National Conference to address STEM CHALLENGE: Top Technology Leaders to be Recognized

(Baltimore, MD) November 2011—Workforce leaders in industry, education, government, and professionals and students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields will meet in Philadelphia at the annual Black Engineer of the Year (BEYA) STEM Conference to address the challenges of recruitment and retention in STEM and promote opportunities in technical and scientific careers.

BEYA is the nation’s largest annual gathering of STEM professionals and leaders committed to increasing the percentage of underrepresented communities in the technology workforce. The twenty-sixth annual conference is hosted by the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and US Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) magazine.

According to USBE&IT magazine Publisher and BEYA Chairman Tyrone Taborn, "The need for this initiative is more important than ever. Education is key to American competitiveness, and our nation is falling behind. That’s why leading military officers, U.S. government officials, and Fortune 500 executives have committed to addressing this crisis by attending and supporting the national conference to strengthen the STEM pipeline.”

Taborn also pointed out that, "Fewer young people are selecting STEM study paths as the global demand for technological workers increases. To keep engineering and scientific jobs in the United States, and ensure America maintains her leadership, we need to inspire a new generation of Americans to pursue STEM careers. One way to do so is to spotlight successful role models already in these fields.”

The BEYA STEM Conference—which is scheduled for February 16-18, 2012 at the Philadelphia Convention Center and Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, PA.—will recognize a number of technology leaders who will be acknowledged for their career achievements and their efforts in strengthening the STEM pipeline. Among them is David L. Steward, the chairman and founder of World Wide Technology, Inc., one of the largest African-American-owned businesses in America.

About Black Engineer of the Year STEM Conference

The annual BEYA STEM Conference is hosted by US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Lockheed Martin Corporation. This three-day national event brings together students, college administrators, recruiters, engineering and IT professionals, scientists, and high-level decision-makers from the corporate, government, and military communities, in an effort to broaden diversity in this country's technical and scientific workforce. 

2012 Black Engineer of the Year Award Winners

BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

David Steward
Chairman of the Board
World Wide Technology, Inc.

CAREER ACHIVEMENT - GOVERNMENT

Henry Dulaney
Chief of Engineering and Construction Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

William Makell, Jr.
Ethnic Policy Advisor
U.S. Coast Guard

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT - INDUSTRY

Leo Mackay, Jr.
Vice President, Ethics and Business Conduct
Lockheed Martin Corporation

Christopher T. Jones, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President & General Manager
Integrated Logistics and Modernization Division
Northrop Grumman Corporation

COLLEGE-LEVEL PROMOTION OF EDUCATION

Michael Burns
Admission Minority Officer
United States Military Academy
U.S. Army

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Danielle Hillard
Project Manager
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

CORPORATE PROMOTION OF EDUCATION

Yolanda Murphy
Manager, Media Relations
Northrop Grumman Corporation

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP

Robert Wallace
President/CEO/Founder
BITHGroup Technologies, Inc.

GEM OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS

Diona Chenier
Multi-disciplined Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corporation

K-12 PROMOTION OF EDUCATION

Mary Marie Hamlett
Physical Sciences Teacher
Halifax County School System

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Kelvin Mason
Chief Information Officer
Gulfstream, A General Dynamics Company

MOST PROMISING ENGINEER - GOVERNMENT

Adam Williams
Senior Member Technical Staff
Sandia National Laboratories

Cedric Bazemore
Project Engineer 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

MOST PROMISING ENGINEER - INDUSTRY

Terrence Southern
Senior Engineer, Flexible Automation
PepsiCo Inc.

Onekki Christian
Principal Systems Engineer
Raytheon Company

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION - GOVERNMENT

Jon Goldsby, Ph.D.
Materials Research Engineer
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Walter Reuben
Test & Evaluation Manager
NAVSEA

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION - INDUSTRY

Negus Adefris, Ph.D.
Senior Product Development Specialist
3M Company

Melvin Greer
Senior Fellow/Chief Strategist Cloud Computing
Lockheed Martin Corporation

PIONEER AWARD

James A. Bell
Executive Vice President/Corporate President and
Chief Financial Officer
The Boeing Company

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

Raynard Durham
Vehicle Line Executive
Chrysler Group LLC

PROFESIIONAL ACHIEVEMENT - GOVERNMENT

Anthony P. Mitchell
Commander/Officer in Charge, Iraq Area Office
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Stephanie Bush-Goddard
Chief, Health Effects Branch
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

PROFESSIONAL: ACHIEVEMENT - INDUSTRY

Cameron Brooks, Ph.D.
Director, Government Healthcare
IBM Corporation

Roderick M. McClean
Vice President and Deputy, F-16/F-2/T-50 Programs
Lockheed Martin Corporation

RESEARCH LEADERSHIP

Arthur Martin, Ph.D.
Corning Incorporated

STUDENT LEADERSHIP - GRADUATE LEVEL

Candace Cooley
General Engineer
Missile Defense Agency

STUDENT LEADERSHIP - UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL

Desmond E. Edmonds
Student
Morgan State University

TECHNICAL SALES AND MARKETING

Eugene L. Beckles
Director, Phantom Works
The Boeing Company

SPECIAL RECOGNITION HONOREES

Tikia Allen
General Engineer
Missile Defense Agency

Douglas Ash
Vice President, IT Programs - Chief Information Officer
Lockheed Martin Corporation

Wayne E. Brown
Director
The Boeing Company

Abe Bushra
Director, Threat Systems Engineering
Missile Defense Agency

Hugh Butler
Division Director, Business Management Navigation Systems
Northrop Grumman Corporation

Yvette Brett
Senior Project Manager
CH2M Hill

Kami Carter
Chemist
Naval Air Systems Command

Christine Earle
Civil/Structural Engineer
Black & Veatch

Yvonne Hodge
Vice President & Chief Information Officer
Electronic Systems
Lockheed Martin Corporation

Jeff Josiah
Senior Electrical Engineer II
Raytheon Company

Cecil Miller
Information Technology Director and Chief Information Officer
Lockheed Martin Corporation

Veradie Ore
Deputy Program Manager
NAVSEA

Willie Simmons
Engineering Manager
Northrop Grumman Corporation

Ben Thompson
New Technology Insertion Engineer
Fleet Resources Center, Naval Air

Richard Williams
Senior Program Manager
Lockheed Martin Corporation

Kelvin Woods, Ph.D.
Technical Line Manager
The MITRE Corporation