Meet the professionals who were honored as the Most Promising Engineers in Government and Industry. The award recognizes an engineer with three to ten years in the workforce who demonstrates tremendous potential for future contributions in his or her field.

Ms. Brandy Diggs-McGee is a research mechanical engineer of the Energy Branch of the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory at the Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Champaign, Illinois. Her contributions to the defense department, the construction industry, and the research community at large have advanced the field of additive construction towards a more efficient process for both energy and operations.

Large-scale additive construction has created a new status quo in sustainable construction, and Ms. Diggs-McGee is at the front and center of this technological advancement, achieving a number of firsts, such as the first full-sized building to be printed in-place using concrete with aggregate and the first full-size 3D printed concrete bridge in the Americas.

The use of the 3D printing process instead of conventional construction methods to create structures eliminates the need for conventional formwork, which decreases material consumption, labor demand, environmental impact, cost, and construction time. As the president of the Construction Engineering Research Laboratory’s Morale and Welfare Club, the Citadel Club, Ms. Diggs-McGee works to bring events and activities to boost morale. In addition, she uses her skills to bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) awareness to young students.

Lt. Samuel Nyamekye currently serves as deputy chief, Propulsion Technology Branch for the Air Force Research Laboratory. Nyamekye took advantage of an emigration program allowing him entry to the United States. He enlisted in the U. S. Air Force in 2012 while supporting his family in Ghana. He quickly became known as an ‘unparalleled airman,’ providing technical support in the management of facilities and over two billion dollars in base assets at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas. He was awarded squadron-level Airman of the Quarter award twice, and wing-level Airman of the Quarter award once. He is implementing the division-level strategic vision for the next 10 years for hypersonic propulsion development. He has continued to serve as the group-level safety officer and the company grade officer mentor, as well as his participation in Toastmasters International.

“During his relatively short tenure with our team, Sam has earned the highest level of respect from personnel internal and external to our organization, for his dedication and professionalism. Wherever his career takes him, I am confident that he will continue to make a positive difference,” said Heidi Wilkin, high-speed airframe-propulsion integration team lead, Air Force Research Laboratory/RQHP

Kadon Kyte is an ergonomics engineer with Boeing Research and Technology Advanced Production Systems. The focus of his team is the manufacturing of tomorrow, focusing on technology such as robotics, software development, systems engineering, mechanical system design, and human factors. His major breakthroughs include successfully introducing, testing, and integrating exoskeleton technologies into aircraft manufacturing and working with external partners to replicate these successes across other industries. He has helped create industry exoskeleton standards in support of the American Society for Testing and Materials and  Automotive Exoskeleton Working Group, part of the Wearable Robotics Organization. Between 2016 and 2020, he presented his findings at over 20 professional conferences. His work has been featured on Good Morning America and the Boeing News Now Network.

“Kadon considers it his duty to pay it forward to the next generation of young professionals and leaders. He is passionate about training them because he believes that tomorrow’s leaders need a technical foundation to solve complex challenges. It is evident that his own technological contributions are manifold, whether to Boeing, the defense of our nation, or to our future,” said Pat Cazeau, director of Boeing Verticals and executive test program manager.

Charles Muse holds the position of assistant program engineering manager within GM’s division of autonomous and electrified vehicles. He is currently working on the Cruise Origin which is a future autonomous ride-sharing vehicle and a collaborative project involving GM, Honda, and Cruise.  Muse joined General Motors in 2011 as a University intern at the Milford Proving Grounds. At the time he was the only African American intern studying aeronautical and astronautical engineering He has held positions across global noise & vibration, chassis, energy & aerodynamics, engineering operations, design & release engineering, as well as autonomous and electrified vehicle engineering.

“I believe the sky’s the limit for Charles as he progresses in his career with GM. In addition to his technical and leadership skills, he genuinely cares about people and finds ways to support the communities in which GM serves,” said Sabrina Groshek, director of engineering ICET