2002 Black Engineer of the Year Awards
Through the Eyes of a Child

Winners' Close-ups

2002 Black Engineer of the Year
Rodney O'Neal
Executive Vice President & President of Safety, Thermal & Electrical Architecture
Delphi Automotive Systems

How do you define success?
True success is measured by the number of hearts of others you have gathered as you have made your journey through life. 

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: From my father, "Son, it doesn't matter how much money you make…. It is how much you keep that is important. If you make one million a year and spend one million and one, you are dead broke."
Worst advice: To become a boxer. It was a short-lived and painful experience. However, I can still skip rope like a pro.

Advice you would give to students now?
Never confuse activity with accomplishment. 

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I am no longer tethered to my desk and office.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Compaq Armada M300 Laptop, Rex 6000 micro PDA, Palm III.
Do you enjoy using them?
Absolutely, they are a...valuable part of my life.
Favorite Web site?
CNN, My Yahoo Finance, PGA.com.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
My father; he passed when I was 29 years old.

Deans' Award
Julius L. Longshore
Project Engineer Test and Evaluation & Experimental Test Pilot
Northrop Grumman Corporation

How do you define success?
Accomplishing a desire or need that you as an individual consider going after. That way you have little successes and also big ones.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
That's easy: Time management.

Advice you would give to students now?
Try to do new things that you have an interest in, because you might find out you like it.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It has made it easy to get reliable information from any location.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Laptop - IBM Thinkpad, Desktop - Compaq, PDA - Visor Handspring.
Do you enjoy using them?
Yes.
Favorite Web site?
Weather.com
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Martin Luther King Jr., since I grew up in Atlanta with his nephews.

Career Achievement in Industry
Emanuel Brady Jr.
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Raytheon Electronic Systems

How do you define success?
Achieving financial independence for my family, leading a challenging and upwardly mobile career, and to be recognized as a leader in my field.

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best Advice: My father taught me to make a way out of no way in every aspect of my life.
Worst Advice: Settle for a good steady-paying job, be patient, and wait for opportunities to come to me.

Advice you would give to students now?
Become aware of the skills that you will need to develop throughout your career and develop a plan to get there. 

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I have greater speed and broader access to a myriad of services and information sources. 
Computers or PDAs you use?
A Compaq Deskpro at home and an IBM Thinkpad at the office. I carry a RIM Blackberry 957 wireless handheld PDA.
Do you enjoy using them?
Yes. They help balance work and personal life.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
My father. He was the most significant role model in my life.

Career Achievement in Industry
Michael L. Fortson
Director, Joint Strike Fighter Affordability & Continuous Improvement
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

How do you define success?
True success requires both the internal satisfaction that you've achieved it, as well as external confirmation. 

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: Hold on to integrity at all costs. 
Worst advice: Conform. There is always room for your true personality, individualism, and pride in heritage.

Advice you would give to students now?
People skills are essential, and money makes the world go 'round. 

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
Tremendously! I find this medium to be an almost limitless avenue of information that is immediately accessible.
Computers or PDAs you use?
I use a high-end Compaq desktop at home and a laptop with docking station at my job.
Do you enjoy using them?
Immensely…. There's no place that you can't keep connected to work.
Favorite Web site?
Raiders.com. I'm a Oakland Raiders fan, year round.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Colin Powell. He's blazed a tremendous trail for many of us, and I'd love to chat with him relative to how he would handle key situations.

Career Achievement in Government
McKenzie Thomas
Senior Reactor Inspector
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

How do you define success?
I define success as setting goals and putting forth your best effort and working hard to achieve those goals. You may not always reach your goals, but if you have given your best effort, then you have succeeded. 

Hardest lesson you have learned?
The hardest lesson I have learned in my professional career is to not go to work on my off days.

Advice you would give to students now?
Put forth your best effort in whatever you do.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
By making such an enormous amount of information available and easily accessible.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Desktop personal computers at home and at work. I occasionally use laptop computers at work.
Do you enjoy using them?
I enjoy using the desktop computers more than I do the laptop computers.
Favorite Web site?
ESPN.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Career Achievement in Government
LeRoy T. Parker
Senior Engineer, Ground Weapons Directorate
U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command

How do you define success?
I define success as a profound joy from a desire and ability to love and do your best in all things. 

