The John D. Harris II Legacy Award was named after John D. Harris II, who was the vice president of business development at Raytheon and CEO of Raytheon International Incorporated. He was responsible for leading worldwide sales and marketing, international business, and government relations operations.

During the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Engineering Deans Event at the 38th annual BEYA STEM Conference, Dr. Wayne K. Richards, a senior manager in program management at Raytheon – An RTX Business, was presented with the John D. Harris II Legacy Award. Satish Narayanan, the vice president of engineering at Collins Aerospace-An RTX Company, presented the award to Dr. Richards.

Dr. Richards has over 30 years of experience in the defense industry and has been a crucial figure in supporting warfighters at RTX.

He has been involved in developing new technologies and systems that have been critical in supporting the warfighter. In addition to his work, he has also supported troops on the ground by visiting them in the field and providing morale-boosting support.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Richards spoke about the importance of legacy and dedicated the award to his late wife, who was a former senior manager at Raytheon. He believes that legacy means being the best while helping others reach their untapped potential.

Dr. Richards has a host of mentors who have helped him build a robust legacy to create and add value to his organization. He is also a STEM ambassador for underrepresented minority children to pursue STEM careers actively.

Dr. Richards said, “I can hear my wife, as I speak, affectionately shouting down from heaven: ‘Wayne, continue to build your legacy.'”