Angelys Cuello, a clinical engineer at Abbott, will receive the Dr. Victor R. McCrary Legacy Award during the 38th annual BEYA STEM Conference weekend in February 2024.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Cuello has overcome many obstacles to become a Clinical Engineer II in the Cardiac Rhythm Management division at Abbott. Her work involves developing life-changing technologies that help individuals and communities lead healthier lives.

Cuello’s journey to success was not easy. She moved to the United States with her family when she was ten, and she excelled in school and earned a degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Miami.

After graduation, she joined Abbott and has been working on developing devices that help regulate heartbeats and prevent heart failure.

Cuello conducts bench and preclinical studies for product feasibility and regulatory submissions for implantable cardiac monitors, cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization devices.

Her dedication to her work has earned her recognition for her contributions to the healthcare industry, and she is a role model for young engineers.

Dr. Victor R. McCrary, vice president for research and graduate programs at the University of the District of Columbia, will present the award to Cuello.

Dr. McCrary has held similar research leadership positions at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Morgan State University (MSU), and the University of Tennessee.

He has developed comprehensive, sustainable research strategies, fostered trans-disciplinary research, and expanded research programs via engagement with federal and state agencies and private entities.

Dr. McCrary is a change agent and serial innovator responsible for his significant contributions to Morgan State University, which led to MSU becoming one of only 130 universities nationwide to have an R2 status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

He has authored more than 60 technical papers and co-edited two books during his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

He has received numerous honors and awards, including co-recipient of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Gold Medal in 2000 and the 2002 Percy Julian Award by the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. In 2011, the BEYA STEM Conference honored him as Scientist of the Year.

In October 2016, President Barack Obama appointed Dr. McCrary to serve on the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation. Recently, he chaired a task force that produced the report “The Skilled Technical Working: Crafting America’s Science and Engineering Enterprise.”