Celebrating America's Top Black College Alumni
In this issue of USBE&IT, we recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of historically Black colleges and universities and a few of their many distinguished graduates.
As we pay tribute to these individuals who have achieved career success and made a difference in their communities, we also are recognizing and honoring the schools that gave them their start and nurtured in them the academic and personal discipline required to succeed.
The contributions of Black individuals and institutions in America often are overlooked, especially in technology and science, but they have been significant, nonetheless. A colloquium held during the Black Engineer of the Year Awards earlier this year was designed to make one area of Black achievement more visible: to close the "expectation gap" between the reality and the popular image of historically Black engineering schools. Legand L. Burge Jr., Ph.D., dean of Engineering, Architecture & Physical Sciences at Tuskegee University, proclaimed the importance of HBCUs in the nation's development:
"At each HBCU, you will find elements of our nation's history...fast-paced, technology-infused institutions that are dedicated to advancing the sciences and producing the best technical talent for today's job market. Although each one has an unmatched legacy, these institutions and their graduates collectively provided nearly a century of substantive contributions and achievement...."
The women and men presented here represent the outstanding achievements that can be realized when educational opportunity is combined with intellectual curiosity, a strong work ethic, and a personal commitment to success. They are engineers, scientists, IT professionals, lawyers, accountants, and business executives. But together they symbolize the power of community, the importance of commitment to education, and the embodiment of the true meaning of diversity.
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Kraft Foods' Dr. James Andrade: Fascinated by People, and Food
James R. Andrade, Ph.D. is fascinated by people. He doesn't just watch them, he methodically studies them to understand why they do what they do and, especially, why they eat what they eat. As senior director of research for Kraft Foods North America, Dr. Andrade helps develop the next generation of food products that nurture, satisfy, and even entertain us.
Dr. Andrade honed his research and people skills while an undergraduate studying psychology at Roger Williams University. He loved research, especially research involving the human brain and human behavior, and he went on to receive M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Howard University. He specialized in the burgeoning field of neuroscience, a broad area concerned about the relationship between brain functions and human behavior. This led him to study motivational behavior, especially in the area of eating and motivation.
"My early research at Howard involved looking at how brain structure works in the feeding habits of Zucker rats," Dr. Andrade explains. "This species produces offspring that are obese. They eat a lot and become obese. What's more, given a choice, they prefer to eat more fat and carbohydrates. I was interested in parallels for some human obesity. What neurological correlates lead to that obesity?
"It became clear," he says, "that feeding behavior is the result of a highly complex neural mechanism. Genetics allows us to become overweight, but, at the end of the day, it's behavior that determines whether you will gain weight."
Dr. Andrade moved from his studies in the field of neurobiology at Howard to do postdoctoral research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he became engrossed in studying in the area of human psychopharmacology.
At Kraft, he has been given the opportunity to use his research and statistical skills, his fascination with human behavior, and his extensive knowledge of neuroscience and pharmacology in a field he has come to love.
"We sell food products to people, so understanding why people select what they do, what they like, what tastes good, has a lot of psychological behavior behind it," he explains. "Our goal is to deliver to consumers products that are convenient to use, that taste great, and that are healthy," he says.
With so much emphasis on understanding different people and ethnic groups, it should come as no surprise that diversity is highly valued at Kraft.
"Diversity is personally important to me and is viewed as a competitive advantage at Kraft," he says. "Diversity is a strength. We work in diverse teams at Kraft, and we recognize that ethnic and gender diversity are important and we need to reflect that."
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David Anderson Sr. - 2000 Black Engineer of the Year, Community Service
Senior Principal Software Engineer
Raytheon Company
David Anderson leads a team of engineers who are responsible for defining Raytheon's training and career development programs. A 26-year veteran of the company, he also serves on the organization's diversity council, the engineer leadership team, and the company's outreach efforts to Southern University. He earned a B.Sc. degree in computer science from Southern University in 1972.
James R. Andrade, Ph.D.
Senior Director, SIR Research and Innovative Applications
Kraft Foods North America
Dr. James Andrade is responsible for the technical growth and innovation programs for Kraft Foods, where he is working to develop the next generation of company products. He received a B.A. in pre-med/psychology from Roger Williams University and M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in neuroscience from Howard University.
Lt. Gen. Joe N. Ballard, U.S. Army (Ret.) - 1998 Black Engineer of the Year
President and CEO
TRG Construction, Inc.
Lt. Gen. Ballard guides the growth of TRG Construction, a minority-owned company with headquarters in Washington, D.C. His last military assignment was as chief of engineers and commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He received his B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Southern University and later earned a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Missouri.
Gwendolyn E. Boyd - 1996 Black Engineer of the Year, Community Service
Assistant for Development Programs
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Gwendolyn Boyd is the fiscal representative responsible for budgeting and monitoring at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory. She has additional responsibilities for coordinating the organization's initiatives for HBCUs. She earned a B.Sc. in mathematics at Alabama State University and a master's in mechanical engineering at Yale.
