Engineer Federal Aviation Administration

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n 1975, a near fourdecade professional and personal commitment to science and technology began with a chat. Rhonda Thomas was walking through her Maryland high school when a guidance counselor asked, “what are your college plans?” Thomas said she might study English and become a teacher. The counselor, who admired her strong math and scientific ability, suggested Thomas consider engineering. He told her about the Department of Defense’s then Pax-Tenn cooperative education program. It provided talented Black students financial assistance to attend Tennessee State University (TSU) to study engineering and offered summer internships at a nearby Naval Air Test Center. Thomas says he then insisted that she submit an application immediately.

Fast-forward, Thomas, the Pax-Tenn program’s first Black woman graduate, received her bachelor’s in electrical engineer-

Diversity Leadership-Government Barbara Miller, Ed.D., LCSW

Director, Office of Diversity & Equal Opportunity NASA Ames Research Center

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arbara Miller is an equal opportunity and diversity champion at NASA Ames Research Center. Over the past eight years, she has rolled out sustainable diversity and inclusion initiatives, as she maps the direction of equal opportunity policy.

She played an integral part in a “Diversity Presentation Series” as well as plan and implementation activities. Dr. Miller also coordinated the first-ever “Diversity and Inclusion Day” at NASA Ames, enriching understanding of Ames’ diverse workforce and drawing record attendance for an inaugural event.

Her collaboration with human resources, the Ames Office of Education and other directorates has promoted the representation of people of color, disabled workers and women. But she hasn’t stopped there, often going beyond external recruiting and supporting all seven NASA Ames employee resource groups. They include the Asian American Pacific Islander, African American, Employees with Disabilities, Hispanic, Native American, Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Advisory Groups and the Women’s Influence Network. Prior to becoming the director of the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, she was a diversity program manager at Bureau of Land Management. There, she was tasked to implement diversity programs for the state of California.

Miller understands the diversity challenges tied to the goals of an or-

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ing from TSU and became an engineer at the naval center. During her now 36-year federal career, she rose from a GS level 2 making $25,000 annually to a GS 15 earning $124,000. For the past 20 years, Thomas has been a project engineer working on aviation research, development and implementation initiatives.

At the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), she is a contracting officer technical representative for a project valued at $42 million, and does the same for the FAA enterprise communication support services contract valued at $99 million.

As she rose, Thomas vowed to give back. In 1998, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. member founded LEAP Forward Inc. to expose disadvantaged youth to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with an emphasis on engineering. As of August 2012, more than 90 students in her native rural Maryland County had received college scholarships from the registered nonprofit, many for HBCUs, and about the same number have earned STEM degrees.

Thomas, who also received a master’s in systems management from the University of Southern California and a master’s in systems engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, notes the irony of her success and her philanthropy’s impact. “I didn’t even know what an engineer was or what they really did.

I had no role models in high school…to introduce me to this exciting career option,” she said. “Exposure to STEM leads to an interest in STEM and then perhaps to the pursuit of STEM career options which increases the pipeline so needed by the United States.” ganization, what success means and how initiatives contribute to this greater purpose; increase talent acquisition, enhance performance and strengthen leadership skills. Her position at the land bureau allowed her to promote the positive effects diversity brings to the workplace.

In an everevolving world of differences, her competence helps expand the definition of diversity by encompassing factors such as lifestyle, sexual orientation, learning styles, industry, positional power, etc. Dr. Miller has 34 years of federal service that includes employment with the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Interior and the Department of Veteran Affairs. She was also an enlisted military member for nine years, acquired an officer’s commission in 1992 and retired after 23 years of service as chief of the Military Equal Opportunity Office at the 129th Rescue Wing, a military installation located as a tenant at NASA Ames Research Center. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Diversity Leadership-Industry Patricia L. Lewis

Vice President, Human Resources Information Systems and Global Solutions Lockheed Martin Corporation

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atricia L. Lewis is now the senior human resources leader for Lockheed Martin’s $15.5 billion Electronics Systems global business―her most recent position in a career of increasingly responsible positions, including an 11-year stint at IBM. At Lockheed Martin, she directs a staff of 300 HR professionals on a domestic and international basis, reaching 45,000 employees worldwide.

Since joining Lockheed Martin in February 2011, Lewis has already implemented a number of strategic talent initiatives including the Program Management Talent Initiative, which was instituted across the business area to accelerate the development of high potential diverse leaders from various disciplines for senior program leadership roles. She is also spearheading two pilot programs for the company in the areas of Integrated Talent Management and Culture Change, which will be instrumental in optimizing the corporation’s talent decision-making processes and understanding how to evolve its workforce to be more agile and responsive to business imperatives.

During her tenure at IBM, she was vice president of human resources for IBM’s Global Technology Services Business for

Diversity Leadership-Industry J. Anthony Wingate

Manager, Subsystems and Components Quality Engineering Sandia National Laboratories

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nthony Wingate has worked in the Sandia Surety Assessment, Engineering and Analysis Center since 2008. As the manager of subsystem and component quality engineering, he is responsible for technical quality support to Sandia Product Realization teams. In Nov. 2011, he was recognized as the National Nuclear Security Administration Defense Programs “Employee of the Quarter.” This award is given to people for going above the call of duty in supporting the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) mission. Sandia Corp. operates Sandia National Laboratories as a contractor for the Department of Energy’s NNSA and supports federal, state, and local government agencies, companies and organizations.

Wingate won the award because he played a key role in creating a streamlined process organizations can follow to gain ISO 9001-2008 registration. Wingate’s center used the process in www.blackengineer.com

the Americas, with responsibility for all HR strategic initiatives and programs across the United States, Canada and Latin America. She also held the position of vice president, diversity and employee experience, while at IBM. She is a member of the board of directors for Sandia National Laboratories and is a member of the Sandia Governance Committee. She is also a Board member of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Professional affiliations include the National Association of Female Executives and the Society for Human Resources Management.

In 2010, Lewis co-hosted the Multicultural Women’s Conference by Working Mother Media, participated as an advisory council member, and contributed as a speaker and resource during the event. Earlier, in March 2007, Lewis was recognized by The Network Journal magazine as one of the Top 25 Influential Black Women in Business. obtaining its registration in less than half the time and cost. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) emphasizes industry customer satisfaction through quality management practices. Wingate has also had success in growing quality engineering staff for Surety Engineering.

Over three years, he has been directly responsible for hiring 20 outstanding employees at Sandia’s Albuquerque, New Mexico, California and Missouri locations. The new hires represent a spectrum of diversity in gender, ethnicity, and technical discipline.

Understanding the need for developing a pipeline of qualified candidates, he has attended career fairs at the University of Kansas and University of Texas at Austin; the American Society for Quality World Conference, and Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference. Wingate has hired science and engineering candidates from these fairs and the career fair at North Carolina A&T State University.

In 2011, he was able to participate in A&T’s university-industry classroom visitation program, which allows company sponsors to talk to students about opportunities in science and engineering.

The S&E candidates Wingate hires are diverse, with more than 50 percent of them being women. One of them is now a successful peer manager in the center on the career development track. Many of these candidates were hired into the Sandia graduate program, which covers tuition and tuition-related costs, 60 percent of the student’s base salary and employee benefits. Outside of the workplace, Wingate has been a foster parent for four years, seeing more than 32 young people pass through his home.

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Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Lifetime Achievement General Dennis L. Via

Commanding General U.S. Army Materiel Command United States Army

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ard work and perseverance are the hallmarks of General Dennis Via’s career―from branch Signal officer to four-star general.

He is only the second African American to command the U.S. Army Materiel Command and the seventh to rise to general, in August 2012. He is the Army’s most senior logistician, responsible for the development and supply of everything a soldier shoots, drives, flies, communicates with, eats and wears.

Gen. Via’s service began with little fanfare 30 years ago. The first in his family to go to college, he happened to run into soldiers enrolling for the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) at Virginia State University. Via signed up when he learned that he could earn money for attending the Army Basic Camp, a summer program which served as substitute for almost two years of ROTC. Two years later, he was commissioned into the Signal Corps. Some of Via’s assignments include his first with XVIII Airborne Corps. Rising above his peers, he served as platoon leader, battalion maintenance supervisor officer, detachment and company commander in the 35th Signal Brigade. He also served as an operations officer for the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee from 1988 to 1989 and then assignment officer for operations research and systems analysis at the Army Personnel Command.

Upon graduating from the Command and General Staff College in 1991, he was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division as assistant division signals officer and then 82nd Signal Battalion, which he later commanded from 1996 to1998. He graduated from the Army War College in 1999 and became deputy assistant chief of staff, Third Corps. In 2000, he assumed command of the 3rd Signal Brigade. From there he served as the director of Global Information Grid Operations; commander, at the Defense Information Systems Agency; and as deputy commander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations, U.S. Strategic Command. He was promoted brigadier general in that position in 2005. In August the same year, he was assigned as commander of 5th Signal and deputy chief of the United States Army Europe and 7th Army.

During his assignment as commanding general of the Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command, he was promoted major general in June 2008 and lieutenant general in August 2009, when he became the director for command, control, communications, and computer systems, the principal advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In May 2011, he took up assignment as deputy commanding general/chief of staff, Army Materiel Command before breaking new ground as a general in 2012. He is the first basic branch signal officer to be promoted to four-star rank. In his previous position, he was involved in the transition of all vehicles, equipment and personnel out of Iraq in 2011. Now, he will also be responsible for the eventual draw down of vehicles and equipment from Afghanistan. Via’s span of control includes eleven subordinate commands, a workforce that exceeds 70,000 military and civilian personnel, and he manages a $70 billion budget responsible for the Army’s technology, logistics and acquisition.

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Most Promising Engineer-Government Tonya Bazemore

Architect U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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uring Tonya Y. Bazemore’s six years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including four with the Japan Engineer District I, she has been a critical leader on projects worth more than $20 million. Project engineers are responsible for daily field administration of large construction programs for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Bazemore was recently the project manager for a $4.3 million Battle Command Training Center, in Japan, and used knowledge gleaned from her Tuskegee University bachelor of architecture degree to complete the project, with mostly Japanese contractors.

It was the first military construction job to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, and became the first LEED Accredited Professional, and subject matter expert, in the Japan Engineer District Construction Branch.

While continuing her Corps job, Bazemore is also enrolled in the 18-Month U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Leadership Development Program, and completing her requirements for professional certification, Level 2, in facilities engineering. She is also working toward her professional architecture certification.

In 2007, Bazemore received her master’s degree in management from Colorado Technical University, and project management professional (PMP) certification a year later.

Prior to the Corps, the Washington, D.C. native, who was in Army ROTC at Tuskegee, served as an active duty U.S. Army Engineer officer. She was posted initially in Alaska, and then as an engineer platoon leader in Iraq. There she became the assistant civil engineer of a 900-soldier Combat Heavy Engineer Battalion, and received praise for her “meticulous organizational skills” and how she takes “the abstract and makes it real for soldiers.” In 2006, after leaving the military she joined the Corps as a civilian working on projects in Georgia and North Carolina, before her current assignment in Japan. Bazemore, who was introduced to the Army Corps during a high school pre-engineering program, is an active math, science, and architecture mentor of middle and high school students, and to engineer interns and military cadets. On several occasions, students told their teachers that after working with Bazemore they wanted to become architects. She has also been a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recruiter at the 2009 and 2011 BEYA STEM conferences. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Most Promising Engineer-Government Moses Nii Kpakpo Mingle

Chief of Electronic Warfare Systems Ground Branch Communications Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center U.S. Army

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oses Mingle is an exceptional engineer.

He was responsible for design, development, test, evaluation, fielding, and support of two radio frequency (RF) countermeasure systems used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan to defeat improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Both IED programs, Electra and Whisper, received the 2006 and 2008 “Top 10 Greatest Army Inventions” awards from the U.S. Army. This is a prestigious honor because it is voted by warfighters in the field.

Mingle leads more than 40 employees and manages a budget of $30 million, all working toward the development of technology to defeat radio-controlled improvised explosive devices, the No. 1 killer in the battlefield. The results have proven to be effective and have saved the lives of American soldiers. Mingle leads his team in research efforts to identify IEDs, and design, develop, test and field countermeasure systems, subsystems and other operation techniques used by troops.

Over his 11 years as a federal employee, he has held a variety of technical and management positions. Currently he is responsible for countermeasure sensors, systems and techniques used by the military services in Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a master’s in electrical engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology, and a master’s of business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Outside of work, Mingle plays in recreational soccer leagues and coaches young people, teaching sports and sportsmanship.

He started his career as an intern in the Information and Operations division of Intelligence and Information Warfare Directorate.

He showed a lot of talent and was chosen by his peers to lead a counter-improvised explosive device defeat system designed to neutralize the roadside bomb threat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Most Promising Engineer-Industry Richard A. Johnson Engineering Systems Operator The Boeing Company

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ichard Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Minnesota in aerospace engineering and mechanics and a minor in business management.

Johnson’s excellence in his academics allowed him to

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earn several scholarships that covered all of his tuition. After he graduated, he went on to the University of Washington where he earned a master’s of aeronautical engineering. He was selected as a teacher’s assistant, a position that also covered his tuition.

As a student, Johnson participated in the NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunity Program. In this program he conducted fluid dynamics experiments while in flight, he also co-authored a paper of the results of the experiments. He also took part in a series of internships with The Boeing Company, an opportunity that would later lead to his employment with them.

During his time with Boeing, Richard has been a systems engineer with Flight Deck Engineering. This position focused on the design efforts of the 787 Dreamliner. In this position Johnson had to use skills in human factors, systems engineering and flight operations to incorporate design features into the 787 cockpit.

His next position was flight test director. This position allowed him to use both his engineering and piloting skills in order to safely, efficiently, and effectively meet test objectives.

Johnson’s current position at Boeing is Engineering Systems Operator. This position is highly competitive and will allow him to support production testing of existing Boeing plane models and the newer 787-9 model. Aside from his work Johnson also is a member of several groups including National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals Experimental Aircraft Association, Women in Aviation International, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and the Jackie Robinson Foundation Alumni Association.

Most Promising Engineer-Industry Terrell D. Neal, Ph.D. Senior Electrical Engineer II Raytheon Company

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errell D. Neal is a man of many titles and achievements. He is a highly recognized electrical engineer who currently holds the position of Senior Electrical Engineer II at Raytheon Missile Systems.

He is also a Raytheon Six Sigma Greenbelt, Chef Engineering Development Program Fellow, certified control account manager and an RMS Leadership Matters 2011 graduate.

Neal is nothing if not extremely well educated. He graduated from Warren County High School in Warrenton, Ga., as the salutatorian, and then graduated from Morehouse College in 2000 with a bachelor of science in mathematics. He simultaneously attended Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to earn another bachelor of science in electrical engineering. He then earned a master of science in electrical engineering from California Institute of Technology in 2001; where he went on to receive his doctorate in electrical engineering in 2006. Neal achieved numerous awards and acknowledgements as a student, including entrance into the five-year NASA Dr. Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program for his dual-degree at Morehouse College and Georgia Tech.

Since 2010 Neal has attained increasing responsibility at Raytheon, currently leading manufacturing and testing proceUSBE&IT I WINTER 2013 25

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

dures, along with integration of all modifications across the company’s factories. Neal has led a test equipment-funding proposal, brought about facility modifications with a capital request submittal and participated on a manufacturing team to develop a plan for an award fee— all in just his current role at Raytheon.

For his Six Sigma Greenbelt project, he led a team on the Non Line-of-Sight Launch System that ultimately resulted in $3.1 million in cost avoidance with their software loading station.

Neal spends his spare time volunteering and serving as a mentor and tutor for local youth. His wife, Dr. Tarin Bynum Neal, is a pediatrician, and the two serve as anchors for each other’s professional success.

Outstanding Technical Contribution–Industry Jama A. Mohamed Senior Principal Systems Engineer Raytheon Company

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he actual distance from Mogadishu, Somalia, to Boston, Mass., is 7,441 miles. The personal and educational mileage of that trip traveled by Jama Mohamad is much greater. For the past 12 years, Mohamed has built a national reputation as an expert in radar signal processing at the $25 billion Raytheon Company, which specializes in defense, homeland security and government markets. The nominating material in Mohamed’s Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) application package noted that he has developed sophisticated high-fidelity simulations of phased array radars for air traffic control, Navy surface combatants, elevated cruise missile defense, and air and missile defense.

Recently he has worked as the modeling and simulation team leader on a U.S. Air Force contract for the Space Fence Radar Program. Its goal is, “to design and develop new ground-based surveillance radar that can detect and track thousands of space objects many times smaller than any detectable with today’s space surveillance sensor network.” The program will allow military and commercial satellite directors to avoid possible collisions with space junk. Mohamed, whose parents were illiterate nomads, is a graduate of the Mogadishu Technical High School.

At age 18, he moved to Saudi Arabia to earn money to further his education, which led Mohamed to the United States. He earned his bachelor of science and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT, where he held a $100,000 National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science Fellowship. He also received a $20,000 MIT fellowship.

Three days after receiving his doctorate, Mohamed went to work at Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). Dr. Ellen J. Ferraro, director of IDS engineering, has known him since then. At Raytheon, Mohamed was selected to join the Systems Engineering Technical Development Program that teaches

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engineers how to prepare to lead as technical directors, chief engineers and senior architects. Now Ferraro says of Mohamed, “His efforts to improve our defense capabilities by providing innovative and affordable solutions will benefit our warfighters around the world.”

Remembering his journey, Mohamed, who has three patents and has developed or managed 10 IDS projects, finds time to assist other by teaching Radar Signal Processing class, and mentoring younger engineers.

Outstanding Technical Contribution–Industry Donnell Walton, Ph.D. Manager World-Wide Applications Engineering Gorilla Glass Corning Incorporated

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onnell Walton is an optical physicist. Over the past five years, his outstanding leadership skills have changed the game. Walton managed a global team of 25 engineers spread across the world in the United States, Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan and Germany. He led the group to support a growing business for Gorilla Glass. Gorilla is the trademark for Corning’s break-resistant chemically strengthened cover glass now in use in more than 700 million hand-held devices.

Walton grew Gorilla Glass beyond smart phones into laptops, using the science of leadership as a member of the Corning community responsible for acceptance of this glass into devices such as Smart phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, large touch walls and now presently expanding into the automotive industry.

Walton was the technical guru who met with global customers, describing the advantages of the glass and worked with them to adopt the technology.

Many YouTube videos on the Internet show Dr. Walton describing the technology at major conferences. Gorilla Glass is one of the fastest growing businesses at Corning and Dr. Walton is relentless in adding more design wins and applications for this wonderful technology. All thanks to his technical competence, amazing teamwork and professional attitude in dealing with customers.

Second major contributions for Dr. Walton are his achievements in fiber optics and lasers. For nine years, he led groups working on optical amplifiers and high power lasers and was able to achieve a 1,000-watt laser, exceeding all expectations.

Watson joined Corning in 1999 after working as a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Walton worked in science and technology where he performed and led research in optical fiber amplifiers and lasers. In 2008 he joined the Gorilla team as a senior applications engineer for the burgeoning information technology sector.

Walton graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina State University in 1989 with bachelor’s degrees in physics and electrical engineering before getting his Ph.D. in applied physics in 1996 from the University of Michigan. He has authored and coauthored over 50 technical reports and 14 patents. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Pioneer Award Shan Cooper

Vice President & General Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

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s the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Marietta, Ga., site vice president and general manager, Shan Cooper is responsible for the management and leadership of some 8,000 staff.

She oversees the design, manufacture, test and sustainment as the original equipment manufacturer of five major aircraft weapon systems: • F-22 Raptor, the most technically advanced fighter in the world; • C-130 Hercules, the most advanced tactical airlifter in the world; • C-5 Super Galaxy, the most capable strategic airlifter in the world; • P-3 Orion, the most prolific maritime patrol aircraft in the world; and

Pioneer Award Cynthia M. Shelton Vice President General Dynamics

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ynthia Shelton is responsible for some of the most technically complex and vital cyber programs in defense of our nation today.

Shelton is vice president of the Enterprise Mission Solutions (EMS) line of business (LOB) for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems’ Cyber Systems Division, headquartered in Fairfax, Va. In this capacity, the nation directly benefits from her leadership skills and energy in an era of new and rapidly evolving cyber threats.

The Cyber Systems Division provides best-in-breed systems integration, development engineering and support, cybersituational awareness, digital forensics, and cyber analytics to the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security, and Fortune 500 companies.

Shelton leads 800 employees in her LOB, which generates $300 million in annual revenue. The EMS LOB is the primary contractor at the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT). And General Dynamics protects “.gov,” the nation’s Internet infrastructure.

When she joined General Dynamics in 2010, Ms. Shelton shifted her LOB from a low-end services orientation to customer mission integration, building a business around capabilities that www.blackengineer.com

• F-35 center wing production, in support of the newest and

most versatile fifth-generation single-engine fighter.

“I personally do not know of a more diverse and substantive technical enterprise currently in operation within the state of Georgia, let alone the United States,” said Gregory M. Ulmer, vice president, C-5 Program. “In this role, Ms. Cooper leads an extremely diverse and capable technical engineering and manufacturing workforce, along with the supporting integrating functions, to include: human resources, facilities, security and fire services, legal counsel, finance, contracts, business development and business management…Ms. Cooper is a consummate general manager.”

Jim Grant, vice president, air mobility, SOF and maritime programs, called Cooper “one of our nation’s very best leaders.” He said, “The engineering team she leads builds the most challenging high performance military aircraft ever built, her workforce is the most motivated in the industry, and the community openly values the importance of Shan’s team. Shan Cooper is the visionary behind our success. She is the ideal person to receive your Black Engineer of the Year ‘Career Achievement Award.’” And so she did.

