Duy-Loan Le, who was named the 2002 Technologist of the Year, made history as the first Asian-American woman elected as a senior fellow at Texas Instruments (TI).
She spent 35 years at TI, starting as a memory design engineer in 1982 and working her way up to the top.
Throughout her career, Duy-Loan achieved many accomplishments, including becoming a member of the technical staff in 1990, a senior member of the technical staff in 1993, and a TI fellow in 1999.
She was also elected as a distinguished member of the technical staff in 1997. While at TI, Duy-Loan led the company's multi-billion-dollar memory product line, working with joint venture partners in five countries and three continents.
She was also responsible for the success of TI's digital signal processors, which generated over $2 billion in revenue.
Apart from her work, Duy-Loan is involved in various charitable and fundraising projects, including sponsorship and teaching for United Way's Vietnamese Culture and Science Association.
Duy-Loan received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named one of the Top 20 Houston Women in Technology in 2000, the Asian American Engineer of the Year, and the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Award for Leadership.
During the 2002 National Women of Color Technology Awards Conference in Atlanta, speakers from academia, government, and private industry shared their knowledge and experiences in seminars.
Roundtable discussions allowed attendees to hear from women executives from various organizations speak about their career goals and success.
The discussions raised awareness and understanding of workplace realities and provided practical tips and models for overcoming unique challenges and developing networking opportunities and a support system.
The following individuals were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the fields of human resources, technology, and community service:
Linda Wilson: Started as a secretary at Entergy in 1984 and became staffing director in the early 2000s. Managed recruitment for top talent and earned Entergy's Chairman Hero Award for her involvement in community projects.
Michelle J. Cook: Senior manager at a leading automobile company responsible for affirmative action and an expert on human resources policies.
Wanda Dorsey: Deputy director in the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs in the U.S. Army Forces Command. Responsible for developing, directing, administering, and managing the command's EEO programs for civilian employees.
Carla J. Morales: Business operations specialist responsible for production safety engineering at StrageTek Corporation. Combined technical skills with a commitment to rebuilding computers for schools, low-income families, churches, and daycare centers in Puerto Rico.
Monique Boea: Founding president of the African American Women in Technology group. Responsible for developing and implementing training, career, and personal development programs for Black women in the field of information technology.
Joan J. R. Brown: Lead engineer in a research center for telecommunications and advanced technology. Actively involved in educational websites that allowed hands-on environments for professionals seeking to continue their education.
Karen L. Daniel: Chief financial officer and executive vice president at Black & Vetch. Served on many boards and public commissions.
Michelle S. Graves: Senior associate at Booz Allen Hamilton and one of the leaders of an internship program that recruited an average of 150 students annually.
Special recognition was also given to the following individuals:
Kelli Franklin-Joyner: Worked her way up from administrative assistant to vital leadership roles at United Parcel Service. Provided coaching and mentoring at UPS and on behalf of an employee resource group focused on recruiting from minority-serving institutions.
Ana Garcia-Piedra: Led the Verizon internal organization that defined methods and procedures to ensure the company a competitive edge in the Hispanic, Asia, and Euro-Asia telecom markets. Responsible for more than a thousand employees who spoke Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese. Also a community leader in the Latina Ladies Network and the Hispanic Support Organization and a Harlem Center for Education board member.
Vela McClam-Mitchell: Helped propel travel automation solutions and served as a long-term board member of the Ronald E. McNair Foundation for Space, Science, and Technology Education.