Hardest lesson you have learned?
People make mistakes. I better understand the human qualities in myself and others. Therefore, I continue to learn from my failures and have become tolerant of the honest mistakes of others.…

Advice you would give to students now?
It is not enough to focus on money. Success must include a focus on the intangibles such as morals, trust, and integrity.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It is an effective tool for me to communicate in imaginative ways and in real time, as well as making key information more accessible.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Dell Workstation 530, Pentium III Xeon.
Do you enjoy using them?
Yes, I enjoy using computers. I do not allow computers to keep me from interacting and developing relationships with people….
Favorite Web site?
www.marcorsyscom. and usmc.mil.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
My sons, Jonathan and Marcus.

Community Service
Jesse L. Bemley, Ph.D.
Computer Specialist
U.S. Army Cost & Economic Analysis Center

How do you define success?
A person is a success when he or she can provide for their family at a comfortable level and still give something back to the community.…

Best advice you have received?
Know when to listen, and develop the ability to listen to what is not said.

Advice you would give to students now?
Work hard, develop a strong work ethic. Dispel the perception that today's young people in our community do not want to work.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I am able to communicate with more people at practically the speed of light.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Compaq desktops and laptops.
Do you enjoy using them?
Yes.
Favorite Web site?
www.about.com and www.howstuffworks.com. 
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Franklin Raines or Fannie Mae


Corporate Promotion of Education
Rosalind L. Hudnell
Public Affairs Manager, Central Region
Intel Corporation

How do you define success?
Success is achieved when one is truly at peace with who they are and have put themselves in a position to live the life they want to lead surrounded by those whom they care about the most.

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: Always stay true to myself and focus on delivering results.
Worst advice: Don't take risks.

Advice you would give to students now?
Decide what you believe in and decide what you really want. Surround yourself with people who build up your confidence, and be prepared to work hard, really hard.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
Work and communication now occur anywhere and anytime. 
Computers or PDAs you use?
IBM ThinkPad, Palm Pilot, and Blackberry pager. 
Do you enjoy using them?
I wonder how I could do my job without them.
Favorite Web site?
espn.com
Person you would most like to chat with online?
My deceased great grandmother. Her wisdom and knowledge of family history would be phenomenal to have on record.

Entrepreneur of the Year
Rodney P. Hunt
President and CEO
RS Information Systems, Inc.

How do you define success?
My definition of success is realizing your dream and taking pride in the fact that others believe in that dream and share the vision.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Though we can't choose the color of our skin, we can choose the path on which to journey, so long as we are aware of what it takes to be successful: talent, ambition, vision, determination, motivation, timing, and resources.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It has become a major resource for helping my son succeed at school. We use the Internet as an online encyclopedia.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Palm Pilot, Blackberry, Kyocera, and Pentium IV.
Do you enjoy using them?
Technology is a necessary tool to stay connected…. I enjoy sports and enjoy spending time with my son Bradley, but need my computers and PDAs.
Favorite Web site?
www.rsis.com, of course, but www.espn.com comes in a close second!
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Without a doubt, Dr. Martin Luther King would be my first choice!

President's Award
James E. Hubbard, Ph.D.
Founder and Chief Technical Officer
iProvica Inc.

How do you define success?
Success is achieved when one is able to balance responsibilities, commitment and obligations to family, job, and religion with personal goals and expectations.

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best Advice: "Don't sweat the small stuff; and it's all small stuff."
Worst Advice: My high school guidance counselor advised me not to attend college.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
To be successful in a career you must be persistent.

Advice you would give to students now?
Set your goals high, and never give up on them. 

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I use the Internet to obtain information for business meetings, to provide travel directions, and for technical and historical research.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Sony VAIO PC and Sony Clié PDA. 
Do you enjoy using them?
Not really. To me they are a necessary evil.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Langston Hughes, because he had both a keen sense of humor and a deep insight and understanding of life.

Most Promising Scientist
Roychelle S. Ingram-Ogunwumi, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Corning Incorporated

How do you define success?
Success is a process of setting challenging goals for yourself then fully applying yourself through faith, hard work, and dedication to achieve those goals. 

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: When you become too comfortable with your work or career, step outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.
Worst advice: It is worth fighting for everything you believe in.

Advice you would give to students now?
Be forward-looking. Develop a plan, and work towards it.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It has allowed quick access to both technical and personal information. It is a key communication link to the outside world. 
Computers or PDAs you use?
Pentium PC, Palm Pilot.
Do you enjoy using them?
I enjoy the convenience of using a PC at home and work for word processing, graphing, e-mail, and Internet.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Maya Angelou, because she is such an inspirational speaker and poet.

Most Promising Engineer
Jason C. Bunn
Associate Professional Staff
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

How do you define success?
Ultimately, success is a continuing process of growing in all areas of your life. 

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best Advice: Apply to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The training I have received prepared me well for the responsibilities that followed. 
Worst Advice: Stay away from a politically charged project. The project proved to be a great learning experience. 