Cooper doesn’t stop leading during the workday. Her accomplishments continue past the evening whistle. She was recently named one of the state’s most influential Georgians by Georgia Trend magazine. The list of organizations she participates in is long and she is a serious advocate for STEM within the Atlanta metropolitan area primary and secondary educational system.

optimize mission applications and performance. This re-orientation enabled the company to deliver increased value to customers and improved the defense of our nation. She achieved a 97 percent approval rating on the metrics the company’s customers have identified as most important.

After more than 15 years of combined service in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves as an intelligence analyst, Ms. Shelton began her civilian career at GTE. She then worked at Booz Allen and Hamilton, and SAIC, prior to joining General Dynamics.

Of course, with such a resume one wouldn’t expect Ms. Shelton to have time for community service. But, she does. She is a member of Congressman Van Hollen’s Service Academy Selection Board and a member of the Women’s Leadership Committee for the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of greater Washington, D.C.

Pioneer Award Lauren C. States Vice President, CTO IBM Corporate Strategy IBM Corporation

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auren States see the opportunities that change presents and acts on them to build the future.

As IBM heads into the next 50 years, they rely on people like States who have already made strong steps toward achievement. She has led initiatives targeted to the development of IBM’s technical population, with a particular focus USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 27

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

on women. She identified the corporate need to develop a Black executive talent review in a bid to provide mentors and sponsors to employees that may otherwise be overlooked among 100,000 individuals in the United States.

Since then, over 30 candidates have been promoted to executive rank. States joined IBM as a systems engineer in 1978. By 1991, she had responsibility for developing markets for distributed computing. Later she led IBM’s Midwest sales, delivering e-business and early web solutions. During her tenure in IBM’s Software Group she built an organization of 5,000 technical architects and specialists along with management systems and supporting business processes. She also led sales enablement for 15,000 sales and technical professionals.

One of her memorable achievements was her work with the South African government and the local IBM team to open IBM’s first Innovation Center in Africa. More recently as a senior executive on IBM’s Integration and Values team she was responsible for transforming processes for skills development, knowledge management and career progression for IBM’s professional sales force, In her previous role as vice president of cloud computing for the IBM Software Group, she led a global team responsible for establishing market leadership for cloud computing.

In 2011, she was appointed to her current role, responsible for technology strategy for IBM’s growth initiatives including cloud computing, Smarter Planet, business analytics and growth markets. These initiatives will contribute $20 billion of incremental value to IBM’s 2015 roadmap. States co-chairs the IBM North America Black Constituency Council, chairs the Board of Visitors for the Northeastern University College of Business, serves on the board of directors for MoJo (momsandjobs dot com) and is a member of the Executive Leadership Council. She was spokesperson for the nationwide Black Family Technology Awareness Week (BFTAW) campaign and launched BFTAW in Biloxi in Mississippi at a newly renovated middle school after hurricane Katrina.

Over 100 students attended the event complete with interactive science exhibits. At the end of the show, a young girl stood up and told the audience “I want to be a scientist.”

president’s award Theodore (Ted) Colbert, III

Vice President, Information Technology Infrastructure The Boeing Company

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s vice president of Information Technology Infrastructure, Ted Colbert is responsible for developing and maintaining IT solutions―network, computing, server, storage, collaboration and infrastructure―across the entire Boeing enterprise. He was named to this position in December 2011 and continues to report to Boeing Chief Information Officer, Kim Hammonds.

Previously, Colbert was vice president of IT Business Systems, where he was responsible for developing and maintaining the computing application systems that support Boeing finance, human resources, corporate, commercial capital business units as well as

28 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

the company’s internal systems. He was named to this position in September 2010. Colbert started with Boeing as director of the enterprise network services organization, which provides the connectivity infrastructure that enables all internal Boeing applications and Line of Service delivery systems to integrate, communicate, and pass data from point to point throughout the company and beyond.

Colbert spent more than two years at Citigroup as senior vice president, Enterprise Architecture based in the New York metro area. At Citigroup, he held positions focused on strategy and planning in global architecture and engineering. His major contributions at Citi were focused on driving IT programs to improve technology strategy, work-slate management and prioritization, and delivery lifecycle processes across IT engineering and operations. He led major enterprise efforts to drive common architecture across the global consumer organization.

Prior to joining Citigroup, Colbert spent eleven years with Ford Motor Company’s Information Technology organization. During his tenure with Ford, he held several positions including manager, Global Deskside Services responsible for global engineering and operations for client (UNIX and Windows) infrastructure hardware/ software, mobile, global end-user support (helpdesk), site management, and executive liaison to several major technology suppliers.

Prior to this role, Colbert held leadership positions in the areas of program management, infrastructure engineering and operations, application development/portfolio management, and process reengineering.

In addition to his technology leadership contributions at Ford, he championed and led several campus recruiting, career development, and community service projects. Colbert completed the Dual Degree Engineering Program at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia with degrees in industrial and systems engineering and interdisciplinary science.

president’s award Marachel L. Knight, PE, PMP Vice President, Program Management AT&T Services Inc.

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ust a year ago, in November 2011, Marachel L. Knight was awarded U.S. Patent No. 8064876 for inventing the “Systems for Use with Multi-Number Cellular Devices,” which allows a device to be used for work and personal communications.

It sounds deceptively simple, yet it was a technology breakthrough. She has two other patent filings pending.

With 17 years at AT&T under her belt, Knight is now the executive director, business operations, and overall program manager and chief of staff of the Office of the Senior Executive Vice President of AT&T Technology and Network Operations (ATNO).

Knight provides direct support of complex business operations to the senior executive vice president and the SEVP direct reports leadership team—four officers and one vice president.

ATNO has 118,000 employees—just under half of AT&T’s worldwide workforce—and includes the Information Techwww.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

nology organization; Chief Technology Office; AT&T Labs; Network Planning, Engineering and Operations; Global Supply Chain; Corporate Fleet Operations; and Corporate Real Estate.

ATNO delivers the nation’s largest 4G network, maintains nearly 1 million miles of network fiber and operates the network that transmits 33 petabytes of data on an average business day.

During her tenure at AT&T, Knight led a team that installed a $10 million distributed antenna system in the New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The new antenna system is the equivalent of 200 traditional cell towers, and is the largest system of its kind in the world. She is a respected alumna of Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned a master’s degree in information networking from the Information Networking Institute (INI).

Knight is a member of the Alumni Leadership Council— select alumni from INI’s 20-year history. “While it was no easy task to hand-pick a dozen alumni from a highly accomplished community of over 1,200 leaders and professionals, Marachel was one person who caught our attention,” said Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis, director, INI, in her letter of nomination for Knight’s 2013 BEYA STEM Award for Professional Achievement.

Professional Achievement-Government

Returning to active duty, Tobias completed $150 million of construction and engineering design work as the Director of the Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division of the Public Works Department Washington Naval Facilities Engineering Command. He was promoted to lieutenant commander in 2009, and sent to Afghanistan where he initially led 530 men and women on two deployments. The first was a combat mission during which he led and managed the construction of more than 3 million square feet of contingency office space, as well as protective structure, and water wells in Afghanistan, for which earned a Bronze Star.

During his second deployment, he led construction and renovation of hospitals, schools and water wells in Romania and Ethiopia. His third deployment took the registered professional engineer back to Afghanistan to his present assignment.

Professional Achievement-Government Roy Foreman

Electrical Engineer Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Omarr Tobias

Operations Officer 2nd Naval Construction Regiment, Civil Engineer Corps U.S. Navy

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fghanistan is nearly as large as the state of Texas. Regiment Operations Officer Lt. Commander Omarr Tobias was responsible for all engineering operations in the southern half of that 647,500 square mile country. Tobias served as operations officer responsible for a task force of 1,800 military engineers.

He planned, coordinated, controlled, and executed the combat and construction operations for six subordinate U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force for the NATO International Security Force, Combine Joint Area Afghanistan. He also mentored/mentors Afghan military engineers.

Captain K.A. Donovan of the Civil Engineer Corps commended the “motivational leadership” of Tobias, the first Black regimental operations officer in the Naval Construction Force.

Brigadier General Timothy P. McGuire, deputy commanding general, support for the 82nd Airborne Division and Regional Command South in Afghanistan recommends Tobias. “His tremendous efforts ensured that the Coalition maintained the required engineer capabilities to serve as force multipliers to vital combat operations,” wrote McGuire, and added the handwritten personal note, “An exceptional officer—as good as they come.”

Tobias, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina A& T University. He is a graduate of Officer Training School, and also earned an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland at College Park.

During his graduate years, 2005-2007, he founded Clean City LLC. The ongoing Washington, D.C., area company specializes in graffiti cleaning and prevention and has multiple public sector contracts.

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oy Foreman has a knack for making systems work together, coupled with a contagious work ethic. He started a small business at 16 installing car stereos in his parent’s garage. After three summers he had saved enough to pay for two years of college tuition at Alabama A&M University. This personal initiative and hands-on experience ingrained in him a common-sense approach to life and engineering. They also provide insights into his achievable approaches for designing systems, wiring specifications and testing. His work at Northrop Grumman has been at the center of multimillion projects for the U.S. Department of Defense.

He’s developed partial or complete designs for 40 different projects, many of which have demanded new approaches.

The projects include system and power architecture for ground combat vehicles and indirect visioning; cabling associated with the U.S. Army’s program of record for command and control platform production; power-saving relay systems for air missile defense fielding missions, and a secure shipboard network for naval and joint operations.

As lead electrical engineer on the Northrop GrummanArmy Command Post program, Foreman has been responsible for the design of critical sub components in a system that is a control center for a 3,000-strong brigade. His leadership has resulted in a product that makes a difference in the ability to conduct operations on the battlefield. Over the last two years he has served as lead for a team that developed electrical systems for the $449.9 million Ground Combat Vehicle program. The effort will replace the principal armored vehicle for the combat infantryman.

The award-winning indirect vision driving system was engineered by Foreman, providing architecture and power designs for the joint tactical vehicle, ground combat vehicle and consoliUSBE&IT I WINTER 2013 29

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

dated networks. Foreman holds both a bachelor’s and master’s in electrical engineering from Alabama A&M University. He is founder of the Northrop Grumman Alabama A&M Alumni Association and supports students enrolled in science, technology, engineering and math at his alma mater. Northrop Grumman’s retention rate and promotion rate for new college hires in mission command systems within the defense systems division has increased by a combined 40 percent since he started Foreman started his mentoring program.

Professional Achievement-Government Samer A. Saleh

Director, Planning and Services, Operations Strategy Abbott Diagnostics

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amer Saleh joined Abbott in 2005 to fill an entry-level role as an electrical engineer. Over seven years he has earned three promotions to senior electrical engineer (2006), senior project engineer and project manager (2007), and director, planning and engineering services (2011). Saleh also developed a system to track global regulatory finance and project expenses.

Currently responsible for capital planning and process, as well as implementing project management technology and software across the business, he also represents Abbott’s diagnostics division on corporate councils such as Global Energy and Global Capital. He is active with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Abbott Black Business Network, Project Management Institute and Toastmasters. He is also a member of the Mentoring Circle of Asian Leadership and Cultural Network.

He has successfully recruited alongside talent acquisition for many years and is one of six employees featured in Abbott’s Career Facebook page.

As part of the Black Business Network he attends career days at schools, helps paint and clean up playgrounds and community centers. He has helped build homes in Columbus, Ohio, and participated in United Negro College Fund’s 5K Walk/ Run. While in his early teens, he coped with two wars (the 1989 Lebanon civil war and 1990 Liberian war). In Liberia, he saw 10 percent of the population killed. During this chaotic time he carried around the only textbook he had, teaching himself calculus.

From a refugee camp in Ghana at age 15, his mixed heritage family left for America. Saleh started an engineering career in 1994 as an INROADS intern for Gillette. After a successful internship he continued work in the research and development laboratory while enrolled in an engineering course at Northeastern University. In 1997, he started a co-op with Polaroid, working more than 30 hours a week until 1999 when he graduated with a bachelor’s in electrical and computer engineering. He joined Polaroid and by 2001 was leading projects over $500,000.

After earning a project management certificate he started his master’s degree in computer information systems.

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Promotion of Education Bobby L. Wilson, Ph.D.

L. Lloyd Woods Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Shell Oil Endowed Chaired Professor of Environmental Toxicology Texas Southern University

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r. Bobby Wilson is committed to creating an eminent cadre of people of color in science. He has served as a long-term volunteer for the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, or NOBCChE. By implementing diversity goals in his career, Dr. Wilson has truly exemplified what the organization’s hero, research chemist and civil rights leader Dr. Percy L. Julian, stood for. Wilson has been a driving force in shaping science programs as a National Science Foundation program director; and building the research component of Texas State University (TSU) science department, generating $50 million in research grants.

Along the way, he has also mentored diverse students. A 1999-2004 graduate student in the environmental toxicology Ph.D. program at TSU is now a forensic chemist at the Drug Enforcement Administration. “During my time as a student at TSU, Dr. Wilson served as teacher, advisor, and mentor,” he wrote, adding, “Through the program, I was able to meet scientists performing different types of research that would guide me throughout my time at TSU and beyond.” Another student, now a medicinal chemistry investigator at GlaxoSmithKline, wrote: “For six out of eight years, I have either had a summer intern or a co-op. I know this strong desire to mentor others is a direct result of Dr. Wilson’s commitment to me. He is the highest standard I live by when it comes to educational leadership and developing minority research scientists.”

Wilson was a key figure in organizing NOBBChE’s annual conference held in Houston April 2011. The meeting attracted 850 participants and many were minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. He has also spearheaded international efforts as the organization embarks on forging partnerships with global scientists and researchers. In November 2010, Wilson led a delegation to Nigeria for the 40th Conference of the Nigeria Society of Chemical Engineers. This effort originated from a memorandum of understanding signed to form ties between NOBBChE, industry and academic partners such as historically Black colleges and universities where many African scientists do graduate study.

Recently, Wilson was made a Fellow of the American Chemical Society and received the 2011 “Lifetime Mentor Award” from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He earned a bachelor of science in chemistry from Alabama State University and a master’s in chemistry from Southern University. He also earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Michigan State University.

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Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Student Leadership – Graduate level Je’aime (Jamie) Powell

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e’aime (Jamie) Powell attended Elizabeth State City University (ESCU) for both his undergraduate and graduate studies. He received his bachelor’s degree in computer science with a minor in aviation, and received his master’s in mathematics with a concentration in remote sensing. Although Powell takes a keen interest in computer science he has always had a heart for environmental issues.

By doing research as a student for the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER), and later becoming ESCU’s Polar Grid Project manager, he has found a way to integrate both of his passions in a way that can help others. Powell’s role as grid manager helps provide funding and research opportunities for CERSER. One of the reasons that Powell was attracted to CERSER was because of its partnership with the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS).

CReSIS investigates the Polar Regions glacier melting problems.

The Polar Project’s goal is to create a large-scale distribution system to process data collection during their polar expeditions. Powell is able to use his computer science and remote sensing background as a way to collect and share data nationwide. Powell is also a mentor to undergraduates on the Polar Grid Team, whose work is a major contribution to the ESCU Polar Grid Project. Powell trains students in middle school all the way through graduate level in college skills in remote sensing, geographic information systems, global positioning systems, Mac OS X and Linux computing operating systems.

In addition to managing major research projects and mentoring students, Powell is currently attending NOVA Southeastern University where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in computer information systems.

Student Leadership-Undergraduate Nahom Tewolde Florida A&M UniversityFlorida State University College of Engineering

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ahom Tewolde is currently a junior working on his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Florida State University (FSU), with an anticipated graduation date of 2014.

Since his arrival, he has maintained a 3.95 GPA as he majors in electrical engineering with a minor in mathematics and physics. Tewolde’s current research interests include renewable and sustainable energy, power, electronics, electrical motors, network filters, flexible

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transmission systems, high voltage DC, and power quality.

After graduation, he plans to become a medical engineer, pursue a master’s degree in administration or attend law school to become a patent attorney. Tewolde’s outstanding success in the classroom has not gone unnoticed. He is currently a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society and Eta Kappa Nu, the electrical and computer engineering honor society of the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers).

Additionally, Tewolde is a member of the FSU chapter of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). He is also a member of InternatioNoles, an outreach program at FSU that welcomes foreign students to campus life. Tewolde’s family, originally from Asmara in Eritrea, moved to the United States to escape the violence of war. The Tewoldes landed in America August 1984.

By 2009, Tewolde had earned an associate in arts degree from Valencia Community College in Orlando, Fla. He applied to various universities and was accepted to the FAMU-FSU engineering program in the fall semester of 2011. He is actively involved across campus, working in the engineering library, assisting his fellow students in accessing available resources such as equipment, books, and online journals for research

Technical Sales and Marketing Eric L. Anderson Director, Integrated Business Planning The Boeing Company

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ric L. Anderson’s fascination with airplanes began at a young age. He grew up in Los Angeles under the LAX flight path.

As he watched airplanes fly overhead each day, he wondered how the large heavy airplanes could remain in the air.

The question stayed with him for the remainder of his childhood.

He soon decided the aerospace field was for him. He took his first steps toward his goal by training for an Airframe and Power plant mechanic license during his junior year of high school.

In 1981, he graduated from California State University with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering. Anderson is currently the director of Integrated Business Planning for Global Services and Support (GS&S), which is an $8 billion business within Boeing Defense, Space and Security. Because of his guidance and leadership, GS&S has experienced cost reductions totaling more than $600 million over the last two years. Boeing is experiencing growth as a direct result of the cost reductions, and from wins like the F-15 Saudi Sustainment program worth more than $5 billion.

Anderson’s leadership has also led to Boeing’s GS&S gains in the international market. Thanks to his planning, Boeing will reach its goal of generating 25 to 30 percent of defense revenues from international business. Before becoming the director of Integrated Business Planning for GS&S, Anderson held another prestigious position within Boeing. He was director, Strategic Management for Boeing Military Aircraft, a $14.5 billion business. His responsibilities included allocating business funds, assessing adjacent markets and working with corporate developUSBE&IT I WINTER 2013 31

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

ment on mergers and acquisitions. Anderson has come a long way since his days watching airplanes in Los Angeles. He is an expert in his field, and an excellent leader and communicator.

Technical Sales and Marketing Keith L. Coleman

Structural Design Engineer CH2M HILL

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eith Coleman is a young man ready to make his mark in the world of engineering. He’s earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Ohio State University, a master’s degree, also in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another in architecture from Harvard University. Coleman was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio.

After his parents divorced, his mother worked hard to provide a good life for him and his siblings. He credits his mother

Visionary Award Philip D. Benson, Jr. PE, PMP Vice President Water Business Group CH2M HILL

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hil D. Benson is a perfect example of the dedication and talent exhibited by CH2M Hill engineers. He accepted a position at CH2M Hill in 1984, after earning his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University. His humble beginnings as an entry-level employee have led him to become one of CH2M Hill’s most respected and recognized leaders. During his 28 years with the company, Benson’s career path has been anything but ordinary. His career has taken several twists and turns—all of which he credits with strengthening his career.

“At CH2M Hill, my career has gone through a number of incarnations. First, I learned my craft and how to really excel as a professional,” Benson said. “I was a good student, not a great one—but some good people at CH2M Hill helped me learn how to excel professionally.”

Benson has experienced several career milestones while at CH2M Hill. He is currently a vice president within the industrial, energy and mining portion of the Water Business Group. As vice president, he assures that the group achieves its business goals.

In 2011, he developed the Water Business Group’s international strategy, and worked with clients in support of major projects and proposals. He also acted as executive sponsor for the Bantrel 32 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

for instilling him with confidence. She taught him to keep a watchful eye out for good opportunities.

“Food, clothing and shelter, the bare essentials were all we had. They were all we truly needed,” Coleman said. “And we were happy. My mom found a way to support us and we made do with what we had. Opportunities were few and far between; however, when one arose I took advantage.”

Coleman has a knack for attracting good opportunities.

During his sixth-grade year in elementary school, the Ohio State University Young Scholars Program (YSP) chose him to participate.

The program guaranteed Coleman a full scholarship to the university after high school. The only requirement was to complete a college preparatory course with above-average grades—which he did. The Pre-Freshman and Cooperative Education (PREFACE) program chose him as a participant following his high school senior year. The program gave Mr. Coleman a chance to experience engineering studies at Ohio State University. Following his experience with PREFACE, he knew engineering was his career of choice. Coleman is now a rising star as a structural engineer at CH2M Hill. He provides analysis and design on building and infrastructure projects for CH2M Hill’s Government Facilities and Infrastructure Business Group.

He recently passed the Engineer-in-Training exam, and is now working toward his Professional Engineer license.

Surmont 2 project in Alberta, the CSN program in Brazil and the Climax Mine project in Colorado—three of the group’s biggest projects. Benson cares about the environment, and realizes the importance of preserving the earth for future generations. He helps coordinate the recycling program for his 9-year-old daughter’s school, and participates in science fairs and community projects. “My career has been largely oriented towards projects that improve the world’s environment or allow industrial activity without degrading the environment,” Benson said.

Visionary Award Larry Williams

Director, Interior Engineering Systems and Components Chrysler Group LLC

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arry Williams has a long history of successful performance within the Chrysler Group’s engineering organization. His experience runs from program management to materials, and product development to design. Some of his career highlights include managing the development of the 2007 Chrysler Pacifica, which achieved the highest corporate rating from Consumer Reports magazine, and leading cost quality improvement processes for both the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

More recently, Williams has led the implementation of a comprehensive plan that reduced development time by 38 percent for a new vehicle program. Over the last 18 months, www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Williams has sponsored 12 business management strategy projects focused on reducing variation and understanding the voice of the customer. His other achievements include implementing processes resulting in over $200 million cost savings on materials, 20 percent improvements in morale and operating efficiency, and 12 percent for materials and joining technology. Williams is recognized as a leader who empowers his team to develop innovative solutions and provide them with the autonomy to implement. He is credited with directing a global team of 114 engineers, technicians and designers on two continents.