Joseph R. Cleveland - 1996 Black Engineer of the Year, Career Achievement in Industry
Chief Information Officer, Lockheed Martin Corporation
President, Lockheed Martin Enterprise Information Systems
Joseph Cleveland is responsible for all of Lockheed Martin's IT operations and services, and formulates the company's information technology vision and strategy. His leadership skills and professional accomplishments earned him the Black Engineer of the Year Award for Career Achievement in Industry in 1996. He received his B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Tennessee State University.
Lt. Gen. Albert J. Edmonds, U.S. Air Force (Ret.) - 1996 Black Engineer of the Year
President, U.S. Government Solutions
EDS
In addition to overseeing EDS' relationship with government clients, Albert Edmonds recently was tapped by President Bush to serve on the administration's National Infrastructure Advisory Council, to help safeguard America's cyber-security and economy. He holds a B.Sc. degree in chemistry from Morris Brown College and a master's degree in counseling psychology from Hampton University.
Aprille J. Ericcson, Ph.D.
Aerospace Engineer
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Dr. Aprille Ericsson has worked in the highest echelons of aeronautical engineering for more than 15 years, the last 10 of them with NASA. She also has served as an adjunct professor at Bowie State and Howard Universities. She earned her B.Sc. degree from MIT in aeronautical/astronautical engineering and her master's in engineering and Ph.D. degrees from Howard University.
James F. Garrett - 2000 Black Engineer of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year
President and CEO
SENTEL Corporation
The company that James Garrett founded and leads today, SENTEL, is one of the largest minority-owned firms in Virginia, employing 250 engineers, scientists, and support staff. SENTEL specializes in biological detection, test engineering for electronic warfare and satellite systems software, and electromagnetic interference and frequency management. Garrett earned a B.Sc. in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University in 1964.
Wyllstyne D. Hill
Vice President and CIO of Information Technology
Raytheon Missile Systems
Wyllstyne Hill leads a complex IT environment supporting 10,000-plus employees and several offsite locations. She is a member of the company's executive leadership team. She has held a wide range of technical and managerial positions since joining Raytheon in 1971. Hill earned a B.Sc. degree in mathematics from Tuskegee University in 1971, and has pursued graduate studies in computer science and systems engineering at the University of Arizona.
Frederick S. Humphries, Ph.D. - 2001 Black Engineer of the Year, Lifetime Achievement
President and CEO
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education
Dr. Frederick Humphries heads the umbrella organization for more than 100 of the nation's historically and predominantly Black colleges and universities. He previously served as president of Florida A&M University. Dr. Humphries holds a B.Sc. in chemistry from FAMU and earned his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh.
Anthony "TJ" Jackson
Senior Engineer
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
With more than 19 years of experience in the test and evaluation of defense systems, TJ Jackson provides the Navy with analysis of reentry systems deployed from Trident Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles, as well as other technical services. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from North Carolina A&T State University, in 1981 and 1983, respectively.
Arthur E. Johnson - 1997 Black Engineer of the Year
Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategic Development
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Arthur Johnson began his professional career as a software engineer with IBM Federal Systems in 1969, and was appointed executive assistant to IBM Chairman John Akers in 1991. When IBM Federal was sold to Loral Corporation and Loral later merged with Lockheed Martin, he continued up the corporate ladder, taking his current post in 1999. He has a B.A. from Morehouse College and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He was the 1997 Black Engineer of the Year.
Clark W. Johnson
System Engineering Project Manager
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Clark Johnson leads teams that develop and evaluate state-of-the-art structural systems for the most advanced satellite programs. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Grambling State University, a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Denver, and a master's degree in business administration from Pepperdine University. He also has completed the executive management course at UCLA.
Julius L. Longshore - 2002 Black Engineer of the Year, Deans' Award
Project Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Julius Longshore earned the wings of a naval aviator in 1976 and became an engineering test pilot for Grumman Aerospace Corporation in 1981. As a senior experimental test pilot, he has logged more than 6,000 hours in more than 15 types of aircraft. He recently retired from the Naval Reserves with the rank of captain. He received a bachelor's degree in both mathematics and physics from Clark Atlanta University in 1975.
Calvin Mackie, Ph.D. - 2002 Black Engineer of the Year, College-level Educator
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department
Tulane University
Dr. Calvin Mackie doesn't just teach mechanical engineering, he motivates young people to succeed through his ChannelZerO consulting firm and streaming-video Web site. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Morehouse College and bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. d-egrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech.
Robert L. Mallett
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Pfizer Inc.
Robert L. Mallett supervises Pfizer's corporate policy and strategic management functions, media relations, and corporate communications, in addition to serving as an elected officer of the corporation. Before joining Pfizer in 2001, he served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1979 and received his law degree from Harvard in 1982.
Tyrone D. Mitchell, Ph.D.
Program Officer, Chemistry Division
National Science Foundation
Dr. Tyrone Mitchell manages a program that finances fundamental research in organic and macromolecular chemistry. Before coming to the NSF in 2000, he worked at Corning Incorporated as a laboratory manager and team leader. He spent much of his career with General Electric's silicone division as a research chemist. He earned a B.A. in chemistry from Dillard University, New Orleans; his master's in organic chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh; and his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Leo E. Morton
Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Aquila, Inc.