Advice you would give to students now?
I have witnessed a seeming self-segregation of minority engineering students and find myself increasingly concerned. I believe this is a danger…. It is not representative of reality. 

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
The Internet has brought news and information to my fingertips. Computers or PDAs you use?
I use Windows-based PCs at home and work on a variety of platforms at work, including Windows, Unix, Linux, and real-time operating systems. 
Do you enjoy using them?
I enjoy the benefits of the technology, but the technology is only a means to a better end.
Favorite Web site?
News and e-mail Web sites are most frequently visited.


Most Promising Engineer
Terry P. Lewis
Senior Systems Engineer II
Raytheon

How do you define success?
I feel success is achieved when people are helping many others achieve their goals. 

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: You can do anything you desire if you commit to it.
Worst advice: Give up engineering because it is too hard.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
You must communicate promptly and effectively with people you work with.

Advice you would give to students now?
Get the highest G.P.A. that is possible, and participate in professional activities like conferences to build a network of professional associates.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
The Internet has made it much more convenient to get things done.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Compaq M700 for work and three generic computers at home. I do not use a PDA.
Do you enjoy using them?
They are great when they work correctly, otherwise….
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Claude Shannon, considered to be the father of communications and cryptography theory.

Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government
Georgette B. Gaskin
Materials Engineer/Program Manager
Naval Air Systems Command

How do you define success?
Success for me is being able to make a positive contribution to the team, knowing that my work makes a difference.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Irrespective of how hard you work, there will be someone who is not happy with the job you've done. Therefore, I just try to do the best job I can do and leave the situation with a positive attitude.

Advice you would give to students now?
You have been given gifts that no human can take away. Never give up on your dreams. Your path to achieving them may change, but they can be achieved with a lot of faith and hard work.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
Information transfer is less tedious.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Dell, Palm.
Do you enjoy using them?
Yes.
Favorite Web site?
www.Komen.org
Person you would most like to chat with online?
My grandfather, who passed away before I was born. He has been described to me as a man with a lot of wisdom who brought joy to those he encountered.

Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government
Kelvin M. Manning
Lead Vehicle Manager OV-104 "Atlantis"
NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center

How do you define success?
Making a difference, helping make the world a better place.

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: Go into the Air Force. I credit my military experience with helping me get where I am today.
Worst advice: Forget about trying to get a job with NASA because it was too tough. 

Hardest lesson you have learned?
You should never, never take anything for granted. Once you assume everything's under control, you lose your edge and increase your likelihood for failure.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
The Internet provides me with an abundant amount of information. I am always well-connected.
Computers or PDAs you use?
A networked Compaq desktop computer equipped with a Pentium III 50 MHz processor. My PDAs are a well-worn Palm III and a Motorola Talkabout 2-way pager.
Do you enjoy using them?
Couldn't do without them.
Favorite Web site?
Google (www.google.com). This has to be the premier search engine, and it's lightning fast.

Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry
Vincent M. McNeil, Ph.D.
Japan Manager, Imaging Business Unit
Texas Instruments Incorporated

How do you define success?
I think I would define success as when the behaviors and actions that you purposely engage in on a day-to-day basis have an apparent and lasting positive effect on those around you.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Not only does one have to be able to do their technical job well, but you must be able to communicate what you do to others….

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
E-mail is probably the most pervasive means of using the Internet that I use on a daily basis. 
Computers or PDAs you use?
Dell Cpi laptop for work and a HP Pavilion desktop PC for home…. Palm Vx PDA.
Do you enjoy using them?
In general, yes. My laptop is kind of an essential tool for communication….
Favorite Web site?
Yahoo's finance Web site, EE Times or Digital Photography Review, CNN.com and ABCNews.com.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
I don't think I would like to chat online…. I would much rather speak to them face-to-face.

Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry
John D. Terry, Ph.D.
Senior Research Engineer
Nokia Research Center

How do you define success?
Success is the state of awareness when, upon reflection, one's course of actions...have lead to satisfying outcomes.

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: Not everyone Black is your friend nor is everyone White your enemy.
Worst advice: Leave a company solely for monetary compensation.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
No matter how good you are, you are never indispensable. You will never get paid what you are worth, so stop worrying about it.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I was one of the doubters about the importance of the Internet 10 years ago. Now I use it daily to do research for work….
Computers or PDAs you use?
HP Pavilion and Palm V.
Do you enjoy using them?
I find it hard to imagine living without them.
Favorite Web site?
www.amazon.com. I use it to check the sales rank of my recently published book. 
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Quincy Jones.