Williams was handpicked by Chrysler’s chief operating of-

ficer to lead two cross functional teams in material cost reduction efforts resulting in over $160 million in savings. In Williams’ current role as Unit Responsible for the engineering development and design of all Chrysler interior components, he leads one of the largest organizations throughout all of engineering, comprising 456 employees. Beyond the scope of his daily role as unit responsible, he is committed to being a role model. He participates in formal mentoring programs, including the Chrysler African American Network (CAAN) and mentors countless engineers internally and in the community. He serves as Chrysler’s Executive Sponsor for the Howard University MBA program.

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Special Recognition

honorees

one are more deserving of honors than the 18 men and women in the group of Special Recognition Honorees. Through their scientific and technical education and dedication to careers and employers in business and government, they demonstrate the success of Blacks in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, with a commitment to giving back to their communities.

—by CCG editorial staff, editors@ccgmag.com

Terrence S. Birchette

Design Engineer The Boeing Company

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rowing up in Pennsylvania, Terrence Birchette seemed destined for life as an athlete. He played football, rugby and ran track. Birchette loved athletics, but cars were his passion. A professional drag racing team for which he worked won the 1975 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) summer nationals in the Funny Car division. The experience of working on a pro racing team, paired with his love of cars, encouraged him to pursue engineering.

Birchette graduated from Arizona State University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics. He returned in 1993 and earned a second bachelor’s in mechanical engineering.

During his time as a college student, he worked as a bartender.

He had no idea this job would lead to the career of his dreams.

A chance meeting between Birchette and his future McDonnell Douglas manager changed his life. Birchette made the best of the networking opportunity.

In 1987, he became a structural test engineer with McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company’s structures and dynamics test

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laboratory. Birchette worked on several significant projects. His accomplishments include spectrum endurance testing the Notar fan for the MD520N and MD900 helicopters. He was responsible for testing the C-17 wing tip elevator and landing drop tests for the MD600 and MD900 helicopters. Birchette soon graduated into a mechanical designer’s role in the technology department’s rotor dynamics group. McDonnell Douglas merged with Boeing in 1997, but Birchette’s position was unaffected.

He is one of the most accomplished and respected engineers at Boeing. In 2009, he returned to school and earned his master’s in systems architecture and engineering from the University of Southern California.

Aisha Bowe

Aerospace Engineer NASA Ames Research Center

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ne of Aisha Bowe’s focus points is trying to advance aeronautics research for the benefit of society. She does this by working on next generation transportation systems; examining tools that make USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 33

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

sure aircraft will not crash into one another. Bowe earned both a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in space engineering from the University of Michigan.

The talents and skills that Bowe has been able to obtain have provided her with many great opportunities. One of these opportunities was being asked to assist with integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace system. Bowe’s role calls for work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Defense (DoD), and the Joint Planning and Development Office to help manage the team developing technologies and procedures that will allow the operation and integration of these aircraft into the national airspace.

In addition to her job, she is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Bowe also serves as NASA’s liaison to the board of directors of the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) school program at San Jose State University.

The MESA program helps students to prepare for and graduate from a four-year institution with a degree in a STEM field.

The MESA program at San Jose State University has allowed Bowe to share her passion with hundreds of educationally disadvantage youth each year. Her work with MESA includes setting up shadow days at the NASA AMES Research Center where the kids can follow a mentor around and get a feel for a career in STEM fields. In addition to that, Ms. Bowe also mentors many MESA students and has worked with NASA to provide summer internships to some graduating students entering an engineering or science programs at a four-year institutions.

Nathan Raen Brooks, Ph.D.

Electro Physicist Engineer/Scientist The Boeing Company

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r. Nathan Brooks is an electro physicist with Argon ST, a subsidiary of Boeing. He has worked on many major direct programs. One of the most notable accomplishments in this area was the DARPA Comprehensive Interior Reconnaissance program to help American warfighters see through the walls of buildings in hostile urban terrain. Brooks is currently supporting programs in electromagnetics. These technologies will deliver improvements in motors, filters and transformers.

In conjunction with his work on advanced signal intelligence (SIGINT) systems for unmanned air vehicles, improvements are key for developing next generation air vehicles and their mission payloads. As a lead member of Argon ST Applied Technology, he is responsible for developing radio frequency (RF) systems. He conducts analysis and evaluation for antennas, antenna arrays and communication systems architectures.

He also employs his signal processing and engineering expertise to prepare simulations and mathematical RF models, develop algorithms for SIGINT applications, and design electromagnetic systems.

A member of the Air Force Junior ROTC program in high

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school, Brooks dreamed of attending the U.S. Air Force Academy to train to become a special air combat controller. Instead, he chose to marry his high school sweetheart right out of high school and attend Florida A&M University (FAMU), having received one of the school’s most prestigious scholarships. Brooks went on to earn his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from FAMU while his wife earned her bachelor’s degree, also in electrical engineering, as the couple raised their three young sons. Dr. Brooks’ post-doctoral research work was conducted both at FAMU and the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland. He is currently a volunteer with the Northern Virginia HOPE program. He enjoys mentoring through his church and is active in many church activities.

Timothy R. Brown

Senior Project Manager/ Civil Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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imothy Brown manages large-scale civil works projects for environmental restoration. He started his career as a co-op student from Florida A&M University with the Corps of Engineers in 1999. Following graduation with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2001 he accepted a position as a water manager with the Corps. Over two years, he made quite a mark, being named a 2003 Modern-Day Technology Leader. Back then, his duties consisted of performing hydrologic investigations to determine the optimum operating regulation of lakes, reservoirs, storage areas and flood control structures. He also served on the project delivery team of the Seminole Big Cypress Water Project and Upper St. Johns River Basin.

Between 2006 and 2007, he was a specialist for Hurricane Wilma efforts, installing temporary roof membranes over homes that suffered damage. In 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan as senior project manager in the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Branch. His mission-oriented management style resulted in all O&M projects being awarded on time under his leadership. On completion of his service in Afghanistan, he was presented the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service as well as a NATO Service Medal for his selfless service and dedication to the mission.

Currently, he is project manager for the Tamiami Trail Bridge, a $417 million construction contract project overseen by the National Park Service and the Corps of Engineers in Everglades National Park. Brown was responsible for the successful construction of a one-mile bridge which when complete will provide Everglades National Park with the ability to receive an increase in fresh-water flows that it desperately needs. The Tamiami Trail Project is scheduled for completion in December 2013. Brown is a mentor and tutor to numerous junior engineers. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Shana Craft, Ph.D.

Staff Project Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation

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f 62,000 engineers, scientists and IT professionals, Lockheed Martin’s chief technology officer called Dr. Shana C. Craft one of the company’s “very bright talents.” Dr. Ray O. Johnson’s praise of the staff project engineer continued. “Shana is demonstrating on a daily basis, through the increasing levels of responsibility thrust upon her, the strong leadership qualities we first saw in hiring her eight years ago. Since that time, she has achieved in a number of areas, attaining a second master’s degree in engineering management, and more recently a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia as an inaugural participant in Lockheed Martin’s Technical Leadership Ph.D. Program. In her studies, she conducted groundbreaking research in the development of algorithms and models to evaluate ‘smart-grid’ strategies for minimizing energy consumption for residences and commercial structures.”

Dr. Johnson concluded: “…we eagerly look forward to challenging her and pushing her forward in preparation for additional leadership positions that are in her future.”

Dr. John D. Evans, vice president for technology and innovation, said, “With her innate leadership potential, she was a clear choice for nomination to Lockheed Martin’s Engineering Leadership Development Program. While in the program, Shana earned key leadership positions on a variety of important teams and projects working on automated dynamic asset planning and tracking, high energy laser directed energy, strategic technology threads, and integrated border security. Additionally, she voluntarily broadened her leadership perspective by serving as a financial analyst for the Advance Concepts Group, managing an annual budget of $5.1 million.”

Dr. Craft belongs to several professional associations: Directed Energy Professional Society; Women in Defense; Sigma Pi Sigma, Society of Physics Students; Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; National Society of Black Engineers; Gamma Sigma Alpha Honor Society; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has received several awards and distinctions. To these, she can now add BEYA’s Most Promising Engineer Award.

Eric Fuller

Chief Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation

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ric Fuller is chief engineer for Lockheed Martin. During his time at Lockheed Martin, Fuller has taken advantage of the many opportunities that have been presented to him.

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He has been recognized a few times by his company for his talent and leadership skills in his field. He was nominated for the Black Engineer of the Year’s “Most Promising” award back in 2006. Then in 2010, He received Lockheed Martin’s Celebration of Excellence in Leadership Award.

Throughout his time with Lockheed Martin he has received six corporate awards. The skill and passion for his work has led him to many roles in the Lockheed Martin organization. His current role as chief engineer is a role normally reserved for engineers with higher seniority.

Other roles that Fuller has held are chief systems engineer, subcontract program manager, cost account manager, technical lead, test engineering lead, and systems engineer. Each position requires extensive knowledge in network protocols, computer architectures and operating systems. His technical background has allowed him to perform above expectations in each role assigned to him. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s in electrical engineering from Columbia University.

He credits his success largely to his family. Their strong presence in his life kept him out of trouble growing up and instilled in him values and lessons that he uses today in his work.

Fuller makes strong efforts to give back to the community. He regularly works with the Second Harvest Food Bank and other organizations to help provide meals to people who need it. By giving back to the community, he hopes that he is able to make opportunities available for future generations.

Calvin C. Hudson III Commander, 249th Engineer Battalion U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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t. Col. Calvin Hudson has built a team mentality within his battalion and elevated their status among national and international partners. He assumed his current command on July 14, 2011. He has served in three combat engineer battalions throughout his more than 17 years in the Army. In leadership of 560 military and civilian personnel, he has become a respected commander in the Army Corps of Engineers. He is the first African American to take command of the high-profile 249th Engineer Battalion.

As the sole uniformed provider of commercial level power, the 249th Engineer Battalion supports local, state, federal and international partners. Prime Power soldiers inspect electrical work, ensuring it is properly installed and safe; establish power plants and distribution networks that provide reliable and efficient power to base camps, and provide technical advice to commanders on ways to reduce fuel consumption, taking trucks off the road and saving lives.

Whether they are repairing a counter-drug facility hit by lightning in Bahamas, providing electrical expertise on behalf of the U.S. Department of State in Pakistan, or providing prime electrical power to U.S. Department of Defense facilities in Turkey and the Marshall Islands, federal agencies look to the 249th USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 35

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Engineer Battalion because they know LTC Hudson and Prime Power soldiers will deliver. In response to Hurricane Isaac, Hudson is providing power assessments and distributing generators to the hardest hit areas of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The first in his family to go to college, LTC Hudson strives to mentor young people through his partnerships with schools in Fredericksburg and Alexandria, Va. He also speaks to Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets about the life of a military engineer. Hudson graduated from Albany State University in 1994 and earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice. He is also a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Course and earned a master’s degree in management from Webster University.

Lilton Hunt

Electrical Engineer Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific

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ilton Hunt is a promising engineer. He was nominated for his research, development, test and acquisition support work on antennas and communications systems for the U.S. Navy information dominance systems, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). Hunt manages unmanned aerial vehicles at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific. He joins the 2013 Black Engineer of the Year Award group, honored for their talents and managerial contributions.

Hunt has made contributions to naval superiority through development, acquisition, and support of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance reconnaissance; as well as information operations and space capabilities. He began his career in the New Professional Program at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific in 2002 after he graduated with a master’s in electrical engineering from Michigan State University. He took a few rotations through antenna research and development groups before settling in the branch that performed antenna system development for a U.S. Navy destroyer.

Over five years, he incorporated technology enabling stealth operations. Hunt also published and presented journal articles for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. In 2007, he moved to a systems engineer role as technical lead for the navy’s Automatic Digital Network Systems. In that position, Hunt made significant improvements in data transfer reliability and modified the system for installation on different Navy and Coast Guard ship classes. In his current position, he has led a team of engineers in development of plan and estimate for modifications that will allow for data with minimal impact.

A 2000 electrical engineering graduate of the University of Michigan, he also earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering. He’s destined for great things, enthuses Diana Arceo, the supervisor of the Advanced Electromagnetic Technology Branch. “I am impressed with his innovative skills, drive for self-improvement and his leadership as a role model for minority engineers,” wrote Kurt Fiscko, a technical director in the Communications

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Program Office at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, Pacific. Whether you’re an electrical engineer or a mathematician, a logistics specialist or an IT professional or a project manager, growth opportunities abound.

Justin C. Lee

Weapons Integration Engineer Air Force Research Laboratory

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ustin Lee promotes education as vital to competitiveness, national security and quality of life.

He champions the Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program established by the Department of Defense to support students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at federal laboratories. Lee also promotes the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Wright Scholars program, with emphasis on minorities, disabled students and faculty programs.

Lee has worked at the AFRL Munitions Directorate since 2009, when he graduated with a bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from Tuskegee University. He specializes in micro air vehicles and is manager of a $10 million program developing products with the potential to transition to a war fighter.

In addition to his work at AFRL, he understands the importance of raising awareness of the directorate and AFRL. At the 2009 Eglin Air Show, Lee took part in assembling and dismantling display technologies such as the BATCAM (Battlefield Air Targeting Camera Autonomous Micro-Air Vehicle) developed by the munitions directorate. He is a Florida State Comprehensive Assessment Test tutor for Okaloosa County School District. He also volunteers with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee of Okaloosa County; the Positive Encouragement and Character Enhancement (PEACE) outreach program, and the annual Youth Super Day (YSD) sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Lee is one of the youngest people ever to serve on Okaloosa’s MLK committee, and was responsible for determining which organizations, individuals, and businesses would receive awards. With PEACE, Lee provides tutoring in math, reading, writing and he ensured over 400 people attended YSD 2012, contributing to its success and motivating more than 100 students to achieve educational excellence.

Lee is one of the most promising members of the engineering community at AFRL, as well as professional societies such as the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the National Defense Association, Blacks in Government and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). He planned and managed the Air Force Research Laboratory/Thurgood Marshall Fund in 2010 and 2011, as well as the internship program for historically Black colleges and universities and minority institutions at all nine directorates. These programs have granted opportunities for engineering students to participate in summer research using AFRL facilities. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Haile Lindsay, Ph.D. Thermal Engineer U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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aile Lindsay contributes to safety at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). As a thermal engineer, he executes a portion of the NRC’s mission. He licenses and regulates civilian use of byproduct, source, and special nuclear materials. This is to ensure protection of public health and safety, promotion of defense and security, and to protect the environment. Lindsay was hired into NRC’s Nuclear Safety Professional Development Program in 2008 after graduating from North Carolina A&T State University with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

In his short career with the agency, Dr. Lindsay has gone on to lead a number of initiatives, including becoming a qualified thermal reviewer in the Thermal and Containment Branch. While preparing to complete his qualification journal, he developed and launched the Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Qualification Journal Community of Practice to make sure

Carolyn L. Nichols

Director and Program Manager Australia F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Programs The Boeing Company

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elping her uncle install amateur radio equipment led Carolyn L. Nichols to develop an interest in electronics at a young age.

Now with 26 years of diverse engineering, program planning and international program experiences under her belt, Nichols is a highly accomplished and traveled individual who has made her dreams a reality.

In 1986, Nichols graduated from Howard University with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, becoming the first woman in her family to hold an engineering degree. She was incredibly active during her undergraduate years, holding membership in both the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers, along with working with local Washington, D.C., public school tutoring programs. Nichols later went on to earn an Executive Masters of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis in 2010. Nichols also studied German for several years across different programs.

Nichols joined The Boeing Company (then McDonnell Douglas Aerospace) following her graduation from Howard, working as a radar systems engineer in the F-15 aircraft program and eventually being selected as the Boeing Technical Field Representative at Edwards Air Force Base.

After five years of a successful working experience in this

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knowledge in this field is being transferred appropriately.

Lindsay has been a leader in the efforts to preserve and maintain corporate knowledge that is fast disappearing from government agencies including the NRC. Lindsay plays an important role within the Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation (SFST) knowledge management team. His work has been presented at the International Nuclear Material Management, in 2010, and the Waste Management Symposium in 2012. Lindsay also had a leading role in organizing the 2012 SFST Regulatory Conference.

In 2011, he received an “Employee of the Month” award for his leadership of the SFST Technical Exchange and Regulatory Conference, which features 70 external stakeholders, representing federal, state, public, media and industry. In 2009, he served as a panelist in a session titled “Making Government Cool” at the annual Excellence in Government Conference.

More recently, as the president of NRC’s chapter of Blacks in Government (BIG), he organized a luncheon for Washington DC Summer Youth Interns who worked at the NRC, featuring a career development panel with supervisors and senior executives. Another successful BIG event he initiated was a session with a life coach talking about the various generations in the workforce, how they think and styles of communication. Over the three years he has served as president of the BIG chapter at NRC, membership has increased more than a 100 percent.

Lindsay is a member of the NRC’s Advisory Council for African Americans and Young Government. program, she shifted her focus to the F/A-18 aircraft program in 1991. She spent the next two decades traveling around the country and the world to work on different projects. Some of the places she has lived and worked in are California, Illinois, Missouri and Switzerland. Nichols is currently the Director and Program Manager of the Australia F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Programs. In addition to her professional life, she is active in community service and is on the Board of Directors for the Grace Hill Settlement House in St. Louis. She has also traveled to South Africa to work in orphanages and promote AIDS awareness.

Keith Ogboenyiya General Manager Texas Instruments

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exas Instruments’ highest performance controller is the C2000.

The 32-bit micro controller platform is used in power electronics applications such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), pumps, valves, drives, fans, digital power supplies, LED lighting and smart metering. The C2000 is the main processor used in solar inverter systems. It controls power conversion from the solar panel into electricity that can be used for powering homes, buildings, appliances and more. Texas Instruments (TI) has a 70 percent market share of the solar inverter space as a result of Keith Ogboenyiya’s leadership.

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Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Over the past three years, he has taken TI’s C2000 business from average performance to one of the fastest growing and profitable product lines, growing from $75 million in revenue to $200 million. He has doubled the customer base and tripled the number of products available to customers. Ogboenyiya is currently leading a team of more than 100 people in disciplines ranging from engineering to silicon design to program management. His teams are based in Texas, India, Australia and China.

Ogboenyiya joined TI as a co-op student in 2000 and was offered a full-time position in 2002 after graduating with a dual degree from Georgia Tech in electrical engineering and in mathematics from Morehouse College. After taking on various roles of increasing responsibility within TI, he was promoted general manager in 2009. Some of his past accomplishments include driving the definition of TI’s micro controllers for automotive cluster systems.

As a result, the unit is in production today and products are used in popular vehicles such as Ford F150, Ford Mustang and Land Rover automobiles. Ogboenyiya is an inspiration for aspiring engineers and provides significant mentoring to individuals both inside and outside of TI.

Albert E. Sweets, Jr. Principle Innovative STEM Solutions, LLC

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n award-winning entrepreneur, engineer, educator, consultant and former Navy operations specialist and instructor, Maryland native Albert E. Sweets also has a long history of community service. Sweets first began actively giving back to his community through his participation in Baltimore’s Boy Scouts Troop 282. He became the first in his troop to achieve membership in the prestigious Order of the Arrow, the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America. Sweets went on to enlist in the U.S. Navy in 1984, eventually switching over to the Naval Reserves, in which he remained until 2005.

Alongside his dedicated military career, Sweets earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Morgan State University in 1994. In 1999 he achieved his master’s in project management from George Washington University. As a student and professional, Sweets has gone out of his way to mentor and assist his peers. Sweets is currently the CEO of the nationally recognized, minority-owned Innovative STEM Solutions LLC (iSTEMS), an organization that seeks to build sustainable relationships between academia, government and private corporations.

Going along with Sweets’ longtime community service initiatives, one of the primary goals of iSTEMS is to bring opportunities to urban children and adults, as well as excite them about the prospect of working in STEM programs. In 2012 he went global and helped to organize a STEM conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. For the past two years Sweets has also sponsored the Ruth Golberg Design Camp, a summer communication and technology program for middle and high school students held at Arizona State University and his alma mater, Morgan State Uni-

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versity. He also supports several extracurricular programs in the Baltimore area, and has been a mentor for K-12 school systems in Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Olton Swanson, PE, PMP Deputy District Engineer and Chief, Planning, Programs and Project Management Division U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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s the Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management since 2006, Olton Swanson is the senior civilian in the Seattle District, United States Army Corps of Engineers. A part of the Corps for almost 30 years, Swanson mentors more than 1,000 fellow civilian employees and has presided over the Annual SAME Design Excellence Competition for the past seven years.

Swanson’s path to engineering excellence started at an early age. After showing he had an aptitude for math and science in elementary school, he eventually tested into one of the first advanced math classes at his high school. He was also one of only nine freshman students from his high school to be inducted into the National Honor Society. As the 15th of his parent’s 18 children, Swanson was also busy at home. Despite his family struggling to make ends meet on their farm in Southern New Jersey, Swanson held on to his dream of attending college and worked every summer starting at age 12.

He achieved his goal in 1982, graduating from the University of Washington in Seattle with a Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering.

