Discretionary awards are peer-reviewed accolades presented at the annual Women of Color (WOC) STEM Conference. They consist of Special Recognition awards, the President's Award, the Pioneer Award, and the Technologist of the Year.
Career Communications Group announced that Bridget Chatman, vice president of the Business Development Transformation & Growth Academy at SAIC, will be honored as the 2024 Technologist of the Year at the upcoming Women of Color (WOC) STEM DTX Conference.
In 2023, the top award went to Mary Hor-Lao, director of software engineering at Abbott Neuromodulation, while Valerie Sheares Ashby, president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, was honored as the 2022 Technologist of the Year.
Women of Color (WOC) STEM award winners exemplify outstanding performance and leadership in STEM. The following remarkable individuals have also been recognized as the Technologists of the Year:
1997 - Sherry F. Bellamy, Vice President at Verizon, made significant contributions in the field of technology.
1998 - Stephanie Manuel Bailey, Vice President at Fannie Mae, demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the tech industry.
1999 - Dr. Chon-Yin Tsai, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Lockheed Martin, spearheaded groundbreaking developments in mechanical engineering.
2000 - Margarita Dominguez, Vice President at Tampa Electric, played a pivotal role in advancing technological capabilities within the energy sector.
2001 - Sherita T. Ceasar, Vice President at Tampa Electric, showcased exemplary expertise and dedication in driving technological advancements.
2002 - Duy-Loan T. Le, Senior Fellow at Texas Instruments, excelled in technological innovation and research.
2003 - Vallerie Parrish-Porter, Chief Information Officer at Embarq Corporation, demonstrated remarkable leadership in leveraging technology for business success.
2004 - Asha Goyal, Ph.D., Vice President at IBM Global Services, led groundbreaking initiatives in global technology services.
2005 - Nancy Stewart, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Walmart, demonstrated outstanding leadership in driving technological innovation in retail.
2006 - Lina Echeverria, Ph.D., Vice President at Corning Incorporated, made significant contributions to technological advancements in materials science and engineering.
2007 - Chineta K. Davis, Vice President at Northrop Grumman, demonstrated exemplary leadership in driving technological innovations in the aerospace and defense industry.
2008 - Irene Hernandez Roberts, Program Director at IBM Software, played a key role in driving innovation and excellence in software development.
2009 - Norma Clayton, Vice President at The Boeing Company, demonstrated exceptional leadership and expertise in technological advancements within the aerospace industry.
2010 - RADM Eleanor Valentin, Director of the Military Health System at the United States Navy, showcased exemplary leadership in leveraging technology to advance healthcare within the military.
2011 - Sarita Rao, Vice President at AT&T Business, demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovation in the telecommunications industry.
2012 - Sonya Sepahban, Senior Vice President at General Dynamics Land Systems, led groundbreaking initiatives in technological advancements within the defense industry.
2013 - Camille D’Annunzio, Manager at the Automated Sensor Exploitation Technology Center in Northrop Grumman, demonstrated exceptional expertise and leadership in sensor technology.
2014 - Alicia Boler-Davis, Senior Vice President at General Motors, showcased exemplary leadership and innovation in driving technological advancements in the automotive industry.
2015 - Delia Grenville, Research Scientist at Intel Corporation, made significant contributions to technological innovation in the field of computer science and semiconductor technology.
2016 - Dr. Aleksandra Boskovic, Research Director at Corning Incorporated, led pioneering research and innovations in materials science and technology.
2017 - Denise Gray, CEO of LG Chem Power Inc., demonstrated exceptional leadership in driving technological advancements in the field of energy storage and power systems.
2018 - Donna L. Bell, Director of Research Operations at Ford Motor Company, played a pivotal role in driving research and innovation in automotive technology.
2019 - Pamela McCauley, Ph.D., C.P.E., Professor & Laboratory Director at the University of Central Florida, showcased exemplary leadership in advancing engineering and technology education.
2020 - RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health at the HHS, demonstrated exceptional leadership in leveraging technology to advance healthcare.
2021 - Mei Cai, Ph.D., Director of Battery Cell Systems Research at GM Chemical & Materials System Lab, led pioneering research and innovation in battery technology and energy storage systems.