Professional Achievement in Government
Jesse W. McCurdy
Director, Test and Evaluation Engineering Department
Naval Air Systems Command

How do you define success?
Success is knowing and feeling that you have attained goals in life. 

Hardest lesson you have learned?
There are many ways to look at issues and approach problems, and everyone thinks their way is the right way. You have to work in a collaborative manner and try to understand different points of view.

Advice you would give to students now?
The older you get, the more difficult it gets to go to school; so don't procrastinate.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
The Internet has opened up a world of information that has always been there but difficult to access.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Desktop computer at work and a personal laptop for travel and home.
Do you enjoy using them?
A great deal of my work involves using the computer to communicate with distant offices. I did initially resist the computer revolution just because it meant change. Now, I really don't understand how I was able to work without a computer.
Person you would most like to chat with online? 
Dr. Martin Luther King and President John F. Kennedy.


Professional Achievement in Industry
Rhonda D. Holt
Vice President, Storage Systems Engineering
Sun Microsystems, Inc.

How do you define success?
Working on something that I really love, working with people I respect, having an opportunity for career growth, respect from my peers.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Patience and learning that you absolutely cannot control the actions of others, you can only manage yourself. 

Advice you would give to students now?
Make becoming computer-savvy a priority.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
Internet access is like having electricity in my house. It's a tool that I use every day, and it's an integral part of my life. I use it for personal business, communicating with friends, and shopping.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Laptop computer at home, scientific workstation at work, wireless handspring Visor PDA, and cell phone.
Favorite Web site?
www.vanguard.com and www.amazon.com.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
I'd love to talk with Vernon Jordan.

Professional Achievement in Industry
Jimmy Williams Jr., Ph.D.
Director, Manufacturing Process Improvements
The Boeing Company

How do you define success?
Success is essentially defined by one's ability to fully exploit their God-given talent in harmony with the diverse support networks that are within their universe.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
There will be times in your career when you will work for a manager that has a completely different personality, management style, and approach to accomplishing the objectives of the organization. The first inclination is to fight for what you consider the most appropriate path. It is best to move on….

Advice you would give to students now?
Continually focus on identifying and developing the skills required for success in their particular field of endeavor.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I can now take advantage of the many sources of competitive information from around the world.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Toshiba Portégé lightweight laptop for work and home. Compaq PDA.
Do you enjoy using them?
Absolutely. Using the laptop allows me to take my office with me as I travel…. My PDA complements my "office in the sky."
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Langston Hughes. I would love to discuss his poetry.

Technical Sales & Marketing
Cheryl L. Richardson
Worldwide Account Manager
Texas Instruments Incorporated

How do you define success?
Success in my view is achieving a desired objective. 

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: [My mom} told me never give up because anything is possible. Worst advice: A professor...suggested that I change my major from electrical engineering to a field better suited for women.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
You can't assume that people are aware of the work you are doing…. I've learned that part of doing a good job is making sure that people are aware of your contributions.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It has increased access to information and people.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Desktop computer for home, a laptop computer for work, and a Palm Pilot to pull everything together.
Do you enjoy using them?
Absolutely. It's hard to remember how I was able to get anything done without them.
Favorite Web site?
Probably Yahoo. I can find most anything I need starting from that site.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Condoleezza Rice.

Technical Sales & Marketing
John L. Seaton
Systems Engineer III
Cisco Systems, Inc.

How do you define success?
Success is not about how much money you make, but it is about the satisfaction that you feel at the end of a day's work, balanced with a good quality of life, centered on one's family.

Best and worst advice you have received?
Best advice: My father...once told me, "Get your education first, and the rest will follow."
Worst advice: Stay in a particular job because it was "comfortable"…. Only by continuing to challenge oneself through career changers can one continue to grow professionally.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
It is sometimes important to take risks early in one's career to grow professionally.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
The technologies and solutions that I deal with every day are centered on Internet technology and applications.
Computers or PDAs you use?
IBM Thinkpad laptop and Palm V PDA.
Do you enjoy using them?
I especially enjoy using the IBM laptop.
Favorite Web site?
Yahoo Finance.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Secretary of State Colin Powell.

College-level Educator
Calvin Mackie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department
Tulane University

How do you define success?
Happiness is having dreams, but success is making your dreams come true. Every day we should be about the business of making our dreams come true.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Even a dead fish can go with the flow, but it takes a mighty strong one to go against it. If organizations are going to change to be more inclusive and progressive, some strong fish are needed.