Swanson remained in Seattle after graduation, obtaining a professional engineering license (industrial) in the state of Washington and joining the district’s Army Corps of Engineers in March 1983. Through various positions and projects he has built his reputation and helped to make improvements on all levels of planning, design and construction for the area’s military and civilian engineering programs. Swanson has achieved numerous awards; including the Seattle District Commander’s Award and six Chief of Engineer’s Coins for Excellence.

Today Swanson continues to pursue excellence in other areas of his profession. For the past three years, he has been the chairperson for the Engineering Advisory Board for Seattle’s Evergreen Technical, Engineering and Communications High School. www.blackengineer.com

Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Omar Thompson, Ph.D. Senior Reliability Engineer.

Northrop Grumman Corporation

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mar Thompson joined Northrop Grumman in 2007 as a reliability and failure analysis engineer on the Viper program.

The Viper laser is a critical component in the protection of both American and coalition aircraft from hostile surface-to-air missiles. Thompson’s successful identification of reliability limiters led to an increase in the field reliability of the Viper laser. This effort was credited with reducing repair costs for the United States government and NATO allies, saving in excess of $100 million over the life of the program. The Viper laser protects low, medium and high signature aircraft from sophisticated heat-seeking missiles and is installed or scheduled for installation to protect approximately 50 different types of large fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms from infrared missile attacks.

Thompson developed the first Physics of Failure rate model for solid-state laser research for his doctoral research.

He then adopted the approach to increase understanding of laser failure and its relationship to design and manufacturing deficiencies and how the relationship of both can be modeled to determine the reliability of a design. He is a presenter at engineering design reviews for program acquisition and continuance with the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy on high-dollar contracts of more than $10 million. He began his career as an intern, progressing to become a project engineer with Siemens.

In 2005, he joined the United Space Alliance as an aerospace engineer. He was tasked with providing reliability and risk-management engineering support for the $1 billion Space Shuttle and International Space Station program at NASA’s Shuttle Logistics Depot. He was named to the Tiger Team that analyzed the Point Sensor Box failure on the Space Shuttle Discovery return to flight mission after the Columbia disaster. He led the analysis of nonconformance reports for possible impact to flight hardware and non-flight hardware. He was also an active member of the Standing Accident Investigation Board on shuttle mishap, focusing on incident and accident investigation including root cause analysis.

Since 2005, he has been a preschool volunteer and teacher at the First Baptist Church of Oviedo. He is also the Upward Soccer youth coach in the church sports program. Thompson earned a Ph.D. in modeling and simulation from the University of Central Florida in 2011, and a master’s in modeling and simulation in 2010 and a master’s in industrial engineering and management systems in 2003, also from UCF. He has been a member of the IEEE since 2003.

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Walter L. Tomlinson Senior Machinist The Boeing Company

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alter L. Tomlinson is known widely for his role in Black Men in Motion. Black Men in Motion Inc. is a grassroots community organization in Chester, Penn., a 501c non-profit organization to help youth through community outreach which Tomlinson founded with others. As its president, Tomlinson, a senior machinist/engineer in the tool fabrication division of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, is a mentor and tutor for after-school programs in literacy, math and science, cultural enlightenment and self-esteem.

He encourages parental involvement, organizes field trips, and participates in fundraising activities.

For the past 16 years, and with the support of the Boeing Employees Community Fund in Philadelphia, local churches and schools, the community center receives donations of computers and math, language studies, technology, geography and science textbooks. Tomlinson contributes daily to ensure that local residents, particularly youth, work together to promote STEM programs for students. “There is no greater gift than seeing children show interest in something where there was no interest before,” says the man who promotes the principles of education, respect, and discipline to the youth of Chester.

For his continuous active support to Black Men in Motion and their volunteer efforts within the community to raise scholarship funds for Chester High School students, Tomlinson has received numerous awards and recognition from organizations such as Big Brothers and Sisters, the Police Athletic League, and Chester High School. Tomlinson has also been recognized with the BEYA Community Service Award.

At work, Tomlinson supports Boeing’s Philadelphia Operations in the development of tool designs incorporating lean and ergonomic features, tool fabrication and periodic inspection techniques. He is a decorated employee. From Boeing, he has received four awards: Tooling 3 EI Team, Safety Recognition Award; Diversity Goals and Objective Accomplishment Award (twice); Leader and Advocate for Diversity and Inclusion Award; and the Philadelphia Rotorcraft Change Agent Award. Tomlinson is a member of the Delaware Country Chamber of Commerce and the Boeing Diversity Council.

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Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

Dr. Antonio Williams Director, Marketing Elements and Integration Lab Xerox Corporation

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r. Antonio Williams is an innovator. His dedication to science and engineering is a reason why Xerox is a leader in the field of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, copiers and digital production printing presses. Williams’ work benefits Xerox, but also benefits the lives of people worldwide. Anyone working in a business setting or using a public print and copy center is benefiting from Williams’ innovative spirit. It’s because of his knack for innovation that Xerox has taken a giant leap forward in the solid ink business. The ColorQube 9200 is an example of how Williams has changed the document printing landscape worldwide.

During the late 1990s, Xerox was developing a multifunction color printer called ColorQube 9200. The goal was to create a fast color printer that produced high-quality printouts.

Williams and his team developed mounting and alignment print head modules for the project. These inventions played a pivotal role in the high-quality output of the printer, and contributed to its success. The ColorQube 9200 became the world’s first highspeed solid ink multifunction printer. The printer reduced the cost of color pages by more than 60 percent, and generated 90 percent less supply waste.

Thanks to Dr. Williams’ input, the ColorQube 9200 had the best print quality at the time.

Williams is also passionate about social issues.

While working at Xerox’s Oregon location, Williams became president of Xerox’s Oregon Black Employees Association.

He successfully recruited three African-American employees and hired a female mechanical engineer.

Williams has also tutored inner city youth in science and math as part of his association with the National Society of Black Engineers Alumni Extension.

Sherisha Young

General Engineer, Capacity Planner ComEd, Exelon Corporation

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herisha Young is a capacity planning engineer at ComEd, an Exelon subsidiary and the largest electric utility distributor in Illinois, which serves more than 3.8 million customers. She has worked at ComEd over the past six years. She began her career in 2006 after graduating with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Two years on, she was promoted to design engineer in ComEd’s distribution automation department. She carried her passion for personal and systems performance into her next role and immersed herself in learning automated switching and their communications.

While on a routine field visit, her knowledge and attention to detail led her to recognize and prevent an incorrect installation. Had the error gone unnoticed, ComEd would have seen up to two times as many outages on a subsequent line failure. She also developed and maintained a database that calculated circuit automation based on probability of an outage, customer count, past reliability, and overhead exposure.

Young received her second promotion in five years within the capacity planning department. She is part of the young and upwardly mobile ComEd engineering team benefiting from career ladders put in place byComEd’s engineering and human resources to help the utility’s 500 engineers’ progress. Currently Young is enrolled in DePaul’s Kellstadt School of Business where she will complete her master’s in business administration in the spring of 2013 with double focus on change management, 40 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

as well as strategy, execution and valuation. Her long-term goal is to become a manager and eventually vice president of an engineering organization at ComEd. In addition, Young mentors minority engineers and engineering interns. She is an active member of the Exelon African American Members Association and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Her volunteer efforts include cleaning beaches along the perimeter of the inner city and talking to high school students at Rowe Clark Academy about career opportunities in the engineering field. www.blackengineer.com

modern-day technology

LEADERS

outstanding achievement Award Winners

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outstanding achievement Award Winners

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he 2013 Modern-Day Technology Leaders are shaping the future of science, technology and engineering and math (STEM) fields. They are the wealth in the pipeline that will help keep the U.S. strong and competitive. These remarkable people

come from federal agencies and research labs, and business and financial companies that rely on technology to produce their products, manage their assets, and serve their customers.

Efrain Rivera-Diaz Senior Professional Electrical and Process Engineer 402d Electronics Maintenance Group Tony Huey Second Vice President Aflac Marquette Brown Technical Sales Consultant/Team Lead AT&T Kip Fergusson Principal Technical Architect AT&T

Thanh Nguyen Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Yanxia (Ann) Lu Research Associate Corning Incorporated

Pamela Pettyjohn Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Candice Bridge RDT&E Staff Scientist Defense Forensic Science Center of Excellence

Marla Redwine Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Kebba Sallah Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

Hilina Abebe Engineer Exelon Corporation Gregory Campbell Manager Exelon Corporation, ComEd

Steven Harvey Principal Technical Architect AT&T

Denyse Gordon Senior Manager, Veteran Support and Development CACI

John Hurd Senior Engineer BAE Systems

Anthony Abner Business Partner Chrysler Group, LLC

Kevin Forney System Engineer Exelon Generation, Exelon Corporation

Kyle Carson Engineer Baltimore Gas & Electric Company

Uchenna Amene Quality Manager, Customer Satisfaction Team Chrysler Group, LLC

Tony Burden Senior Systems Architect General Dynamics

Herbert Chee Baltimore Gas & Electric Company Theodore Reed Senior Engineer Baltimore Gas & Electric Company Eric Yeh Supervisor-TSO Support Unit Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Angela Oguna Electrical Engineer I Black & Veatch Willie Camp Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Melissa Echevarria Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Aditya Handa Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton Ghezal Mayel Lead Associate Booz Allen Hamilton

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Mario Holmes Project Responsible, Chassis Systems Chrysler Group, LLC

Brian Graham Manager Exelon Corporation, ComEd

Brian Epps, Sr. Principle Engineer General Dynamics

Trudy Robertson Program Manager Chrysler Group, LLC

Sean Glenn Information Management Consultant/ GDIT Site Manager General Dynamics

Nakia Simon Senior Regulatory Engineer Chrysler Group, LLC

Craig Hilliard Network Architect General Dynamics

Kejuanna Thomas Corporate Auditor Chrysler Group, LLC

Cameron Jones Ship Systems Software Engineer General Dynamics

Tracy Wilson Product Engineer Chrysler Group, LLC

Danh Pham Electrical Engineer General Dynamics

Travis Stinson Computer Scientist Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center

Parag Shah Lead Configuration Management/ Quality Assurance Engineer General Dynamics

Jarad Wormley Computer Engineer Communications-Electronics, Research Development and Engineering Center

Edgar Torres Sustainment Engineer General Dynamics

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outstanding achievement Award Winners L. DaVon Suber Sr. Staff Configuration Engineer General Dynamics, Land Systems-Force Protection Daniel Liu Senior Engineer 2-Systems General Dynamics, Advanced Information Systems Bejoy Bains Software Engineer General Dynamics, Advanced Information Systems DeMarcus Henry Senior Advanced Engineer General Dynamics, Advanced Information Systems Erik James Senior Engineer General Dynamics, Advanced Information Systems Constantine (Cam) McGriff Senior Systems Manager General Dynamics, Advanced Information Systems Jeffrey Stadeker Senior Advanced Technical Support Engineer General Dynamics, Advanced Information Systems Willie Castile Integrated Discrimination Project Director General Dynamics, C4 Systems Tretessa Johnson Senior Reliability Engineer General Dynamics, C4 Systems Euton Lyon Senior Lead Engineer General Dynamics, C4 Systems Wendell Manley Principal Software Engineer General Dynamics, C4 Systems Rashad Santos Systems Engineer General Dynamics, C4 Systems Keith Scott Engineering Project Lead General Dynamics, C4 Systems Darius Ball Manufacturing Engineer General Dynamics, Land Systems Lorinette Clark Senior Engineer General Dynamics, Land Systems Christine Traub Engineering Specialist General Dynamics, Land Systems Denisechia Harris Engineering Specialist General Dynamics, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company Phillip Lewis Senior Manufacturing Engineer General Motors 54 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

Melaku Ayele Senior Test Engineer Harris Corporation

Tennyson Garrett Engineer III Huntington Ingalls Industries

Shawn Findlater Quality Engineer Harris Corporation

Denise Martin Manager Program Control Huntington Ingalls Industries

Jahmar Ignacio Systems Integration and Test Engineer 2 Harris Corporation

Theodore Bush Shock and Vibration Specialty Engineer Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding

Kim Southerland Software Quality Engineer Harris Corporation

Timothy Gates Design Integration, DDG 51 Program Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding

Richard Wright Senior RF Engineer Harris Corporation

Brian Lang Design Integration Engineering Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding

Shanna L. Travis Deputy Secretary to the General Staff/ Command Protocol Center Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Angela Woods Engineering Logistics Manager I Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding

Paul Bennett Director, Manpower Information Systems Division Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps

Russell Scott IBM Project Manager IBM BCS Federal Sector

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outstanding achievement Award Winners Jerry Tillman Manager IBM, Systems and Technology Group

Tamala Jamieson-Harley Electrical Engineering Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Oscar Williams , Jr. Operations Chief, Assistant Chief of Staff Installations, Facilities and Environment

Christopher Kaspar Project Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation

Louis Antoine ITT Exelis

Lauren Kilcoyne Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lamar Blackwell Systems Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Amber Brown Systems Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Jermaine Mazant Systems Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Lakechia Moss Senior Embedded Software Engineer Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Dwayne Scott Systems Engineer Manager Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Nathaniel Tilson Electronics Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Olu Durosimi One Aero User & Subcontract Management Senior Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Toni Adafin Senior Engineering Manager IBM Corporation Yashekia Felder Procurement Consultant IBM Corporation Eprehm Gebreselasie Development Engineer/Scientist IBM Corporation William Lash Managing Consultant IBM Corporation Martha Morris Project Manager IBM Corporation Sonny Williams Senior Technical Staff Member IBM Corporation Kathy Brown-Fitzpatrick STG Product Development Team Lead IBM Systems and Technology Group

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Alphonso Mazyck Senior IT Solutions Architect Lockheed Martin Corporation Dennis McDevitt Program Management Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Reshondra McInnis Multi Function Manufacturing Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Shaun Morris Software Engineering Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Linda Nelms-Cameron Test Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Jason Ni Information System Security Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Troy Quick Project Engineering Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

CreShenda Sands F-35 Flight Test Engineer Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Mackinson Renard Systems Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Corporation

Rohan Amin Cyber Program Management Director Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lisa Robertson Engineering Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Michael Branson Software Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Corporation

Arkea Robinson Project Manager & Planning Operations Rep. Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lisa Chamberlain Systems Engineer Lockheed Martin Corporation Chakusola Corbin Lockheed Martin Corporation Marcel Cote, III Lockheed Martin Corporation Kevin Davis Multi Function Information Systems Analysis Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Hollis Dawson, Jr. Project Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Garland Garcia IT Service Operations Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Dembre Hadaway Senior Member Engineering Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation

Eric Starks Software Engineer Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Patrice Waters-Worley Program Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation Donald Williams Embedded Software Engineer Senior Staff Lockheed Martin Corporation Richard Williams Program Management Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation David Wright Mechanical Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Corporation Darrell Shorter Transport Operations/Infrastructure Manager Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Solutions

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outstanding achievement Award Winners Uruiah Barley Field Engineer Senior Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

LaTisha Durham PMA-231 JPALS Technical Lead NAVAIR

Carl Holden Systems Engineer Manager Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

Autumn Rowles Software Engineer NAVAIR

Chandra Connerton Lockheed Martin Space System Company

Major Flewellyn, Jr. Integration Systems Engineer Naval Air Systems Command

Patrick Moise Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Shawanda Alexander IT Partner, IT Program Manager Lockheed Martin, Enterprise Business Services Jeffrey Phillips Lockheed Martin-Information Systems and Global Solutions Angelo Burstion Deputy Director, Fleet Capabilities and Integration Missile Defense Agency Ousmane Diallo Aerospace Engineer NASA Ames Research Center Raymond Gilstrap Computer Engineer NASA Ames Research Center Gilena A. Monroe Computer Engineer NASA Ames Research Center Malcolm Stanford Materials Research Engineer NASA Glenn Research Center

Antoine Mathews Electronics Engineer Naval Air Systems Command William Redmond Electrical Engineer Naval Air Systems Command Leonard De La Cruz Electronic Engineer Naval Air Systems Command, NACW-AD 4.5.5 Rebecca Squalls Electronics Engineer Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Candice Phang Electrical Engineer Naval Air Systems Command— Patuxent River Courtney Crittenden Information Assurance Execution Manager Naval Sea Systems Command George Holmes Manager Test Engineering 2 Newport News Shipbuilding

Bernard Johnson, Jr. Newport News Shipbuilding Robert Walker, III Electrical Engineer III Newport News Shipbuilding Carl Brooks Operations Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation Marvin Cole, Jr. Software Development Analyst Northrop Grumman Corporation Chanel Helper Northrop Grumman Corporation Krystil Hogan Software Development Engineer III Northrop Grumman Corporation Vincent Johnson Manager Information Technology Northrop Grumman Corporation Burdette Joyner Northrop Grumman Corporation Tom Kebbie Kaikai Electrical Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation H. Paul Kang Operations Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation Leonora Knox Northrop Grumman Corporation Kevin LaCour Test Operations Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation Reginald Moses Northrop Grumman Corporation Sara Palmer Software Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation Kenneth L. Robinson Director, National/ Military Systems Operating Unit Northrop Grumman Corporation Theron Roby Engineering Lead Northrop Grumman Corporation Mark Rooths Software Development Manager/ Integrated Product Team Lead Northrop Grumman Corporation Allyson Shaler Smith Software Engineer Northrop Grumman Corporation Haroon Sheikh Engineer Systems Northrop Grumman Corporation Hassan Shuja Manager Network Engineering Northrop Grumman Corporation LaTerra Spurlock Northrop Grumman Corporation

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outstanding achievement Award Winners Shiva Velappan Software Development Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Sheldon Greene Senior System Engineer 1 Raytheon Company

Kimberly Spicer Civil Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Maurice West Homeroom Manager Northrop Grumman Corporation

Maurice Hudson Systems Engineer Raytheon Company

Kenneth Clair Engineering Technician U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Joyce Wilkerson Software Developer Northrop Grumman Corporation

Jane Odero Systems Engineer Raytheon Integrated Defense System

Chimeadu Ewoh Civil Engineer (Structural) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Douglas Williams Northrop Grumman Corporation

Dwayne Lloyd Project Manager Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific

Marneshia Richard Structural Engineer Intern U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Kimberly Williams Project Management Analyst, Capture Win Center Northrop Grumman Corporation Geoffrey Mitchell Aeronautical Engineering Manager Northrop Grumman Technical Services Michael Rivers Program Manager Northrop Grumman Technical Services Akinyemi Akinsinde Electrical Engineer NUWC Division Newport Tracee Strum-Gilliam Senior Professional Associate/Senior Supervising Environmental Engineer Parsons Brinkershoff Stacy Woodley Electrical Engineer Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Anthony Morris Technical Director/ Business Development Manager Raytheon Company Network Centric Systems Terry Barnett Principal Systems Engineer Raytheon Company De’Shea Bennett Senior Software Engineer Raytheon Company Tomas Bracero Senior Electrical Engineer Raytheon Company Michael Davis Software Engineer Raytheon Company William Dicks, Jr. Senior Systems Engineer II Raytheon Company Jeffrey Driskell Manager III Raytheon Company Trevor Dunwell Material Program Manager Raytheon Company Leon Gibson Software Engineer 1 Raytheon Company

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Lawrence Brandon Subsurface Installation Integrated Product Team Lead SPAWAR Systems Center, Atlantic Eric McCary Member of the Technical Intern Staff The Aerospace Corporation Alesa B. Carlin Logistics Data/Publication Specialist The Boeing Company Theodore J. Ferrell System Engineer Manager The Boeing Company Maxwell D. George Structural Analysis Engineer The Boeing Company William G. Henry Test & Evaluation Engineer The Boeing Company Walter H. Howard Manager The Boeing Company Jovonia (Jo) L. Taylor Standard Parts and Skill Team Manager The Boeing Company Jayson T. Vincent Modeling & Simulation Software Engineer The Boeing Company James Tolbert Computer Scientist The MITRE Corporation Nickyra M. Washington Senior Infosec Engineer/Scientist The MITRE Corporation Robert Wright, Jr. Project Manager/Project Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District Marcus Williams Civil Engineer, Structural U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District Anisha J. Downs Project Manager U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Far East District

Dornesia Ward Information Technology Specialist U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wayne Hodo Research Civil Engineer U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center Elaine Hulitt Computer Scientist U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Daniel Bradley Aerospace Engineer U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Willie Davis IT Specialist U.S. Coast Guard Jaurin Joseph Program Manager U.S. Coast Guard Warren Judge Engineer U.S. Coast Guard Lee Stenson Engineer U.S. Coast Guard Chaz Wilder OPC C4ISR Lead U.S. Coast Guard Terence Williams Fast Response Cutter Asset Line Manager U.S. Coast Guard Charles Stokes Civil Engineer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Vicksburg District Byron Meacham Integration Lead Engineer—CNI Communications F-35 Air Force Life Cycle Management Center— WWJE U.S. Air Force Sherrie Littlejohn Executive Vice President—Enterprise Architecture and Strategy Wells Fargo Wells Fargo

Lucinda Cunningham Enterprise Management Branch Chief U.S. Coast Guard USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 57

SAVE THE DATE!

www.beya.org

410-244-7101

2013

Emerald Honors

winners

Under the attentive eye of Benjamin Franklin, the national memorial at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia was the event space for the 2012 Emerald Honors Dinner and Presentation.

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www.blackengineer.com

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he diverse faces of science are trailblazing global leaders: the people behind the science of life. The 2013 Emerald Honorees come from industry, government, research institutions and academia as well as

nonprofits. They are distinguished innovators making a difference in science, technology, engineer and math (STEM) fields. These thought leaders are paving the way and changing the world.

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Emerald Honors Winners

emerald honors’ 2013

SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR

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by Gale Horton Gay editors@ccgmag.com

hose who know Corlis Murray best professionally describe her as a change agent, pioneer, leader and mentor. Murray is senior vice president of Quality Assurance, Regulatory and Engineering Services at Abbott in Abbott Park, Ill., a global health care company devoted to discovering new medicines, technologies and ways to manage health.

