Maria Thorpe is an engineer at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) who is passionate about diversity and inclusion in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.

She was honored with the 2023 Women of Color STEM Community Service Award for her contributions to this cause.

Maria (in red pants suit) also participated in a panel discussion at the Women of Color STEM Conference.

The panel discussed Women in Leadership: Enhancing Confidence, Communication, and Negotiation Skills. The event was a huge success, with an engaged audience and outstanding attendees.

"I had an opportunity to contribute to a panel discussion at the Women of Color STEM Conference," Maria wrote on LinkedIn. "The panel members Alena Brown, Brooke Hirsch, PhD, PMP; Whitney Gaskins PhD, CDP (moderator) and I, provided insight and tips on Women in Leadership: Enhancing Confidence, communication, and negotiation skills. The engagement from the audience was phenomenal. It was an amazing event and I met some wonderful STEM experts. Can I say awesome!! You needed to be in the room."

With over 30 years of expertise in human systems engineering and naval aviation, she has held leadership positions throughout her career and demonstrated exceptional skills.

Maria has overseen diverse teams of civilian, military, and contractor employees across different locations.

She champions initiatives to promote the representation of underrepresented groups in traditionally overlooked occupations.

In 2022, she was honored with the Department of the Navy (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program Administering Officer of the Year Award.

This program aims to increase the participation of HBCU/MIs in the Navy's Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) programs and activities.

Maria's dedication to this mission has helped the Department of the Navy become better enablers of the STEM talent pipeline produced at the nation's HBCUs/MIs.

In 2016, she established the Naval Air Systems Command's HBCU/MI Internship Program with funding from the Department of the Navy.

She continues to provide valuable RDT&E opportunities and experiences to underrepresented populations in the Department of Defense STEM workforce.

Maria's visionary leadership has earned her recognition throughout the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, and academia. She frequently serves on technical review panels to enhance the RDT&E research capabilities of HBCUs/MIs.

During the COVID pandemic, Maria successfully transitioned her on-site, in-person internship program to a hybrid environment.

This pilot program has proven successful in engaging students to help solve big problems and advance the diversity of thought to solve complex challenges facing the warfighter.

Whitney Gaskins, Ph.D., (in tan skirt suit) was honored with the Women of Color STEM Educational Leadership – College-Level Promotion of Education Award for promoting education.

She works as an assistant dean at the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science, where she is the first African-American female faculty member to hold this position.

Whitney's primary focus is recruiting, supporting, and retaining marginalized and minority students within the College of Engineering.

She spearheads various outreach programs to introduce engineering concepts and careers to underrepresented middle and high school students, as well as supporting female, LGBTQ, veteran, and physically disabled students, faculty, and staff.

Whitney is also the principal investigator for the Choose Ohio First and Lewis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation programs, which provide students with competitive scholarship funding and professional development workshops, helping them to succeed in STEM fields.