In 2004, Asha Goyal, Ph.D., the former Vice President of Quality at IBM Global Services, received the Technologist of the Year Award at the WOC STEM Conference for her expertise in software engineering process improvement and quality management.
She implemented high-maturity processes at IBM Global Services, significantly enhancing project efficiency and product quality.
Dr. Goyal was the first IBM executive to receive this prestigious award at the WOC STEM Conference, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary during October 23-25, 2025.
During the 2008 WOC STEM Conference, Irene Hernandez Roberts, who was then the program director of the IBM Software Group, was recognized for her significant contributions as a Master Inventor, holding over 70 patents, and for her pioneering leadership in software engineering and product development.
Three years earlier, Nancy Scott Stewart (May 8, 1945 – February 2, 2022), a former IBM executive, received the award for her outstanding leadership in retail technology.
She played a crucial role in driving Walmart’s global IT strategy and technological innovations to enhance operations and improve the customer experience.
Stewart began her career at IBM Corporation and retired as the first Black female Vice President.
After retirement, she worked at General Motors Corporation as an Information Officer and concluded her career at Walmart Stores, Inc. as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.
Below is a comprehensive list of WOC Technologist of the Year award honorees by year, including each recipient’s name, their affiliation at the time of the award, and the notable contributions that led to their selection.
The Women of Color STEM Conference first awarded the Technologist of the Year in 1997.
2023 – Mary Hor-Lao (Director of Software Engineering, Abbott Neuromodulation) – Honored for groundbreaking innovations in medical technology, including developing the world’s smallest rechargeable implantable pulse generator and a virtual clinic platform for neuromodulation therapies.
2022 – Valerie Sheares Ashby, Ph.D. (President, University of Maryland, Baltimore County) – Recognized for exemplary academic leadership as the first woman of color to lead UMBC, fostering excellence in STEM education and research.
2021 – Mei Cai, Ph.D. (Director of Battery Cell Systems Research, General Motors) – Awarded for pioneering work in electric vehicle battery technology, including spearheading GM’s Ultium battery cell innovations to advance EV performance.
2020 – RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D., RN, FAAN (Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) – Received the top honor for her broad impact on public health policy and service, having built systems of care to improve health outcomes for marginalized communities as a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service.
2019 – Pamela McCauley, Ph.D., C.P.E. (Professor & Lab Director, University of Central Florida; Program Director, NSF Innovation Corps) Recognized for her leadership in engineering education and entrepreneurship, including directing the NSF I-Corps program to nurture tech innovation and her accomplishments as an industrial engineering scholar.
2018 – Donna L. Bell, Ph.D. (Director of Research Operations, Ford Motor Company) – Honored for her contributions to automotive engineering and research management at Ford, where she led advanced engineering projects and fostered innovation in vehicle technology.
2017 – Denise Gray (CEO, LG Chem Power, Inc.) – Celebrated for her pioneering achievements in battery technology for electric vehicles, having led development of advanced lithium-ion batteries; she was President of LG Chem’s Michigan tech center, driving innovation in energy storage.
2016 – Aleksandra Boskovic, Ph.D. (Research Director for Optics & Photonics, Corning Incorporated) – Recognized for groundbreaking work in fiber-optic communications and materials science, holding multiple patents in optical networking technologies that have enabled high-bandwidth global communications.
2015 – Delia Grenville, Ph.D. (Research Scientist, Intel Corporation) – Honored for her innovations in information technology, including inventing digital content filtering and streaming technologies (she holds five patents), and for her leadership in developing enterprise data solutions at Intel.
2014 – Alicia Boler-Davis (Senior Vice President of Global Quality & Customer Experience, General Motors) – Awarded for her transformative leadership in the automotive industry; as one of the highest-ranking African American women at GM, she championed quality improvements and customer experience initiatives across the company.
2013 – Camille D’Annunzio (Manager, Automated Sensor Exploitation Technology Center, Northrop Grumman) – Recognized for her technical leadership in defense and intelligence technologies, managing advanced sensor exploitation projects at Northrop Grumman.