Of her 30-year career, Murray has spent 23 years at Abbott. She has been involved in the orchestration of key engineering development moves, multiple new product launches and plant acquisitions.

Murray also has demonstrated superb leadership in business-critical situations.

She led the company’s Executive Crisis Management Team during the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic, evacuation of their Grenada plant due to Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Murray’s leadership style is described as collaborative and decisive.

She is said to excel at calculated risk-taking.

“She consistently holds herself and her organization to high standards of performance,” and she takes time to recognize the contributions of others, according to her colleagues. And when it comes to reaching out a helping hand to young people, Murray has been a leader.

At Abbott, she initiated the first high school engineering internship and expanded the Global Engineering Services summer internship program.

Murray attained an undergraduate degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. She also attended Abbott leadership development courses.

Murray has achieved many “firsts” at Abbott including first African-American plant manager in the Ross Products Division, first African American and woman to lead Corporate Engineering and the Corporate Quality function.

She is credited with helping to form and continuing to drive Abbott’s vision of a diverse and inclusive work environment. Specifically she has helped Abbott increase its representation of minorities in America management by nearly 50 percent during the past 10 years.

Murray explained her view on diversity in this way: “I embrace diversity in all its forms—in people and ideas…I see and respect ideas from people at all levels and areas of the company. Never underestimate who you can learn from.”

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Corlis Murray Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance, Regulatory and Engineering Services Abbott Laboratories

www.blackengineer.com

Emerald Honors Winners

Career Achievement Jason B. Ellis, Ph.D.

Research Staff Member IBM T. J. Watson Research Center

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ne doesn’t have to look further than Jason B. Ellis’ reports, talks and position papers to understand that he operates with a global perceptive. “Answers for Nigerian Farmers: A Mobile Phone Service for Nigerian Farmers” and “Using Virtual Interactions to Explore Leadership and Collaboration in Globally Distributed Teams” are just two of the long list of publications, technical reports, conference presentations and other works of which Ellis has been a contributor. Ellis is a member of the research staff at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., where he designs, implements and studies social software, including online communities, social visualization and grassroots team tools.

As the team lead of the “Social Computing for the Next Billions” project, Ellis sets team goals and aligns their work with IBM business as well as initiates and manages relationships with internal and external partners. He’s also conducted field work in rural Uganda and Rwanda. His field is described as the study of how people interact with technology and more importantly how technology can be better designed to enhance people’s lives and work and support their highest aspiration. Ellis was the project manager and technical lead of one project that resulted in a hybrid mobile phone, web and “big screen” application for homeless mothers and their case workers to support finding housing, jobs and other resources. Ellis is credited with the conception, design and implementation of several “novel technology solutions.”

A manager at IBM in social computing said Ellis is a “rare breed,” combining deep knowledge of computer science and engineering with solid skills in behavioral research and an “exquisitely” developed sense of design. Ellis, who holds five patents and has six patents pending, graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a doctorate in computer science from Georgia Institute of Technology. His thesis focused on social computing and educational technology to help young people learn about the civil rights era.

He has mentored others in his field through internships at IBM as well as through professional organizations.

www.blackengineer.com

Career Achievement Ben Charles King, Sr.

Multi-Discipline Systems Engineer MITRE Corporation

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hose well acquainted with Ben Charles King and his substantial professional accomplishments don’t mince words in praising his talents and drive. “His greatest strength is the ability to very quickly understand a problem space, challenge assumptions and pose challenging questions that result in a better idea and resultant products,” said one of his supervisors. “I have always found that if I had a problem, all I had to do point Ben at it and get out of the way,” said an engineer who has worked with him for more than 20 years.

King is a multi-discipline systems engineer at The MITRE Corporation in McLean, Va. MITRE is a not-for-profit company that works in the public interest, providing systems engineering, acquisition and advanced technology expertise to the government.

During his 22-year career at MITRE, King has worked in performance engineering, security engineering and systems engineering.

Currently he is working on research developing a Java program to generate a model to predict a component’s performance under different workloads and varying environmental conditions. He also has worked on chemical security assessment tool performance test, IT provisioning process improvement as well as provided technical support for testing of the global information grid.

A senior program manager at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security credits King with the success of a project that embraces a new philosophy. “Mr. King understands our mission and better yet, has come to understand the operator on the front line…. He is one of the leaders on the team, someone that I know I can look to for solid advice and expertise.”

King was adopted and reared by his grandparents. Although his grandfather did not have much formal education, he constantly espoused the value of education, which King took to heart.

King, who became interested in computer science in high school, graduated in 1990 from the University of South Alabama with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. He earned his doctorate in computer and information sciences from George Mason University.

Generous with his knowledge, King enjoys working with young people who have an interest in science and technology. He has participated in the MITRE and T.C. Williams Engineering Enrichment Program, working with a group of high school students on several projects including designing and testing a circuit system for a burglar alarm. He also is a member of the Chantilly Pyramid Minority Student Achievement Committee.

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Emerald Honors Winners

Community Outreach

Educational Leadership

Andre H. Sayles, Ph.D.

Treena Livingston Arinzeh, Ph.D.

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Director of Diversity, Strategy and Implementation U.S. Army

n his letter of nomination for the Science Spectrum Trailblazer Award, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Diversity and Leadership Larry Stubblefield, said commitment at all levels is a critical factor in achieving STEM initiatives; and that Dr. Andre H. Sayles exemplifies “the commitment, tenacity, and expertise necessary to make a difference every day.” Few make a difference in the world every day. Indeed, Dr. Sayles, director of Diversity Strategy and Implementation for the U.S. Army, is an outstanding individual. He is credited with building the first diversity strategy in Army history, but Dr. Sayles first made history while at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point. There, in 1999, he was promoted to professor and head, department of electrical engineering and computer science, becoming the first and only African-American department head.

He has dedicated much of his life to engineering education, research, and the development of opportunities for others in STEM, said Deputy Assistant Secretary Stubblefield.

“During his superb military career, Dr. Sayles spent over 34 years as a leader in the Army Corps of Engineers and as a professor, director of phototonics engineering, head of the department of electrical engineering and computer science, and minority admissions officer at the United States Military Academy.”

While at West Point, Dr. Sayles established the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and continues his personal support of the organization as well as others that inspire minority students to pursue engineering. “Hundreds of minority leaders across the country, from senior military officers to corporate CEOs, give Dr. Sayles credit for making an important difference in their lives,” Deputy Assistant Secretary Stubblefield said.

As the Army’s diversity leader for the past five years, Dr. Sayles has developed the diversity and inclusion strategy for one of the largest organizations in the world, ensuring opportunities and professional development for minority soldiers and Army civilians well into the future. His most recent outreach initiative formalized the Army’s engagement of STEM organizations across the country, adding several that had not been previously supported.

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Professor of Biomedical Engineering New Jersey Institute of Technology

reena Livingston Arinzeh is quite comfortable being a frontier woman—leading the way in stem cell research and pioneering discoveries that have the potential to change lives. As a leader in the biomaterials and tissue engineering field, which uses cell therapy to treat damaged or diseased tissue, Arinzeh’s studies have served as the basis for submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pursue specific stem cell clinical trials. Arinzeh, professor of biomedical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), has received numerous awards and recognition for her work including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest national honor awarded to young scientists and engineers.

Arinzeh developed the first Tissue Engineering and Applied Biomaterials Laboratory at NJIT, which has received more than $4 million federal state and private funding since its inception in 2001. She has been the principal investigator for work related to $3.3 million of that funding. She has applied for seven patents in such areas as cartilage, tissue and nerve growth repair.

However, Arinzeh’s focus is not entirely in the lab. She is also the director of the bioengineering graduate program at NJIT, which ranks eighth in the nation for diversity. She has advised more than 20 undergraduate, 17 masters and 11 doctorate students. Her interest in helping young people on their educational path extends to students in lower grades as well. Arinzeh has been an active mentor in four programs that expose minorities and female students to engineering topics and projects as early as elementary and junior high school.

One of her colleagues at NJIT said Arinzeh is approachable to students at the school and described her as “a young, brilliant, well-spoken, accomplished professional who they can associate with, yet has achieved national and international acclaim for her research.” The graduate of Rutgers University and Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering and a master degree in biomedical engineering respectively, Arinzeh also received a doctorate in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she has coauthored 22 journal articles as well as 80 abstracts, proceedings and presentations. A colleague in her field at Rice University in Houston praised Arinzeh as her ability to expertly juggle a multitude of tasks. “She masterfully balances excellence in research with mentorship, teaching and professional services, thereby increasing the depth of the impact of her work.” www.blackengineer.com

Emerald Honors Winners

Educational Leadership Hudson V. Jackson, Ph.D., PE. Dipl-Ing

Associate Professor Department of Civil Engineering U.S. Coast Guard Academy

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r. Hudson Jackson has focused much of his life on education.

An experienced geotechnical engineer, Jackson’s position as an associate professor at the Coast Guard Academy allows him to help lead others to successful careers in the engineering field. Although many of his projects have been based in New Jersey and New York are (primarily for the transportation industry), Jackson has international origins.

He comes from Sierra Leone, West Africa, where he earned a bachelor of engineering from Fourah Bay College at the University of Sierra Leone in 1986. It was here that he began his teaching career, instructing undergraduate students in surveying, civil engineering materials, material and structures and building technology from 1986 to 1989. Jackson eventually moved at Germany to earn an engineer’s degree (similar to a master’s) from the Technology University of Darmstadt.

While there he worked as an engineer at the Mann and Bernhardt Engineering firm, but returned to Sierra Leone after graduation to lecture at Fourah Bay College. Jackson immigrated to the United States and went on to receive his Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from Rutgers University in 2003, after earning a master’s at the same institution in 2000. At Rutgers he continued his teaching experience, conducting undergraduate courses and grading student material in soil mechanics and foundation engineering.

He also worked as a learning assistant at Rutgers’ Kreger Learning Resource Center, where he provided educational assistance to individual students by evaluating their study and learning skills. Jackson then worked as a project manager at Stantec Consulting Services in New Jersey from 2002 to 2007, after which he moved to Connecticut to teach at the Coast Guard Academy. He has been commended for his involvement in the academy’s portable robotics competition, as well as his outreach efforts to students from diverse backgrounds.

www.blackengineer.com

Educational Leadership Kenneth Tolson

America21 Partner Chief Economic Inclusion Advisor HBCU Innovation and Commercialization

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enneth Tolson has been an information technology management consultant for two decades. Recently, he was appointed by President Obama to serve on the Board of Advisors for the White House Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Initiative and he chaired the initiative’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Innovation and Technology Committee.

Tolson’s work has appeared in publications like the Boulė Journal for Sigma Pi Phi, and his groundbreaking paper on “HBCUs and Technology Transfer” is recognized as a guide to transform the HBCUs and build STEM opportunities.

Tolson is a graduate of Morehouse College and an accomplished global technology visionary.

Among his many accomplishments is total transformation of a petrochemical company business unit in Saudi Arabia. During infrastructure build up, he managed offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the consulting team comprised of Cisco, Avaya and Microsoft of the Middle East. He led engineering teams in Eastern Europe for the ministry of state in Romania focusing on IT strategy to get the nation admitted into the European Union (EU).

Tolson also presented a number of briefs to the EU technology committee on the digital divide in Europe. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he oversaw the statewide design of Maryland’s judiciary system that interfaced with the homeland security justice network. He was co-founder of the Emerging Technology Consortium, which merged with Technology Based Development for the 21st Century during Obama’s first presidential campaign. Tbed21 is now the America 21 Project, a non-partisan research and educational institute whose mission is to promote public policies to advance innovation and economic productivity in America.

Tolson is the co-author of the Emerging Technology Act of 2007, which became the first law in a District of Columbia City Charter to address innovation. One of only five Washingtonians appointed by Obama to a national bipartisan commission, Tolson is chief economic inclusion advisor for the America 21 project where he advises on technology transfer policy for HBCUs and Hispanicserving institutions. He recently co-authored the District of Columbia Competitiveness Act of 2010, which aligned the district with Obama’s education initiatives specifically focusing on STEM. A retired Marine, he is the grandson of Dr. Melvin B Tolson who was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the “Great Debaters” movie produced by Oprah Winfrey, and the son of Dr. Wiley W. Tolson, first African-American biochemist to work in the Army’s Walter Reed Medical Center.

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Emerald Honors Winners

Most Promising Scientist

Outstanding Technical Contribution

Ayodeji Coker, Ph.D.

Kingsley Fregene, Ph.D.

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Senior Research Scientist SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific

iminishing risk to U.S. military personnel is at the heart of research that Ayodeji Coker is conducting, and experts in his field view his work as promising. Coker, a research scientist with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center-Pacific is developing a methodology and tool for predicting the probability of achieving communication between heterogeneous teams of unmanned vehicles operating in maritime and joint military environments. In the words of one of his colleagues, if Coker’s work proves to be successful it will be a “key enabler to the future war fighting capacity of the Navy and military.”

Coker is a graduate of State University of New York at Albany, where he received a bachelor’s degree in physics, and Northwestern University, where he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering. He was awarded his doctorate in computer engineering in 2008 by Texas A&M University. The increased use of unmanned vehicles is a key element of the National Military Strategy. Unmanned Surface Vehicles are expected to carry out missions that require long-term operational independence, such as being able to traverse long distances, assess and avoid potential threats and collect necessary target information independent of direct human operators.

However, communication with these vehicles can be compromised due to enemy jamming and atmospheric factors.

Coker’s research is explained as “essential for our U.S. military dominance in this war fighting capability.” He is credited with bringing forth innovative ideas and rapidly advancing the state of the art. Coker is also highly praised for his ability to foster an environment of collaboration.

“Dr. Coker’s leadership and team building skills are unique in that he has tailored his project team to include engineering and scientific expertise from recent college graduate interns to seasoned subject matter military experts.”

He is also involved in a number of organizations and has established and maintained relationships with universities that are referred to as valuable by his colleagues.

“His connection with local San Diego universities and his ties back to his personal academic universities and organizations that he established there have proven to be a valuable umbilical cord to unique, diverse and highly talented scientists and engineers,” said one colleague.

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Principal Research Scientist Lockheed Martin Corporation

ingsley Fregene has a richly deserved reputation for winning and executing programs for the Department of Defense, leading research collaborations with academia and leading successful teams in advanced technology development.

As the principal research scientist at Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories in Cherry Hill, N.J., Fregene crafts concepts for new robotics technology and communicates these concepts with stakeholders to win investments. He also leads the execution of these projects, managing the team of engineers, scientists and support personnel. He has also led the development of the Samarai unmanned aerial system.

For this system, he invented entirely new control approaches.

The Samarai has only two moving parts—a propeller and single flap, which reduces the likelihood of mechanical failures. In addition to being inexpensive enough to purchase in large quantities, the Samarai offers each soldier and Marine his or her own personal aerial sensor for scouting and security patrol. It is described as “revolutionizing the art of war.”

One of his colleagues at Lockheed Martin describes Fregene as a “key thought leader” and another cited his “initiative, dedication and strong technical leadership.” Fregene served as vice chairman of Lockheed Martin’s Guidance, Navigation and Control (GNC) Technology Focus Group and in 2012 chaired the 10th Lockheed Martin GNC/Modeling and Simulation/Unmanned Systems Joint Technology Focus Groups Conference, which was called an “immense success.”

“Dr. Fregene helps to shape the future of Lockheed Martin on a daily basis,” said a company vice president. Fregene has attained four patents and has applied for an additional five patents. He also has produced more than 40 publications across a number of different technical domains. He is an adjunct associate professor of electrical and systems engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

Fregene earned his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Waterloo. www.blackengineer.com

Emerald Honors Winners

Professional Achievement Pamela Hall

Managing Director GE Healthcare, Nigeria

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hallenging conventional thinking and others to step out on unconventional paths are just two of the leadership qualities that Pamela Hall possesses. As general manager of Premium Segment-Respiratory and Sleep at General Electric (GE) Healthcare in Madison, Wis., Hall was instrumental in driving the path to a lowcost ventilator for emerging markets.

She is credited with creating an engineering team in India to address the shortage of simple, low-cost intensive care in developing countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Not only did she lead the team to deliver the product in 2011, but she helped guide marketing and distribution strategies. Hall went a step further, challenging GE insiders to invest in an experimental device that has the potential to save lives. The ventilator has received praise from clinicians who have used it in the field.

It also has won numerous awards during the past year including recognition in MIT’s 2011 Grand Innovation Challenge.

One of her colleagues describes her as an “innovative thought leader,” while another said she demonstrates “inventiveness, integrity and an extraordinary work ethic.” Hall’s drive and determination extend beyond her professional life. She uses her knowledge and leadership ability to bring awareness of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to the next generation. She’s been a catalyst and “strong advocate” for the establishment of STEM programming for the Boys and Girls Club in Baltimore.

For the past seven years, Hall also has been a mentor to University of Maryland Baltimore College (UMBC) and helped build a strong GE recruiting presence on campus. And she also led the design and implementation of Leadership Delta, a partnership between GE and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. One of her supporters refers to her as “a dynamic connector of people and ideas, who has the rare ability to work both strategically and tactically.” And her academic and career accomplishments have made her “an outstanding mentor for UMBC students—especially women committed to pursuing careers in the STEM fields.”

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor degree in physics and math, Hall is currently working on a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

www.blackengineer.com

Professional Achievement Christopher A. Smith U.S. Department of Energy

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t is clear that the U.S. Department of Energy places tremendous trust in Christopher A. Smith. As the deputy assistant secretary for oil and gas in the Office of Fossil Energy in Washington, D.C., Smith is responsible for administering domestic and international oil and gas programs. According to one Department of Energy official, Smith has “demonstrated leadership and technical competency that has improved the Department’s capability to accomplish its mission of ensuring that our Nation has secure access to safe, environmentally sustainable sources of energy.”

One only has to stay current with national and international events to have some insight into the challenges of Smith’s job.

When the BP Deep-Water Horizon exploded and sank off the coast of Louisiana in 2010 (spilling an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico), Smith was selected as the officer responsible for the oversight of President Barack Obama’s commission investigating the causes of the spill. Based on his performance with this task, he was appointed to the Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee, and he chairs its Spill Prevention Subcommittee. Smith has taken a comprehensive approach to his job—gathering information from those within and outside the government. He demonstrated that he values input from the public and led public events across the country on the issue of shale gas and hydraulic fracturing.

Based on the feedback, he refocused the research that his organization conducts.

Additionally he implemented changes within his organization to address the challenge of safely developing shale gas resources.

He also spearheaded an interagency initiative to address the challenges of safely and prudently developing unconventional oil and gas resources. Smith has been an advocate for encouraging women and minorities in science, technology, engineering and math fields.

He has been involved in mentorship activities and has maintained a 10-year relationship with his first mentee.

He began his career as an officer in the U.S. Army with tours of duty in Korea and Hawaii. He subsequently worked at Citibank and JPMorgan in emerging markets and currency derivatives. He also worked for 11 years in the oil industry with Texaco and Chevron.

Smith holds a bachelor degree in engineering management from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a master of business administration degree from Cambridge University.

Research Leadership Charles A. Stout, Ph.D., PE Director of Research and Development Mueller Industries

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f it wasn’t for a steely resolve, Charles A. Stout’s engineering career might not have been. Stout, who possesses a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a master’s of business administration degree in technology management, is a premier researcher in strainrelated pressure rating for copper systems. Thanks to his research, engineering societies are rewriting the guidelines related to the testing of the strength of copper for its use in various systems such as in USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 69

Emerald Honors Winners

Research Leadership Kenneth E. Washington, Ph.D. Vice President Advanced Technology Center Space Systems Company Lockheed Martin Corporation

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the refrigeration industry. Stout knew at an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The oldest of seven siblings, he struggled in college and at one point a dean of engineering suggested that his talents might lie in another field. He admits it was a fair assessment.

Still he placed his trust in his drive and determination and earned in doctorate in mechanical engineering. Stout is now director of research and development for Mueller Industries in Memphis, where he leads the company’s pipe, tube and fitting product development efforts. While Stout is praised for his research and technical contributions, he is also hailed as an exceptional leader whose education of design engineers, building code officials, contractors and others has proved invaluable.

“Charles has led efforts to educate member of top engineering societies where long-standing beliefs and formulas have been proven wrong,” states Christopher A. Mueller, director of marketing at Mueller Industries. “In doing so, his ability to communicate highly technical issues in a palatable way has been critical to his success in building momentum and meaningful dialog.”

Another colleague describes him as “creative and resourceful” and that he “acts as the bridge of pure science to practical application.” Stout is also committed to helping youth and works as a volunteer with the YMCA Black Achievers, United Negro College Fund, the Urban League and other organizations. In addition to tutoring, checking homework, identifying college funding and giving advice, Stout seeks to reach out to young people who are struggling as he once did. “When I think of how close I was to giving up on my dream, I know that I have to do everything I can to help young people reach their dreams,” he said.

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t’s not surprising that Kenneth Washington heads a center at a leading aerospace company. He possesses sky’s-the-limit drive, determination and vision. Washington is the vice president of the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Palo Alto, Calif., where he is responsible for establishing research and development strategies and ensuring they are implemented. He engages in a wide range of research activities: solar dynamics and astrophysics, optics and electrooptics, radiofrequency and photonic devices, control systems and information science, advanced materials and nanosystems, thermal sciences and more.

