Education, opportunity, and community advancement were highlighted at Saturday's Engineering Deans Recognition event during the 40th annual BEYA STEM Conference.
This year, the Council of Engineering Deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities presented the Dean's Award to Kofi Nyarko, D. Eng, director of the Center for Equitable AI and Machine Learning Systems at Morgan State University.
The HBCU Engineering Impact Award was given to the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). The award was received by Chika Okwor, national chairperson of NSBE.
The processional included deans and academic leaders from Morgan State, Alabama A&M, Florida A&M-Florida State University College of Engineering, Jackson State, Norfolk State, Prairie View A&M, Southern University and A&M College, Tennessee State, Texas Southern, Tuskegee, Howard, the University of the District of Columbia, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Hampton, and Virginia State universities.
Award-winning engineer, educator, academic dean, and entrepreneur, Dr. Pamela McCauley, returned as the BEYA emcee.
She noted that the ABET-accredited HBCUs at the event exemplify resilience, scholarship, and vision, while the honorees demonstrate a commitment to action. The deans build academic systems that advance equity and measurable impact.
Future Leader Award recipients are nominated by their institutions, reflecting mentorship, trust, and institutional investment.
Trevor Tran, a computer engineering major and math minor at Hampton University, is a student-athlete on the men's lacrosse team, the first Division I HBCU program. He serves as an AMIE ambassador, corporate liaison for the NSBE chapter, and tutor at a local adult literacy program. Tran is graduating with a 4.0 GPA.
Jordan Lateef Simmons, a senior in electrical and electronics engineering at Norfolk State University, plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in electrical engineering. He is recognized for academic excellence and perseverance through a collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Simmons has interned at Los Alamos National Laboratory, earning a certification, and at LLNL, focusing on radiation circuits. He leads outreach programs for K-12 students and is co-founder of a technology startup commercializing water treatment systems.
Dr. Rachel Vincent-Finley, assistant dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering at Southern University and A&M College, introduced Emanuel Matthews, a mechanical engineering junior, stating, "Emanuel is a founding member of a student organization dedicated to aerospace innovation."
The organization promotes experiential learning and strengthens students' technical skills. Through a structured rocketry program, Emanuel has created pathways for industry engagement. He aims to lead a pioneering enterprise advancing technology in space and defense.
Dr. Dawit Haile, dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at Virginia State University, said Desmond Komla, a manufacturing engineering major, secured competitive roles at Tesla, Apple, Cummins, and NASA. Komla has contributed to advanced manufacturing, robotics, and sustainable energy systems.
He is currently a manufacturing engineer at Tesla, developing an automated production line that uses robotics and data processing to optimize assembly.
Kirsten Hill, an electrical engineering senior at Tuskegee University graduating in 2027, interned as a systems engineer at Lockheed Martin, supporting the AH-64 Apache Arrowhead program.
On campus, she is active in the Women in Cybersecurity chapter, serves as president of the Robotics Club, and is a member of both the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
Elzy Furdge II, a computer engineering sophomore at Jackson State University, is a member of NSBE and is actively involved in the electrical and computer engineering and computer science departments. He leads by example in group work, projects, and supporting faculty and organizations. Furdge is passionate about coding, hands-on problem-solving, and creative pursuits such as video editing and graphic design.
Axel Tomlinson, an electrical engineering senior at Tennessee State University, is a member of NSBE and has contributed to a hydrogen research project and an AI implementation system.
Introducing Miles Davis, a transportation systems engineering student, Dr. Oscar Barton, dean of the Mitchell School of Engineering at Morgan State University, said Davis is a member of the inaugural Federal Railway Administration transportation program cohort.
Davis has maintained a 3.9 GPA in a rigorous academic program and is an active member of an organization supporting the personal and professional success of African American males. He is the past president of the student chapters of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association, and collaborates with leading researchers on LIDAR-connected projects.
Thirty-nine years ago, Dr. McCauley won the Student Leadership Award.
This year, the award went to Nick Miller, a petroleum engineering undergraduate at the University of Houston.
GEM Outstanding Young Alum awards were presented to Imani Adams, graduate research fellow at Purdue University; Shauna Adams, graduate research assistant at Purdue; Shorma Bianca Bailey, PhD, founder and CEO of Agriwater Corporation; Shantonio Birch, PhD, CEO and founder of Thermoverse; and Alexis Noeill Pena, PhD, cofounder and CTO of Good Fibes.