The Women of Color STEM Conference returns this year with its Digital Twin Experience (DTX) that will allow attendees to participate in immersive Digital-In-The-Moment (DIM) experiences that mirror the live event.

Ahead of this year's DTX, the conference has announced Dr. Mei Cai of General Motors as the 2021 Technologist of the Year.

Mei is director of battery cell systems research in the Chemical & Materials System Laboratory within General Motors Research and Development.

She is responsible for technology innovations in advanced energy storage materials for future electric vehicles (EVs).

Mei has 25 years of industrial research and development (R&D) experience in novel materials processing for automotive applications.

She has also managed multi-million dollar R&D projects to develop low-cost and durable vehicular energy storage materials and systems.

Mei is the author or co-author of more than 100 scientific publications and holds 109 issued U.S. patents with about 100 pending patent applications and 5 tool method secrets (TMS).

Several of her patents have been licensed and commercialized by industry.

Mei's research has received more than 11,000 citations and has an h-index of 53. According to experts, the Hirsch index or Hirsch number quantifies both the actual scientific productivity and the apparent scientific impact of a scientist.

During her career, she has garnered corporate-wide recognition and awards. In 2018, she was recognized as "Asian American Engineer of the Year" for her contributions to fundamental research and technology development.

“Given her high-level record of accomplishments, I believe Dr. Cai is deserving of this award. She has made significant contributions to General Motors as well as the scientific community," said Matt Tsien of General Motors.

The Women of Color STEM Conference, now in its 26th year, attracts an audience of leaders in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEM) from Fortune 500 companies to government entities and colleges and universities to recognize the achievements of women from diverse backgrounds who create innovation and inspiration.

"It is not just Dr. Cai's contributions to General Motors that make her a fitting recipient of the Technologist of the Year award," said Dr. Tyrone Taborn, CEO of Career Communications Group, producer of the Women of Color DTX Conference and publisher of the Women of Color magazine. "Her continued work in areas of scientific community services in the U.S. and Canada, training interns and post-doctoral students, and her volunteer work with local schools and youth clubs have a larger impact on our future generation than she may realize," Taborn continued. "For that, we are honored to recognize her at this year's event."

Career Communications Group has spent the past year searching for and testing technologies that will deliver seamless Digital-In-The-Moment (DIM) experiences that will allow attendees to experience the full conference from their computers or mobile device.

The DIMs create an immersive environment without sacrificing any of the unique interactions and elements that brought national recognition to the WOC conference.

The Women of Color STEM Digital Conference will take place Oct. 7-9. The 2021 conference theme is Reset to Rise: It's A New Day!.

For more information, click WOC DTX to learn more.