BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
CATEGORIES AND DESCRIPTIONS

Professional Achievement
A highly experienced, mid-career professional who has made significant achievements in a science, engineering, or technology title in industry or government. Here, the specific degree earned is less relevant than the significance of the work and the nominee's achievements as a role model and leader for other minorities in the field. Nominees will be considered separately for Professional Achievement in Government and Industry.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The uniqueness of nominee's obtained goal
     2. The discipline required to achieve the nominee's level of performance
     3. The nominee's triumph over obstacles in the field
     4. The nominee's potential as a role model for youth

Career Achievement
A person at or beyond the midpoint of his or her career but not close to retirement age, who has made significant achievements in engineering titles in industry or government. Here again, the committee looks less at the degrees earned than at the body of work by the nominee, its broad, social and economic value and impact, and the nominee's performance as a role model and mentor for minorities in technology. Nominees will be considered separately for Career Achievement in Industry and Government.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The uniqueness of the nominee's obtained goal
     2. The discipline required to achieve the nominee's level of performance
     3. The nominee's triumph over obstacles in the field
     4. The nominee's potential as a role model for youth

Outstanding Technical Contribution
A person performing technological functions who has designed, developed, managed, or assisted in the development of a product, service, system, or intellectual property that is a substantial achievement in the field. The overall impact of the technological achievement is the prime consideration, regardless of title or degrees earned. The committee is looking for broad impact and high value to society as a whole. Nominees will be considered separately for Outstanding Technical Contribution in Government and Industry.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The uniqueness of the development
     2. The innovation of the development
     3. The uniqueness of the design
     4. The social and/or economic value of the development

Affirmative Action
A person who has demonstrated efforts to promote affirmative action in the approach of his or her organization or small-business equivalent to Black advancement in education, job promotion, small-business development, and community activities. Successful candidates may lead small-business purchasing and support small-business development and entrepreneurship, as well as human resources initiatives.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The nominee's effectiveness at attracting minorities to the organization
     2. The nominee's success in improving the organization's policies of hiring and 
         retaining minorities or promoting minority businesses
     3. The nominee's contributions to affirmative action or small-business     
         development

Education
This category contains the following sub-categories: Promotion of Higher Education, College Level, Elementary/Secondary Level, and Corporate Promotion of Education. Here, the committee looks at the nominee's participation in promoting minority educational advancement by means which can serve as examples to others. The breakdowns are as follows:

     Promotion of Higher Education
     Given annually to an educator who either sets new standards of excellence   
     teaching or opens the way to better access to higher education for minorities.   
     The selectee may be a professor, an administrator, or an organizer of 
     initiatives to promote better funding and industry support for African-American 
     undergraduate and graduate students.

     College Level
     A collegiate faculty or administrative staffer who has demonstrated a strong  
     commitment to preserving superior engineering, scientific, and technical 
     education programs.
     The nomination package should show:
          1. The success of the programs at the nominee's school
          2. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of society and the corporate 
              and public sectors
          3. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest in engineering among 
              minorities
          4. The impact on under-served minorities seeking careers in science and 
              engineering

     Elementary/Secondary Level
     A teacher or educational curriculum planner who has demonstrated a strong  
     commitment to enhancing minorities' opportunities to participate in science and 
     engineering through exemplary teaching and outreach activities and through 
     promotion of scientific and technical education programs.
     The nomination package should show:
          1. The success of the programs at the nominee's school
          2. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of society and the corporate 
              and public sectors
          3. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest in engineering among 
              minorities
          4. The impact on under-served minorities seeking careers in science and 
              engineering

     Corporate Promotion of Education
     A corporate manager of education programs or other staffer from private   
     enterprise who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to enhancing the 
     opportunities for minorities in technology careers through education.
     The nomination package should show:
          1. The success of the programs at the nominee's company
          2. The impact of the programs on schools, colleges, and universities with 
              which the nominee's company interacts
          3. The timeliness of the programs to the needs of society and the corporate 
              and public sectors
          4. The impact on under-served minorities seeking careers in science and 
              engineering at the nominee's company and elsewhere
          5. The nominee's effectiveness in generating interest about engineering 
              among minorities