Leo Morton is responsible for a wide range of engineering, procurement, communications, and administrative operations at Aquila, which operates electricity and natural gas distribution networks in seven states, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Morton earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Tuskegee University and a master's in management from MIT.
Lydia W. Thomas, Ph.D. - 2003 Black Engineer of the Year
President and CEO
Mitretek Systems, Inc.
Dr. Lydia Thomas was tapped to lead Mitretek Systems when it was spun off from The MITRE Corporation in 1996. Recently named to President Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council, she was honored as the 2003 Black Engineer of the Year by USBE&IT. She studied at Howard University, where she received a B.Sc. in zoology; went on to earn a M.Sc. in microbiology at American University; and returned to Howard to earn a Ph.D. in cell biology.
John W. Thompson
Chairman of the Board and CEO
Symantec Corporation
Since joining Symantec in April 1999, John Thompson has led the transformation of the company from a consumer software publisher to the global leader in Internet security solutions. Before joining Symantec, he had a distinguished career with IBM Corporation, where he held senior positions in sales, marketing, and software development, serving as a member of the company's Worldwide Management Council. He completed undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University and holds a master's degree in management science from MIT.
Michael Wardlaw - 2000 Black Engineer of the Year, Outstanding Technical Contribution, Government
Director, Laser Technology, Technology & Photonic Systems
Naval Surface Warfare Center
As director of laser technology, Michael Wardlaw plays a key role in maintaining the Navy's supremacy in the field of high-energy laser technology, acting as project officer and lead engineer on a number of laser-based sensor efforts. He graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in 1983 and received a master's in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University in 1992.
Togo D. West Jr.
Attorney-at-Law
Covington & Burling
Togo West returned to the practice of law in 2000, after serving as an official in three presidential administrations. Among his many prestigious positions, he served as secretary of the Army during President Clinton's first administration. He received his B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from Howard University in 1965, and a law degree from Howard in 1968.
Jerome Adams
Senior Vice President, Administration
BMC Software, Inc.
Kenneth M. Brown
Senior Director (Retired), Space and Airborne Systems Engineering
Raytheon Company
Jerri DeVard
Senior Vice President of Brand Management & Marketing Communications
Verizon Communications
Jack L. Ezzell Jr.
President and CEO
Zel Technologies, LLC
Renee Roberta Fair
Meteorologist in Charge
National Weather Service Forecast Office
Vera King Farris, Ph.D.
President
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Bermira Gates
Founder
CUWIN
Joseph Gordon
Chief, Planning Branch
Air Force Research Laboratory
Paul Graves
Vice President – Global Diversity
Delta Air Lines, Inc.
Bobby J. Griffin
Executive Vice President-International Operations
Ryder System, Inc.
Arthur E. Hamilton
Associate Administrator, Office of Federal Lands Highway
Federal Highway Administration
Lawrence W. Hamilton
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
Tech Data Corporation
Joyce Hayes-Giles
Senior Vice President, Customer Service
Detroit Edison and Michigan Consolidated Gas Co.
Jerry Howard
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Marathon Oil Company
John E. Jacob
Executive Vice President - Global Communications
Anheuser-Busch Companies
Donna A. James
Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer
Nationwide
Bruce W. Johnson
Senior Vice President of Business Development
PlanetGov, Inc.
Lonnie Johnson
President and Founder
Johnson Research and Development Company, Inc.
Ashley K. Kornegay
Estimating and Pricing Specialist
The Boeing Company
Col. Michael E. LaValle
Deputy Chief of Staff, Resource Management
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
Joe W. Laymon
Vice President, Corporate Human Resources
Ford Motor Company
Regina T. Lister
Senior Consultant
Booz Allen Hamilton
Gen. Lester L. Lyles, U.S. Air Force
Commander
Air Force Materiel Command
Lawrence D. McRae
Vice President, Corporate Development
Corning Incorporated
Gregory B. Morrison
Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Cox Enterprises, Inc.
Deidre E. Paris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Civil and Electrical Engineering
Clark Atlanta University
Tamara Pearson, Ph.D.
Director of Education
Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House
Roy Perry
Corporate Vice President, Global Supply Chain Management
StorageTek
Pete Peterson
Vice President, East and Government Sales
Tech Data Corporation
Herman J. Russell
Chairman of the Board and CEO
H.J. Russell & Company
David M. Sampson
Senior Vice President, Diversity Initiatives
Marriott International, Inc.
Bradley T. Sheares, Ph.D.
President, U.S. Human Health
Merck & Co., Inc.
Robin A. Smith
Senior Consulting Engineer
Verizon Communications
Margaret E.M. Tolbert, Ph.D.
Senior Advdisor, Office of Integrative Activities
National Science Foundation
David G. Turner
Executive Vice President, Business Division
Gateway, Inc.
John Watkins
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Fairchild Semiconductor
Shonte Wright
Spacecraft Thermal Engineer
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
To read more about Most Distinguished HBCU Graduates, 2003 see Most Distinguished HBCU Graduates, 2003 in the USBE News archive.
