BALTIMORE -
July 29, 2021 -
PRLog -- The Women of Color STEM Conference, hosted by Career Communications Group (CCG), gathers an audience of the nation's respected leaders in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) from Fortune 500 companies to government entities and colleges and universities to recognize the achievements of women from diverse backgrounds who inspire and forge new paths in STEM careers.
The 26th Annual Women of Color STEM Conference, whose theme is set to Reset to Rise: It's A New Day!, will launch on October 7, 2021, through a Digital Twin Experience (DTX). The events that have made this conference the go-to experience for those in STEM-related careers and industries will now be made available to participate fully from a computer or mobile device.
Women of Color is on a mission to strengthen the pipelines that increase the number of women in STEM. With the recent pandemic creating a wider achievement gap due to the digital divide, it is important now more than ever to ensure that we are bringing a talented diverse workforce into the future.
In addition to a series of events for attendees to gather, learn, and grow together, the conference hosts an awards ceremony to honor women from a myriad of backgrounds who have overcome obstacles, paved new ways towards success, and have spent time mentoring and nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders. This year's prestigious Technologist of the Year will be awarded to Mei Cai, Lab Group Manager of Energy Storage Materials at General Motors Research and Development.
The 2021 Women of Color STEM Award Recipients
Technologist of the Year
Mei Cai, Ph.D.
GM Senior Technical Fellow and Lab Group Manager, Energy Storage Materials
General Motors Research and Development
General Motors
Career Achievement - Government
Rona Bunn
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration
Maria N. Goerger, Ph.D.
Special Assistant for AI, M&S, and Analysis for the Information Technology Lab Director
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
Career Achievement - Industry
Delores Alexander
Vice President, Global Services Supplier Management
The Boeing Company
Deirdre Fultz
Plant Manager - Indiana Transmission Plant
Stellantis
Florence Heidel
Scientist
L3Harris Technology, Inc.
Community Service - Government
Treva T. Brown, Ph.D.
Physical Scientist
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Community Service - Industry
Daniel Chambers
Multi-Functional Engineering and Science Manager
Lockheed Martin
Corporate Responsibility
Rhonda Childress
Vice President and IBM Fellow, Business Information Security Officer
IBM
Candice M. Smith, PMP
Director, Engineering People Strategy
The Boeing Company
Diversity Leadership
Odetta Scott
Associate Director, Indirect Procurement
Collins Aerospace, Operations & Quality
Raytheon Technologies
Educational Leadership - College-Level Promotion of Education
Freddie Dixon, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Program Director, NSF HBCU Undergraduate Program, NSF Scholarships in STEM
University of the District of Columbia
Education Leadership - Corporate Promotion of Education
Lakshana Mohee, Ph.D.
Education Development Manager
Ansys
GEM Outstanding Young Alumnus
Yazmin Feliz, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Columbia University55
Managerial Leadership - Government
Leah Haugen
Program Manager, Partnership Intermediary
Air Force Office of Scientific Research
Yazmin Seda-Sanabria
Chief, Civil Works Data Analysis and Information Systems, Institute for Water Resources
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Managerial Leadership - Industry
Deborah A. Brown
Senior Director, U.S. Toxicology Laboratories
Abbott
Lakela Lofton
Program Manager
Huntington Ingalls Industries
New Media/IT Leadership
Jasmine W. Strait
Director, U.S. Specialized Infrastructure Operations
The Boeing Company
Outstanding Technical Contribution - Government
Leslie Leonard, Ph.D.
Computer Scientist
U.S. Army Engineer Research & Development Center
Outstanding Technical Contribution - Industry
Eunice Allen-Bradley
Angled UltraSonic Inspection Original Equipment Manufacturer Implementation Lead
Pratt & Whitney, Engineering
Raytheon Technologies
Bindu Sundaresan
Director - Cybersecurity
AT&T
Professional Achievement - Government
Master Sergeant Tahnika Bessant
334th Fighter Squadron First Shirt , 4th Fighter Wing
U.S. Air Force
Candi Hudson, Ph.D.
Technical Advisor, Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement
U.S. Department of the Interior
LTC Latoya M. Manzey
Deputy District Commander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District
Professional Achievement - Industry
Tracey Espero
Director of Platform Programs and Orca Program Manager, Maritime Undersea
Huntington Beach Site Executive
The Boeing Company
Mandakini Kanungo, Ph.D.
Research Associate – Thin Films & Surfaces
Corning Research and Development Corporation
Changchang Liu, Ph.D.
Research Staff Member, IBM Research
IBM
Student Leadership - Undergraduate Level
1/c Emi Siler
Charlie Company Executive Officer
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
Technical Innovation
Mei Li , Ph.D.
Corteva Laureate
Corteva Agriscience
Special Recognition
Tracy A. Clark
Manager, Flight Test Instrumentation and Data Operations
Bell Textron, Inc.
Takia Easley
Program Manager, Pratt & Whitney, Military Engines
Raytheon Technologies
Krystal Folkes
Cloud Solution Architect, U.S. Retail and Consumer Goods
Microsoft
Nor Farida Harun, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Leidos
Akissi C. Lewis
IT Strategist & Acting Chief of Staff for CIO
Dropbox
Rahel Rudd
Branch Chief Engineer, Human Systems Division
U.S. Air Force
Fleur Ryan
Vice President of Defense Growth & Strategy
Jacobs
Frenae Smith
Manager of Codes and Standards and Laboratory Services
DTE Energy
Rita D. Williams
Budget Analyst, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Suman Woolums
Human Systems Engineer
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Rekha Wunnava
Global Director, Automotive Design & Build IT
Ford Motor Company
Dian Xu
Director, Engineering
Rocket Mortgage
Rocket Companies
Pioneer Award
Master Sergeant Bonnie Rushing
Instructor, USAF Academy
United States Air Force
President's Award
The Honorable Cheryl Campbell
Assistant Secretary for Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
About Women of Color Conference
The Women of Color STEM Conference, now in its 26th year, has been the venue where women and men from diverse backgrounds have come to recognize outstanding achievements in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), celebrate excellence in STEM-related fields, and create a career learning and networking environment.
www.womenofcolor.net
For more information on CCG please visit
www.ccgmag.com