Washington oversees a team of 600 scientists and engineers operating with an annual research and development budget of more than $300 million. Since taking over the reins of the center in 2010, it has been awarded 19 patents. He is said to have “a unique ability to look across disparate technical disciplines to identify the most promising areas of research, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and drive the development of commercial applications of ATC discoveries.” Washington identified distributed aperture interferometers as an area ripe for investment and expansion. It has since become a major new business venture for Lockheed Martin, yielding five patents in the past two years and a new business pipeline approaching $500 million.

One colleague said he was impressed how Washington is “able to temper his passion for new technology with the expected business value—he simply knew the investments worth making.” By many accounts, Washington has “broken new ground and driven innovations that are revolutionizing multiple industries” and he “possesses the intellect and passion to propel scientific discovery forward and bring those discoveries to bear to solve real-world problems.” Washington followed in his father’s footsteps in attaining his doctorate.

The younger Washington’s advance degree is in nuclear engineering from Texas A&M University, after earning bachelor and master degrees in the same field of study from the same university. Fresh out of college he went to work at Sandia National Laboratories where he developed nuclear safeguards. He rose through the ranks, holding positions in information technology, computer sciences and eventually he was promoted to chief information officer.

At Lockheed Martin, he previously served as vice president and chief technology officer as well as vice president and chief privacy leader. Despite his many accomplishments, Washington has remained connected to community and to helping youth.

He is a frequent speaker at local underserved high schools and organization and has volunteered at a local halfway house. He is www.blackengineer.com

Emerald Honors Winners

also a supporter of the San Jose Tech Museum, offering ideas on how the facility can be a driving force for introducing science, technology, engineering and math to youth.

Senior Investigator John Hines

Chief Technologist NASA Ames Research Center

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ano satellites opened up space exploration to a wider world. At NASA, John Hines is founding father of the first of its kind GeneSat-1 satellite spacecraft. The 11-pound GeneSat-1 carried bacteria inside miniature laboratories, and the nano satellite was launched in December 2006 as the payload on Air Force Minotaur 1 rocket which delivered the Air Force TacSat 2 satellite to orbit.

According to Hines, GeneSat-1 was NASA’s first automated, self-contained biological spaceflight experiment on a satellite of its size. Researchers said that the knowledge gained from GeneSat-1 will help scientists understand how spaceflight affects the human body. Gene-Sat-1’s onboard micro-laboratories with sensors and optical systems can detect proteins that are

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the products of genetic activity. Scientists still receive data from the satellite regularly.

Nano satellites fit in a backpack. Their sizes range from small and micro to nano and pico with masses ranging from 500 kilogram (small) to 1 kilogram (pico). Nano satellites are not just shrinking technology, they are reframing satellite science, and providing valuable mission training and experience to the next generation of engineers.

In recognition of his accomplishments in aerospace medicine and space life science, Hines received the 2006 Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Hines is investigator/technologist for Smart Healthcare monitoring systems for developing sensors, biotelemetry and systems for human exploration applications.

As chief technologist in the Ames Research Center Engineering Directorate and Small Spacecraft Division, Hines directed the design, development, test and evaluation of space systems and developed biological, biomedical, biosensor and bioinstrumentation technologies from conception to feasibility and spaceflight hardware systems implementation. The technologies are either crosscutting, which serve multiple NASA mission directorates, industry, and other government agencies, or game changing which enable currently unrealizable approaches to space systems and missions.

Hines has a bachelor of science degree from Tuskegee University and a master’s in biomedical and electrical engineering from Stanford University. His nearly 35 years of combines NASA and Air Force experience in program/project management, satellite/spaceflight hardware development, electronic systems engineering.

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Science Spectrum Trailblazers

Top minorities in

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RESEARCH SCIENCE

hese trailblazing leaders are some of the brightest minds in the field of science.

They all have outstanding accomplishments and achievements in research centers, national laboratories, government, industry, business and academia, furthering developments in media, healthcare, space exploration, information technology processes and national security.

Clara P. Adams

Research Associate, Department of Chemistry Western Michigan University

Clara Adams has made significant contributions in the area of nanoscale science. Her work has resulted in the production of sensors that detect environmental contaminants including peroxides, pesticides, and microbial pathogens. These sensors are novel in that they are applicable to healthcare and national food security. Her work has been published in scientific journals and in books. Adams has also made significant contributions to educating African- American students in science and technology. She is president of the local chapter of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. Through her leadership, Adams has provided several educational opportunities for teachers and students. For her work, she earned an Excellence in Teaching Award at Western Michigan University in 2012.

Bouchra Bouqata

Lead Scientist General Electric’s Global Research Center

Dr. Bouchra Bouqata is a lead scientist at General Electric’s

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Global Research Center, where she has been heading GE’s efforts in artificial general intelligence and general autonomous intelligent systems with emphasis on human-brain inspired general learning, perception from real environment sensory inputs, general problem solving, reasoning, memory and language. Her work focuses on developing intelligent distributed decisionmaking systems at the individual and collective levels of mobile entity networks with high impact on GE businesses, such as mobile asset management, healthcare, and energy. Her primary research interests are crowd sourcing, social networks, AGI, and distributed intelligent systems. She has received several fellowships and awards including an American Association of University Women fellowship. Bouqata is co-leading the Women And Technology group for GE’s Women’s Network Schenectady hub and is an active member of the New York Society of Women Engineers.

Anthony Canelo Intern RCM Technologies, Inc.

An intern with RCM Technologies, Inc. Anthony Canelo also attends the Bronx Community College/City University of

USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 75

Science Spectrum trailblazers

New York from which he expects to earn a degree in science in May 2013. At college, he has been a senator in the Bronx Community College Student Government Association; member of the Bronx Community College Future Leaders of STEM & Medicine Club; and vice president of the Bronx Community College Math and Computer Science Club. Canelo has also received the following awards: Dominican Parade Scholarship; Black Engineer of the Year Awards’ STEM Student Academics Award; Bronx City University of New York Elias Karmon Scholar; New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholarship; and Bronx Community College Math and Computer Science Scholarship. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Charles DeShazer

Vice President, Quality and Clinical Outcomes BayCare Health System

Dr. Charles DeShazer is a senior physician executive with broad clinical, managerial and consulting experience. He is board-certified in internal medicine, and has more than 20 years of clinical, quality improvement, disease management, informatics, accreditation, managerial and consulting experience in a wide variety of regional and national healthcare organizational settings (public hospital, multi-specialty group, IPA, large insurance payer and HMO). DeShazer has expertise in “Transformative Medical Informatics,” which is the implementation of new structures, systems, technology and workflows to improve clinical and operational performance. Transformative Medical Informatics is the intersection of organizational development, clinical informatics, change management, business process re-engineering and quality improvement. He has senior level experience in developing start-up operations and rapidly implementing solutions to meet the challenges facing today’s healthcare organizations. He has implemented disease management programs, a medical group “medical home” model as well as developed innovative organizational transformation methodology for effectively integrating care management functions (such as utilization management and quality) with business functions (such as contracting and claims) to facilitate collaborative care delivery within health plans and group- and network-based physician models.

Njema J. Frazier

Nuclear Physicist and Director Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration

Dr. Njema Frazier has been with the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) over 10 years and is currently a visiting professor at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. During her tenure with NNSA, Dr. Frazier has served as an acting director, acting deputy director, and a senior scientist in three of the largest Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship programs responsible for maintaining a credible national nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing. Prior to joining NNSA, she spent four years as a professional staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Science. There, she advised committee members on policy, budget, and technical matters. Frazier received her PhD in theoretical nuclear physics from Michigan State University, conducting her doctoral research at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab, where her work focused on “Properties of Shell-Model Wavefunctions at High Excitation Energies.” Now, Dr. Frazier is focusing on the launch of her website, diversityscience.com.

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Larry Golden

Inventor ATPG Technology, LLC

Larry Golden is the inventor of several anti-terrorism devices for the detection of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, compounds, or activity. He has also invented systems and methods for slowing, stopping or stalling a vehicle with the use of satellite or cellular technology. Golden holds three patents and is scheduled to receive three more patents shortly.

Tyrone Grandison CEO Proficiency Labs

Now CEO of Proficiency Labs, Dr. Tyrone Grandison pioneered healthcare security and privacy technologies that enabled fine-grained control of health data by patients, providers, and payers. Proficiency Labs specializes in helping healthcare companies deal with HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act] security and privacy concerns. Previously, Dr. Grandison was a research staff member at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. He received a bachelor of science degree in computer studies (computer science and economics), a master’s degree in software engineering, and a Ph.D. in computer science. Grandison is a distinguished engineer of the Association of Computing Machinery, a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and a fellow of the British Computer Society.

Sandie Grage

Scientist Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport

The Navy considers Sandie Grage “an exceptional mathematician.” In 2009, she was recognized with the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Top Scientists and Engineers Award in the Emerging Investigators category. Grage is one of the few female scientists to provide underway support in a U.S. Navy submarine. She is currently leading a small team in executing the second phase of a strategic investment for the Analytic Attack Center, focusing on developing methodologies and tools for measuring the effects of emerging technologies on warfighter performance. “Her work addresses an emergent need at Division Newport to evaluate system performance that includes the human contribution to overall system effectiveness,” said T.W. Cramer, captain, U.S. Navy Commander.

Patricia Hendricks

Senior Projects Implementation Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

By implementing the first Storefront application for the U.S. Army Information Technology Agency (ITA), Patricia Hendricks “has taken a nascent concept and turned it into a highly successful reality,” Lockheed Martin said. She is considered by the company “a true pioneer in the field of Storefront and Cloud capability in the defense arena.” The final implementation of the ITA Storefront will enable more than 40,000 customers in the Pentagon and National Capital Region to order critical IT services through an “Amazon-like” web portal delivered via a Cloud infrastructure. The ITA Storefront is one of only twelve Lockheed Martin Information Services and Global Solutions www.blackengineer.com

Science Spectrum Trailblazers

Defense Transformational Initiatives that span the full range of IT services.

mitment shows that he did not want U.S. troops to go without heaters, due to the backlog of new inventory.

Alex Luma

William (Carl) Rhinehart

Alex Luma is founder, president and CEO of Evolutionary Excellence, where he creates musical instrument digital interface programs for music projects, commercials, or film post-production, and confers with producers, performers and others to achieve the desired sound for a production, among other endeavors. Luma is skilled in journalism, web design, and engineering. He expects to receive an associate degree June 2013 from Bronx Community College/City University of New York. Luma is He has received the following awards: Student Leadership in STEM, Women of Color STEM Conference; Platinum Leadership Certificate from Bronx Community College; “Honorable Mention,” Community in STEM, Black Engineer of the Year Awards; Overwhelming Achievement Award, CUNITY Educational Summit.

In August 2003, a young William “Carl” Carlton Rhinehart joined Sandia National Laboratories, where he was responsible for all the test inspection processes on the production floor. The floor was experiencing process inefficiency during in-process testing, creating a major bottleneck during manufacturing, and as a result of his process refinement and his aptitude for root cause analysis and problem solving, the first pass yields increased from 66 percent to 95 percent and a second pass yield of 100 percent.

Today, Rhinehart is the technical deputy of the Independent Surety Assessment Group, where he is the technical lead and project manager for several programs, including the Independent Nuclear Weapon Assessment Program and Independent Surety Assessment Program. He assists the senior manager with planning and managing the technical activities for five departments and 45 technical staff members.

Employment Specialist Assistant Bronx Community College

Dennis Owens

Manager, Research and Development Science and Engineering Sandia National Laboratories

Dennis Owens joined Sandia National Laboratories in 2001 as a quality engineer. Since then he has worked in areas from nuclear weapons production to Advanced Concept and Technology Development programs for the Navy, Army, and Missile Defense Agency. Now, he is the manager of Defense Systems Quality Engineering, which provides R&D systems engineering, quality engineering, and quality assurance support to Sandia’s Work for Others Department of Defense agency-focused projects and programs. Owens is known at Sandia for the development of a streamlined process that organizations can use to gain ISO 9001:2008 registration, a process that his center recently used in obtaining its registration in less than half the time and cost of typical registrations. From 2005-2007, he authored several articles in the American Society for Quality’s Quality Progress magazine, focusing on quality management, defect analysis, and continuous improvement.

Donald Parrish FSR Kuwait Aerotek

Donald Parrish has been an exemplary employee for Navistar Defense while in Kuwait. Recently, Parrish created a groundbreaking way to test the heating systems for the mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles that U.S. troops drive in war zones. At the time of Parrish’s innovation, there was a backlog of new heaters to be shipped to Kuwait. Also, there was no testing of broken heaters so the broken heaters were discarded and labeled as unserviceable. The procedure that was in place called for the replacement of faulty heaters with new ones, but the backlog would cause troops to go without heaters until new ones arrived. Out of a few hundred employees at the facility in Kuwait, Parrish single-handedly came up with, built and implemented a solution that involved building a test station to check the serviceability of heaters before installation, so faulty heaters weren’t installed. The ability to test the functionality of these heaters also trained maintenance personnel to troubleshoot and repair the heaters and their electrical systems. Parrish’s comwww.blackengineer.com

Technical Deputy Sandia National Laboratories

Maureen Scott Assistant Professor Norfolk State University

Norfolk State University Assistant Professor Maureen Scott has been mentoring and teaching undergraduates in biology for 17 years. Her professional memberships include the National Science Teacher Association, Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society, National Historian (2011-2012), National Institutes of Science, and National Microbiology Society. At the university, she instructs students in biological sciences, comparative anatomy, vertebrate embryology, human physiology, and anatomy and physiology through lectures and in laboratories.

She is an advisor to Beta Kappa Chi National Honor Society and is a National Institutes of Science Advisor, an undergraduate research mentor, and an academic advisor. She has attended numerous enrichment seminars and conferences, and earned a number of research awards, including a first place award at the 2011 Emerging Researchers Conference in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics in Washington, D.C.

Sudipta Seal

Professor in Materials Science and Engineering University of Central Florida

Dr. Sudipta Seal joined University of Central Florida, (UCF), in 1997, as an assistant professor in the AMPAC (Advanced Materials) Center and College of Engineering after a postdoctoral fellowship at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC-Berkeley. Today, Seal is a professor in materials science and engineering and director of the AMPAC and Nanoscience Technology Center. He is a University Distinguished Professor and has received the UCF Pegasus Professor award.

Under his leadership, the center is creating impact in the field of nanosensors, nano-biomedicine, energy, and advanced materials development. Dr. Seal’s research involves the synthesis of catalytically active defect engineered nano-oxides, used for CMP slurries, regenerative nanomedicine, high temperature coatings, and nanoenergetics. His technology has commercialized through patents – he has 33 patents – and spin-off companies. He has graduated 16 Ph.D. and 14 master’s degree students, advised USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 77

Science Spectrum trailblazers

more than 14 postdocs and 50 undergraduates. He is currently supervising seven graduate students.

Emillio Stokes

IT Program Senior Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

As a senior program manager for the Office of Enterprise Support, Architecture, and Engineering, in support of the Social Security Administration Information Technology Support Services contract, Emillio Stokes leads a team of multiplatform technicians who provide support for the development and validation environments used by about 3,500 programmers/ analysts who engineer code for such high-profile initiatives as disability processing, document management, and Medicare.

While at Lockheed Martin, said Scott Gray, program director, Stokes “contributes countless hours each year promoting science, technology, engineering, and math to hundreds of students throughout our greater Baltimore and Washington area communities.” As a member of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, Stokes “has set the standard for commitment to STEM programs, conducting over 50 presentations during the last three years,” Gray added.

Paul B. Tchounwou

Associate Dean and President Distinguished Professor Jackson State University

During the last sixteen years, Dr Paul Tchounwou has devoted himself to the success of academic programs; developing grant proposals for student support and faculty development, a research environment with state-of-the-art laboratories to support student and faculty research; and establishing collaboration with national laboratories and other institutions of higher learning to increase the opportunities for student training and faculty development. Under his leadership, the Environmental Science Ph.D. Program at Jackson State University has graduated 60 scholars since 2006. His research focuses on studies of the health impact from exposure to environmental agents, with the ultimate goal of understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these compounds induce toxicity, mutations, and cancers.

His research on arsenic trioxide pharmacology and toxicology was highlighted in the Fall 2011 issue of NCRR Reporter, the quarterly magazine about the National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes of Health. In addition to his many responsibilities he is a Presidential Distinguished Professor and the director of the NIH-Center for Environmental Health at Jackson State University.

Reginald J. Turner

Deputy Head, Department of Systems and Software Engineering Air Force Institute of Technology United States Air Force

Lt. Col. Reginald J. Turner has earned the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal and has been recognized as a Modern Day Technology Leader. Turner He has served as the director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Laser Effects Test Facility, Laser Effects Lethality, Vulnerability and Survivability Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Here, unique laser lethality test programs and are conducted and the official Air Force vulnerability criteria for high-priority programs are formulated.

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Thomas Warner

Program Management Senior Manager Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) Lockheed Martin Corporation

Thomas Warner is responsible for leading the organization that is the government’s first cyber-focused public-private partnership, where classified information is shared with members of the Defense Industrial Base to identify and publish information to help partners mitigate Advanced Persistent Threats. In addition, he is responsible for managing 13 subcontractor companies so they meet or exceed cost, schedule and technical performance objectives. “When the proposal was started, the probability of winning was estimated at only 20% and the team was competing against a 12-year entrenched incumbent contractor,” says Rohan Amin, DC3 program director. “This was a significant obstacle that Tom was able to overcome to achieve a major success for the business.”

Megan Bang

Assistant Professor University of Washington

Lindelle Davis

Computer Operations Support Analyst, Sr. Lockheed Martin Corporation

Ingemar Flores

Software Engineering Associate Manager Lockheed Martin Corporation

Kenneth Freeman

Acting Director Security Operation Center NASA Ames Research Center

Kevin L. Jones

NASA IPv6 Transition Manager NASA Ames Research Center

Noreen Khan-Mayberry

Scientific Technical Expert Safety and Occupational Health Manager National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Jason Owens

Senior Software Engineer Aerotek

Mubarak Shah

UCF Trustee Chair Professor Director, Center for Research in Computer Vision

Reginald White

Chief Flight Systems Engineer Department of the Air Force

Michael J. Williams Technical Lead Engineer The Boeing Company

Michelle Wynter

Research Biologist U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

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EDUCATION Information is our most powerful resource, whether we receive it via the printed page, a computer screen, or from a dedicated teacher. In this section, we look at the trends and developments that are expanding STEM education.

Book Review

by M.V. Greene mgreene@ccgmag.com

‘Tanning’ Author Challenges Brands to Spin It Differently ‘The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy’

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udging by its title, Steve Stoute’s book, “The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Changed the Rules of the New Economy,” seems on its surface a quintessential read of the exploits of titans of that genre—the likes of Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Run DMC, Eminem, Kanye West and many, many others who are name-dropped liberally throughout.

“Tanning” hardly is a book about engineering principles or designing hardware and software systems. Stout, after all, has been a music industry executive who now runs a New York multicultural advertising and branding agency, Translation LLC. What the book is about, however, is the way business will be conducted in America going forward.

It is a read, no less by a hip-hop industry impresario, for business people, and that does include engineers and technologists who develop products and services for their own enterprises or do the same at Fortune-level companies. Anybody reading this book, in fact, will understand why Obama won reelection.

Tanning relates to a dramatically changing American demographic where people of color have emerged as key targets for marketing in the new technology-centric economy that Stout contends was precipitated in great measure by the hip-hop movement. And if companies and brands expect to succeed into the future in today’s emerging new economy, they are going to have to shift their marketing and branding strategies to capture this opportunity.

A value of the book, released in September 2011 by Gotham Books, is that Stoute takes the reader through the travails of several global companies he has worked with that were struggling to advance in the new economy, pointing out specific examples of what they did to overcome schisms in their marketing and branding approaches.

What Stoute does in his first-person account is offer advice to businesses on how they can recognize these cultural dynamics and position their efforts in an ever-tanned nation and world. The descrip-

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tion on Stoute’s Translation website describes the genesis of his approach: “We are an agency built to help brands thrive in contemporary culture. Though our work ranges from advertising www.blackengineer.com

to strategic consulting to new product development and beyond, tion density of 1,000 people per square mile. everything we do upturns convention and shapes a brand’s place Stoute writes that tanning comes to the fore via a generation in culture.” of African-American, Hispanic, white and Asian consumers who Indeed, a number of companies are listening. Stoute counts share a similar “mental complexion” rather than a predisposiSamsung, McDonald’s, Target, Yahoo!, Hewlett-Packard, tion to age or race. That complexion, based on shared experiAnheuser-Busch, Nokia, Tommy Hilfiger, Verizon Communicaences and values, renders constricted notions of demographics tions and State Farm among current and former clients. obsolete and is refreshing the American dream, he writes. While In one example, Stoute says a 1986 Run-DMC-headlined this hip-hop generation is buttressed by music, it also extends its hip-hop concert at New York’s influence more broadly into other Madison Square Garden created areas of American life, according a shock wave for executives of to Stoute.

Helping to drive the tanning of the the shoe company Adidas when Companies’ marketing long the group, performing its hit have associated urban to signify marketplace, Stoute argues, is social “My Adidas,” hoisted the shoe inner city youths and minorimedia. Technology platforms like above their heads and exhorted ties, but in the new economy the crowd to do the same. Stoute urban must only speak to density Twitter and Facebook are breaking writes that executives of the and not race or creed, accordstaid German company realized ing to Stoute. What has resulted down walls, prompting consumers not at that moment that an immeais a generation of new, young only to talk to one another, but also surable, untapped market existed consumers who eschew a culture for its product. where race is the dominant directly to companies and brands.