Advice you would give to students now?
Live, and stop surviving. Develop goals that are extensions of the desires of your heart, and go after them with zeal.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It allows for the exchange of information around the clock.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Two desktops and one laptop. I also use a Palm V.
Do you enjoy using them?
I don't travel without my laptop or Palm.
Favorite Web site?
Of course, calvinmackie.com
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Nelson Mandela. How did he transform into such a forgiving and loving person after experiencing such hate and oppression?

College-level Educator
Bevlee A. Watford, Ph.D., P.E.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs; Director of Minority Engineering Programs
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

How do you define success?
Success is having both a personal life and work life that make me happy.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Earning the respect of your peers is of great importance and must far outweigh any need to be "liked." Some people will never like you, but if you have their respect, that is enough. 

Advice you would give to students now?
Every action is significant to your future. Every decision you make will affect something down the road. Think good and hard before doing something not in your best interest, because it is much better to look back at your past with no regrets.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
Accessibility of information, the ease with which routine actions can be accomplished is wonderful.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Personal computer and Palm Vx.
Do you enjoy using them?
I enjoy using both of these items.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Dr. Shirley Jackson, a most phenomenal woman.

Promotion of Higher Education
Kevin T. Kornegay, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Cornell University 

How do you define success?
Success to me is to meet and exceed one's personal and professional goals and aspirations.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Be patient. Obtaining tenure…was one of the most difficult times of my life. A critical step in the tenure process is the external review, where opinions of your technical work are blindly solicited from peers and the only thing you can do is stand by and let your work speak for itself.

Advice you would give to students now?
If you want to be an engineer, focus on mathematics and physics.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I do everything on the Internet, from online banking and shopping to searching for research funding opportunities and technical paper submissions.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Throughout the day, I use many different devices that include a PDA, a notebook computer, a desktop PC, and a high-end workstation.
Do you enjoy using them?
I can't function without them.
Favorite Web site?
My research Web site, where we post information about our latest accomplishments as well as relevant information for prospective graduate students.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Dr. Linc Hawkins, the first Black researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories, whose inventions have made it possible to use fiber optic cabling for long haul data transmission.

GEM Student Leadership
Leon Pickett Jr.
Ph.D. Student
Iowa State University

How do you define success?
I define success by my ability to positively influence people. If through my hard work I gain both the opportunity and ability to help other people achieve their goals, only then am I successful.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
It's important to get the most out of your undergraduate career. At certain points, I didn't take college seriously enough.

Advice you would give to students now?
Students should go on a co-operative learning or intern assignment as soon as possible in their undergraduate career…. All students need to have the opportunity to get more intimately familiar with their career choices so that they may adapt their learning to what they want to do in life.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
I only use the Internet for personal things like purchasing airline tickets…. The Internet has made my personal life more convenient.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Gateway E-3400 computer and Palm Vx.
Do you enjoy using them?
I enjoy them very much. I am a very busy graduate student, husband, and father. If I didn't have them to keep me organized, I don't know what I would do.
Favorite Web site?
ESPN
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Dr. George Washington Carver…an alumnus of Iowa State University (then known as Iowa State College).

Student Leadership
Roberto W. Young
Student
University of Memphis
The Boeing Company

How do you define success?
Success is having a vision or plan and making it come to life…. Success is the ability to persevere and get back up after being knocked down several times.

Advice you would give to students now?
Establish good study habits and a strong work ethic early so that studying will become "second nature" in later years…. Have a plan, and execute that plan to the best of your ability….

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
Placing the world at my fingertips. It has also simplified my continuous search of pertinent information.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Dell PC every day, and I look forward to obtaining a Palm Pilot someday.
Do you enjoy using them?
Yes…. I love using them because I love seeing technology in action.
Favorite Web site?
Hotmail.com, because I enjoy communicating with friends and business partners.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Muhammad Ali...because he took a stand on his beliefs and what he deemed to be right and the truth.

Lifetime Achievement
Robert L. Bowers
Plant Manager
DaimlerChrysler Corporation

How do you define success?
Success means achieving what most think is impossible, beating the odds, and setting a positive example for others to follow.

Hardest lesson you have learned?
Being patient and learning to accept the things I cannot change.

Advice you would give to students?
Preparation, perspiration, perseverance, and prayer are non-magic carpets needed to meet the challenges of today.

Your IT Lifestyle:
How has the Internet changed your life?
It has given me much faster access to much more information, materials and resources to aid me in achieving goals and objectives.
Computers or PDAs you use?
Desktop, laptop computers, and Palm Pilot.
Do you enjoy using them?
Very much.
Person you would most like to chat with online?
Langston Hughes, poet and author, who was a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. He discovered that there were ways of getting almost anywhere you wanted to go, if you really wanted to go.