(Baltimore, MD) November 2011—Workforce leaders in industry, education, government, and professionals and students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields will meet in Philadelphia at the annual Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) STEM Conference to address the challenges of recruitment and retention in STEM and promote opportunities in technical and scientific careers.
BEYA is the nation’s largest annual gathering of STEM professionals and leaders committed to increasing the percentage of underrepresented communities in the technology workforce. The twenty-sixth annual conference is hosted by the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and US Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine.
According to USBE&IT magazine Publisher and BEYA Chairman Tyrone Taborn, “The need for this initiative is more important than ever. Education is key to American competitiveness, and our nation is falling behind. That’s why leading military officers, U.S. government officials, and Fortune 500 executives have committed to addressing this crisis by attending and supporting the national conference to strengthen the STEM pipeline.”
Taborn also pointed out that, “Fewer young people are selecting STEM study paths as the global demand for technological workers increases. To keep engineering and scientific jobs in the United States, and ensure America maintains her leadership, we need to inspire a new generation of Americans to pursue STEM careers. One way to do so is to spotlight successful role models already in these fields.”
The BEYA STEM Conference—which is scheduled for February 16-18, 2012 at the Philadelphia Convention Center and Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, PA.—will recognize a number of technology leaders who will be acknowledged for their career achievements and their efforts in strengthening the STEM pipeline. Among them is David L. Steward, the chairman and founder of World Wide Technology, Inc., one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in America.
About Black Engineer of the Year STEM Conference
The annual BEYA STEM Conference is hosted by US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Lockheed Martin Corporation. This three-day national event brings together students, college administrators, recruiters, engineering and IT professionals, scientists, and high-level decision-makers from the corporate, government, and military communities, in an effort to broaden diversity in this country's technical and scientific workforce.
2012 Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners
BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
David Steward
Chairman of the Board
World Wide Technology, Inc.
CAREER ACHIVEMENT - GOVERNMENT
Henry Dulaney
Chief of Engineering and Construction Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
William Makell, Jr.
Ethnic Policy Advisor
U.S. Coast Guard
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT - INDUSTRY
Leo Mackay, Jr.
Vice President, Ethics and Business Conduct
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Christopher T. Jones, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President & General Manager
Integrated Logistics and Modernization Division
Northrop Grumman Corporation
COLLEGE-LEVEL PROMOTION OF EDUCATION
Michael Burns
Admission Minority Officer
United States Military Academy
U.S. Army
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Danielle Hillard
Project Manager
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
CORPORATE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION
Yolanda Murphy
Manager, Media Relations
Northrop Grumman Corporation
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP
Robert Wallace
President/CEO/Founder
BITHGroup Technologies, Inc.
GEM OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS
Diona Chenier
Multi-disciplined Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corporation
K-12 PROMOTION OF EDUCATION
Mary Marie Hamlett
Physical Sciences Teacher
Halifax County School System
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Kelvin Mason
Chief Information Officer
Gulfstream, A General Dynamics Company
MOST PROMISING ENGINEER - GOVERNMENT
Adam Williams
Senior Member Technical Staff
Sandia National Laboratories
Cedric Bazemore
Project Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
MOST PROMISING ENGINEER - INDUSTRY
Terrence Southern
Senior Engineer, Flexible Automation
PepsiCo Inc.
Onekki Christian
Principal Systems Engineer
Raytheon Company
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION - GOVERNMENT
Jon Goldsby, Ph.D.
Materials Research Engineer
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Walter Reuben
Test & Evaluation Manager
NAVSEA
OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION - INDUSTRY
Negus Adefris, Ph.D.
Senior Product Development Specialist
3M Company
Melvin Greer
Senior Fellow/Chief Strategist Cloud Computing
Lockheed Martin Corporation
PIONEER AWARD
James A. Bell
Executive Vice President/Corporate President and
Chief Financial Officer
The Boeing Company
PRESIDENT'S AWARD
Raynard Durham
Vehicle Line Executive
Chrysler Group LLC
PROFESIIONAL ACHIEVEMENT - GOVERNMENT
Anthony P. Mitchell
Commander/Officer in Charge, Iraq Area Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Stephanie Bush-Goddard
Chief, Health Effects Branch
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
PROFESSIONAL: ACHIEVEMENT - INDUSTRY
Cameron Brooks, Ph.D.
Director, Government Healthcare
IBM Corporation
Roderick M. McClean
Vice President and Deputy, F-16/F-2/T-50 Programs
Lockheed Martin Corporation
RESEARCH LEADERSHIP
Arthur Martin, Ph.D.
Corning Incorporated
STUDENT LEADERSHIP - GRADUATE LEVEL
Candace Cooley
General Engineer
Missile Defense Agency
STUDENT LEADERSHIP - UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL
Desmond E. Edmonds
Student
Morgan State University
TECHNICAL SALES AND MARKETING
Eugene L. Beckles
Director, Phantom Works
The Boeing Company
SPECIAL RECOGNITION HONOREES
Tikia Allen
General Engineer
Missile Defense Agency
Douglas Ash
Vice President, IT Programs - Chief Information Officer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Wayne E. Brown
Director
The Boeing Company
Abe Bushra
Director, Threat Systems Engineering
Missile Defense Agency
Hugh Butler
Division Director, Business Management Navigation Systems
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Yvette Brett
Senior Project Manager
CH2M Hill
Kami Carter
Chemist
Naval Air Systems Command
Christine Earle
Civil/Structural Engineer
Black & Veatch
Yvonne Hodge
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Electronic Systems
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Jeff Josiah
Senior Electrical Engineer II
Raytheon Company
Cecil Miller
Information Technology Director and Chief Information Officer
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Veradie Ore
Deputy Program Manager
NAVSEA
Willie Simmons
Engineering Manager
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Ben Thompson
New Technology Insertion Engineer
Fleet Resources Center, Naval Air
Richard Williams
Senior Program Manager
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Kelvin Woods, Ph.D.
Technical Line Manager
The MITRE Corporation