“Granted, the journey of broadside. Companies must tanning…didn’t begin or happen understand that these consumers solely with the advent of hipsee differences in people as being hop. But without a doubt the trajectory was significantly altered unnecessary and irrelevant, according to Stoute. on July 19, 1986, at Madison Square Garden during one of the “My ultimate goal in writing The Tanning of America is to final numbers performed by Run-DMC. Unlikely? Yes. Even put an end, once and for all, to the boxing of individuals based more unlikely, tanning history was made that night, all because on color,” Stoute writes. “The Tanning of America is more than of a sneaker,” Stoute writes. a chronicle of how we arrived at where we are. I also want it to Stoute contends that companies and brands must escape be a coming-out party for those of you in the generation stepping from past practices where their marketing and branding efforts into adulthood in the new millennium who’ve grown up without would segregate people in order to drive revenue. At the time, the cultural stereotypes of the past.”

Adidas was a brand whose marketing was narrowly focused on Helping to drive the tanning of the marketplace, Stoute what it perceived to be a certain marketable clientele. Stoute argues, is social media. Technology platforms like Twitter and says the Adidas example offers a case study of why companies Facebook are breaking down walls, prompting consumers not need to be inclusive of diversity and not exclusive of it. only to talk to one another, but also directly to companies and Indeed, Stoute is harsh in his critique of how brands sought brands. to market in the 1980s. “Madison Avenue in the Reagan years “Marketing must evolve beyond the monologue, to dialogue went back to the old habits of the ‘50s and ‘60s of dictating and to megalogue. No longer can advertising lecture or dictate to brand worthiness to consumers and then portraying those values customers; interaction and exchange are vital. Add to that the soin over-the-top fantasy settings,” he writes. cial networking media and technology that the millennials have Much of brand segregation hinged on companies’ percepunderstood since nursery school, and it means that marketing to tions of “urban,” according to Stoute. But he outlines in the book the group conversation—the megalogue—must be seamlessly that urban isn’t what it once was, citing a definitional change by incorporated,” Stoute writes. the U.S. Census Bureau of the term, where, before the 2000 cenThe bottom line for his book, according to Stoute, is that sus, it referenced urban as “all territory, population, and housing hip-hop has created an “atomic reaction” that goes well beyond units located in places with a population of 2,500 or more.” But the music, “blurring cultural and demographic lines so permasubsequent to 2000, the Census Bureau pegs urban as a populanently that it laid the foundation” for tanning. www.blackengineer.com

USBE&IT I WINTER 2012 81

best practices for success Some of the brightest minds in STEM, business and government offer their insights and advice about living and working to one’s best potential.

At the podium, William Brown, long-time moderator of the annual BEYA STEM Conference Panel of Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, listens as the Tuskegee University College of Engineering Dean of the Legand L. Burge takes the mic. Also shown is Southern University and A&M College of Engineering Dean Habib Mohamadian.

The Next Level

by Lango Deen ldeen@ccgmag.com

Mutually Beneficial Relationships Create Opportunity, Serve the World Technology Challenges on the Mother Continent, Moving African Countries into the hard set 21st Century

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ive years ago, Southern University and A&M College, a historically Black college located in Baton Rouge, La., invited about 20 chancellors from various universities in Nigeria. What Southern University found as they listened to the problems, solutions and challenges the West Africans brought with them was that they were very similar to some of theirs in Baton Rouge.

Take groundwater problems for example, explained Habib Mohamadian, an engineering dean, educator and researcher at Southern University for over 30 years. “A lot of groundwater problems in this country tend to be in neighborhoods underrepresented in finding the solutions,” he observed. “You get to Africa and you also hear of groundwater problems; sometimes www.blackengineer.com

caused by pesticides sent there many years ago.”

“I’d like to see HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) develop things which are useful for our students, with students over there, and then solve problems that are useful to the world. Because there are groundwater issues across the globe and if we can work with researchers on both ends we can learn from each other, learn how to teach students better,” Mohamadian said.

Historically Black colleges have excelled in educating African students, said Bill Brown. As a former U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deputy director of military programs, Brown managed a total workforce spread across more than 91 foreign countries, providing reimbursable engineering expertise throughout the USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 85

best practices for success

The Next Level continued world. Brown has served as a longtime moderator for the panel One-time Motorola executive, Candi Castleberry-Singleton, of engineering deans of historically Black colleges and univerwith experience at Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle), said, sities―which meets at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards “More and more companies that globalize are going to be signifi(BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) cant in creating partnerships. You cannot force employees to value Global Competitiveness Conferdiverse perspectives, expect them ence―under the AMIE umbrella. to embrace your inclusive phiAMIE is an acronym for losophy; but through your culture IBM, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Advancing Minorities’ Interest and multicultural strategies in an Raytheon and HP are just a few of in Engineering. The non-profit effective chain net and processing, organization is the outcome of an it shows intent to have an incluthe companies operating globally initiative by Abbott Laboratories sive environment.” Castleberryin 1992 and represents a coaliSingleton is now chief inclusion that have helped HBCUs with in-kind tion of industry and government and diversity officer at University donations. For example, at Southern agencies, plus accredited Black of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a colleges and universities’ schools $7 billion integrated global health University, Boeing, HP and others put of engineering who see a diversienterprise. fied workforce as a competiIBM, Boeing, Lockheed together a computer system facility that tive advantage and an essential Martin, Raytheon and HP are just videotapes every lecture, making them business strategy. AMIE partnera few of the companies operating ships include employers such as globally that have helped HBCUs available to students for anywhere, Booz, Allen, Hamilton; Chrysler; with in-kind donations. For anytime learning.

Constellation Energy; Corning; example, at Southern University, Lockheed Martin; Raytheon Boeing, HP and others put togethCompany; The Boeing Company; er a computer system facility that Army Corps of Engineers and the videotapes every lecture, making U.S. Department of Energy. them available to students for anywhere, anytime learning.

As engineering educators, engineering schools, engineers, Similarly, computer-based product management, engineering, and technology businesses think globally, the Baltimore, Md.design and manufacturing software as well as hardware and training based AMIE is looking to spread its wings. were part of an in-kind contribution of software and other technol“It’s time for HBCUs to take a greater role in moving African ogy to Howard and Tuskegee universities from the Partners for the nations into the mainstream,” Brown said. “This is a tremendous opAdvancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE). portunity in terms of people and minerals because we can’t fly airPACE links companies such as, General Motors, Autodesk, HP, planes without the continent; use cell phones; and women wouldn’t Oracle, Siemens PLM Software, and their global operations, to have that ‘best friend’―diamonds,” he added. “It’s important for support selected academic institutions worldwide to develop the students to understand the context of their engineering education, automotive product life cycle management team of the future. and that the continent should be in the leadership of what AMIE is Through PACE, Tuskegee University got involved with trainabout in terms of science, engineering and technology.” ing in Ghana and Uganda more than 5,000 miles away. “What is the Alabama A&M University is the newest of the HBCU engiadvantage of doing all of this?” asked Legand Burge, dean of the neering programs.

College of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering at “We had to go through a desegregation lawsuit before our Tuskegee. “What can I really get out of this as a student? I see the program was accredited in 2000,” explained the late Arthur initiative to work with other countries whether they are in Africa or Bond, who joined Alabama A&M as dean of engineering and wherever as an opportunity for students to gain experience,” he said. technology in 1992, and played a pivotal role in the nine-year Whether it’s having a presence in South Africa building homes, challenge. “We have research going on at Alabama,” Bond said. teaching people how to use indigenous materials, or spending weeks “We have our programs with Africa; we have a fantastic work in Egypt on water and environmental issues project, Burge said, “I with peanuts. In fact a young doctor has developed a method don’t think value is the question. I think we have a better chance of whereby people can eat peanuts without being affected by them learning.” and that is supposed to be marketed. But we can’t get there right AMIE’s purpose is to expand corporate, government, and now because we need the IBMs to donate computers,” said academic alliances to implement and support programs to attract, Bond, who is now dean emeritus of engineering and technology educate, graduate and place underrepresented minority students at Alabama A&M. in engineering careers.

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Science Spectrum Science spectrum champions the advancements made in all areas of scientific inquiry, whether those strides are made by individual innovators or through the resources of enterprisng organizations.

Titans of Science

ONE HUNDRED YEARS IN THE LIVES OF BLACK PIONEERING SCIENTISTS

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otanist George Washington Carver is believed to have been born in Missouri in January 1864. By then the American Civil War on the slavery question had been raging for four years. After the war, Carver studied botany at Iowa State Agricultural College. When he began in 1891, Carver was the first Black student, and later had the opportunity to teach as a faculty member.

Carver’s research at the experiment station in plant pathology and mycology first gained him national recognition as a botanist.

In 1896, Booker T. Washington, the first principal and president George Washington Carver of the Tuskegee Institute, invited Carver to head its Agriculture Department.

Carver taught there for 47 years, developing the department into a research center. He taught methods of crop rotation, introduced alternative cash crops for farmers that would also improve the soil of areas heavily cultivated in cotton, initiated research into crop products, and taught generations of black students farming techniques for self-sufficiency.

Eighteen-sixty-four was the year for another momentous occasion in Black science history.

Rebecca Lee Crumpler graduated from New England Female Medical College, becoming the first Black woman medic in the United States. Three years later, Rebecca J. Cole became the second African American woman to receive an M.D. degree.

By the time the war ended in 1865, Crumpler had joined other Black physicians to care for thousands of freed slaves.

Black doctors were not allowed to work everywhere, but unlike Crumpler who was able to serve with the federal government agency that aided freed slaves (1865–1872), segregation continued to impose race-based barriers to employment in academia.

More than a decade after the first Black female medics graduated, Edward Alexander Bouchet earned a Ph.D. in physics. Bouchet was the first Black natural scientist to graduate from Yale University, but was unable to land a postdoc position to perform research under the supervision and mentorship of a more senior researcher as Carver had. Bouchet moved to Philadelphia soon after his doctorate and took a job at the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY), where he taught physics and chemistry for 90 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

twenty-six years. The ICY was later renamed Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

About two hundred miles from ICY, Daniel Hale Williams was born in 1858 in Hollidaysburg, PA. When he graduated from the Chicago Medical College, Black doctors were still barred from practice in the city hospitals. As a result, in 1891, Williams started the Edward Alexander Bouchet Provident Hospital and a training school for nurses in Chicago, IL. Williams is best remembered as one of the first to successfully perform open heart surgery.

As in Chicago he went on to establish a training school for Black nurses in Washington, D.C. when he was appointed surgeonin-chief of Freedman’s Hospital in 1893. Two years later, he co-founded the National Medical Association (NMA) for African American doctors. The Daniel Hale Williams NMA is now the collective voice of more than 30,000 African American physicians and the patients they serve.

Before the end of the 1800s, Illinois saw another Black scientist enter the field. Alfred O. Coffin received a master’s and Ph.D. in zoology at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1889.

Five years later, Lloyd Augustus Hall was born in Elgin, IL. A generation earlier, Hall’s grandmother came to Illinois via the “Underground Railroad” at age sixteen. After graduating high school, Hall went on to study pharmaceutical chemistry at Northwestern University, earning a bachelor of science degree there and his master’s at the University of Chicago. Hall’s work contributed to the science of food preservation. By the end of his career, Hall had amassed 59 United States patents.

Another famed chemist was Saint Elmo Brady, the first www.blackengineer.com

African American to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States. He received his doctorate at University of Illinois in 1916. Eight years earlier, Brady earned his bachelor’s from Fisk University in 1908 at the age of 24, and he began teaching at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In1912 he was offered a scholarship to Illinois to engage in graduate studies. Brady’s legacy was his establishment of Saint Elmo Brady strong undergraduate curricula, graduate programs, and fund raising development for historically Black colleges and universities. In conjunction with faculty from the University of Illinois, he established a summer program in infrared spectroscopy, which was open to faculty from all colleges and universities.

During his time at Illinois, Brady became the first African American admitted to Phi Lambda Upsilon, the chemistry honor society (1914) and was one of the first to be inducted into Sigma Xi, the science honorary society (1915).

Biologist Ernest Everett Just was born in South Carolina.

But like many Black families in the postwar era, Just looked north for better educational access and opportunity. He graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Just won honors in zoology, and distinguished himself in botany. However, like Bouchet, he experienced roadblocks and could only teach at a historically Black university.

While waiting for a science position to open up, Just taught English at Howard University. In 1910, he was put in charge of a new biology department and became head of the Department of Zoology two years later.

Zoologist Charles Henry Turner was awarded a Ph.D. at University of Chicago in 1907. He began attending the University of Charles Henry Turner www.blackengineer.com

Cincinnati in 1886 and in 1891 received his bachelor of science degree. One year later, he became the first African American to earn a graduate degree from the university. Turner conducted research on animal behavior and published the first paper by an African American in the prestigious journal Science, the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Washington D.C. native, Charles Richard Drew, was about eight years old when Just was appointed to the faculty at Howard University. While Just’s legacy is his recognition of the role of the cell surface in the development of organisms, Drew’s research in the field of blood transfusions allowed medics to save thousands of lives during World War II. As the most prominent African-American in the field, Drew protested against the practice of racial segregation in the donation of blood, as it lacked scientific foundation.

Bacteriologist Hildrus Augustus Poindexter was born in 1901. He studied the epidemiology of tropical diseases.

He attended Lincoln University, PA, graduating in 1924, and then went on to Harvard Medical School in 1929 with a Ph.D. in microbiology. As a noted bacteriologist, Dr. Poindexter became the head of the Medical College at Howard University in 1934.

In the 1940s and 1950s Poindexter’s name became synonymous with the study of malaria and other tropical diseases. This work made him one of the most influential (and most overlooked) scientists of all time. Dr. Poindexter published his autobiography, My World of Reality, in 1973.

Ruth Ella Moore, who also worked in the field of bacteriology, focused her research on blood grouping and enterobacteriaceae. She has the distinction of being the first African American woman to receive a doctorate degree in bacteriology. She studied at Ohio State University where she received a bachelor of science (1926), a master of arts (1927) and a Ph.D. in bacteriology in 1933.

During graduate school she supported herself by teaching English and hygiene at Tennessee State College (now Tennessee State University). For her thesis she worked on the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis which causes most cases of tuberculosis.

Moore worked from 1940 at the Howard University Medical College first as assistant professor and later as associate professor until she retired in 1973. She headed from 1947 to 1958 the Department of Bacteriology being the first woman to chair a department at the college.

Compiled from public sources

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Career OUTLOOK An in-depth look at a cutting-edge industry within STEM. We tell you where the jobs are, why you want them, and, most importantly, how you get them.

Spotlight on Job Hunting

Inside:  Job Horizon  Recruiting Trends  Professional Life  Tips, Contacts and News You Can Use

www.blackengineer.com

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Career OUTLOOK

Job Horizon Where Are the STEM Jobs in 2013? Everywhere. Now Go Get Them!

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y the time you read this, either U.S. individuals and public, private, and nonprofit organizations will be adapting to the raft of cuts and taxes that became automatic after January 1, 2013, or an economic budget compromise will have been achieved.

Regardless of how the economic wrangle ended, corporate and government leaders across political parties have gained vital knowledge. For some, the knowledge was that The Great Recession, the 21st century’s Depression, showed them that they could maintain equilibrium during financial free-fall.

Others in private industry, including Fortune 1,000 CEOs, realized that they could make profits, or even record ones, after workers were fired, pensions were reduced or eliminated, and other personnel costs were slashed.

That was not good news for employees, but one group can take heart. Would-be and full-time undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students can be sure of one thing: their skills sets are always valuable.

Two words for STEM students: Don’t Panic

Regardless of the sequestration’s outcome, individuals and organizations must continue to feed, warm, cool, protect, teach, care for, provide services to, and sell products to one another. That is where you and your talents come in.

Even in a worst-case economic scenario, when organizations initially don’t appear as if they will ever hire again, that’s foolish talk. Millions of Baby Boomers are retiring and must be replaced. You, their replacements, as contemporary students, unlike your parents, live and breathe the digital air that affects every aspect of STEM and are geared to continually upgrade your knowledge and to use it to your own, and the nation’s, advantage.

Old industries and the public sector must retrofit to accommodate, respectively, consumer and citizen demands. New industries will appear and CEOs will adapt or face dismissal.

Politicians in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and finally facing 96 USBE&IT I WINTER 2013

the prospect of ongoing dramatic weather events, have become suddenly serious about renovating and expanding the capacity and security of coasts, roads, tunnels, railways, airports, harbors, and water and power networks.

The United States has no choice but to move forward, and STEM students are better positioned to be hired than those with soft skills. That’s reality. www.blackengineer.com

Career OUTLOOK

Adm. Vern Clark, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), listens to Mr. Steve Castelin of the Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Coastal Systems Station as he discusses the future of unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV) such as the Blue Fin currently displayed. The CNO is in Panama City specifically to view new technology, applications and hardware as well as to visit with community leaders.

recruitment with navsea

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AVSEA, which was created in 1974, stands for the Naval Sea Systems Command. The mission of the largest of the Navy’s five commands is to “engineer, build, buy and maintain ships, submarines and combat systems that meet the Fleet’s current and future operational requirements.”

NAVSEA manages 150 acquisition programs and foreign military sales cases that include billions of dollars in annual military sales to partner nations. NAVSEA employs a highly trained, educated and skilled 60,000-strong workforce to support today’s sophisticated Navy and Marine Corps ships, aircraft, weapon systems and computer systems. They actively recruit at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference.

Alonzie Scott III, the director of the Enterprise Talent Management Office of NAVSEA answered USBE&IT’s questions.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

USBE&IT: Why is BEYA STEM recruiting important to

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your organization?

Alonzie Scott: The BEYA event allows NAVSEA to showcase the unique opportunities we offer and seek diverse talent. The BEYA STEM event allows NAVSEA to recruit bright and high potential candidates that meet our diversity needs and contact STEM candidates in a centralized location.

USBE&IT: Beyond academic excellence, what student qualities attract your notice?

Alonzie Scott: We want innovators eager to do work that no one else in the world does, and leaders that want to contribute to our nation with passion for making the impossible possible.

We look for team-oriented, technically competent leaders.

USBE&IT: What academic credentials or majors should students have for your organization’s consideration?

Alonzie Scott: The Naval Sea Systems Command hires from array of career disciplines with a focus on the engineering fields. The command seeks students with a grade point average USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 97

Career OUTLOOK

of a 3.0 or higher in his or her major. Candidates with leadership, volunteer experience and related work experience stand out.

USBE&IT: What percentage of students recruited at BEYA become your interns?

Alonzie Scott: We do not track intern hires yet. In October 2013, NAVSEA will collect data from recruits via our USAJOBS portal. Stay tuned for more to come.

USBE&IT: How will it matter if a student interned at another organization in your sector?

Alonzie Scott: It will help the candidate become a better-rounded professional and help their resume standout compared to candidates that do not have previous internship experience.

USBE&IT: What is the best year for an undergraduate to begin visiting your job fair booth, and why?

Alonzie Scott: We welcome students at any year of their degree, but we find that juniors and above are likely able to benefit from NAVSEA opportunities including internships, co-ops and full-time entry into civilian jobs.

USBE&IT: What value do you place upon internships and related recommendations?

Alonzie Scott: We highly recommend students gaining internship experience; it helps set their resume apart from others and get your foot in the door into our organization.

Alonzie Scott III, director, Enterprise Talent Management Office, NAVSEA

USBE&IT: What sector publications should students be aware of and read?

Alonzie Scott: Beyond other government-related news publications, we think candidates should monitor our NAVSEA website (http://www.navsea.mil) for career opportunities and relevant news.

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USBE&IT: What do you think are the emerging career opportunities in your sector?

Alonzie Scott: There will always be exciting career opportunities with NAVSEA given the nature of the work and the fact that no one does what we do—anywhere.

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Career OUTLOOK

Job Horizon recruited by navair

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illiam Redmond, 27, is an electrical engineer with the Core Avionics Division of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). NAVAIR was created in 1966 as the successor to the Navy’s Bureau of Naval Weapons. NAVAIR supports naval aviation aircraft, weapons and systems in research, design, development and systems engineering; acquisition; test and evaluation; training facilities and equipment; repair and modification; and in-service engineering and logistics support. Redmond is responsible for providing engineering support and technical recommendations to program management for the communications systems on the United States Marine Corp’s H-1 helicopter. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Morgan State University, and a master’s of business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Redmond spoke to USBE&IT about how he got hired at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Global Competitiveness Conference.

USBE&IT: What year, or years, did you attend the BEYA STEM job fair?

William Redmond: I attended my first BEYA STEM job fair in 2005 while pursuing an associate degree in engineering at Baltimore City Community College, and also in February 2008 during my senior year at Morgan State University. During that career fair, I was recruited by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), and extended a job offer shortly afterward.

USBE&IT: What expectations did you have about the job fair, and were they met?

William Redmond: For my first career fair I did not know what to expect, but BEYA set the bar high for career fairs to follow. I was overwhelmed with the number of corporations and government organization that participated in the job fair. Not only were they there to just take resumes, but there were companies there conducting interviews on site.

USBE&IT: What was it about your employer that attracted you?

William Redmond: NAVAIR attracted me because I was very interested in the work that civilian employees do on the Navy and Marine Corps aircraft platforms. I was able to interview with NAVAIR at the job fair and meet people in leadership positions within the organization. After talking with them about the entry-level programs, mentoring opportunities, and opportunities for continuing education I felt very confident that working for them would be a great choice for starting my career.

USBE&IT: What do you wish you knew as a student prior to attending the job fair? www.blackengineer.com

William Redmond, electrical engineer with the Core Avionics Division, NAVAIR

William Redmond: The honors program director at Baltimore City Community College prepared me very well for the job fair. The program placed us in seminars that taught about dressing for business, appropriate greetings, business protocol, and provided other helpful tips to prepare us.