Entrepreneur
A person who owns 50 percent or more of a thriving minority-owned engineering or technical company, or a significant percentage of a majority firm, with strong financial growth and more than ten employees.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The nominee's ability to recognize and capitalize on technical growth sectors
     2. The redesigning of an existing product
     3. The nominee's leadership and management skills that led to earnings 
         growth and expansion of operations
     4. The impact of the nominee's business on the community, demonstrated by 
         increased employment, job training, and minority opportunity
     5. The nominee's contributions to the growth of engineering technology


Community Service
A person who has demonstrated leadership in the Black science engineering and technology community through volunteer work, contributions, and other activities that are not included in his or her job.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The nominee's potential as a role model
     2. The time and energy the nominee devotes to serving the community
     3. The nominee's efforts to promote engineering or other professional 
         development through community service

Student Leadership
An undergraduate student who has demonstrated leadership in engineering through personal accomplishments and developments and has promoted science, technology, and Black self-reliance. Nominees will be considered separately for student leadership as undergraduates and as graduate students.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The nominee's extracurricular activities
     2. The nominee's academic achievements
     3. The nominee's potential to serve as a role model for minority youth
     4. The nominee's positive effect on opportunities for future students
     5. The uniqueness of the nominee's contributions

Most Promising Engineer or Scientist
A person must be an engineer or scientist, in the early years of his or her career, who demonstrates tremendous potential for future technical contributions.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The uniqueness of the nominee's contributions to the organization
     2. The nominee's leadership abilities and initiative
     3. The nominee's professional and technical achievements
     4. The nominee's potential for advancement

Technical Sales and Marketing
A person combining technical expertise with marketing skills in a high-level position. The selectee not only sells the products of cutting-edge technology, but also participates in development of product lines and marketing plans on a national and international scale.
The nomination package should show:
     1. The nominee's deep understanding of technology, regardless of degrees 
         earned
     2. The nominee's extensive background in marketing the technology
     3. Major roles the nominee has played in product decisions, market strategy, 
         and pricing decisions
     4. Major impact the nominee has made on the company's profitability


Executive Subcommittee's Discretionary Non-category Awards
These awards are generated by a Subcommittee made up of deans of HBCU technical programs, several highly experienced panel members, and the chairman and CEO of Career Communications Group, Tyrone D. Taborn.
The non-category awards represent the Subcommittee's view that certain selectees are exponents whose accomplishments distinguish them far beyond their individual disciplines. Each of these awards represents a recognition of high merit, broad effect on people in many disciplines, and high value to the society as a whole.

The Black Engineer of the Year Award 
is an award for overall leadership as well as for technological achievement. The Black Engineer or Scientist of the Year is selected from the top candidates submitted in all categories. The selectee will be a leader working in any area of science, engineering, or technology, whether that person is primarily involved in research, technology development, or technology management. Engineering has changed greatly over the last several decades, so that today's engineer must be prepared to integrate scientific knowledge and engineering techniques from multiple disciplines to succeed. Computers and the economy have so reshaped the engineer's work that today's technology leaders frequently find themselves managing multi-skilled teams and wrestling with complex business, financial, and legal problems to accomplish their goals. What the Selection Panel is looking for here is a person whose activity, responsibilities, and visibility allow him or her to demonstrate leadership on a broad front.

The Deans' Award 
goes to an HBCU graduate whose work demonstrates exceptional merit.

The Chairman's Award 
goes to an individual of high personal achievements who has made a major impact on a company's products and profits and has broad managerial reach.

Lifetime Achievement Award
is the Selection Panel's recognition of mountains conquered in the quest to be the best, a lifetime of major milestones in the struggle to demonstrate by personal example the positive results of opening up access for minorities in the technology enterprise.

Visionary Award
is given to a person whose lifetime performance marks a career which affects many others' careers. The awardee, selected by the Subcommittee is one of that handful of extraordinary men and women who have the imagination to see the world in a brand new light and have the energy and persistence to push forward until others see it, too.