BALTIMORE – Feb. 14, 2005 – Seven Northrop
Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) employees from three
company sectors will be recognized for their outstanding
contributions to engineering and managerial excellence
during the 2005 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA)
conference being held Feb. 17-19 at the Baltimore Convention
Center.
The Northrop Grumman honorees – Chineta K. Davis,
Carl A. Alleyne, Ronnie L. Starling, Patricia A. Newby,
Gregory C. Dudley, Elmer V. Dickens and Willie O. Simmons
– will be presented their respective awards during the
19th annual BEYA conference, held in conjunction with
Black History Month, to honor the nation’s best and
brightest engineers, scientists, executives and educators.
"Northrop Grumman is proud of the achievements
of our seven employees and we are pleased to help them
celebrate this recognition," said J. Michael Hateley,
Northrop Grumman corporate vice president and chief
human resources and administrative officer. "We
value their talents and the contributions they bring
to Northrop Grumman."
Black Engineer of the Year
The 2005 Black Engineer of the Year Award, chosen by
an industry-wide selection panel and presented in 25
categories, is awarded to candidates based on their
responsibilities, effect of their achievements on the
company, breadth of their community outreach activities
and their effect on other minorities seeking science
and technology careers.
Chineta K. Davis, vice president of
Norden Systems, a unit of the company’s Electronic Systems
sector, is being honored in the category of Career Achievement
in Industry. A 28-year veteran of Northrop Grumman,
she oversees the company’s diverse aerospace and defense-related
electronics engineering and manufacturing activities,
which include radar sensors for the U.S. Air Force/U.S.
Army Joint STARS surveillance aircraft, and the Multi-Platform
Radar Technology Insertion Program. Davis is also responsible
for managing airport surface-detection radar work being
performed for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration,
along with other avionics programs. She manages a team
of more than 500 employees and was the first African-American
woman at the Electronic Systems sector to hold the position
of vice president.
Davis attended Morgan State University with a concentration
in mathematics, and later earned a bachelor’s degree
in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Gregory C. Dudley, a senior engineer
at the company’s Newport News sector, is being honored
in the category of Community Service in Industry in
recognition of his contributions as a leader and mentor.
As a volunteer with organizations like the National
Society of Black Engineers and the Cooperating Hampton
Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering, Dudley
has encouraged careers in math, science and engineering
to hundreds of elementary, middle, and high-school students.
Currently he serves as the program coordinator for Alpha
Phi Alpha’s Mega-Genesis program, a multifaceted education
and career fair for students. He also volunteers for
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Peninsula Association
for Sickle Cell Anemia and the Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Project.
Dudley joined Newport News in 1997 and works in the
reactor-plant planning yard for aircraft carriers, supporting
the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program through analysis
of mechanical components and fluid systems. He earned
a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia
Polytechnic Institute & State University.
Carl A. Alleyne, director of Software
Engineering, and Ronnie L. Starling,
director of Hardware Products and Process Design at
the company's Electronic Systems sector have been honored
in the category of Special Recognition Honorees for
their engineering contributions to the success of the
company.
Alleyne manages a staff of more than 600 engineers
and has successfully managed several key military space
sensor-related projects, including the signal processor
assembly for the SBIRS High program, the startup effort
for Joint Strike Fighter avionics programs, and the
software and systems activities associated with a new
U.S. Navy ship electronics proposal. Beyond his own
achievements, Alleyne helps to ensure the continued
success of the company as a participant in the company’s
engineering and manufacturing leadership development
program and generously gives his own time as both a
mentor and coach for other less-experienced minority
engineers.
Alleyne, a 19-year company veteran, is a graduate of
Delaware State University with a bachelor’s degree in
mathematics. He earned a master’s degree in computer
science from Loyola College.
A prolific inventor, Starling has been awarded four
U.S. patents, two trade secrets, and 21 patent disclosures.
In addition, he has earned numerous company honors including
three special performance awards, two quality achievement
awards and two signature team awards. Starling, active
in a number of professional engineering organizations,
also contributes to the company's future by serving
as a mentor to less-experienced engineers.
Starling, a 20-year company veteran, earned a bachelor’s
degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M
University.
50 Most Important Blacks in Technology
U.S. Black Engineer and Information Technology magazine
provides an annual list of the 50 Most Important Blacks
in Technology. The list honors those working to make
technology part of the global society. Patricia
A. Newby, president of Xetron Corporation –
a wholly owned subsidiary of Northrop Grumman – is on
this year's list. Last year, she received the National
Women of Color Technology President’s Award for Career
Achievement from Career Communications Group, Inc.
At Xetron, Newby is responsible for management of
all resources, personnel and equipment involved in the
design, development and manufacture of sophisticated
secure communications equipment for a variety of U.S.
military applications. She also mentors aspiring young
engineers and engineering students. Newby earned a bachelor’s
degree in computer science and an MBA in management
from Loyola University in Maryland.
Modern Day Technology Leaders
The Modern Day Technology Leaders award honors bright,
young, up-and-coming women and men who are shaping the
future of engineering, science and technology. Two company
employees are receiving this honor, Willie O.
Simmons, with the advanced technologies department
at the company's Space Technology sector, and Elmer
V. Dickens, an engineer at the company’s Newport
News sector.
Simmons designs monolithic microwave integrated circuits.
An inventor, he investigates new technologies and has
one U.S. patent pending. Simmons joined the company
in 2000 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
electrical engineering from the University of California,
San Diego. Currently pursuing his MBA, Simmons also
is a martial arts instructor and nationally ranked competitor.
Dickens administers a web-based electronic collaboration
environment that provides remote, secure access to engineering
data. Within his department, he develops new methods
of managing information today to be accessible tomorrow.
He joined the company in 1997, and earned a bachelor’s
degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in graphic
communications (computer-aided drafting and design)
from North Carolina State University. Dickens also volunteers
as a tutor during lunch once a week.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company
headquartered in Los Angeles. Northrop Grumman provides
a broad array of technologically advanced, innovative
products, services and solutions in systems integration,
defense electronics, information technology, advanced
aircraft, shipbuilding, and space technology. The company
has more than 125,000 employees and operates in all
50 states and 25 countries and serves U.S. and international
military, government and commercial customers.
CONTACT:
Beth Phelan
(310) 201-1616
Beth.Phelan@ngc.com