USBE&IT: If you knew then what you know now how might you have changed your academic focus as a student to fit your employer/sector?

William Redmond: As a student I would have continued to focus on the electrical engineering theory, but placed more emphasis on its application. I would have also taken advantage of the project management and other soft-skill courses because as engineers we are trained to think logically and solve problems, but sometimes we don’t develop all of the soft skills necessary for the workplace.

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USBE&IT: What must-have advice do you have for students before they attend the BEYA job fair?

William Redmond: I would tell students to understand what is and isn’t professional business and business etiquette.

Before candidates begin to speak they are already making an impression by their appearance and the way that they carry themselves. The second piece is to be prepared by researching the companies that will be recruiting. What is on their mission statements? What are the products and product areas that they focus on, and have questions ready for the recruiter or interviewer.

USBE&IT: What information do you think students might want at the job fair that wasn’t available?

William Redmond: When I attended the job fair I felt that everything was well planned. Since I have graduated from college, smartphones have become popular and common and I think that students at the job fair will benefit from mobile applications such as a BEYA STEM Guidebook to provide them with updated

schedule and location information about the conference.

USBE&IT: What has been your proudest professional achievement at your organization?

William Redmond: My proudest professional achievement at my organization was being selected for the Modern Day Technology Leader Achievement award at BEYA STEM. USBE&IT: What sector publications do you always read or consult?

William Redmond: I read US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, the National Society of Black Engineers magazine, and IEEE Spectrum.

USBE&IT: What do you think are the emerging career opportunities in your sector?

William Redmond: They include the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, and there has been a lot of investment in unmanned technology.

recruited by navair

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aTisha Durham, 27, is a technical lead in NAVAIR’s Avionics Architecture and Systems Engineering Division. Durham is responsible for providing avionics systems engineering expertise applied to development programs and projects for PMA-231 E-2D and C-2A Joint Precision Approach and landing systems products throughout system life cycle. She received her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from North Carolina A&T State University, and her master’s degree in systems engineering from Iowa State University.

USBE&IT: What year, or years, did you attend the BEYA job fair?

LaTisha Durham: I attended the 2004 and 2008 BEYA STEM in respectively my freshman and senior years.

USBE&IT: What expectations did you have about the job fair, and were they met?

LaTisha Durham: My expectations while attending BEYA’s Career Fair were to learn about the different companies, how my field of study relates to the organization, interview with potential employees and to ultimately find a job. Yes, my expectations were met.

LaTisha Durham, technical lead, Avionics Architecture and Systems Engineering Division, NAVAIR

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www.blackengineer.com

USBE&IT: What was it about your employer that attracted you?

LaTisha Durham: During my freshman year, I really did not know about the different companies and how engineering played a role in their organizations. As I approached NAVAIR’s booth, the first thing that attracted me were the different aircraft on display. Something about working on aircraft sparked my interest. I spoke with the Patuxent River Avionics Department Site Lead, and after the conversation I knew what NAVAIR was, about different opportunities I could explore with the organization, and how I can help achieve NAVAIR’s mission.

I left the job fair wanting to work for this organization.

USBE&IT: What do you wish you knew as a student prior to attending the job fair?

LaTisha Durham: As a freshman, the one thing I wish I knew prior to attending the job fair was the common expectations companies have of freshman students. After having only one semester under my belt, it would have been good to know what I could have done prior to the conference to make myself more marketable when it came to obtaining an internship.

USBE&IT: What information do you think students might want at the job fair that wasn’t available?

LaTisha Durham: One thing I could think of is a list of all the positions with descriptions that are opened at the companies attending the job fair. Students would have “During my freshman year, I really did a physical copy to take away not know about the different companies as well.

and how engineering played a role in their organizations. As I approached NAVAIR’s booth, the first thing that attracted me were the different aircraft on display. Something about working on aircraft sparked my interest.”

— LaTisha Durham, electrical engineer, NAVAIR

USBE&IT: If you knew then what you know now how might you have changed your academic focus as a student to fit your employer/ sector?

LaTisha Durham: I would change the elective courses I chose. If I had taken some introductory courses in mechanical engineering, finance, and systems engineering they would have given me a basic knowledge of some of the different aspects of NAVAIR. USBE&IT: What must-have advice do you have for students before they attend the BEYA job fair?

LaTisha Durham: They have to obtain a list of companies that will be in attendance and research them. I know students may hear this a lot, but when you research www.blackengineer.com

the companies, you will know which ones have positions in your major. Then you can spend more time speaking with potential employers. You will also be able to articulate how your skills and knowledge relates to the organization.

Researching the company before the career fair shows the potential employees that you have done your homework and you are eager to learn more about the company.

USBE&IT: What has been your proudest professional achievement at your organization?

LaTisha Durham: My proudest professional achievement was receiving the Women of Color’s Technology Rising Star Award. To be nominated by my organization was very humbling, and it showed that my work does not go unnoticed and I am doing what it takes to become a successful engineer.

USBE&IT: What sector publications do you always read or consult?

LaTisha Durham: US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, the National Society of Black Engineers magazine, and the National Defense magazine.

USBE&IT: What do you think are the emerging career opportunities in your sector?

LaTisha Durham: Systems engineering is one of the best emerging career opportunities. If you want to see a complex system through its life cycle while demonstrating your leadership skill and technical knowledge, then systems engineering is for you.

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Recruiting Trends Employment outlook in select stem sectors

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tudents should take heart.

Projections in the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor show how STEM employment options will likely to improve through 2020.

At least 20.5 million jobs are expected to be created during by then. The fastest-growing occupations, which require at least a master’s degree, will be in health care, personal care and social assistance, and construction-related industries.

In construction, a 33 percent increase, equaling about 1.8 million jobs, is anticipated although that will not meet the 2.2 million sector positions slashed during the recession. Architects, civil and construction engineers will be lifted by a slow return to normalcy.

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) “represents more than 33,000 firms, including 7,500 of America’s leading general contractors, and over 12,500 specialtycontracting firms.” In 2012, the AGC reported that while public sector growth may still be weak, private sector construction will be stable or strengthen, and nearly a third of companies will be hiring.

Information technology students should note that more companies are incorporating Building Information Modeling technology, which uses “three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building modeling software to increase productivity in building design and construction.”

Manufacturing presents a mixed bag. Output may increase while employment prospects remain flat. Computer, technology and management engineers will still be needed, however, to manage increasingly automated plants. Product, rubber goods and wood manufacturing are all expected to increase as hiring at unskilled levels falls in computer and electronic, apparel manufacturing and chemical manufacturing.

The trend is not all south in machinery manufacturing.

The Wall Street Journal reported in December that, “in certain areas—notably aircraft, industrial engines, excavators and railway and mining equipment—the U.S. exports far more than it imports.”

Companies such as Caterpillar, the world leader in manu-

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facturing giant mining trucks, Deere, and the U.S. division of Komatsu are rushing to provide equipment to meet the global demand for minerals. The Journal also noted that the U.S. companies’ experience at developing military equipment has enhanced their private sector expertise in making durable, technologically sophisticated machinery.

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction are experiencing stellar growth. By 2010, job growth in the oil and gas extraction and non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying is expected to rise, respectively by 15 percent and 14 percent.

Astronomers, astrophysicists, would-be astronauts and a range of engineers received an early holiday present last December when NASA announced a new multi-year Mars program.

In 2020, a new robotic science rover will be launched.

At the recent announcement of the new Mars program, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “The Obama administration is committed to a robust Mars exploration program.

With this next mission, we’re ensuring America remains the world leader in the exploration of the Red Planet, while taking another significant step toward sending humans there in the 2030s.”

As automobile sales surged in late 2012, the spirits of students in automotive, design, mechanical engineering should be rising as well. www.blackengineer.com

Career OUTLOOK

Professional Life don’t panic: manufacturing has openings

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liff Waldman is a senior economist at Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, an Arlington, Va., public policy and economics research organization. Last December he told US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine that the U.S. conundrum is that the country is the largest industrial power, but manufacturers struggle to fill technical positions.

That’s partly because not enough Americans study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and also because says Waldman many graduates “are wasting their talents in Cliff Waldman, senior economist, finance when we need them Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation to advance manufacturing.”

Waldman says many STEM students are unaware that well-paying occupations are available at small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.

In 2011, the smallest companies on the Fortune 1,000 list still earned at least $1 billion in annual revenue.

As STEM students research the giant companies, they should also look seriously at those under $1 billion. In 2012, an Ohio State University Fisher College of Business and GE Capital research report stated that those mid-sized firms accounted for a third of the nation’s GDP and more than 41 million jobs.

An unbeatable value for a STEM graduate at a smaller, more nimble and innovative company is that she or he will be involved more deeply in a wider array of tasks than at large firm.

Waldman also urges STEM students to consider becoming entrepreneurs. Not everyone, he says, may create a global company but there are other multi-million firms waiting to be founded by a someone with vision.

Don’t Panic: Federally-Funded Laboratories Await You

Most things in life are not guaranteed, but one thing is highly likely. STEM students that don’t attend a Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Conference, or Women of Color STEM job fair will miss out on internships and employment opportunities.

Many of those are at the variety of federally-funded research and development centers affiliated with the following www.blackengineer.com

U.S. departments, administrations, and commissions: Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, NASA, National Science Foundation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Transportation, and Treasury.

Dr. Wayne Martin knows one lab very well. He is the director of the Project Management Office of the Chemical, Biological, Nuclear Surety and Signatures at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Wash.

The unit’s projects are mostly lab intensive and their main value is the investigation of the sample and modeling and simulation for signatures, or markers, related to forensics. The PMO has oversight responsibilities for 150 plus research projects.

PNNL could be the future employer for scientists and technologists in many disciplines. The laboratory is ranked among the top 1 percent of research institutions in publications and citations in chemistry, geosciences, physics, engineering, biology and biochemistry, environment and ecology, materials science, clinical medicine, and microbiology.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has a budget of nearly a $1.1 billion. It has more than 4,500 scientists, engineers and support staff, and customers include the Department of Energy; other federal, state and local agencies; universiDr. Wayne Martin, director, ties, and industry.

Project Management Office of PNNL is operated by the Chemical, Biological, Nuclear Surety and Signatures, Pacific Battelle, which calls itself Northwest National Laboratory “the world’s largest independent research and development organization.”

Martin, who has a Ph.D. in environmental and natural resource sciences, has advice for STEM students visiting the PNNL and other research lab booths at conferences. They should: • Be well-dressed and showcase their focus on R&D in different STEM fields.

• Know that the number and type of PNNL internships vary annually and depend on the nature of the research portfolio that an intern will support. The type of academic majors PNNL values also varies, but engineering and computer science skills are always appreciated.

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• Understand that some students are recruited directly from the BEYA STEM conference.

• Know that a non-PNNL internship doesn’t hurt ones chances at PNNL. • Visit PNNL during the summers before their junior and senior years.

• Know that PNNL researchers dote upon graduates and post-doctoral candidates.

• Understand that PNNL views internships as a testing ground as the lab needs to see students in action and students must determine if what PNNL is of interest.

• Be familiar with journals in their field and publications from related associations such as the American Nuclear Society, IEEE, AAAS and Geological Society of America.

If you want to be on the cutting edge, Martin, who also has a master’s degree in radiological sciences from the University of Washington, and a bachelor’s in wildlife management from Washington State University, has just the answer.

He says that the PNNL emerging career opportunities are focused on the use of chemistry, nuclear and biology in discovering signatures for forensics and cyber security.

Don’t Panic: What the MITRE Corporation Likes

The MITRE Corporation provides systems engineering, research and development, and information technology support to the government. It operates federally funded research and development centers for the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security, The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The private, nonprofit organization, which was founded in 1958, likes interns and co-op workers that are dedicated to working and learning, and MITRE’s Student Program includes students from high school through the doctorate level.

At the entry level, MITRE recruiters know that not all students have internship experience, and seeks candidates whose capability in technology, engineering, math, and science is shown through academic work, extracurricular activities, or personal projects. The top three majors that MITRE hires are computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering.

The diversity of MITRE’s work means no specific skill elevates a student above others as a potential hire. Proven technical skill, problem-solving ability, curiosity, initiative and “desire to work in the public interest all make a student a strong candidate.” Last summer, more than 200 student interns worked at MITRE in areas including cyber security and software engineering.

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Ben C. King, an Emerald Honors winner for Career Achievement at the 2013 BEYA STEM Conference, is a member of the Command and Control Center, and has direct advice for students entering the job fair. King wishes he had taken more advantage of university co-op/internship opportunities.“I’ve spoken with a number of people that after completing a four-year degree really had no idea what they would be doing Ben C. King, member of the Sysday-to-day on the job. The tems’ Performance Engineering (internship/co-op) experigroup in MITRE’s Command and Control Center ence seems to focus some students. It provides a view into your future and a light at the end of the tunnel” King said.

King wishes he had known more about MITRE’s retirement programs, and company matching and investment options. He says that he selected MITRE without knowing much about those areas, but if he had had that information MITRE might have been even more attractive and would have made his decision easier.

The native Alabamian received bachelor of science degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of South Alabama and a master’s degree in computer science from George Mason University, MITRE wants interested students to know that the majority of full-time positions require a security clearance. However co-op students and interns rarely require a clearance and those candidates with and without them are considered equally.

MITRE considers students regardless of whether they have a clearance but having one may open up more work opportunities.

The nonprofit corporation does work sometimes with entry-level candidates who are “eligible for a clearance to help them obtain one. However, only U.S. citizens are eligible for security clearances.”

Don’t Panic: Who’s got the Hiring Power? The Energy Sector

Julio Friedmann is the chief energy technologist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and he believes, pun intended, that emerging career opportunities in the energy sector are bright. That includes the necessity to hire talented scientists and engineers, including process chemical engineers, material www.blackengineer.com

scientists and computational engineers for all of energy’s sectors.

As a global enterprise, energy has no equal, he says. It is the largest sector of the global and U.S. economy, and creates growth and environmental improvements.

The Livermore technologist believes that the top emerging sector is that producing and converting tight hydrocarbons, for example shale gas. “It requires expertise in geological and reservoir engineering, drilling and completion engineers, mechanical engineers (notable structural mechanics experts and designers of down-hole equipment) and chemical engineers (from designing frack fluids to converting methane to liquid fuels). Although not yet as obvious, material scientists and material engineers will grow swiftly around this industry, including metallurgists and polymer scientists. In all cases, a familiarity with computational methods, coding, and advanced modeling/simulation are of additional substantial value,” he said.

Giving advice, Friedmann urges students to Julio Friedmann, chief energy understand and learn that technologist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory one’s preconceptions are not as valid as they believe. He said that, “Most people think better of one kind of energy supply or use than others, largely without grounds. But any low-footprint, carbonfree Joule looks the same regardless of how it is produced or avoided. Be open minded and realistic about cost, permitting, time to market, environmental footprint and other key issues.”

To stay current, Friendmann suggests that students read on-line publications such as E&ENews, Greenwire, Platts, Intelligent Utility, and EnergyBiz. Oil and gas sector devotees, especially in tight hydrocarbons, should consider Oil and Gas News and AAPG Explorer. Memberships should also be sought in the AiCHE for chemical engineering, and IEEE, and for oil and gas mavens, the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Additionally, he hopes that as students take time to appreciate how very good the scientists and engineers in energy sector are, and should not make “assumptions about the relative merit of (their) knowledge base compared to (the professionals).”

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Energy hiring power

This is the voracious sector that needs a continuous supply of engineers, chemists, geologists, and environmental experts to lead and manage utility, petroleum refining, oil and natural gas equipment services, refining, exploration, distribution, mining and crude oil production companies. Which means members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and other organizations, with expertise in fracking and horizontal drilling are in demand.

The U.S. and the North American energy sectors have been revitalized by shale oil and natural gas production, and these areas can’t be exported, or easily replicable by foreign competitors.

That means that to keep those relatively cheap energy products flowing related industries, and America’s service, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors are likely to hire more STEM employees to increase production to meet demand, and continue research.

Bolstering such optimism on December 5, 2012, the U.S. Energy Information Administration released its Energy Outlook 2013. Findings project that: • Domestic oil production will rise from 6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2011 to 7.5 million bpd in 2019.

• The United States will become a net exporter “of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2016 and a net exporter of total natural gas (including via pipelines) in 2020.”

• “The share of electricity generation from renewables grows to 16 percent in 2040 from 13 percent in 2011.”

Don’t Panic: We’re From the Government and Here to Hire You

Last December, Government Executive magazine published The Technologist’s Guide to 2013. The article highlighted six areas of growth that current STEM students and graduates should investigate for potential employment in the federal government, or as a contractor to it. A snapshot of each area is below.

• Big Data: The business software company, SAS, defines big data as the “popular term used to describe the exponential growth, availability and use of information, both structured and unstructured.” In 2013, Gartner, an IT research and advisory company projects that big data will equal $28 billion in projected IT spending out of $34 billion total.

Federal agencies must recruit and train workers to manage, analyze, and use the big data the federal government gathers.

Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that “only five percent of the federal workforce is classified to be in computer or math-related professions.”

• Data Center Consolidation: The federal government’s Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative will need computer USBE&IT I WINTER 2013 105

Career OUTLOOK

engineers, computer scientists, cyber security, construction engineers, and other information technology specialists to consolidate at least 800 data centers by 2015.

• Health Information Technology: The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has created the Investing in Innovation Initiative. The ONC is seeking crowdsourcing application developers, software engineers, and computer scientists, who are outside contractors, to create programs that reach citizens directly and efficiently. Check out the details about incentive programs and web-bases peer-to-peer networks here: www.healthit.gov/ sites/.../crowd-sourcing-tech-tools-060712.pdf.

• Cloud computing: Government Executive reports that, “By 2018, the federal cloud computing market is projected to grow by $47 billion, a compound annual growth rate of 16.2 percent.” The public sector will need thousands of workers to make the transition, maintain it, and keep things secure in the cloud. For more information, check out the National Institute

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for Standards and Technology Cloud Computing Program at http://www.nist.gov/itl/cloud/index.cfm.

• Cyber Security: On Dec. 3, 2012, Janet Napolitano, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary said that DHS will hire at least additional 600 cyber security experts including IT specialists, analysts, cyber, and coding experts.

Two months earlier, during National Cyber Security Awareness Month, DHS awarded 34 contracts for cyber security research and development to 29 academic and research organizations.

The list of those organizations is here: http://www.cyber.st.dhs. gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Press-Relase_cyber-contractsFINAL.pdf.

• Mobility: Government Executive reports that “between 2011 and 2016 data traffic on smart phones will grow by 110 percent compounded annually.” The federal government will need IT specialists to respond to the burgeoning use of the use, misuse, and cyber security of the smart devices that public employees possess.

www.blackengineer.com

Career OUTLOOK

Tips, Contacts and News You Can Use a security clearance will boost your career

S

ecurity clearance requirements and careers in many STEM disciplines go together like apples and pies, but almost anyone can bake; only the federal government can grant security clearances.

A security clearance is needed to have access to restricted material. Military and retired military personnel are the most likely people to have some type of clearance. Individuals cannot obtain a security clearance on their own.

A cleared contractor or a government department or agency must be your sponsor, and you have to be either employed by a cleared contractor or hired as a consultant for a job that requires a clearance.

Clearance has a sizable monetary benefit. It can create a salary upgrade of between $5,000 and $15,000 for applicants with relevant experience who want to work with private sector defense contractors. Their clearances are authorized with the industrial security program that is administered

by DISCO, a part of the Joint Information Systems Technology, a military agency.

Clearances are valuable for individuals who want to work in a variety of government departments and agencies including the Department of Homeland Security.

There are also increasing opportunities for clearance holders include the medical, telecommunications, education, and financial sectors. Human resource managers are on the lookout for applicants with current clearances, and particularly for those who also have cyber security backgrounds.

Where to look for work

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Security Service (DSS) agency, (http://www.dss.mil/): The Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO) “processes requests for industrial personnel security investigations and provides eligibility or clearance determinations for cleared industry personnel under the National Industrial Security Program (NISP).”

How to apply

DISCO says that there are more than 1,000,000 cleared personnel under the NISP. Applicants can apply for clearance online with an SF86 (applicant’s Questionnaire for National Security Positions) found at the following page at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management: http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/sf.asp.

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Defense’s Security Service Student Internships

Are you interested in gaining experience in the field of industrial security? Summer interns are full-time employees on a temporary appointment and the internships are from June 3-September 6, 2013.

Apply here (http://www.dss.mil/about_dss/student_internships.html) and applicants must • Be U.S. citizens • Be enrolled in an accredited college or university • Have completed at least 30 semester hours • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale • Complete a 500-word essay describing why you are interested in an internship at DSS and how this internship will help you grow as an individual

Tips, Contacts, and News You Can Use

• The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Energy Outlook 2013. (http:// www.eia.gov/forecasts/aeo/er/) • The Occupational Outlook Handbook shows the breadth of the STEM employment options that are likely to be available through 2020. (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ About/Projections-Overview.htm) • NASA announced a new multi-year Mars program. (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news. php?release=2012-384) • Government Executive magazine published The Technologist’s Guide to 2013 http://www.govexec.com/gbc/technologists-

guide-2013/59666/ • The Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative needs computer engineers, computer scientists, cyber security, construction engineers and other information technology specialists.

• The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of National Coordinator for Health IT wants to hire Information Technology specialists. (http://www.healthit.gov/?utm_ source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand) • Check out the National Institute for Standards and Technology Cloud Computing Program. (http://www.nist.gov/itl/ cloud/index.cfm) • See the 34 organizations that got Department of Homeland Security Contracts. http://www.cyber.st.dhs.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Press-Relase_cyber-contracts-FINAL.pdf

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