2012 – Sonya F. Sepahban (Senior Vice President, Engineering Development & Technology, General Dynamics Land Systems) – Honored for her contributions to military engineering, including leading the team that developed the U.S. Army’s enhanced Stryker armored vehicle (with a double-V hull that saved lives in combat).
2011 – Sarita Rao (Vice President, AT&T Business Solutions) – Recognized for her accomplishments in telecommunications, notably for launching AT&T’s wholesale sales network and driving major infrastructure programs; her leadership helped expand AT&T’s global network services.
2010 – RADM Eleanor Valentin (Director of the Navy Medical Service Corps / Military Health System, U.S. Navy) – Awarded for her distinguished military career in healthcare administration, as the first woman to serve as Director of the Navy’s Medical Service Corps, overseeing medical support for Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
2009 – Norma B. Clayton (Vice President, The Boeing Company) – Honored for transforming manufacturing and talent development in aerospace; she led enterprise-wide improvements in Boeing’s production processes and pioneered innovative training and supply chain programs, making her a role model in industry.
2008 – Irene Hernandez Roberts (Program Director, IBM Software Group) – Recognized for her prolific contributions at IBM as a Master Inventor (holding over 70 patents) and her trailblazing leadership in software engineering and product development.
2007 – Chineta K. Davis (Vice President, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems) – Celebrated for over three decades of excellence in defense electronics engineering; as sector VP at Northrop Grumman, she led critical programs in electronic systems and mentored many in STEM careers.
2006 – Lina Echeverria, Ph.D. (Vice President, Corning Incorporated) – Honored for her innovations in materials science and glass technology at Corning, where she directed R&D efforts finding new applications for optical materials, and for breaking barriers as a Latina in STEM leadership.
2005 – Nancy Stewart (Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Walmart) – Recognized for her executive leadership in retail technology, driving Walmart’s global IT strategy and technological innovation to improve operations and customer experience.
2004 – Asha Goyal, Ph.D. (Vice President of Quality, IBM Global Services) – Awarded for her expertise in software engineering process improvement and quality management; she implemented high-maturity processes at IBM Global Services, significantly elevating project efficiency and product quality.
2003 – Vallerie Parrish-Porter (Chief Information Officer, Embarq Corporation) – Honored for her leadership in telecommunications IT as CIO of Embarq (a major telecom services company spun off from Sprint), where she oversaw critical technology integrations and service improvements.
2002 – Duy-Loan T. Le (Senior Fellow, Texas Instruments) – Recognized for her trailblazing achievements in microelectronics; she was the first woman and first Asian-American elected as a TI Senior Fellow (TI’s highest technical rank) and has driven innovations in semiconductor chip design.
2001 – Sherita T. Ceasar (Vice President & GM, Scientific-Atlanta Inc.) – Awarded for her accomplishments in cable telecommunications engineering, including leading Scientific-Atlanta’s Subscriber Networks division and deploying advanced broadband network technologies (she later became a senior technology executive at Comcast).
2000 – Margarita "Maggie" Dominguez (Vice President of Information Technology & Telecommunications, Tampa Electric) – Honored for her leadership in the energy utility sector, where she modernized Tampa Electric’s IT and telecom infrastructure, improving efficiency and service reliability.
1999 – Dr. Chon-Yin Tsai (Principal Mechanical Engineer, Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic Missiles) – Recognized for her outstanding work in aerospace engineering on strategic missile systems; her technical expertise and innovations in space launch vehicles earned her this top honor.
1998 – Stephanie Manuel Bailey (Vice President, Fannie Mae) – Awarded for her contributions to information technology in the financial services industry, as a VP at Fannie Mae leading technology initiatives that enhanced the organization’s systems and customer service.
1997 – Sherry F. Bellamy (Vice President, Verizon Communications) – Honored as the inaugural Technologist of the Year for her achievements as a telecommunications executive, championing network innovation and diversity in tech; she was a pioneering African-American woman leader at Verizon.
Sources: Official Women of Color STEM Conference announcements and press releases, Career Communications Group news archives, and award recipient profiles. Each honoree’s affiliation and accomplishments are verified by conference press releases or reputable news sources.
